Newsletter

Dear Families,

As I am writing this the sun is still shining in the evening and spring is definitely here. The lighter days really make a difference. It has been a busy start to the term with lots of brilliant learning taking place for both pupils and staff. This has also included lots of trips to help deepen children’s understanding of the topics they are learning. I would like to thank parents for volunteering for these trips. You can see from the photos and comments below how much the children get from these trips. We are very lucky to have access to this in London.

It is KS2 SATS week beginning Monday 13th May. Year 6 parents will have received a letter about breakfast club for that week. Please take us up on the offer as it really helps to settle the children before the tests.

The preparations for our 150th Anniversary on the 4th July are in full swing. For more information on how to take part please look at the poster below.

Thank you for all your support! We look forward to a wonderful summer term!

Kind Regards,

Mr Vernalls

As you are all aware we have changed our behaviour policy at school. This now includes relationships and uses the Zones of Regulation strategies and visuals to help children reflect on and regulate their behaviour to help ensure the best possible outcomes at school. This does not mean that there are no consequences if behaviour is below the line or bottom line, it means children are able to find ways to support themselves and their emotions before a consequence is needed. This preventative way of supporting behaviour helps to ensure that all

The first video is SPPS staff going over the purpose of using the Zones of Regulation across the school and the benefits the children will get from this whole school approach. The second video shows how a child uses the Zones and the strategies to help them manage their behaviour and personal wellbeing. We would like to say a massive thank you to the Year Four child that used all of his drama skills and regulation knowledge to help us create this video! Please take some time to watch both of the videos, as these strategies can be used at home as well to create a joined up approach between school and home. We hope you enjoy!

We would like to take some time to welcome new staff members that have joined our wonderful staff team this term. Out on the playground we have two new Midday Meals Supervisors: Dolly and Susan. They will be supporting children across the key stages to ensure that lunchtimes are fun and enjoyable for all. We also have three staff members from Groundwork that will be in on Thursdays and Fridays to support the children with regulation strategies, as well as supporting parents through group sessions and coffee mornings.

If you see any of these new staff members at the beginning or end of the day, please be sure to introduce yourself and welcome them to our school.

We are so proud of our KS2 writers this month! And for the first time in a very long time, all the children that shared their excellent writing were boys! The children across the key stage have been working on the 'magic six' when adding dialogue into a story, as well as using more exciting language to explain how something is said. Other children were working on using descriptive language to describe characters in the story. The children were so confident as they shared and read their work during assembly time and all of the children were so proud as they listened carefully to their peers writing. Keep up the great work!

Below are these fabulous writers that are very proud of their learning! Please take some time to look at their wonderful work!

The Year Six SAT's assessments are just a couple weeks away and the children are busy revising and consolidating all of the English and Maths skill they have learned throughout the key stage. The children are taking their preparation seriously and it is wonderful to hear how children are self selecting some of their revision topics based on the skills they need additional practice for.

SAT's Assessments will take place on Monday 13th May until Thursday 16th of May. Across the four days, the children will sit different papers to measure their progress in Spelling, Grammar, Reading, mathematical arithmetic, and mathematical Reasoning. To ensure that the children are ready for these assessments, we are inviting all children into school at 8:00 in the morning, across the four days, so they get a good balanced breakfast. All meals are free of charge. Year six children should come to the main entrance and they will be invited around to the hall where they will enjoy a little socialisation and food. To find out what the children will be eating, please follow the link below to the school breakfast menu for this term. If you have any questions, please speak to a member of staff.

One of our British Values is Democracy and the children at Southwark Park have held a fair democratic election to select our new school council members. As school councillors, the representatives are responsible for being the pupil voice for their class and our school. The school council also acts as our Rights Respecting Gold Team. Through this added responsibility, the children are expected to model the rights of the child throughout the school community and

The school councillors will be meeting a couple times a months to discuss new initiatives that will make our school even better. We will also be continuing our work round a project that will have a wider impact on the wider community beyond the school gates. Currently, the school council is looking at how we can make the park even better and more sustainable with the support of the council. We look forward to working with these new leaders as they develop skills that are critical for being productive members of our wider society. Next week we will take a picture of all of the children and give them their new pins. We will also have our first meeting to make sure that all of the children understand the importance of their upcoming role.

The Summer Fair is just around the corner and we need your help with planning this important fundraising event for our school. We have two PTA meetings scheduled for May:

• Tuesday 7th May at 2:30
• Tuesday 21st May at 2:30

We will also be looking for volunteers to help in the afternoon and on the evening of the Summer Fair, Thursday 20th June 2024. If you are not able to attend the PTA meetings, please let us know if you are able to support us with running a stall, having your own stall, or any donations that will make this a fantastic evening for all.

We are also looking for the following donations for the fair:

• Glass jars (about the size of a coffee jar)
• Small toys or collections of items that can be placed inside the jar
• Any donations of gently used items for prizes or hampers
• Any gift vouchers from your own business or a local business

Southwark Park Primary School is celebrating its 150th birthday on 4th July this year. As a school we are planning a big celebration to ensure we celebrate our school and reflect on how special our school is to so many throughout the community. For part of the celebration, we will be creating a video of memories across the generations. If you have a special memory of SPPS, we would love to hear from you. Please come in on the 7th of May and share your story with us! If you have any pictures or artefacts that you would like to share, please scan them and email them, or alternatively bring them on the day. For more information, please see the flyer below.

During the past two months we have had a lot of celebrations during the school day. At the end of Spring Term, the children had a spectacular Easter lunch put on by our catering company. The day started with an assembly on the importance of Easter within the Christian faith. The children talked about their family transitions within their classrooms and many classroom rewards involved exciting Easter colouring and crafts.

We also had an Eid celebration during the first week back at school. The catering staff, once again, made a delicious, Southwest Asian meals for the children to enjoy. The children loved the lamb koftas and the different styles of rice that were on offer this week. It was lovely seeing everyone dressed in their best and reminiscing about the different Eid meals we have had over the years. We are lucky to be at a school where children are able to learn about, join in on, and share each other's celebrations.

Finally, this month we had a wonderful celebration for St. George's Day. This is the celebration of the patron saint of England. The children enjoyed a traditional meal of pie and mash to celebrate, as well as a wonderful assembly where they learned all about St. George and his travels. Did you know it is believed that he never set foot on English soil? The children were shocked to learn such a fact. Thank you children were very excited to wear red and white on the day! Thank you for all of the parents that followed our school exceptions of no face painting.

We know that this winter may be a difficult time for families because of the increased prices in shops and energy costs. If you are finding it difficult to make ends meet, please follow the link below to our school website where there are many links to resources from the council and other charities that may help you and your family at this time.

If you need any support during this time, please speak to Emma or Ms. Foreman who may be able to help direct you to the best resources.

Remember to checkout our school calendar on our webpage to see all the upcoming events and special dates for children. Please let a member of staff know if you have any questions!