Dear Parents and Carers,
What a great week of multicultural learning it’s been at Hamstel Infants this week!
The children have fully embraced all of the knowledge given to them by their teachers about different countries and places around the world and I have been really privileged to see amazing writing, brilliant maths challenges and some quite simply breath-taking clay modelling. It never ceases to amaze me just what our children are capable of when given the opportunity to soar!
A big thank you to all of the staff for putting in so much effort to make it such a memorable week.
We also celebrated our Harvest Festival, which you can read about later in this newsletter, but another big thank you to the children for learning all of the songs, the staff for taking the time to teach and practice them, Rev. Goodliff for leading our Harvest Assembly and all of you for your very generous food donations.
On Tuesday we also welcomed our Reception parents into school for another great phonics session. It was lovely to hear such positive comments from the parents/carers as they left having watched a live phonics session in the classroom. Thank you to everybody that came to support this event.
Next week our Year 2 children are heading off to Hyde Hall for what should be a great day of outdoor exploration. We hope they have a fabulous time and come back full of interesting information and ideas to continue their learning in school.
Finally, some sad news for Hamstel Infants but good news for them personally, as both Mrs Esp and Miss Booker will be leaving our school at half term. While we are sad to see them go, we would like to thank them both for all of their hard work at Hamstel Infants and we wish them the best of luck as they move on to begin some exciting challenges in their new schools.
I hope you have a great weekend. I am personally hoping to fill it with some Ryder Cup and Premier League action in between a six-year old’s birthday celebrations but whatever you are doing, enjoy the autumn sunshine and we will see you bright and early on Monday morning!
Scott Roche
Harvest Festival
This week we were very lucky to finish out multicultural week with a visit from Rev. Goodliff from Bellevue Baptist Church to lead our KS1 Harvest assembly. Rev. Goodliff shared the parable of The Rich Farmer from the Bible which is about a man who produces more crops than he can store, he keeps building more barns to hold his crops so he can sit back and enjoy life. In the story God thinks of him as foolish and greedy. The children shared that they thought the man should of shared his crops instead. We finished our celebration with the classic Harvest song 'Cauliflowers Fluffy'.
Thank you for all the donations to our Harvest collection, we, as the children have suggested will be sharing the wide variety of food goods with the charity HARP and a local foodbank.
Celebration Assembly - Aspire.
This weeks value has been 'Aspire', below are highlights from around the classes.
Nursery
We have had another busy week in Nursery! The children have enjoyed learning about France during our Multicultural Week, they especially enjoyed tasting the croissants and learning some french words. The children enjoyed their first Outdoor Learning session, we explored the outdoor learning area and made leaf rubbings.
Our story has been the ‘Train Ride’, The children enjoyed making train tickets to take them to their favourite destination.
In Maths we have been learning to find things that are the same.
We have been learning about why we celebrate Harvest.
REMINDER: Could you please send in a photo of your child as a baby. You can share these via Tapestry. Thank you.
Please ensure that your child has spare clothes at Nursery and that all clothing is labelled with your child's name.
Letter home this week
Rainbow & Starlight
Rainbow
This week in Rainbow Room the children have been learning about the story 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears', we have had lots of fun learning about sizes, ordering, colour matching, labelling and counting. The children have made some lovely artwork using glue and scissors to cut out shapes and stick them on to a template. We have made good use of the continued good weather, having fun breaks in Dilly`s Den, and sensory sessions in the Sensory Room.
Starlight
This week in Starlight we have been learning about the Netherlands and the children have produced some lovely artwork, windmills, collage tulips and have tasted and made Poffertjes (Dutch mini pancakes), as well as Dutch cheese and biscuits. We have also been busy practising our cutting skills and practising our letter formations.
Reception Year
What an exciting week we have had. Not only have we enjoyed Multicultural Week, but it was also our first Outdoor Learning day and we have enjoyed our parents watching our phonics lesson!
This week we have been reading the book ‘Duck in a Truck’. We have been learning to identify and name different modes of transport as well as using our full sentences to talk about different modes of transport. As part of multicultural week we have been learning about France; we have learnt how to say hello and goodbye in french, count to 10, decorate french flags and learnt how to travel to France.
In Art we have been learning about the artist Bridget Riley and have explored different ways to create lines and waves. In Handwriting we have been learning about the long legged letter ‘l’, we have been learning to write ‘l’, remembering the start at the top. In Maths we have been learning how to count objects to 5 accurately remembering that the last number in the count tells us how many there are altogether.
How to help at home:
Sounds of the week: o, c, k, u, b
Handwriting
Encourage your children to write the letter l, starting at the top and going down the long leg.
l
Letter home this week
Year One
Year 1 have been reading the story 'The Bog Baby'. We have been learning to describe the Bog Baby and exploring what a setting is.
In Maths we have been adding by counting on using a number line.
We have all be learning about Italy during Multicultural Week and have had fun learning to count to 10 in italian and making our own italian pasta.
REMINDER: Please label all clothes as children are getting things mixed up while getting changed for swimming.
Letters home this week
Year Two
Year 2 have had a wonderful time embracing our Multicultural Week and Harvest. Our learning took us all the way to Mexico! The children immersed themselves in all things mexican and boarded a flight to Mexico in South America and learnt about different aspects of their culture and tasted food, which was very yummy! The children thoroughly enjoyed sharing their learning with you at our extended open door and hope they were able to share some interesting facts!
In Literacy we have used the text ‘The Leaf Thief’ by Alice Hemming. The text was used to broaden our adjectives and vocabulary around describing a setting. The children came up with and wrote some brilliant setting descriptions.
In Maths we have continued to learn about addition. The children have been developing their skills and understanding of adding a 2-digit number to a 2-digit number without bridging the ten e.g. 42 + 34=
Reminder: Don’t forget it’s our Hyde Hall Trip next week.
Letters home this week
Diary Dates
October
- Monday 2nd - Black History Month
- Tuesday 3rd - Year 1 RWInc phonics meeting - 9am
- Year 2 Hyde Hall visit - Hedgehog & Otter Classes
- Wednesday 4th - Year 2 Hyde Hall visit - Fox & Squirrel Classes
- Friday 6th - Flu Immunisation Team in school for Reception Year, Year 1 & Year 2
- Monday 9th - 4.15pm - 8pm Happy's Circus
- Tuesday 10th - 4.15pm - 8pm Happy's Circus
- Wednesday 11th - Nite Owl visit Year 2
- Parent Council Meeting
- Tuesday 17th - Parent Teacher Meetings between 3.30pm and 5.30pm
- Wednesday 18th - Parent Teacher Meetings between 3.30pm and 7.20pm
- Thursday 19th - Handwriting workshop 9am - Kingfisher & Owl
- 2.30pm - Woodpecker & Peacock
- Friday 20th - INSET DAY
- Monday 23rd - Friday 27th - October Half Term
- Monday 30th - Year 1 Outdoor learning week at The Hive
November
- Friday 3rd - Non Uniform Day
- Monday 6th - Year 2 Library visit Fox & Otter
- Tuesday 7th - Year 2 Library visit Squirrel & Hedgehog
- Wednesday 8th - Year 2 Reading Rocks Day
- Friday 10th - Share a book Open Door 3pm
- Remembrance event
- Monday 13th - Odd Sock Day
- Tuesday 14th - Phonics workshop -
- 9am - Woodpecker & Peacock
- 2.30pm - Kingfisher & Owl
- Wednesday 15th - Year 1 Maths workshop
- Friday 17th - Children in Need
- Monday 27th - Friday 1st - Reception walk to the postbox
- Wednesday 29th - KS1 Christmas Fair
- Thursday 30th - EYFS Christmas Fair
December
- Wednesday 6th - Reception Nativity 9am
- Thursday 7th - Reception Nativity 9am
- Friday 8th - Christmas Jumper Day
- Wednesday 13th - Nursery Christmas Production 9am
- Year 2 Christingle
- Thursday 14th - Nursery Christmas Production 9am
- Year 2 Christingle
- Friday 15th - Year 1 Christmas Crafts
- 9am - Newt & Heron
- 2.30pm - Duck & Daragonfly
Dinner menu
Week 3
Monday - Cumberland Sausages with Mashed Potato & Gravy - Vegan Sausages with Mashed Potato & Gravy - Pasta with Cheese Sauce - Ham Salad Wrap - Cheese & Tomato Bloomer - Peas - Apple & Carrot Flapjack
Tuesday - Beef Chilli with Steamed Rice - Vegetable Chilli with Steamed Rice - Jacket Potato with Cheese - Tuna Sweetcorn Baguette - Cheese Sandwich - Steamed Carrots - Chocolate & Beetroot Brownie
Wednesday - Sticky Glazed Chicken - Margherita Pizza - Pasta with Tomato & Basil Sauce - Tuna Mayonnaise Sandwich - Cheese Salad Wrap - Spicy Potato Wedges & Coleslaw - Cherry Cornflake Cake
Thursday - FAVOURITES DAY - Beef Burger in a Bun with Ketchup - Margherita Pizza -Jacket Potato with Baked Beans - Chicken Mayonnaise Baguette - Ham Sandwich Potato Wedges - Sweetcorn & Carrots - Jelly & Ice Cream
Friday - Breaded Fish Fingers - Vegetable & Bean Stuffed Pitta Pocket - Pasta with Tomato & Lentil Sauce - Ham Salad Bloomer - Cheese Sandwich - Chips & Baked Beans - Chocolate Brownie
Freshly Baked Bread: Garlic & Rosemary Bread or Wholemeal Bread
Messages from the Office
FLU IMMUNISATION – Friday 6th October
The local EPUT Flu Immunisation team will be visiting school on Friday 6th October and offering consented children the flu nasal spray.
Flu can make children very ill. Remember to give consent and keep your child protected.
The consent forms for this year’s school flu session have been sent home please check your child's school bag for the paper consent form. Please complete and return the consent form as soon as possible.
If we do not receive a completed consent form before the day of the session your child will not be able to be included.
A copy of the NHS letter which will come home with your child is available here and a video with information about the flu immunisation is available at the link below.
UNIFORM REMINDER: If your child wears earrings, please ensure that during school time these are stud earrings, hooped earrings can pose an accident risk.
We follow the Local Authority Health and Safety advice regarding the wearing of earrings during PE and Swimming. We would prefer that children have earrings removed before coming to school on their PE and Swimming days. If they are worn children will have to remove their own earrings and place them in a small named container. After the physical activity, including swimming, they must be able to replace their own earrings.
Thank you for supporting us in keeping your child safe.
Reporting Parking Issues
Issues with parking near schools can be a source of concern for parents, carers and local residents. We often receive comments regarding safety and inconsiderate parking. This really should not be happening, we are all responsible for our actions and we ask everyone to be considerate when driving and parking near to school and to respect our neighbours too.
If you could support us with this issue please contact https://www.southend.gov.uk/report-parking-roads-problem to raise any issues or concerns around parking. As a school we have no jurisdiction over the highways and paths, it is more powerful for our community to contact Southend City Council to support us.
HAPPY'S CIRCUS - DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO SEE A (BIG) TOP PROFESSIONAL TOURING CIRCUS
Outdoor Learning
Week commencing 2nd October - Year 1
- Monday 2nd - Newt Class
- Tuesday 3rd - Duck Class
- Wednesday 4th - Dragonfly Class
- Thursday 5th - Heron Class
- Friday 6th - Rainbow & Starlight
Swimming
- Tuesday - NO SWIMMING
- Wednesday - Newt & Hedgehog Classes
- Thursday - Dragonfly & Otter Classes
- Friday - Duck & Fox Classes
PE Days
Rainbow
- Friday
Nursery
- Thursday
- Friday
Reception
- Monday - Woodpecker
- Tuesday - Peacock
- Wednesday - Kingfisher
- Thursday - Owl
Year 1
- Monday - Duck
- Tuesday - Dragonfly
- Wednesday - Heron
- Thursday - Newt
Year 2
- Tuesday - Otter Class
- Wednesday - Fox Class
- Thursday - Squirrel Class
- Friday - Hedgehog Class
Attendance
Weekly Attendance Award
Reception Year: Woodpecker Class - 98.1%
Overall Reception Year attendance for the week 94%
Year 1: Dragonfly Class & Duck Class - 97.3%
Overall Year 1 attendance for the week 94.3%
Year 2: Fox Class - 95.6%
Overall Year 2 attendance for the week 94.8%
Whole School: 94.3%
If your child is going to be absent from school please contact the school office by 9am and leave a message on our answerphone or via ParentPay giving your child's name, class and specific reason for their absence.
Any planned absence for example medical appointments should be advised to the school office with a copy of the confirmation letter or text being provided. For other absence i.e weddings, holidays etc then a Leave of Absence Request form should be completed in advance. Copies of this can be obtained from the school office.
Clubs
Premier Education Clubs
Clubs for after the Summer holidays are available to book now using their website at this link www.premier-education.com Please see the flyer for details of clubs and how to book.
Open to children in Year 1 & Year 2 for the Autumn Term.
For before school clubs run by Premier Education drop-off is in our Infant School Hall. Enter through the Poynings Avenue gate and walk across the playground. The register will be taken by the club coach and once the club is finished children will be taken to their classrooms. Please arrive promptly.
For clubs after school run by Premier Education collection is from the Infant School Hall. Enter through the Poynings Avenue gate and walk across the playground. Children will have been escorted to the club by school staff for the start.
Collection time for all Premier Education after school clubs is 4.15pm. Premier Education staff will telephone parents/carers of any uncollected children after 5 minutes. Any child not collected after 10 minutes will be escorted to Hamstel Infant School & Nursery After School Club and a fee of £7.00 will be charged.
If you are unavoidably delayed please telephone the school emergency telephone number on 07526 079300 to speak with a staff member of our After School Club.
Bricks4Kidz Club has returned for new sessions in September, club will be held in our Welcome classroom. Collection for this club is from the Reception Learning Garden (No mow) outside Woodpecker Class.
Collection time for the club is 4.15pm. Any child not collected after 10 minutes will be escorted to Hamstel Infant School & Nursery After School Club and a fee of £7.00 will be charged.
If you are unavoidably delayed please telephone the school emergency telephone number on 07526 079300 to speak with a staff member of our After School Club.