Newsletter
Friday 22nd September 2023
A Message from Mrs Murphy
Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope you have all had a lovely week.
All the children are now fully settled into their new years learning and I have been able to visit lots of classes this week to see their amazing learning behaviour and progress. As a school, we are working really hard on our presentation in our new books and it was very clear how hard the children and staff have been working to do this in all the classes that I visited this week.
Homework
The new homework policy is in full swing and lots of the children have started accessing the online platforms. In assembly today we celebrated how much work the children have done on these platforms. In Years 2,3 and 4, the children have achieved 8980 stars in total over the last 7 days. Well done to Kingfisher class who are in the were at the top of the leaderboard with 54 % of the class working in the green zone in Doodle Maths over the last 7 days. Congratulations to Kestral class who were leading on Doodle English with 21% being in the green zone.
In Century, we have been blown away by the focus the children have had. In total over the last 7 days Year 5 and 6 have completed 5764 questions. Well done to Hawks who were at the top of the leaderboard for completing a huge 1906 questions over the last 7 days.
Parents are able to find out more about how their children are getting on with the work on these platforms by linking their email address. In Doodle, this can be done by following the instructions found here.
In Century, school need to submit email addresses and link these to the child's account. If parents would like us to do this, we do need permission to share the email address. Please complete the permission form here if you would like us to do this for you.
Year 5 Trip to Reeds for the Launch Car Challenge.
Falcons and Kites class have both now visited Reeds School in Oxshott to take part in the Launch Car Challenge. Working alongside the Design and Technolgy teachers at Reeds, the children designed and made cars that were then shot across the carpark using an air cannon. The children confidently developed their wood-work skills by independently using saws and glue guns to construct their design, whilst considering their science knowledge of streamlining and aerodynamics. They also really enjoyed their free lunch!
Harvest
We are now beginning to think about Harvest and would like to ask parents for any donation to support the foodbank at this time of year. We are asking parents to donate non-perishable items for our Harvest Festival on Tuesday 10th October.
The foodbank have specifically requested the following: tinned fruit, tinned vegetables, tinned soup, tinned tuna, pasta sauce, sponge pudding, tinned custard, biscuits, long-life milk and squash.
We can receive donations from next week so please do give what you can.
Fond farewell
Next Friday we will be wishing good luck and best wishes to Mrs Watts as she takes on a promotion at the Family Centre in Walton. Mrs Watts has supported the families of St James for many years and will be incredibly missed by children, staff and families. We do wish her huge congratulations on her new job and I know she will be keen to pop back and see us all whenever she can.
Whilst we know Mrs Watts will be missed, we have been reviewing our offer to families to ensure that we can continue to support when it is needed. I am hoping to be able to provide more details next week but in the meantime, please do continue to reach out to Mrs Watts next week if you require any assistance.
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
Mrs Murphy.
Safeguarding
We would like to remind all parents that we support the belief that Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. That not only includes the staff and Governors at St James but also the parent community. If you are ever concerned about a child in our school, we would expect parents to report this to us so that we can provide support needed. The email address for any safeguarding concerns is DSL@stjames-weybridge.surrey.sch.uk and this will go directly to Mrs Cowden or Mrs Murphy.
Volunteers
Thank you to all the parents who have completed their Safeguarding training to allow them to volunteer in school. If you would like to volunteer, the required steps are outlined below:
1. Annual Safeguarding Update Training: We are pleased to provide you with access to an informative and essential annual safeguarding update training module created by The Key, a trusted resource in the field of education. This training covers important aspects of child protection. It is a mandatory requirement for all staff and volunteers and must be completed annually. You can access this training at
https://my.thekeysupport.com/signup-for-elearning/22c32eb9-c65b-4bc4-b26c-3f6f88ff3184?src=stc_link
Please follow the provided link to access the training. This update ensures that our entire team is well-informed and up-to-date on safeguarding practices.
Once you have completed the online training, kindly submit your certificate of completion to our school office as proof.
2. Safeguarding Leaflet: Attached to the Parentmail sent on the 15th September, you will find a safeguarding leaflet that provides a concise overview of key safeguarding principles, and steps to take in case of concerns. We urge you to read this leaflet carefully to familiarize yourself with our school's approach to safeguarding and key members of the staff.
3. School Safeguarding Policy: Our comprehensive safeguarding policy outlines our commitment to child protection and the procedures we have in place to ensure the safety of our students. Please take the time to review the "School Safeguarding Policy" document on our website to gain a thorough understanding of our school's safeguarding practices.
4. DBS: If you have not volunteered at our school during the previous academic year (2022-2023), we kindly request that you contact our school office to initiate the necessary background check process, including obtaining a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Safeguarding is a shared responsibility, and the DBS check is an additional measure to ensure the safety of our students.
5. Checklist: After completing the safeguarding steps, please indicate your completion by filling out the following form: https://forms.gle/AotzRifeznDv3Xad7. This step is essential to ensure that we have a record of your completion and can effectively coordinate volunteer activities.
Thank you for your support in creating our strong safeguarding culture at St James.
Collective Worship at St James
Week beginning: 18th September
Monday: What is Safeguarding? Child Friendly assembly
Tuesday: Moses: Clergy Assembly
Wednesday: Class Assembly
Thursday: Singing Assembly
Friday: Celebration Assembly
Special Lunch - 5th October
Our caterers, Twelve15, have arranged a special lunch on Thursday 5th October. If your child normally has a packed lunch, but would like to have this special meal, please book a school meal on SCOPAY for the 5th October. Please could you book this special meal by Friday 29th September, as the kitchen will need to place their food order on this date.
If your child normally has a school meal, they will receive this special lunch on the 5th October.
Reception 2024 : Parent Tours
Prospective parent tours can be booked here: https://forms.gle/Zxe696VWYbbKEz6z6
Please share with anyone who may be interest in booking a place on the tour.
St James' Church, Weybridge
Diary Dates
DIARY DATES:
27 Sept / 4, 11, 18 Oct Y6 Swimming
2 Oct Flu Immunisations
6 Oct Y3 Ufton Court day trip
10 Oct Harvest Festival - Assembly (students only)
12 Oct Bags2school collection
12 Oct Y6 Cake sale
13 Oct Open afternoon - Parents invited to pop in and look at books. - 2.45pm
17, 18 & 19 Oct Parents Consultations
W/C 23 Oct HALF TERM
30 Oct Back to School
1, 8, 15 Nov Y6 Swimming
Sat 25 Nov Christmas Fair 4 - 6pm
W/C 27 Nov & W/C 4 Dec Y6 Bikeability
Fri 15 Dec Last day of Term - Normal 3:15pm finish (no After-School Club)
Tues 2 Jan Inset Day (School closed)
Wed 3 Jan START OF SPRING TERM
W/C 12 Feb HALF TERM
28 March Last day of Term (Easter) - Normal 3:15pm finish (no After-School Club)
15 April START OF SUMMER TERM
24 May Inset Day - (School closed)
W/C 27 May Half Term.
3 June Back to School.
19 July End of Summer Term - 1.30pm finish (no After-School Club)
See website for more dates. INSET Days have been set for the academic Year 2023/4. More information can be found on the website here: https://www.stjames-weybridge.surrey.sch.uk/term-dates-1/
Clubs
Lunch Menu
If your child has started in Year 3, they will no longer receive a Universal Free School Meal which is provided for all children in Years R-2. If you would like your child to continue to have a hot school meal, please ensure they are ordered through the SCOPAY app/website in advance. The cost of a meals for KS2 pupils is £2.70 per day.
All KS2 pupils who are having a school meal should book in advance through SCOPAY.
Flyers
