Friday 2nd February 2024 - Issue 20

Star of the Week

This week we recognise the following children as Stars of the Week for their effort and contribution to school life:

Albie Leighton, Arthur Locke, Phoebe Macfarlane, Ho Ching Hui, Daniel Simcock, Amelia Kuncewicz, Angel Leung, Tillie Pickersgill, Natalie Riches, Luke Toman-Webster, Leo Noel Mulhaney, Theo Lennox, Freddie Harrison, Joy Ko, Hollie McWilliam, Sherwin Law, Tia Corbett, Katie Taylor and Isla Holden

Birthday Greetings

Happy birthday to all the children and staff who have had or who will be celebrating their birthdays this week.

Lennie Brown, Noah Hughes, Albie Marsden, Rose Leighton, Kamsy Okwesa, Sherwin Law, Emelia Pucill and Mrs Roughsedge

We hope you have had or will have a lovely day!

Mental Health Week

Next week we will be doing some activities around Mental Health. We look forward to better supporting our children with their well-being.

PE Days

PE Days for the first half term are as follows:

Monday: Y3 KS, Y2 CF/KR and YR MR

Tuesday: Y3/4 NM, Y6 RT, Y4 KD and Y5 MW

Wednesday: Y2 CF/KR, Y6 MR, Y3 KS and Y1 AH

Thursday: Y5 MW, Y4 KD, Y3/4 NM (Swimming) and Y6 RT

Friday: Y1 AH and EYFS

Food allergies

School Day Start and End

Please be reminded about the school start arrangements as shared last week.

As you know, the school day begins for children at 8:45am and ends at 3:15pm. This follows DfE legislation.

For some time, I believe that a number of us have become a little relaxed in arriving in time for school so learning can begin.

Children are to line up on the playground in the morning at their designated places. Staff will be on the playground before 8:45am to promptly take them into school. We would then ask all parents/carers to vacate the playground immediately for the gates to be locked at 8:50am. This is to maintain safeguarding procedures.

If a child is late, they must enter the school via the front door for registration. A number of our children are arriving after 8:45am and this we are trying to reduce, as overtime, it limits learning.

Please support us in this effort and ensure your child is in school in good time ready to learn. Thank you!

如您所知，仔們嘅上學日由朝早8：45開始，到下晝3：15結束。遵循DfE立法。

一段時間以來，我相信我哋中嘅一些人喺及時上學時變得有點放鬆，這樣就可以開始學習了。

早上，仔們將在操場上嘅指定地點排隊。工作人員將在上午8：45之前到達操場上，以便及時將佢哋送入學校。然後，我哋會要求所有家長/看護人立即離開操場，以便喺朝早8：50鎖上大門。係為咗維護保護程序。

如果孩子遲到，佢哋必須由前門進入學校進行註冊。我哋嘅一些仔喺早上8：45之後到達，我哋努力減少呢種情況緊，因為加班限制了學習。

請支持我哋嘅呢項工作，並確保您的孩子及時上學，為學習做好準備。多謝!

First Friday Food Item Collection

Thank you to all for your continuing generosity towards St Joseph's Family Centre's food bank. Times are tough for many people, our families included, so to share what we have with others is a great thing and a way in which we can live out our calling as Christ's followers.

Monthly Mass

It was lovely to celebrate Mass with Fr Raymond on Friday morning - our monthly in-school Celebration of Mass to which all are invited.

School link with St Joseph’s in Jifna, Palestine

On Monday, we were blessed to have an online meeting with children from St Joseph’s school in Jifna. Abouna Johny Bahbah, the parish priest and Theira N Anflous, the school principle, and the English teacher, Lena, organised a small number of students to meet with some of our Year 6 pupils. We spent over half an hour talking about common interests, such as, football and netball, Fortnite, favourite seasons and school subjects. It was noticeable how much we have in common! We also prayed together, our children leading the Hail Mary in English and Jifna’s children the Our Father in Arabic. Abouna Johny then led us in prayer for our communities.

We want to do more to support this school, though not in the Gaza, but just over 50 miles away. Some family members are finding it difficult to work presently and therefore resources are limited.

St Joseph, pray for us!

أيها القديس يوسف صل لأجلنا

Staff Parking

We are becoming increasingly worried about the staff car park as a potential hazard to children and adults. It is not to be used by parents to drop off or collect children. Children are to enter the school premises via the pathways and gates. They are not to walk across the car park itself. Children joining Kool Kids must walk up the side pathway and enter through the playground gates. The car park gates will be closed to prevent the access of parents’ cars.

Stopping outside school

Please be reminded cars cannot stop to drop off children on the zig-zag lines outside the school gates. Neither should we park or stop across people's driveways.

It is illegal and also inconsiderate. One of our neighbours last week was delayed leaving home for an important hospital appointment. Also, a car was stopped on the corner of Larch Avenue, which is extremely hazardous for other road users and pedestrians.

Thank for your support.

Mobile Telephones

Please be reminded, children do not need their mobiles in school if they are not being collected by an adult at the end of the day. If your child is walking home alone and you wish for them to have their mobile phone, it must be switched off and handed in to their teacher at the start of the day. When collected later, it must not be switched on until your child leaves the school premises. It is not to be used to share photographs, videos, etc. not to play on apps.

Thank you for your support.