3rd November 2023
Dear Parents and Carers,
This Week in School
Mr Chidgey and I were really proud of the Football Team this week who played the second part of their tournament this Monday. The children faced some tough opponents and showed grit and perseverance in very challenging circumstances. On this occcasion they didn’t win, but as I said to the boys afterwards, they took part, played football as a team (a sport they are undeniably passionate about) and made their coach and headteacher proud in how they represented our school. At times like these, heads can drop and children can feel understandably deflated, but after a loss it is time to reflect on what has gone well in the past, to celebrate the progress made so far and to look to the future and build a little excitement around plans to develop and improve as a team even further. Mr Chidgey told me how excited he is to carry on developing and growing the skills and confidence of this team, and to see them do what they do best – play the beautiful game and have fun while they do it. Well done, St George’s Football Team!
On Wednesday, the school attended the Mass at St George’s Church for All Saints Day. It is always lovely to join the parish for Mass and we are very lucky to be situated so close to the Church, enabling us to celebrate the Word with the Church Community. Going forward, each year group will have an opportunity to take part in a parish Mass and parents are very welcome and encouraged to attend these. The dates are listed below – do add them to your diary.
Attendance
It is a statutory requirement for all schools to monitor attendance and to be robust in the actions taken to tackle any attendance concerns. In line with our attendance policy, we must monitor attendance percentages and send letters to families where the percentages drop below a certain figure. Some families will be receiving letters this week.
As a school, we are committed to working with families to ensure that our pupils have the best attendance possible so they can make the most of their learning opportunities. We understand that children do get ill and there are lots of bugs around this winter season. However, many absences are unavoidable and we are aware of this. It is important to keep children’s attendance as consistent as possible and our intentions in writing to you are to keep you informed of your child’s current attendance figures and to offer to work with you in any way we can to ensure the highest levels of attendance possible for your child.
As a Headteacher, I must meet with a Somerset County School Engagement Officer every term to discuss attendance figures at the school. At this meeting, we will discuss every child whose attendance has fellen below the expected level and is of concern. This term’s meeting will take place later this month.
Amenities/Swimming Contributions
Please can I remind all parents and carers that each year, we ask for a voluntary contribution of
£10 per term per child for swimming, and £10 per term for each family for School Amenities.
The school has always traditionally asked parents and carers for an amenity contribution. The Amenities Fund allows the school to give children extra opportunities and experiences such as visiting artists, performers and sport companies. We feel it is crucial that the children continue to have these WOW moments and with the rising costs of maintaining and running the swimming pool, we would really appreciate your contribution to allow this to continue.
Payments for Swimming and Amenities can be paid online, details are as follows:
Bank Account Number: 02887152 Sort-Code: 30-98-45
Please quote reference S for Swimming and A for Amenities
Parking at St George’s
I am sad to say that we have had some reports of inconsiderate and dangerous driving on and near school grounds. One parent’s car was scratched as another parent attempted to squeeze through a spot that was clearly too narrow to pass through. Another parent reported that they were shouted at and called names by a parent who was being impatient and driving recklessly. And yet another parent reported that a car had been left unattended in the lane (against our school protocol) and the car had rolled forward into the car in front. There have also been a number of parents parking on the double yellow lines at the front of the school. I have been made aware that two parking fines have been issued by parking wardens.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone in our school community that first and foremost, we are a place of learning; a safe place for children to come to develop and grow as learners and as citizens.
We all share a responsibility to make St George’s a safe place where respect, tolerence, patience and community spirit are not only displayed, but modelled to children and celebrated on a daily basis. The vast majority of our school community do a wonderful job in modelling such behaviour to the children and to each other.
The one-way system works well when everyone plays their part by following the rules and remembering that safety comes first, and being in a rush or having somewhere to be does not excuse poor or inconsiderate behaviour. I am saddened that recently, the standard has dropped in some instances and I would appeal for all parents to show respect, tolerance and patience while dropping off and picking up each day. Thank you for your continued support with this.
Poppy Appeal
We will be collecting for the annual Poppy Appeal next week. If your child would like to buy a poppy or purchase any of the other merchandise (see below) then please send a donation in and these will be sold in each class until Remembrance Day. Donations are gratefully received, and every poppy sold shows care for the lives of our Armed Forces Community. We will hold a 2-minute silence to mark Remembrance Day on Friday, 10th November.
Suggested Donations for the following:
Metal poppy pins £2:00 Snap poppy ruler £2:00 Wrist band £1:00
Reflective Poppy £0:50 Zip ties £0:50
Please note – should we sell out, the above items can also be purchased online at the Poppy Shop. Thank you for your support.
Best wishes,
Edwina McDonnell
Upcoming Dates:
Wednesday 8th November – Year 3 will attend the Parish Mass – 9.30am at Church. Parents welcome.
Wednesday 15th November – Year 4 will attend the Parish Mass – 9.30am at Church. Parents welcome.
Wednesday 22nd November – Year 5 will attend the Parish Mass – 9.30am at Church. Parents welcome.
Wednesday 29th November – Year 6 will attend the Parish Mass – 9.30am at Church. Parents welcome.
Tuesday 5th December – Reception Class (EYFS) Nativity Play – 2.30pm
Wednesday 6th December – Key Stage 1 Nativity Play matinee performance – 2.00pm
Thursday 7th December – Key Stage 1 Nativity Play evening performance – 6pm
Wednesday 13th December – Carol Concert in Church, 2pm
Tuesday 19th December – End of Term Mass in Church, 9.30am
