News - 10th September 2020
Dear Parents/Carers
It has been wonderful to welcome back all our pupils from Year 1 to 6 this week and I look forward to welcoming Reception Class from Monday. Hearing the sound of the children’s voices around the school has been a delight and it was lovely to chat to them in their ‘bubble’ assemblies.
Pupils have begun their ‘restorative curriculum’ learning, using the book, ‘Here we Are’ by Oliver Jeffers as a stimulus. They have also been introduced to the new St. Mary’s behaviour policy, following our three simple rules: be ready, be respectful and be safe. We have discussed with the children how we will be doing things the ‘St Mary’s Way’ which will of course differ from home learning experiences. The lack of snacks did feature!
Thank you for getting your children to school on time and your patience and understanding around starting times, entrances and exits. We had a few initial teething problems which needed addressing and we will continue to monitor and adapt our plans as necessary.
Siblings may now enter the school gate of the eldest child who can walk the younger sibling to their class line. Having watched parents sprint from one gate to the next, I appreciate that this is an extra stress to the start of your day. If you do have time and would prefer to walk your younger child/ren to their appropriate entrance, continue to do so. If you intend for all siblings to enter through the same gate, please let the office know.
Please continue to monitor your child for any COVID
symptoms and do not send them to school if they
display any symptoms. Please read the information below and the latest government guidance.
Check that all contact details are correct and let the office know of any changes immediately, please ensure that someone on the list is available to take a call in the event of emergency or accident.
Finally, it has been brought to our attention, that there are some worrying posts on TikTok. Please be aware if your children are using this, however, the age for access is 13. Talk to your child/ren about the importance of on line safety. This will be covered in school as part of the computer science curriculum.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Mrs S Buckley
Headteacher
Diary Dates |
|
Date |
Activity |
11th Sept @ 2.30pm |
Y6 Badge Presentation |
14th Sept |
Reception class start |
21st Sept |
All about me week |
28th Sept |
Reception class full time |
1st Oct |
Black History Month begins |
14th Oct |
Individual School Photos |
20th, 22nd Oct |
Open Mornings |
26th Oct |
Half Term |
PTA News
All parents are very welcome to join our vibrant PTA. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 15th September
Secretary to the PTA Vacancy
There is a vacancy for secretary to the PTA – if you are interested please contact Matt Quirk, Chair of PTA on mrquirk@me.com. The role involves communicating with the school and parents about fundraising events throughout the year and organising the PTA meetings.
PE News
The children are enjoying getting back into school sport with cricket activities and mini matches. Please can children wear 'school colours' when wearing PE kit. This means navy shorts or tracksuit bottoms with minimal logos and patterns. The school hoodie is essential for keeping warm as it gets colder - the school jumper and cardigan is not suitable for sport.
YEAR 6
What a busy start to this term we have already had in Year 6. I have been so impressed with how the children have returned to school with such a positive attitude, great enthusiasm and a desire to get back into their learning- well done!
This term, Year 6 will be learning all about World War 1. We will find out about the causes of the war, the countries involved, what life in the trenches was like as well as how everyday life changed in Britain and our locality during this time. We will explore this topic across all curriculum areas, learning in creative and exciting ways. As part of our English work, we will also be reading the text ‘War Horse’ by Michael Morpurgo.
Back in the Summer Term, the children applied for the pupil leadership positions that they would like to be responsible for in Year 6. We were very impressed with all their letters of application and it was a tricky task to select the roles. We are pleased to announce the positions in the table below and we are very much looking forward to Year 6 supporting both the staff and younger children in our school throughout the year. We have every confidence that you will all undertake these important roles with a mature attitude and a sense of pride.
Here is to a good year ahead!
YEAR 6 RESPONSIBILITIES
Head Girl |
Jessica P |
Head Boy |
Charlie |
Deputy Head Girl |
Amber |
Deputy Head Boy |
Noah |
Sapphire House Captains |
Rory Florence |
Ruby House Captains |
Toby Mattie |
Emerald House Captains |
Max Jessica D |
Amber House Captains |
Findlay Ben |
Peer Mediators |
Barnaby Carter Edward Poppy Owen Joseph Evelyn Lily Sabi Jasmine |
Task force |
Jasmine Grace Layton Joe |
Prefects |
Lila Camille Poppy Lily Sabi Edward Carter |
Librarians |
Samuel Isaac Owen |
Eco Leaders |
Camille Evelyn |
School Council |
Findlay Mattie |
Worship Team |
Lila Jessica D |
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SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
The ladder of school communication is as follows:-
School Bulletin – is sent out fortnightly on Thursdays. Used for all important future diary dates, date changes and notices regarding school arrangements
See Saw – is for class teachers to share photos and videos of their children’s learning and maybe used for quick class reminders
Emails – are sent out when there is a need to communicate to parents between bulletins
Texts – are sent when there is an immediate need to communicate ie when a trip is running late
Diary Dates – are sent out at the end of each term for the following term
Letters – are sent out regarding specific class arrangements eg trips, sports tournaments
What’s App Groups – are set up by parents (informally) and are not school communications
If you have any queries about dates or school arrangements please ask the school office
Diary dates and the bulletins are published on the school website.
SCHOOL OFFICE REMINDERS
Dinner Money – Please ensure you book school dinners by noon on Wednesday for the following week.
Medicines – Please ensure any medicines are up to date and in the school office
Sickness – Please inform us by 8.30 if your child is unwell and unable to attend school.
Payments – All school payments to be made via Scopay – we are unable to take cash payments for anything going forwards.
Collections – If you are unable to collect your child please email the school office to inform them who will be collecting
Long Term Collections – Please ensure your long term collection arrangement details are in school – please email:
admin2@stmarys-godalming.surrey.sch.uk if you have any changes
Contact Details – Please ensure the school office has your correct contact details, especially mobile numbers
Week commencing 7th September
Attendance Matters
Reception N/A
Year 1 – 98.1%
Year 2 – 93.1%
Year 3K – 94.9%
Year 3R – 93.2%
Year 4 – 98.7%
Year 5 – 100%
Year 6 – 96.4%
Christian Values
Please find below our new school prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for all the opportunities we have
And for the staff who help us to blossom and grow.
Please help us to always try our best and
be ready, be respectful and be safe.
Amen.
COVID NEWS
To check if you or your child has coronavirus symptoms:-
If you have any of the main symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19), get a test as soon as possible. Stay at home until you get the result.
The main symptoms of coronavirus are:
· a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
· a new, continuous cough – this mean coughing a lot more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
· a loss or change to your senses of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
Most people with coronavirus have at least 1 of these symptoms.
Please DO NOT send your child into school if they have had any of these symptoms overnight.
If your child is sent home with symptoms, they will need to be tested and a negative result received before they or their siblings can resume school