Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 9th June 2023
Date: 9th Jun 2023 @ 12:26pm
Trips Out
Children in Year 5 and 6 have been having a fabulous time at the Conway Centre this week. They have been taking part in a number of exciting outdoor activities and from the messages that we have received from staff, they are really enjoying themselves – they even slept until 6.30am on day one! Thank you very much to Mrs McLaughlin, Mr Pasquill and Mrs Roche who supported the children on the trip and for volunteering their time outside of their usual working hours as residentials would not be able to go ahead without their generosity.
Children in Reception and Year 1 went on a visit to Chester Zoo yesterday. The excitement was almost too much to bear as they were arriving at school yesterday! The weather was very kind to them and the children all had a wonderful time and represented the school beautifully.
Sports Day
Exciting news! You may recall from my blog several weeks ago that we would no longer be able to hold a Sports Day on our premises due to our exciting field development. However, I am delighted to tell you that we will now be holding a joint Sports Day with St. Joseph’s at St. Joseph’s school. This will take place on Tuesday 20th June. Parents/ Carers are invited to join their child at St. Joseph’s from 12pm for a picnic lunch on the field (please bring your own picnic) before the afternoon activities begin at 12.45pm. The sports will finish at 2.30pm and all children are to be collected from St. Joseph’s at 2.45pm – there will be signposting for Over St. John’s parents and carers for collection. All children will need permission to attend and be collected from St. Joseph’s - details will be sent out via School Spider very shortly.
On the actual day, we are asking that children come to school in their PE kits but there is a slight twist. Instead of their usual white t-shirt, all children from both schools will be put into 4 teams of colours – red, yellow, green and blue and we are asking that the children wear a coloured t shirt to correspond with their team. All children will come home with a coloured sticker on today to denote which coloured team they are in – the children on the Conway trip will receive these on Monday. If you do not have a coloured t shirt in the right colour, please send your child in their normal white PE shirt on the day and we will give them a coloured sticker as we have done today.
It is shaping up to be a very exciting occasion!
Wake Up Wednesday
Most of us love meeting interesting people, making connections and forging new friendships. It’s this exact experience that OmeTV promises: letting users interact with people across the globe via randomly connected video chats. At their best, apps like this let you talk to some amazing people you’d never have met otherwise. At worst, they connect you with unpleasant, dangerous characters, who are interested in far less innocent activities than talking. OmeTV is popular with younger users, despite coming with clear warnings that it’s intended for over-18s only. As this week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide outlines, this presents obvious dangers to any children and young people who do use the app, with reports of predators trying to exploit OmeTV for their own ends.
Water Safety
Warnings have been issued after at least 31 water deaths during the heatwave across the UK. With a heat wave predicted this weekend and the summer holidays fast approaching, the temptation to cool off in open water is very appealing to young people. Please take a look at the attached information to make you aware of the dangers and how to stay safe.
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 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
Monday 5th – Friday 23rd June: Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check
Monday 12th June: Year 1 Phonics Screening Check week
Tuesday 20th June: Sports Day at St. Joseph’s. Collection from St. Joseph’s at 2.45pm
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 and 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