May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
A Message From The Head
We are cautiously returning to our new normal school life. Last half term we organised swimming for the Year 4 and 5 children. The children were assessed by the tutors during the initial lesson, and will now be placed in ability groups for subsequent lessons. This is not managed by the teachers, but by staff from the New Malden Leisure Centre. We have incurred the additional cost of transport to the Centre, and we are not given a separate budget for this. Thank you to all the parents who voluntarily contributed towards the cost of hiring the weekly coach to and from the Leisure Centre. Feedback from the children indicated they all enjoyed this first session, and they are looking forward to the reopening of the Centre after the repairs, so they can begin to develop swimming skills.
As we explore the Christian value ‘Trust’ this week, we have been thinking about the kind of person we want to be such as being reliable and trustworthy. These are highly valuable character traits to help develop the whole child. Our incumbent Vicar, Lindiwe Maseko, led her first collective worship in the hall this week. It was lovely for us all to meet as one whole school family.
In Year 5, seven children were selected to perform at a dinner of Livery Companies with the National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) at the Clothworker's Hall in London. They performed a 10-minute excerpt of 'The Ragged Child' Theatre production. The guests were highly impressed with the quality of the performance. Well done to all the children that represented St John’s, and thank you to the staff and parents that accompanied them.
As part of the celebration of World Book Day, our every supportive PSA organised a book swap for the children across the school. Children were encouraged to donate books which were then sorted into age categories. The children throughout the day visited our Library to choose a different book to enjoy at home. Thank you to the mums who spent the day organising this event, and ensuring all children took a book home. We also dressed up as book characters.
Unicef Rights Respecting School
As a Rights Respecting school, our children regularly learn about their rights and the responsibilities that are implied. This month we are focussing on Article 38: Governments must do everything they can to protect and care for children affected by war.
The rights within the UN Convention are indivisible – a child should have all of their rights, all the time. Year 3 have been looking at The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and identified how many rights are affected when a child ‘s life is disrupted by armed conflict or war. Year 3 designed some powerful posters to promote peace. Imo said: ‘If there was peace all over the world, all children would be safe from war and they would all have their rights.’ If there was ever a time when knowing your rights were so important, this is that time!
At St John’s, we respect and value the fundamental British values of democracy and ensure the views and opinions of our pupils are expressed. Last week our School Council met as they were determined to do something for the people of Ukraine. After deliberating, they decided they wanted to hold a St John's Spare a Thought Day on Friday 4th March and ask for donations. We all dressed up for mufti, brought in much needed items for the British Ukraine Aid Appeal and raised a phenomenal amount towards this charity. So far St John’s raised over £2,200 to support the refugees fleeing their country, and donated over 4 car loads of essential items. Thank you all for your amazing generosity!
Chickens!
The chickens are here! At the start of the week we had ten eggs and now we have ten chicks, all of them successfully hatched. The chickens will be cared for by staff and once old enough will be introduced to their new coop in Forest School. It has been a great opportunity for the children to see the life cycle begin and they will be able to follow them right the way through and see them lay eggs themselves.
Girls Football
A team of our Year 6 girls attended a football tournament run by Chelsea Football Club this week. It was a great afternoon of competition and fun where our girls were recognised for being ambitious, inspiring, connected and fair. Well done to all of you! Six girls from Year 1 had the opportunity to represent St John’s for their first time by attending a football festival. Out of four games, we won three and drew one. Super performance from all of you-well done! All the girls are looking forward to their next opportunity.
PSHE Lessons
In Year 5 and 6, the pupils had the last session of their RHSE/PSHE talks on the changes that occur during puberty and a session on sex and relationships. The pupils came up with brilliant questions for Q&A and thoroughly enjoyed the talks. Parents be advised, your child may want to discuss further details of the talks - please be open to discussions with your child. Pupils are aware of the different places to seek further help and advice should they wish to discuss any concerns or ask further questions.
Parents Evening
Monday 21st March and Thursday 24th March 3:30 - 6pm ( Year 2 - Monday 21st March and Wednesday 23rd March)
We are looking forward to our first face-to-face Parents’ Evening since the Pandemic. Please do try to book an appointment to see your child’s teacher. For some parents, who may find attending this difficult, please do let the office know and we will organise a phone consultation instead.
Red Nose Day 2022
We will be celebrating Red Nose Day 2022 on Friday 18th March 2022. We would like to celebrate this day by encouraging all children to attend school this day dressed in red, and with red noses of course! This could be a red t-shirt/ jumper or a completely red outfit from head to toe! Please be advised that PE will still be going ahead on this day for all classes that usually have PE. Please could you ensure your child is dressed appropriately for PE should they have PE.
Virtual Anxiety workshop 22nd March at 1.30pm – 3pm
We have organised a virtual workshop with our Mental Health Practitioner, Maeve Page to support our children and families who are showing signs of anxieties. This may be separating from parents, anxiety about school, or anxieties that do not seem to have a trigger. Following lockdown, many children are displaying signs of anxiety. The aim of this workshop is to help you identify anxious behaviours, think about what maintains these and provide you with some ideas on what you can do to help your child overcome these challenges. If you have any questions about this, please contact Mrs Hutchinson (SENCo) through the school office. Please email the office if you are interested so we can ensure joining details are sent to you.
COVID-19 Vaccination for at risk 5 - 11 year olds
Children aged 5 to 11 years who are in a clinical risk group or who live with someone who is immunosuppressed can get the COVID-19 vaccine, in line with advice set out by the Joint Commitee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Further information is available in the guide for parents of children aged 5 to 11 years published by the UKHSA.
Scooters & Bicycles
As the weather is improving children may use these as a mode of transport to school. Children in KS2 will be allowed to cycle in, aside from families in KS1 who have previously sought permission due to their home distance. Helmets must be worn. Scooter/Bikes should not be left in school overnight.
Note on Head lice
It has come to our attention that we have had some cases of head lice within the school. Please could we ask you to check your family for head lice immediately, and additionally to treat as appropriate. For further advice regarding headlice, please see click here to be directed to the NHS information page for head lice.
Clerk Vacancy
St John’s School governors are looking for a new clerk to organise and support their regular meetings and termly requirements. This is a part-time post for someone who can work flexibly, has good communication and appropriate IT skills and who is willing to undertake some relevant training. Meetings are held in the evenings at the school, but the timing of subsequent report-writing and other communications is self-managed. The person appointed would be working in liaison with the Head teacher and Chair of governors to ensure the smooth running of the Governing Body and its duties. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who would like to work mainly from home. Competitive rates of pay. For more information please contact: Lynn Charlton, Chair of governors lcharlton9.314@lgflmail.org
Dates for your Diary
Friday 18th March: Red Nose Day
Mon 21st March: Parents' Evening (3:30pm - 6pm)
Weds 23rd March: Parent's Evening Year 2 only (3:30pm - 6pm)
Thurs 24th March: Parents' Evening (3:30 – 6pm)
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