6th September 2024
Dear Parents and Carers,
This Week in School
I am happy to report that we have had a wonderful start to the new school year despite the soggy weather, and the children have settled in very nicely. I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new parents and pupils and I hope that all of our St George’s families have had a lovely summer break! Please look out for our newsletter every Friday, and remember to check your emails regularly for important information about key events and dates. Emails from the school office and class teachers will often contain ‘need to know’ information about the following day(s) and reading these will help you to be prepared for what is coming up.
Meet the Teachers – Wednesday 13th September – Years 1-6
Please note that EYFS (Reception Class) parents will be invited to attend a phonics meeting later this half-term. Details to follow.
The parents and carers of our pupils in Years 1-6 are invited to attend our ‘Meet the Teacher’ sessions after school on Wednesday 11th September from 3.35pm onwards, where your child’s new teacher will informally introduce themselves. They invite you to visit the classroom at 3.35pm after collecting your child, to have a look at some resources and ask any questions you might have. It is an excellent opportunity for teachers and parents alike to say hello and put a face to the name.
We will also hold a short meeting beforehand in the school hall for parents at 3pm. Both new and established parents are welcome, and we will do a short presentation and then you will have a chance to meet our Year 6 Chaplains. If you are worried about your car being blocked in by parents attending these meetings, we encourage you to park off site on this occasion. Thank you for your understanding.
School Access
As you may have noticed, we have had some changes to our site access over the summer holidays. This work was undertaken to improve safeguarding on our site. I sent some emails out earlier this week regarding vehicle access and pedestrian access, to support parents in understanding these changes. There are always teething issues with these things. For instance, we will be tweaking the timings on the pedestrian gate so that it unlocks a little earlier in the mornings and stays unlocked longer in the afternoons to assist parents in dropping off to Breakfast Club and picking up from Afterschool Club. The engineer will be visiting the site, possibly next Thursday, to make these changes. We thank you in the meantime for your understanding with this.
Asda Rewards - Money Available to Primary Schools with Loyalty Programme Giveaway
We would like to inform you of an exciting new way to raise funds for our school! Asda have set up a new loyalty programme whereby parents and supporters can raise money for their nominated school. Asda’s chief customer officer says of the initiative:
“The power of Asda Rewards means we can create a route for supporters to donate directly to their school, simply by doing their normal shopping with Asda and benefiting from the great value we offer everyday, as well as topping up their own Cashpot. It’s a game changing initiative for schools and a win-win for customers.”
We would be so grateful if you would consider supporting us by joining the scheme. For further information and details on how to join, please follow the links below:
Asda’s Cashpot for Schools initiative racks up almost £1m for schools in first 72 hours
Cashpot for Schools | Parentkind
Wet Weather – Raincoats
Please can we remind parents to ensure that children come to school with a jacket/raincoat every day. We encourage children to get out into the fresh air, even on days when there is light rain, so that they can move their bodies and give their brains a break.
As parents, we all know how ‘cooped up’ children can get on a rainy day at home, and this is magnified when there are upwards of 30 children contained in a small space for long periods of time. Movement breaks are vital for children’s physical and mental well-being, and we appreciate your support in ensuring that your child is prepared for the weather.
Uniform/Books
We have had further donations of books and quality school uniform this week and will be putting this out for parents to look at on the playground next week after school if the weather is dry. This will likely be on Wednesday. Please do have a look if your child is interested in reading, or you are in need of additional uniform items. We will put a donation box out and any money collected will support the school.
We also have a lot of ‘lost and found’ clothing items. Please take advantage of one last chance to have a look through these items before they are donated to charity.
Incident in Vivary Park
I have been made aware that a teenage boy who was cycling home through Vivary Park after school one evening this week was approached by a group of boys, who attempted to get him to hand over his belongings. The incident has been reported to the police, and I thought it best to inform our school community of this so they can be extra vigilant for themselves, and their older children who may walk home from school this way.
Extra-Curricular Clubs
Mr Chidgey’s clubs are already up and running. Do get in touch with him directly if you would like to enrol your child. J.chidgey@stgeorgestaunton.uk. Miss Emily’s Gymnastics classes also start this week. For further information, please email: psdg2021@outlook.com
We will send information about any other clubs we will be running in school this term in the coming weeks, when teachers have had time to settle into their classes. Thank you for your understanding with this.
Best wishes,
Edwina McDonnell
Headteacher
Upcoming Dates:
Wednesday 11th September - Start of Year Mass in Church, 9.30 a.m. Parents welcome.
Wednesday 11th September, Meet the Teacher
*Provisional* Monday 21st October – Parents’ Evening 5.30 pm – 7.30 pm
*Provisional* Tuesday 22nd October – Parents’ Evening 3.30 pm – 5.30 pm
Friday 25th October – Harvest Festival Service in School, 9:30a.m.
Saturday 26th October – Sunday 3rd November: SCHOOL CLOSED (Half-Term)
Monday 4th November – SCHOOL OPEN
