No. 296 - 21 April
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome back to the summer term! I hope you had a restful and enjoyable Easter break.
School has started back with an excellent first few days – the children have quickly settled and are enthusiastically embracing their new topics. Across the year groups, we have plenty of science, history, and geography being taught and it’s great to make links with what the children already know from previous topics. Do encourage your child to think about what they already know so that they can build up a cohesive picture in their long-term memory. All those conversations really help children to remember what they’re learning. Take a look at the termly topic maps and the weekly JTLYKs so that you know what’s being taught in class.
I’m sure you’ll be aware that the teaching unions are still in dispute with the government about teachers’ pay and the financial situation for provision in schools. Two further strike days have been announced. As before, I am unable to let you know which classes will be closed at this point in time, but for your diaries, please be aware that Thursday 27th April and Tuesday 2nd May are scheduled as strike days for members of the National Education Union.
This action is nationwide and is occurring in response to:
• the real-terms erosion in teachers’ pay and subsequent crisis in teacher recruitment and retention – the profession is struggling to put qualified teachers in every classroom;
• the more recent pay increases to school staff have not been fully-funded, resulting in school budgets having to absorb these increases alongside spiralling energy costs, services and resources – a situation that is not sustainable.
I will of course let you know as soon as I can about how this action will impact classes at HTPD. Some classes may need to be closed on one or both days. As a staff team, we want to support the decision of colleagues and are determined to maintain our superb team ethos. Thank you for your ongoing encouragement to our dedicated teachers who all go the extra mile to make life at HTPD so fulfilling.
Finally, in this first week of term, I wanted to urge you again to think carefully about providing phones or personal devices for children. There really is no rush; children do not need mobile phones or screen time at primary school! We are seeing an increasing impact of too much screen time on children’s wellbeing. With the return of better weather, please encourage children instead to make good use of the outdoors, leaving technology behind when they go out to play. Mobile phones give the illusion of safety, enabling parents to stay in touch and know where children are – however, in reality they are making childhood more dangerous. Instead, enjoy those precious childhood years and play together as families, making sure that you know where your child is and who they are communicating with at all times. No child should bring a mobile phone into school without permission from me. If there are exceptional circumstances and permission is given, the phone should be handed in at the office for the duration of the school day. I’m sorry to be so alarmist about this – I am very concerned that unsupervised mobile phone use will lead to a child being harmed. Working together as a whole, determined community, we can keep the children safe. Thank you for your ongoing support in this tricky matter.
Have a lovely weekend!
With love,
Clare
Thought of the week: It’s rubbish not living life to the full! Let your light shine.
Whole School
Admission to Year R and Year 3 – September 2023
If you have been offered a school place for Year R or Year 3 for September 2023 you must accept/decline the place by Tuesday 2 May.
Infant
Class photos, Monday 24 April
The photographer will be in school on Monday to take class photos. Please send children to school in smart school uniform: white polo shirts under their school jumpers, or girls may wear their summer dresses if they prefer.
After-school clubs
Teacher-led and external (Boogie Pumps, Ballet and Football) clubs will all be starting next week beginning 24 April.
Found - £25 found in the front playground on the last Friday afternoon of term.
Menu: week 1 beginning 24 April.
FOPS News
Hi everyone,
We hope you all had a lovely Easter!
Groundforce Day
This Saturday from 1:30pm to 3:30pm we'll be tidying up the school playground and we would love you to join us! We might be planting, cleaning the play equipment or helping to build something the children need - it’s nothing too strenuous and all help is greatly appreciated. The last few have been really good fun for the children as they are able to play outside with their friends, and also help (for a bit anyway!) and it’s a good opportunity to meet and chat to fellow parents. Tea, coffee and cakes provided. Please sign up at https://signup.com/go/XwfXTXY or contact Debbie Smith if you would like any more info.
Coronation Party
Committee members Kate and Debbie have been very busy organising the Coronation party, which will be held at the school next Saturday, 29th April, 3-5pm. Tickets for the children’s craft and food bundle are on sale in the office. It’s going to be such a fun afternoon and here’s just some of what you can enjoy: Coronation themed crafts, traditional games, a royal themed trail with a prize for everyone, a baking competition and lots more!
The categories for the bake competition are:
- Nature-themed bake – anything to represent nature
- International bake – a signature bake from a country outside the UK
- Coronation-themed – any element of the Coronation
- Crown Jewels – can you bake the Crown Jewels?
There will be a prize for the child and adult winners in each category.
If you would like to help out on the day or have any questions, please contact the organisers Kate or Debbie via email or directly or ask your rep, who can then get in touch with them.
Summer Fair
The Pewley Summer Fair will take place on Saturday 17th June. We’d love to get your ideas about what you’d like to do, eat and play at the fair so we will soon be sending out a short questionnaire so we can make this summer fair a great event! If you would like to be involved in the planning, please contact us directly or chat to your class reps.
Sponsored Bunny Hop
A HUGE thank you to everyone who has donated towards the sponsored bunny hop, which took place on the last day of term. So far, we have raised over £800! The online donation pot will close tomorrow, so if you’d like to donate, please click on this link: www.collectionpot.com/pot/3086021/
Joining the FOPS committee
A few of our committee members will sadly be leaving at the end of term due to their children no longer being at Pewley Down. We need new members so FOPS can carry on supporting the school by raising money and putting on these community events. It’s loads of fun being part of the committee and can take up as little or as much time as you want to give. Please get in touch with your class rep if you’d like to find out more about the ways you could be involved.
Eleanor and Sally x
Dates for the diary:
- 22nd April – Groundforce Day
- 29th April – Coronation Party
- 17th June - Summer Fair
Junior
Dates for the Diary
- Wednesday 26 April – Coffee morning for HK families
- Wednesday 26 April - Y3 Evacuee day
- Friday 28 April Y3 & Y4 Coronation Event (date changed as per HTSC ParentMail)
Summer Term Clubs list
Please note the start date for the Clubs - some start week commencing 24 April and others the week commencing 1 May. View the new schedule here.
Cancelled Clubs
- Tuesday 25 April - Y5 Frisbee & Y3&4 tennis due to Y5 Football tournament at HT
- Thursday 27 Clubs Cancelled due to Cross Country event are as follows:
- Netball Y5
- Dance/Drama Y3 & 4
- Entrepreneur club Y6
- Cricket Club Y5 & 6
Friday Netball Club Y6 will not start until Friday 5 May.
Fixtures
Saturday 22 April - Y5 & Y6 Bee Netball Tournament at Tormead - The teams have been sent out on ParentMail.
Tuesday 25 April - Y5 Football Tournament at Holy Trinity - The team has been sent out on ParentMail.
Thursday 27 April - Y5&Y6 XC race at HT - The team has been sent out on ParentMail.
Lunch - Week 1 Menu, starting 24 April
Other
Project Officer vacancy
Guildford Diocesan Board of Education, responsible for the allocation of capital funding for building projects in church schools, has recently been awarded a substantial decarbonisation grant to reduce carbon emissions in church school buildings. They are now seeking a Project Officer to co-ordinate and support the successful delivery of the school capital buildings programme including the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), School Condition Allocation (SCA) and Devolved Formula Capital (DFC).
If you are interested or know someone who might be suitable for this role, please contact Alex Tear, Diocesan Director of Education by e-mail: alex.tear@cofeguildford.org.uk . Alternatively, please see the recruitment pack on the Diocese of Guildford website at https://www.cofeguildford.org.uk/about/vacancies/details/project-officer-(school-buildings)-diocese-of-guildford
Pewley Meadows Talk & Walk Event - please see PDF poster below for details.
April and May Online Family Learning Courses - see PDF below.
Kidical Mass
On Monday 8 May (the coronation bank holiday weekend) Kidical Mass are organising a marshalled, slow-paced community bike ride around Guildford to celebrate the joy of cycling and highlight the need for more safe cycle routes in the town. The ride is taking place as part of a weekend of Kidical Mass actions around the UK and in Europe.
The ride is for everyone, but children are at the heart of the event and we want to give them a voice. Please see below for further details.
