school news
BREAKFAST
It's always been said, that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it's true! Especially for children who spend their days learning and being active in the playground.
Children who are hungry can struggle to concentrate, so making sure they eat breakfast before the school day is imperative to ensuring they benefit fully from their time here.
Eating a good breakfast in the morning wakes up the brain, improves concentration, reduces irritability and gives a child a stable routine for the rest of the day.
As you know, we run a school Breakfast Club from 8am each day which offers children a variety of food options - toast with different toppings, a choice of cereal, and starting next term we will be offering beans on toast each Wednesday! Children also get the opportunity to socialise with their friends in a relaxing and calm atmosphere before the school day begins.
Breakfast Club costs just £1 for children in Reception-Year 6. Nursery children are welcome to attend for a charge of £3.50 however places are limited.
Please be reminded however that breakfast is only served until 8.20am, and children arriving after this time will miss the opportunity to receive breakfast.
We hope to see many more children starting the day right and joining us for Breakfast Club next term.
Parent View
During Parents' Evening earlier this week, we asked parents to complete our annual 'Parent View Questionnaire' and we must say, the positive responses are overwhelming and we can't thank you enough for your wonderful feedback!
To view the results of the questionnaire - visit the brand new 'Feedback' section of our website here.
Whilst the majority of the responses were positive, a few parents let us know that they felt we hadn't fully dealt with concerns they had raised. If this is the case for you, please do get in touch with us to discuss this. You can also view our school Complaints Policy if after discussing your concerns you are still unhappy with any outcomes.
Filwood Broadway Development
As we're sure you will have noticed, work has begun on the new play area at the top of Filwood Broadway. What you may not know is that our pupils played a huge part in the design of the area and we're so very excited to see it all coming together.
Watch this space for a news article in The Knowledge - our local magazine!
For more information about the regeneration of Filwood Broadway, visit our Community Page
Harvest 2023 - Caring for Creation
As stewards of God's world, our Chaplaincy Team are organising a food bank collection for The Matthew Tree Project based at Filwood Broadway.
There will be a collection box in the school foyer for any donations of tinned/packaged foods. All donations will be gratefully received.
After School Clubs
After the half term break, we will have a full week's worth of clubs on offer:
Monday - Friday - Mini Chill Time Klub - 3.20 - 4.00pm - £2.00 per session
Chill Time Klub - 3.20 - 4.30pm - £3.50 per session
Monday - Key Stage 2 Choir - 3.20 - 4.00pm
Tuesday - Key Stage 2 Art Club - 3.20 - 4.00pm
Key Stage 1 Ball Skills - 3.20 - 4.00pm
Wednesday - Key Stage 2 Tag Rugby - 3.20-4.00pm
*NEW* Thursday - KS1 Move and Groove - 3.20 - 4.00pm
*Move and Groove will be available to all children in Years 1 & 2 and give them the chance to dance, get moving and take part in hula hooping/parachute games with Mrs Sims*
Friday - KS2 Archery - 3.20 - 4.00pm
Please be reminded that all clubs, with the exception of Chill Time, are offered free of charge however they MUST be booked in advance.
Parking - Important Notice
Please can we once again remind parents to be mindful of their parking when dropping off and collecting their children.
Under no circumstances should parents be parking on the zig-zag lines, and luckily, thanks to the new bollards that were installed over the summer, we have had a reduction in instances of this. We have however had a number of parents pulling up on to the pavement directly infront of school as children jump out of the car. We cannot emphasise enough how dangerous this is, not just for our children, but for staff who operate the School Crossing Patrol and other road users.
If you are seen using the zig-zags/pavement as a drop off area, you will be politely asked to move. In severe circumstances where this becomes an ongoing issue, license plate details may be handed to our local police team.
Please help us to keep our pupils and school community safe by using the available parking on Filwood Broadway and walking your child round to school.
Poppy Appeal 2023
When we return from the half term break, our Chaplaincy Team will be once again selling poppies and poppy related items for this year's Rememberance Day on behalf of the Royal British Legion.
If your child would like to purchase anything, please send them in with change. We will be unable to offer change for items so please do not send children in with notes.
As well as the poppies and items above, we will also have a number of special pin badges available at a cost of £3. These will only be sold to parents and available from the school office.
School Meals
When we return to school after the half term break, we will be introducing our new Autumn/Winter Menu.
You can view the new menu here and we will send home printed copies once we have received them from our Chartwells, our school meals provider.
Please be aware that there will be no cold pasta available after the half term and this option will be replaced with a hot pasta option.
WELLBEING
Parent Wellbeing Groups
This term, Natalie began running courses for parents to give them the tools to support their children's mental health, as well as their own. These proved quite popular and we're happy to announce that Natalie will be running more parent courses during Term 2.
For information on upcoming sessions - visit our Support for Parents page where you can find full details of the courses available and information on how to book.
ATTENDANCE
Absences for Illness
As is usual for this time of year, with the cold weather comes germs and we understand that sometimes children are too ill to attend school.
However we recommend looking at the following guidance if you are unsure about whether your child is well enough to come in:
Should I keep my child off school?
Please be reminded that school always has a stock of Calpol, and can administer medication to pupils should they feel a little under the weather. Minor colds and coughs are normal childhood illnesses and should not be reasons to keep children away from school.
Please also be reminded that whilst children are welcome at school with minor illnesses, we cannot have them in school if they have suffered sickness or diarrhoea. Children should stay off of school and not return until there has been 48 hours since the last episode of illness.
There may be circumstances that we ask for medical evidence in order for us to authorise your child's absence - this may happen if the absence is for an extended period of time, or if there is a pattern of repeated illness, or if their attendance is below 92% due to other absences. If medical evidence is not provided, this may be recorded as an unauthorised absence which may result in a penalty notice (fine)
Punctuality
Please can we once again remind parents that the school day begins at 8.50am and all children should be in school by this time. Children arriving late will receive a late mark on the register which can affect your child's overall attendance. Those arriving after 9.20am will received an unauthorised mark for the morning session and this can result in a penalty notice (fine).
Breakfast Club is available to all pupils, and not only gives them a healthy start and time with their friends, it also ensures they are in school on time each day.
community
Filwood Hope
Filwood Hope is a registered charity that supports the residents of Knowle West with a aariety of different issues.
If you require support with completed paperwork - we highly recommend paying them a visit.
Children's Swimming Courses at Hengrove Leisure Centre
Half term swimming lesson crash courses are now available to book online or in centre:
Monday 23rd October - Wednesday 25th October
Start times.
🏊1pm - Stage 1 - for children of school age have no previous experience in swimming
🏊1:30pm - Stage 2 - for children of school age who can swim unaided and confident in water
🏊2pm - Stage 3 - for children of school age who can swim unaided for at least 5m unaided both front and back
🏊2:30pm - Stage 1
Wednesday 25th October
🏊12:30pm - Deep Water Confidence for children who are in stage 4 or 5 (or equivalent) to gain confidence in deep water
Book now to reserve your space here : https://bit.ly/crashcoursesoctober
Wider Community Events
We now have a dedicated page to inform parents and families about the varius events and activities available within Knowle West and the wider community.
If you are aware of any clubs, events or activities that may be of interest to our pupils and their families, please feel free to give the details to Miss Morse in the school office who will be happy to add them to the page.
INFORMATION
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