'Happy are those who work for peace: God will call them his children!' Matthew 5:9.
A message from the Head
As we have now entered the Advent season we will be thinking about the circle of the wreath, just like a circle God’s love is endless; it has no beginning or end.
This year due to the current on-going pandemic we have decided not to hold a Christmas production, or Christmas service where we are all gathered together in one space. This is in order to protect our school community, and reduce the risk to families in the run up to Christmas. We are working hard at keeping infections out of school. Thank you to all who have continued testing children at home using the Lateral Flow tests. We will be sending all children home for Christmas with more COVID tests for you to use over the festive period, and before returning to school in January.
Available to all children is online reading resource Reading Eggs and Mathletics. We pay a subscription for this service at great cost, so our children can access at home. These are part of our curriculum recovery strategy to help our children narrow or bridge the gaps in these areas. I expect all our children in Y1 – Y6 to use these resources daily. The children who are using these tools, are showing good progress in these areas. Reception pupils should also begin to access these platforms as appropriate.
On our website in the class page you will find knowledge organisers on subjects that have already been taught. These are designed to help the children retain ‘sticky knowledge’. It emphasises what the teacher considers to be the main points of learning (vocabulary, skills and knowledge).
Knowledge Organisers
We have created Knowledge Organisers to aid the retention of key knowledge, vocabulary and skills taught within topics. Knowledge organisers are a summary of the key facts and essential knowledge that we expect all children to be able to discuss and expand upon by the end of the topic. These Knowledge Organisers will be produced every half term.
Children can use their knowledge organisers to review, revise and quiz themselves on each topic, and teachers will make reference to them in lessons. They are a useful place to check subject-specific knowledge and vocabulary.
Knowledge organisers also provide parents with an insight into what pupils are learning over the half term and can be used to support learning at home.
Fundraising thanks
Thank you to everyone for your support of Children in Need and the Poppy Appeal. We collected £60.13 and £21,000 was raised locally for the Poppy Appeal. £231.60 was raised for Children in Need. Thanks again!
School Street
Portland Road is now a 'School Street', which means there is a restriction for vehicles between 8.30-9.30am at the start of the school day and 2.45-3.45pm at the end of the day, during term time. There will be exemptions extended to our neighbours, staff and families that meet certain criteria. Please follow this link for further information on exemptions. Only parents with blue badges, or very exceptional circumstances known to the school which makes it difficult to walk or cycle, are exempt to register as a blue badge holder.
OWL & Forest School News
We have had an exciting couple of weeks despite the freezing weather. Our chicken coop has arrived in an assortment of boxes and the children have been helping construct the spacious housing. We are hoping to introduce the chickens in early spring and will be holing a naming competition nearer the time.
Reverse Advent Calendar
Urgently needed items:
- Juice (squash)
- Instant mash
- Rice
- Household cleaning items
- Washing up liquid, washing machine tablets
- Shower gel, toothbrushes, shaving foam, razors
- Toilet paper
Our school have helped so many families in the last few years with our very successful reverse advent calendar and we would like to participate in this again. This is an opportunity for the children to understand the importance of helping others less fortunate, particularly at Christmas time. Each class from Nursery to Year 6 will have a reverse advent calendar box. The children can bring something in such as items of food (please check shelf life) which will be given to the local food bank in order to help local communities that are struggling. Children are invited to bring in anything from the food list below between the 29th November and the 10th December. We will then take our gifts to Kingston food bank. Thank you in advance for your support for this very important and worthy cause.
Christmas lunch - Friday 10th December
Don't forget to order your child's Christmas lunch! If they would like turkey, please choose the breaded fish option, if they would like vegetable wellington, please choose the vegan sausage, if they would like the feta and spinach pastry please choose tomato pasta. For dessert, if they would like the brownie, choose the flapjack, and for the rice krispie cake, choose the yoghurt. Please order via parent pay ASAP. https://www.parentpay.com/
St John's Church news
Christingle 2021
We will be holding our Christingle service this Sunday at 10:30am – all are welcome please come and join us.
Christmas Cafe
Cafe, tree and craft sale this Saturday 4th December 9am - 1pm.
St John's Church thanks Raven's Ait for supporting the Legendary Silent Auction.
Admission arrangements
St John’s CofE Primary and Nursery School, Portland Road, Kingston - are consulting on their admission arrangements for 2023/24. St John’s is currently publicly consulting on their admission arrangements for 2023/24. More details about the proposed amendments can be found on the school’s website https://www.stjohns.kingston.sch.uk/. The consultation will run until Friday 14th January 2021.
Kingston First Christmas Trail
Kingston First is running a free Christmas Trail around Kingston Town Centre, from 4th - 28th December. The flyer is below, and more information can be found on our website https://www.inkingston.co.uk/elftrail
On Saturdays in December (4, 11 & 18), they are also organising free outdoor arts and crafts workshops which parents can drop into with their children, 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm. Again, check out our website for more information: https://www.inkingston.co.uk/events/free-kids-christmas-arts-crafts-workshops-04-12-2021
And also on Saturdays in December, keep an eye out for our magical roaming performers, treating passers by to street theatre, incredible circus skills and all-round festive fun! We'll be adding details here this week: https://www.inkingston.co.uk/events/christmas-street-theatre-and-circus-performers-04-12-2021
Urgent mental health support for children and their families
There is now a single 24/7 crisis line Tel. 0800 028 8000 for local families and the South London Partnership CAMHS crisis line will now be accessed via this one single number. They would like to encourage families in crisis to call this number BEFORE attending A&E (unless there is an emergency medical need).
Applying for a School Reception place
You can now apply for a School Reception place for September 2022. For more information please see
The deadline for applying for a Primary School place is 15 January 2022.
Mrs Hutchinson will be giving school tours for prospective parents. Please book via the school website home page https://www.stjohns.kingston.sch.uk/
7th December 3.30pm
Recruitment
King Athelstan Primary School are looking for a new team member in their school office.
New COVID rules
We have had an increasing number of confirmed COVID cases in school since half term. In order to protect our school family, and your child’s education, it is imperative that you follow the guidance below if anyone in your household or your close social group tests positive.
If your child has symptoms, or has tested positive with the Lateral Flow test:
They and siblings of the household should not come to school – and you should inform school.
You should immediately order a PCR test for all children in your family.
If the PCR result is negative, that child can return to school.
If the PCR result is positive, that child must remain at home until the date given on the positive test result.
Other siblings should continue to take a daily lateral flow test.
As numbers are steadily increasing, we have returned to some of our earlier restrictions. These include:
Pupils remaining in class bubble at break and lunchtime with pupils playing in own zones
Collective worship in class bubble
Continue to reinforce use of hand sanitisers/washing hands
Continue to keep the classes/building well ventilated (children to wear layers when cold)
Continue to ask adults to wear face coverings at drop off and pick up
No unnecessary items brought from home (except reading books, homework etc.)
Continue to use the one way system at pick up – please do not linger unnecessarily in the playground once your child is with you.
Thank you for your continued support in keeping our school family safe.
REMINDERS:
Warm clothes
Please ensure your children are dressed appropriately for forest school in this cold weather - warm clothes, coats and gloves are essential for them to enjoy their session in the forest. Thank you.
Lost Property
Lost property items will be outside in the playground after school this week and one day next week - please do check if anything belongs to your child. All lost property will be cleared at the end of this term.
Safety
- Please may we remind you that we are a ‘Nut Free School’ as we do have children with severe allergies to this. Please see our policy on Allergies (including Nut & Food) on the school website.
- If you do send grapes for your child's lunch, please can we ask them to cut in half to avoid the risk of choking.
- Please ensure children wear helmets if riding scooters and bikes.
- Please ensure long hair is tied back for school in order to prevent the spread of nits.
Donations for school - help us save £££
If you can donate a box of tissues to your child's class at school this would help us save our budget for other things - and it will also help stop the spread of germs!
We could also use spare socks for all age groups. If you are having a sort out, please donate them to school. Thank you.
Dates for your Diary
Sat 4th Dec: St John's Church Christmas Café, Tree and Craft sale
Fri 10th Dec: Afternoon Christmas Fair at St John's Church
Fri 10th Dec: Christmas Jumper Day
Weds 15th Dec: 10am Christmas service in school
Weds 15th Dec: Nursery last day before Christmas
Thursday 16th Dec: 2pm Last day of autumn term
Friday 17th Dec: INSET day
Tuesday 4th Jan: INSET day
Wednesday 5th Jan: First day of term Reception - Y6
Friday 7th Jan: Nursery first day of term