Dear Parents and Carers
I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend and got to spend some good family time together on Monday! It has been a fairly quiet 4-day week at Hamstel Infants although our Reception children have been out and about in the local area visiting Belle Vue Baptist church, one of local church visits in our community. It’s always a good visit to Belle Vue Baptist and Revd Andy Goodliff is a real friend of Hamstel Infants, regularly coming into school to lead assemblies and our annual Christingle at Christmas. Yet again, the children really enjoyed learning about the different features of this great building, which was actually built around the same time as our school and has a similar mix of old and new features. A big thank you to Belle Vue Baptist for inviting us and to all the parents and carers that gave up their time to support the visit. It is very much appreciated! I also wanted to give a shout out to our Year 2 swimmers, who have been doing absolutely amazing in their swimming lessons at Garons! The swimming teachers and our staff have reported how focused the children have been and how much progress they have been making already in their confidence and skills in the water….well done Year 2! Next week, its one of our biggest events of the year because Gemma’s Farm are due to be with us on Tuesday and Wednesday. Across the two days every child in the school will get the chance to feed, groom and handle the animals in a safe and well supported environment. This event has brilliant ‘real-life’ links to our science curriculum and the ‘hands on’ learning that takes place is always so valuable for our children to understand and experience the feel, sounds and sights of these familiar farmyard friends up close. I hope everyone really enjoys this lovely experience! In amongst all of the farmyard fun, Team Hamstel are also off to the Quad Kids event, where they will take part in a variety of running, jumping and throwing sporting events. This has historically been an event where we have performed extremely well so we wish our team the best of luck as they head off to represent our school. On Monday, the whole school will be alive with the sound of singing as we take part in the creation of a Portico-wide singing video to collaboratively sing ‘Make your own kind of Music’ across all five Portico schools– Each class has been rehearsing hard and it sounds really great so we can’t wait to share the final edit with you all! Just a reminder that our Sports Days are now just 6 weeks away and will be taking place on the following days;
- Starlight – Monday 15th June
- Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 – Wednesday 17th June
- Nursery – Thursday 18th June
- Rainbow – Thursday 25th June
The back up days have been allocated as Friday 26th (Nursery) and Wednesday 24th June (Reception & KS1). More details will follow in a separate letter about each event next week but please save the dates. Have a great weekend everybody and we look forward to seeing you again on Monday morning. Scott Roche - Principal
Important messages
We are getting a growing number of children bringing toys in from home to share with their friends. While there may be special times when we allow this, for example, if working on a specific topic related to toys etc, we respectfully ask that you check children’s bags and pockets to ensure these do not come into school regularly as they often cause arguments and social problems between children, they may get damaged or lost and of course, they nearly always, distract the children from their learning. Additionally, may we remind you that it is not appropriate for jewellery to be worn into school by our young children. No bracelets, necklaces or rings should be worn because of the risk of injury to the wearer or to another child. Earrings can be worn but should always be studs to avoid injury. If a child does come to school with any valuable items on their person, please be aware that the school accepts no responsibility for loss or damage. Thank you for your cooperation with these matters.
Scott Roche Principal
Portico Multi Sport Afternoon
Ten Year 2 pupils recently represented Team Hamstel at a fantastic Portico Multi Sport afternoon and what a brilliant time they had! Across a packed programme of nine exciting activities the children threw themselves into every challenge with infectious enthusiasm, boundless energy and smiles that never faded. From the moment the session began it was clear this group were ready to give their all. In bench ball and dodgeball their teamwork shone brightly, communicating, supporting each other and working together to outwit the opposition. The basketball shootout brought out their competitive spirit with some impressive shooting that had spectators cheering while sitting volleyball tested their adaptability as they mastered an entirely new way to play a familiar game. The children showed real focus and precision in the quieter disciplines too. Archery required patience and concentration and the children rose to the challenge beautifully, carefully lining up their shots with impressive composure for such young competitors. Indoor curling and boccia called for a steady hand and tactical thinking, skills the children displayed in abundance proving that sport is just as much about the mind as the body. When it came to speed stacks the room buzzed with excitement as the children raced against the clock their little hands flying with surprising speed and coordination. And of course football brought the afternoon to a high energy close with the children pouring every last drop of determination into their final activity of the day. Throughout the entire afternoon these ten young athletes demonstrated exactly what sport is all about, trying new things, lifting each other up and never giving up. They were a credit to Hamstel, their families and themselves. Well done to Teddy, Lila, Salah, Dylan, Aliya, Kennedy, Eddie, Arthur, Dolliegh-Bow and Sophie.
Weekly Celebrations!
Attendance
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Summer 1 Diary Dates - Nursery - Reception - Rainbow & Starlight Year 1 - Year 2 - Lunch Menu - PTA - Messages from the Office - Community
Summer 1 Diary Dates
May
- Tuesday 12th - Gemma's Farm at School
- Wednesday 13th - Gemma's Farm at School
- Friday 15th - KS1 Quad Kids Athletics
- Monday 18th - Year 2 Church Visits
- Story Box Assembly
- Wednesday 20th - Parent Council Meeting 9am
- Year 2 Church Visits
- Thursday 21st - Year 2 Church Visits
- Friday 22nd - Open House Session
- Monday 25th - Friday 29th - Half Term
Nursery
This week our NELI story has been 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. The children have enjoyed making castles using 2D shapes. Our maths focus has been learning about length, we have been measuring ourselves using bricks, measuring objects and learning which is tallest or shortest. In PSHE we have been learning about how to stay safe in the sun, such as wearing a hat and suncream etc. How to help at home NELI special words: decide/choose, swap, follow, yell
Outdoor learning –Monday Please ensure that your child has a named sunhat and wears sensible shoes (not sandals).
Letters sent home this week
Reception
This week we have been reading ‘Handa’s Hen’ and learning about animals that live in hot countries. We have been writing sentences about animals thinking about leaving spaces in between words. In PSHE we have been learning about why sleep is important and discussing some things that stop us going to sleep. In maths we have been subitising 6 and making and describing arrangements of 6. We have continued to learn about doubles by recognising Numberblocks and related double patterns on our fingers without counting. In shape, space and measure we have learning how to tell the time to the hour. In art we have been printing a caterpillar using inspiration from the Eric Carle book ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar.’ On Friday all the children enjoyed their visit to Bellevue church to continue their learning about special places. Thank you for all the parents and carers that helped on the trip. How to help at home Nursery rhyme of the week: Five little monkeys jumping on the bed - BBC Teach Maths: Numberblocks - Series 2: Double Trouble - BBC iPlayer
Letters sent home this week
Rainbow & Starlight
Rainbow
This week the children have been working very hard on their addition skills, both independently and in groups. We have continued learning about friendships — what friendship looks like, how to be a good friend, and the different ways we can help and support one another. The children are really enjoying our story as we explore emotions and feelings more deeply, including what it can mean to feel lonely, while also learning that everyone is different and unique. They have created some lovely artwork and crafts using a variety of materials and media, including paint and colouring pencils. We have also been learning about similarities and differences, as well as exploring the concepts of big/small and tall/short. RWI: CK/Long legged giraffe letters/red words/CVC words and building simple sentences of 2–3 words. Maths: problem solving addition 10/ partitioning/ counting in 2s and 3s.
Letters sent home this week
Starlight
We hope you had a lovely bank holiday weekend. This week in literacy, the children listened to the story 'Sleeping Beauty'. They then chose a character and wrote a description, using adjectives and adverbs to add detail and make their writing more engaging. During maths lessons, we explored 3D shapes. The children used these shapes to build different structures, thinking carefully about their properties and why they are suitable for their designs. In our science learning, we focused on food chains within different habitats. The children also compared the habitats of two animals, looking at Africa and the UK, and discussed how living things are adapted to their environments. As part of RE, the children took part in a sensory story based on Noah’s Ark, allowing them to engage with the story through a range of sensory experiences. In computing, the children used iPads to take and edit photos. They experimented with adding filters and discussed different ways to improve their images. Within our Zones of Regulation sessions, we have been learning about 'How big is the problem?' and discussing how to respond appropriately to different situations.
Letters sent home this week
Year 1
In literacy this week we have been reading ‘Town Mouse, Country Mouse’. We wrote a diary entry from the perspective of one of the mice and the adventures they had on their holiday. We tried to include conjunctions such as ‘and’, ‘but’ and ‘because’. We also spoke about include feelings to show how the holiday went. In maths we have moved onto counting in 10s and 1s up to 100. We worked practically using the dienes to make various numbers. We also looked at counting objects in blocks of 10 and then adding on the 1s. In geography we have been learning about the British seas and human and physical features of Southend. In PSHE we have been learning to know what to do when we are finding things difficult.
REMINDER: Gemma’s Farm in school next week
Letters sent home this week
Year 2
In literacy, we have explored the story of 'Sleeping Beauty', focusing on the different characters and writing detailed character descriptions using exciting vocabulary. In maths, we concluded our unit on 3D shapes by exploring 3D structures and identifying the different shapes within them. In science, we compared the habitats of Africa and Antarctica, learning about the adaptations animals need to survive in very different environments. During Outdoor Learning, the children had great fun making clay sculptures of mini beasts, taking part in bug hunts, and creating mud ponds. It has been a creative and exciting week of learning!
Letters sent home this week
Lunch Menu
Week 3
Tuesday - Chicken & Sweetcorn Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Pasta - Vegan Meatballs in a Roasted Tomato & Basil Sauce with Pasta - Baked Potato with Baked Beans or Salmon Mayonnaise - Spiced Roasted Cauliflower & Broccoli - Egg Mayonnaise Sandwich - Cheese Salad Wrap - Apple Flapjack Wednesday - Herby Roast Chicken with Gravy - Roasted Vegetable & Lentil Loaf wit Gravy - Baked Potato with Baked Beans - Roast Potatoes, Carrots & Seasonal Greens - Tuna Mayonnaise Sandwich - Cheese Salad Wrap - Chocolate Brownie Thursday - Traditional Beef Lasagne with Garlic Bread - Vegan Bean Bolognaise with Pasta & Garlic Bread - Wholemeal Pasta with Tomato & Basil Sauce - Steamed Peas & Carrots - Chicken Mayonnaise Baguette - Cheese Sandwich - Oaty & Sultana Cookie Friday - Fish Fingers, Chips & Ketchup - Vegetable Burger with Chips & Ketchup - Pasta with Squash & Tomato Sauce - Baked Beans & Peas - Ham Salad Baguette - Cheese Sandwich - Fruit Jelly Served Daily Pabulum Salad Bar Fresh Fruit Yoghurt Jelly
Support Our School with Easyfundraising!
Our PTA is using Easyfundraising to help raise money for our school and you can help too, simply by doing your everyday shopping online! It’s completely free to use and takes just a minute to get started.
- 🛒 Here’s how it works: Visit our fundraising page here
- Click “Support this cause” and create your free account.
- Start your online shopping at your favourite retailers (like Amazon, Argos, Tesco, M&S, Just Eat and many more!).
- The retailer sends us a free donation at no extra cost to you!
It’s an easy way to support our school while doing what you’re already doing online. Every penny raised goes directly towards enriching the learning experience for our children from new equipment and resources to fun events and activities. Please take a moment to sign up and share the link with friends and family too!
Messages from the Office
What's On - Southend
Free event for families and Star Wars fans - Saturday 2nd May.
Southend RNLI Open Day - Monday 4th May
Parking around the school
Have you spotted unsafe, illegal and inconsiderate parking near to the school at drop off and collection times? As a citizen if you see problem or illegal parking you can report this - the link for Southend Council is here Report a Parking Problem and the link for Essex Police is here Report antisocial behaviour | Essex Police
Arbor Hints and Tips
How to make a payment towards the Enrichment Events:
- The payment item can be found on your child’s main profile page under ‘Quick Actions’, ‘Trips’, choose this option.
- You will see a section 'Trips Open to (your child's name), choose School Enrichment Events.
- Now you can view the information and on the right hand side of the page is a 'Sign up ....' button, choose this option.
- The cost for the Spring Term events your child will be taking part in is £6.00, increase the amount to pay to this figure or you can also choose to pay the full amount.
- You can now choose to 'Add to basket' - use this option if there are other items you want to pay for in one total transaction.
- Or choose 'Make Payment'. You will then be asked to add your card details and confirm the payment.
If you are unable to make payments using the system after following these steps please contact the school office.
Breakfast and After School Club
To change or cancel Breakfast or After School Club you need to contact the office. Parents are unable to change/amend their own bookings. If your child is booked into After School Club or Breakfast Club, it will show on their calendar in Arbor, including the session i.e SHORT, FULL, LATE. A full week view can be seen by clicking the blue arrow in the ‘Calendar’ tab.
Are you eligible for tax-free childcare? This can be used to pay for wraparound care at our setting. Please see the information below.
Community
COMMUNITY INFORMATION From the local authority Early Years Team - Information on the upcoming Best Start Family Hub event for families to find out more about childcare funding support and the Holiday Activities & Food (HAF) programme. This session will provide families with:
- Information about childcare funding options (9 months – 4 years)
- Details about the Holiday Activities & Food (HAF) programme
- Support with applications and eligibility
- Opportunity to speak with staff and ask questions
Credits:
Created with images by Fabio Principe - "A diary open with instruments for writing.,Pencil, eraser and notebook on white background.,Close up of a wooden pen orange and black, an eraser green and a booklet black." • ercan senkaya - "full lunch service station" • ELUTAS - "PTAのイメージ｜木のブロックが置かれたデスク" • Stock Rocket - "Creative office desk" • Africa Studio - "Business people hands, top view. Teamwork concept."