porters grange weekly newsletter week ending 14th march 2025

Next Friday 21st March is Comic Relief and the School Council have decided that this is a charity they wish the school to support. Please look out for the letter from them outlining the activities for the day.

Portico Photography Competition

Celebrating Our Annual Book Door Challenge

Each year, our school comes together to celebrate our love of reading through the exciting and imaginative Book Door Challenge. As part of our Book Week festivities, we encourage everyone—students and staff alike—to bring their passion for reading to life by decorating classroom doors based on a book, story, or reading theme. It’s a wonderful way to showcase the creativity, enthusiasm, and positive reading habits that define our school community.

This year’s Book Door Challenge was a huge success, and we were thrilled to see so many beautiful and inspiring entries. The doors were truly works of art, each one filled with unique interpretations of beloved stories, recommendations or tips for reading. From colorful collages to intricate designs, every door reflected the creativity and imagination of our students and staff.

A special thank you goes to all who participated. Whether you were a child who enthusiastically took part or a staff member who helped bring these ideas to life, you all played an important role in making this challenge such a memorable event. Your hard work and love of reading shone through in every detail.

We hope that many of you were able to admire these incredible doors during our World Book Day family event. It was a fantastic opportunity for our school community to come together, share a love for reading, and celebrate the importance of storytelling in our lives.

After much consideration, we are excited to announce the winners of this year’s Book Door Challenge. Congratulations to Shell Class, Porpoise Class, and Octopus Class! These three classes went above and beyond in creating exceptional doors that truly captured the spirit of reading. Your creativity, teamwork, and dedication to the theme were inspiring, and we couldn't be more proud of your efforts. Check out the winners in the photos with their amazing new reads for their micro-libraries!

Once again, thank you to everyone who took part in this year’s Book Door Challenge. We can’t wait to see what next year brings! Let’s continue to celebrate and inspire each other through the wonderful world of books and reading.

Nursery

This week we have been celebrating science week by learning about growing plants. We have enjoyed listening to the story ‘Jack and the beanstalk’ and ‘Jasper’s bean’. We have planted our own bean seed and enjoyed talking about what the seed needs to grow.

Also, our children who are with us full time have started brushing their teeth within the session which has started so positively.

REMINDER: Please remember no toys from home are to be brought to Nursery.

Reception

This week we have had a lot of fun for Science week! We have explored using the magnets and sorted items into magnetic and not magnetic. We have iced biscuits and discussed how the powder changes when we add the icing sugar and food colouring.

In Maths we have been learning about 1 more and 1 less than a given number up to 10. We have been counting and ordering amounts to 10.

In phonics we have been learning to use our steady hand to hold the book or paper still when reading and writing. When writing we have been working hard to form our letters correctly and to write simple words and correctly spell the tricky words.

REMINDER: Please ensure you are reading with your child and logging this in their reading record.

Year 1

Year 1 have been working very hard creating instructions using time conjunctions and bossy verbs. We have had lots of fun acting out bossy verbs! We even made jam sandwiches and then wrote instructions for this!

In maths, the children have been working hard to differentiate between tens and ones in digits. We have been learning how to describe numbers. Furthermore, we have practised our counting, in 1s and 10s.

REMINDER: Please ensure you are reading with your child and logging this in their reading record.

PE is every Thursday if you haven’t already, please make sure your child has their kit, and that all jewellery is off on a Thursday.

You will also be receiving a letter about our upcoming school trip to the Sea Life Centre, please look out as this is a paid trip and will be on the first day back after the Easter holiday.

Year 2

Year 2 have been looking at features of instructions, they have been following and writing their own. The children have been learning to apply their knowledge when working with the 5 and 10 times table and applying it to more complex problems. The children have been talking about the pre- historic era and named some different dinosaur types, which they have loved! Did you know coprolites are fossilised dinosaur poo?

REMINDER: Please hear your child read at least 3 times a week and make a note of how they have read.

There have been a few cases of headlice in Y2 so please check your child’s hair. Let us know if your child has had a case of head lice and please treat them at home.

Year 3

This week we have been completing our NFER assessments. The children have been working really well and trying their best. In geography we have taken a virtual tour down the River Thames from source to mouth and in science we have been learning about different types of rocks.

REMINDER: Keep practising those times tables and the songs for our production next term.

Please don't forget to have the correct PE kit in school, including plimsolls or trainers.

Year 4

This week Year 4 have been completing NFER assessments and they have focused and worked well, we are super proud of their determination and motivation. In science we have revised information on the water cycle and have celebrated Science Week in our classes.

REMINDER: Next week we will be having a special tag rugby lesson with a sports coach on Wednesday. PLEASE ensure children have some PE kit in ready on Monday. Trainers are essential!

Year 5

This week, Year 5 have been completing their NFER assessments, using our learning powers and trying our best! In between tests, we have been revising key mathematical and comprehension techniques and strategies, giving ourselves the best chances to be successful. Outside of testing, in science, we learnt about how stereotypes can prevent people exploring a career in science (as part of Science Week) and that science is a subject for all. In PE, we looked at using communication and spatial awareness to identify space on a football pitch. Phew – what a busy week!

REMINDER: Please strive to bring a suitable PE kit into class. Also, please read daily and record this in your home school diaries.

Year 6

This week Year 6 were fortunate to have a Cyber Safety talk with Essex Police. The children learnt about the age restrictions across a variety of social media and were advised to change their device settings to friends and family only to keep them safe. In addition, they were advised to ask their parents about free phone tracking apps such as Life 360 and to imagine what it would be like if the words and images, they put on social media were printed on a t-shirt they had to wear. Would they still put this information on social media? It really encouraged the children to think carefully about their choices. In science, the children have been investigating how our heart rates change when we exercise and have all cooked a healthy meal as part of our DT lessons.

REMINDER: Please ensure that your child reads daily and records in their home school diary.

All year 6 children receive homework each week. This must be returned to school by the following Wednesday.

As part of our DT lessons, the children will be cooking a healthy meal on a budget. Please talk to your children about their favourite meals and consider whether these recipes are healthy and budget friendly.

Healthy Schools

Community

Cost of Living Advice

Click here to access cost of living advice from Southend City Council. It contains information on housing support, energy cost advice and benefits and support for those with children.