St Mary's Weekly
Aspiring, nurturing, flourishing;
together shining a light
Courage
This week in Collective Worship, we focused on 'facing a challenge'. On Wednesday, with Gary, we explored the Biblical story of David and Goliath. What a challenge David overcame! Goliath fell to the floor in front of him. He had faced a real threat, with courage and conviction. Gary prayed for the whole school community - in the many challenges that we may face this week. May we all too, have confidence and courage to step out and up boldly.
Key Dates
This week...
Week 5
Monday 13th to Friday 17th May - Year 6 - SATS week
Tuesday 14th May - Year 4 class trip to Batchworth Canal
Thursday 16th May - Year 3 - class trip to Hazard Alley
Friday 17th May - Non-uniform day and Bake Sale afterschool for PlaySkill charity
Friday 17th May - Year 6 - pizza and film afternoon to celebrate the end of SATs week
Friday 17th May - am - Three Rivers District Council will be coming into school to ask the children for their ideas on Ebury Play Area
Saturday 18th May - Open morning at St Mary's Church - we will be supporting this event with the Choir as well as having a stall to promote us. This is an important event for us to promote how special our school is in our local community
This half term...
Week 6 - Monday 20th to Friday 24th May - Art Week
Wednesday 22nd May - afterschool - Art Exhibition
Wednesday 22nd May - 17:30 - 18:30 - Year 6 Parent Meeting - Residential Trip
Thursday 23rd May - Year 1 class trip - Brooklands Museum
Friday 24th May - am - Year 4 field trip to Rickmansworth
Friday 24th May - Movie Night to raise money for PlaySkill Charity
Monday 27th to Friday 31st May - Half Term
Next half term...
Week 7
Week 8
Monday 10th to Friday 14th June - Year 4 Multiplication Check and Year 1 Phonics screening
Monday 10th June - afternoon - Year 2 trip into Rickmansworth to support their local study
Wednesday 12th June - Reception trip to Whipsnade Zoo
Week 9
Monday 17th to Friday 21st June - Year 6 Residential
Monday 17th to Friday 21st June - Years One to Five - English and Maths assessment week
Saturday 22nd June - Summer Fair - We will have performances from the Year 4’s that performed at the Three Rivers Dance Festival, before school gymnastics club, Karate club and the KS2 choir
Week 10 - Monday 24th to Friday 28th June - Science / STEM Week
Thursday 27th June - 9:30 - 15:00 - Years 3 & 4 - Aquadrome activities with Three Rivers District Council running the sessions for us
Week 11 - Monday 1st July to Friday 5th July - Sports Week
Monday 1st July - afternoon - Year 5 at the Aquadrome with Canoe Sports Trust - Katacanoes (6 to a boat) & Open Canoes (3 to a boat)
Wednesday 3rd July - afternoon - Year 6 at the Aquadrome with Canoe Sports Trust - Stand Up Paddle boards & Sit on Top Kayaks
Thursday 4th July - Sports Day - KS1 - morning followed by picnic lunch; KS2 - picnic lunch followed by sports afternoon
Thursday 4th July - 15:30 - 17:00 - Year 6 leavers party
Week 12
Thursday 11th July 9.30 - 11.45 - Transition morning
Week 13
Monday 15th July - Year 6 production - evening performance for parents
Tuesday 16th July - Year 6 productions - afternoon performance for parents
Thursday 18th July - afternoon - school disco and end of term activities
Friday 19th July - Year 6 Leavers Service at St Mary’s Church - all children to be dropped off at the church at the start of the day
Friday 19th July - 13:15 - End of term - No JD Club
Shining a light on...
House Points this week
Total House Points for the Term
Effort & Progress in Learning Certificates
Congratulations to the children below who received a special certificate on Friday for 'Effort and Progress in Learning'.
Reception - Sylvie
Year 1 - Ilan
Year 2 - Zack
Year 3 - Ava
Year 4 - Amelie
Year 5 - Lottie
Year 6 - Alice
All the children that received certificates will be celebrating with Mrs Maxwell over a hot chocolate and marshmallows on Wednesday.
Above & Beyond
Beau, Jenson, Alex, Emma, Eliza, Darcie, Juliusz, Albie, Kaiden, Lily, Jaiden, Florence, Harry B, Henry, Lucy, Sasha, Oscar, Tilly, Aaryan, Ella, Alessandro, Rosie, Emaan, Michael, Henry, Saskia
Weekly Class Attendance
MATHEMATICS
INTER-SCHOOL QUIZ CHAMPIONSHIP 2023 – 2024
Last week, twelve children from Years 4, 5, and 6 participated in a challenging competition to select representatives for the upcoming 2024 Inter-Schools Maths Quiz Championship. This nationwide contest will see our team pitted against 4000 other schools, showcasing their mathematical prowess.
The selection process consisted of three increasingly difficult rounds, where each participant demonstrated exceptional skill and determination. Our brilliant competitors from Year 6 included Lilly, Thomas, Jack, and Jamie; from Year 5, Louie, Kezia, Krysten, and Eliza; and from Year 4, Josh, Aaryan, Felix, and Ben.
After a tough competition, we are proud to announce that Thomas, Lilly, Kezia, and Felix have been selected to represent our school, with Aaryan as our reserve. The team will compete in the first round of the championship on Tuesday, 21st May. We are excited to see how they will perform and wish them the best of luck in the competition!
Enhancing Our Writing Skills
Writing development is a central focus in our School Development Plan this year. To support this initiative, our staff participated in a Twilight training session on Thursday evening. We were fortunate to have Dean Thompson, a renowned writing consultant, lead this session. His expertise provided high-quality training for all our staff members.
Following the training, Dean spent Friday working directly with various classes on shared writing activities. The results were impressive, with children crafting shared and individual setting descriptions and creative poems.
We are excited to implement the strategies and techniques learned from these sessions into our English lessons next half term. This hands-on training promises to enrich our curriculum and bolster our children's writing abilities.
Year Five Mini Police
Year Five has been diligently continuing their mini-police project, focusing on improving our community through a planned litter-picking event. The children embarked on a cleanup mission around the school perimeter and extended their efforts all the way to the Aquadrome. They were quite astounded by the amount of litter they collected in just one afternoon. This initiative not only helps keep our environment clean but also instills a sense of responsibility and pride in our children.
⭐️ Club of the Week ⭐️
In Key Stage Two Art Club, the children explored the basics of using soft pastels, focusing on techniques such as colour blending to create simple abstract pictures. For the next few sessions they will build on these skills, with painting imaginative landscapes, delving deeper into more advanced pastel techniques.
Ducklings in Reception
Our Reception class has embarked on an exciting hands-on learning project by caring for ducklings. The children have had the unique opportunity to observe the entire hatching process, watching as the ducklings emerged from their shells and begin to grow. Each day, the children are monitoring their development, noting changes in size, feather growth, and behaviour. This engaging experience not only teaches them about the life cycle of birds but also instills a sense of responsibility as they help look after the young ducklings by ensuring they have enough food and a safe, warm environment.
🏉 Cian will be Taking the Field at Saracens Match! 🏉
Cian’s been playing for Fullerians for the last couple of years. This season, he’s been playing really well. He will be playing on the Saracen pitch with the team before the Saracens vs Sales match on the 18th May. Let's cheer him on as he continues to shine bright on the field!
Issy's Dance Showcase at the Pumphouse Theatre
Over the weekend, Issy showcased her talent in a dance performance at the Pumphouse Theatre. She performed in a range of performances, including modern, tap, and ballet routines. Issy's dedication and hard work over the past six months truly paid off, as she delivered fabulous performances on stage. We're incredibly proud of her achievements and commend her for her commitment to her dance!
Information
2024 - 2025 Term Dates
Autumn Term
Autumn Term
Thursday 5th September 2024 - Autumn term starts
Monday 28th October to Friday 3rd November - Half Term
Friday 20th December 2024 - Autumn term finishes
Spring Term
Wednesday 8th January 2025 - Spring term starts
Monday 17th to Friday 21st February - Half Term
Friday 4th April - Spring term finishes
Summer Term
Thursday 24th April - Summer term starts
Monday 26th to Friday 30th May - Half Term
Friday 18th July - Summer term finishes
Attendance at school is the foundation to a child's future success and happiness. Over the coming weeks, we will be taking a letter from the alphabet, in turn, in order to highlight the importance of being at school and advice for parents and carers.
I is for Illness: The government expects your child to attend every day that the school is open, unless:
- your child is too ill to attend
- you have asked in advance and been given permission by the school for your child to be absent on a specific day due to exceptional circumstances
As a parent it is difficult to know when / when not to keep your child off school due to illness. Please have a read of the documents below to give you some guidance.
Ebury Play Area Refurbishment
Alice and Lisa from Three Rivers District Council will be in school on Friday to find out from our children their views for the refurbishment. Have your say by completing the survey.
Community
Representing our School at St Mary's Church Open weekend
Our school choir has been invited to perform at the upcoming St Mary's Church Open Day. This event provides an excellent platform for our children to share their vocal talent with the wider community and contribute to a joyous occasion. The choir will be performing a selection of uplifting and inspiring songs and is a wonderful opportunity for your child to gain performance experience, build confidence and make a positive impact through singing. If your child is in the school choir, please complete the school gateway confirming if your child is able / unable to attend the event.
Details of the performance are as follows:
Date: Saturday 18th May
Time: 12.00pm (Children to arrive for 11.30am and be in full school uniform)
We would love more children to be involved during the morning to show our fabulous school community. We will have a school stall as well as serving refreshments. Please let us know if you would like your child to be involved in the event.
This is an important event for us to promote how special our school is in our local community -
please sign up for your child to attend using SchoolComms
We have such an amazing school and are looking at ways to promote ourselves in the wider community. To do this, we will be developing our use of social media. Please like our new Facebook page and any posts that you enjoy.
