Dear Parents/Carers,
The weekly newsletter will now revert to its normal Friday slot following the half term break to give everyone advance notice of what is happening in and out of school.
Masses and Assemblies
Class 6P will be presenting their assembly on “Remembrance” next Thursday 7th November at 9:00am (note the different time for this assembly). This is always an important and special assembly every year at this time as we mark the 101st Anniversary of the 1918 Armistice which ended the Great War. So it is a great honour for the pupils of 6P to be leading the school on this. Well done to our Year 3 pupils who led the Whole School Mass for the Feast of All Saints on Thursday.
November
The month of November is a time to remember those who have died or have been affected by wars and conflicts. As always in school, poppies and other items will be on sale each lunchtime during the next few weeks to raise money for the British Legion’s annual poppy appeal. We ask for a 50p donation for the poppies themselves and the other items have a fixed price ranging from 50p to £1.50. We are also planning to create a display of poppies and other images both in the main hall and around the school. If you have someone in your family who you would like us to remember, please send their names to me and we will offer prayers during the month of November.
Friends’ Association
- Friday 22nd November – Book Swap Day
- Sunday 8th December – Christmas Bazaar 1:00-4:00pm
- Friday 13th December – Christmas Coffee Morning to raise money for Save the Children (tie in with our “Christmas Jumper Day”) 9:00am
- Friday 13th December – Family Film Night 7:00pm
We will be holding more non-uniform days this half term in preparation for the Christmas Bazaar on 8th December. I have listed the dates below and what the children need to bring on each day. They are all on Fridays except Wednesday 4th December. We will also be sending home books of raffle tickets for you to sell.
- Friday 8th November – bring £1
- Friday 15th November – bring a new toy (or £2)
- Friday 22nd November – bring chocolates/sweets (or £2)
- Friday 29th November – bring a bottle (or £2)
- Wednesday 4th December – bring something for the Christmas Stall (or £2)
- Friday 6th December – return of sold raffle tickets (or £2)
After School Activities
The new clubs are now up and running for this half term. The Tuesday Computer Club for Years 5 and 6 will start next week and will still run for 7 sessions. Most of the clubs run by the school staff or sports coaches are now full apart from the girls’ football club on Thursdays which still has places and the choir (which remember is free!). The gymnastics club and the clubs run by Dance Stables still have places so you can book through them directly. I would recommend both the new Drama Club on Mondays and the Cheerleading Club on Fridays.
- Monday – Gymnastics Club 3:15-4:15pm (all year groups) – book through the coach
- Monday – Computer Club 3:15-4:15pm (Years 3 and 4) – full
- Monday – Drama Club 3:15-4:15pm (all year groups) – book through Dance Stables
- Tuesday – Dance Club 3:15-4:15pm (all year groups) – book through Dance Stables
- Tuesday – Boys’ Football Club 3:15-4:15pm (Years 3 and 4) – full
- Tuesday – Computer Club 3:15-4:15pm (Years 5 and 6) – full
- Wednesday – Basketball Club 3:15-4:15pm (all year groups) – ful
- Wednesday – Cooking Club 3:15-5:00pm (Year 4) – full
- Thursday – Boy’s Football Club 3:15-4:15pm (Years 5 and 6) – full
- Thursday – Girls’ Football Club 3:15-4:15pm (all year groups) – book through school
- Thursday – Gardening Club 3:15-4:15pm (all year groups) – full
- Thursday – School Choir 3:15-4:00pm (all year groups) – free, book through school
- Friday – Cheerleading Club 3:15-4:15pm (all year groups) – book through Dance Stables
- Friday – Art and Craft Club 3:15-4:15pm (all year groups) – full
Apart from Cooking and Choir, all clubs finish at 4:15pm.
Lunchtime Clubs
As well as the after school clubs, we also want to run some lunchtime clubs this half term including art/craft and reading clubs. We started the “Relaxation and Movement Club” on Tuesdays run by a coach from Dance Stables. We are starting with 12 Year 3 pupils this half term and if it is successful, which given the first session this week I am sure it will be, I would like to offer it to other year groups later in the year.
Uniform/PE Kits
Uniform will next be on sale after half term on Wednesday 13th November from 8:50-9:30am and then every second Wednesday during the term. With winter on its way please make sure your child is coming to school every day with a suitable coat which remember should be dark blue or black. I would also like to discourage children, especially the girls, coming to school with large rucksacks. I know they are very fashionable and colourful but they take up a lot of space in our small cloakroom areas and can be a trip hazard to other pupils. Ideally the pupils should be using the blue school bags but if they need to have rucksacks they should be as small as possible. Thank you
Trips
There are quite a few trips taking place in the next few weeks including trips to the cinema for every year group. Most of these trips are free but you still need to go onto the “School Shop” this week to authorise the trip for your child as we don’t want anyone to miss out. There are free cinema trips to Stratford and Walthamstow next week for Year 6 and Class 5O (the other classes will be going the following week). In addition the Year 3 classes are visiting the Natural History Museum next Wednesday and the Year 4 pupils are visiting the Millfield theatre in Edmonton next Thursday to watch a performance of “Macbeth” as part of the Young Shakespeare Project. If you haven’t done so, please go onto the school shop this weekend to authorise your child’s trip in good time.
Artyface Mosaics Project
All the pupils have had the opportunity this week to create tiles out of clay which will become part of a large mosaic at Leytonstone High Rd Train Station. The project has been led by the Artyface Company as part of the Borough of Culture Year and it has been wonderful to see the mosaic growing over 4 days this week in our library as the pupils and staff have added their creations to it.
“Art is Fun”
Next Monday the Year 3 and 4 pupils will be taking part in an art workshop led by an artist called John Kirk, again as part of the Borough of Culture Year. John will be helping the children explore their cultures and identities through art.
“Poppies and Poetry Workshops”
To mark the remembrance weekend, the children will be taking part in a series of Poppies and Poetry workshops next Thursday and Friday led by a group called West End Theatre, the Year 3s on Thursday afternoon and everyone else on Friday. I hope and think this will be a very fitting way for every pupil to be actively involved in remembrance this year.
Firework Display at St Joseph’s Infants (9th November)
St Joseph’s Infant School is hosting a firework display on Saturday 9th November 4:30-6:30pm. There will be a children’s entertainer plus lots of other activities. Tickets are available on the door or in advance from the infant school office.
Building Work
Almost all the building work is finally complete. We had to cordon off a small part of the playground this week but the pupils were very good and it enabled the roofers to get finished in the dry weather. Any minor work still left to do will be completed over the next couple of Saturdays so as not to impact on the school day. It has taken a long time but it is worth it in the end as it enhances our school building.
Attendance and Punctuality
Our rates of both attendance and punctuality in the first half term were the highest we have had at school for some time which is excellent and I want to maintain and even improve this during the next few weeks. It has been a good start back with 6 classes getting very close to 100% attendance and punctuality. Congratulations to Class 6P and Class 5O who had the best attendance this week with 100% and Class 3K and Class 4RB who had the best punctuality also with 100%.
Class of the Week
Well done to the Year 3 classes who were “Class of the Week” for leading the school so well in the special Mass for All Saints on Thursday. Also any class or year group who can include a song from one of my favourite bands U2 into their Mass (“The Saints are Coming”) is guaranteed to be class of the week if not the year!
Year 2 Open Mornings
The school is hosting informal open mornings tomorrow morning and on Saturday 16th November for prospective Year 2 parents and their children from 10:00-11:15am.I am asking some of our Year 6 pupils to act as guides on both days.
Passports
Just to remind everyone that I am happy to sign passports for you or your children (as long as they are known to me) and indeed other legal documents etc. where there is an accompanying official letter. I charge a fee of £10 per passport/document which goes into the school funds.
Sonlight Concert
There is an evening of praise and worship with the band Sonlight at St Joseph’s Church on Saturday 30th November from 7:00pm. Entry is free with refreshments after the concert. There will be a collection at the end of the evening for the band’s expenses.
Yours sincerely,
J Alexander (Head teacher)
Future Dates for your Diary
- Saturday 2nd November – Open morning for prospective Year 2 parents 10:15am
- Wednesday 6th November – Year 6 and Class 5O cinema trips am
- Wednesday 6th November – Year 3 visit to the Natural History Museum
- Thursday 7th November – Year 4 visit Millfield Theatre to watch “Macbeth” am
- Thursday 7th November – Class 6P Assembly on “Remembrance” 9:00am
- Thursday 7th November – Poppies and Poems Workshops for Year 3 p
- Friday 8th November – Non-uniform day (£1) for Christmas Bazaar
- Friday 8th November – Poppies and Poems Workshops for Years 4, 5 and 6
- Saturday 9th November – Fireworks Display at St Joseph’s Infant School 4:30pm
- Monday 11th November – Cinema trips for Year 3 and 4 am
- Tuesday 12th November – Cinema trip for class 5L am
- Wednesday 13th November – School nurse drop in session 9:00am
- Wednesday 13th November – Year 6 classes visiting Leyton Orient pm
- Thursday 14th November – Class 3H Assembly on “Visitors” 2:30pm
- Friday 15th November – Non-uniform day for Christmas Bazaar (new toy or £2)
- Saturday 16th November – Open morning for prospective Year 2 parents 10:15am
- Wednesday 20th November – Simon Murray (illustrator) in school today
- Friday 22nd November – Non-uniform day for Christmas Bazaar (sweets or £2)
- Friday 22nd November – “Book Swap Day” in school
- Thursday 28th November – Class 5L Assembly on “St Andrew” 2:30pm
- Friday 29th November – Non-uniform day for Christmas Bazaar (bottle or £2)
- Monday 2nd December – Maths Assessment Week in Years 3, 4 and 5
- Monday 2nd December – Parent Meetings 1:00-3:00pm and 4:00-6:00pm
- Wednesday 4th December – Non-uniform day for Bazaar (Christmas Stall or £2)
- Wednesday 4th December – Class 5O Assembly on “Hope” 2:30pm
- Thursday 5th December – Pantomime of “Aladdin” in school 10:30am
- Thursday 5th December – Fire Safety Talk for Year 5 pm
- Friday 6th December – Non-uniform day for Christmas Bazaar (sold raffle tickets)
- Sunday 8th December – Christmas Bazaar 1:00-4:00pm
- Monday 9th December – Mock SATs Week in Year 6
- Monday 9th December – Reading Assessment Week in Years 3, 4 and 5
- Tuesday 10th December – Carol Concert led by Y3 in church 10:30am
- Wednesday 11th December – Carol Concert led by Y3 in church 7:00pm
- Friday 13th December – “Christmas Jumper Day” for Save the Children”
- Friday 13th December – Family Film Night 7:00pm
- Monday 16th December – Writing assessments today
- Tuesday 17th December – Y4 Shakespeare Concert of “Macbeth” 11:00am
- Wednesday 18th December – Christmas lunch
- Wednesday 18th December – Y4 Shakespeare Concert of “Macbeth” 7:00pm
- Thursday 19th December – Whole School Mass led by Year 5 11:00am
- Friday 20th December – Last day of term (finish at 2:00pm today)
- Monday 6th January 2020 – Staff inset day
- Tuesday 7th January 2020 – Staff inset day
- Wednesday 8th January – First day of term for pupils
- Saturday 25th January 2020 – School hosting Waltham Forest Music Festival pm
