Saxton Newsletter 20.12.24

Our school attendance last week was improved, but still only 93.0%. We appreciate that there is some illness around at the moment, which does impact upon attendance. We hope that everyone has a good rest over the holidays and recovers so that we can improve our attendance in January.

The Bishop of Whitby has recorded a short Christmas video for all schools and their families. It can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/1036747060?share=copy#t=0

We would like to say a massive ‘thank you’ to the families who helped to get the resources for our Christingle service. We are very grateful, and delighted that we could continue to celebrate this tradition.

If you would like to donate to Bethlehem, as Fr Chris mentioned in the Christmas service, you can do so at https://www.friendsoftheholyland.org.uk/

We would like to thank all our families for their unwavering support during 2024. We have a great school and are proud of what we are able to achieve together. We hope everyone has a joyful and peaceful Christmas, and look forward to seeing you in 2025.

DECEMBER

20th Dec Break up for Christmas

JANUARY

6th Jan Training Day

7th Jan School Re-opens

7th Jan Maple Mosque Trip

FEBRUARY

11th Feb Safer Internet Day

14th Feb Year 5 Young Voices Trip

17th Feb School Closed

24th Feb School Re-opens

MARCH

6th March World Book Day

21st March Comic Relief Red Nose Day

28th March Rocksteady Concert Village Hall

APRIL

7th April School Closed

22nd April School Re-opens

All the menus are available on meal selector via ParentPay

Children can decide daily whether they are having a school dinner or packed lunch.

Please ensure you use our new meal selector to order lunches for your child for up to 3 weeks in advance, see the link below.

Each day there are 4 choices, either the hot dinner, hot vegetarian option, jacket potato with a choice of toppings or a sandwich. The sandwich and jacket potato always come with a selection of vegetables/salad on the side and have the full pudding choice for that day.

Packed Lunches - if you are sending grapes in your child's packed lunch, can you please ensure that these are cut in half.

If you are in receipt of certain benefits, your child could also qualify for free school meals during all school years. To qualify you must be receiving:

• Universal Credit, provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods (£616.67 per month)

• Income Support

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

• Support under part six of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

• The guarantee element of Pension Credit

• Child Tax Credit, provided you are also not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual household gross income that does not exceed £16,190 (as assessed by HMRC)

• Working Tax Credit run-on, paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

Please note that contributions-based benefits, including contribution-related Jobseekers' Allowance do not entitle you to claim free school meals.

Apply for free school meals

You will receive an instant decision on whether your application is successful. If it is, we will fully process the application in 5 working days and notify the school. Once the school has received this your child can begin enjoying free school meals. You should continue to pay until confirmation comes through. Schools may be able to arrange reimbursement of payment made while your entitlement is being confirmed.

Free school meals claims cannot be backdated. They are awarded from the date we receive the application, once eligibility is confirmed. This is because there is a legal requirement for a request to be made, before a free school meal can be provided. If you are not entitled to free school meals, you will be notified in writing.

Help raise money for FOSS and label your children's school items. The soft plastic labels can be stuck on machine wash-care labels of clothes, but can also be used on shoes, dishwasher items and general school items.

Please order via the website www.stikins.co.uk and quote Saxton school number 17524

Please be considerate when parking near the school crossing. If parked too close it can be very difficult to see if it is safe to cross, particularly at pick up time-thank you.

Please click here to be re-directed to ParentPay, where you can pay for lunches and other school related items.

Email: admin@sp.starmat.uk
Website: http://www.sp.starmat.uk/
Location: Dam Lane, Saxton, United Kingdom
Phone: 01937 557396
Twitter: @SaxtonCE

The STAR MAT website links and twitter page.

Website: web.starmat.uk
Twitter: @CEOTheSTARMAT