Dear Parents and Carers,
I trust all is well with everyone and that you all enjoyed the beautiful weather that blessed us last weekend. We are approaching the summer half term break very quickly and have many things to share with you. In particular, please take note of the upcoming events.
SATs Tests
This week our Year 6 children took their SATs tests, tests that are completed by every Year 6 child across the country. The children are tested in spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPAG), reading and maths. They showed great concentration, resilience and maturity not only during this week of tests but also in the preparation that came beforehand. I am very proud of them and know they have all done their best. Although very important, we must remember that the tests do not define who the children will become. We have some super talented children in Year 6 but it may be that their talents lie in science, music, sport or a different area of the curriculum.
I also want to say well done to our Year 2 children who also did SATs tests this week. They are not statutory; however, they are used to inform teachers assessments at the end of Year 2.
When I Grow Up Day – Tuesday 21st May
Thank you to all of the amazing volunteers (parents, family members and community) who will be visiting school on Tuesday to talk about their jobs and inspire children across the school. We want to open our children’s eyes to the many possibilities that are available to them as they look forward into the future, enabling them to flourish into effective global citizens.
International Evening – a celebration of our similarities and differences Tuesday 21st May at 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Have you got your ticket for next week’s international evening? Tickets are FREE and can be accessed with the QR code below. We will be celebrating the huge range of cultural diversity in our school community with performances from children and some adults too. We are also looking forward to sampling a wide range of food from families in the school, who want to share food and dishes from their home countries. To make this a success we need you to bring a dish from home. Please let Sally know if you will be bringing some food. It should be a fantastic evening and I do hope that you can come along and enjoy the fun.
Walk to School Week 20th to 24th May
Last year, a record number of over 350,000 pupils across the UK took part in Walk to School Week! Join this growing movement of children walking to school and help make 2024 the biggest year yet. Through this challenge, children will be well on their way to reaching their recommended 60 minutes minimum of physical activity per day before even reaching the school gates! Will you be taking your scooter, walking or cycling to school?
Music at St Mary’s
If you have ever attended an event at St Mary’s you will have heard the wonderful singing and musical performances, coordinated by our specialist music teacher Ms Peacock. As well as supporting children to become more musical, have an appreciation of music and be creative, other notable benefits from research include improving concentration, phonemic awareness, literacy, memory and academic achievement. For all of these reasons we prioritise music at our school and have a fabulous offer for our children as they move through the school which includes Choir Club, Ukulele Club, violins, Drumming Club and lessons, recorders, Band, trumpets and trombones and individual private lessons e.g. piano as well as the weekly class musical lessons and performances. We are fortunate to have these opportunities and continue to enjoy the sounds of success across the school.
Class Assemblies
Are you a parent with a child in Emerald class? We look forward to seeing you at their class assembly this week on Thursday just after 9.00am.
Fund raising for Christian Aid Week
Thank you to everyone who got their children dressed in red and donated £1. As a school we raised a fabulous £230 that will help families escape poverty and fulfil their ambitions.
Wishing you all a great weekend,
Jane O’Brien
Headteacher
