St Michael's C.E. Primary School Parent Portal - St Michael's CE Primary School November Newsletter 2024

November 2024

What an exciting month we’ve had! It was fantastic to see so many of you during No Pens Day, engaging in meaningful conversations with the children and helping us kickstart the day with a focus on oracy, connection and conversation. Your support means so much as we work together to strengthen these vital communication skills and raised £150 for Speech and Language UK.

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to our Children in Need fundraising efforts – we made a whooping £500.

We’re also brimming with pride for the children who participated in this year’s ETSP Spelling Bee. Congratulations to the Year 3/4 and Year 5/6 teams who made it through to the finals—what a fantastic achievement! We’ll all be cheering you on next week.

It’s been wonderful hearing the buzz from children returning from trips, sharing their excitement (and occasional grumbles about long walks to the cinema!). These experiences are so valuable, and it’s great to see their curiosity and enthusiasm shining through.

Lastly, Parents Evening was a great success, with teachers sharing how much they enjoyed the opportunity to connect with you and celebrate your children’s progress. Thank you for taking the time to join us and strengthen our school community.

Looking ahead to December, we can’t wait to share the festive magic with the children. From special activities and events to the highly anticipated Christmas Extravaganza next Friday, all are welcome from 2:45pm. There’s so much to look forward to. The grand reveal of our parent/teacher choir is sure to be a showstopper—we hope you’ll be there to join the celebration!

Here’s to another week of learning, growing, and celebrating our incredible school community.

Attendance Leader Board

PTA Winter Wonderland Week

All Day

From 02 Dec until 06 Dec

Reception Theatre Trip

All Day

06
December

Christmas Time in Nursery

11:30am – 12:00pm

06
December

Christingle Morning Year 1&2

9:00am – 10:15am

10
December

Carol Service Raphael at Church Yr 3,4,5&6

Carol Service Gabriel at Church Yr 3,4,5&6

6:00pm – 8:00pm

11
December

Prayer Morning 8.15am

8:15am – 8:45am

12
December

Lower School Panto Trip

11:00am – 4:00pm

12
December

Christingle Service at Church 4pm

4:00pm – 5:00pm

15
December

Christmas Show 1.45 & 6pm for Yr.'s 5&6

All Day

18
December

Prospective Parent Tour FULLY BOOKED

9:15am – 10:15am

19
December

Hello from the PTA!

On Friday this week, 29th November we have a non-uniform day in exchange for either a chocolate selection box or a tombola toy (see posters for details) in preparation of our Christmas Week starting December 2nd. We have festive events planned each day after school next week and then Friday 6th is our Christmas fun day for children in school when they may wear Christmas jumpers. We will have festive games and a visit from Santa, who will be bringing gifts for the children. Don't forget to bring in your £5 to cover the cost of the day. Then, from 2:45pm we kick off our Winter Wonderland in the side playground so please do join us for carol singing by the children and our adult choir. Then stay to enjoy our grotto, craft stalls, refreshments and our Raffle. It’s guaranteed to snow for our nativity-themed extravaganza. Start your Christmas with us and bring along your family and friends. This is one is not to be missed.

Thursday 29th November -Non-Uniform Day

Monday 2nd December -Christmas Jumper Sale and Christmas Trail

Tuesday 3rd December -Wreath Making Night (ticketed event)

Wednesday 4th December -Stocking Filler Sale

Thursday 5th December -Pom Pom making for Year 5 and after school Krispy Kreme Sale.

Friday 6th December - Festive Fun Day in school and Winter Wonderland Event from 2:45pm

Grand Opening of Our Outdoor Classroom

Last Monday, we held a special assembly to celebrate the grand opening of our outdoor classroom. Despite the chilly weather, it was a wonderful moment for our school community to come together outside and reflect on our values of love, respect, and integrity.

We shared how this new space will be used for learning, quiet reading, and reflection, and we were excited to invite children to contribute ideas for planting flowers and greenery to make it even more beautiful.

I think this is going to be another great space for our pupils to enjoy and grow in their learning journey.

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Girl Power!!

After a triumphant campaign that involved scoring close to 30 goals and only conceding 1, the St Michael's Girls Football Team ended up clear league winners. As well as being dominant on the pitch, the team showed respect to their opponents and match officials. They should be very proud of themselves.

Calling All Knitting Nanas!

As you may know, every Wednesday at lunchtime, our wonderful Knitting Nanas join the children to share their knitting skills and creativity. This much-loved activity brings so much joy to our pupils!

Unfortunately, a few of our Nanas have recently retired from this role, and we are now looking for new volunteers to help us continue this special tradition.

If you know a Knitting Nana (or Grandad!) who would love to spend some time with our children, please let us know. No professional experience is needed—just a love for knitting and a willingness to help inspire the next generation.

Thank you for your support in keeping this cherished activity alive!

Important Reminder: We Are a Nut-Free School

We want to remind all families that our school is a nut-free zone to ensure the safety and well-being of all our pupils. We have several children with severe nut allergies, and even small traces of nuts can pose a serious risk.

For this reason, nuts of any kind, including nut-based spreads and snacks, are not permitted at school. We kindly ask parents to carefully check packed lunches and snacks to help us maintain a safe environment for everyone.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we work together to keep all our children safe.

Parking Safety: Setting the Right Example for Our Children

At our school, we take pride in nurturing children who embody the values of love, respect, and integrity. As parents and careers, we play a crucial role in modelling these values through our own actions, especially during the busy school drop-off and pick-up times.

Recently, concerns have been raised about unsafe parking outside the school, particularly vehicles mounting pavements or obstructing pathways. This not only endangers our children but also impacts other members of our school and local community.

We understand that mornings can be a rush, but we kindly remind all families to park responsibly and ensure walkways remain clear and safe for pedestrians. By doing so, we show respect for one another and set a strong example of integrity for our children, demonstrating that we live the values we teach.

Let’s work together to make the journey to and from school a safe and positive experience for everyone. Thank you for your cooperation and for being "forces for positive change" in our school community.