9th May 2022
Dear Parents/Carers,
Thank you to everyone who supported our school Mass yesterday. It was lovely to see so many families there and so many children taking part - those who welcomed and gave out hymn books, readers, servers, those who helped with the offertory and collection and of course our wonderful choir. Thank you to you all.
Coffee Morning
Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our latest coffee morning. If you haven’t manage to come yet, it is a great opportunity to meet other parents/carers and have a chat over a cup of coffee and a biscuit. The next coffee morning is Tuesday 7th June.
Nethercott Farm Trip
If your child is going to Nethercott Farm in June, please ensure that you are up to date with payments. We will also be sending out a medical form in the next few weeks so please look out for this.
School Streets
You should have received the latest School Street Special by now. It contains more information on our forthcoming School Streets trial. The trial begins on Monday 16th May and involves Cottage View being closed to all but essential, residential traffic. Barriers will close the road every day from 8.30-9am and 3-3.40pm for 7 weeks.
If you would be interested in volunteering as a steward to set up the barriers and keep everyone safe, please do let the office know. There is virtual training for stewards on Wednesday 11th May at 6.30pm and face-to-face training on Friday 13th May at 2pm in school.
Statutory Assessment Tests
This half term the following year groups will be undergoing national statutory assessment tests.
Year 1: Phonics Screening
Year 2: Assessments in Reading, Writing and Maths. Children who did not pass the phonics screening in the autumn will also be re-screened
Year 4: Multiplication tests
Year 6: Assessments in Reading, writing, maths and SPAG (spelling, punctuation and grammar)
Year 6 SATs
This week, please pray for our Year 6 children who will be taking their SATs tests.
Monday: Grammar test and Spelling test
Tuesday: Reading test
Wednesday: Maths tests, paper 1 and paper 2
Thursday: Maths test, paper 3
These tests are important and give children an opportunity to demonstrate just how far they have come and how resilient they have been over the last few years. However, it is just one small part of who they are so if you have the opportunity to speak to one of our Year 6 children this week, please remember to wish them luck but also remind them of all of their great qualities; their gifts, talents, smiles and kindness.
Class Masses and Liturgies
You are warmly invited to your child’s class Mass/Liturgy. Please see the dates and times below:
Reception – Wed 6th July (with Year 6 buddies) 9.30am Cathedral
Year 1 – Wed 15th June 9.30am Cathedral
Year 2 – Wed 22nd June 9.30am Cathedral
Year 3 – Wed 29th June 9.15am School Hall
Year 4 – Wed 18th May 9.30am Cathedral
Year 5 – Thurs 26th May 9.15am School Hall
Year 6 – Wed 6th July (with Year 6 buddies) 9.30am Cathedral
School Uniform
Please be aware that we are moving to an online uniform shop and once our current stock has sold, we will no longer be selling school uniform from the office. We still have a limited amount of uniform that can be purchased via the office, otherwise uniform can be bought directly from Brigade (www.brigade.uk.com). There are 2 St John’s sections on the Brigae website, one for nursery uniform and one for school uniform. Anything purchased online before 15th June can be delivered free of charge to collect from school but then it switches to home delivery until 3rd September. We will be sending a leaflet out in children’s book bags.
Before and After School Club
Thank you to all those who completed the survey on wrap-around-care. Results indicate that there is a need for us to provide this service and so we are currently looking at the options.
INSET Days
Please note the following INSET days when school will be closed for staff training:
Monday 4th July 2022
Friday 22nd July 2022
Next Academic Year
Please see the dates below for the next academic year. There are 5 INSET dates to be confirmed.
Autumn 1: Thursday 1st Sept – Fri 21st Oct
Half Term: Monday 24th Oct – Fri 28th Oct
Autumn 2: Mon 31st Oct – Fri 16th Dec
Christmas Holidays: Mon 19th Dec – Mon 2nd Jan
Spring 1: Tues 3rd Jan – Fri 10th Feb
Half Term: Mon 13th Feb – Fri 17th Feb
Spring 2: Mon 20th Feb – Fri 31st Mar
Easter Holidays: Mon 3rd Apr – Fri 14th Apr
Summer 1: Mon 17th Apr – Fri 26th May
Half Term: Mon 29th May – Fri 2nd Jun
Summer 2: Mon 5th Jun – Fri 21st July
Yours sincerely,
L. Park
Head Teacher
DIARY DATES
May
Monday 9th Start of Year 6 SATs Week
Friday 27th 3.30pm Break Up For Half-Term
June
Monday 6th Back to School
Celebration of Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
Monday 13th Scooterbility Training Years 1,2 and 3
Monday 27th Nethercott Farm Trip
July
Monday 4th INSET Day
Thursday 14th Year 6 Show
Friday 15th Reports Out
Monday 18th EYFS and KS 1 Sports day
Tuesday 19th KS 2 Sports Day
Thursday 21st 1.30pm End of Term for Children
Academic Year 2022-2023
September
Thursday 1st Start of Term
October
Friday 21st Break Up: Half Term
Monday 31st Back to School
November
December
Friday 16th Break Up: Christmas
January
Monday 3rd Back to School
February
Friday 10th Break Up: Half Term
Monday 20th Back to School
March
Friday 31st Break Up: Easter
April
Monday 17th Back to School
May
Friday 26th Break Up: Half Term
June
Monday 5th Back to School
July
Friday 21st Break Up: Summer Holidays
8th April 2022
Dear Parents/Carers,
Thank you for all your support, kind words and smiles this term. As we go in to the Easter break, I thought that it would be useful to share some updates with you.
Staffing
After the Easter break, we are very excited to be welcoming Miss Fripp to our school. She will be teaching in Year 5 following a few days handover from Mrs Munns and Mrs Warren. I am sure that you will make her very welcome to St John’s.
Summer Uniform
After Easter, we start the summer term and so children are able to wear summer uniform. Please be mindful that it can still be a bit chilly so ensure that they still bring a warm, waterproof coat to school.
Summer uniform:
Yellow and white checked school summer dress with white socks
Grey school shorts with white polo shirt and grey or white socks
School jumper or cardigan
Black school shoes/plain black trainers/black or white sandals
Coffee Morning
It was lovely to see so many parents at our first coffee morning. Do remember that we are now holding these on the first Tuesday of every month from 8.45-9.30am and everyone is invited for a coffee and a chat.
Lenten Charity
Thank you to all those who donated money to our collection for the people of Ukraine. The School Council will be counting the money after Easter and sending it off to CAFOD. We will let you know how much we collected. It really will make a big difference to those affected by war and violence in Ukraine. Thank you.
Holiday Vouchers
Vouchers for children entitled to benefits related free school meals will be issued for the Easter holiday. These vouchers have been funded by the Department for Work and Pension's Household Support Fund. Funding is ending, so this is the last school holiday that vouchers will be provided under this scheme. The voucher value will be £50 per eligible child.
Parents Evenings
Over the last few days, you should have been invited to sign up for a meeting with your child’s teacher. These will be held in school and an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress, attainment, attitude to learning and other issues that you or the teacher feel are relevant.
Stations of the Cross
Children from St John’s will be leading the children’s Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at the Cathedral at 10am. Please come along if you are able to.
Living Eggs
We are very excited to be welcoming our living eggs after Easter as part of our work on new life. They will be set up in an incubator in the front entrance and we will have the opportunity to watch them hatch and grow over the following 2 weeks.
Year 6 Trip
The Year 6 trip has been rescheduled for Thursday 26th May.
School Streets
The next step in our School Streets project is to recruit volunteers to monitor the barriers at the beginning and end of the day. To allow volunteers to be free for this role, I will arrange for their children to be looked after in school whilst they are at the barriers. If you would be interested in volunteering for this role, please do let the office know.
Children in Years 1-6 should have brought home a competition entry today. They are invited to design a banner to explain the positive benefits of having a school street – a road closure outside the school to reduce traffic as children are dropped and collected from school. Please encourage them to take part and return their design after the Easter break.
Red Nose Day
Thank you to all those who donated to our Red Nose Day collection. We raised a total of £150 which will make a big difference to those supported by the charity.
School Mass
Thank you to all those who supported our school Mass on Sunday. Our next school Mass is not on the first Sunday in May but on 8th May instead.
INSET Days
Please note the following INSET days when school will be closed for staff training:
Monday 4th July 2022
Friday 22nd July 2022
Have a happy, holy and peaceful Easter.
Yours sincerely,
L. Park
Head Teacher
DIARY DATES
April
Friday 8th 1.15pm End of Term
Monday 25th Back to School
May
Monday 2nd Bank Holiday – School Closed
Tuesday 3rd Additional Bank Holiday – School Closed
Wednesday 4th Parents Evening
Thursday 5th Parents Evening
Friday 6th Parents Evening
Monday 9th Start of Year 6 SATs Week
Friday 27th 3.30pm Break Up For Half-Term
June
Monday 6th Back to School
Celebration of Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
Monday 13th Scooterbility Training Years 1,2 and 3
Monday 27th Nethercott Farm Trip
July
Monday 4th INSET Day
Thursday 14th Year 6 Show
Friday 15th Reports Out
Monday 18th EYFS and KS 1 Sports day
Tuesday 19th KS 2 Sports Day
Thursday 21st 1.30pm End of Term for Children
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