Weekly Update from Mr Meehan

There has been plenty going on during this week. Year 1 enjoyed their trip to Wisley yesterday, and most of it was in the sunshine! As always, thank you to our parents who joined us for this trip to make it happen smoothly.  Our Year 5 and 6 children have been ‘on their bikes’ this week and making good progress with their ‘bikeability’.  It may not quite be Wimbledon time yet, but it’s also been a week for tennis. Our Y3 & 4 team came 6th out of 10 in the competition on Tuesday and our Year 5 & 6 team achieved 3rd place on Wednesday.

It’s exciting to begin seeing our new outdoor nurture garden take shape on our infant site, where the pig pen used to be, and it shows how many hands make light work! We are so grateful to parents who have got involved with this, and this work will be on-going. A large amount of bark chipping has just been delivered yesterday!

We are also launching a poster competition today, asking the children to design the poster to advertise our Summer Fair. All details are here. As you will see, our fund-raising focus for this event is developing our junior playground, following the consultation earlier in the year regarding this. This is something exciting that all our community can get behind. One lucky pupil will also get a PTA prize, as well as having their design displayed across the school and in the local community in the run up to the fair.

We have recently welcomed Hadine Johnson to our teaching assistant team, and we also have a current vacancy for a teacher for September, if you know of any teachers looking for a lovely school to work in next year! Here is the advert.

I hope you and your family have a lovely weekend, and maybe a bit of reading, as we continue to promote enjoying books together. Here’s my most recent recommendation, shared with the junior children today …

MR MEEHAN RECOMMENDS

Black Hole Cinema Club by Christopher Edge

This is an action-packed fast moving story that will appeal to children who love the cinema and/or gaming. In this story, when you visit the cinema, you become the movie star! Lucas and his friends have the most amazing adventures, as they get more than they bargained for in sitting down to watch a movie marathon. 

QUIZ QUESTION The beginning of this book was read by Mr Meehan in junior collective worship today. Here’s a quiz question. All Years 5 and 6 children can have a go. Any answers need to be written down and given to Mr Meehan next week, and the winning answer (pulled out the hat) will win the book for their classroom.

As the story opens, Lucas and his friends are turning up at the cinema for a ‘movie marathon’. What time does the show begin?

Our School Updates for Parents

Let us Pray Our next joint school/church prayer meeting will be on Wednesday 8th May, in the junior creative space. Please join us if you can to pray for our school community. We start promptly at 8pm and usually wrap up 8.45/9pm.

Year 5/6 Soloist Concert - Friday 7th June at 9am

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 by Tuesday 7th May (but sooner if possible). This will then give the teachers time to look through all of the auditions to choose a variety of performances for the concert, and allow time for rehearsing at school with the piano if needed. Parents will be invited to watch the concert as will the children's 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). Please note - this concert is for children in Year 5 and 6 only. The younger children will have another opportunity in the autumn term.

KS2 SATS - Volunteer Test Administrators Needed 

Year 6 sit their SATS in English and maths from Monday 13th May to Thursday 16th May. We need two adults in each room each day, one is always a member of school staff and one a volunteer. Please use the form sent ot parents/carers via email if you are able to volunteer on any or all of the days. Training and refreshments will be provided.

Class Photographs - Wednesday 8th May

Pret-a-Portrait will be taking class photographs at our school on both sites on Wednesday 8th May 2024. Please ensure your child is wearing full school uniform. No P.E. kit should be worn; children will be able to do P.E. in their uniform on this day and can bring in trainers to change into.

Lost Property

If your child has misplaced any of their uniform, please come and have a look through our lost property. There are currently 25 unnamed hoodies/sweatshirts/cardigans in our lost property at the infants.

Uncollected Metal Cake Pans 

We still have two round metal cake pans and a round silver cake stand left over from the Easter Egg hunt cake donations. If these are yours, you can collect them from the infant office. 

Wider Community Updates

Kingston Judo Trials for London Youth Games (for children in Years 4-6)

Trials will be held between : 29th April - Mon 6th May at Ray Stevens Academy, 253 Burlington Rd, New Malden KT3 4NE.

Any Judokas that meet the LYG criteria and are interested in joining in are welcome. To represent Team Kingston you must live or go to school in the borough. You can pick any class in your age bracket to attend during this week. You must contact maggie@raystevensacademy.co.uk before attending to get booked into the class. Please also register your interest by filling in this form.  

Class Trial days & times:

Mon ,Wed, Fri: 9-11yrs = 5.15-6pm  &  12-18yrs = 6-7pm

Sat: 9-11yrs = 10-10.45am & 12-18yrs = 10.45-11.30am

Sun: 9-18yrs = 10.45-11-45am

The Nonsuch Town and Country Show - 5th & 6th May 

Should it be of interest to you, please see the attached poster for details of the upcoming Nonsuch Town and Country Show.

Key School Dates 

Summer 1

• Monday 29th April - 3rd May - Y5 Bikeability
• Tuesday 30th April - Year 1 - Trip to Alric Avenue Allotment (New)
• Thursday 2nd May - Squirrel Class Worship @ 2:40pm
• Friday 3rd May - Y6 Doughnut Sale
• Monday 6th May - Bank Holiday (School closed)
• Tuesday 7th May - Y4 Trip to BFI - Bonjour Les Amis
• Wednesday 8th May - Class Photographs
• Wednesday 8th May - Y5 Brightsparks Concert @ Royal Festival Hall
• Thursday 9th May - Y3 Trip to Natural History Museum 
• Thursday 9th May - Macaw Class Worship @ 2:40pm
• Saturday 11th May - Wimbledon Singfest (Choir & Handbells)
• Monday 20th - Friday 24th May - Chums Week
• Thursday 23rd May - Eagle Class Worship @ 2:40pm
• Thursday 23rd - Friday 24th May - Y3-6 Grey Goose Archery Sessions
• Friday 24th May - Y6 Ice Pop Sale
• Monday 27th - Friday 31st May - Half Term

Summer 2

• Monday 3rd June - Pupils return to school