Children in Need

This year, we are fundraising for Children in Need on Friday 15^th November. Children can come to school wearing spots, yellow or something that makes them smile. Pudsey ears are also welcome! Our School Lunch on Friday will include a fun Pudsey Bear shortbread biscuit! The deadline to order lunches on WisePay has been extended to Sunday evening, so there is still time to order yours. If you would like to donate to Children in Need, please do not send any money into school; click our Just Giving link here: Children in Need

Punctual starts to the school day

Our school gates are open from 8.30am every morning. This is to allow for a gentler start to the school day and to ensure the areas at the gates are not too crowded, so everyone can arrive safely.

Classroom adults are available from this time to welcome the children to class, to engage in morning conversation with everyone, to set out the learning for the day and to share anything different that may be happening.  The register is taken at 8.45am, then lessons begin promptly.

It is really important your child arrives punctually to school so that they are able to access this part of the day. While we appreciate that there can be exceptional circumstances leading to late arrivals, regularly arriving late to school can lead to unnecessary anxiety and children can often find it difficult to enter a classroom where the learning has started, finding they have missed the initial input of the lesson.

Last half-term, 51 children arrived late to our school on at least one occasion. Over 58 hours, which is nearly two weeks of learning, was lost owing to lateness.

Please support your child and school to ensure they arrive punctually every morning.

Mrs Hall and Miss Savory are our Attendance Champions. If you have any concerns regarding your child’s attendance, or you would like additional support, please contact the school office to arrange a meeting or telephone call.

Richard O'Neill - Storyteller

You may recall back in July, we enjoyed a visit from Richard O'Neill, an author and storyteller who has a Romany heritage. 

We are delighted to let you know that we have been invited by Richard to help him write a new book! On Tuesday 26^th November, Richard and his illustrator, Michelle Russell, will be coming in to school to work with all of our children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. The children will contribute their ideas, which Richard will turn into a wonderful story. The children will also be helping Michelle with the illustrations too. The book will then be published later in the year. 

Something else to look forward to: In January we will be excited to invite Rebecca McWherter to our school. Rebecca is a teacher with a Romany heritage, who has worked with Richard and is currently working with the University of East Anglia to develop a Literacy toolkit for children with a Gypsy, Romany Traveller (GRT) heritage. She will be coming to school to work with children from all year groups, including all of our children who are GRT. She will be working around the campfire - or yog - in Forest School and the children will be helping her to create a book which will include facts as well as story. She will be bringing a designer with her to develop the illustrations and photographs. We would like to invite our parents of GRT children to come and join us for this event. Please look out for more information after Christmas. 

Year 3 - Wow Day 

This week our Year 3 children had a wonderful visit from Portals to the Past to talk to them about The Stone Age period. They all thoroughly enjoyed the visit and looking at the brilliant artefacts!   

Thank you to the PTA who funded this super experience.

                         

Dogs 

We have had some comments from parents about the number of dogs around the Long Lane Gate entrance in the mornings. When using the gate, please find a safe space to stand and be mindful of other children wanting to enter school. I know some of you already wait on the grass verge on the other side of the road. Please consider if this option could work for you - it is still possible to have a good view down the path to our gates!  We had a 'near-miss' incident here last week, and we want to ensure the safety of our children. Thank you for your support. 

Flu Vaccination

The Flu Vaccination Team are offering appointments at our community flu catch-up clinics on some Saturdays in late November and December for those children who missed their vaccination at school. Please see link for further details: Flu Vaccination Clinics

Norfolk & Waveney Autism and ADHD Support Service Newsletter 

See the link below to Norfolk & Waveney Autism and ADHD Support Service newsletter for November.  This month the newsletter is focusing on Anxiety with the aim of helping parents and carers to understand where it may spring from and how to support children and young people.  The newsletter also contains information about our courses, workshops and drop-ins in November - Newsletter

Reading Cafés:

Monday 11th November - Yr4 Reading Cafe 9am-10am 

Tuesday 12th November- Yr1 Reading Cafe 9am-10am

Wednesday 13th November - Yr3 Reading Cafe 9am-10am

Thursday 14th November - Yr5 Reading Cafe 9am-10am 

Friday 15th - November Yr2 Reading Cafe 2pm-3pm