Newsletter Thirteen
W/c 2nd December 2024
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DATES AND REMINDERS
(Dates may be subject to change. For a full list of our yearly dates please check our 'Summary of Dates' page on our website)
Tuesday 10th December - Food Tech session with Mrs Cox - Obama class
Wednesday 11th December - Reception Nativity - School Hall - 2.30pm
Wednesday 11th December - Mandela class trip to The Museum of Richmond
Thursday 12th December - Reception Nativity - School Hall - 9.30am
Friday 13th December - Thunberg class trip to The Museum of Richmond
Monday 16th December - FOSS Christmas Market
Tuesday 17th December - Year Two Christmas Performance - St Stephen's Church - 10am
Thursday 19th December - Christmas Lunch/class parties
Friday 20th December - Term ends 2.15pm
Monday 6th January - Staff Inset Day
Tuesday 7th January - Children return to school
Wednesday 15th January - Coffee Morning for parents with the Mental Health Support Team - School Studio - 9am
Monday 20th - Friday 24th January - Year 6 Kamkwamba - Bikeability (further details to follow)
Wednesday 22nd January - Reception trip to The Brooklands Museum
Monday 27th - Friday 31st January - Year 6 Obama - Bikeability (further details to follow)
Thursday 30th January - FOSS Silent Disco - 6pm - School Hall - Reception - 30 mins
Friday 31st January - FOSS Silent Disco - 6pm - Years One to Six - 30 mins
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ... at St Stephen's
Advent is upon us and we are feeling very Christmassy at St Stephen's. Our tree is up - thank you FOSS - and our lovely wooden Nativity Set has come out to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas. We have also noticed that some of our classes have a new member. They all seem to answer to the name of 'Elf' and our children are enjoying the antics of these new, mischievous classmates. We wonder what havoc they are creating when we leave each evening ...
🎄CHRISTMAS LUNCH AT ST. STEPHENS🎄
On Thursday 19th December, we will be hosting our annual Christmas lunch.
Our main menu can be found here and has a Turkey or Vegetarian option. Please may we ask you to complete this form to indicate what your child would like as their Christmas Lunch option by Tuesday December 10th. If your child already has a special diet menu, indicate this on the form and select the Turkey or Vegetarian option, their specific allergens will be omitted. If your child would prefer to bring a packed lunch then please indicate this on the form.
Please complete a form for each of your children if you have more than one child at St. Stephen's.
Parents and Carers - if you would like to volunteer for this afternoon of festive fun (there's a free Christmas lunch in it!) then please sign up here. Remember your Christmas Jumpers! volunteersignup.org/PHEMD
HURRAH - OUR BOYS WIN BOROUGH FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT AND QUALIFY FOR THE LONDON GAMES- REPORT BY MR CAIN
It has been a hugely successful week for our boys' football team. On Tuesday they won the Pokemon Cup which enables them to represent Richmond at the London Games. This is such a wonderful result and we are all so pleased for them and Mr Cain. And, as if that was not enough, they followed that with a resounding win at Wednesday's Borough Football Tournament. We will leave their proud coach, Danny Cain, to give you the lowdown ...Thank you to Raffy's Mum, Jen, for these lovely photographs
On Tuesday at the Pokemon Cup, our boys did not just deliver, rather they put down a marker for all the other schools to take note. We played seven games in a round robin league competition, winning all six with a +51 goal difference, finishing 1st and taking our place at the London Games. The football, the attitude and the desire to keep going, even when games were already won, was absolutely fantastic. We go again, well done Aydin, Ali, Peyton, Seb, Raff, Oli, Freddie and Alexander. We received some fantastic comments from the other school coaches and parents, including: "Are all of your boys academy players?" and "You can tell this is a well coached team!"
Here are the statistics from the day:
SS 10 v 2 Lowther
SS 8 v 1 St Richards
SS 10 v 1 Sacred Heart
SS 8 v 1 Mary Mags
SS 8 v 0 Meadlands
SS 9 v 0 St Mary's
Next up was the Boys' Borough Football Tournament, where we pitted ourselves against the teams from thirty-four other Richmond schools. We were put in a tough group but managed to secure maximum points in our four games, which ensured a top place finish. This put us in the cup which consisted of all the teams in the borough that finished in the top 2 of their groups. We then continued on good form and won all our games in this group, knowing only the winners would qualify for the semi-finals. In the semi-finals we battled ferociously and came out winners again to book our place in the final. And, despite winning the final on penalties, it was never in doubt. The boys were amazing because they not only won the tournament but did so without conceding a goal. This is unprecedented and can be attributed to their organisation, willingness, determination in and out of possession and general fantastic sporting spirit. Well done to Aydin, Alex, Peyton, Raff, Freddie, Seb and joint players of the tournament Ali and Oli. I am so proud of each and everyone of you.
Please see results via link: https://www.tournifyapp.com/live/lbrutboysfootball2024/standings
WELCOME BACK MISS FERGUSON
It was wonderful to have ex-St Stephen's staffer, Rachel Ferguson, back on the premises this week to lead our weekly church assembly. Her theme was advent and our children joined in the quiz and singing with great enthusiasm. 'Advent' means coming and it marks the period before Christmas which leads up to the birth of Jesus. Miss Ferguson told us about Advent at St Stephen's and the church's Advent Wreath, explaining the meaning behind each candle. The first candle represents hope, and the prophets of the Old Testament; the second stands for faith, and Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem; the third candle signifies joy, and the shepherds; and the fourth stands for peace and the angels, with their message of Peace on Earth. And, the fifth candle, which is lit on Christmas Day, represents Jesus, the Light of the World.
And the winners of this week's housepoints cup are the children of Yellow House. Well done to the mellow yellows!
