Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 7th June 2024
Date: 7th Jun 2024 @ 12:22pm
Conway Centre Residential
There will be some very tired children in Year 5 and 6 today! They arrived back today from their 2 night residential to the Conway Centre in Anglesey having had a fabulous time after having raft built, canoed, climbed, zip wired and generally had a fantastic time enjoying each other’s company in a different scenario to everyday school life. My thanks to Mrs McLaughlin, Mr Pasquill and Mrs Riley for giving up their own time from their families to give the children such a wonderful experience.
Staffing Update
I am now in a position to be able to inform you of the staffing arrangements for September. As always, exactly which class your child is in will be shared on their reports when they go out in July, however I can tell you the following:
Hatchmere – Reception – Mrs Teece
Sandymere – Year 1 – Mrs Bettley
Delamere – Year 2 – Mrs Williamson and Mrs Worstencroft
Oakmere – Year 3 and Year 4 – Mrs Kelly
Linmere – Year 4 and Year 5 – Mrs Skelley and Mrs Andrews
Blakemere – Year 5 and Year 6 – Mrs McLaughlin
The beady eyed amongst you will spot something different on there as we say goodbye to Mr Pasquill at the end of term as he leaves Over St. John’s for pastures new. Mr Pasquill has been a valued member of our team for the past 5 years and we wish him every success in his future career. However, that does mean that there are two names on there that you may be less familiar with. Mrs Skelley has been working with us in Key Stage Two this year and is our Maths Lead. We are very pleased that she is able to share her teaching expertise 3 days week in Linmere and will be joined by Mrs Andrews who is new to Over St. John’s, for two days a week. Mrs Andrews is also an experienced teacher having taught in other schools in Cheshire and also previously in Winsford so she is very familiar with our wonderful community.
I am also pleased to say that it was lovely to be able to welcome Mrs Williamson back into school this morning as she begins her phased return. Mrs Smith will be continuing in Delamere as Mrs Williamson increases her time in school over the next few weeks.
Parental Survey
Thank you so much to everyone who completed the parental survey a few weeks ago for which I have attached the results below. As you will see, the results are really ones to be proud of – it is so lovely to see all the positive responses. As a staff, we are looking into ways in which we can make improvements which will be shared with you in due course.
Sports Day
What a fantastic time was had by all for our sports say today! As you may be aware, we now hold a joint sports say with St. Joseph’s as we no longer have the facilities to hold our own after our field development, and what a great Sports Day it was! The children all had great fun taking part in a whole host of activities whilst earning points for their team colour. As yet, we do not know the winning team, but I will share this with you as soon as I know. My thanks go to all at St. Joseph’s for allowing us to share in their sports day and for making us all feel so welcome.
Attendance
Well done to Sandymere with their fantastic attendance this week.
Hatchmere: 93.81%
Sandymere: 98.50%
Delamere: 95.26%
Oakmere: 94.58%
Linmere: 92.50%
Blakemere: 94.07%
#WakeUpWednesday
With an all-time peak of 2.1 million concurrent players, Palworld rose to prominence after its release earlier this year on PC and Xbox, resonating in particular with the younger audience – both those who saw their favourite influencers playing it and those who bought the game themselves.
Despite its light-hearted presentation and cartoonish art style, Palworld has been noted for its mature references that could be inappropriate for children. What’s more, the presence of online multiplayer and the potential for interacting with strangers can pose further online safety risks. This week, #WakeUpWednesday are bringing you expert advice on how to protect young people from the concerns associated with Palworld.
Secondary School Open Evenings
We have received information regarding an Open Evening at Middlewich High School which may be of interest to those of you with children in Year 4 or Year 5. Please take a look at the flyer below. If I receive anymore from any other schools, I will share these also.
School Dinners
School dinners cost £3 per day, £15 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
Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th June: Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check
Wednesday 10th July: Year 6 Leaver’s Service at Chester Cathedral (children only)
Friday 19th July: Leaver’s Service in St. John’s Church at 9.15am. All welcome.
Have a lovely weekend.
Take care,
Mrs E Snowdon