Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Thursday 28th March 2024
Date: 28th Mar 2024 @ 2:51pm
We held our beautiful Easter Service in church this morning. Thank you so much to all those who were able to attend and share in the children and staffs hard work as they delivered the message of Easter so expertly. It was also a time when we said a farewell to George, our Vicar, as he leaves us for a new parish near Manchester. Over the last 13 years, George has been a fantastic supporter of and support to the school and we are going to miss him very much, but we know that his new parish will be very lucky to have him. Good luck George!
Snap Trap
The children in Year 5 and 6 were involved in an excellent, hard-hitting performance on Tuesday with regards to staying safe online. They looked at peer pressure as well as the SMART rules for staying safe – see if your child can remember what SMART stood for.
One very interesting fact that was shared – and that I had never considered myself – was that you have to be over 18 to have a mobile phone contract. Therefore, children who have phones have the contracts in their parents/ carers name. As such, it is the parents who are responsible and prosecuted when there is inappropriate content on a child’s phone. Something to think about…
Here are the details of the company that shared the presentation with us in case you want to have a look further: 2engage - The Snap Trap
Readopoly
We held our second draw for our Readopoly challenge this afternoon with a winner from KS1 and KS2 receiving a gorgeous reading hamper each. This term’s winners were Suzanne in Delamere and Oscar in Oakmere – well done and we hope you enjoy your hampers. Keep going with all the wonderful reading and Readopoly challenges and we look forward to another draw in the summer term!
Attendance
As well as reading rewards, today we handed out certificates for attendance and held the draw for the Argos voucher. We had a total of 82 certificates given out for attendance at 96% and over, 98% and above or 100%. This was also a big improvement on the Autumn term when 72 certificates were given out with the 100%-ers matching the Autumn on 32.
All those who are at 98% or more then went into the prize draw for the £15 Argos voucher. Congratulations to Daisy in Delamere who was this term’s winner – happy spending!
The whole school attendance since September currently sits at 94.5% which is an improvement on this time last year when it was 93.7%. Thank you so much for ensuring that your children are in school and on time as it really does make a huge difference to their progress.
The certificates and draw will reset for the summer term so that everyone is in with another chance, but we will also include an extra draw for those who have been on 98% attendance or more all year, not just for the term.
Timid to Tiger
We have received information that the Mental Health Support Team are offering another ‘From Timid to Tiger’ group for parents of children who are experiencing anxiety. The programme is to give parents the skills to help their child manage their anxieties.
The group will take place on Microsoft Teams from 09:30am-11:30am on: Thurs 06/06/24, Thurs 13/06/24, Thurs 20/06/24, Thurs 27/06/24, Thurs 04/07/24, Thurs 11/04/24, Thurs 18/04/24 and Weds 24/07/24.
Please take a look at the attached poster and if you are interested in signing up to the programme, you will need to drop in to one of two triage sessions to speak to a practitioner. The triage session will be held at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Winsford. The first triage session will be on Wednesday 22/05/24 9.30am-11.30am and the second session will be on Thursday 23/05/24 9.30am-11.30am.
For further information, I’ve attached a copy of the T2T leaflet below.
Absence during Term Time – Fine Increase
You may have seen reported in the news that the Fixed Penalty Notice for absence during term time is to rise in September. Schools are not allowed to authorise pupil holidays in term time. The parents of any child going on holiday in term time may receive an unauthorised absence. This is also true for irregular attendance in general, not necessarily holidays. 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. However, in September, this fine is rising to £80 per child, per parent and will rise to £160 if paid after 21 days but within 28 days.
#WakeUpWednesday
Around one in five headlines online are clickbait. That’s an estimate from experts at Stanford University, who conducted a study into this phenomenon which has gradually extended its reach to almost every corner of the internet – powered by a strategy of snagging users’ attention by any means necessary rather than a legitimate desire to inform or enlighten. As that statistic indicates, this manipulative marketing strategy is difficult to avoid online. There’s still plenty that can be done though to limit its influence, especially in relation to young people, who are often more susceptible to sensationalist headlines. This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide details the potential hazards around clickbait and has expert tips for avoiding them.
School Dinners
When we return after Easter, school dinners will 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 1
Monday 15th April: School opens at 8.35am
Monday 15th April: Year 6 swimming begins
Monday 22nd April – Wednesday 24th April: Year 3 and 4 residential to Robinwood.
Monday 13th May: KS2 SATs week begins
Tuesday 21st May: Pupil Consultation Evening 4pm – 6pm
Thursday 23rd May: Pupil Consultation Evening 3.15pm – 5.15pm
Friday 24th May: School closes at 3pm
Monday 3rd June: School opens at 8.35am
Wednesday 5th June – Friday 7th June: Year 5 and 6 Conway residential
Friday 7th June: Sports Day at St. Joseph’s
Thursday 13th June: Year 5 ‘Come Play with the Halle’ at The Bridgewater Hall
Friday 28th June: Reserve Sports Day at St. Joseph’s
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 Easter and I will see you after the holidays.
Take care,
Mrs E Snowdon