Autumn Term Newsletter #15
20th December 2024
Autumn Term Newsletter #15
20th December 2024
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we come to the end of the autumn term, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks for your continued support throughout the first part of the school year. It has been a term full of exciting learning, new experiences and wonderful achievements. The children have worked hard, embraced new challenges and made progress in all areas. Whether it's through classroom activities, extracurricular events, or simply in the kindness and respect they show each other, we are incredibly proud of what they have accomplished.
I would also like to extend my gratitude to all of our staff for their dedication and hard work in providing a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment for the children. Your partnership with the school is also vital in ensuring our children thrive, and I deeply appreciate the role you play in supporting both your child's education and the school community.
Values: This week our value has been 'kindness'. Our values champions were recognised today in assembly for their kindness and care, not just this week, but throughout the term. When we come back to school after the holiday, our value will be 'ready' as we get back into our stride and continue our learning journeys.
Votes for Schools: This week, we explored 'Is winter the best time to think about what is important to you?' We discussed the range of religious festivals that take place in the winter and some of the shared values. The children shared their traditions and routines they enjoy during the winter break and spent some time reflecting on the year as it comes to a close.
Punctuality & Attendance: A reminder that our 'soft start' from 8.45 ends at 9.00 when lessons begin. I would encourage all children to be in school by 8.55 to ensure they are ready to learn. Our curriculum is designed sequentially and so attendance is vital. Please do all you can to ensure your child attends school on time every day.
Staffing: There have been some welcomes and goodbyes at the end of this term. Please read the separate letter emailed to parents today.
As we approach the festive break, I hope you and your family are able to enjoy a well-earned rest, filled with happiness and quality time together. Please remember that the school will reopen to the children on Tuesday 7th January at 8.45am.
Best wishes,
Mr. Matt Morey - Headteacher
Mon 6th Jan - SCHOOL CLOSED: Inset Training for Staff
No school for the children while we work as a team to improve our provision.
Tue 7th Jan - Back to School
School starts for the children at 8.45am.
Fri 7th Feb - NSPCC Number Day
The whole school will explore a range of maths activities and adventures to raise money for the NSPCC.
Tue 11th Feb - Safer Internet Day
Lessons will promote online safety and help to support children to know how to stay safe online.
Sat 15th Feb - Half Term
School will re-open Mon 24th Feb.
Attendance this week is 90.6%. Learning cannot take place if children are not in school; it is vital that all children are here every day. Congratulations to Cairo for achieving an excellent attendance rate of 97.2%, and Kampala in second with 96.9%. These outstanding results highlight our collective dedication to education and growth. Let's continue this momentum and strive for even higher attendance rates across all classes in the coming months!
Class Attendance Summary:
1. Cairo 97.2%
2. Kampala 96.9%
3. Sydney 94.6%
4. New York 93.9%
5. Delhi 90.4%
6. London 90.0%
7. Barcelona 89.9%
8. Wellington 88.9%
9. Kingston 88.5%
10. Rio 87.9%
11. Beijing 85.9%
12. Cusco 85.3%
13. Rome 85.2%
This week, the whole school community are the values champions! They were ready to share all that they do, respectful to our visitors being courteous and kind and they were resilient and worked hard throughout a challenging week. Well done, everyone!
Reception:
London - Harry
Year 1:
Rome - Noah
Barcelona - Ariel
Year 2:
Delhi - Lilly
Beijing - Onyeho
Year 3:
Wellington - Ahmed
Sydney - Zana
Year 4:
Cairo - Rose
Kampala - Louisa
Year 5:
Rio - Inaaya
Cusco - Noah
Year 6:
New York - Cleo
Kingston - Kira
This week, the competition for house points has been as exciting as ever! Children’s attitude to learning has been recognised through the collection of Dojo points, which are then totalled as house points across the school. Every child continues to show their commitment to being Ready, Respectful and Resilient, earning points for their house.
Curie managed to hold on and retain their title as the winning house this term. Well done to each house and all the children for each point that has been earned this term. Each one represents an example of excellence and there have been over 10,000 since half term!
Here’s how the points stand:
1st: Curie with 2786 points (+402)
2nd: Carver with 2642 points (+418)
3rd: Sharman with 2562 points (+378)
4th: Alhazen with 2553 points (+417)
Let’s keep up the great work and continue to support each other as we aim for the top!
Class News
This week in reception the children have been learning how to send a letter. We learned about the journey of a letter from sender to recipient including the importance of writing an address on the envelope. The children wrote thank you letters to the dinner ladies to thank them for their delicious xmas lunch. This was extended into child initiated learning where they wrote letters to Santa and posted them in our very own post box!
This week, Year 1 have been busy creating their own calendars! Using their science knowledge, they identified the four seasons and applied their phonics skills to spell the season names. They also used their understanding of colour to represent the changing trees for each season. A fantastic cross-curricular effort!
As we continued exploring the wonderful world of poetry, children really enjoyed creating their very own acrostic poems in the theme of Winter. We also made beautiful Christmas cards using a variety of techniques and resources and composed very thoughtful messages to our friends and families. Year 2 team would like to thank all parents and carers for all their unwavering support this term and we wish you a wonderful and relaxing Winter break.
To summarise their learning in geography this half term, year 3 have been busy creating their very own geography lap books to showcase their learning on: layers of the earth, earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis. The children really enjoyed this topic and can't wait to share their learning with everyone at home.
Year 4 children have had a festive week creating colourful Christmas crafts, letting their creativity shine! They also learned all about keeping their teeth healthy with a fun poster, teaching them the importance of brushing and healthy habits. We were so proud of the children when they performed their Christmas carols with Year 3, to parents. We ended the week learning about the Norman conquest including some of the contenders for the throne in 1066 and decided if they were suited to the role of King of England.
This week, Year 5 have wrapped up their Autumn learning and spent time reflecting on our successes. We enjoyed a wonderful "treasure hunt" activity based on our OS mapping skills from Geography.
The Year 5 team hope you have a wonderful festive period and enjoy quality time with your children and loved ones. See you all in the new year!
Year 6 have completed their fascinating history unit on Britain at War with impressive double-page spreads showcasing their learning. Through the unit, they explored the causes and effects of World War II, the Blitz, and the experiences of evacuees. The children demonstrated resilience in researching, drafting, and presenting their work, ensuring their final pieces were informative and visually engaging. Their spreads reflect a deep understanding of this significant period in history.
It has been a week of reflection and stock-taking in the leadership team as we prepare for the new term. Teachers reviewed the enrichment provision on offer for the spring term and there are some exciting trips lined up. Be sure to check the new term information from class teachers in January.
Our termly newsletter is available to read and posted in the section below on the newsletter.
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/friendsoflanchester or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendsoflanchester/ or contact us by email: friendsoflanchester@gmail.com
Thanks for your support!
Friends of Lanchester committee - Tracey Bravo, Lawrence Brown, Louise Brown, Helen Gibson, Chloé Harper and Laura Robson
On Behalf of 'Friends of Lanchester CFS'
Registered Charity 1161580
Lanchester Primary School, Hempstead Road, Watford, WD17 3HD
Tel: 01923 224160 Email: office@lanchester.herts.sch.uk
Website: www.lanchester.herts.sch.uk
Headteacher: Mr Matt Morey