Key Dates
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
Thursday 9th November
Year 6 Oak class parent assembly at 9:00 am
Curriculum Evening at 6:30 - 8: 30 pm in school
Monday 13th November
Anti-Bullying Alliance Odd Socks Day
Tuesday 14th November
Year 4 Ancient Greece workshop in school
PSA Quiz Night at The Boaters Inn
Thursday 16th November
Year 5 Ash class parent assembly at 9:00 am
Friday 17th November
BBC Children in Need fundraising day
Year 5 Science Dome workshop in 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.
Reminders
School lunches
Lunches for the second half of the autumn term are now available to order through ParentPay. Please don't forget to place your child's order for lunch by 8:00 am on the day. To avoid missing the deadline, we recommend that you order your child’s lunches well in advance.
School photographs
Please refer to the ParentPay email we sent you on Thursday 19th October for details on how to order your child's school photograph. If you do not have a login card, please contact the school photographer directly (contact details in the email). The deadline for orders is Sunday 22nd October.
Home Learning
Next half-term's Home Learning Grids for children in Years 1-6 are now published on your Home Learning Google Classrooms. Work should be completed in time for the class Home Learning Showcases in school on Friday 8th December.
Curriculum Evening
Our Curriculum Evening will be held on Thursday 9th November from 6:30 pm. This event is an excellent opportunity for you to gain a greater insight into aspects of teaching and learning at Fern Hill and will include Q&A with the Senior Leadership Team. It is for parents and carers only and open to every year group. We will be sending out further information after the half-term break.
KET Annual Report
Each year, KET (the trust that Fern Hill belongs to) looks back over the previous academic year and reflects on achievements and effectiveness. You can read the KET Annual Report for 2022/2023 here.
World Food Day
This week, our Year 6 School Council Reps accompanied Mrs Davies and Mr Morrow on the minibus to deliver the World Food Day donations to the Kingston Foodbank where they learned how the produce is stored and distributed to families in need. Thank you for all your kind donations - they were gratefully received.
Anti-Bullying Week & RESPECT
During the week of 13th November, we will be marking the Anti-Bullying Alliance’s (ABA) Anti-Bullying Week. The ABA’s theme this year is ‘Make A Noise About Bullying’. Our theme is RESPECT - with respect and empathy, we connect.
The week will begin on Monday 13th with Odd Socks Day - a day to embrace and celebrate all our differences, and end on Friday 17th with fundraising for the BBC Children in Need charity to show our support for vulnerable children in the UK and around the world.
Our theme of RESPECT has been chosen by the School Council and throughout the week we will explore how we can respect each other and be safe in and outside of school. The focus will be on bullying (calling it out and recognising it); staying safe online; respecting our bodies; and developing healthy habits and relationships. Look out for more information after the half-term break on the events, assemblies and workshops planned, including a competition to design a special poster.
Book of the Week
'Impossible Creatures' by Katherine Rundell
Wherever Christopher goes, animals seek him out – cats, dogs, rats, foxes, swans, crows…but he only learns the reason for this when he goes to stay with his grandfather in Scotland and discovers that his family are the guardians of a magical realm called The Archipelago, where magical creatures live on islands, safe and hidden from humans.
Mal has grown up in the Archipelago, soaring over her home with the help of a magic flying coat, until the day a murderer knocks on her door and she is forced to escape to the human world, where she asks for Christopher’s help to return. They soon find out that Mal is not the only one at risk – there is a problem with the Glimourie the magic that sustains their world and keeps the Archipelago hidden. Mal and Christopher set off on a voyage to save the world with an unlikely crew of allies including a Beserker, an academic researcher, a baby griffin and a ratatoska.
‘Impossible Creatures’ is a classic portal fantasy, reminiscent of the Narnia Chronicles. Katherine Rundell has an incredibly beautiful writing style, full of imaginative touches that bring the Archipelago and its inhabitants to vivid life. It’s also a deliciously dark story, full of bloodthirsty creatures and deathly consequences, and I thoroughly enjoyed this enticing new fantasy world.
Jack Meggitt-Phillips Author Visit
On Monday, pupils in Years 3-6 were treated to a brilliant beastly event: we had a visit from Jack Meggitt-Phillips, author of ‘The Beast and the Bethany’ series, and learned to write our own beastly stories. Here’s what the children had to say about it…
"I really liked how the author expressed his characters and voiced them. It was really cool how he showed us how easy it was to create a storyline." "The author was incredibly funny and very enjoyable to watch." "The comedy was the best part. (He was funny!)." "He was very funny. I was a bit scared of him at first, but it was fine." "I had a great experience!" "It is my 5th favourite book!"
Team Points
The overall winner this week is RICHMOND (again...)!
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Kingston
209
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Coombe
221
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Richmond
223
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Hampton
204
PSA News & Events
PSA Half-Term Pumpkin Trail!
Don't forget to purchase your tickets to join the hunt for our very special pumpkins (some pictured here!), which will be displayed outside participating houses in the local area. The trail will be available from 21st October to 31st October to coincide with the half-term break. You can buy your tickets here.
The Trail costs £1.50 per child to enter and after purchasing a ticket, we will send you the map and quiz to print off so that you can get hunting. When you have finished the hunt, head over to Canbury Secrets and hand over your map to receive a spooky treat!
Canbury Secrets are again kindly supporting us by offering a free kid’s drink with every adult drink purchased, and all participants will be entered into a prize draw with two lucky winners (1 in Nursery - Year 2 and 1 in Year 3-6) winning a £10 WHSmith voucher.
Quiz Night! Tuesday 14th November
Back by popular demand, the Fern Hill PSA Quiz Night!
Our fundraising Quiz Night in aid of the PSA will be held on Tuesday 14th November from 7:00 pm at The Boaters Inn. We have limited availability of tickets for this popular event, so book early to avoid disappointment!
Tickets cost £12 per person, and include your first drink (small house wine, beer, or soft drink). The winning team will receive a £60 voucher from the Boaters! Please book your table (max. 6 people per team) and pay using this link. All tickets for your team must be booked and paid for at the same time and the deadline to book is Sunday 5th November.
If you or any of your party are planning to order food at the Boaters, please let us know on the form when booking, and arrive at 7:00 pm. The quiz will start promptly at 8:00 pm. See you there!
PSA Pumpkin Hunt
Thanks so much to everyone who attended our Pumpkin Hunt last Saturday, and to all the volunteers who made the event happen! It was lovely to see our younger children hunting for pumpkins, enjoying having their faces painted, and playing with their friends.
Fireworks Night - Thursday 2nd November
A reminder that Fireworks Night is coming up on the Thursday after the half-term break.
Inspiration 