Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 21st April 2023
Date: 21st Apr 2023 @ 1:23pm
I hope that you all managed to have a lovely break over the Easter holidays and had chance to spend some time with family and friends. We now enter our final term and there is so much to do! Year 2 and Year 6 children have their SATS in May, Year 1 will be doing their Phonics Screening in June and the Year 4s will be doing their multiplication checks. We are planning a couple of visits for some classes and we have many children from Year 3 to 6 going off on residentials in the second half of the term. We also have two short weeks this half term because of the May Day bank holiday and the Kings coronation celebrations to squeeze in! We are definitely going to be busy.
I know that towards the end of the summer term, many of you look forward to coming into school to watch the children in Sports Day. This year, we will not be able to run Sports Day like we have done previously because of all the fantastic work that has taken place on the field to benefit the children on a daily basis – we no longer have the space available for a running track or to seat adults and children. I realise that some people may be disappointed by this, but I think that it is fair to say that the benefits that the children get on a daily basis from the redevelopment of the field far outweigh an annual sports day!
LED Lighting
Over the Easter holidays, we had new LED lighting installed throughout school. The school now looks a lot brighter and fresher with the more modern system but as it is also much more energy efficient, we will also be saving on our energy bills.
Coronation Activities
With the King’s Coronation coming up, we are keen to do something in school to mark it. We will be holding a variety of art activities on Tuesday 2nd May all based around the theme of the King’s invitation to the coronation. We will then be taking some of this art work to display in church over the bank holiday weekend and you will be able to go and have a look. Also, on Friday 5th May, we will be having a special fish and chip lunch in school and all children are invited to come to school dressed in red, white and blue.
Wake Up Wednesday
If you know any young gamers, you’ll almost certainly be familiar with Fortnite. It’s one of the most popular video games on the planet – up alongside other mega-hits like Minecraft, Roblox and Call of Duty in terms of its sheer number of fiercely dedicated players. Fortnite currently has more than 400 million devotees worldwide – around 25 million of whom play it every day. Given Fortnite’s relatively young user-base, though (as many as one in four pre-teens are reported to have played the game, despite its PEGI 12 age rating), it’s prudent not to conflate immense popularity with absolute safety. This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide assesses the latest version for potential pitfalls that parents and carers of young Fortnite fans should be aware of.
In the guide you'll find a number of potential risks such as compulsive playing, audio chat with other gamers and in-game spending.
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 Spring Term 2023 – new dates highlighted
Week beginning 24th April: Dinners Week 2
Wednesday 26th April: Class photographs
Monday 1st May: School closed for May Day Bank Holiday
Tuesday 2nd May: School Art Day to celebrate the Coronation
Friday 5th May: Non Uniform Day – wear red, white and blue
Friday 5th May: Small group of Y5 children to take part in Winsford Education Partnership Crown Procession
Monday 8th May: school closed for the Kings Coronation Bank Holiday
Tuesday 9th May: Y6 SATS week
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 Play with the Halle at The Bridgewater Hall
Thursday 20th July: School closes for summer at 2pm
Have a lovely weekend.
Take care,
Mrs E Snowdon