ATHELSTAN PRIMARY SCHOOL
ACORN NEWSLETTER
Letter Number 3
Friday 22nd September 2017
This Week’s News
Dates for your Diary
Our dates for your diary sheet can be accessed from our website via about us, term dates. Any amendments will be show in green. Up-coming events are also highlighted on the calendar on our website, which also pulls through to our new app.
A Message from the Home School Association
Thank you to those old and new, who attended our meeting yesterday, it is always a pleasure to welcome new members.
Our next event is the Halloween disco on Thursday 19th October. There will be a DJ, dancing, party games, tuck shop and prizes for the best dressed boy and girl in each disco.
The first disco is for children in Foundation, Y1, Y2 and Y3 and starts at 4pm, ending at 5.15pm. Please note that all Foundation children must be accompanied by an adult.
The second disco is for children in Y4, Y5 & Y6 and starts at 5.30pm, ending at 6.45pm
Admission to the discos will be through the main reception area. Foundation children must be accompanied by an adult. Other adults are also welcome to stay. A tuck shop will be available for parents, carers and children at both discos. At the end of each disco, children should be collected from the Breakfast Club doors, leading from the Infant Dining Room. If you are happy to let your child walk home alone at the end of the disco, you should send a letter of consent to school, marked for the attention of Rachel Stone. If children do not have a letter of authority from their parent/carer, we will expect them to be collected. Please bear with us at the end of each disco, as we must ensure children leave school safely.
Terms and conditions will be in place for the disco and will be available to view on our Facebook page and will also beprinted on the back of tickets.
Tickets will be on sale from the office at a cost of £3.50 from Tuesday 10th October and include unlimited squash and a goody bag. Tickets are limited for each disco so please don't leave your purchase to the last minute!
Things we Forget
We encourage children to take responsibility to bring the correct belongings to school each day. We would ask parents/carers to help with this by making sure their child has all items they need with them when they arrive to school in the morning, such as a water bottle, homework, book bag, packed lunch etc.
Please keep PE kits in school on your child’s peg. If your child forgets something and you agree to drop it off at school, children in Y2 to Y6 can collect it from the office at playtime or lunchtime.
Items can be handed in at the office but we cannot guarantee how quickly items will be delivered to class. Thank you for your support with this.
Parent/Carers’ Drop-in – Y1ZS only
Miss Smith’s parent/carers’ drop-in has been rearranged to Monday 25th September, between 3.30pm and 4.30pm. Please enter school via the reception area.
Collecting Children from School
Our expectation is that parents/carers, or a responsible person nominated by them, collect their children from their classroom/yard on time, each day. Children should not be collected from the office. Older children can go home alone if parents/carers feel this is acceptable.
A number of children are not being collected promptly; not only does this cause distress to the children, but takes valuable staff resources in supervising children. This can also prevent teachers being available to speak to parents/carers at the end of the school day. We will monitor children who are collected late from school and parents/carers may be asked to attend an appointment to discuss this.
Y6 Manor Adventure Visit
There will be a meeting to discuss arrangements for this visit on Monday 16th October at 3.30pm. The meeting will last approximately 20 minutes and will take place in the Junior Hall. Please sign in at reception. The meeting will cover all aspects of the visit including an itinerary, a question and answer session and a list of what your child will need to bring.
If you are unable to attend this meeting, information will be sent home with your child.
eSafety Advice
Please find some information below about e-safety, which we hope you will find useful:
Keeping Children Safe Online (for parents/carers) (NSPCC)
The NSPCC have drawn together lots of advice for parents, including Being Share Aware, MineCraft Safety Advice, and how to stay safe using apps. The information can be found here:
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-we-do/about-us/partners/nspcc-o2-online-safety-partnership/
Keeping under-fives safe online (ChildNet)
Ofcom research in 2016 showed that almost 40% of 3-4 year olds and two thirds of 5-7 year olds go online. We know that children need support in these environments, to get the best out of using the internet, and there are real advantages in making sure that children are supported in their internet use right from the start. ChildNethas prepared a guide for the parents of under-7s to help them think about the issues involved.
http://www.childnet.com/ufiles/Keeping-Under-Fives-Safe-Online.pdf
eSafety Advice from Alan Mackenzie
Alan MacKenzie is a well-regarded fellow consultant who supports schools and parentsspecifically with eSafety. Alan sends out a free online safety magazine every 6 weeks or so. The magazine, 'DITTO",gives schools, organisations and parents the opportunity be to kept up to date with risks, issues, advice and guidance related to keeping children safe online, with a viewto enjoying and learning about technology.
You can sign up to Alan's DITTO magazine here:http://www.esafety-adviser.com/latest-newsletter/
Let it Grow Family Learning
Our new FREE family learning course has started this week, but due to a lack of interest we may have to cancel the remaining sessions. All parents/carers are welcome, across all year groups. Discover your green fingers! Find out more about growing your own plants and how to get your children involved.
The course is every Tuesday, for the next 5 weeks, from 1.00pm until 3.00pm. Refreshments will be provided. You should enter school via the main reception area. Please note that no crèche facilities are available, and pre-school children are not able to attend, with the exception of babies under three months old.
Come on parents/carers, why not give it a go? Please bring ID to the first session.
After School Clubs
All after school clubs have started this week with the exception of the Taekwondo clubs, which are due to start next week. However, the Taekwondo clubs may have to be cancelled if there isn’t enough interest. If your child attended the clubs before breaking up for the summer, they will have paid a licence fee which is valid until April 2018.
After School Club Activity / Year Group / Day of the Week / Club Dates / Number of Sessions / Leaving ArrangementsFootball / Y1 / Tuesday / 12th Sept – 24th Oct / 7 / Main entrance
Science / Y3 / Tuesday / 19th Sept – 24th Oct / 6 / Door near to the visitors’ car park
Geography / Y2/Y3/Y4 / Tuesday / 19th Sept – 24th Oct / 6 / Door near to the visitors’ car park
Art / Y2 / Tuesday / 19th Sept – 24th Sept (no club on 17th Oct) / 5 / Door near to the visitors’ car park
Basketball / Y5/Y6 / Wednesday / 20th Sept – 25th Oct (no club on 27th Sept) / 5 / Main entrance
Newspaper / Y3/Y4/Y5/Y6 / Thursday / 21st Sept – 19th Oct / 5 / Main entrance
Dodgeball / Y2 / Thursday / 21st Sept – 12th Oct / 4 / Main entrance
Running / Y5/Y6 / Thursday / 21st Sept – 19th Oct / 5 / Door near to the visitors’ car park
Computer Games / Y4 / Thursday / 21st Sept – 19th Oct / 5 / Door near to the visitors’ car park
Whole School Times Table Focus
This week’s challenge is to learn and chant the eight times table.
Let’s Get Reading Challenge
This week’s challenge is to read a menu.
101 Things to do before you leave Primary School
This fortnight’s challenge is to recite ten nursery rhymes.
Letters Home This Week
History Van – Y2
CBeebies Rhyme Rocket – Foundation/Y1/Y2
Food Tasting/Allergies – Y4
Dates for your Diary
Friday 6th October – Y2 History Van Experience
Tuesday 10th October – Foundation/Y1/Y2 CBeebies Rhyme Rocket Experience
Monday 16th October – Y6 Manor Adventure Meeting 3.30pm