Updates from Mrs Norden

We hope you all had an enjoyable Easter holiday break.  Our first week back has seen our Netball B team win the SCSSP 'B Plate' final and the launch of the Octagon cluster writing competition. Please see the news article below for details of the netball final, and click here for details on the writing competition.

A busy week to start the summer term!

The Octagon cluster is a group of primaries, and its catchment secondary school, Swavesey Village College.  For many years, we have worked together on various projects, including professional development for staff, development of teaching and learning opportunities across all schools and Year 6 transition.

This year, we decided to raise the profile of writing for pleasure by introducing a writing competition, which we hope will inspire all our children.  I introduced the competition to the children last week and hope you will support us in promoting this at home.

Unfortunately, the class photos taken towards the end of last term have not come out well, and so the company will be returning on Thursday (25th April) to retake them.  All children should wear school uniform on Thursday and planning will be adjusted to support PE sessions.

The summer term is always incredibly busy with formal assessments (Year 6 SATs, Year 1 phonics checks and Year 4 multiplication tables check), as well as school activities, including our School Games Day, PTA Summer Fair and Year 5/6 production.  So please keep up to date with everything through our weekly newsletter and diary dates.

                                                                                                              _{Anna-Claire Norden} 

_Headteacher

Summer Admin Updates

School dinner cost increased from 1st April due to the rising costs of food, fuel, energy and employment and are now £2.60.

New lunch menu - the new lunch menu can be found by clicking here.  Last week was 'Week 2' of the menu.  

Chicken pox - We have had a case of chicken pox in school, so please be aware should your child be unwell.

Admin General Information

Office hours - 8.30am to 4pm except Wednesday, which is 8.45am to 4pm

EY and P Payments - a reminder these are due at the start of the month and all balances should be paid on receipt of payment request.

Useful Information for parents and carers - can be accessed on our website page 'Parent Information' which can be accessed by clicking here.

Diary Dates - can be accessed on the website by clicking here

Chicken Eggs - If you would like a pack of our chickens' eggs please complete the very short form accessed by clicking here.

Community News

Standing Tall Exhibition and Trail UPDATED News (21st March to 2nd June) - 

Despite the changeable weather, we have had an amazing response and lots of positive engagement for the trail to date- Here are some of the highlights:

• Over 10k Trail maps distributed
• Over 2K CST App downloads
• Over 90k sculptures collected on the App
• Huge engagement on our various social channels
• Extensive PR coverage across multiple media channels including an 8 page supplement in the Cambridge Independent

If you haven’t managed to experience the trail as yet, then please take a look our webpage here so that you can plan your visit: Trail Information - Break (break-charity.org) – We also love seeing your images and hearing your stories, so please don’t forget to send us these or tag us into your Social posts using #Bemoregiraffe

Enter our Tall Tales competition for a chance to win a Tiny G and a Cambridge Standing Tall T-shirt!

To enter all you need to do is write a story or poem giving the background behind a sculpture of your choice from the trail, with a maximum limit of 2,000 characters. This could be about your own Mini G or any other Giraffe that you like.

More information on how to take part here: Tall Tales - Break (break-charity.org)

Jane Rogers' EIFA team workshops for the summer term: 

May online workshops various topics for parents and carers - click here for details 

May Transition workshops EY to Primary and Primary to Secondary - click here for details

PTA News - access their website page here for ways to support our fundraising

Second Hand Uniform Clothes - if you need any uniform items please see poster towards the bottom of the newsletter for details.

Next Events:

Summer Fair - Friday 21st June 3.30pm to 5.30pm

Fantastic Fundraising Friday - 12th July non-uniform day and discos.

Advice from the CYP Community Asthma Team 

If your child gets hay fever and takes antihistamines, start giving them two to four weeks before the symptoms normally start. Taking them early means that when pollen starts being released, the medication has already built up in your child’s bloodstream, so they may be less likely to react.

If they use a steroid nasal spray, it can take up to two weeks to start working, so start using it before your child’s symptoms usually begin.

Asthma & Lung UK have a pollen calendar to help you track and spot your child’s symptoms. You can check it out here. https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/pollen-calendar

How to reduce your risk of hay fever symptoms

These steps will reduce your risk of your child’s symptoms getting worse, or an asthma attack as a result of hay fever.

1. Take any preventer or maintenance treatment every day, as prescribed. This will help reduce the risk of their lungs reacting to pollen. When you have asthma, this is especially important, as the asthma preventer inhalers contain a low dose of steroid, which reduces inflammation that can be triggered by pollen.
2. Always carry a reliever inhaler, (usually blue) with you. You might also call this a rescue inhaler. These inhalers quickly relax the muscles in your airways and ease your asthma symptoms on the spot.
3. Try to stay away from their triggers, if possible. Take extra care if you’re out and about when it’s warm, humid and windy, or if the pollen count or the level of pollution is high.   Check the weather on your TV or online or use a weather app on your phone to get weather and pollen alerts.
4. Take hay fever medicines. They help reduce the allergic reaction that could be making your symptoms worse.
5. Call your GP surgery or 111. They can help if your asthma symptoms get worse.

For more information on Allergies please click the link in the following document: 

Allergic Rhinitis and Hay Fever Allergy Advice.docx

Phonics training for Parents/Carers - Supporting Your Child at Home

Dandelion Learning Ik are offering a free session for parents/carers to support phonics at home.  Whilst this will be a generic session, and not bespoke to Little Wandle the scheme we now use, Dandelion training has always been of good quality and you may find this session useful. 

This training is aimed at parents of children in EYFS and primary school.

Learning to read and enjoying reading is fundamental to children's life chances. Phonics is key to decoding and parental support is a crucial factor in ensuring success in reading progress. The aim of this session is to give parents the confidence to support developing readers and writers so they make great progress in reading...and love it!

In this free 1 hour session the trainers will explore:

• What phonics is and why it is important.
• Phonics terminology.
• How phonics is taught in schools.
• How you can help your child with their phonics at home.

Choice of dates and times:

• Friday 26th April 2024 10am - 11am
• Monday 17th June 2024 7pm - 8pm

Click here to access the booking page

SEND, Safeguarding, Health and Wellbeing Links

SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) information can be accessed through our SEND website pages here

Safeguarding Information - please click here for our Safeguarding page especially should you have concerns relating to the safeguarding of our children and families.  Please click here to go directly to our Safeguarding policy.

Attendance Policy - please click here for the school's attendance policy. It is vitally important parents and carers are aware of their responsibilities and the formal processes for attendance matters.  The NHS have created a useful webpage to support decision making when children are unwell - you can click here for the link.

SEMH (Social Emotional Mental Health) resources for parents - Please click here to access an overview sheet with signposted resources for you to use at home to support your children.  The overview sheet can also be found at the bottom of the SEND page on our website here.  

H.A.Y Cambridgeshire Community Wellbeing support -  How Are You South Cambs? | Home (haysouthcambs.co.uk)

NHS Mental Health Services - www.keep-your-head.com and SHOUT - a new Text service on 85258 which provides real-time support to people of all ages who are struggling with their mental health (text the word HEAR to 85258).

Chat Health is a NHS confidential NHS service for help and advice. It’s safe and easy for you to speak to a qualified health professional. Just send a message, you don’t have to give your name. Discreet and quick. It only takes one message to start making a difference. You’ll get confidential advice from trained health staff in your area. Click here to access the site to start a web chat today.

To find out about Pupil premium and Free school meals, please visit our Pupil Premium page by clicking here. 

Links to each Phase page under the Curriculum tab on our website.

                                Reception    Yr1/2    Yr3/4    Yr5/6

Access SCOPay Parent Information here and EYandP Fees and Funding Page here