Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 26th January 2024
Date: 26th Jan 2024 @ 1:40pm
We have finally made it to the last Friday in January, which feels as those it has been about 15 weeks long! Next week sees the start of February and everything starts to seem a lot brighter and more positive at last!
Reading at Over St. John’s
The first of our class visits for the whole school to Winsford library began this week as Blakemere walked to the library to visit for an hour. The children and adults had a fabulous time finding out what our local library has to offer us – and for free! These visits are part of our drive to promote reading for pleasure with the children and adults in school. Our school library is well attended on a Monday and Wednesday at the end of the day (why not pay a visit if you haven’t already?) and this week, Mrs McLaughlin shared our advert and job description for Reading Champions in Year 5 and 6 who will help her foster a love of reading across the school. We have had quite a few application forms back already – it is a very official role! – and I am really looking forward to reading them with Mrs M and finding out who our first set of Reading Champions are going to be!
Don’t forget that reading at home doesn’t just have to be the child’s reading book. It can be comics, magazines, recipe books, annuals to name a few and re-reading books that children have read previously is just as important as new material, as it helps to develop comprehension and fluency and also that love of reading – they are obviously going back to it because they want to read it again, so they must have enjoyed it!
Extra-Curricular Clubs
Our extra-curricular clubs, both at lunchtimes and after school, are proving to be very popular again this term. We have a whole host of clubs including computing, singing and sewing on a Monday, gymnastics and Scrabble on a Tuesday, team games and cooking on Wednesday and mindfulness, origami and aerobics on a Thursday! I’m sure that you’ll agree that there is plenty to choose from! Some are full up with waiting lists and there may be a couple of places in others (I know that I have 3 or 4 places available in singing on a Monday!) but I would like to express my thanks to all the staff who give up their time to run this wonderful offer for our children.
Attendance
Hatchmere 97.55%
Sandymere 95.26%
Delamere 91.67%
Oakmere 93.91%
Linmere 90.00%
Blakemere 91.85%
PE Kit - Reminder
Please may I ask you to check the web page of your child’s class for their PE days to ensure that they have their kit in school when it is needed. PE kit consists of a plain white t-shirt and plain black shorts. In this cooler weather, the children may also wear plain black jogging bottoms with their school jumper when they go outside.
Children can wear black pumps or trainers where pumps can be worn indoors or outdoors but trainers are only for outdoors.
Thank you for your support with this.
#WakeUpWednesday
‘The #1 teen dating website in the world’ - that’s the claim of MyLOL, which offers 13 to 19-year-olds the chance to rate each other’s pics, send private messages and contact strangers online. If that sets your alarm bells ringing, you’re far from alone: law enforcement agencies and schools in several countries have seen fit to issue warnings about the platform.
Among the main issues is the fact that MyLOL doesn’t have a reliable age verification method – meaning there’s no foolproof way to stop anyone outside the platform’s intended 13–19 audience signing up for an account under a false age. This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide also highlights potential concerns around in-app purchases and the use of geolocation for sinister reasons.
February Half Term at Brio
We have received information about a swimming crash course running from 19th - 23rd February between 9:00am-11:00am at Winsford Lifestyle Centre. This is great for children to increase water confidence and develop their aquatic skills.
They also have Under the Sea Pool parties on the following dates and venues:
Northwich Memorial Court – Thursday 22nd February 1:15pm - 2:15pm
Winsford Lifestyle Centre – Friday 23rd February 1:15pm - 2:15pm
Please see the flyers on last week's blog for more details.
School Dinners
School dinners cost £2.70 per day, £13.50 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.
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.
Confirmed Dates for the Spring Term 2024 – new dates highlighted
Dinner Week 2
Wednesday 31st January: Linmere visit to Winsford Library
Wednesday 7th February: Oakmere visit to Winsford Library
Friday 9th February: Hatchmere and Oakmere visit to Chester Zoo
Tuesday 13th February: Pupil Consultation Evening 4pm – 6pm
Wednesday 14th February: Delamere visit to Winsford Library
Thursday 15th February: Pupil Consultation Evening 3.15pm – 5.15pm
Friday 16th February: School closes for half term at 3pm
Monday 26th February: School opens at 8.35am
Have a lovely weekend.
Take care,
Mrs E Snowdon