Welcome Back from Miss Gladstone

A very warm welcome back to everyone as we begin the Spring term. I hope you all had  a relaxing and enjoyable break!

It has been wonderful to see the children return to school this week with smiling faces and lots of enthusiasm. As we move into the Spring term, we are hopeful for lighter mornings, warmer weather, and all the other small joys that the new season brings.

The term ahead is a busy and exciting one. We have Oracy Day coming up in February, World Book Day to look forward to in early March, and our annual Easter performance in church later in the term. These events are always highlights of the school year and wonderful opportunities for the children to shine and for us to come together as a school community.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We are really looking forward to the term ahead and to working together to make it a happy and successful one for all.

Writing Competition

Hackney English Language Fair

Introducing The SJSJ Writing Club!

Spring 1 WAMHS Coffee Mornings – Solihull Approach To Parenting

iRock Bursary Opportunity

Well done once again to all of the children who are part of our iRock bands for their first performance in December. They were all absolutely incredible and truly blew us all away with their talent and confidence. We are so proud of them.

We are also very fortunate that iRock have agreed to provide the school with one bursary place for a pupil to join one of the school rock bands at no cost. This is a wonderful opportunity for a child to take part in iRock sessions without paying the usual fee.

If you are interested in this bursary for your child, please let the school office know and we will add your child’s name to the list. The closing date is Friday 16th January at 3PM, and we will contact the parent of the selected child the following week. To ensure this is a fair process, the children’s names will be put into a hat and one name will be drawn.

For more information about what iRock do, please visit their website:
https://www.irockschool.com/

Thank you to iRock for their generosity and continued support of music in our school.

PTA Carol Singing Fundraisers

Well done to all the children and parents who sang their hearts out at both the Marks and Spencer and Highbury and Islington Station carol singing fundraisers. Their beautiful singing and infectious fun raised a staggering £1,375 over the two sessions. A truly remarkable effort!

An extra special thank you goes to all the children whose fantastic singing moved so many people to donate:

Cosmo (Reception)
Caspar (Reception)
Sidney (Yr 1)
Rosa-Lea (Yr 2)
Etienne (Yr 3)
Florence (Yr 3)
Marcel (Yr3)
Ocean (Yr 3)
Sofia (Yr3)
Anoushka (Yr 5)
Maya (Yr 5)
Michael (former SJSJ Yr 5 pupil)
Nagawa (Yr 5)
Umut (Yr 5)
Imogen (Yr 6)
Lucia (Yr 6)
Oscar (Yr6)
Anna (formerly SJSJ pupil)

You are all superstars!

A heartfelt thanks to all who gave up their precious time in the busy lead up to Christmas to help raise funds for our school.

Safeguarding Reminder

A gentle reminder that all parents and carers should remain in the playground during pick-up times and not enter the school building. This is an important part of our safeguarding procedures and helps us keep all children safe.

If you would like to speak with your child’s teacher, please feel free to ask them for a quick chat outside, or alternatively, you can book an appointment through the school office. We are always happy to help and want to make sure communication remains open while keeping everyone safe.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Winter Weather Reminder

As the colder winter weather has now arrived, we kindly ask all parents and carers to ensure children come to school dressed appropriately for the conditions. Please make sure your child has a warm coat, scarf, gloves, hat, and any other items needed to keep them comfortable during outdoor play and travel to and from school.

Thank you for helping us keep everyone warm, healthy, and ready to learn!

Weekly Prayer

Morning Gate

Please can we remind all parents and carers that the school gate opens at 8.50am, ready for school to start promptly at 8.55am. We kindly ask that parents or carers do not come into the school playground or building with their child/ren.

Teachers and support staff are generally not available in the mornings as they are settling the children straight into assembly – should you need to speak with an adult, please go directly to the school office and Miss Nifa will be more than happy to assist you in arranging a suitable time.

Thank you for your continued support in ensuring that all children come into school in a calm manner and ready for a day of learning.

Late Collection Charges

We would like to remind all families that a late collection charge of £5 for every 5 minutes will be applied if a child is not collected promptly at the end of the school day or from after-school clubs.

Please ensure that you are collecting your child on time to avoid any additional charges.

We also kindly ask that you check your ParentPay account regularly and clear any outstanding balances as soon as possible.

Thank you for your cooperation and continued support.

Reminders

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.

Online Safety Guides Added To The Padlet

Parent Training Programmes Added To The Padlet

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: