Dear Parents and Carers,
It was wonderful to welcome the children back after the Easter break. They have settled well into the daily routines of school as we look forward to warmer weather in the final term of this year. With the last performance of Oliver Jr! this weekend, we are anticipating that the next half term will be a little calmer, allowing the children to refocus on their classroom learning.
The school is incredibly proud of the achievements and remarkable talent of all those who played a part in the Oliver Jr! production and we thank you for your continued support in enabling the children to be a part of such an incredible experience and performance.
Best wishes,
Cheryl Woolf
Executive Headteacher
Diary Dates
New dates in italics
April 2024
- Friday 19th & Saturday 20th - Oliver Jr! Production
- Friday 19th - Year 5/6 Aquathlon
- Monday 22nd - Girls' Football match vs Bournes Green
- Wednesday 24th - Year 5 Trip to West Stow Village
- Thursday 25th - Y5/6 football @ Chalkwell from 3.30pm
- Friday 26th - Swim Squad training
- Be Internet Legends Assembly
May 2024
- Thursday 2nd - Danbury meeting for parents @ 2.15pm
- Forest School club - session 5
- Friday 3rd - Maths Quiz Club Area Heat
- Swim Squad Training
- Monday 6th - Bank Holiday Monday
- Tuesday 7th - Lower School Healthy Eating Assembly
- Adalah Care Home visit from 1pm
- Upper School Healthy Eating Assembly
- Thursday 9th - Creative Dance Festival @ Alleyn Court from 12.30pm
- Forest School club - session 6
- Friday 10th - Swim Squad training
- Year 3/4 tennis competition @ Garons from 9am
- Year 5/6 tennis competition from 12.30pm
- Monday 13th - Friday 17th - Year 6 SATs Week
- Thursday 16th - Ilam Hall meeting for Year 6 parents @ 7pm
- Year 5/6 Football friendly vs Fairways
- Friday 17th - Swim Squad Training
- Monday 20th - Friday 24th - Year 6 Awesome Art Week
- Monday 20th - Bikeability Week (6A & 6W)
- Tuesday 21st - Year 5 presentation to parents (5J & 5R) from 2pm
- Wednesday 22nd - Swimming Gala @ Garons - 12.30pm - 3pm
- Thursday 23rd - Year 5 presentation to parents (5K & 5F)
- SEESMA Area rehearsals
- Thursday 23rd - Mersea meeting for Year 4 parents @ 7pm
- Friday 24th - Year 5 Poetry performance to school
- Year 5/6 Rounders Competition
- Monday 27th - Bank Holiday Monday
- Tuesday 28th - Friday 31st - May Half Term
June 2024
- Monday 3rd - INSET Day
- Tuesday 4th - Friday 14th - Multiplication Tables Checks
- Tuesday 4th - Bikeability Week (6D & 6P)
- Adalah Care Home visit from 1pm
- Wednesday 5th - Parent Council meeting @ 6pm
- Monday 10th - Friday 14th Years 3, 4 & 5 Test Week
- Monday 20th - Seesma rehearsal and concert @ Cliffs Pavillion
- Tuesday 11th - Father David Lower School Assembly
- Late Book Look (6pm - 7pm)
- Wednesday 12th - Father David Upper School Assembly
- Borough Sports - 12pm - 3pm
- Thursday 13th - Friday 14th - Year 3 Residential to Danbury
- Thursday 13th - Transition meeting for Year 4 parents (7.30pm)
- Monday 17th - Music workshop Year 4
- Tuesday 18th - Year 3 Induction Meeting for Year 2 parents from 7.30pm
- Thursday 20th - SPSSA Southend Gotta Dance @ The Palace Theatre from 7pm
- Sunday 23rd - Girls' Choir concert @ Plaza Centre from 3pm
- Monday 24th - Friday 28th - Year 6 Residential to Ilam Hall and Southend Week
- Tuesday 25th & Wednesday 26th - Year 6 Transition Day (King John)
- Tuesday 25th - Super Sports (track) @ Garons from 4pm
- Wednesday 26th - Super Sports (field) @ Garons from 4pm
July 2024
- Tuesday 2nd - King John Transition morning
- Adalah Care Home visit from 1pm
- Wednesday 3rd - 3T & 3M Field Study
- Friday 5th - Year 6 Transition Day
- Year 3N & 3L Field Study
- Monday 8th - Fun Swim Week
- Wednesday 10th - Meet your new teacher day
- Thursday 11th - Open Evening (4.30pm - 6pm)
- Monday 15th - Year 6 House Team Swimming Gala
- Tuesday 16th - Sports Morning
- Friday 19th - Last Day of Term
- No After School Club
- Monday 22nd - INSET DAY
Year 3
The children have had a great first week of the summer term. In English, they have been introduced to ‘This Morning I met a Whale’ by Michael Morpurpo which is their new Layered Reading book. They have written a first person recount of Michael’s experience by the River Thames and created a setting description.
In science, the children have begun their new topic on plants and were able to create detailed labelled diagrams explaining each part of a flowering plant and its functions.
Connected Curriculum has been focused on geography this week, firstly labelling rivers across the United Kingdom and using an atlas to identify which sea they flow into. Our highlight was our trip to Old Leigh on Thursday morning which really hooked the children into the new topic ‘Old Father Thames,' allowing them to create some beautiful beach art to represent the river and complete a scavenger hunt of questions which really tested the children’s detailed observation.
A big thank you to those parents who accompanied us as without your continued support, these curriculum enhancing trips would just not be possible.
New KIRFS have been issued to the children via their Communication Books for them to practise and spellings have been issued ready for testing on Mondays. Please also take note of this half term's PE days (at the bottom of this newsletter) to ensure your child has the correct uniform.
Enjoy a restful weekend with your families.
Year 4
It has been lovely to welcome the children back for their final term of Year 4, seemingly refreshed after their holiday.
They have been excited to experience the works of Shakespeare within our English lessons this week. The focus has been an abridged version of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ where they have examined some of the characters and relationships between them. Inspired by the character of Puck, they have also used creative language to describe a magical creature of their choice.
As mathematicians, they have reviewed the properties of geometric shapes, such as triangles and quadrilaterals and used specialist language to identify, name and describe them.
In science, the children have begun the topic of electricity and have observed electrical appliances which run off the mains, those which use batteries and those which do both. They have outlined the possible dangers of electricity in the home and how electricity should be used safely.
The end of the week has culminated in the introduction of our new Connected Curriculum topic ‘All the Fun of The Fair’. Based on the new theme park proposal in Bedford, the children have researched and designed a theme park of their choice. They have considered the target audience and the entertainment value which was then costed and presented in class in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style.
To confirm: the PE timetable for this half term is as follows:
- Mon: 4G, 4E, 4S
- Tues 4B
- Wed 4E, 4G
- Thurs 4S, 4B
Year 5
It is wonderful to see the children rejuvenated and engaged during their first week of the summer term. We hope you enjoyed some well-earned family time and manged to enjoy the teasing glimpses of sunshine.
Pirates encroached upon the corridors of Year 5 this week as the children were immersed in our new Connected Curriculum topic `Sailing the Seven Seas`. Throughout the day, they travelled between locations, using individually composed sea shanties to race against each other. They interpreted artefacts in a suitcase as historical clues to work out who the owner was. They also began to compare the contrasting beliefs of 400BCE and the present day.
Our study of living beings continues this term as we began our new topic `Life Cycles`. As always, the children rose to the challenge by using their own scientific research skills to investigate and categorise the timeline of human growth and development. They showed fantastic reflective skills as they analysed the moments so far in their lives when leaps in development have been made.
We also introduced our new Layered Reading book, “The Firework Makers Daughter”. Although this is only our first week, this engaging fantasy novel has allowed the children to: analyse character interactions; formulate comprehensive answers and clarify their use of consistent tense when writing. You may wish to ask the children who Hamlet is and how he is used as punishment for the courtiers.
During maths, we have been consolidating the children`s understanding of place value and working with numbers to one million.
We are looking forward to an eventful summer term, confident the children will continue to demonstrate a determination for learning.
Year 6
This week, following our return from the Easter break, the children have continued their revision programme in both maths and English. In addition to focusing on key aspects for the upcoming SATs, they have also taken time to edit and refine their flanimal reports as they write their final version.
In Connected Curriculum, there was much excitement across all four classrooms, which also spilled into the corridor, and even the Year 6 cloakroom, as the pupils learned more about 18 of the most influential and significant Britons of all time. During this hook activity, they were challenged to identify the correct order of events and then justify their choices of who they believed to be the most significant Briton of all time.
Additionally, as scientists, they have shared their current knowledge of the internal systems of the human body that are common in all humans - both male and female - and identified how many of their current beliefs and ideas contrast with the reality of the internal systems of humans.
Of course, with a tennis festival and Oliver rehearsals involving many pupils during the course of the week, it is quite likely that some pupils might not have completed all of these learning opportunities; however, we look forward to being able to have a calmer week next week.
Online Safety
Potentially addictive online games are nothing new, but the specifics of this kind of media can vary enormously and as a consequence, the risks in each individual game are just as diverse. The city-builder, Township, is no exception, providing its legions of devotees with accessible, satisfying fun … but exposing them to potential hazards at the same time.
However, any safeguarding issues that the game might have can (with a little know-how) be neutralised – allowing young players to have some fun without adults needing to worry about children’s data, their money or their mental well-being. Our guide outlines how to help young gamers enjoy Township safely and responsibly.
The National College and Online Safety
If you still need to sign up to the Online Safety portal, please follow the link https://nationalcollege.com/enrol/west-leigh-junior-school and add yourself as a parent.
Key Notices this Week
Uniform: We are pleased to announce that we have secured a new online uniform supplier. Myclothing.com can be used to order selected items of school uniform. They will embroider polo shirts, PE t-shirts and sweatshirts to order and aim to deliver in 3-5 days. Please use the following code for a 10% discount, valid from 15th July - 28th July: WEST_LEIGH_10%
Please click on the link below to view West Leigh Schools' page: https://myclothing.com/collections/west-leigh-schools-29145
Water Bottles: Please ensure that only plastic or metal bottles are permitted in school - no glass bottles, please.
School Street:
Inspirational Person
This half term, we have learned about the work of Nicholas Lowinger. At the age of five, he was inspired to help homeless people when he visited a shelter and realised that children had to wear used shoes, which often did not fit well. When he was seventeen, he set up 'Gotta Have Sole' - a charity delivering new shoes to homeless children. We were greatly inspired by his drive to change at such a young age, and his quote: "No one is ever too young or old to help others. Kids don’t always realise that they have the power to make a difference."
Last half term's Showbie challenge was a great success and many children were awarded prizes. This half term, the challenge is to design a pair of shoes to help Nicholas spread the word about his charity. There is a template in the 'Inspirational People' Showbie folder.
Dinner Menu
Week 2
Monday - Homemade creamy Cheese and Vegetable Pasta with Garlic Bread - Jacket Potato with Baked Beans, Cheese or Tuna Mayo - Wholemeal Wrap with Ham and Tortilla Chips - Sweetcorn, Coleslaw and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Raspberry Mousse.
Tuesday - Sweet and Sour Chicken with Pineapple - Sweet and Sour Quorn with Pineapple - Granary Baguette with Cheese - Steamed Rice, Sweetcorn and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruit Jelly.
Wednesday - Pork Sausage Toad in the Hole with Gravy - Vegan Sausage Toad in The Hole with Gravy - Granary Baguette with Tuna Mayonnaise - Mashed Potatoes, Carrots/ Green Beans and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Cherry Chocolate Cake.
Thursday - Mild Chilli Con Carne - Vegetable and Bean Chilli Con Carne - Jacket Potato with Baked Beans, Cheese or Tuna Mayo - Steamed Rice and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Cornflake Crunch.
Friday - Margherita Pizza with Tortilla Chips - Vegan Pizza with Tortilla Chips - Wholemeal Wrap with Salmon and Sweetcorn Tortilla Chips - Salad Bar, Homemade Coleslaw and Garden Salad - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruit Jelly.
Swimming
Please ensure that your child has their full kit with them on swimming days as we will no longer be phoning home for forgotten kits.
Monday
- 3M - Mrs Millham
- 4B - Mr Boylan
- 3N - Mrs Nash & Mrs Mitchinson
Tuesday
- 3L - Miss Playfair
- 4G - Mrs Garrett & Mrs Nash
- 4S - Miss Street
Wednesday
- 3T - Mrs Thompson
- 5K - Miss Chapman
- 5R - Mrs Lewis
Thursday
- 6D - Miss Fletcher
- 5J - Mrs Wilson
- 5F - Mrs Flower
Friday
- 6W - Mr Dunn
- 4E - Mrs Rodger
- 6P - Miss Poysden
- 6A - Mrs Mears
PE Lessons
Please ensure that your child is wearing their full kit on PE days as we will no longer be phoning home for forgotten kits.
First Half Term:
3L
- Indoor PE - Wednesday
- Outdoor PE - Friday
3M
- Indoor PE - Wednesday
- Outdoor PE - Thursday
3N
- Indoor PE - Tuesday
- Outdoor PE - Thursday
3T
- Indoor PE - Tuesday
- Outdoor PE - Friday
4B
- Indoor PE - Tuesday
- Outdoor PE - Thursday
4E
- Indoor PE - Monday
- Outdoor PE - Wednesday
4G
- Indoor PE - Monday
- Outdoor PE - Wednesday
4S
- Indoor PE - Monday
- Outdoor PE - Thursday
5F
- Indoor PE - Friday
- Outdoor PE - Tuesday
5J
- Indoor PE - Friday
- Outdoor PE - Monday
5K
- Indoor PE - Friday
- Outdoor PE - Tuesday
5R
- Indoor PE - Thursday
- Outdoor PE - Monday
6A
- Indoor - Thursday
- Outdoor - Monday
6D
- Indoor - Wednesday
- Outdoor - Tuesday
6P
- Indoor - Thursday
- Outdoor - Tuesday
6W
- Indoor - Thursday
- Outdoor - Monday
Attendance
Congratulations to 5F who achieved 100% attendance this week - a great start to the term!