St Paul's Newsletter
Friday 20th September 2024
Message from Mrs Evans
It has been wonderful to welcome the children back for the new school year. Our new Reception class have settled so well already and we are looking forward to them joining the rest of the school in worship soon. Thank you to all of the families who joined us for our 'Meet the Teacher' events. These offer a chance for families to hear more about what is in store for their child in the year ahead.
New Sports Coach - Moving Matters
We are delighted to welcome Coach Ellis to the St Paul's team. Ellis is teaching PE across the whole school on Wednesdays and Thursdays and is looking forward to taking pupils out to sports tournaments and festivals during the year - look out for more information on these. He is also leading the 'Multi-Skills' clubs on Wednesdays and Thursdays. There will be free trial sessions of these next week - look out for information about how to book a place.
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.
Class Reps
We are incredibly grateful to the parents/carers who have volunteered to be Class Reps this year. This is a vital role which helps the school and PSA to get messages out to individual classes. We will again be meeting with the reps regularly and taking feedback from their classes on the following questions:
1. What's working well?
2. What would you like further support with?
Please remember to make use of the school's website and calendar (which can be synched to your phone) for reminders and updates too.
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 beautiful book considering how we can make positive changes together.
A Look: We want to congratulate our new Mental Health Ambassadors who have also been appointed our Year 6 Positive Relationship Prefects, on their Mental Health qualification.
A Hook: As we consider our new beginnings how do you approach change?
Book..
Look...
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:
- Picnic in the Playground: Friday 27th September
- Quiz Night (adults only): Friday 15th November
- 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 25th October (donations of bottles of drink): Wild Hair and Funky Feet (socks or shoes) - worn with uniform.
Friday 15th November (donations of sweets): Wear Your Team Colours
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
Reception have settled in really well to their new classroom. We have been getting used to the routines of the school day, getting to know each other and the adults who are teaching us. We've enjoyed exploring our outdoor area, learning some makaton, singing and counting together. This week we have also enjoyed our first PE lessons with Coach Ellis!
Year 1
We have really enjoyed our first weeks in Year 1. In English last week, we looked at writing labels and enjoyed labelling the classroom. This week we have been writing lists of things that make us happy. We read both Ruby's Worry and My Monster and Me, and discussed the different emotions talked about in the stories. In Maths, we have been practising our counting up to 20 and using greater than and less than signs to compare. In Geography, we started a topic on our local area and have been talking lots about places we visit nearby school. For computing we practised giving each other instructions thinking ahead to when we start using algorithms with the Beebots.
Year 2
In year two we have busily been working on our English, learning verbs, adverbs, conjunctions and forming beautifully written sentences. DT has children considering healthy choices and the hidden sugars in food, we will soon be writing about and creating a healthy wrap to eat in class. In History we are discovering our local heroes, learning about Enid Blyton and Harry Hawker. Maths is strengthened by number bond knowledge, there have been some great times tables scores (keep up the good work at home!). RE has Year 2 considering The Lords Prayer and how this is implemented in every day life. The children are willingly sharing their great ideas and working hard.
Year 3
Year 3 have enjoyed settling into a new key stage and have shown a lot of enthusiasm for our topics this half term. We are studying the Victorians in History and researched facts about Queen Victoria to write an information text with headings and subheadings. In Maths, we have been revising addition and subtraction bridging across the tens boundary using counters, number lines and written methods. In Art, we have begun to study William Morris's style and have thought about what a repeating pattern is. We have particularly enjoyed starting to learn French too!
Year 4
This week, Year 4 have started our topic 'All around the World' in Geography. We learnt about the different continents and researched games around the world. We looked at a game in India called ‘Kuka’ and gave it a go at playing it - it wasn’t easy! We then had the chance to design our own games. In English, we wrote instructions about how to play the games we invented and we have just started our new book ‘Zeraffa Giraffa’.
Year 5
Year 5 have had a great first few weeks of the Autumn term. In Maths, we have started a unit of work on decimals. We are recognising, ordering and creating decimals with tenths and hundredths. In English, we have written a recount and a diary entry. We are working hard to improve our handwriting and presentation. We currently have two class readers and are enjoying both the BFG and Zombierella. Finally, in Computing we have learnt how to flash a code onto our Micro:Bits which has been very exciting!
Year 6
Year 6 have been working hard and exploring our new topics for this half-term, including light. We discussed how we already know about some properties of light and shadows. We focused on reflection and thinking about how everything we see includes reflected light hitting our eyes. We used the light lab to complete a series of challenges including using different angles to hit the target for light rays using mirrors. We have also begun to learn about World War 1 and why it was considered the Great War. We looked at how the tensions in Europe and several empires were in conflict. We looked at the Triple Entente and Triple Alliance and how each of these powers contributed to the war and we started to reflect on the impact that the war had on us as a country.
Team Points
Congratulations to Rubies and Year 1 who were the Team Points winners for the week beginning 9th September and to Sapphires and Year 5 who were the Team Points winners for the week beginning 16th September.
Wider Community News and Events
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!
Kingston's family friendly bike ride
Join Kingston Cycling Campaign and friends on Sunday 6 October 2024 for the final fun-packed family-friendly ride of the year! Designed with all ages and cycling abilities in mind, this easy-paced 6.5-mile ride will take us from Surbiton to North Kingston, and back via the river, making the most of quiet roads and traffic-free routes.
Organised by Kingston Cycling Campaign, with the support of Full Cycle Community Bike Project, this is a great chance to discover new cycle-friendly routes, explore different parts of the borough and build your bike confidence, with the ride led by experienced ride marshalls for extra safety. So invite your friends, neighbours and family, and get ready to discover a few new routes on this easy ride.
The event will start from Claremont Gardens, a stone's throw from Surbiton station, gathering by 10.45am just inside the gardens at the junction of The Crescent and Grove Road for the ride briefing before we set off at 11am.
Register for your free place here.
Attendance Information
| Reception | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 |
|
99.58% |
95.17% | 97.86% | 97.86% | 96.45% | 97.59% | 99.07% |
| Our Target | Current Attendance | National |
| 97% | 97.46% | - |
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 strategy. 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
- Tues 24th Sept: PSA AGM at St Paul' School - 7:00pm
- Weds 25th Sept: Year 5 Trip to Hampton Court
- Fri 27th Sept: PSA Picnic in the Playground - 3:30pm - 6:00pm
- Mon 30th Sept: Class Reps Meeting - 10:00am
- Tues 1st Oct: Year 1 Trip to Kingston Museum
- Thurs 3rd Oct: Harvest Service at School - 9:15am
- Fri 4th Oct: Whole School Flu Immunisation
- Fri 4th Oct: Year 4 Freshwater Workshop
- Mon 7th Oct: Year 6 Hindleap Warren Residential (all week)
- Weds 9th Oct: Year 3 Freshwater Workshop
- Mon 14th Oct: Reception Parents/Carers Phonics Workshop - 5:00pm
- Fri 18th Oct: Year 3 Victorian Day
- Fri 18th Oct: Year 4 International Food Fair
- Tues 22nd Oct: Work Share - 3:15pm - 4:00pm
- Weds 23rd Oct: Year 2 Trip to The British Wildlife Centre
- Fri 25th Oct: PSA Donation (bottles) - Wild Hair and Funky Feet (with school uniform)
- Mon 28th Oct: Half-term
- Mon 4th Nov: Children Return
- Mon 4th Nov: Individual School Photos
- Fri 15th Nov: PSA Donation (sweets) - Wear Team Colours
- Fri 15th Nov: PSA Quiz Night
- Mon 18th Nov: INSET DAY (school closed to pupils)
- Thurs 21st Nov: Parent/Carer Meetings - 4:00pm - 7:00pm
- 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
- Fri 29th Nov: PSA Donation (homemade cakes) - Christmas Comes Early
- Sat 30th Nov: PSA Christmas Fair - 12:00pm - 3:00pm
- Weds 4th Dec: Year 3 & Year 4 Polka Theatre Trip
- Mon 9th Dec: KS1 Nativity - 9:15am (siblings welcome)
- 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
- Fri 13th Dec: PSA Children's Christmas Market
- 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.
