Key Dates
Monday 22nd - Wednesday 24th January
Chinese Dragon Dance Workshops
Thursday 25th January
Year 6 Elder class parent assembly at 9:00 am
Friday 26th January
PSA Reception cake sale
PSA Cinema Night for Years 5 & 6
Thursday 1st February
Year 5 Lime class parent assembly at 9:00 am
PSA Meeting at school at 7:00 pm
Friday 2nd February
NSPCC Number Day - more information to follow
Monday 5th - Friday 9th February - Wellness & Wellbeing Week
Wednesday 7th February
Internet Safety Workshop for Parents and Carers at 9:00 am - details to follow
Thursday 8th February
Year 4 Yew class parent assembly at 9:00 am
PSA meeting at school at 7:30 pm
Friday 9th February
HOME LEARNING SHOWCASE for Years 1 - 6
PSA Nursery cake sale
Monday 12th February - Friday 16th February
HALF-TERM BREAK
Monday 19th February
CHILDREN RETURN TO SCHOOL
Key dates for this school year are published here. Some of these dates are provisional, and all dates are subject to change — please refer to this newsletter and communications via ParentPay for the latest information.
Click here for term dates including INSET days. Term dates for the 2024/2025 school year are now published.
Reminders
School lunches
Please don't forget to place your child's order for lunch through ParentPay by 8:00 am on the day. To avoid missing the deadline, we recommend that you order your child’s lunches well in advance. The menu for lunches for the second half of the autumn term is now available on ParentPay.
Lunchtime & after school clubs
Clubs started this week, except Athletics, which starts next Friday 26th January and Gardening, which starts after the February half-term break on Tuesday 20th February. There are a few places left for the following school-run clubs: Start to Sing on Tuesdays (Years 1-2); Choir on Wednesdays (Years 3-6); Keyboards on Thursday lunchtimes (Years 3-6); Football on Thursdays (Years 5-6); and Khalsa Karate on Fridays (Years 1-6). For clubs run by external providers, please contact the provider directly.
Your year group weekly news is published every Friday afternoon on your child's Home Learning Google Classroom. Please note that Google Classroom should not be used to contact your class teacher. If you would like to speak to a teacher, please email the school office who will forward your query. Thank you.
Chinese Dragon Dance Workshops
To celebrate the Chinese New Year, which starts on Saturday 10th February, all the children from Nursery through to Year 6 will take part in a very special Chinese Dragon Dance Workshop next week.
The Dragon Dance is one of the most anticipated events of the traditional Lunar New Year celebrations. Dragons are legendary animals and in Chinese culture they are linked to good luck, long life and wisdom - nothing like the fierce, fire-breathing Western dragons that carry off princesses and eat people! The children will enjoy the activity together as a class and the workshops will run over three days, from Monday 22nd to Wednesday 24th January.
We would be grateful for your support in helping us to fund this exciting experience for your child. The cost of the workshop is £2.65 per pupil, and we have set up a payment item on ParentPay for voluntary contributions. There is no obligation to pay - all children will participate regardless - but if you can make a contribution, we would very much appreciate it.
Community Litter Pick
Miss Evans and our Eco-Schools Committee are organising a community litter pick on the last Saturday of every month this term. If you would like to join them on Saturday 27th January, please let them know here. The litter pick will take place from 10:00 - 11:15 am and all are welcome!
You can read more about Fern Hill's Eco-Schools programme and this initiative here.
Spark! School Book Awards
The shortlists for the 2024 Spark! School Book Awards will be announced on Monday. Keep an eye on their social media channels for the big reveal, featuring some Fern Hill faces!
Book of the Week
Bite Risk by S.J. Wills
Sel lives in a small town called Tremorglade, cut off from the rest of the world by inaccessible forests. One night a month, during the full moon, all the kids in town run wild while their parents are locked up in cages undergoing their werewolf transformations. But then suspicious things start to happen and Sel and his friends wonder if there's something even weirder going on in Tremorglade.
I loved the concept of the children having one night of freedom a month while their parents turn into monsters. This book is perfect for horror fans - a plucky group of kids, an eerie small town, big pharma conspiracy theories and a daring adventure. 'Bite Risk' is a thrilling, spine-chilling read for older KS2 pupils.
~ Mrs Roulliard, School Librarian
TEAM POINTS
The overall winner this week is KINGSTON
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Kingston
147
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Coombe
106
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Richmond
129
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Hampton
69
PSA News & Events
Help the PSA raise funds for Fern Hill by playing our School Lottery!
The PSA are excited to launch our new Fern Hill School Lottery!
Sign up using this link, and you will be in with a chance to win a weekly cash prize (the amount depends on how many people sign up), as well as a £25,000 jackpot, all while raising money for our school! Tickets cost £1 per week, and the first draw will take place on 9th March. You will receive an email after the draw if you are a winner.
Information about how to play is available here, and you can find further details on the School Lottery's website linked above.
The more people who sign up to play, the more money we raise for the school. And everyone who plays has the chance to win!
Thanks very much to Simon for setting this all up for us.
PSA Meeting
Our next meeting is being held on Thursday 1st February - do come along (virtually or in person) if you can. A link to join online will be sent out closer to the date...
Inspiration 