Weekly Update from Mr Meehan

Today in our worship we launched our ‘Writing to Change the World’ competition! Next week, in their English lessons, children will be working on a piece of writing which will be their entry for the competition. We have governors who will be judging later this term and our lovely PTA have funded prizes for the best writing, which will include £10 book tokens for the best writing pieces in each class! We are really looking forward to changing the world through our writing. We’ve also been researching which handwriting pen promotes the neatest handwriting, and our ‘standard’ Christ Church blue Berol pen was the winner! If your child is in Years 4-6, please look out for more detail on how your child can get hold of one of these in the curriculum emails today.

We also want our parent community to get involved too! Our additional writing competition, for both parents and staff to take part in, is ‘250 words to change the world’. Using no more than 250 words, can you write something inspirational about something that you care passionately about in the world and wish to see change? We also have some Amazon vouchers on offer for the winning adult entries! So, get your creative thinking caps on and please submit your entry by the closing date of Friday 24th Feb to this email address: changetheworld@ccnm.uk

We shared the Martin Luther quote this morning, ‘if you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write’, and so this is our challenge for all of us as we celebrate the power of writing in the coming week!

As usual, we’ve had a great range of lovely learning going on across the school this week, which has included Year 5 going back in time to Viking times in a workshop today, as well as cooking some delicious soup recipes earlier in the week. Thanks also to Henry, Selena, Aaron and Ella, all from Year 4, who represented the school well in the borough’s Table Tennis Festival this week, which I know they really enjoyed.

In fact, it has been a busy month all round and to get a good idea of what we’ve been up to, our January newsletter has just been released! Please see the attached newsletter to see all the amazing learning from the children this month.

Key Updates for Parents

School Day

Please remember the infant day starts when the classroom doors are open at 8:50 a.m. Please ensure you drop your children in time to start at 8:50 a.m. If you need to talk to the teacher, please do that at the end of the day, rather than at the start. If you need to get information to teachers before the start of the day, you should email them using the address in the weekly class email.  

Reminder: Sickness Absence 

Please can we remind parents/carers that if your child suffers from either vomiting or diarrhoea, then they must be kept off school and can only return 48 hours after their symptoms disappear. 

Music Soloists Concert - morning of Friday 10th March (timings to be confirmed)

If your child plays an instrument or sings and they would like to take part, they can send in an audition video to Mrs Bond (lucy.bond@ccnm.uk) by Friday 24th February. This will then give the teachers time to look through all of the auditions and choose a variety of performances for the concert.  Parents will be invited to watch the concert, as will the children's chums and class mates. 

If your child is choosing a song, please consider the length (maybe stick to one or two verses and a chorus). Also please make sure the lyrics are appropriate and the song can be sung easily by a child (some pop songs are not suitable for young voices). The children may sing in a group with friends if they can arrange a video audition together.

We will be available to accompany instrumental pieces and songs if needed, but music will need to be provided (or a backing track found).

Volunteer Reading Circle

Do you love reading? Could you spare one hour a week, starting next half term? We are currently hoping to recruit some additional volunteers (parents, grandparents and or carers) to help support reading.  This would be an afternoon slot and we are hoping for a regular weekly commitment of 1 hour.  We will provide training.  You would need to have a DBS, which we can help you with.  If you are interested or have any questions, please email office@ccnm.uk ref: Volunteer Reading Circle.

Key Dates - Spring 2023

• Friday 3rd February - PTA Disco - Reception - Y2: 3.30pm - 5pm & Y3 - Y6: 5.30pm - 7pm
• Monday 6th - Friday 10th February - Writing to Change the World Week
• Monday 6th - Friday 10th February - Chums Week
• Monday 6th February - Whole School - Visiting Author Ellie Irving
• Tuesday 7th February - Safer Internet Day
• Tuesday 7th February - Y2 Choir - Singing for Widow's Group at Christ Church @ 1:30pm
• Wednesday 8th February - Y6 Kingston Junior Citizen 2023 @ Chessington (pm)
• Thursday 9th February - Macaw Class Worship @ 2:45pm
• Monday 13th - Friday 17th February - Half Term
• Thursday 23rd February - Y2 Visit to the Polka Theatre, Wimbledon
• Thursday 2nd March - World Book Day
• Thursday 2nd March - Tiger Class Worship @ 2:45pm
• Tuesday 7th March - Parents’ Evening - 4:00 - 7:00pm
• Wednesday 8th March - Parents’ Evening - 3:00 - 6:00pm (School closes 1 hour early)
• Thursday 9th March - Owl Class Worship @ 2:45pm
• Friday 10th March - Junior Soloists Concert - timings tbc
• Thursday 16th March - Lion Class Worship @ 2:45pm
• Tuesday 21st March - School Concert (Evening)
• Thursday 23rd March - Fox Class Worship @ 2:45pm
• Thursday 30th March - Learning Look - 4:30 - 5:30pm
• Friday 31st March - Easter Service @ 9:45am
• Friday 31st March - Term finishes at 1.15pm (infants) and 1.30pm (juniors)