Safety Works
All children in Y1 to Y4 have recently visited Safety Works.
Safety Works is a brilliant resource which we are lucky to have in Newcastle. The children are taken through real life scenarios in different settings and are taught how to respond safely to different situations and in different environments. Everyone learned a lot about how to look after themselves, their friends and their families.
Year 2 Go Back in Time!
This week, Mr Burnett and Miss Bommel became Victorian teachers and took everyone in Year 2 back in time to when Queen Victoria was on the throne and education became compulsory. They learned so much through experiencing some Victorian activities and, most importantly, they had a great time!
Teamwork and Structures in Y4
As part of their learning in DT, Y4 children have been finding out how to make structures which are strong and stable. One of their challenges this week has been to make a structure with marshmallows and spaghetti. Lots of new skills were put to the test as they worked together to find out the best way to make their structures!
Science Workshops
Huge thank you to the PTFA for funding a science workshop for every class in school. The workshops were an enormous success with expert-led hands-on activities which we couldn't provide without this support. There was a lot of awe and wonder and gasps as children carried out investigations and experiments which fitted in with our curriculum and made learning real and lots of fun. We have lots of young scientists at Havannah First School.
Outdoor Learning in Reception
Children in Reception get outside every day and benefit from learning and playing in different outdoor areas in school. We go outside in all weathers but the better weather has brought some great opportunities to explore the whole school outdoor area and look for signs of spring and enjoy some new adventures.
Howay The Lads!
Everyone seemed to be in a great mood on Monday morning! No doubt this was due to Newcastle United's win on Sunday night!
We talked about what it means to belong to a family, a school and a city on Monday in assembly and we all gave our home team, NUFC, a huge clap. This is a moment in history which many people in our city have been hoping for a very long time. To celebrate the win, we are having a black and white/football kit/sports kit day next Friday 28th March. The team will be in town celebrating on Saturday 29th, so we thought this was an ideal time to join the celebrations and mark the event!
Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel
Big Walk and Wheel 2025 starts next week and we have registered to take part. Again, we will be counting sustainable journeys made to school and competing with other schools locally and nationally.
This is a great opportunity and incentive to get back on our bikes, scooters and feet and enjoy the better weather (fingers crossed) while making a difference to air quality and safety around our school. Journeys from the Park and Ride and other nearby parking areas will be included in the daily count.
Please join in if you can and we will let you know how we are getting on!
Parking
Thank you to those of you who walk, scoot and cycle to school when you can. Please remember that if you do need to come to school by car, you are not permitted to park on the school safety zone markings or on the double yellow lines.
School has no control over the parking arrangements off site but we do expect all of our families to follow the laws which are there to keep our children safe.
We have had several new complaints from local residents who have reported our parents and carers blocking their access, walking across their gardens and even climbing over fences. Please show respect and thought for people in our community when you park. No matter how close to school people live, they should not have to accept having their access being blocked or tolerate anti social behaviour.
Remember, we have access to the Park and Ride. We are hopeful that the path from the facility to school will be completed soon. If you allow some extra time, it is still accessible via the pavements on the other side of the road and there are safe places to cross.
As we have informed you previously, once the Great Park Academy is open, it is likely that our car park will not be fully accessible at drop off and pick up (other than for those who need access and have informed school in advance).
The Car Park
If you are using the car park, please ensure that you:
- do not exceed 5mph
- follow the one way system regardless of where you are parked
- only turn left when exiting
- drive with extreme caution and awareness for the crossing points
- show respect for other drivers and pedestrians
- switch off your engine as soon as you are parked
Thank you
Road Closure
We have had the following information to share with you from Northern Powergrid:
Northern Powergrid is working in the Great Park area over March 2025 to deliver their scheme to adapt and improve the electrical infrastructure in the area near to the school. The work will involve undergrounding approximately 1km of overhead lines which will increase the reliability and resilience of the local electricity network and improve the visual impact for the school and local residents. The scope of the project will remove the overhead cable near to Havannah First School – and support the ongoing development of the High School site. Unfortunately, they were unable to complete their work last year as originally planned, due to unforeseen engineering challenges. Their engineers have since reprogrammed the work for completion in March 2025.
How will this affect you?
The final aspects of Northern Powergrid’s work is planned for later this month. They have provided advanced notice of some work during the day on Tuesday 25 March 2025, between 10.00am to 2.00pm, to lower a specific section of overhead line. This aspect of their work has been arranged outside of school pick up and drop off times when local traffic is reduced. Northern Powergrid appreciate their presence will create some form of disruption; however they have worked directly with school and the local authority to minimise the impact as much as possible. Their traffic management providers will manage traffic via diversions and lane closures, to always ensure public safety. There will be some temporary closures on some of the roads, bridleways, and pathways near to the work area, to ensure public safety. Prior notifications will be displayed at various locations in advance. There may be some short delays while Northern Powergrid and their contractors complete their work.
Northern Powergrid would like to thank parents in advance for their patience and understanding.
We have been reassured that you can reach school safely during the closure by coming from the west end, rather than the east end, of Primrose Lane. This should only affect you if you need to come to school between 10.00am and 2.00pm. Please get in touch if you have any concerns.