Key Dates
Monday 19th September
SCHOOL CLOSED
Thursday 22nd September
PSA Committee meeting, 7:30 - 8:30 pm at school
Friday 23rd September
PSA pre-loved school uniform sale, 3:00 - 4:00 pm
Saturday 24th September
Gardening Day, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm (see information below)
Monday 26th - Wednesday 28th September
Pupil & sibling photographs in school
Teddy Bears' Picnic for families in Reception, 3:15 - 4:00 pm
Tuesday 27th September
Volunteer Reader training with Mrs Davies, 2:30 pm
Wednesday 28th September
Volunteer Reader training with Mrs Davies, 9:00 am
Thursday 29th September
Phonics workshop for Reception parents, 9:00 - 9:45 am
Friday 30th September
PSA Macmillan Coffee Morning, 9:00 - 10:00 am
Thursday 6th October
Parents' Curriculum Evening (information to follow)
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 weekly newsletter and the online school calendar for the latest information.
Reminders
School closed on Monday
Monday 19th September - the date of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral - will be a national bank holiday. In line with government guidance, school will be closed. We will reopen as usual on Tuesday 20th September.
Pupil photographs
From Monday 26th to Wednesday 28th our school photographer will be here to take individual and sibling photographs. These will be available to purchase in a few weeks time. The children should come to school looking smart and wearing the correct school uniform, including a school jumper or cardigan and, if they are in Years 3 - 6, a school tie.
Year group weekly news
Your year group weekly news is published every Friday afternoon on your child's Home Learning Google Classroom. Click here for information about how we use the Google Classroom. Reception will be sending their news through ParentPay for the next few weeks as they transition to the Classroom.
Please see the letter attached below for further information on the current London Polio Vaccination Programme and how to book an appointment for your child.
On Saturday 24th September from 10:00 am we are holding our first Gardening Day of the school year to ready our gardens for the autumn. If you can spare an hour, or more, we would love to see you there. Everyone is welcome and refreshments are provided. Please bring your own gardening tools if you have them – gloves, trowels, forks, spades, hedge clippers etc. Thank you!
We’ve had a wonderful start to the new school year. 'Welcome Week' was all about settling in and celebrating the diversity of each class. The children spent time focusing on activities that create a sense of belonging and togetherness, getting to know their new class teachers and remembering the expectations and routines of the day. We are all really looking forward to the busy term ahead!
Please may we remind you of the importance of the children being on time and settled in their classrooms before the start of the school day. Your child may go straight to class once their playground gates are opened. The infant playground gates are opened at 8:45 am and the junior playground gates slightly earlier at 8:40 am. Registers close for all children at 8:55 am. Further information on the timings of the school day can be found here.
Thank you to all the families who attended the Parent Welcome meetings, we hope you found them useful and informative.
Volunteering in school
If you can offer your time on a regular, weekly basis to support reading with the children, we'd love to hear from you. You might be working one-to-one with a child or small group of children, listening to them read and reading to them, or helping them to choose books they will enjoy from one of the school libraries. You may also get involved in specific classroom activities.
Please refer to the letter from Mrs Davies attached below to get started. You should complete the registration form and attend one of the two introduction and training sessions being held on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th September. A DBS check is required before you can start working with the children - the process for this will be covered during the training session.
This term we are taking part in a fund-raising project called Cauliflower Cards, run by the PSA. The children will have the opportunity of designing their own Christmas cards which are then professionally printed and delivered back to school. It’s a lovely way to welcome in the autumn and every order placed raises money for the school too!
Cauliflower cards don’t just offer cards; your child’s design can be printed on notebooks, mugs and even wrapping paper and gift labels! Their design doesn’t have to be festive either – they may like to create a thank you or birthday card.
Today, the children will be bringing home a Cauliflower Cards project pack that includes an order form and a sheet of plain, white A4 paper on which they create their design. Please follow the instructions on the order form regarding placing your order, payment and returning your child’s artwork. Orders and payment are made online, directly with Cauliflower Cards, before returning your order forms with artwork attached to your class teacher. Each order form has a unique code, so please do not photocopy it to use for a second design. If you need another order form, email the school office at: office@fernhill.rbksch.org
The deadline for placing an order and paying online AND returning your design artwork to your class teacher is Thursday 29th September.
For some great design ideas using lots of different materials, have a look at the Cauliflower Cards gallery.
Latchmere Rec Junior Parkrun
I am sure that a lot of you have heard about Parkrun, the weekly 5 km run (jog or walk) that is held in so many places in the UK and across the world. But did you know that there is a Junior Parkrun?
Junior Parkrun is a weekly event for children aged 4-14 - our local event is on Latchmere Recreation Ground, every Sunday, starting at 9:00 am. Children are encouraged to run, jog or walk the 3 laps that make up the 2 km distance. With marshals along the way (and at every gate), it is a safe way for children to enjoy some exercise and meet other children.
If you are interested in your children taking part, please click here, where there are more details and instructions for signing up (registration is needed, but it is completely free).
Make sure you say hello to me if you come along...
- Mrs Lawn, PE Lead
This half-term's Home Learning Grids for Years 1 - 6 are posted on your child's Home Learning Google Classroom, along with other home learning resources such as spelling lists. The children will share their home learning pieces with their class on the next Home Learning Showcase day, Friday 14th October.
Team Points will be back soon...
The overall winner this week is School
-
Kingston
000
-
Coombe
000
-
Richmond
000
-
Hampton
000
PSA News & Events
Welcome back!
We hope you have had a great summer and a good start to the term. The PSA has lots of exciting events and activities for children and parents lined up for this year, including Cauliflower Cards, the popular family Fireworks Night, and festive events for the children at the end of term. We're looking forward to sharing the details with you all!
PSA Meeting - Thursday 22nd September
The first meeting of this year will be held on Thursday 22nd September 2022 at 7.30pm at school. If you are interested in getting involved in PSA events this year we would love to see you there. We'll mainly be focussing on the events planned for this term, so come along to find out more. We are a small core team and always keen to see new faces.
Pre-loved Uniform Sale - Friday 23rd September
We will be holding a pre-loved uniform sale outside main reception after school on Friday 23rd September, so if your little one has already lost all their jumpers, or you need to stock up on uniform, please come along.
Providing inexpensive uniform is a really important part of the PSA's role, and we would love a few more people to join a brilliant band of volunteers who help to organise donations and help sell on the day. We have some experienced hands in charge who can show you what to do! Please email fernhillpsa@gmail.com if you would like to get involved.
The return of Cake Sales! Friday 16th September
We're pleased to say that, after a couple of years' absence due to the pandemic, year group cake sales are back! These sales will be held after school on Fridays approximately every other week, and are a brilliant way to raise funds for much-needed classroom resources. Each year group will run two cake sales over the year, and funds raised will go to that year group alone.
Our first sale will be run by our Year 6 parents, and will be held after school this Friday 16th September outside main reception. Don't forget to stop by and pick up an end of week treat!
Inspiration 