So 2024! Happy New Year! It has been great to be back. Please don’t doubt that comment as seeing the children after two weeks has been a joy. I think there’s wisdom in the thought that we all need routines etc. and this has been obvious in school this week. Like I often say, moments of joy are always around the corner (quite literally) in a primary school and this has proven to be correct many times over this week as is the case every week.
Apart from the 6am alarm calls, this week has again been a pleasure. New learning is taking place everywhere and the children are rising to many challenges. I talked in Assembly about New Year Resolutions and I have heard some very interesting ones! I hope the tidy bedrooms, the homework completions, the learning spellings etc. are all taking place! In all seriousness, I reminded the children that a great start would simply be remembering to follow our Birkwood Values. 100% respect and 100% kindness are things I see so often and so naturally from the children at Birkwood. 100% effort may not always be easy yet is something to which we can all aspire. The children and staff at Birkwood work hard, I can promise you that!
Our building work is only a term away from completion. The photographs below show some tremendous progress from our last update. Thanks again to John and O&P Construction for their consideration and hard work during this expansion project. I am excited to tour the site with the School Council in the coming days.
Our own Mrs. White who has helped to drive the building work in school is leaving us today. She has earned a substantial promotion working for Chorus Trust in Sheffield. We’ll miss her though we are incredibly proud of her career development at Birkwood. A fantastic achievement.
I am really excited for the Year 4 Brass extravaganza next week. It is always amazing to hear and work with Grimethorpe Colliery Band. A real pleasure where working with a world class outfit within their field provides special opportunities.
Look out for the weather to cool down further next week and please provide suitable warm clothes for your children.
I wish everyone a lovely weekend and hope that 2024 is treating everyone well.
Last Chance Saloon...........
We have 4 unclaimed prizes from our Christmas Raffle.
- G Smith
- Sarah - 6806
- S Stevenson
- Leanne - 6757
Information on School Meals
From Monday 15th January there is a slight change in the lunch menu. Monday's vegetarian option for week 2 has had to be replaced due to Barnsley catering being unable to source the ravioli. They are replacing it with a suitable popular alternative: Chefs homemade Tomato pasta with crusty roll. Please see the menus below.
Our latest Safeguarding information has been included in the link above. This is a link to give advice on setting up parental controls on new devices.
- Headteachers Superstar EYFS/KS1 - OS FS2 Anning
- Headteachers Superstar KS2 - CH Y3/4 Holmes
- Class Times Table Rockstars - Y3 Earhart
- Music Maestro - RH Y4 Pankhurst
House Winners
- This weeks winners - Fire
- Current Half Term Leaders - Fire
- Overall Leaders - Earth
- School Attendance Target for the Year - 96.50%
- School attendance this year so far - 94.3%
- School attendance this week - 93.2%
- EYFS2 Anning - 96.7%
- EYFS2 Sharman - 90.8%
- Year 1 Einstein -96.5%
- Year 1 Nightingale -94.7%
- Year 2 Parks - 96.8%
- Year 2 Seacole - 94.6%
- Year 3 Earhart - 93.9%
- Year 3/4 Holmes - 92.5%
- Year 4 Pankhurst - 92.5%
- Year 5 Attenborough - 92.2%
- Year 5/6 Wollstonecraft - 88.3%
- Year 6 Kings - 94.8%
Well done to Class Parks who are this week's winners with 96.8%. Congratulations.
Our suite of X (formerly Twitter) Handles is here for you. Below is a link for 'all things Birkwood.'
PE & Sport
Please ensure children in KS2 - Years 3-6 come to school IN PE KIT on their allocated PE Days. Appropriate trainers must be worn. No crop tops – Sports t-shirts please and shorts. A tracksuit may be worn – please make a judgment on temperature. This will be until building work is complete as we have no access to discrete changing areas.
This Year's Dates
Next Year's Dates Below
Wednesday 4th September 2024 – Children return to school
Friday 25th October 2024 – School closes for Half Term
Monday 4th November 2024 – Children return to school
Friday 20th December 2024 – School Closes for Christmas Break
Monday 6th January 2025 - Children return to school
Friday 14th February 2025 - School Closes for Half Term
Monday 24th February 2025 - Children return to school
Friday 4th April 2025 – School Closes for Easter Break
Tuesday 22nd April 2025 - Children return to school
Monday 5th May 2025 – School Closed May Day Bank Holiday
Friday 23 May 2025 – School Closes for Half Term
Monday 2 June 2025 – INSET Day
Tuesday 3 June 2025 – Children return to school
Friday 18 July 2025 - School Closes for Summer
For current Year 6 children, their tests shall be Monday 13th May to Thursday 16th May 2024.
For current Year 5 children, their tests will be Monday 12th to Thursday 15th May 2025.
For current Year 4 children, their tests will be Monday 11th to Thursday 14th May 2026.