Today has been fantastic seeing our children arrive at school with the most amazing and creative hairstyles for Comic Relief! I am always impressed by how West Leigh wholeheartedly embraces special days. The enthusiasm and spirit shown by our children and staff demonstrates the community spirit of the school. Thank you all for your participation and for raising money for a worthwhile cause.
Mr Aggus
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Spring Diary Dates - Year 3 - Year 4 - Year 5 - Year 6 - Online Safety - News Stories
Sports News - Inspiration Person - Competitions - Dinner Menu - Attendance
Golden Thank Yous - Awards - House Points - PTA - Parent Council - Community
Spring Term Dates
March
- Monday 24th - Year 6 Mock SATs Week
- Tuesday 25th - Public Speaking Competition @ Thorpe Hall School
- Year 4 presentation @ 2pm (4B & 4C)
- Wednesday 26th - Significant Females Sale
- Thursday 27th - Year 6 Netball League Fixture @ Alleyn Court
- Year 4 presentation @ 2pm (4E & 4SW)
- Year 3/4 Football Match v Fairways
- Friday 28th - Year 5/6 Aquathlon
- Carmina Burana
- Year 3 PE @ Fields
- Monday 31st - Year 5/6 Boys' Football v Greenways
April
- Tuesday 1st - Learning Conferences
- Wednesday 2nd - Cross Country Essex Finals
- Coastal Schools - 4SW (missed from last term)
- Thursday 3rd - Learning Conferences
- Friday 4th - Y5/6 Padel Competition @ Garon Park
- Team Challenge
- Monday 7th - Monday 21st - Easter Holidays
Year 3
Year 3 have continued to work through their spring assessments this week. The children have demonstrated great resilience when faced with challenges and should be proud of their hard work.
The children have also been working incredibly hard developing greater confidence with their running stitch. Their ambrosia bags are really taking shape and we thank all the parent helpers for their continued support. This week has seen the children secure their appliqué designs onto their bags, so when lost on Mount Olympus, Zeus can return their bags.
In English lessons, the children have been completing work based on the picture book, Journey. They used their observation skills and reasoned with one another to understand the storyline. The children have begun to describe the settings within the story using exciting vocabulary.
The children continued their dance lessons in PE. There has been some creative choreography shown across the year group. 3M were lucky enough to watch 6D dance this week. Meanwhile, 3S and 3T have been learning to perform different throws in athletics. The training for the LA 2028 Olympics has begun!
Reminders:
- Next week, 3T will swim on Monday instead of Wednesday
- The Significant Females Sale will be taking place on Wednesday. Please send money in a purse, wallet or named envelope.
Letters sent home this week
- Whole School - Learning Conferences - 07.03.2025
- Whole School - Learning Conferences Booking Information - 07.03.2025
Swimming
- 3M - Tuesday
- 3S - Wednesday
- 3H - Monday
- 3T - Wednesday
PE
- 3M - Wednesday - Indoor PE - Friday - Outdoor PE
- 3S - Tuesday - Indoor PE - Thursday - Outdoor PE
- 3H - Tuesday - Indoor PE - Friday - Outdoor PE
- 3T - Monday - Indoor PE - Thursday - Outdoor PE
Year 4
With the performances to parents on the near horizon, oracy has been our focus in English lessons. This has linked to previous work on playscripts.
Reading skills have been further developed in our Layered Reading lessons. The children have been skimming and scanning a chapter in order to find out about Roman bath houses. They expressed what they would like and dislike about being at the Roman baths and justified the reasons for their choices.
In maths, through playing a variety of games and using a range of resources, the children have been continuing to work on improving the accuracy and speed of their times tables recall. In addition to this, we have been focusing on how money is used in relation to economic well-being. Through discussions, we have focused on the role money plays in people’s lives; attitudes people have towards it; different methods of payment and what influences people’s choices on how it is spent.
As geographers, we have used atlases and maps to locate Roman towns, also identifying their modern names. In addition, the children explored and located the Roman roads which link them.
Reminders:
- Next week, 4SW will swim on Wednesday instead of Monday.
- The Significant Females Sale will be taking place on Wednesday. Please send money in a purse, wallet or named envelope.
The Year 4 performances:
- Tuesday 25th March at 2pm for parents of 4B and 4C
- Thursday 27th March at 2pm for parents of 4E and 4SW
Letters sent home this week
- Whole School - Learning Conferences - 07.03.2025
- Whole School - Learning Conferences Booking Information - 07.03.2025
Swimming
- 4B - Monday
- 4E - Thursday (this week only)
- 4SW - Monday
- 4C - Wednesday
PE
- 4B - Wednesday - Indoor PE - Thursday - Outdoor PE
- 4E - Monday - Indoor PE - Tuesday - Outdoor PE
- 4SW - Friday - Indoor PE - Tuesday - Outdoor PE
- 4C - Monday - Indoor PE - Thursday - Outdoor PE
Year 5
In Year 5 this week, our spring test week has gone very well. The children have worked hard to demonstrate their learning in maths, reading and GPS and have shown great resilience. It has been lovely to end on a fun high with our crazy hair day in aid of Comic Relief. As always, we have been surprised and delighted with the creativity and artistry shown by a wild array of curls, hair bands, scarves, and even some amazingly repurposed everyday items!
In our Layered Reading lessons, we have focused on how authors engage readers through the use of figurative language, including the use of hyperbole, personification and alliteration. Using The Great Wave text, the children collected a selection of figurative and emotive language and used the story as inspiration for their own stories based on The Great Wave of Plastic.
The Great Wave has also inspired our artwork this term. Hokusai’s Great Wave Off Kanagawa has been the starting point for the children’s journey into art interpretation and appreciation. They have used their senses to describe their thoughts about the image, stretching both their imagination and vocabulary to discuss the themes and ideas within the artwork. Consideration of the elements of art and also how the various parts are configured have allowed the children to practise their sketching skills in readiness for their own interpretation of this most famous of Japanese artworks.
Reminder:
- The Significant Females Sale will be taking place on Wednesday. Please send money in a purse, wallet or named envelope.
Letters sent home this week
- Whole School - Learning Conferences - 07.03.2025
- Whole School - Learning Conferences Booking Information - 07.03.2025
Swimming
- 5K - Tuesday
- 5F - Thursday
- 5L - Tuesday
- 5G - Thursday
PE
- 5K - Friday - Indoor PE - Wednesday - Outdoor PE
- 5F- Friday - Indoor PE - Wednesday - Outdoor PE
- 5L - Thursday - Indoor PE - Monday - Outdoor PE
- 5G - Tuesday - Indoor PE - Monday - Outdoor PE
Year 6
In Connected Curriculum, the pupils have been deepening their understanding of climate change, and how the major issues can be addressed through positive actions to enable the future of our planet. They have also enjoyed applying a range of design skills in order to construct their electronic games linked to the rainforest. It has been pleasing to see how they have transformed their ideas from planning into an interactive game.
In science, Year 6 have considered adaptations required for the survival of a fictional creature, the Nosmic. With boundless imagination, students have explored various adaptations, envisioning how this creature could thrive in its environment. From unique physical features to specialised behaviours, there has been a wealth of diverse ideas reflecting the ingenuity and creativity of our students.
Reminders:
- NEXT WEEK: The pupils will have their SATs Mock Week throughout the week, providing them with the opportunity to showcase their learning but also to identify areas for further development.
- On Wednesday 26 March, the whole year group will be going to fields for a PE session from 1:30pm to 3:15pm.
- The Significant Females Sale will also be taking place on Wednesday. Please send money in a purse, wallet or named envelope.
Letters sent home this week
- Whole School - Learning Conferences - 07.03.2025
- Whole School - Learning Conferences Booking Information - 07.03.2025
Swimming
- All Classes - Friday
PE
- 6D - Wednesday - Indoor PE - Monday - Outdoor PE
- 6A - Thursday - Indoor PE - Tuesday - Outdoor PE
- 6P - Thursday - Indoor PE - Monday - Outdoor PE
- 6W - Thursday - Indoor PE - Tuesday - Outdoor PE
Online Safety
Every year, Comic Relief goes all out to help people, both in the UK and internationally, who are going through a tough time. For children and young people in particular – many of those difficult moments increasingly originate from and unfold in the digital world.
From inappropriate content to the toxic behaviour of others, online harms can do long-lasting damage. That’s why it's important to support this new generation to build their digital resilience – equipping them to deal with digital dangers. This week’s guide has a selection of tips for encouraging safe and healthy online habits.
We've compiled a list of useful suggestions which could help you and your family strike the right balance and build digital resilience.
On Tuesday 29th April, we would like to invite you to an online safety parent workshop at 7pm. In today's digital age, it is crucial to equip ourselves with the knowledge and tools to ensure our children's online experiences are safe and positive.
During this workshop, we will cover essential topics such as parental controls on games and apps and fostering open communication with your children about their online activities. We will be joined by Lisa Kenevan and Hollie Dance, who have put together a video and presentation that they would like to share with you as part of their 'Be Challange Aware' programme.
We look forward to seeing you there and working together to create a safer online environment for our children.
News Stories
Waddle On Sea
This week, a selection of children from across the school were excited to have the opportunity to begin painting our baby penguin for the Waddle-on-Sea trail. Using the winning designs from our competition winners, Eva Hancock (Year 5) and Freddie Gray (Year 5), the children set about painting a section each. We are looking forward to seeing the design take shape over the coming weeks, in readiness for the trail that will take place across Southend between 11th July and 3rd September.
Website Creators
Five girls from Year 6 have created their own website to spread the word about how important it is to take care of nature for the future.
Making it their mission to make the world a better place, the girls - known as HFE (Happiness for Everyone), plan to inspire their community to protect and care for the planet. Why not check out their website.
Playground Games
Mrs Bassett has received some training from Mr Markham and is now setting up daily games for children to play. Anyone can join in and there have already been a variety of games such as Speed Stacks, table tennis and bean bag throwing! It's been really lovely to see children from across all year groups playing together.
Airport Roleplay
Thank you so much to all those who donated items for our airport prop box. The children had great fun packing their bags, serving meals and putting their feet up whilst playing airports this week! We'd still love some more items if you have any at home that you are able to donate from the following list: sunglasses; sun hats; neck pillows; eye masks and small pull along suitcases.
Quiz Club
This week, our second Quiz Club team competed in the semi-final of the General Knowledge Championships. Once again, the questions tested their knowledge across a wide array of topics yet the boys remained focused and worked effectively as a team. Despite the level of challenge, the team made it to tenth place. We hope they have done enough to earn a place alongside their peers in the final at Oxford University in July but will need to wait for all the area heats to have taken place until this is confirmed. Whatever happens, we are extremely proud of their efforts - well done boys!
Sports News Stories
Girls' Football vs Richmond
The Year 5/6 girls’ football team played their last league match against Prince Avenue on Monday. The team started strong, putting together fantastic passes into space to advance up the pitch to take shots at the goal. Prince Avenue's defenders worked incredibly hard throughout the match, making great clearances and the keeper made superb saves. At the half time whistle, the score was 2-0 to West Leigh. In the second half, the team continued to play with great confidence, determination and brilliant team work, keeping the attacking pressure to end the match with an 8-0 win. The team have worked incredibly hard over the last three years to improve their football skills at training and in matches and can be incredibly proud of their achievements throughout the season.
Sportshall Athletics Essex Finals
The Year5/6 Sportshall Athletics team competed in the Essex finals this week, once again putting their hearts and souls into to every event. Our athletes bounced like kangaroos on the speed bounce and high into the air for the vertical jump. The javelins flew through the air with impressive throws and strong chest push throws, alongside smooth relay baton changeovers and leaps over hurdles and through tunnels in the obstacle relays. The whole squad put in an incredible effort and supported their fellow athletes in every event with superb encouragement. The team managed to finish in 5th place in Essex. A huge congratulations to all of the children who were a credit to the school.
Year 3/4 Boys' Football v Chalkwell
Fantastic football matches took place at Chalkwell Park this week! Boys from Years 3 and 4 competed against Chalkwell Hall Junior School in two friendly matches. Both teams were full of enthusiasm and were incredibly excited to represent the school. The boys grew in confidence throughout the matches and despite losing, they played with smiles on their faces and fought to the very end!
Inspirational Person - Ann Makosinski
This half term, we have been learning how empathy can lead to innovation! Ann Makosinski was only fifteen years old when her friend told her she had failed a grade at school because she did not have electricity at home and she could not study as a result. Ann was determined to find a solution to the problem, and to help her friend - and she did! She invented a special torch called the Hollow Flashlight - a torch that uses body heat in order to work. Ann's empathy didn't end there - she is now working to ensure that Hollow Flashlights are available for free to everyone in the world who cannot afford electricity.
This half term's Showbie challenge is to consider a problem that exists in the world today. It might be a big problem, or it could be something for someone that you know, like Ann.
Invent something that will help to solve that problem! Draw a picture of your invention and label it, explaining what it will do and how it will help.
Children can upload their entries to the 'Inspirational People' folder on Showbie.
Competitions
Easter Art Competition
This Easter, we would like to invite all children to take part in a creative art competition by decorating an Easter egg (using the template emailed home). We encourage the children to be as creative as possible and cannot wait to see what they come up with!
Prizes will be awarded to each class as well as a prize for every child taking part. Entries will need to be brought to school by Monday 31st March.
Dinner Menu
Week 2
Monday - Homemade Macaroni Cheese with Garlic Bread - Jacket Potato with Baked Beans, Cheese or Tuna Mayonnaise - Granary Baguette with Cheese - Sweetcorn and Saad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Raspberry Mousse
Tuesday - Pork Sausage - Vegan Sausage - Wholemeal Wrap with Egg Mayo - Yorkshire Pudding - Mashed Potatoes, Garden Peas and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruit Jelly
Wednesday - Minced Beef and Onion Puff Pastry Pie with Gravy - Winter Vegetable Puff Pastry Pie with Gravy - Jacket Potato with Baked Beans, Cheese or Tuna Mayonnaise - Roast Potatoes - Carrots/Sweetcorn and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Cornflake Cherry Crunch
Thursday - Chicken Thigh Curry - Cauliflower and Vegetable Curry - Jacket Potato with Baked Beans, Cheese and Tuna Mayonnaise - Coleslaw, Sweetcorn and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Chocolate Prune Cake
Friday - Battered Chicken Steak - Vegetable & Cheese Bake - Granary Baguette with Salmon and Sweetcorn - Diced Potatoes, Spaghetti Hoops and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Ice Cream
Don't forget to check out our new online bookshop here.
Awards
This week, Vida Foster from 3S was awarded the Most Improved in Sport award, for an improved technique when releasing the shot put.
Harry Bates from 4C was awarded the Sports Performer of the Week award, For demonstrating quick, close-control dribbling to break through Chalkwell’s resilient defence!
Parent Council
The full list of councillors, along with their email addresses if you wish to contact them, can be found on our school website. The minutes from our meetings are also published on this page, which can be found using the following link: https://www.westleighjunior.co.uk/parent-council
A reminder that answers to many of the previously discussed items at parent council can be found on the 'hot topics' section of our website: https://www.westleighjunior.co.uk/hot-topics
This includes subjects such as lost property, lunchtime arrangements, clubs and much more.
We still have vacancies in 4C and 6P - if you are able to spare an evening each term to represent your class, it would be of great benefit to the school. Our meetings are held at 4.30pm and councillors are able to use our After School Club, free of charge to assist with child care during the meeting. Please contact Mrs London if you are able to volunteer.
Community News
We've created a dedicated space on our website to share flyers for local events and community support. Click the link below to explore what's happening in our area.
Summer Term Diary Dates
April
- Monday 21st - Easter Monday
- Tuesday 22nd - Summer Term 1
- Thursday 24th - Year 3 Visit to Old Leigh - 9am - 12pm
- Year 5 Transition and Selection meeting (for current Year 4 parents) 7.30pm - 8.30pm
- Year 5 Chocolate Workshop (Session 1)
- Friday 25th - Year 5 Chocolate Workshop (Session 2)
- Year 3/4 Tennis Competition @ 9am
- Year 5/6 Tennis Competition @ 12.15pm
- Monday 28th - Year 5 Geography Field Trip to Belfairs Woods
- Tuesday 29th - Girls' Netball Competition
- Internet Safety Meeting for Parents @ 7pm
- Wednesday 30th - Year 3/4 Quad Kids
May
- Thursday 1st - Dance Festival @ Alleyn Court
- Friday 2nd - Year 3/4 Boys' Southend Football Competition
- Wednesday 7th - Year 5/6 Quad Kids
- Thursday 8th - VE Day 80th Anniversary Celebrations
- Monday 12th - Year 6 SATs Week
- No swimming all week
- Thursday 15th - Ilam Hall meeting for parents @ 7pm
- Friday 16th - Swim Squad training
- Monday 19th - Swim Squad Training
- Class Photos
- Tuesday 20th - Year 6 Field Study (Southend)
- Year 3 Presentation @ 2pm (3M & 3S)
- Wednesday 21st - Maths Quiz Club Area Heat
- Swimming Gala @ Garon Park
- Thursday 22nd - Year 3 Presentation @ 2pm (3T & 3H)
- Seesma Rehearsals @ Wesley Church
- Friday 23rd - Year 6 Rounders Festival
- Monday 26th - Friday 30th - Half Term
June
- Monday 2nd - INSET Day
- Wednesday 4th - Year 6 Cricket Competition (boys)
- Thursday 5th - School Council Visit to Houses of Parliament
- Year 6 Cricket Competition (girls)
- Danbury Meeting for Year 3 Parents @ 2.30pm
- Friday 6th - Careers Day
- Monday 9th - Wednesday 18th - Assessments in Years 3 - 5
- Seesma Concert - 7pm - 9.30pm
- Monday 9th - Thursday 19th - Year 6 Bikeability
- Wednesday 11th - Borough Sports
- Thursday 12th - Year 4 Transition and Mersea Meeting for Parents @ 7pm
- Saturday 14th - Summer Fayre
- Monday 16th - Parent Council Meeting @ 4.30pm
- Monday 23rd - Friday 27th - Ilam Hall Residential and Southend Activity Week (Year 6)
- Tuesday 24th - Super Sports - Track
- Year 6 Induction King John and The Deanes Schools
- Wednesday 25th - Super Sports - Field
- Year 6 Induction King John and The Deanes Schools
- Thursday 26th - Year 3 Field Study @ Leigh Beach
July
- Thursday 3rd - Friday 4th - Year 3 Residential to Danbury
- Friday 4th - Year 6-7 Transition Day
- General Knowledge Quiz Club Finals @ Oxford University
- Monday 7th - Sports Day
- Tuesday 15th - Open Evening 5pm - 7pm
- Friday 18th - Annual School Reports
- Monday 21st - Year 6 Swimming Gala
- Wednesday 23rd - Last day of term
Credits:
Created with images by Christy Thompson - "make a date" • Pixel-Shot - "Female hands with newspapers on color background" • Kaspars Grinvalds - "Tablet with sports news website on stack of newspapers. All contents are made up." • Maximilien - "Gift Illustration with Confetti: Giveaway, prize Concept " • Natalia Klenova - "Easter composition on grey concrete backgrount" • epicraw - "Close up man hands holding champion golden trophy on transparent background Generative AI" • Brian Jackson - "Calendar appointment"