Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 28th April 2023
Date: 28th Apr 2023 @ 1:39pm
School Dinners – Price Increase
We have received communication from Edsential, who run our school kitchen, to say that they will need to raise the price of school dinners from 1st June. The new price of a school dinner will be £2.70 per day, £13.50 per week.
Edsential have told us that there are a number of reasons for this during the cost of living crisis that include the rate of food inflation and the rise in the National Living Wage which increases their labour costs as well as those in their supply chain. Edsential say that they have absorbed the costs for schools due to underfunding for a number of years, but can no longer continue to do this. As a social enterprise, they use their commercial skills to always be a high quality, low price supplier to schools whilst investing every penny they make back into the school system.
Coronation Activities
We are very much looking forward to our Coronation activities next week. On Tuesday, the children will be involved in art work based on the King’s Coronation invitation. Some of this art work will be transferred to church on Friday where we will be dressing one of the windows with it – please do go down over the weekend to take a look.
Also, next Friday, we will be having a non-uniform day where the children can come to school dressed in red, white and blue. We will be decorating the hall with flags and bunting ready for our special British fish and chip lunch (or mozarella sticks!) which will be free for all children – they just need to order it at registration in the moring.
I will also be taking a small group of Year 5 children down to the Town Park where all the Winsford schools in the Winsford Education Partnership are coming together for a special crown procession. It is going to be an exciting week!
Wake Up Wednesday
In an age where empathy and understanding are more valuable than ever, apps like Wizz – which connect users with potential new friends – can be incredibly welcome. Pairing people with others who share their interests, the app can unite mutual fans of the same music, find fellow foodies to exchange recipes with or recruit new players for someone’s favourite online game. Indeed, the app’s tagline promises to ‘expand your world.’ Is that expansion totally safe, however? As this week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide finds out, Wizz’s age verification system isn’t infallible: so, with the possibility of young people being matched with much older users, trusted adults might want to familiarise themselves with how this trending app actually works.
School Dinners
School dinners currently cost £2.45 per day, £12.25 per week. Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 receive free meals as part of the government’s Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) scheme. Dinner money must be paid in advance via School Spider as we do not accept cash in school.
If you are in receipt of benefits and think that you may be entitled to free school meals, please click here for more information and support and how to apply. It is very important to apply for free schools meals whatever year your child is in, even if you receive the UIFSM in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, as the school receives a sum of extra money to further help support your child and their education.
Absence during Term Time
Please may I remind you that schools are not allowed to authorise pupil holidays in term time. Any child going on holiday in term time will receive an unauthorised absence. Our registers are regularly checked by the Education Welfare Service and parents may be issued with a fine from the Local Authority for unauthorised absence, which is currently £60 per child, per parent and this rises to £120 if paid after 21 days but within 28 days.
Confirmed Dates for the Spring Term 2023 – new dates highlighted
Week beginning 2nd May: Dinners Week 3
Tuesday 2nd May: School Art Day to celebrate the Coronation
Friday 5th May: Non Uniform Day – wear red, white and blue and free school lunch for all
Friday 5th May: Small group of Y5 children to take part in Winsford Education Partnership Crown Procession
Monday 8th May: school closed for the King’s Coronation Bank Holiday
Tuesday 9th May: Y6 SATS week begins
Tuesday 23rd May: Pupil Consultation Evening
Thursday 25th May: Pupil Consultation Evening
Friday 26th May: Year 6 SNAPTRAP session at Over Hall – details to follow
Friday 26th May: School closes at 3pm
Monday 5th June: school opens at the usual time
Wednesday 7th – Friday 9th June: Year 5 and 6 residential to The Conway Centre
Monday 12th June: Phonics Screening Check week
Thursday 22nd – Friday 23rd June: Year 3 and 4 residential to The Tattenhall Centre
Saturday 24th June: Delamere Street Festival – Hatchmere to take part (details to follow)
Wednesday 5th July: Year 5 Come and Play with the Halle at The Bridgewater Hall
Thursday 20th July: School closes for summer at 2pm
Have a lovely, long weekend - see you on Tuesday.
Take care,
Mrs E Snowdon