- Thank You!
- Meet the Teacher
- Report Feedback
- Dr Bike at NGP
- Cancer Run Total
- PTFA Summer Fair
- Whole School Book Project
- The Bear and the Piano Gallery
- Sports Days
- Musical Theatre Success at The Glasshouse and GEMS
- Art project
- Learning Pods and Playtimes
- Daft as a Brush Visit
- Reading & Library Books
- RNLI Visit
- The Novum Festival 7th - 9th August
- Staffing update
- Y4 Leavers
- PHOTO GALLERY
Thank You!
It's almost unbelievable that we have come to the end of the school year and as always there are so many people to thank for their support and hard work - you will see as you read this newsletter that there is a theme of thanking people. In keeping with that theme, I wanted to start with the biggest thank yous, which are:
- To the children, who just amaze us every day with their capacity to learn, their resilience and their growing skills in every area of the school curriculum and beyond.
- To the staff, who work so hard to go the extra mile and to make sure that everyone is having the best Havannah experience as possible. Working in education is hugely challenging at the current time and our staff have (almost!) endless positivity and commitment.
- To our Parents and Carers for supporting the work of the school as well as supporting children at home in their learning. We are grateful for everything you all do!
I hope that everyone has a wonderful summer holiday and we look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday 2nd September to start all over again!
Meet the Teacher
Please see that attached dates list for the time and date of your child’s Meet the Teacher Workshop for all parents and carers of children in Year 1 to Year 4. This is an opportunity to come into your child’s classroom or setting and hear a short presentation from their new teacher about the curriculum, routines and expectations for the year ahead. The session will last for approximately 30 minutes. We will forward the relevant PowerPoint to everyone afterwards.
Reception have a Reading and Curriculum Workshop for parents and carers which is also detailed on the dates list.
Report Feedback
Thank you to everyone who took time to complete the report feedback questionnaire on ParentMail. The comments were overwhelmingly positive about children’s progress, the actual reports and the experiences which children have had this year. If you asked a question, your child’s teacher will be in touch with you. Thank you again.
PTFA Summer Fair
The Summer Fair was a huge success! It was great to see so many people enjoying a whole range of activities and even enjoying having Friday night dinner from the school kitchen or the pizza truck! The inflatable assault course was also a big hit, especially as we managed to avoid the rain! Thank you to the PTFA committee and their helpers. Due to their hard work and a huge team effort, we made £1250.74 at the event! Mrs Walker and Mr Burnett helped the school council and Eco Warriors to run a stall which recycled and rehomed books, toys and gifts making a whopping £131.40! The children have some ongoing eco plans and will spend their money wisely - we'll keep you in the loop! Thanks to everyone who took part and supported the event. We couldn't do it without you!
Whole School Book Project
In June, we dedicated a whole week to learning from one book in every Year Group. Our book was The Bear and The Piano by David Litchfield. It is a beautifully illustrated book about following your dreams while remembering the importance of home, family and friendships. The children took so much from The Bear and the Piano. They were captivated by the story and inspired by the author's creativity and beautiful illustrations. The book encouraged them to dream big, recognise the importance of hard work and resilience, and appreciate the special people and places that make them feel they belong. We are already looking for next year's book for our Whole School Book Week - it's going to be a hard act to follow!
The Bear and the Piano Gallery
Sports Days
Thanks to everyone who came to support sports days this half term. Special thanks to those of you who got involved (as willing volunteers and otherwise!) We were lucky with the weather - only one day required umbrellas - and everyone had a great time!
Musical Theatre Success at The Glasshouse and GEMS
Our Musical Theatre Group has had a fantastic term, taking part in inspiring opportunities both at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music and at the GST Evening of Dance at Gosforth East Middle School. The children have shown tremendous enthusiasm, commitment and confidence as they have developed their singing, acting and performance skills. Through rehearsals and performances, they have worked collaboratively, challenged themselves to step outside their comfort zones, and grown in confidence both on and off the stage. Participating in the event at the Glasshouse has provided our pupils with an unforgettable experience, allowing them to work alongside other young performers from across the region and perform in an amazing venue. It was a truly magical event! A huge thank you to the staff, families and organisations who have supported these opportunities, especially Miss Bommel who has given up hours of her time to get everyone ready for the performance. Most importantly, congratulations to our talented performers, who have been wonderful ambassadors for our school and have embraced every opportunity with energy, confidence and joy.
Art project
The children’s contributions have been gathered and Rhonda has been working in school with groups of children to bring the ideas to life. We are hoping that the mural will be in place by the time we all return to school in September. There will be a vinyl print on the East Stairs and we will put the original smaller mural somewhere else to be enjoyed in school. We can’t wait to see it! Thanks to everyone who submitted a piece of work and to Rhonda for her skill in bringing it all together - no spoilers yet - watch this space!
Learning Pods and Playtimes
Thank you to the PTFA for a hefty donation allowing every Year Group to take over a learning Pod and resource it for play times and lunchtimes, as well as for outdoor learning. In addition, we have been able to purchase some Tuff Trays so that we can give the children access to some alternative play activities. The children have thoroughly enjoyed some small world and creative play and it has been great to see. Please could you help us to look after the pods and the new resources by ensuring that preschool children and HFS children don't play with these at drop off and pick up times. Thank you for your support.
Daft as a Brush Visit
On Monday this week, Daft as a Brush came to visit us at school. The volunteers brought the ambulance which we originally sponsored in the early days of the charity and when we were still Broadway East. It was very interesting to learn about the work of the charity in assembly and then everyone in Y1-Y4 got to see or go into the ambulance. We are hoping to reconnect with Daft as a Brush in the new school year and have a fundraiser - watch this space!
Reading & Library Books
Last year, we updated our school library with fantastic new authors and titles, and it has been wonderful to see the children reading with so much enthusiasm! However, it seems some of our most popular books are enjoying their stay at home a little too much and forgetting to come back. To ensure all children get a chance to enjoy these books, please could you have a quick check under beds, behind sofas, and on bookshelves this week? If you find any school library books, please send them back in with your child. Also, if you have any school reading books - especially Little Wandle books - please return these too. We rely on having full sets of reading books in school to be able to deliver reading sessions with the children. Thank you for your support.
The Novum Festival 7th - 9th August
NOVUM Festival brings creativity, spectacle and unforgettable shared experiences into our city centre. Co-created with local communities and brought to life by regional, national and international artists, it encourages everyone to explore and see Newcastle differently. Click on the link below to find out What's on and how to get involved.
Staffing update
In September we have the following people joining the Havannah Staff Team: Mr Langley as Deer Class Teacher Mrs Barrass as a TA in Reception Miss Bartch as a TA in KS2 Mrs Asghar as a TA in KS1 We are still in the process of recruiting a new member of the admin team and will update you once we have appointed. I am sure that you will extend a warm welcome to the newest members of the school family when you meet them. This term, we say goodbye to Miss Brown who has worked with us since February to support learning in the Y4 team. She has done a great job and has a huge positive impact on the children with whom she has worked. Good luck to Miss Brown in her next adventure.
Y4 Leavers
Saying goodbye to our Y4 children is hard to do but we look at them with enormous pride as we reflect on their time at Havannah First School. It is a privilege to see children grow from Reception to Y4 and be ready take the next step in their education. They all returned from their middle schools last week with tales of how much they had enjoyed the transition visits, and they all perhaps looked just a little bit taller and more grown up!
They have been a phenomenal team of children, obviously keeping us on our toes and certainly becoming fabulous young people. We know they will all take a little piece of Havannah with them wherever they go and we wish them all the luck in the world!
PHOTO GALLERY
Credits:
Created with images by Kenishirotie - "Thank you word on red background reveal under white jigsaw puzzle" • Pongvit - "Colorful flags, colorful party decorations, small triangular flags to celebrate the party with the blue sky and clouds as the holiday concept background." • vectorfusionart - "Composition of painting brushes on white background with copy space" • Uuganbayar - "Wooden blocks with words 'Time to say goodbye'."