Dear Parents and Caregivers
As I write this newsletter at the start of the week, the sun is shining and it seems like a world of possibilities is opening up to us. This evening, we have our first face-to-face Governor meeting in over a year and a half. There is a sense that things are getting better!
We must not rush, though, and get careless! The school protocols put in place at the start of the pandemic, adapted and amended along the way, are still in place. We are still being asked to protect the integrity of the bubble. You are still expected to book PCR tests for any member of the family displaying symptoms and to self-isolate whilst you wait for the results. The LFTs are important for helping to reduce transmission. They are not suitable for children or for anyone displaying covid symptoms. Thank you for your support in this.
Now that life is returning to some normality, we will also be encouraging the children to stick to the uniform code as much as possible. The warmer weather is coming so additional layers will not be necessary. Children should now be wearing black shoes, not trainers. We do appreciate that the end of the school year isn’t the best time to be buying new uniform so some flexibility will still be given where needed. All we ask is that all involved try to meet the school’s expectations as best as they can.
Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.
With very best wishes,
Tracy and Mike
SYCAMORE class have non uniform tomorrow (Friday 21st May)
Website posts you may have missed:
News items and updates
Attendance at Elmhurst – w/c 10th May 2021
Whole school – 96.8%
Year 3 – 96.7%
Year 4 – 99.2%
Year 5 – 98.7%
Year 6 – 92.3%
Holly & Sycamore have 100% attendance. Great job!
Reading at Elmhurst
We expect all children to read at least four times a week to an adult.
Congratulations to Rowan and Oak class who achieved 100% in their reading target last week. It is so lovely to see the year three classes reaching the target as well. Well done. Who will join them next week?
Please support your child by reading with them at home.
Number day at Elmhurst – Friday 14th March
“Why was 6 afraid of 7?”
“Because 7 8 9”
This was one of many number jokes that were going around on Friday morning. It was well and truly a morning of fun maths activities across the school. The children took part in a range of problem-solving tasks, games, memory games, and even number poetry!
There were some ingenious number costumes too, which were great.
We raised an amazing total of £340 for the NSPCC, so a big thank you for making such a great effort.
Here are a few pictures from the morning:
Bikeability
Thank you to Melissa Whitely for helping out again this week with the bikeability. The children, and adults, did it despite the awful weather! The children had a great couple of days and learnt vital skills.
Unfortunately, though, we are also receiving complainst about children who are riding carelessly. These are not the children who have completed the bikeability training. We will be contacting parents.
Road safety
Linked to bikeability, we have also, yet again, received concerns from members of the public and from the school community about children walking to and from school.
There were two reported incidents on Monday morning involving children in year 5 and when I returned to school on Monday afternoon, just as the year 6 classes were leaving. I was utterly horrified by the apparent lack of road sense from some of the children. They were running across the road in between cars, pushing each other into the road, and much more. There was also a reported incident on Tuesday. We have spoken with the individuals involved but I fear that it make take a really horrendous incident to make them see the value behind our warnings! Something that none of us would wish for.
PLEASE talk to your children daily about road safety. If you have concerns about their ability to listen, please make other arrangements for them to be supervised whilst walking to and from school.
These sites may be of help:
https://www.rospa.com/media/documents/road-safety/teaching-road-safety-a-guide-for-parents.pdf
FSM vouchers over half term
Families in receipt of FSM will receive a £15 voucher for the half term. This will be the same as in previous holidays and will be available to spend in Aldi. The system will be exactly the same as before but the company name has changed. The vouchers will now come from evouchers. We hope to send the vouchers out early next week.
Unfortunately, we are not, this time around, able to provide PP children who do not qualitfy for FSM with a voucher as well.
PSHE/RSE – Summer term 2
As a part of your child’s education at Elmhurst Junior School, we promote personal wellbeing and development through a comprehensive Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education programme. PSHE education is the curriculum subject that gives children the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and practical skills to live safe, healthy, productive lives and meet their full potential.
During the second summer term (commencing 7/6/21), your child’s class will be taking part in lessons which will focus on the Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) aspect of this programme. Lessons topics for your child’s group are outlined below:
Year 3 – It’s My Body – This unit explores the choices children can make about looking after their bodies. The lessons look at making safer choices about their bodies, sleep and exercise, diet, cleanliness and substances. Children will learn facts about each of these areas and learn strategies on how to manage them. The message of choice and consent runs through the unit and children are encouraged to get help from trusted adults when necessary.
Year 4 – Growing Up – This unit builds on children’s knowledge of the human body; how we grow and change, both physically and emotionally through puberty. Children will learn about their own and others’ bodies and how male and female bodies change (including menstruation) and play a part in human reproduction. They will also learn about different relationships and family structures.
Year 5 – It’s My Body – In this unit of work, children will learn about how to take care of their bodies. This will involve learning about consent and autonomy, learning about body image and stereotypes and learning about substances which are harmful to our bodies. Children will also learn about the importance of sleep, exercise and hygiene. Lessons will explore the things that influence the way people think about their bodies, where different pressures can come from and how these pressures can be resisted. Children will also learn about their own and others’ bodies and how male and female bodies change during puberty (including menstruation).
Year 6 – Growing Up – This topic builds on children’s knowledge of how we grow and change, both physically and emotionally through puberty, and the types of relationships that people have. Children will learn about sexual relationships and sexually transmitted diseases. They will also learn about positive body images and stereotypes.
PSHE and RSE is taught throughout the school in every year group and is monitored and reviewed regularly by the staff and governing body. All PSHE takes place in a safe learning environment and is underpinned by Elmhurst Etiquette: ready, respectful and safe.
The new government guidance that came into effect in September 2020, stipulates that in KS2:
- Parents and carers will not be able to withdraw their children from any aspect of Relationships Education or Health Education.
- Parents will be able to withdraw their children from any aspects of Sex Education other than those which are part of the science curriculum.
For further information, please visit the school’s website to read our RSE policy. If you have any specific questions, please contact your child’s class teacher or myself via the email address provided below. If you wish to withdraw your child from any aspect of Sex Education, please contact the headteachers directly.
Miss House
PSHE subject lead
End of year class photos
We are delighted to announce that we will be working with Fran Buxton to provide families with the opportunity to purchase a class photo – something to remember this strange year by! More details will follow after half term.
The dates booked in are Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th June. The photos will be taken outside so are weather dependent – we have booked in the following Monday and Tuesday as well – just in case. The photos will be available to order through Frannie’s website. We will share details on how to do this later.
Individual and/ or sibling photos will need to be booked with Frannie directly and will take place in her studio.
Lost property
Do you recognise any of these items? Harder with the jumpers!
Half-term activities – something for the fridge door!
And finally...
Congratulations:
A little while ago, we told you about Jasmine’s fundraising for the Little Princess Trust. The grand total raised was £724!! Excellent work!
Well done to Mckenzie, inYear 5. He entered his first Junior fishing competition last weekend. He caught a 16 pound 8 oz fish, beating his dad! Brilliant news, Mckenzie, and well done!
Work from the week:
In a change to the gallery work, we will now be including examples of work in the weekly newsletter. Here are some of the things we have being doing at Elmhurst this week.
Electrical circuits with Sophia and Kelly Maths work from Jess Drawing in Ash class – speaking and listening Taboo in Ash (one voice at a time)
