Dear Parents,
We started this week with something a little bit different for the children, getting the whole school involved in celebrating our 'excellent' inspection results! We spent the day capturing video around the school, showing the best of the St Edward's Prep community, our values and the specific strengths highlighted by the inspectors.
You can see the results of our efforts in the video below and I hope you agree that it captures both our excitement and the essence of our school. This will also be shared on our social media (Facebook and Instagram) and on the website now that the results are publicly available.
Looking to next week, I would like to draw your attention to some special activities taking place on Monday when we will be celebrating the European Day of Languages. This is an annual, international event aimed at promoting the importance of language learning and protecting linguistic heritage for all languages. Our plans include:
- Encouraging children to wear an accessory (cap, scarf, socks etc.) to school in the colours of a flag that represents them or one of their choice.
- Taking the register and conducting lessons in different languages, including German and Japanese.
- Listening to pupil presentations as they teach their classmates' greetings in languages including Hindi, Portugese, Cantonese, Czech and Arabic.
- A variety of fun learning activities, quizzes and songs.
- Internationally-themed lunches throughout the week that also tie in with the countries participating in the Rugby World Cup.
Calendar Reminders
Here are a few key dates for the upcoming week:
- Year 1 to Pangbourne Woods: Monday 25 September - please send your child to school in their PE tracksuit and trainers with their wellies and water bottle in a bag. They do not need any other bag to take to the woods.
- European Day of Languages: Monday 25 September - more information above.
- Football fixtures: Wednesday 27 September, U10 & U11 vs St Mary's (Away), Friday 29 September, U8 & U9 vs St Mary's (Home - Sulhamstead).
- Parents' Evenings: 2 & 3 October - more information below.
Parents' Evenings - Book Your Place
This term's Parents' Evenings for all year groups are coming up and you can now book your ten-minute time slot with the relevant teachers. Monday 3 October is for parents of children in Little Griffins to Year 2 and Tuesday 3 October is for all year groups except Year 1. This is a great opportunity to meet with your child's Form Tutor and discuss how they have settled in to the new school year.
To book your appointment, follow the link below. If you have any problems logging in you can reset your password. There is also a user guide here that you can follow if you are new to the process. For any problems or questions, please contact Mrs McKenna - kate.mckenna@stedwardsprep.com.
Discovery Open Day - Friday 13 October
We are looking forward to our first Open Day of the year which is coming up in three weeks on Friday 13 October. The morning will be all about the school's passion for discovery, showcasing our innovative curriculum through activities exploring identity and finding out who we are.
If you have a child who isn't already at the school and are interested in coming or you have a friend who would like to attend, we would love to welcome you. Register your place using the button below or share the link.
Parent ambassadors: We would also love to include some of our parent community to help welcome attendees and show them around the school. If you would like to get involved, please contact Mrs McKenna - kate.mckenna@stedwardsprep.com
After-School Care and Clubs
The deadline has now passed for making changes to the After-School Clubs your child is booked onto. We hope they are enjoying the new ones we have added this term. Unfortunately the Judo sessions have had to be cancelled but we are working on recruiting a new teacher and hope to start offering this club again later in the school year.
For After-School Care, we ask that any ad hoc requests are made by contacting the office by 12pm on the day where possible so that additional food can be provided in time.
Harvest Festival - Food Drive
As the weather starts to change, Harvest season is upon us again and we are excited to kick-off our food drive in support of ReadiFood Bank. We are counting on your generous support to make this Harvest Festival a success.
How can you help? Donate non-perishable tinned food items (e.g. vegetables and fruit, meat, soups, beans or pulses), bags of pasta, rice, noodles and pulses. The final date for collection is Thursday 5 October.
Lunch Menu Updates
From this point going forward our lunch menus are now updated to indicate halal options. You can find the latest version on our website linked below.
School Photos - Offer Deadline
A reminder from the school photographer that the early bird 10% discount for ordering your child's photos ends on Monday 25 September. You will still be able to order online after this date. Any postal orders that arrive following Monday will incur a late order charge.
Register for Flu Vaccinations - Reception to Year 6
The flu vaccination date for St Edward's children in Reception to Year 6 is coming up on Wednesday 1 November. Please could all parents read the information leaflet and consent letter linked below and follow the correct links in the letter to submit your response. This needs to be done as soon as possible and at the latest by 9am on Tuesday 31 October.
Senior School Information Evening
Thank you to those who attended the online meeting with Mrs Hunt on Wednesday regarding choosing and preparing for senior school and the support we offer. If you were unable to join or would like to watch again you can find the recording via the link below.
FREDs Update
FREDs AGM: This will be held on Zoom on Tuesday 3 October at 8pm. The link will be shared via the class WhatsApp groups and in next week's Headteacher's Update. All parents are welcome to join.
Join the FREDs WhatsApp Groups: If you have yet to join the WhatsApp group for your child's class, please send an email to fredspta@gmail.com and they will make sure you are added.
Finally, I wish the U8 and U9 football teams the best of luck for their first fixtures of the year (and first St Edward's fixtures ever for some!) this afternoon against Holme Grange and St Neots.
Best wishes,
Jonathan