Newsletters

Newsletter Issue 01/22

ISSUE No. 01/22

Thank you, Your Majesty

It is with immense sadness that we learnt of the passing of Queen Elizabeth yesterday. The Queen's impact was felt in both her role as Queen of England and as the head of the Church of England and many of us will only have known the Queen as our monarch in our lifetime.

We will be participating in the official period of mourning, however school will remain open throughout this time. We will follow all guidance issued by the Royal Family and the Department for Education and at each stage we will keep you informed of the plans made to mourn our Queen and to celebrate her life.

We hope that everyone in our community joins us in sending our condolences to the Royal Family and give thanks and appreciation for the Queen's service to the country over the last 70 years.

If any parents or carers feel that their children are particularly upset by the sad news the Department for Education recommends they visit Minded which is a source of information to support children and young people to manage death and loss. We will of course be supporting any children who may need some emotional support during this time.

We have today opened a book of condolence which the children are able to sign. If any parents would like to sign the book please come to the school office.

Welcome from Mrs Cresswell

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to the start of the new school year!

A very warm welcome to all the new children and families joining us in Reception and in other year groups and a very warm welcome back to all returning children and families. I hope everyone had a happy and relaxing summer break enjoying all the sunshine!

The start of the school year brings everyone - children, parents/carers and staff - a new beginning and is an exciting time for us all. The children have come back to school happy to be back learning and playing with their friends and excited for the new year ahead. We have a busy term planned, as usual, class collective worship and educational visits are just some of the exciting events coming up. This week we have been focusing on ‘new beginnings’ and what we would like to achieve this year.

As I take on the role of Head of School I would like to thank you in advance for all your support and help with reading, homework, our charity events, FOSPS events and trips this year. The brilliant support and involvement of our parents and families helps us to make our school such a special place for every child – thank you!

Following the sad news yesterday I wish everyone a peaceful weekend.

With my very best wishes

Clare Cresswell

Our school vision

This academic year we continue to embed our vision in our school life and teaching:

“Our school is one family, united in love and deeply rooted in our Christian values, where together on life’s journey we flourish, striving for excellence in all that we do. Inspired by the transformation of St Paul, and enlightened by the glory of God, we will shine like stars to make the world a better place.”

Our value for this term is Love:

“Beloved, let us love one another because love is from God.”
(1 John 2:12)

Year 6

As part of their growing independence and in preparation for secondary school some Year 6 children begin walking to and from school unaccompanied. For security children who walk home alone usually have a mobile phone with them. Please note that children are not allowed the use of their mobiles in school and they should be turned off and handed to their class teacher at the beginning of the school day.

If you do encourage your child to walk to and from school alone please email the school office to give permission for your child to do so. We will not let children walk home alone without parental consent. We would also ask that you give written permission for them to bring their mobile phone in to school. Please note that we cannot accept responsibility for any lost or damaged mobiles phones.

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Uniform

It has been lovely to compliment the children on how smart they have looked this week. Uniform is an integral part of our school and when our children look smart and wear the correct uniform it sends a message to everyone that they are proud to belong to St Paul’s. Please ensure your child’s uniform is correct and their clothes are clearly named. As the weather looks a little changeable next week, all children should have a coat, with a hood, in case of wet weather.

A few reminders:

Those with pierced ears should have small, plain, flat stud earrings.
Hair should be securely fastened so it does not fall across / cover the face.
Shirts should be tucked in and the top button fastened.

Please refer to our uniform policy on the school website which provides further guidance.

Macmillan Coffee Afternoon

Since 1992 we have hosted a Macmillan Tea Party at the school. This year we will be holding our tea party on Friday 30 September from 1.45pm to 3.00pm. We hope as many of you as possible can join us and help raise funds for this wonderful charity. Please send in your cakes and biscuits from Wednesday 14 September onwards.

We ask that all foods are individually wrapped eg. small cake bars, KitKats, Twix etc. Although we ask parents to avoid products with nuts, children with allergies should bring their own treat which the class teacher will oversee. We ask for a £2.00 donation per child and £4.00 per adult which can be paid via a QR code which will be shared with you in due course. We look forward to seeing you there!

If you are able to help us run this event please contact the school office.

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INSET day changes

Please note that there have been changes to our INSET days. These are as follows:

31 October 2022
10 February 2023
21 July 2023

Back Gate

From Monday 12 September we will be opening the back gate which is accessible off Vicars Moor Lane at the turning into George Parr House. Please note that parents need to walk their child to the gate where they will be greeted by a member of staff. Please also note that parents are prohibited from parking along the road leading to the back gate and, as always, we ask that you are respectful of our neighbours. At present, we ask that only children in Years 1 to 6 are dropped and collected at the back gate. Please let your child's class teacher know if they are going to use the back gate at the end of the day.

Attendance and punctuality

As per the Home School Agreement parents agree to ”ensure that my child is dropped off and picked up from school on time…” In all aspects of life these are valuable qualities that, as a school, we believe should always be upheld and instilled from an early age. A lack of punctuality impacts on both a child’s learning and the consequent disruption affects the child’s class and teaching.

All absence requests need to be made in writing by emailing the school office and should be addressed for the attention of Mrs Cresswell. Approval will only be given in exceptional circumstances. Please try and ensure that, where possible, all appointments are made outside the school day as it is our joint duty to ensure that your child is in school and learning at all times.

Any families with consistent lateness and/or poor attendance will be referred to the school's Educational Welfare Officer for further action.

If you have any concerns please contact the school.

Tenscope and Communication

As you know we launched our new parent portal and mobile app today which will enable us to share information with you about your children and allow us to communicate with you via emails and texts through the app. As such we will be discontinuing the use of Tenscope and Parentlink so please do not email either application as they will no longer be monitored.

Please ensure that you download the SchoolNews app to make the most of this new platform https://www.st-pauls.enfield.sch.uk/parent-portal-info

Please remember that all communications with the school should go through the school office in the first instance.

Parent Teacher Consultations

Due to the popularity of the Zoom appointments last year we will be holding our Autumn term Parent Teacher Consultations via Zoom on 27 and 28 September 3.40pm – 6.50pm. Parents told us how much easier this system was for child care and working life. Details will be sent out and we ask you to sign up for a slot using the Parent Portal – more details to follow.

The spring term meetings, when parents have an opportunity to look at books, will be held at school in the normal way and children from Years 5 and 6 will be asked to attend with their parents.

Reception

Our lovely Reception children have all settled in really well and we are delighted to welcome them all to St Paul’s and hope that they flourish over the next few years. In order to encourage them to become more independent from Monday 12 September parents are asked to drop their children at the pedestrian gates and not accompany them to their classroom.

Clubs

We are in the process of organising our after school activities for the autumn term and will send out more details once they have been finalised. Please remember that the clubs are run on a first come, first served basis and are often oversubscribed so do keep your eyes peeled for the notifications.

Diary Dates - Week 1

Group 3 Reception intake stay for lunch

8:45am – 1:30pm

September

Group 2 Reception intake stay for lunch

8:45am – 1:30pm

September

Year 1 trip to Whipsnade Zoo

9:00am – 4:00pm

September

Group 1 Reception intake stay for lunch

8:45am – 1:30pm

September

FOSPS meeting

8:00pm – 9:00pm

September

Reception Parents tea and coffee morning

9:00am – 9:30am

September

FOSPS Cinema Night

6:30pm

September

Diary Dates - Week 2

All Reception children stay full time

8:45am – 3:20pm

September

FOSPS News

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls,

The FOSPS Cinema Night is back on Friday the 16th of September with a fun, filled with music film that all the family are sure to enjoy - Sing 2!

Buster Moon and the gang are back in this hilarious adventure for the whole family! Follow Buster and his friends as they head to the city to audition for a brand new show but will it all go to plan, or are there bumps in the road on their way to stardom?

Doors will open at 6:30pm, with the film starting at 7pm. Tickets are just £5 per adult and £3.50 per child. All kids must be accompanied by parents. There will also be a bar serving Prosecco, wine and beers, as well as pizza, popcorn and sweet treats.

We’re hoping for sunshine and a clear night, however should the weather not go our way the movie will be shown in the comfort and warmth of the school hall. But regardless, make sure you bring your camping chairs, blankets and picnic rugs ready to settle down and enjoy the film …. hopefully under a starlit sky!

We would love your support at our first event this school year! This was a hugely popular event last time, so make sure you book your tickets today. We hope you enjoy the film! www.ticketsource.co.uk/friends-of-st-pauls-school

FOSPS