Key Dates
Saturday 14th October
PSA Pumpkin Hunt for Nursery to Year 2 children from 1:30 - 3:30 pm
Monday 16th October
World Food Day - donations for the Kingston Foodbank welcome!
Willow class visit to Ham
Author visit from Jack Meggit-Phillips
Tuesday 17th October
Year 5 Vikings workshop in school
Oak class visit to Ham
Gardening Club produce sale at 3:15 pm
Wednesday 18th October
Parents' Evening from 4:00 to 7:00 pm
Thursday 19th October
Home Learning Showcase for Years 3 & 4
Parents' Evening from 2:00 to 6:00 pm
SCHOOL CLOSES AT 1:30 PM ON THURSDAY 19TH OCTOBER
Friday 20th October
Home Learning Showcase for Years 1, 2, 5 & 6
Year 3 visit to Butser Ancient Farm
Larch & Yew classes visit to the Thames Explorer Trust
PSA Halloween costume sale at 3:00 pm
Monday 23rd October - Friday 27th October
HALF-TERM BREAK
Monday 30th October – Tuesday 31st October
INSET days — children are not in school
Wednesday 1st November
CHILDREN RETURN TO SCHOOL
Thursday 2nd November
PSA Fireworks Night at 5:45 pm
Friday 3rd November
PSA Year 4 cake sale
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.
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.
Flu Immunisations
If your child missed their flu vaccination at school on Tuesday, the School Health Team are running catch-up clinics later this month. Click here for details.
Pupil Photographs
Children will be bringing home their school photograph proof sheet with details of how to order the images. Don’t forget to check their bag! The deadline for orders is Sunday 22nd October for free delivery back to school by the end of November. We'll send out further information next week through ParentPay.
Fern Hill belongs to the Kingston Educational Trust (KET) and KET would like to know more about your views and experiences of being part of a trust, and understand the difference you feel it has made to Fern Hill for your child, and you. Responses to the survey will be used as key input to the development and growth of the trust, over the next academic year.
To mark World Food Day on Monday 16th October, and support our local community, we will be collecting non-perishable foods for the Kingston Foodbank. Donations can be dropped off on Monday morning and left on the trolley that will be just by the infants’ (KS1) playground gates. Click here for a list of items the Foodbank is most in need of right now. Thank you for your support.
World Food Day Is one of the most celebrated days on the United Nation's calendar. It commemorates the date of the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation in 1945 and promotes awareness of global hunger and action for the future of food, people and the planet. World Food Day 2023 will focus on the theme of 'Water is Life, Water is Food. Leave No One Behind’. The theme aims to highlight the critical role of water for life on earth and water as the foundation of our food.
Our Gardening Club has been busy harvesting the vegetables growing in the Fern Hill gardens, and they will be running a Produce Sale after school on Tuesday 17th October. Please come along to support them - it will be donations only and all funds raised will be used to buy resources to maintain the gardens over the winter months.
World Mental Health Day
Tuesday 10th October was World Mental Health Day and in school the children were reminded that they can always speak to someone if they have a problem or worry - a teacher, trusted adult or their parents. We shared a video and discussed how important taking care of your mental health is and that it's OK to ask for help, no matter what the problem is.
Reading as a brilliant way to escape, relax and improve your mood all year round. Take a look at the National Literacy Trust's Looking After Yourself children's book recommendations, from picture books to share, to fiction and non-fiction for older, independent readers.
Parents' Evening
The Parents’ Evening System is now closed for bookings. If you have not yet made an appointment to speak to your class teacher next week, please contact the school office.
School closes early on Thursday 19th October at 1:30 pm. Please collect your child/ren promptly to allow teachers to prepare for their Parents' Evening appointments. Thursday’s after school clubs will run from the earlier time of 1:30 – 2:30 pm.
Book of the Week
'I am Nefertiti' by Annemarie Anang, illustrated by Natelle Quek
October is Black History Month. The theme this year is celebrating the achievements of Black women and our Book of the Week is written by a fantastic Black British author.
Nefertiti is named after the famous Egyptian Queen and she loves her name. When she is nervous about joining a band to play the drums, her Dad reminds her 'You are Nefertiti' and her name makes her feel tall and brave. But when her new teacher can't say 'Nefertiti' and calls her 'Nef' she starts to shrink until she can't play the drums any more. She only returns to her normal size when the teacher and the rest of the band call her by her full name - Nefertiti.
'I am Nefertiti' is a charming and empathetic picture book about being inclusive and respectful of other cultures. Highly recommended!
~ Mrs Rouillard, School Librarian
Team Points
The overall winner this week is RICHMOND!
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Kingston
180
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Coombe
158
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Richmond
191
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Hampton
169
PSA News & Events
Half-term Pumpkin Trail! 21st - 31st October
Over the half-term break, we will be running a Pumpkin Trail, open to all children in the school. Similar to the Easter trail last year, pumpkins will be displayed in the windows of local houses, with a prize when you reach the end (at Canbury Secret)! If anyone has a home on the roads listed below and is happy to host a pumpkin somewhere visible from 21st - 31st October, please let us know by email at: fernhillpsa@gmail.com or on the PSA WhatsApp group. The roads are: Latchmere Road (Richmond Road end), Richmond Road, Durlston Road, St Albans Road, Bank Lane, Woodside Road, Chestnut Road, and Eastbury Road. Further details of how to get your tickets to follow!
Fireworks Night - Thursday 2nd November
Once again, tickets for our Fireworks Night sold out in record time - thank you for your support of this event and apologies to those who were unable to get tickets this time.
Sale of pre-loved Halloween costumes - Friday 20th October
We will be holding a sale of pre-loved Halloween costumes after school on Friday 20th October. Please bring in any donations of clean costumes in good condition (please no uniform, this is just a costume sale!) between Wednesday and Friday next week and leave them on the trolley by the main school reception. Thank you!
Inspiration 