St Mary's Weekly
Aspiring, nurturing, flourishing;
together shining a light
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"Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5: 16
Friendship
Friendship
This week in Collective Worship, we have been focusing on our school vision, drawing inspiration from Matthew 5:16. We introduced this half term's value, "Friendship," by reflecting on how acts of kindness can strengthen our relationships and embody the true spirit of friendship. We have been encouraged to think about practical ways we can demonstrate friendship in our daily lives.
On Wednesday, Gary led an extended Collective Worship, warmly welcoming everyone back to school and offering a blessing for the year ahead.
Key Dates
Key Dates
There are lots more dates to add to the calendar but we wanted to get these to you as soon as possible to put into your dairies...
This Week...
Week 3 (After 'Meet the Teacher', parents are welcome to stay for a brief tour of the changes we have made in school over the summer)
Monday 16th September - 09:00 - Meet the Teacher - Year 3
Monday 16th September - 19:30 - FoSMS EGM in the school hall
Tuesday 17th September - 09:00 - Meet the Teacher - Year 2
Wednesday 18th September - 09:00 - Meet the Teacher - Year 4
Wednesday 18th September - 14:00 - Reading meeting - Reception and Year 1
Thursday 19th September - 09:00 - Meet the Teacher - Year 5
Friday 20th September - 09:00 - Meet the Teacher - Year 6
Autumn term (First half term)...
Week 4
Monday 23rd September - 09:30 - Reception praying in service, Reception parents welcome
Tuesday 24th September - 09:00 - Parent Rep meeting
Thursday 26th September - 09:00 - Macmillan's Coffee morning - Speaker talking about Emotional Wellbeing (see poster below for further information)
Week 5
Wednesday 2nd October - 09:15 - Harvest Festival for Years 1 to 6 at St Mary's Church (smart uniform)
Friday 4th October - Year 4 trip - Science Museum
Week 6
Monday 7th October - Individual photographs (smart uniform)
Monday 7th October - 13:30 - 14:30 - Year 6 - Positive Choices with Herts Police
Tuesday 8th October - Choir - Harvest Festival at St Albans (smart uniform)
Wednesday 9th October - Year 5 trip - Matilda in London (workshop & matinee performance)
Friday 11th October - 09:00 - Parent workshop - How do we feedback/report to parents about children's progress
Week 7 - Black History Month focused week
Tuesday 15th October - KS1 target report sent to parents in preparation for parent consultations
Wednesday 16th October - 09:00 / 18:00 - Parent Coffee and Chat with Mrs Maxwell
Week 8
Tuesday 22nd October - Reception and Key Stage 1 parent consultations
Tuesday 22nd October - Year 3 trip - Stoneage trip to Chiltern Open Air Museum
Tuesday 22nd October - Year 2 - Pirate Day in school
Wednesday 22nd October - 09:00 - 13:00 - KS2 School Council members to Rickmansworth for a School Council Forum
Wednesday 23rd October - Reception and Key Stage 1 parent consultations
Thursday 24th October - Year 1 trip - Bekonscot Model Village
Friday 25th October - 9:00 - 10:30 - Reception, Years 1 & 2 - perform workshop in school
HALF TERM
Autumn term (second half term)...
Week 9
Thursday 7th November - Morning - Archdeacon visiting school
Sunday 10th November - Remembrance Service at St Mary's Church - Head and Deputy Girl, Head and Deputy Boy will be involved
Week 10 - Anti-bullying Week
Monday 11th November - Remembrance Extended Collective Worship - children to wear their scouting uniform to school
Tuesday 12th November - Odd Socks Day (children to wear school uniform with odd socks to celebrate what makes us all unique)
Wednesday 13th November - Reception Trip - Odds Farm
Thursday 14th November - 09:00 - Wellbeing coffee morning on 'Regulation' with Mrs Budd
Friday 15th November - Year 4 Trip - St Albans Verulamium
Week 11
Tuesday 19th November - KS2 target report sent to parents in preparation for parent consultations
Friday 22nd November - 13:45 - Parent Rep meeting
Week 12
Tuesday 24th November - KS2 parent consultations
Wednesday 25th November - KS2 parent consultations
Friday 27th November - 14:00 - 15:00 - St Andrews House celebration
Week 13
Wednesday 4th December - No Pens Day (children will be taking part in lots of oracy and active learning)
Friday 6th December - 09:00 - Parent Workshop on Writing
Week 14
Monday 9th December - KS1 Nativity dress rehearsal to school
Tuesday 10th December - KS1 Nativity performances to parents x 2 performances
Wednesday 11th December - Reception Nativity dress rehearsal to school
Thursday 12th December - morning - Reception Nativity performance for parents
Thursday 12th December - afternoon - Whole school - Watersmeet Panto - Jack and the Beanstalk
Friday 13th December - Christmas Jumper Day
Week 15 (No enrichment clubs)
Tuesday 17th December - KS2 Carol Service - evening - St Mary's Church
Wednesday 18th December - 15:15 - 17:00 - Years 1 to 3 - Christmas Disco
Thursday 19th December - afternoon - Reception Disco (in school time)
Thursday 19th December - 15:15 - 17:00 - Years 4 to 6 - Christmas Disco
Friday 20th December - term finishes at 13:15 - No JD Club
Spring Term...
Week 1
Wednesday 8th January - Back to school
Wednesday 8th January - Writing Day
Week 2
Week 3
Wednesday 22nd January - Year 6 - WW2 themed day in school
Wednesday 22nd January - 09:00- Parent Rep meeting
Week 4
Week 5 Art Week
Week 6
Monday 10th February - Young Voices - Year 4 and choir from Years 5 & 6
HALF TERM
Week 7
Thursday 27th February - 09:00 / 18:00 - Parent Coffee and Chat with Mrs Maxwell
Friday 28th February - 14:00 - 15:00 - St David's House Celebration
Week 8 Book Week
Thursday 6th March - World Book Day - dressing up
Week 9
Friday 14th March - 14:00 - 15:00 - St Patrick's House Celebration
Week 10
Monday 17th March - 13:45 - Parent Rep Meeting
Tuesday 18th March - Years 1 to 6 - Mini report to parents in preparation for parent consultations
Wednesday 19th March - evening - Matilda production performance
Thursday 20th March - afternoon & evening - Matilda production performance
Week 11
Tuesday 25th March - Parent consultations
Wednesday 26th March - Parent consultations
Week 12
Thursday 3rd April - Years 1 to 6 - Easter service at St Mary's Church at 18:00
Friday 4th April - term finishes at 13:15 - No JD Club
Summer Term...
Week 1
Thursday 24th April - Back to school
Friday 25th April - 14:00 - 15:00 - St George's House celebration
Week 2
Tuesday 29th April - Year 4 trip - Farmer Gows
Tuesday 29th April - Year 2 trip - Royal Academy of Arts
Week 3
Monday 5th May - Bank Holiday
Week 4 Year 6 - SATs Week
Thursday 16th May - 13:45 - Parent Rep meeting
Friday 17th May - afternoon - Year 6 - pizza and movie afternoon
Week 5 STEM Week
HALF TERM
Week 6
Monday 2nd June - INSET Day - no school
Week 7
Year 6 residential
Reception Phonics Screening
Year 4 Multiplication Check
Friday 13th June - 9am / 6pm - Parent Coffee and Chat with Mrs Maxwell
Week 8
Thursday 19th June - evening - Music Concert - Years 1 to 6
Week 9
Monday 23rd June - Neurodiversity Day
Week 10
Saturday 5th June - Summer Fair
Week 11 Sports Week
Monday 7th July - afternoon - Mini Class Marathon event at the Aquadrome
Thursday 10th July - Sports Day
Thursday 10th July - 15:15 - 17:00 - Year 6 Leavers activities
Week 12
Monday 14th July - Reports to parents
Monday 14th July - evening - Year 6 performance for parents
Tuesday 15th July - afternoon - Year 6 performance to parents
Thursday 17th July - afternoon - Year 6 Leaver's Assembly
Friday 18th July - 09:00 - Year 6 Leavers Service at St Mary's Church - all children in Years 1 to 6 to be dropped off at 08:50
Friday 18th July - term finishes at 13:15 - No JD Club
Shining a light on...
Shining a light on...
House Points
This year, children will continue to earn House Points to fill their house team's bucket. Each week, the house with the most points will be awarded four points, the second place will receive three points, and so on. At the end of each term, the winning house will enjoy a non-uniform day as a special reward for their efforts.
Class Attendance
Effort & Progress in Learning Certificates
Congratulations to the children below who received a special certificate on Friday for 'Effort and Progress in Learning'.
Year 1 - Matthew
Year 2 - Orla
Year 3 - Henry
Year 4 - Poppy
Year 5 - Austin
Year 6 - Saskia
All the children that received certificates will be celebrating with Mrs Maxwell over a hot chocolate and marshmallows this week.
Above and Beyond
A massive congratulations to the children below who achieved Above and Beyond on Friday!
Maeve, Siddharth, Orla, Lola-Rose, Max, Sadie, Eddie, Paul John, Anabelle, Ava, Marly, Minnie, Zainub, Amber, Reggie, Sebastian, Saskia, Emaan, Henning, Florence, Sam , Krysten
Exciting Week of Discovery and Creativity in Year One
Year One has had a fantastic week! The children have been diving into 'Discovery Time,' which builds upon 'Planning Time' in Reception. During Discovery Time, they tackle a variety of engaging challenges.
In Maths, the focus has been on grouping objects, developing analytical skills, and fostering questioning techniques. In English, the children have been exploring poetry, specifically poems about tigers. They collaborated to create a class poem, which they rehearsed orally and even enhanced with accompanying actions. It's been a week full of creativity and teamwork!
National Gaming Day Celebration in JD Club!
To mark National Gaming Day, our after-school club had an exciting evening filled with pizza and games! The children had a fantastic time playing Connect Adventures, along with exploring some classic retro Nintendo games from the ’80s. It was a wonderful mix of fun and nostalgia, creating an unforgettable experience for all!
Information
Information
Help us spread the word!
We are looking ahead to how we can promote our school for next year’s Reception class, and one area we hope to improve is our presence on Google searches. We’ve received so many wonderful comments from parents throughout the year, and we would be incredibly grateful if you could share some of these by leaving a Google Review for the school. This will help ensure that when new parents start their search, our fantastic school stands out.
Thank you so much for your continued support! If you have any other ideas about marketing the school, we’d love to hear from you! Please send an email to head@stmarys698.herts.sch.uk or pop in for a coffee and a chat.
FoSMS EGM and first meeting of this academic year - Monday 16th September at 7:30pm in the school hall.
Let us know if you are attending by clicking here.
We are thrilled to announce that starting this year, children in Years 1 through 6 will embark on an exciting journey of learning Spanish! Younger children in Years 1 and 2 will explore the language through songs, basic greetings, numbers, and colours.
For our KS2 families, we would love your help! If you have any holiday photographs from Spain, especially those featuring Spanish food, culture, or landmarks, please email them to us. We’ll be showcasing them on a special display to inspire and enhance our lessons. All holiday photos are welcome, and we can’t wait to see your snapshots!
Children’s Wellbeing Practitioner Workshops
October-December 2024
Workshops are open to all young people & parents/carers of children and young people who attend a school or are registered to a GP in Hertfordshire. A referral is not needed to access a workshop. All workshops are currently being delivered online via Microsoft Teams. For more information about what each workshop covers and to book a place onto a workshop, visit the Children’s Wellbeing Practitioner Eventbrite page:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/hct-childrens-wellbeing-practitioners-33494371787
Supporting your Child’s Self-Esteem and Resilience
A workshop focused on parents/carers supporting their child to improve their self-esteem.
Monday 28th October 6-8pm
Wednesday 11th December 10-12pm
Supporting with Sleep Difficulties
A workshop supporting children and adolescents with managing their sleep difficulties and how parents/carers can help.
Wednesday 2nd October 6-8pm
Monday 2nd December 6-8pm
Developing your Child’s Emotional Literacy
A workshop focused on parents supporting their child with developing emotional literacy.
Tuesday 1st October 10-12pm
Monday 4th November 6-8pm
Thursday 12th December 10-12pm
General Emotional Wellbeing and Regulation Tips for Parents
A workshop focused on parents supporting their child’s general emotional wellbeing and emotional regulation.
Tuesday 15th October 10-12pm
Monday 11th November 10-12pm
Tuesday 17th December 6-8pm
Copy of Family Lives Autumn Term 2024 Groups.pdfYear Six - Secondary Transfer 2025
Moving On Leaflet 2025 FINAL.pdf
Attendance at school is the foundation of a child's future success and happiness. Over the coming weeks, we will be focusing on a letter from the alphabet in each newsletter to highlight the importance of regular attendance, along with helpful advice for parents and carers. In this newsletter, we are reviewing the A to Z of Attendance so far, emphasizing how each aspect contributes to your child’s overall well-being and progress in school.
N is for Notifying the School - It’s essential to notify the school promptly if your child is unable to attend due to illness or other exceptional circumstances. Timely communication helps us ensure your child’s safety and provides an accurate record of attendance, so we can offer the necessary support when needed.
Reminder about Parking
This is a reminder that there is NO parking down Stockers Farm Road or Juniper Gate at drop off and pick up. If we use this road fpor parking, we will have to pay for this use which would be over £2,000. It is also incredibly dangerous and we all want to keep our children safe.
Lost Property
We already have lost property in school. There is a large lost property shelving unit at the front of the office - all lost property is sent down there at the end of each day - please come and take a look! Please make sure all uniform items are named so that we are able to return property to the rightful owner.
Uniform
A reminder that we expect all families to support our uniform policy. A few areas have come to our attention:
Children wearing grey skirts or pinafores must pair them with grey socks or grey tights. White socks are reserved for summer uniform only.
School shoes must be worn at all times, unless children are in their Sports Kit.
Sports Kit - no skins or leggings are to be worn - children should wear either PE black shorts, a black skort and have black tracksuit bottoms to keep legs warm now that summer has ended.
Trainers are to be plain black or white when wearing the Sports Kit.
We appreciate your cooperation in helping maintain our school's standards!
JD Club
The wrap-around provision will now be based within the main school building, specifically in our newly designed Hub and library area. To collect your child, please use the main reception door.
Please note that collection times are set, similar to our enrichment clubs: 16:15, 17:15, or any time after 17:15.
JD Club Timetable:
15:15 - 15:30: Please provide your child with a small, healthy snack
15:30 - 16:15: Free play outside and inside
16:15 - 17:15: *High Tea (provided by school) and themed activities
17:15 - 18:00: Homework, reading and free play
*High Tea will vary depending on the season. Please note, this is not their main evening meal.
Examples include - selection of sandwiches with a variety of fillings; pasta and sauce; pizza; soup and bread roll; hot dogs. There will be fruit and crudites available everyday.
With these changes, it is essential that you book by 3pm on Friday for the following week. This will help us prepare the necessary resources and staffing for the week. If you pay using Childcare vouchers, please contact the office so bookings can be made on your behalf.
Social Media
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.
We've added an Instagram account - check it out!
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