Newsletters

Newsletter 24th February 2023

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Message from the Headteacher

Thank you to all the parents and families who turned up for the Oracy workshop, 'Read to me' sessions on Monday and Tuesday morning and 'Time to read' sessions at 3pm on Tuesday. Our school is a school where parental engagement is at times difficult, and we are constantly trying different ways to try and engage you with your child's education. If you have any ideas of how we could improve on this we would love to know. Without strong parental engagement it is really hard to improve outcomes for our children and families so get your thinking caps on.....

Please do take a look at the dates for your diary below. 

Have a fab weekend, 

Kerry Devane - Acting Headteacher

Dates for your Diary

Read to Me Sessions

Every Monday and Tuesday in the School Hall from 8:20 am. Tea and Toast and a warm place to read with your child(ren)

Time to Read Tuesday

Every Tuesday in your child's classroom at 3pm - hear your teacher read to your child's class

Year 2 School trip

Tuesday 7th March - Year 2 visiting the SS Great Britain - please log in to parent pay to give your consent and to order your child's packed lunch for the day.

Easter Bonnet Parade 

Thursday 30th March @10am

Please join us in the church for our Easter Service. Children to make Easter hats/headbands at home.

Curriculum Fair 

You are invited to have a walk around the school and find out about our curriculum. 

Thursday 30th April @ 2.30pm 

Please pick up your children from the school hall. 

 

School Admission Numbers 

County recently consulted with myself and the Governors asking us to consider reducing our PAN (published admission number). This is the maximum number of pupils that the admission authority will admit to each year group. 

County have asked us to reduce our PAN from 210 children and 7 classes to 180 children in 6 classes (30 children per class).  

If the PAN is reduced to 60 the school would cap the size of each class at 30.   If more families move into the area or the birth rate increases again, the school is not restricted and could go to 7 classes, if necessary and apply for growth funding.

The Governors and I are in agreement that this would be a good decision. The last population forecast from Somerset County predicts that “By 2025 (the extent of forecasts covered by live population data) the reception year is forecast to be 4993, a total that is 501 below the 2021 reception year”. The birth rate all over Somerset has been decreasing steadily over several years. We would also like to continue as much as we can to not have mixed year groups in classes, reducing our PAN will support this.

To change the PAN for Reception to 60 we need to consult with the stakeholders, parents, staff and governors. If you have any objections or questions please contact me no later than 12 noon on Friday 3rd March. 

 

Attendance

Our target for attendance is 95%

This week it was 85%. We have had lots of illnesses this week.

The year with the highest attendance is Reception with 91%

The class with the highest attendance this week is Owls with 94%

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Achievements

Lily in Rabbits class got her 5 metre badge and stage one badge in the same swimming session. Well done Lily we are really proud of you. 

Celebration Assembly 

We would like to invite Parents/Carers of the following children to join us for celebration assembly on Monday 27th Feb at 8.50am in the hall just after drop off. 

This week's shining stars are:

Hedgehogs - Jago & Ashley

Rabbits - Jessica D & Cayden

Woodpeckers- Olivia & Toby

Otters- Eddie & Ivy 

Foxes- Leilani & Marley 

Owls-  Felix & Sophia 

We look forward to seeing you then!

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Parent Tip 

Doing the Noodle!

This is a script to give you some ideas about helping children relax when they are stressed, anxious or worried. The main idea is to help children be like a soft, cooked noodle and relax! 

Here are the steps:

1) Start by explaining that a worried stressed body is usually stiff like an uncooked noodle that could easily be broken.

2) To relax, children want to look and feel like a cooked noodle - soft, floppy and warm

3) To do this, children loosen up their body parts by wiggling them, shaking them, and telling them to relax.

4) Children start by telling their toes to 'wiggle', then they tell their toes to 'stop' and feel warm and soft.

5) Then they do the same with the other body parts, starting with their feet, legs, bottom, tummy, hands, arms, shoulders, face and head, until their whole body feels like a soft cooked noodle lying on a plate! 

(Source 'Tuning into Kids')

Amanda Thorpe - Parent Family Support Advisor 

Composer/Artist of the week

This week's composer, B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter. 

Rolling Stone Magazine said that King was the third "Greatest Guitarist of All Time" in 2003.  He was born in Indianola, Mississippi. His father left the family and his mother was too poor to raise him, and so he came to his grandmother, Elnora Farr, in Kilmichael, Mississippi. There he sang in the gospel choir at Elkhorn Baptist Church. 

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School Prayer 

Dear God,

Thank you for loving us and teaching us how to love, persevere and respect each other in everything we do. 

Amen