Welcome to our final Autumn 1 Half Term Newsletter: the first half term has been wonderful in school with lots of fabulous events and learning. The children have all taken part in the first Art and DT week of the school year, spent several weeks studying our 'NE3 Our City' topic and, for the last 4 days, they have taken part in our STEM week based on Rockets and Space!
In addition to all of this, we have hosted two BRILLIANT class assemblies - thank you Year 4, a Reception Harvest festival and had our first parent lunch of the year too! Visits and visitors have taken place with ventures to All Saints Church, Lilidorei, Gosforth Park and Gosforth Junior Academy.
After such a busy 8 weeks, I wish you all a lovely half term and we look forward to seeing all the children back on November 3rd at 8.40am.
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Courageous Winners
- Year 2 Science Fair
- Harvest Collection
- Year 3 Learning Gallery
- Careers - Music Industry
- Free School Meals
- STEM Week at Archibald
- Year 4 Learning Gallery
- Poppies for Remembrance
- EYFS Learning Gallery
- Polite reminders - Archibald Book Swap
- Attendance
- Autumn To Do List
- Headlice
- Contacting School
- Year 1 Learning Gallery
- Dates and Letters
- How to Manage What Your Child Watches on TV
COURAGEOUS WINNERS
This week we found out who our class winners of the Courageous awards were. The staff found it so hard to choose from their classes. Winners were awarded for trying hard with new tasks, not giving up on difficult activities, being brave when new opportunities came along, being willing to give things a go and for finding their voice in front of others.
YEAR 2 SCIENCE FAIR
Just look at the stunning home learning projects from Year 2. They put on a fabulous Science Fair and invited everyone to come and see their wonderful work - thank you Year 2!
HARVEST COLLECTION
The School Council did a wonderful job for our harvest charity this year. We would like to extend a huge thank you to all families who contributed to the food donation for Kenton Foodbank. There were over 80 bags of groceries loaded on to the van on collection day. This will help many families in need in our local community.
Kenton Foodbank were astounded by your generosity as were we!
YEAR 3 LEARNING GALLERY AUTUMN 1
CAREERS
Sam Fender won the Mercury Music Prize. It was held in Newcastle for the first time. We love music at Archibald and being creative. Check out the link about Creative careers month.
Discover! Creative Careers Month 2025 - Creative Careers
Do you have a career or skill that you could share with our children. Please complete the form attached and we will be in touch.
FREE SCHOOL MEALS
Every child in Reception Year 1 and Year 2 is entitled to a free school meal but did you know… your child and their school may be able to get extra help if you receive one of the qualifying benefits below. We encourage all parents to apply for Free School Meals during their Reception Year, so Newcastle City Council can assess whether your child and their school can receive this extra help. Even if your child does not want to take up a cooked meal during the school day, your school can still receive this additional help.
We also actively encourage all parents of all children in every year group to ensure they have signed up; you never know when circumstances may change...
You can check out eligibility and apply here: https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/services/schools -learning-and-childcare/help-school-andlearning-costs/apply-free-school-meals
This can help to pay towards the cost of trips and a club for your child. If you are eligible for free school meals, vouchers are issued during holiday times for the supermarket of your choice!
Newcastle City Council operates an Apply Once process for Free School Meals. During your child's academic life you will only ever have to apply once for Free School Meals while they attend a Newcastle school. If your application is refused, they will continue to check your details on a weekly basis, unless you tell them to stop. This means we will know if you start to get a qualifying benefit. They will approve your child’s free school meals application and contact you. If you apply through the online portal, you will receive an immediate response to your application.
School will be informed of your child's Free School Meal application on a weekly basis.
STEM WEEK
What an incredible STEM Week we’ve had at Archibald! The excitement and curiosity buzzing through the corridors has been out of this world—quite literally! Each class took on the challenge of exploring a different planet in our solar system, diving into fascinating facts and discoveries about what makes each one unique. From Mercury’s scorching surface to Neptune’s icy winds, our pupils became true space explorers!
The week culminated in a fantastic Science Showcase Assembly, where pupils proudly presented their projects to the whole school community. Year 2 even went the extra mile, hosting a special lunchtime exhibition of their incredible home learning projects for parents and friends to enjoy.
STEM Week truly captured the spirit of curiosity, collaboration, and creativity that lies at the heart of learning here at Archibald. A huge well done to all our young scientists, engineers, writers and artists—you’ve made this week a stellar success!
YEAR 4 LEARNING GALLERY AUTUMN 1
POPPIES FOR REMEMBRANCE
EYFS LEARNING GALLERY AUTUMN 1
POLITE REMINDERS
ARCHIBALD BOOK SWAP: Each morning, we place two trolleys at the front of school. One is filled with 'Books for grown-ups' and another with 'Books for children' The idea is that you can ‘Take a book’ and ‘Leave a book’. The idea is that you can ‘Take a book’ and ‘Leave a book’.
As you take your first book to read, please leave a book for someone else to enjoy.
If you do take a book to read, you can then return it back once you have finished with it and collect another.
If you have any good quality and appropriate books that you could donate to the trolleys, we would be very grateful. Sadly, our stocks have depleted as books have NOT been returned. Please bring these in to the school office.
ATTENDANCE
So far this year, our collective attendance is 97.3%. This is great and shows that our children are coming to school every day they possibly can.
Sadly, we do have some children already classed as being persistently absent. The Attendance and Welfare team from the Local Authority have contacted school, and as per government regulations, we will be contacting these families directly.
Children should only be absent from school when they are unwell or need to attend medical or dental appointments at the hospital. If possible, we ask you to try and book appointments outside of school hours but we know that this is not always possible.
APPOINTMENTS: If your child needs to attend an appointment during school hours, you are requested to show school the text confirmation, email confirmation or appointment letter. This can be shown at the office or sent in via email to office@archibaldfirstschool.co.uk. This enables us to authorise the absence as a 'medical'.
ILLNESS: If your child is unwell, you need to let school know before 8.45am on the first day of the absence. If the absence is going to continue, please contact us again on the second day to update us. You can report an absence via office@archibaldfirstschool.co.uk, leave a message on the answerphone or you can speak to a member of staff in the office.
If you need to keep your child off school for any other reason, please ask for a form from the office. Holidays cannot be authorised and the new DfE guidance means that we will be issuing fixed penalties when children have 10 or more unauthorised sessions (5 days) in a 10 week period. There is more detail on Newcastle City Council Website. Our attendance officer works for NCC and visits school regularly to review data and issue fines.
CONTACTING SCHOOL
Strong relationships between home and school are important to us at Archibald. We value all feedback and hope that we can use it to continue to improve the school and provide the best experience for your child.
If you do have any suggestions, comments, questions or queries please do not hesitate to make contact with the staff when these arise: there is no need to wait until a parent’s evening or an open event.
We understand that often due to work commitments it may not always be possible for you to speak to a member of staff at the beginning or end of the school day. We also know you will appreciate that teachers cannot come out of the classroom to make calls or speak with you during teaching time. Therefore, please contact the school office and we can arrange a telephone call / meeting at a mutually convenient time.
Points of Contact: In the majority of cases, the first point of contact would be your child’s class teacher.
We also have senior members of staff within the school who lead the different age phases. These are Mrs McNally for the Early Years Foundation Stage, Mrs Howard for Key Stage 1 (years 1 and 2) and Mrs Mullick for Key Stage 2 (years 3 and 4). Mrs Ward in her role as Special Educational Needs and Disability Leader is also a point of contact.
Mrs Mullick as Deputy Headteacher and Mrs Turner, as Head Teacher, are also available.
YEAR 1 LEARNING GALLERY AUTUMN 1
DATES & LETTERS
- 3rd School opens at 8.40am for Autumn 2
- 4th Parents' Evening
- 4th 1/2 Year 4 with artist Ben Holland
- 5th SEND Coffee morning 8.45am-9.45am
- 5th Parents' Evening
- 6th 1/2 Year 4 to Hatton Gallery
- 6th Year 4 Rugby sessions in school begin
- 7th Family Learning: Time to Talk for Reception begins 9-11am
- 10th KS1 Antibullying Workshop
- 10th KS2 Antibullying Workshop
- 12th Scholastic Book Fair begins
- 13th Year 4 to Beamish
- 13th Year 3 Squash Session (PE kits please)
- 13th Class 3 Parent Lunch
- 14th Family Learning: Time to Talk for Reception week 2 9-11am
- 18th Class 10 Bikeability
- 18th Scholastic Book Fair ends
- 19th Class 9 Bikeability
- 20th Year 1 to Newcastle Castle
- 20th Class 6 Parent Lunch 12pm
- 21st Year 3 to The Sill
- 21st Class 4 Parent Lunch 12pm
- 21st Family Learning: Time to Talk for Reception week 3 9-11am
- 26th Post Adoption Coffee morning 8.45am-9.45am
- 28th Family Learning: Time to Talk for Reception week 4 9-11am
- Family Learning - Reception
- Year 4 Beamish
- Year 3 The Sill
- Pumpkin Competition