Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 10th March 2023
Date: 10th Mar 2023 @ 3:43pm
Down the Rabbit Hole
What a treat we had in school today! The children in Oakmere and Linmere were very fortunate to be able to watch an immersive opera called ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ this morning or this afternoon, performed by coloratura soprano, Charlotte Hoather and friends. The children thoroughly enjoyed the performance and got themselves involved with the songs and through learning some British Sign Language. Charlotte has been awarded funding from the Arts Council England National Lottery Grant to be able to bring her special performance to all the Winsford primary schools and we are very appreciative of this opportunity to join in.
Office Staff
Next week, we are very excited to welcome Mrs Rutherford back to the office as she returns from her maternity leave (where did that year go?). Mrs Rutherford will be in the office from Wednesday to Friday and Mrs McFarland will continue on Monday to Thursday. I would like to say a huge thank you to Mrs Highton who has been working in the office on a Monday and Friday for the past year – her days off from Linmere classroom. She has done a fantastic job and I know that she is very much looking forward to gaining those extra days back at home!
#WakeUpWednesday
It hasn’t quite made the sociocultural splash of the Mac or the iPhone, but Apple’s iPad has undeniably been a colossal critical and commercial success for the American tech giants. The device truly changed the game: before the iPad, comparatively few tablets existed – and they certainly weren’t adaptable enough to find a niche in the home as well as the workplace.
In the intervening 13 years, Apple’s sleek tablet has become a familiar sight in homes around the world – with children being wholehearted fans of having a portable, easy-to-use gateway to learning and entertainment on tap. Are iPads completely safe for young users, however? And if not, what do trusted adults need to be aware of? Our #WakeUpWednesday guide has the details.
School Dinners
There were a number of issues with payments to School Spider for dinners during the period that School Spider was not working and over a £1000 was refunded to parents by School Spider during this time, money that we are now having to chase back again. Mrs McFarland has sent some e mails to parents with regards to this and is having to spend quite a considerable amount of time trying to sort this out when she could be doing other things. If you have seen the refund into your bank account, please do repay the money to us and Mrs McFarland continues to work with School Spider to work out exactly what has gone on.
School dinners 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 13th March: Dinners Week 3
Wednesday 15th March: School Nurses to do annual Reception screening checks
Thursday 23rd March: Blakemere trip to The Lion Salt Works
Friday 24th March: Bikeability Day (for the group that didn’t get to complete last time)
Friday 31st March: Easter Service in St. John’s Church at 9.15am. All welcome.
Friday 31st March: End of Spring Term - school closes at 2pm
Have a lovely weekend.
Take care,
Mrs E Snowdon