Dear Parents and Carers,
It has been a busy couple of weeks with many things to share.
Harvest Festival Celebration
Thanks to everyone who donated food to the Harvest collection this year. The Hornsey and Holy Trinity Food Banks were extremely grateful for your contributions. You will have made a big difference to families in need, and given them some hope in what are tough times for many. It was fabulous seeing the whole school come together and having many of you there to celebrate the Harvest Festival with us. It certainly was a joyous occasion with wonderful singing.
Year 6’s Residential Trip to Pendarren, Wales
Last week seven members of staff joined all the children in Year 6 on their residential trip to Wales. Have you seen the photographs on the school website or Instagram page (@stmarysschooln8)? The children had amazing experiences climbing a mountain, at the beach, canoeing on a river and having many other adventures. This was a wonderful opportunity, so thank you to everyone who made it happen, the commitment of the staff team, the trust of our parents and the children that made it a memorable and fun experience.
Communication and Behaviour
It would be fantastic if we all managed to sail through life with only the ups and never experiencing the downs, however we know that this not the case. All of our children are unique and, like us, as they go through their school journey, are likely to have their ups and downs and come across challenges. We recognise that at these points, this can be upsetting and worrying for parents. Please be reminded that we are here to help resolve and navigate a way through these things.
Recently we have had a couple of incidents where parents have not followed the correct steps to resolve issues and have instead chosen to demonstrate behaviour towards members of the staff team such as shouting and aggression. I’m sure that you will agree that no one in a workplace should experience such behaviours. These incidents do not help resolve issues but rather complicate them, causing upset and distress. Please be reminded that the school and its Governing Board will not tolerate this type of behaviour. If you need clarification on how to raise an issue, please seek guidance in our Complaints Policy.
Headteachers School Development Coffee Morning
Thank you to all of the parents who joined me at last week’s coffee morning where I shared the successes and progress we have made towards last year’s school development priorities. At this meeting I also shared the priorities for this year and the reasons why these were chosen. It is great to know that parents are on the journey with us as we go from strength to strength!
Parent School Association (PSA) Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Thank you to the parents who attended the PSA AGM this week. After three years of leading the PSA as Chair, Montse Bofil is taking a break to concentrate on other things. We thank her for all her hard work and commitment during this time, although I know she will still be there to give a helping hand. There are many PSA members who play a pivotal role in planning, organising and running events however we are always looking for new members to help. If you would like to help raise funds to support enhancing children’s school experiences eg pantomimes, trips, leavers hoodies and workshops such as steel pans please register your interest at the school office at either Rectory Gardens or Church Lane and they will pass on your details. Have a look here to see the new committee that was voted in at the AGM and find out how to get involved PSA Committee
Kim Tarrier – Breakfast Club and After School Club Manager
Many of you will know Kim, affectionately known as Kimmy to many children and staff, for the wonderful work she does managing the day to day running of our wraparound care and support at lunch times. You will be saddened to know that Kimmy suffered a stroke two weeks ago, impacting significantly on her eyesight. As with many people, there is no way to predict whether she will make a full recovery, however we remain ever hopeful and send Kimmy love and strength as she adapts to her situation, but also as she works towards recovery and improved sight. We will keep you updated on her progress.
Wishing you a lovely weekend,
Jane O’Brien
Headteacher
