Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 18th November 2022
Date: 18th Nov 2022 @ 1:31pm
Charity Support
We have had a very colourful day in school as we have dressed in non-uniform to celebrate Children in Need – I have definitely had outfit envy many times during the day! We did not ask for donations in school this year, instead we provided the link to the official Children in Need website for you to make donations, should you so wish.
Last week, we were collecting for The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. All donations were collected, taken away and counted and I am delighted to say that we received a certificate (see below) saying that we had raised a huge £220.13! Thank you so much for all your very generous donations for this very worthy cause.
Illness
We have a large number of children that seem to be affected by illness at the moment, including a sickness bug that is working its way around! Please may I remind everyone that children should be kept at home for 48 hours after their last instance of being sick? Children may appear well but things may still be lurking that they unwittingly pass on to others – this is standard government guidance for health protection in children and young people in education settings. Thank you for your support in this.
Circus Tickets
Congratulations to the Burke family who won the draw for the circus tickets – I hope you have a lovely time!
St. John’s Film Night
The next film night is taking place at St. John’s church hall on Sunday 27th November at 4.30pm. This time there will be a Christmas theme and the children voted in Collective Worship on Wednesday as to which film they would like to watch. The choices were Klaus, Arthur Christmas and The Muppets Christmas Carol. There was a clear winner of Arthur Christmas so if you would like to see that film, with free popcorn, hotdogs, drinks and mince pies, then feel free to attend!
Field Update
Unfortunately, there is no field update this week as Sovereign, our installer, are still waiting on some items from their suppliers, but as soon as work begins again, I will update you in my weekly blog.
#WakeUpWednesday
Modern Warfare II is the 19th instalment in the relentless Call of Duty series, which shows no sign of shedding popularity. In fact, this latest release has reportedly broken lucrative new ground for the franchise – almost unbelievably garnering $1 billion in sales in its first ten days of availability (according to the publishers, Activision), making it the fastest-selling Call of Duty title yet. It seems young gamers can’t get enough of the high-octane gunplay that CoD offers. Their eager engagement with the game, however, can lead to hours of compulsive playing, hostile audio chat exchanges with other gamers and a willingness to make in-game purchases to level up their character. This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide has all the intel on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.
Applying for Primary School Places for September 2023
If you have a child who is turning 4 years old between now and 31st August 2023, or know of a child who is, then the application round is also open for them to apply for their Reception place. The timescale is slightly different for this and you have until 15th January 2023, but like the secondary school place, before making your application, it is important you view the Starting Primary School booklet . Results are available from 17th April 2023. To apply, you will need to create an account or log in on this link. If you would like to visit Over St. John’s with a view to a Reception place next September or know of someone else who would, please do just ring the office and we will arrange a time to suit yourselves and us. We do not hold an open morning as I prefer people to see us as we are on a daily basis and have more personal time during a look around with me to ask any questions that they may have.
School Dinners
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 Autumn Term 2022 – new dates highlighted
Friday 25th November: Blakemere Y5s join Lantern Parade for Christmas Lights Switch On
Monday 5th December: Linmere performing at The Winsford Academy – more details to follow. Please note the change of venue.
Wednesday 7th December: Christmas Wreath Making Workshop 3pm – 5pm (details previously sent home)
Thursday 8th December: Nurses in school to do flu nasal vaccinations
Thursday 8th December: Christmas Disco 6pm – 7.30pm All OSJ children welcome.
Monday 12th December: Christmas Wreath Making Workshop 3pm – 5pm (details previously sent home)
Wednesday 14th December: Carol Service in St. John’s Church at 1.30pm. All welcome. Collection will be from church between 2.30pm and 2.45pm.
Thursday 15th December: Whole School Pantomime trip to Northwich Memorial Court
Friday 16th December: School closes at 2pm
Have a lovely weekend.
Take care,
Mrs E Snowdon