Prudhoe West News
our online newsletter for parents, carers and the community
Welcome
If you want to refer back to a previous newsletter, click on the date top right (if on a laptop/PC) , or the three lines top left if on a mobile device.
Following a parent suggestion, we've added some links at the bottom to take you to key pages of the website. There is also a link to this newsletter from the website if you ever need it.
Comic Relief - FRIDAY 19th MARCH
On Friday 19th March we will be having a double celebration; we had already planned to have an 'I Am Awesome' day, where we celebrate each child's individuality, talents and interests, but it is also Comic Relief.
To link the two events, the children may come in wearing their favourite clothes. If you wish to make a donation to the charity, please do so on the link below (please do not send money to school). Due to COVID, (and the fact that the temptation to try on someone else's red nose may just be too great!) please DO NOT send any Red Noses into school on this day. Feel free to paint your child's nose red with face paint etc. if they want to do so.
Cleaners required asap
We are currently trying to recruit cleaners to work in our school: - either 2 x 11.25 hours each week, 3.15pm - 5.30pm (approx.) - or 1 x 22.5 hours each week, split shift 7.30am - 9am and 3pm-6pm (approx.)
These are permanent positions, working 39 weeks per year (all school weeks + 5 holiday days). Pay is SCP 1 – 2: £4,604 - £4,696 per annum (£17,842 - £18,198 pro rata). Applicants must have authorisation to work in the U.K.
For an application pack and further details, please contact WISE Recruitment Team by telephone 0191 7070125 [option 5] or e-mail recruitment@wiseacademies.co.uk The closing date is Thursday 25th March 2021. Please share with anyone you think may be interested.
Completed application forms can be returned by email to recruitment@wiseacademies.co.uk Please quote the vacancy reference on your application form: PW/CL/PERM/MAR21/EJ
WISE Academies safeguards and protects its students and staff by being committed to respond in accordance with Local Safeguarding Board Procedures. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore will be subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure Barring Services.
SUSTAINABILITY DAY
What an amazing day we had on Friday, focusing on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and our roles as Sustainability Ambassadors. The children's prior knowledge and ideas were incredible!
We had litter picking, design of sustainable towns, plans for a community greenspace - with bees, chickens, pigs and allotments, recycled art, planting of seeds to grow food to name but a few.
We are currently putting together a display in school about our commitment to sustainability. If your child continues this work at home, or as a family you are making changes to live a more sustainable life, please let us know. We'd love this to be a whole school community project, not just something restricted to in our building.
For more information about the 17 Goals click below
SCHOOL UNIFORM UPDATE
As you are aware, during the pandemic, we have encouraged our children to come in on PE days wearing their kit. Whilst it was something that came out of a negative, this has had hugely positive points and is something we intend to continue. With this in mind we have reviewed our uniform policy. Though this 'revised' approach will not be compulsory until September 2021, we thought it would be beneficial to share it with you now, as many people may buy items now which they will be able to continue to use. We would like children as far as possible to follow this guidance from when we return after Easter.
We have looked in depth at affordability and availability, and all items on the list are available at low cost from supermarkets etc. as an alternative to the branded items if required.
NB: where we refer to 'plain' items - these should have no visible branding (eg. no coloured stripes or logos).
On normal days:
Plain grey trousers (not jeans or leggings), shorts, skirt or dress, or red/white checked summer dress.
Red or white polo shirt.
Red sweatshirt or cardigan (or school fleece bodywarmer).
White, grey, or black socks or tights.
Plain black school shoes, boots or trainers.
On PE days:
Plain grey or black jogger bottoms, black shorts, or black leggings, or school logo PE tracksuit bottoms.
Red round neck t-shirt.
Red sweatshirt or cardigan (or school logo grey PE tracksuit top).
White, grey, or black socks.
Plain black trainers.
To support families, and with our Sustainability Ambassador hats on, we will be setting up a school uniform swap shop and actively encouraging all parents to use this, rather than buy new items. We are aware many of you will have excellent quality school uniform items and shoes/wellies which children have outgrown, and we feel it is our job to facilitate such items being "loved again", promoting UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 -"Responsible Consumption and Production".
We will write again very soon to let you know how you can donate and receive items, but for now, please hang onto any items you have that you will be able to donate. If any parents/community members have a spare hour or so each week and might be able to support us in facilitating this scheme, please get in touch.
Due to reduced staffing in the school kitchen, we will be operating on a reduced menu for the three weeks from 8th March 2021. This will feature all of our children's favouites, but there will only be the choice of one main meal or a jacket potato. We're sure you understand. The Return to School Menu can be found here (click to see full size)
Exciting new menus for the summer term will also be shared before Easter.
Return to school menu.pdf
FUNDRAISING WATERBOTTLES
Following a great initial response on Facebook, we've decided to go ahead with our Prudhoe West Waterbottles as another part of Year 4s hoodie fundraising.
These are high quality, 700ml, aluminum sports top bottles. I can confirm they are completely BPA free. We are also linking these to our work on sustainability and reducing the amount of plastic being used in school.
We have linked up with someone locally who will be providing the personalisation for these bottles. This way we won't have lots getting lost or mixed up in class!
The bottles will be sold at £7 each (including personalisation) and can be ordered between now and next Friday via the School Gateway app. Thanks in advance for your support.
EASTER EGG 'LUCKY DIP'
Thank you so much for all the donations of Easter Eggs so far. Please keep them coming! We will accept up to next Monday (22nd) to allow sufficient quarantine time prior to distribution.
'Tickets' will be sold via the school gateway app at a cost of 50p. You can buy as many as you want for your child. For each 'ticket' purchased your child will be allocated a lucky number. We will then hold a bingo style draw in each class until all eggs are gone.
A reminder that the money raised will be going towards Year 4s efforts to raise the money for their Leavers' Hoodies.
Sales will be live on the app from lunchtime today. Many thanks in advance for your endless support.
RAINBOW DAY
Over the past year, the rainbow has become the symbol of lockdowns and hope during the pandemic. (They also happen to be one of Miss Hodgson's favourite things!)
In celebration of the end of a very strange, and short, half term, Friday 26th March 2021 will officially be our Rainbow Day. The children will join in with lots of rainbow themed activities, and are asked to come in wearing as many of the colours of the rainbow as they can!
MOTHERS' DAY GIFTS
A huge thank you to everyone who supported the PTA by purchasing a Mothers' Day gift.
A huge £342 was raised!
EASTER HOLIDAY DATES: We break up at the end of the day on Friday 26th March 2021 and return on Monday 12th April 2021
EASYFUNDRAISING - support us at no cost to you
Did you know that whenever you buy anything online – from your weekly shop to your annual holiday – you could be raising free donations for Prudhoe West PTA with Easyfundraising?
There are over 4,000 shops and sites on board ready to make a donation – including eBay, Argos, John Lewis, ASOS, Booking.com and M&S – and it won’t cost you a penny extra to help us raise funds.
All you need to do is:
1. Go to https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/prudhoewestpta/?utm_campaign=raise-more and join for free.
2. Every time you shop online, go to easyfundraising first to find the site you want and start shopping.
3. After you’ve checked out, the retailer will make a donation to Prudhoe West PTA at no extra cost to you whatsoever!
There are no catches or hidden charges and Prudhoe West PTA will be really grateful for your donations.
AMAZON SMILE
If shopping on Amazon, please also support the school by accessing amazon via smile.amazon.co.uk .
The first time you log on, search for 'Prudhoe West' (Prudhoe West First School Parent Teacher Association) and select us as your organisation to support, then shop via the smile.amazon.co.uk link rather than the main amazon site. Again there is no difference to you, but this will support the school. Please share these links via your socials and with friends and family.
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