January 2020 Newsletter

Dear Parents/Carers,

Happy New Year! Wishing you happiness and good health in 2020. Our school focus this term links to this as we are seeking ways to keep a healthy mind and body. There is lots of information available on www.actionforhappiness.org

Mental Health

Our PHSE sessions over the next 10 weeks will focus on The GREAT DREAM – Giving, Relating, Exercise, Awareness, Trying new things, Direction, Resilience, Emotions, Acceptance and Meaning. We hope our children (and you) at home will use these strategies to improve your personal wellbeing and mental health.

Residential trips for Y5 and Y6

Our Y5 children will be away for 3 days in Berwick and Holy Island in May and our Y6 children will visit Keswick in the Lake District in July. Both trips aim to improve independence, confidence and social skills as well as providing exercise and an enjoyment of the outdoors. Payment cards have been issued for y5 and Y6 will receive details this week. We suggest a small donation each week to cover the balance by April 6th for y5 and 1st June for y6.

World Book Day – 5th March 2020

We love to celebrate reading! Children can come to school dressed as a character from a book they have studied in school recently so you can get busy preparing! Home-made costumes are always very effective!

Dates for diaries

20th January – 3.15pm Retreat Reunion at St Teresa’s school – bingo, hotdogs, raffle.

Wed 22nd January – KS2 disco – 5 – 6.30pm in hall £2 per ticket (y3 to y6)

Wed 29th Jan – KS1/EY disco – 5-6pm in school hall. £2 per ticket ( Nursery to Y2)

Tuesday 11th February – safer internet day – we hope you are enjoying the monthly safety newsletter. Internet safety lessons will happen throughout school all day.

14th Feb – Half term break (one week)

24th Feb – back to school

5th March – World Book Day – dress as a book character if you wish to.

11th March - Parents Evening 3 – 6pm

12th March - Parents Evening 3-6pm

Parent support adviser

Mrs Smith began her new post at Imagination Village today and we wish her every success. We are interviewing for a new PSA to join our hardworking team and will keep you updated when a new PSA is appointed.

Believe and achieve group

Mrs Rutherford is running our group each afternoon. This group focuses on turn taking, social skills, confidence building, self-esteem and how to be a good citizen. It is very effective and fits in well with our focus on wellbeing and the GREAT DREAM focus.

Attendance

Last year our attendance dropped from 95.6% to 95.2% for the whole school.

When analysing why, it was significantly affected by holidays in term time. Our illness makes up 61% of the total absence (below national absence for illness) and 25% of our absence is due to holidays with medical appointments and lateness making up the rest.

Please can I ask parents to book holidays outside term time wherever possible? Holidays in Autumn and Spring term impact significantly on your child’s progress and holidays in May are not permitted due to statutory tests. Please try to support us in this.

Retreat fund raiser at Stranton Club – 7pm on 7th March

Mrs Smith and the retreat steering group have organised a fundraiser for our annual spiritual retreat to the youth village in October. This is an adult only event and will include refreshments and a raffle plus entertainment and fun!

After school clubs this term

Monday- y5/6 invasion games y5/6

Tuesday- Team games y3/4

Wednesday- KS2 girls club – dance and games

Thursday- Multi skills Y1/2

Friday- Football Y5/6

Christmas gifts to staff

Finally, a huge thank you to parents for the numerous gifts we received at Christmas. It’s such an expensive time and we do not expect personal gifts but they are valued – thank you. A few parents made a donation to school fund instead. You may wish to consider this next year for use with all the children.

Regards

Mrs J Wilson