Dear Parents and Carers,

How wonderful it was to see so many of you at our church service yesterday. It was a true celebration to the end of a busy Autumn Term and more importantly a very special time in the Christian calendar.

The Year 6 children showed us why we celebrate Christmas through their drama, readings and singing with the support of the Chamber Choir. I was so impressed and it was a joyful occasion for all of us.

Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! Psalm 32:11. 

Thank you to our parents, the governors and our Church staff for their kind support this term. I am so impressed with how the children and staff have dealt with the transition this term and how life has carried on in school with so many things happening.  A big thank you to the staff who have been supporting me and getting on with the day to day running of the school.

A big thank you also to our PTA who have continued to put on events for children and parents, raising funds for our school and working hard to support us.

You will see below all the wonderful things that have taken place across each phase this term, as well as some extra-curricular reviews.

We are about to say a fond farewell to both Donna Boulton and Maria Bishop who are both leaving us today.  We will miss them very much but wish them both well with their future plans and hope they will stay in touch.

Next term there is much to look forward to and you will by now have received an update from David Walton, Co-Chair of Governors, regarding the appointment of Cheryl Payne, our Consultative Headteacher, who is coming in from January to support and guide us.  

We are excited to be looking forward to the new beginnings that in due course will mark the appointment of a new head teacher and a new chapter for St Michael's School.

Finally, we return to the person who is our light and at the heart of our school:

The Lord is my light and my salvation

You, O Lord, are my lamp

You turn our darkness into light

With you oh Lord is the well of life

In your light shall we see light

Your word is a lantern to my feet

And a light upon our path.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Best wishes

Angela Harris

Acting Head

School Lunches:

New Menu for 2024:

All children should stick to either a school lunch OR a packed lunch for the whole half term unless there are exceptional circumstances. 

Please do not send in any sweets, chocolate or anything with SESAME OR NUTS.     

Thank you.

EYFS: Nursery & Red & Green Classes

St. Michael’s Early Years have had another busy half term full of new, exciting learning and experiences. We are so proud of our youngest children and how much they have continued to show resilience to learning and how they have come into school with big smiles on their faces every morning.

In Reception, we have been learning all about nocturnal animals, space and seasons in our unit of ‘Under the Moon’ The children began by learning new words such a nocturnal and habitat where we made bats, cats and foxes in class and the children used their phonics to segment, blend and write their words to match their animal. We also learnt about space, making our own space stations and learning about famous astronauts, from the first women in space, to famous missions. We celebrated our learning with our workshop from Explorer Dome. We discovered stories about the stars, looked in detail at the planets and learnt all about the moon - it was amazing!! 

Mrs. Lightning & I have been so proud of all the children in their reading and phonics this half term. We have finished Phase 2, blending longer words and learning about chunking. We have even started looking at Phase 3 digraphs! The children are flourishing in their reading and we thank you all for your support at home too. 

In Maths, the children have continued to learn their numbers to 5, focussing on the numbers 4 and 5, comparing and learning the importance of all of the counting skills. We have also made links to artists when looking at triangles, circles and squares making our own artwork based on Kandinsky,

In Nursery, the children have continued to settle well and have shown great resilience in their learning and following of routines and expectations and are able to organise themselves well. We have been to some whole school events, such as the nativity dress rehearsals. It was beautiful to see how confident the children were in their own singing to the parents for our Nursery Christmas event. The children sang wonderfully and had big smiles too. 

This half term we have also been busy starting phonics!  Our weekly ‘What’s in the box’ focus has introduced the Nursery children to the first group of sounds from SATPIN. The children are able to recognise the beginning sounds in words and especially enjoy going on sound hunts around the classroom. 

We have continued our unit of ‘Me & My Community this half term. We have been fortunate enough to be visited by the Police and fire service and the children asked questions and were intrigued in the other ways they help our community. The children were so excited to try on the uniforms and use these jobs in their role play. We have also explored the roles of doctors, paramedics, vets and firefighters. We have talked about all the situations these people can help us and when to call 999.

We would like to thank everyone for their support this autumn term. The children are enjoying school and love their learning. We would especially like to thank everyone who has participated and helped support us implement our mystery reader sessions.

The EYFS team and I would like to wish you all a very happy christmas and wonderful start to the new year.

Chloe Fryer, Early Years Phase Lead

MIDDLE PHASE:

Middle Phase has had a wonderful Autumn term, with lots of enriching opportunities for both Year 3 and 4. 

Year 3 have been lucky to have had some exciting trips this term, with an educational visit to the synagogue, where they were able to try on prayer shawls, look at the Hebrew script in the Torah and learn about the Shabbat meal, and a visit to the Tate Modern, where they produced sketches and appreciated a wide variety of art. Following on from this visit, Year 3 children have enjoyed exploring the Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein and were inspired to create still life block prints and self portraits in his style. 

In school, Year 3 have persisted busily with their grammar and writing skills, recently learning how to include dialogue in narrative text, based on the traditional African folk tale, ‘Mufaro and his Beautiful Daughters’. In History lessons, they have been finding out about the three periods of the Stone Age and the introduction of metalworking which led to the Bronze Age in ancient Britain. Studying rocks in Science was also really interesting and involved demonstrating fossilisation using bone-shaped dog biscuits!

In Year 4, the children have had a busy term learning about everything from Romans to Buddhism to teeth! A particular highlight for them was making their own sweet seasonal pastries in DT, which they thoroughly enjoyed (especially the taste test and evaluation). They also enjoyed investigating the effects of different liquids on our teeth and were surprised that orange juice is worse than Coke, due to the high sugar levels. Our recent poetry unit in English has given the children a chance to show off their creativity, and I look forward to seeing more of this in the new year. 

Our educational trips and enrichment activities have included Roman Day, complete with a Roman feast and marching as the Roman army against Bouddica, as well as a trip to the local Buddhist temple and a local walk producing sketch maps of our local high street, to compare with a street in Spain. These trips have helped to bring their learning to life and we were very impressed with their Roman attire and marching! 

In September, all of the children celebrated International Day, which provided an opportunity to explore and experience culture, art and dance from a variety of cultures around the world. October was Black History Month, which we celebrated with a special assembly, class discussions and an interactive storytelling workshop where we were absorbed in stories from a variety of cultures, including the mischievous spider, Anansi. 

As we have been preparing for Christmas, there have been countless fun-filled festivities. We kicked off on 1st December with an afternoon to decorate our classrooms and Middle Phase area, including a highly competitive paper chain competition between the four classes. Who knew we had such skill, with the longest reaching all the way through the Middle Phase hall and down the stairs!  A big thank you to the PTA and Year 6 for organising such a fun Christmas fair, I think a lot of the children are still riding that sugar high. We all enjoyed a brilliant day out to the panto, which was recreated by several children in the playground the following day! Children and staff all enjoyed a delicious Christmas lunch last Thursday cooked by Leisha and the kitchen team, with a KS2 rendition of ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas’ to finish off. We then celebrated in our classes and year groups with class parties on Friday, complete with lots of dancing and games. 

I would like to thank the children for working so hard all term and rising to the expectations in both their learning and behaviour inside and outside the school building, as well as the parents who continue to support with helping on trips and providing things when asked. A huge thank you also to the teachers and support staff who have put a lot of effort into planning lessons, trips and activities to engage the children and enrich their learning. I hope all children, staff and families enjoy a well-deserved Christmas break, and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, filled with even more exciting opportunities.

Lucy Barter, Middle Phase Lead

UPPER PHASE:

Years 5 and 6 have experienced a term filled with spectacular achievements and memorable moments.

In Year 5, the children embraced new friendships, adapted to unfamiliar routines, and willingly took on additional responsibilities, such as becoming playground champions and junior librarians. The commitment to personal growth and development was evident as they participated in various roles within the school community.

Our educational trips included visits to St. Cecilia's to meet author Erin Hunter, the National Gallery to explore art, and Kew Gardens for an insightful comparison between the Amazon and UK rainforests. The South American assembly showcased the students' talents in acting, singing, and dancing, and was a testament to their teamwork. The children enjoyed International Day which provided an opportunity to celebrate the diverse cultures within the upper phase.

In Year 6, there were numerous outstanding moments, particularly through meticulously planned trips and theme days planned by their dedicated teachers. These included visits to the magistrate, a WW2 day, a Jewish workshop, a trip to the Imperial War Museum, and a special talk by a Year 6 parent involved in producing "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." The students embraced leadership roles, serving as lead ambassadors, house and vice captains, and subject ambassadors.

Beyond academics, the year was marked by skill-building activities such as cycling training to boost confidence in cycling and a TFL workshop to enhance travel safety. Special Reading for Pleasure sessions, complete with stuffed toys, cushions, and bean bags, added an extra layer of enjoyment to the learning experience. Additionally, our wonderful upper-phase learners were successful for a second year running in the panthalon.  

The Christmas fair was an unforgettable highlight, where the year 6 learners showcased their entrepreneurial spirit and creativity through a variety of wonderful stalls. From the lively karaoke sessions to the delectable cake pops, engaging tombola, and special games, each stall reflected the students' dedication and enthusiasm. The festive spirit extended to the Year 5 children who not only enjoyed seeing Santa but also participated in the Santa Dash and snowball fight! The exceptional effort, teamwork, and camaraderie displayed during the Christmas fair provided a fitting and fantastic way to conclude the term, leaving lasting memories for all involved. The festivities continued with the fab-u-lous panto, which enabled us to share in joyful laughter and merriment, ensuring that the term concluded on a high note filled with joy and festive cheer – oh yes, they did!

I would like to thank the teachers and support staff who played a pivotal role in organising these enriching experiences. They wonderfully support learning, and prioritise the social and emotional well-being of the students. During this holiday season, I would like to express warm wishes for a restful Christmas and a happy New Year are extended to the entire upper-phase learners, staff and families.

Adele Stewart, Upper Phase Lead

The Inclusion Team has had a busy Autumn Term supporting our children with additional educational needs. The staff have taken part in a range of training including autism, speech and language and occupational therapy.

We value our home school partnership and conducted parent consultation meetings to receive and give feedback on how the children have settled in this term.

Our new Playground Champions have been such superstars! They are very committed to their role and, this year, we have new Playground Champion badges! I hope the children wear them with pride.

We have also had the pleasure of Nelson and Justine’s company this term! Our partnership with Pet Therapy is very special and the children (and staff!) love seeing them each week.

The Inclusion Team