Dear Parents,
The appearance of the sun has been very much welcome this week; allowing us to utilise the school grounds to their maximum. KS1 children have now begun their swimming lessons, and it is wonderful to see the use of the pool throughout a full academic year with no interruptions. Just looking ahead to the diary for next week, it is great to see so much going on - with trips and sports events.
Please note the parent engagement events below, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming you to these. Please also contribute to the survey which is in the attached letter.
Thank you to those members of the PSA who helped organised the quiz last Friday. A great community event and an impressive amount raised for the school.
COVID
Unfortunately we had four positive staff cases in 12 hours this week - which involved three class teachers and Mrs O'Brien. All classes have been informed, if your class teacher has tested positive.
A reminder please on the school's position on self-isolating. Although it is no longer a legal requirement to do so, we are following the guidance which states that only after day 5 and two negative tests can self-isolation finish. We need parents to abide by this with your children, in order to keep infection rates as low as possible and not have to re-bubble specific classes.
Parent/child/staff feedback
There will be a separate email and letter sent regarding a range of items we would like some feedback on before proceeding with them further ahead of September or making a decision on whether we proceed. There are opportunities for children/parents and staff to contribute to the future of the school with some exciting initiatives. The survey will be open until at least the end of this term, and we will give you reminders in future newsletters. You will see that for at least two of the points, we encourage the children to give ideas. We will talk about the first two items at school to the children.
Parent engagement events this term
We have arranged some events for this term in order to re-engage parents within the school. We look forward to publishing a whole range of assemblies, coffee mornings and numerous other elements for the summer term.
Music singing concert dates - where possible these will happen outside.
For the 2.45pm concerts, you may take your child home afterwards.
Reception - Friday 25th March at 9am.
Year 1 and 2 - 9.15 - Wednesday 30th March
Year 5 and 6 - 2.45 - Wednesday 30th March
Year 3 and 4 - 2.45 - Thursday 31st March
KS2 Cross-Country
Thursday 24th March at Sheen Common. Children can come to school dressed in their PE kits for the day, wearing their team colours.
Please note the cross-country is weather dependent.
Y3/4 will run 500 metres (1 lap)
Y 5/6 will run 1000 metres (2 laps)
Although the intention is for everyone to go out and enjoy some exercise as a key stage, there will be separate races with separate year group races and separate boys/girls races in the year groups. Therefore, there will be a colour team element to it. Parents are welcome to come and watch - but please keep away from the children and the races. All children will be collected in the usual way back at school.
Approximate timings:
Year 4: 1.50 - 2.10
Year 3: 2.10 - 2.30
Year 5: 2.30 - 2.55
Year 6. 2.55 - 3.20
Looking at your children's work
Parents are welcome to come in and look at their children's work after school on one of two days.
Please note this opportunity is from after school until 4.30pm. The class teachers may be working in the classroom, but it is not an opportunity to have in depth discussion about your children's work. Please follow the usual channels if you wish to speak to your class teachers.
In order to keep the numbers manageable, please see the times below
Surnames A-K on Thursday 24th March
Surnames L-Z on Friday 25th March.
Red nose day
It is red nose day on Friday 18th March. We appreciate we have just had a dressing up day with World book day, so children can wear something red (this could just be one item) or come dressed as their 'superhero'. Please see the wording below, as the dressing up is not just Superman/Wonder woman for a 'super hero'.
Join schools across the UK in a dressing-up day to remember – whether it’s as Superman, Wonder Woman, a superhero of your own creation, or a local hero in your community.
The link to donate is here: www.justgiving.com/Sheen-Mount-Primary-School8
Smart watches
This very much applies to older children, but could they please not wear 'smart' watches to school. Those with the ability to take photos and are connected to the Internet are not appropriate within primary school. 'Fit bits' that just count steps and have none of the features outlined above are allowed.
Communication
A reminder, I am more than happy to speak to parents at drop off and pick up, or you can contact me directly at:
headteacher@sheenmount.richmond.sch.uk
PSA Corner
A brief but important update from the PSA this week, as we are calling for any and all hands tomorrow for help with the school grounds clean-up. We can use as little or as much help and time as you can provide. More details below, but a hardy crew will be at the school from 9am to 2pm tomorrow, doing our best to get the school looking its best!
Looking backwards briefly, thanks to all those who attended last week’s Quiz Night… a good time was definitely had by all and over £2k was raised!
Looking forward, the PSA meeting will be next Wednesday evening, 16 March, at the school at 730pm. Come one, come all… it's Mr. Holmes’ first meeting as Headteacher of Sheen Mount.
School ground clean-up / gardening 12 March:
Thanks again to all who have already put their hands up to join us tomorrow (including Mr. Holmes) to clean up the school grounds… we have also had a generous contribution of time from parent and owner of local contracting firm Creative Developments, Neal Ibbett, who is going to be working to fix the walls/benches around the office courtyard… and another huge thank you to those who already joined in this past Tuesday and kicked off the clean-up, by working on the main entranceway and office courtyard. The fence is sparkling, the main flower bed is ready for planting… let’s see what else we can get done tomorrow!
Regardless of whether you have signed up via Classlist, indicated interest, or not, please come tomorrow if you (and your children) have time to help. The more, the merrier!!
A few key details:
- 9am-2pm, West Temple Sheen entrance
- Please bring any gardening and cleaning tools you may have, as we need loaned equipment... gloves, spades, gardening forks, pruning scissors, brooms, dustpans, wheelbarrows, buckets, big sponges, old cleaning rags, fairy liquid, window cleaner, garden sacks/bin bags... please label any tools so that items can find their way back to you.
Sheen Mount Easter Hunt
We've created an Easter Hunt for the children to complete during the Easter holidays with a smile.
How it works:
You purchase clues from the PSA via Classlist and pick up the clues from the team at school drop off between 28th March to the 1st April, the last week of term. Hard copies of the clues will also be available to purchase as well as pre-packaged bags of chocolate eggs.
Once you've found all the clues and completed the answers, we ask that you email the PSA sheenmountschoolpsa2021@gmail.com by 20th April with your child's name, class and answer sheet and the winners (one from each version of the Easter Hunt) wins a chocolatey prize.
100 Club – congrats to William Bryant, this month’s winner: To be the next
£100 winner, email sm100club@gmail.com to sign-up ahead of the April drawing.
One of our Y6 celebration book nominees span the wheel for us this morning in celebration assembly.
As always, if you have any general PSA-related questions or want to get involved, please contact us via email (smpsachair@gmail.com) or through the class reps. eEnjoy your weekend.
Have a good weekend
Tom Holmes - Headteacher
Maria O'Brien - Deputy Headteacher
