Newsletters

Dear Parents,

Thursday morning is a wonderful time to walk around before school and see huge amounts of children engaging in a range of sports from netball, lacrosse and football. After school today, the club offer ranges from chess to choir to Spanish to Technokids and running club. 

Two parent engagement events have seen a high turnout in the last week. The online secondary transfer meeting had over 80 participants and more than 40 people attended the PSA meeting on Monday evening. We very much look forward to working with the PSA to maximise the opportunities for the children during this coming year.

We are also looking forward to continuing to offer parent presentations throughout the year. These will be a mixture of online and in person meetings, depending on the nature of the presentation.

The first one of these will take place on Thursday 18th October at 7.00pm and will be my 'Headteacher's Vision' presentation.  As well as explaining our upcoming priorities this academic year, there will be an opportunity to share our very strong school results from the 2021-22 academic year. As always, there will be an opportunity to ask questions and the slides will be sent out to all. We will send the meeting link in a separate email via Arbor. 

Mental Health and SEN coffee mornings

Every half-term a member of the 'Mental Health Support Team' will come into school to run a session on varying content. First one is an introductory session to  explain what the team does. The first session is Tuesday 11th October from 9-10.30am. Please email the office if you wish to attend. 

SEN Coffee Morning

If your child is on the Special Educational Needs (SEN) register we would like to invite you to a coffee morning on Friday 14^th October 2022 from 9.00 – 10.00 in the Teaching Kitchen. If you would like to attend please email the office so that we have an idea of numbers. Remember to sign in before making your way to the Teaching Kitchen. This first meeting will be an opportunity to talk to each other and discuss what you would find most helpful in future sessions. I am aiming to hold a SEN Coffee Morning each half-term. Mrs Jeffery (Inclusion Leader)

School events

Workshops and school trips have begun across the school. I was fortunate enough to join Year 6 on their trip to a local air raid shelter at St Leonards Court, Sheen. It was excellent to make use of a local resource that has limited public visits. 

Y5 & Y6 also experienced the 'Science dome' at school, allowing them to further their understanding of space. 

Congratulations

We have been sent this lovely photo of Rory by Mrs Bakrania-Ashton and her husband. Rory was born on 31st August, weighing 6lbs 9oz, and is doing really well. We look forward to meeting him in the very near future. 

Congratulations as well to Mrs Nesbitt and her husband on the birth of Ollie in July. Mrs Nesbitt was able to come in at the end of term to see her class and the school. 

Enrichment opportunities

We are committed to enriching the children's learning as much as possible, whether this is through opportunities within school or outside. Please see two such opportunities below that you may wish to involve your children in. 

Lacrosse - Our Year 4s are now having coaching from Richmond Lacrosse. They have places available for their weekend coaching sessions. The flyer is attached to the email. 

Barnes has a children's book club with various opportunities to discuss books with their author. 

https://www.barneskidslitfest.org/litsoc/

Homework - 'Enhanced Learning'

We have identified an area we want to enhance with our homework provision. Each week their will be an 'Enhanced Learning' piece of work or question. In EYFS/KS1 these may well take the form of 'talking homework'- with something for you to discuss with your children. This part of the homework will be very much optional but will give the children an opportunity to further develop their learning skills and deepen their understanding. It will be connected to the curriculum and recent learning and will start after half-term.

Before school clubs

With the weather turning, please wear moulded shoes/studs if doing clubs that are on the field. Those participating in football club should also have shin pads. 

School run club prices

I have had a review of the payment for 'school run' clubs. From January 2023, we will reduce to this charge to £5 a session. I am keen for events such as choir, running and the various clubs that Mr March runs to be accessed by as many children as possible. This price will hopefully ensure all that wish to take part will be able to. As well as allowing children to take part in numerous clubs during the school week. These clubs are free to all Pupil Premium children and we encourage you to contact the school if you wish to access a place.  

Project Outdoors

You will be aware of a letter I sent towards the end of the summer term proposing how we want to maximise how we use our extensive grounds. Two main areas we are looking to develop are the field itself and a purposeful woodland trail that can be used for forest school and other curriculum areas. The proposal is to have Astroturf on the main part of the field-the 'coned area' you can commonly see now. 

Substantial fundraising needs to be undertaken in order for this to occur and we look forward to working with the children, families and the whole community in raising these funds.  More details will be provided, when they are confirmed. 

Use of scooters and bikes on West Temple Sheen access and along the blue gates 

Please do not cycle or scoot through the school grounds. Various parents have mentioned how dangerous it can be, particularly with children who have gone ahead of their parents. Please make sure your children only get on their bikes or scooters once they are outside the school grounds.

Attendance

We have not returned to our normal pre-Covid whole school attendance percentage of 97%. We are currently at 96%. Can I therefore remind you of the importance of your child being in school as much as possible. There will inevitably be absence through sickness, however any other absence should be kept to a minimum with no holidays booked during school term time dates. 

The punctuality in the mornings is generally very good. Hopefully the gates being opening at 8.35am and the classroom doors at 8.45am, before being closed at 8.55am, means everyone can arrive on time. 

Parents evening dates

The appointments for these will be released on Tuesday 18th October.

Monday 7th November - online

Wednesday 9th November - in person

Thursday 10th November - a mix between the two

Key dates

We are currently updating the calendar so all the prominent school events are visible on there. It is accessible towards the bottom of the home page of the Sheen Mount website. 

Please see the list for class assemblies for the academic year.  All starting at 9.10am. There are only two before Christmas (Otters and Moles) and then we have the various end of term Christmas celebration concerts. Parents will be able to enter the hall at 8.55am. We will send reminders through the year to the relevant classes. 

A reminder, the reception and key stage 1 classes have individual class assemblies. Year 3, 4 & 5 have year group assemblies and Year 6 have an end of year production.

End of term Christmas events-for parents to attend

Y2 Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th December-Christmas show. 9.30am (you will have a choice of day to sign up for)

Y1 Wednesday 14th December Christmas concert. 9.15am

Reception Thursday 15th December. Christmas concert. 9.15am

Y3 & Y4 Thursday 15th December. Christmas celebration. Christ Church 1.45pm

Y5 & Y6 Thursday 15th December Christmas celebration. Christ Church 7.15pm. 

Polio

Please see the attached information around the vaccinations

Jeans for Genes

Thank you to all those who contributed to the Jeans for Genes day on Friday 23rd September.  We have raised just over £2,000, if anyone would still like to contribute, the link is here- https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sheen-mount-primary-school9

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

Have a good weekend

Tom Holmes - Headteacher

Maria O'Brien - Deputy Headteacher