Dear Parents and Carers of Stanborough Primary School,
Last week Stanborough School supported Anti-Bullying Week: Reach Out. After our assembly on Monday, the children participated in activities during the week to raise awareness of this important issue. For example, we wore odd socks to celebrate our individuality and uniqueness. Reaching out can provide hope in a world that can sometimes be filled with negativity – it can be a turning point. It can change someone’s perspective. It can change their day. It can change the course of a conversation and break the cycle of bullying. Bullying in any form or discrimination is unacceptable at our school and should be reported immediately to the Safeguarding Team or Mrs Madden.
Last week Monday, the pupils in Years 3-6 visited the Houses of Parliament, where they had the opportunity to learn about how laws are made, the roles of the members of Parliament, and the history of the Suffragettes. It was a great day for all! On Wednesday, the EYFS and KS1 had a visit from the pantomime! The children learnt about the story of The Tortoise and the Hare. We rounded up the week by celebrating Children in Need. Well done to all the children and staff who came to school wearing ‘spots’ to support Children in Need. Everybody looked great and learnt lots about this worthwhile charity. Hopefully, we have raised a fantastic amount to donate, and we will share the total and some pictures in the following newsletter.
Turning our attention to this week’s activities – We will be showing England vs Iran World Cup group game in school today. We took the opportunity during assembly to discuss the controversy surrounding the World Cup award to Qatar. As a school, we endeavour to teach children to have difficult conversations and to come to their own conclusions regarding world issues. We do not impose the views of staff. Instead, we empower children to speak about their thoughts and opinions and to have meaningful conversations in a safe space. I want to stress to parents that we will be celebrating the World Cup in school and following England’s journey throughout the tournament alongside the other teams many children support. The following month will not be all about the controversy and global issues, and children will enjoy football for the wonderful sport that it is and the joy that it brings to many people.
Our School in Action mornings are scheduled to take place today and tomorrow from 9:00 am -11:00 am. If you wish to attend the school in action morning, then please make a booking via the school office. We do hope that you can join us.
Lastly, please be reminded that on Friday 25th November 2022, we will be holding our joint assembly between Stanborough Primary & Secondary School at Stanborough Church (609 St Albans Rd, Watford WD25 9JL). We would like to request that you drop your children off directly at the church no later than 8:40 am. Members of the SLT and your child’s teacher will be waiting to greet them. If your child is unable to meet us at the Church, then they should arrive at the Primary School no later than 8:30 am and a member of staff will escort them to the venue.
SCHOOL VALUE OF THE WEEK (W/C 21st November 2022): Tolerance
Values Roll of Honour: (W/C 14th November 2022):
| Resilience | David, Aurelia, Mahlon, Chloe, Evelyn, Ved, Elisha, George, Nathan A-C, Sophia G & Shemilore. |
| Acceptance | Eva, Lerato, Philip, Idelle, Truthi, Aaron R, Jadon, Diya, Timothy & Nomsa. |
| Independence | David, Abel, Lucca, Stephanie, Truthi, Chloe, Nathan R, Martin, Thandiwe, Diya, Barbora & Austin. |
| Curiosity | All of Nursery, All of Reception, Matthias, Michaela, Israel, Micah W, Thandiwe, Thiago, Micah A-C & Amy. |
| Excellence | Eva, Stefan, Joycellin, Michael, Aaron W, Aniyah, Marqueza, Unami & Shemilore. |
| Self-Control | Mehdi, Lucca, Stephanie, Philip, Fatima, Evelyn, Hana, Elisha, Jadon, Diya, Timothy, Zachary & Nomsa. |
| Respect | All of Nursery, Lerato, Matthias, Sophia M, James, Ved, Thandiwe, Aniyah, George, Thiago, Rhea & Austin. |
| Cooperation | Eva, Aurelia, Aaron W, Mahlon, Krisztian, Israel, Hana, Aniyah, Jadon, Nathan A-C, Christiana, Sophia G & Rutendo. |
| **Growth Mind-set ** | Abel, Stefan, Joycellin, Zara, Chloe, Michaela, Martin, Micah W, Thandiwe, George, Marqueza, Rhea & Amy. |
Stars of the Week (Headteacher Awards) W/C 14th November 2022:
| Nursery | Eva |
| Reception | Stefan |
| Year 1 | Stephanie |
| Year 2 | Michaela |
| Year 3 | Nathan |
| Year 4 | Thandiwe |
| Year 5 | Marqueza |
| Year 6 | Rutendo |
Keep letting your light shine! I am so proud of you all.
Attendance W/C 14th November 2022:
Each school in the local authority has an attendance target that is set for them. This year our school attendance target is 96%. Of course, we do not expect children who are unwell to come to school. They need to stay at home and rest to get well. They also need to stay at home, so they do not pass on illness to others.
| Year Group | Attendance % |
| Nursery | 87.18% |
| Reception | 100% |
| Year 1 | 80% |
| Year 2 | 96% |
| Year 3 | 100% |
| Year 4 | 81.58% |
| Year 5 | 100% |
| Year 6 | 83.33% |
Please contact the office if your child is unable to attend school by 10:00 am every day in line with our school policy.
School Photographs
Please remember to order your child’s school photograph ASAP to receive it before we break up for the Christmas holidays.
HCL School Lunches Autumn Term 2022 (2nd Half):
School lunches are available Monday – Friday (£2.60 per day, £13.00 per week), please see the attached menu for Autumn Term 2022 (2nd Half).
Please pay for school meals in advance via the school office or preferably via bank transfer to the school account with the reference of your child’s name DINNERS. You can pay daily, weekly, monthly, ½ termly.
- The cost for your child’s school lunches for the first half of the Autumn Term, (35 lunch days) is £85.80
If your child has any dietary requirements/food allergies, please let me know and I will send you a link to contact HCL directly. Please note we are on WEEK 1 on the menu this week.
HCL FESTIVE LUNCH – 14th December 2022:
HCL will be providing us with a vegetarian Christmas dinner this year. This will be on Wednesday 14th December 2022 (Please note that the normal HCL menu will not be running this day).
The Christmas dinner will consist of:
- Quorn Fillet (v)
- Veggie Sausage (v)
- Roast Potatoes
- Sage and Onion Stuffing
- Gravy
- With a Choice of Seasonal Vegetables
Choice of Christmas Dessert
- Chocolate Crispy Pudding
- Christmas Shortbread
- Reindeer Cupcakes
- Raspberry Ice-Cream Roll
Please let the school office know by Friday, 2nd December 2022 if you would like your child to have a Christmas dinner (£2.60). If you do not order a Christmas dinner for your child, we will assume that they will be bringing a packed lunch on that day. Please also note that as the festive lunch falls on a ‘Wellness Wednesday’ children can wear non-uniform as normal.
We will accept cash at the school office or online via our school account REF Child’s Name festive Lunch.
PLEASE NOTE: If your child has regular school dinners and you have already paid for this term, I will use one of the meal tickets that I have at the school office for your child’s festive lunch.
Phonics Workshop
We invite our EYFS and KS1 parents to attend a workshop on how we teach early reading and phonics at our school. The meeting will take place on Wednesday 23rd November in the school hall from 8:45 am – 9:30 am. Our Deputy Headteacher, Mr Pritchard, will lead the session. During the workshop, he will introduce ‘Rocket Phonics’ and talk about the progression of how it is taught. He will also show you how we link the teaching of phonics to the teaching of reading and how you can help at home to reinforce this. We look forward to welcoming you to our school and working in partnership to help your child progress in their learning.
Parent Open Mornings
We are delighted to host our first parent coffee morning, which will take place on Wednesday 30th November and half-termly thereafter in the Wellbeing Room. Parents are invited for refreshments from 8:45 am -9:30 am with members of the Senior Leadership team – you will have the opportunity to meet other parents in the school, voice any concerns and ask questions. All feedback will be noted, and we will endeavour to feedback on any action taken. We do hope that you can join us to celebrate our successes and help to further improve our school and the wider school community.
Save the Children’s National Christmas Jumper Day – Thursday, 8th December 2022
On Thursday 8th December, millions of people up and down the country will come together – at their workplace, school or with friends – to make the world better with a sweater. This year will be TWICE as good as before. Every time you donate £2, the UK government has promised to give £2 to Save the Children too*. That means double the funds and double the fun! With all that extra cash, Save the Children has big plans to help mums and babies in Kenya. Please note that Children can wear their Christmas jumpers over their PE T-Shirt.
Be Bright Be Seen:
Now that winter is coming and it is getting darker in the evenings, we ask that you remind your children about the importance of wearing bright clothing and making themselves visible to others, especially vehicles.
If they ride a bike to and from school, it is a legal requirement for them to have a front and rear light on their bikes. You might also choose to ensure that they wear reflective accessories.
Please also remind them of the importance of looking properly before crossing the road, making themselves seen and avoiding distraction.
Key Dates:
| Date | Event |
| M & T, 21st & 22ndNovember | School in Action Mornings |
| M-F, 29th Nov – 2nd Dec | Class Assessments |
| Tuesday, 6th December | Secondary School Carol service 7pm |
| Thursday, 8th December | National Christmas Jumper day |
| Wednesday, 14thDecember | Christmas Concert Dress Rehearsal 2pm |
| Thursday, 15th December | Autumn Term Ends 2pmChristmas Concert 7pm (School Hall) |
| CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS – Friday 16th December 2022 – Tuesday 3rd Jan 2023 | |
| Wednesday, 4th Jan 2023 | SPRING TERM (1st HALF) BEGINS |
See the link for our school calendar – https://www.stanboroughprimary.org.uk/calendar/
Finally, let us remember to, ‘Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.’ Psalm 34:8 NIV
Love and Blessings,
Mrs Madden
Headteacher
