Welcome Back

A warm welcome back from Miss Gladstone and the wider school team. We hope everyone had a wonderful half term and enjoyed the sunshine. We are looking forward to an exciting and productive final half term of the academic year, with lots of learning and enrichment activities for our children to look forward to.

Over the coming weeks, we have a packed programme of events, including our Multicultural Evening, educational visits, another fantastic iRock concert, the Year 6 performance and our Year 6 Leavers’ Service at church, to name just a few.

Teachers will be sharing their class newsletters with you today. These will outline what the children will be learning this half term, as well as provide important dates for your diary.

Multicultural Evening

OPAL Donations

Thank you to everyone for your continued support of our OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) journey. It has been wonderful to see the positive impact that OPAL is having across the school, and pupil voice in relation to play has been incredibly strong. The children are thoroughly enjoying the increased opportunities for creativity, exploration and social interaction during playtimes.

As we continue to develop and enhance our play offer, we would be very grateful for any donations of the following items:

• Board games and card games
• Puzzles
• Small world figures and play sets
• Role-play toys, such as dolls, prams and accessories

If you have any pre-loved items in good condition that you would be willing to donate, please bring them to the Main Office.

Thank you once again for your ongoing support. Your generosity helps us to continue providing rich and engaging play experiences for all of our children.

Forest School Returns This Term

We are delighted to share that this term, children in Years 1 to 6 will be doing their final visit to the Forest School at Springfield Community Primary School, as part of their Science curriculum. These sessions continue to build on the exciting outdoor learning experiences introduced earlier in the year and allow children to explore scientific concepts through hands-on investigation in the natural environment.

Each class will take part in one Forest School science lesson this term. Teachers will share the specific date for their class via Google Classroom so that families have clear notice and can prepare appropriate clothing. All visits will be after lunch.

All classes will return to school at 3:45 pm on the day of their Forest School visit.

These sessions continue to reflect our school vision, “We learn together, journey together and pray together,” as children explore, reflect and grow through shared discovery in God’s creation. We look forward to sharing more moments of learning and reflection with you through Seesaw and future newsletters.

Thank you for your continued support.

Beach Trip

Earlier this week, we shared some very exciting news via email: for the first time ever, we will be taking children in Years 1–6 on a beach trip to Walton-on-the-Naze.

Thanks to the incredible support of our PTA and wider school community throughout the year, we have been able to organise and fully fund enough coaches to ensure that every child can take part in this exciting opportunity.

This trip supports the Hackney 10×10 Programme, which aims to ensure that every child experiences ten amazing activities by the age of ten. One of these experiences is a visit to the seaside, and we are delighted to be able to offer this opportunity to our pupils.

Further information, including staffing and safeguarding arrangements, as well as details of what children will need to bring on the day, will be shared closer to the trip once all arrangements have been finalised.

We are very much looking forward to what will be a memorable and enjoyable experience for all of our children, and we would like to thank our PTA and wider school community once again for helping to make these wonderful opportunities possible.

In the meantime, if anyone has any beach toys, such as buckets, spades or beach balls, that they would be willing to donate for the trip, we would be extremely grateful. Any donations can be brought to the main office.

Year 4 Writing Sample

In Year 4’s writing, we explored the poem Other Words for Home and used it as inspiration to write our own poems about home, memories and belonging. We thought carefully about the differences in the protagonist’s life in Syria and life in America, using figurative language to bring our ideas to life and help readers imagine the experiences being described.

In David’s work, he has shown wonderful creativity and imagination. He has used a range of metaphors and personification effectively, describing the sun as a “golden ball”, cars as “grumpy giants” and the houses that “whisper quietly”, creating vivid images for the reader. His poem thoughtfully contrasts his memories of Syria with his experiences in America, demonstrating both emotional depth and a growing confidence in using ambitious language choices. David should be very proud of the effort and care he has put into this piece of writing.

Parent Play Sessions

As many of you will know, we have been actively implementing the OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) Programme across the school over the past 18 months. OPAL is a nationally recognised approach to improving the quality of play for children and is based on the understanding that play is a fundamental part of a child’s physical, emotional, social and intellectual development.

Through OPAL, we have worked hard to provide a richer, more inclusive and engaging play environment that gives children greater freedom, creativity and choice during their playtimes.

To give you the opportunity to see the impact of this initiative in action and to get involved in your child’s play experience, we are inviting parents and carers to attend one of our lunchtime play sessions:

• Wednesday 17th June, 12:30pm–1:00pm – for parents and carers of children in Reception, Year 2 and Year 5.

• Thursday 18th June, 12:30pm–1:00pm – for parents and carers of children in Year 1, Year 3 and Year 4.

Information was shared via email earlier this week, including a registration link, as places are limited. Thank you to everyone who has already signed up.

If you would like to attend, please register using the link provided in the email. We look forward to welcoming you and sharing the wonderful play opportunities that our children enjoy each day.

PTA

As we begin the final half term of another fantastic school year, I would like to take this opportunity to celebrate the incredible work of our PTA and thank all of the volunteers who have given their time, energy and enthusiasm to support our school community. Throughout the year, the PTA has organised a wide range of events and fundraising activities, raising thousands of pounds that have directly benefited our children. Their support has helped to provide additional resources, memorable experiences and enriching opportunities that enhance school life for all pupils. Many of the activities and events our children enjoy, including workshops, enrichment opportunities and educational visits, would not be possible without their hard work and dedication.

As we look ahead to the next academic year, we are seeking volunteers to fill two important PTA committee roles: Chair and Secretary.

These positions are vital to the continued success, and running, of the PTA. The Chair helps to lead and coordinate the PTA’s work, while the Secretary supports the organisation of meetings, communications and administration. Without volunteers to take on these roles, the PTA will be unable to continue operating and this would significantly impact the events, fundraising activities and opportunities that benefit our children, including Black History Month workshops, Green Week activities and the much-loved end of year trips, to name a few.

If you would be interested in finding out more information about either role, with no obligation to commit, please speak to Miss Gladstone, who would be happy to answer any questions and explain what is involved.

Thank you once again to everyone who has supported the PTA this year. Together, we have achieved so much for our children, and we hope to continue building on this success in the years ahead.

iRock Spaces – Now Available For September!

iRock are pleased to share that spaces in iRock bands are available now to book for September.

At iRock, children experience the excitement of being in a real band, learning instruments, playing songs they love and building confidence through music. Led by passionate and professional Band Coaches, the fun and inclusive in-school sessions help children develop teamwork, resilience and musical skills in a supportive environment.

Every term ends with a live concert performance for family and friends, giving children the chance to shine like real rockstars and celebrate everything they’ve achieved.

Full details on how to sign up can be found below:

You can also contact iRock at info@irockschool.com, or 0330 174 2655, if you have any questions.

Healthy Packed Lunch Reminder

As part of our commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles and supporting children’s wellbeing, we would like to remind families about our healthy packed lunch expectations. This guidance also applies to packed lunches provided for school trips.

If your child brings a packed lunch to school or on a trip, please ensure it contains a healthy and balanced selection of food that will help them stay focused and energised throughout the day.

Packed lunches should include:

• At least one portion of fruit and one portion of vegetables
• A healthy source of protein such as meat, fish, eggs, beans or hummus
• A carbohydrate such as bread, pasta, rice or wraps
• A dairy item such as yoghurt or cheese
• Water only (milk is also provided in school)

Please be reminded that the following items should not be brought into school or on trips:

• Crisps
• Sweets or chocolate bars
• Fizzy or sugary drinks, including juice drinks such as Capri-Sun and Fruit Shoot
• Any nut products, including chocolate spreads containing nuts, as we are a nut-free school

Healthy alternatives could include:

• Fresh fruit or vegetable sticks
• Rice cakes or crackers
• Cheese cubes or yoghurts
• Wraps, pasta salads or sandwiches
• Water in a reusable bottle

Thank you for your continued support in helping us encourage healthy habits for all children. Further information can be found on the school website.

Padlet

To find out what’s been happening across some of our wider curriculum areas across the school, follow the link to our new curriculum padlet:

https://padlet.com/sjsjadmin/wider_curriculum_25

End of Day Safeguarding Reminder

A reminder that all parents and carers must remain in the playground during pick-up times and are not permitted to enter the school building. This is a key part of our safeguarding procedures and is essential to keeping all children safe.

Parents and carers may request to speak with their child’s teacher outside in the playground; however, this may not always be possible due to other commitments, such as staff training or scheduled meetings. In these cases, appointments should be arranged through the school office.

We appreciate your cooperation in supporting our safeguarding expectations and helping to ensure clear communication while maintaining a safe environment for all.

Reminder: Outstanding ParentPay Balances

We would like to remind all parents and carers to please check ParentPay to ensure any outstanding balances are cleared. We understand that the festive period can be a costly time for families, and therefore reflected this in our extended payment deadline of 31st January for this term’s Breakfast Club, After School Club, and Wraparound Care.

If anyone needs support with accessing ParentPay, please come to the school office and speak to Miss Nifa, who will be happy to help.

Weekly Prayer

School Uniform

As part of our ongoing efforts to maintain a smart, inclusive and focused learning environment, we’d like to send a friendly reminder about the school uniform policy here at St John and St James.

Our school uniform consists of the following items:

• Grey trousers or black jogging bottoms
• Grey skirts or tunics
• Plain red, white, or grey socks or tights
• Red or white polo shirts, shirts, or blouses
• Red sweatshirts(with or without the school logo)
• Red cardigans(with or without the school logo)
• Sensible black shoes
• Plain black trainers

During the summer months, children are also permitted to wear:

• Grey school shorts
• Red and white gingham summer dresses

Please also be reminded of the following additional guidelines:

• Footwear must be black, either sensible shoes or plain black trainers.
• Jewellery should not be worn, except for small studs in the ears.
• Hair accessories should be simple and in keeping with the uniform (e.g., plain headbands, clips, or ties).
• Tights or socks should be plain red, grey or white.
• School uniform MUST be labelled with your child’s name.

We appreciate your support in helping ensure that your child arrives at school in the correct uniform each day. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office.

Thank you for your continued cooperation in maintaining our school’s standards.

Keeping Our Children Safe at Home and In School

Safeguarding is EVERYONE’S responsibility. Our attitude is, it could happen here.

At St John & St James we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect ALL staff, volunteers and visitors to the school to share this commitment.

If you have any concerns about the safety of a child, please speak immediately to our Designated Safeguarding Lead, Joshua Watson.

If Mr Watson is not available, you can always speak to one of our school’s Deputy Safeguarding Leads: