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Seeds on Good Soil
Head Teacher Newsletter - 30th January 2023
'The seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart.' Luke 8.15
Deeply rooted in our community, growing together we reach for the sky.
Following our Vision Event (where lots of parents gave their opinions on the school and the children enjoyed the chocolate fountain!) we are very pleased to announce our new bible verse and footer note. Parents told us overwhelmingly, that the school was a nurturing and welcoming place with happy and active children who love coming to school. They talked with pride about having a local school with an excellent reputation. Children talked about their love of our outdoor spaces and how the staff are helpful and kind. In consultation with our Foundation Governors and the Blackbourne Ministry Team we have chosen, 'The Parable of the Sower' as our biblical verse. It seems to sum us up! This verse, along with the new footer note, will now appear on all of our paperwork. The verses, along with our 'Cogs' will help us continue to develop our shared vision of a kind school with high aspirations where inquisitive children learn with reflection, resilience and courage.
Slippers at school
Cold children
Trainers and warm PE clothes
Shorts are not suitable, at this time of year, for PE. The sessions are long and the children need warm, long trousers or jogging bottoms to keep them active and safe.
Coin collecting for the NSPCC
Favourite recipes
Congratulations
On behalf of the School Governing Committee, it is a pleasure to announce that Mrs Boyd will formally move from her role as Acting Head, to that of Head Teacher of Bardwell Primary School.
Mrs Boyd has incredible passion and drive to provide a high standard, varied and inclusive education for all. Her vision and energy for the school is inspirational and we're delighted this transition is taking place.
Helping to provide consistency and stability for everyone, ultimately she strives for and helps cultivate an environment where our children and staff feel happy and safe.
Congratulations Mrs Boyd! Thank you for all your continued and valued work and effort.
Ally Gooderham (Chair of Bardwell SGC)
Courageous Cog awards
Aspirational Cog awards
Frosty Monday Mile
Frozen natural art (and well wrapped-up children!)
BEANS - support for families with neurodiverse needs
---We are circulating this information on behalf of the organisation----
We run drop ins for Parents/carers of those with children and young people that have neurodiverse needs. Please share this information with parents that may need a place to come and ask questions and get non-judgemental support and guidance. Our drop ins are open for anyone regardless of whether they are under our service or not.
We also hold a LEAF after our drop ins, this is a lived experience advisory forum, which is a space for those with lived experience to share their ideas and experiences with neurodiversity and use these to help improve support services.
Please find the posters attached with the locations and dates and please let me know if you have any questions!
Kind regards,
Elena Mitchell (She/Her)
BEANS Business admin at Access Community trust
Mrs Scowcroft visit
Our pupils made a card and sang Happy Birthday.
Pupils with Asthma
Strike information letter
The NEU has confirmed that they will be taking strike action nationally on 1st February,
and 15th/16th March 2023. A further strike for the Eastern Region is scheduled to take
place on 1st March. The strike action is happening because of a national dispute between the unions and the government over teachers’ pay and not because of any issues at our school.
Teaching members of the NEU have the right to strike, their ballots having been conducted within the rules governing strike action.
I’m getting in touch to give you as much notice as possible that learning may be disrupted on these dates, but to let you know that Bardwell school will remain open during the strikes.
I am sorry about the potential disruption to you and to your child’s education. I understand that this situation may be frustrating, and ask that all members of our school community continue to treat each other with respect. Bardwell Primary School remains committed to providing a safe and secure environment for our pupils.
Diary reminders
Parents are welcome to join us on the Monday Mile from 8.45am.
Collective Worship in Church - now only the first week of term and on special term dates.
Tuesday 31st January - U9s Sportshall Athletics event, all Wild Cherry and Maple Class pupils invited. Please confirm attendance via 'Trips' on your child's Arbor account.
Friday 3rd February - Number Day. TTRockstars competition for Wild Cherry, Maple and Ash classes. Whole school coin challenge. See letter sent 25th January for full information.
Friday 10th February - last day of Spring Term 1.
Maple Class Cake Sale - Maple Class pupils to each bring in a small number of cakes (shop bought or home made, no nuts please). These will be sold to the rest of the school at the end of the day.
Monday 20th February - PD Day, no children in school.
Tuesday 21st February - children return to school.
Friday 31st March - Ash Class Cake Sale. Details as above with Ash Class pupils providing the cakes.
Our Term Dates for the next academic year are now available - these are also on the school calendar on the website and on Parents & Carers>Term Dates page. Please ask the office staff if you would like a paper copy.
Flu vaccination clinic
We have been asked to share this letter by the School Immunisation Team.
----
Dear Parent or Guardian,
Following simple steps can help protect children, minimise the spread of illness in education and childcare settings and protect wider communities.
Flu and coronavirus (COVID-19) are currently circulating at high levels and are likely to continue to increase in coming weeks. High numbers of scarlet fever, which is caused by group A streptococcus, also continue to be reported.
Remember that flu vaccination is still available for all eligible groups and is the best protection against the virus. We have seen good uptake in older age groups but vaccination among young children remains low. Flu can be very unpleasant and, in some cases, can lead to more serious illness. Getting your child vaccinated protects them and others they come into contact with, and it’s still not too late.
If your child has still not received their Flu Vaccination please contact the team on 01462 427008 to book them into one of the below clinics.
Clinic Details are:
- 28/01/23 at Bury St Edmunds, Blackbourne Community Centre. 09:45 – 14:15.
- 04/02/23 at Ipswich, Martlesham Parish Rooms. 13:30 – 16:30
- 11/02/23 at Lowestoft, Oulton Community Centre. 09:45 – 13:15
PLEASE NOTE WE DO HAVE A FLU VACCINE WHICH DOES NOT CONTAIN PORCINE. PLEASE CONTACT THE TEAM FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Yours Faithfully,
Your School Immunisation Team.
Wraparound Care (Breakfast & After School)
We are delighted to tell you that we have increased the capacity of Breakfast Club to 12 pupils per session.
We'd encourage you to book in to After School Club where we'd really like to see an improvement in numbers attending. At only £2 per session we are offering great value for money.
Our instructors spoke with the children in order to come up with activities that the children have said they'd like to do.
All sessions will give the children an opportunity for OPAL/free play at the start and for the participants to help decide what games to play. There will also be opportunities for children to take part in art activities or Lego if they'd prefer.
Monday - music, fitness, dance
Tuesday - football
Wednesday - ball sports, e.g. balloon volleyball
Thursday - dodgeball
Is My Child Too Ill for School? - NHS advice
We are very keen to have children attending school if they are well enough. Please have a look at this NHS advice if you are unsure.
Absence reporting process - including current NHS COVID isolation guidance
If your child is absent from school please ring into the school office giving the reason for the absence ('unwell' is not sufficient), please do not email for absence. If you need to, leave a voicemail.
The School must be notified by the parent/carer of the absent pupil on the first day of absence AND on every day of absence thereafter, before the register is closed. If a telephone call is not received, the school will contact parents/carers directly.
Please see the Attendance Policy for more information.
If you suspect or know that your child has COVID, the NHS guidance for children now states:
"If a child or young person aged 18 or under tests positive for COVID-19, they should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days. This starts from the day after they did the test.
Children and young people tend to be infectious to others for less time than adults. If they’re well and do not have a temperature after 3 days, there’s a much lower risk that they’ll pass on COVID-19 to others."
Reading For Pleasure
Here are this week’s recommended reads from Miss Mansfield. All books are recent releases.
Voicemail superstar
Thank you Ethan!
Mrs Allman
SCC discretionary grants for half term
Suffolk County Council is pleased to confirm a further discretionary grant is available to support low-income families over the February half term. The grant will be issued as a £15 Edenred supermarket voucher for each eligible child and is designed to help families with their essential living costs during the holiday. The grant is provided from the Household Support funding the council has received from the government and will be issued by the school to their eligible families.
Mrs Allman has recently contacted all eligible families.
Suffolk HAF (Holiday Activities Fund)
Information from West Suffolk Council / Abbeycroft Leisure
Family Park Cooking - Every family will cook a hearty lunch and receive ingredients for 5 meals for the family.
Adventure Days - A 6 hour Action Packed Adventure Day including a packed lunch and snacks.
Swimming - Free swimming and a lunch for families.
These sessions are FREE for any children
• Eligible for free school meals - Pupil Premium (Not KS1 universal free school meals).
• Children with SEND (EHCP/BSP/Activities Unlimited Member)
• Young carers
• Children in care
• Foster children
• Children at risk of exploitation
• Children in financial hardship
• Ukrainian or other Refugees
To book parents must email: HAF@acleisure.com providing the session they want to book and the town/village they live in.
Or call: 01284 757495 leave their name, number, town and session they want to book. The answerphone is checked Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
February Half Term - GVTSSP Sports Camp: 14-17 February 2023
Tue 14 Feb AM Gymnastics or Football / PM Football or Dance or Parkour
Wed 15 Feb AM Skateboarding or Target games . PM Skateboarding or Multi sports
Thurs 16 Feb: AM Nerf + laser tag / PM Nerf +laser tag
Fri 17 Feb: AM Inflatables day / PM-Inflatables day
Ages: 5 – 12 yrs
Venue: Beyton, Thurston Sixth (IP30 9AA)
£10 per workshop
Let's Talk with 5-11s course
Mrs Watson, our SENDCo, has asked that this course information be shared with all parents and carers.
Let's Talk with 5-11s
A VIRTUAL, practical course which helps parents and carers to develop and enhance children’s understanding and talking.
Suffolk’s Specialist Education Services are pleased to be able to offer this popular course. The eight 2 hour sessions will enable you to learn how to develop your children’s understanding and talking.
THE AIMS ARE
• To learn why some children find it challenging to understand what is said to them
and to talk.
• To give you practical ideas to help children learn to listen, understand and speak.
• To help you develop children’s talking so that they do better in school.
• To share ideas with other parents and carers.
School novelist Lily
Friday lunch change
The menu can be found here or navigate to it via the school website - Parents & Carers>School Meals.
Please let Mrs Allman or Miss Egmore know if you would like a printed copy to have at home.
We'd like to remind you (or make you aware) that at Bardwell the cook also offers sausages with chips, for children that do not like fish or the vegetarian option. If you would like your child to have sausages on Fridays, let the office staff know and this will be put onto their Arbor record as a dietary preference.
PTA news
The PTA would like to ask one class, each half term to make a cake contribution on the last day of each half term ( apart from July) for a cake sale to raise funds for the PTA.
Spring 1- Friday 10th February -Maple class
Spring 2-Friday 31st March- Ash Class
Summer 1- Friday 26th May- Wild Cherry Class
Summer 2- Friday 14th July (not final day of term) - Damson class
Thank you for all your help raising funds for the PTA.
Don't forget to sign up with easyfundraising: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/bardwellsch/
What's on in Bardwell Church - February 2023
- Sunday 5th - Holy Communion Service, 10am;
- Wednesday 8th - Coffee Morning in church, 10.30am-12noon;
- Sunday 19th - Morning Worship, 10am;
- Shrove Tuesday 21st - Pancakes & Coffee in the Tithe Barn, 10.30am-12noon. Raffle, Bring & Buy, supporting Church funds;
- Ash Wednesday 22nd - HC Service at Barnham Church, 10am (TBC), 7pm 'Ashing' Service with Holy Communion, Honington Church.
Bardwell Church is open every day from 9am to dusk.
For further information about the Church and this month's services, please go to www.bardwellchurch.org/
Allergy Awareness
We are an allergy aware school and would like to remind all families that there may be pupils in school with a peanut allergy. If a child with a peanut allergy comes into contact with peanuts, or with a pupil who has eaten peanuts, then this could lead to an anaphylactic reaction. Anaphylaxis is a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction to a trigger such as an allergy.
Because of this the school cannot accept products containing peanuts to be provided in lunch boxes or for eating at other times.
SCC information for Cost of Living Support
Suffolk County Council has asked us to share with families their updated 'Cost Of Living Support' information.
Free School Meals - could you be eligible?
Your child may be eligible for free school meals throughout primary school. This could save you approximately £437 per year.
To check or apply online, visit: https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/children-families-and-learning/schools/school-meals-uniforms-and-trips/apply-for-free-school-meals/
Check if you're eligible
Your child will get free school meals if you receive any of the following:
Income Support
Income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit but no element of Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenues & Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
If you are supported under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Working Tax Credit during the four-week period immediately after your employment finishes or after you start to work fewer hours per week
Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400 (£616.67 per month), as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods).
To check if your child is eligible, apply online for an immediate response or call 01473 260989.
We encourage you to apply, because the school receives additional funding (Pupil Premium) for all children on income-related Free School Meals.
Online Safety Newsletter - January 2023
Minecraft is rated by PEGI as 7+ or 12+ depending on which game version you are playing. The App store rates it as 9+ and the Google Play store rates it as 10+.
About Us
Email: bardwell@tilian.org.uk
Website: https://www.bardwell.org.uk/
Location: School Lane, Bardwell, Bury Saint Edmunds IP31 1AD, UK
Phone: 01359 250854
Twitter: @BardwellPrimary