porters grange weekly newsletter week ending 6th june 2025

Author Visit

📚 Exciting news! Author Jennifer Claessen is visiting our school on 18th June with Jacqueline Johnson from Jacqson Diego Story Emporium! Jennifer will share her journey and sneak peeks from her new series Netta Becker and the Timeline Thief — releasing 26th June but available early just for us! Kids can meet Jennifer and get books signed.

👉 Pre-order to guarantee your copy by 5pm, 17th June:

There’s also an after-school signing (limited copies available). Let’s get reading! 📖✨

Save the date

Monday 7th July to Friday 11th July the travelling book fair will return with an amazing special offer of 3 for the price of 2 on all their books! This is a great way to get some new reads for the summer and raise money for new books for our school.

Nursery

This week has been very exciting as over the half term break our caterpillars have changed! The children have enjoyed looking at the butterflies and we have had some amazing discussions about them. Our arts and crafts this week has been themed on butterflies, which everyone has enjoyed.

REMINDER: Please remember our nursery times are;

• AM session-8.45-11.45
• PM session- 12.15-3.15

Reception

This week we were very keen to see how our caterpillars had changed over the half term holiday. They have transformed into their chrysalis. We were able to use a magnifying glass to look and observe them closely. Many children were excited to share their holiday news. After discussing it altogether we worked in small groups to write a simple sentence about our half term. In maths we have started a new block on addition and subtraction using first, then and now. Eg. First, we had 5 then we added 2 now we have 7.

REMINDER: Please ensure your child has their name in all their clothing and accessories such as hats.

Year 1

Welcome back! This week we have been looking at nouns and what they are in our English work this week. In maths, we have been finding quarters of quantity and working out which numbers you can share between 4. We have started French again. It has been lovely to see Mr Morris back in year 1.

REMINDER: Ensure your PE kits are back in school. PE days remain on a Thursday.

Reading books must be in school every day.

Year 2

The children have learned how to write in the first person to help write a postcard. We have been looking at features of a postcard, noticing where to write the addressee, where we write the address and what information we should include in a postcard. In maths, the children have continued the topic of time- recognising ‘past’ and ‘to’ times. D&T has been great fun, the children have designed sock puppets, they are all so individual and creative! The children have been participating in team building games in PE and have been using the Scratch programme to complete simple tasks and follow basic instructions in computing.

REMINDER: Please help your child learn how to tell the time and identify different times of the day. For example, point to the clock and encourage your child to notice when lunchtime or bedtime happens.

Year 3

This week we have begun a new unit of work in maths on time. We have been revising different aspects of grammar in English and have learned about prepositions. In history we have started a new topic all about the Romans and the legacy they left behind.

REMINDER: Please encourage your children to tell the time at home if you have a clock available.

Remember to return PE kits for our lessons on Tuesday and Friday.

Year 4

This week we have been completing our learning on decimals, completing some flexible partitioning and comparing the decimals. In English we have started learning about the epic poem ‘Beowulf’ and the children are loving the scary elements!

REMINDER: PE days are still Monday and Wednesday so PE kits should be back in school already. In this hot weather, it is important that children get changed for PE otherwise they may be sweaty for the rest of the day!

Year 5

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! This week, year five have been looking at newspaper reports in our English lessons. We looked at the features of newspaper writing, before completing a shared write as a class. In maths, we have continued our work on decimals, learning to add and subtract decimals with different decimal places. In history, we started our unit looking at the history of Southend. What a busy first week back!

REMINDER: PE days are Monday and Thursday this half term. Please ensure your child has a suitable PE kit in school with them on these days.

Please also strive to read as much as possible at home, and record this in your child’s reading record.

Year 6

This week, year 6 have been learning about the features of newspaper reports. The children have explored the use of humour, word play and other figurative language devices when creating headlines to catch the reader’s attention. In our geography lessons, we are continuing to look at the impact of globalisation and how it affects all aspects of our lives.

In science, we have been revising life cycles because we have caterpillars! They are very active and growing every day.

REMINDER: Please ensure that your child has a PE kit in school every day. It is getting hot, so sun cream, a hat and water bottle are also needed.

Please respond to the trip letter you will have received if your child is not going on the residential.

Music

The choir has been working hard to learn the songs ready for our performance at the Cliffs Pavilion next Friday, 13th June. Well done to all of them for working so hard!

Next Friday, please can the members of choir be in school by 8.45 am so we are able to attend the rehearsal due to start at 9.15 am. We will return to school during lunchtime, therefore they can make their lunch choices before leaving and eat upon our return. Parents are expected to drop their children to the Cliffs Pavilion (location to be confirmed during the day) by 6.15 pm; the concert will begin at 7.30 pm and is due to finish at 9.00 pm. Please ensure you have made arrangements to collect your child if you are not attending the concert.

Future Events

• Cliffs Pavilion Music festival – 13th June

Instrumental Tuition -

• Tuesday am Guitar – Mr Brown
• Wednesday am Guitar – Mr Elliot
• Wednesday am Keyboard – Mr Hockey
• Wednesday am Drums – Mr Peters

WE HAVE SOME AVAILABILITY FOR NEW PUPILS TO START LEARNING AN INSTRUMENT – CONTACT MRS BAINES (through the school office) FOR INFORMATION.

French

This week, year one returned to learning French with a first lesson on saying their name and asking others for theirs; year three enjoyed a practical lesson in French, following instructions to make an origami kite; year six started their cultural icons topic with a look at Paris and how to form relative clauses in French.

Healthy Schools

This month we are celebrating National Smile Month. It runs from 12th May – 12th June 2025.

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.