St Paul's Newsletter
Friday 15th November 2024
Message from Mrs Evans
We have had a busy two weeks since our half-term break. We have begun our rehearsals for Christmas and are all about to make our hoops to decorate the hall. We had an exciting worship this week led by INSIGHT where we thought about the magic of Christmas and have been continuing to explore differnt parts ofteh Nativity story or reflections about the importance of Christmas in our RE lesosns across the school. We have continued to have lots of visitors from the local area vsiiting our school with a view to joining our Reception in 2025 and I continue to be amazed by the number of people on these tours who already know someone from within our community - thank you for the lovely messgaes that you are sharing about us in the local community! I am really looking forward to the PSA quiz night -there has been a huge amount of interest within the parent community (and the staff too) and I am sure it will be a fun night! We are really looking forward to welcoming you all in over the next two weeks for parent/carer meetings. This is such a brilliant chance for us to share with the you the progress that the children have already made. Don't forget that it is INSET day on Monday so the school does not open for the children again until Tuesday 19th November.
Attendance
Since school closures in 2020, we have seen a slip in the level of attendance at our school. Whilst we absolutely agree that children should be kept at home if they are unwell, we are asking that our families try to avoid absence for reasons other than illness wherever possible.
| Reception | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 |
|
96.25% |
95.01% | 96.01% | 97.43% | 94.83% | 96.39% | 97.06% |
| Our Target | Current Attendance | National |
| 97% | 96.12% | 95.10% |
Holidays in Term Time
I would like to remind all parents that holidays during term time will be recorded as an unauthorised absence. These cause disruption within the class due to children missing parts of the learning in topics which will later be built upon and can lead to children being unsettled on their return to school.
Holidays in term-time should only be taken for 'exceptional circumstances' which means that this would not be a regular (including annual) occurence.
We are currently reviewing our attendance strategy and are closely monitoring the link between term-time absence and an increase in support needed for some of our pupils and families in school.
If you are considering a term-time holiday, I would really ask that you reflect on the confusion in the messaging to the children when they are taken out of school for a holidy having been told up to that point (and after) that they 'must' attend school.
Please look out for further updates about the changes to our startegy in the coming year.
Birthday Treats
A reminder that we do not allow cake or sweets to be given out on children's birthdays. If you are keen for your child to be able to share a treat with their class to mark the day, please provide a platter of fruit to be shared by the class or a new book to be added to the class library.
School Website
Please remember to make use of the school's website and calendar (which can be synched to your phone) for reminders and updates.
Support with Behaviour Concerns
A plea to parents/carers that if they have concerns about an incident that has taken place at school, that they avoid directly contacting other parents as this can lead to both misunderstandings and upset. We ask that any concerns are brought directly to school staff and that school are then left to deal with these. We will always follow up any concerns brought forward and would always prefer to find out more and resolve these within the school day (wherever possible) as this makes it easier for the children to accurately recall what has taken place. One of our key priorities is developing positive relationships across our community and this is something that our families can do to support us with this.
School Trips/Visits Policy
At St Paul's we have developed a rich programme of trips and visits to support our curriculum. Whilst parents/carers will always be asked for permission for their child to attend, these experiences have been carefully chosen and planned to enrich our pupils' learning and therefore we are always keen to enable as many pupils as possible to attend.
We are always keen to hear from parents/carers if they have any concerns about a trip or visit and will then invite them to come in and meet with us to discuss this concern further in the hope that together we can create a plan of support which will enable their child to take part.
Please do not be surprised to be asked to come in if you have not given permission for a trip/visit - we really value these opportunities to have conversations about concerns and to consider what can be done to support.
Developing Healthy Online Habits
We are aware that even our youngest pupils have regular access to devices such as iPads and phones to access activities online. We wanted to share some top tips with families to support them in helping their children to develop a healthy relationship with this technology. Parents and carers can do this by:
- Setting clear limits on the amount of time that these are being used daily
- Ensuring that devices are being used in an area that allows adult supervision at all times
- Discussing with children how to respond if they see something online that they do not like or if they are contacted by someone that they do not know
- Having regular conversations about what they are accessing
- Setting boundaries around online device use and bedtime – ensuring that there is a period of time when children are not using these before going to bed.
- Creating healthy habits, open discussion and clear boundaries early in children's lives is extremely important as it is much harder to put these in place once unhealthy habits have been formed. The following guide gives some suggestion
If you would like any further support with this please see the information on our school website here: Online Safety Advice for Parents
Alternatively, please contact Mrs Evans or Mrs Griffin to arrange a time to discuss this with them further.
With Me in Mind - Mental Health and Wellbeing Support for Families
This newsletter is a place where we can share with you: resources, strategies and thoughts to consider. We are keen to reach more families with messages and resources that we use with your children at school. We look forward to receiving feedback on this new venture for us.
- So what do you want to know more about?
- Are there challenges that you are facing that you would like to consider differently? Please let us know your thoughts on this Google Form
In this issue:
A Book: A book about how to manage our worries by sharing them.
A Look: A video from our prefects on how to manage worries and the power of talk.
A Hook: How do you share your worries?
Book..
Look...
//www.youtube.com/embed/w20f2z70dIU#t=0.5
Hook...
Our Mental Health Team...
Sharon Griffin Lianne Cook Fahmida Wadud
Mental Health Lead Emotional Support Mental Health Support
PSA Updates
St Paul's PSA: ‘Bringing our school community together to create lifelong memories’
The PSA have done such a fantastic job in their fundraising over the last year which has made a visible difference to a variety of areas around the school. Our current focus project is updating of the two libraries. We have had some initial designs completed for these spaces and will be looking at these with the staff and children before picking our final designs.
Along with the improvements outside, here are some other examples of the fabulous resources that have been purchased for the school through last year's fundraising:
PSA Purchases
Remember to check out our events guide on the PSA page which is a guide for families about what our different events involve and how you can help:
Events to look out for this term:
- Christmas Fair: Saturday 30th November
Donation days
Please bring donations of the items shown in red on the following days. Children should dress to match the theme:
Friday 29th November (donations of homemade cakes): Christmas Comes Early
PSA Store
Don't forget to head over to our PSA store to get involved in the latest events using the link below:
Second Hand Uniform
We have a large amount of good quality second hand uniform available, please use the link below and follow these instructions:
- Once on the website click on the three lines to the right.
- Scroll down to ‘find your school’
- Select Kingston upon Thames as our Local authority.
- Select St Paul’s C of E KT9 1AJ
Please carefully read the instructions on when to collect your items.
Easyfundraising
Easyfundraising turns your daily shopping into every day magic!
Easyfundraising partners with over 7,000 brands who will donate part of what you spend to a cause of your choice. It won't cost you any extra. The cost is covered by the brand.
Brands pay Easyfundraising a commission because when you start your shop from the Easyfundraising website or app, they can see we sent you to them. If you make a purchase, a commission is generated, and we turn that into a donation - magic!
Click the link above to register to use Easyfundraising - remember to search 'St Paul's Primary School, Chessington' when searching for your cause and turn on the donation reminder. Every little bit helps!
Class News
Reception
Last week in Reception we were looking at Fireworks night and we learnt all about how to stay safe when around fireworks. We looked at who Guy Fawkes was and then acted out the story of Guy Fawkes. We made some firework pictures and made firework patterns using glitter. At the start of this week, Reception learnt about Remembrance Day and why it is a special day; we then made our own poppy pictures. For the rest of the week, we have been learning about Diwali. We have looked at rangoli patterns and henna and listened to Diwali music which we enjoyed dancing to. We have also been writing Diwali cards too.
Reception 2024 Newsletter
Year 1
In English, Year 1 have started looking at the story of Beegu! We enjoyed reading the story and writing a character description making up a friend for Beegu. We used lots of adjectives to describe how Beegu's friend would look. In Maths, we have been recapping our number bonds to 10, using numicon to help us see how the numbers fit together. We have then been using this knowledge to help us add together 3 numbers. In Geography, we have started our new topic looking at different places around the world. We have really enjoyed looking at where these places are in the world and how they are different to where we live.
Year 1 Newsletter 2024
Year 2
Year two have been revisiting addition with 2-digit numbers and are proud of our successes. In English we have practised using persuasive language, as parents you must have experienced the children’s expertise in this field. Art has led to a joy in reproducing the impressionistic work of Henri Rousseau, year 2 have taken to watercolours like ducks to … water! In science we are investigating the stages of human growth, it is interesting to reflect on how much change there has been in the last year.
Year 2 Newsletter 2024
Year 3
Year 3 have started looking at The Americas in our Geography topic. We have named and located some of the major cities in both North America and South America and have thought about what the weather and climate is like in these continents. We are exploring poetry in English, we have considered how we can perform a poem well and have written some of our own, focusing on rhyme, repetition and similes. In maths, we are learning how to measure in meters, centimetre and millimetres. We have enjoyed measuring objects in the classroom, thinking about which measuring equipment would be most suitable for different sized objects. We are learning an African dance in PE and are enjoying exploring the different leg movements, while considering ways we can use our arms in dance too.
Year 3 Newsletter 2024
Year 4
This half-term, Year 4 have started a new book in English called ‘Varjak Paw’. It’s an exciting story about a cat who has to learn to survive in the big city. We have been writing a range of different pieces about the story and are always excited to read the next chapter. We made a freeze frame to show how lonely Varjak felt. In Maths, we have been looking at Roman numerals and looked to see where we could find them around the school. In History, we looked at how the Romans invaded Britain and got introduced to Boudicca. We were all very interested in her story! We also had Southborough Sports this week which we always enjoy.
Year 4 Newsletter 2024
Year 5
Year 5 have had an excellent two weeks after half-term. We have thoroughly enjoyed starting and finishing the book Holes as a class. We spent some time discussing as a class who our favourite characters were, what our favourite parts were and what we can learn from the author. We have also started work on negative numbers in Maths and have seen these in a range of different contexts. In Art, we have started our Pop Art topic and this week we looked at using Roy Lichtenstein’s 'Ben-Day' dots to create our pieces. Finally, we were incredibly proud of Owen this week for playing ‘The Last Post’ in Collective Worship.
Year 5 Newsletter 2024
Year 6
Year 6 have been working really hard on their new indoor PE unit where they have focused on the skills of communication and being aware of one another in order to achieve a common goal in choreography or in balances or even in transitions between these. We've really enjoyed challenging ourselves and we have been able to look at how vital it is to be clear and succinct when we talk to people. Year 6 have also worked hard on their literacy where we have explored the story of sergeant 'Stubby' a war dog who demonstrated an immense resilience. We have used his story to write our non-chronological reports and have started to carefully consider the use of conjunctions, cohesive devices and colons. We've thought about how we link our ideas meaningfully so that the reader understands our message.
Year 6 Newsletter 2024
Team Points
Congratulations to Year 6 and Diamonds who were the Team Points winners for the week beginning 4th November and to Year 1 and Rubies who were the Team Points winners for the week beginning 11th November.
Wider Community News and Events
St Paul's Church Winter Fair
Junior Parkrun comes to Chessington
The Junior Parkrun is a 2k fun run which takes place weekly at many different locations across the country. We are excited to announce that they have launched a weekly event at Lovelace Primary School on Sundays at 9am. It is a free event, but you do need to register in advance using the link here:
https://www.parkrun.org.uk/lovelaceprimaryschool-juniors/
It would brilliant to hear about some of our families taking part!
Family support Workshops
Achieving for Children’s Mental Health Support Teams are delivering a series of webinars for parents of primary-aged children. The ‘Helping Children with …’ series of webinars will cover a range of common difficulties experienced by children and will aim to share evidence-based strategies to help parents and carers support their children with these difficulties. Please use the link below to find further information.
Holidays in Term Time
We would like to remind all parents that holidays during term time will be recorded as an unauthorised absence. Families may be asked to meet with Mrs Evans before their form is signed and/or may receive a letter from the school outlining the impact of their absence in line with our attendance policy.
Please see further information on the school website by following this link:
Safeguarding Information
What if I have a Safeguarding Concern?
A reminder to parents and carers that if you have a safeguarding concern about a child this should be brought to Mrs Evans (Designated Safeguarding Lead) or Mrs Griffin (Deputy DSL).
There is lots of information on the school’s website to support parents in keeping their children safe (particularly linked to online safety) which can be found by clicking on the link below:
Road Safety Around Our School
We ask that parents and carers are considerate of the other members of both our school and local community when parking for drop off and collection. Please do not park on yellow lines or on the corners of local roads - markings have been placed on the road in spots where it will become dangerous if a vehicle stops. Parking in these places makes it very difficult for families to check that roads are safe for crossing and we are aware that this also applies to our Year 6 pupils who are walking home alone. Please leave time to find a suitable place to park safely and work with us to make the local roads as safe as possible for our pupils and families.
Key School Policies
Please take some time to familiarise yourself with our School Policies: 'Separated Parents Policy' and 'Communication and Conduct Policy'. These have been put together in consultation with the governing body who have now adopted these. Click on the links below to access them; they can also be accessed on the 'policies' page of the school's website.
Separated Parents Policy Communication and Conduct Policy
Key Dates for Your Diary
New or changes to dates shown in blue
- Mon 18th Nov: INSET DAY (school closed to pupils)
- Weds 20th Dec: Year 2 Christmas Journey at King's Centre
- Thurs 21st Nov: Parent/Carer Meetings - 4:00pm - 6:30pm
- Tues 26th Nov: Early Finish at 2:30pm
- Tues 26th Nov: Parent/Carer Meetings - 3:30pm - 6:00pm
- Weds 27th Nov: Year 2 Polka Theatre Trip
- Thurs 28th Nov: Class Reps Meeting - 10:00am
- Thurs 28th Nov: Year 5 Hindleap Warren Information Meeting - 2:30pm (change of date)
- Fri 29th Nov: PSA Donation (homemade cakes) - Christmas Comes Early
- Sat 30th Nov: PSA Christmas Fair - 12:00pm - 3:00pm
- Mon 2nd Dec: Choir singing at Star and Garter Surbiton
- Tues 3rd Dec: Reception Postbox and Library Visit
- Weds 4th Dec: Year 3 & Year 4 Polka Theatre Trip
- Mon 9th Dec: KS1 Nativity - 9:15am (siblings welcome)
- Mon 9th Dec: iRock Parent Concert at 2:45pm
- Tues 10th Dec: KS1 Nativity - 9:15am (adults only)
- Weds 11th Dec: PSA Children's Christmas Market
- Thurs 12th Dec: PSA Children's Christmas Market
- Thurs 12th Dec: Choir singing at John Lewis, Kingston
- Fri 13th Dec: PSA Children's Christmas Market
- Mon 16th Dec: KS2 Choir singing at Trafalgar Square
- Tues 17th Dec: Reception & Year 1 Christmas Movie Treat
- Weds 18th Dec: KS2 Christmas Concert - 9:15am
- Thurs 19th Dec: KS2 Christmas Concert - 9:15am
- Thurs 19th Dec: Christmas Jumper Day
- Thurs 19th Dec: Whole School Christmas Lunch
- Fri 20th Dec: End of Term - 2:00pm
- Mon 6th Jan: INSET DAY (school closed to pupils)
- Tues 7th Jan: Children Return
Remember to visit the calendar page using the link above and to link our school calendar to the calendar no your phone for automatic updates.
