May Day Celebrations
Dear parents & carers,
On Thursday 4th May you are invited to join us for an afternoon of May Day celebrations on the school field.
Gates will open at 1:30pm, and we’re hoping that you can sit in the sunshine and be entertained with country
dancing, Maypole dancing and a performance from our school choir. We’ll also be raising a glass to King
Charles before his coronation the following week. If you’re able to make it, we’d be delighted to see you at
school. We’re also happy for you to invite one or two friends or family members. We do recognise that not
everyone will be able to get away from work commitments, so we’ll take some pictures and make sure that
you get to see them via our website. If you do choose to come along, please bring a chair.
Our wonderful PTA have already sent out a flyer with details about how you can pre-order a cream tea, so
please do look out for this in your inbox. All cream teas must be ordered via ParentPay on or before Tuesday
25th April. Cream teas are for adults only.
Teachers will take care of the children all afternoon, and they will dismiss the children from their classroom at
the normal time.
Hope to see you there
A visit from Acorns Children’s Hospice
In the fourth meeting of the year, our councillors welcomed two visitors from Acorns Children’s Hospice. The purpose of the meeting was twofold: to learn about the important work that goes on at Acorns to support children in need, and to consider how our school might support the charity in the future.
Our ABPS councillors listened particularly well to the representatives from Acorns, and soon they were talking about ways in which our school might raise money for the charity. It was agreed that our school will support the work of Acorns, and councillors will now gather the thoughts of their classmates about possible sponsorship activities.
Actions for the next meeting
Members of the council were asked to capture the views of their peers about raising money for Acorns Children’s Hospice. In particular, we would like children to think of sponsored activities that might be carried out by individual year groups – supporting creativity within the older and younger children.
Post Christmas Meeting
This time round, our council were keen to feedback the views of their classmates, following a quick discussion prior to the meeting. Matters discussed included:
- tidiness of the school grounds
- the desire to have new outdoor play equipment
- reports of children disrespecting school facilities (toilets)
The children were listened to, and as a result we now have pupil volunteers carrying out a litter pick each week. We have bought two new table tennis tables for the playground, which will be shared by all children. Finally, a clock has been installed in the hall at the children’s request and we have spoken to all children about the appropriate use of school toilets.
Actions for the next meeting
Members of the council were asked to capture the views of their peers about Red Nose Day. In particular, we would like children to think of a sponsored activity that some of the teachers can do to raise money!
CHRISTMAS CAROL CONCERT
Wednesday 14th December 2022 at 6pm
This year there will be a return to our much-loved annual open-air carol service on the lower playground. This promises to be a wonderful and festive event with traditional carol singing, bell ringing, hot mulled wine, mince pies and good cheer!
As always, all children and families are welcome, but we’ve focused the learning of the carols in school with children in years 3 to 6. The event should last around 30-40 minutes; please dress up warm and do bring a torch or lantern so you can read the word sheets. We hope to save on paper this year and will be providing word sheets as PDFs which you can read on your phones. There will be a few hard copies available where needed. In the case of bad weather, we will relocate into the main school hall. Refreshments will be available free of charge but any donations to PTA funds are much welcome!
We look forward to seeing you and we hope that you can support this splendid event.
Mr George and school staff
Second Meeting of 2022/23
Another productive meeting was held on Friday 11 November. All councilors were present and unsurprisingly, the biscuits had disappeared within the first few minutes!
On this occasion, councilors began by feeding back any points raised by their classmates. We then moved on to discuss how the school will raise money for its chosen charity.
The following points were raised by councilors on behalf of their classmates. All points will be taken to the headteacher to consider.
- Can we have clock in the hall so children can manage their time during lunchtime?
- Can we start a bird watching club?
- What progress has been made with ‘Cheerleading Club’?
- Can we have burgers for Friday lunches (with toppings)?
- Can we equip some children with litter pickers to keep the school tidy?
- Are children allowed to have bigger scissors in class?
Possible Fundraising Ideas
- Cinema night for both key stages
- Bring & Buy sale
- Cake sale
- Bracelet sale (made by the children)
- School tea towel
- Rainbow day or pajama day
Meeting Number 1
On Friday 7 October, the school councilors met with Mr Mellows for the first time this year. It was very productive and the following points were raised:
- Children have expressed an interest in having a cheerleading club at lunchtime or after school
- It was decided that our school will support a charity who works with those who have experienced loss
- Many children have asked about having sauces with their meals at lunchtimes
- There was some concerns about children being on the trim-trail before and after school
- It was proposed that we look into having a lunchtime or after school cricket club, given our local connections
As always, the points raised at the meeting have been presented to the senior leadership team, who will provide a response in time for the children’s next meeting.
Calling all Year 3 and Year 4 parents. You are invited to our Harvest Festival on Thursday 3 November at 1:45pm. You’re welcome to meet us at St Matthias & St George church and be part of the service.
Please join us for our curriculum meetings. They’re a fantastic opportunity to meet your child’s new teaching team and to learn more about what’s in store for the children this year. This is especially important if your child is in Year 6 or Year 2 as SATS information will be shared.
Key Stage 2: Tuesday 13 September at 9:00am
Key Stage 2: Thursday 15 September at 9:00am
Location: Year group classrooms
Time: 9am
Duration: 30 minutes
What makes Astwood Bank Primary a school that loves to read? Well look at this! This week we delivered a huge box of wonderful books to every class in the school. Thanks to Mrs Smith for all of her hard work, launching the ABPS Book Challenge. What a great way to start the year! Let’s see who can read all of their year group’s books by the end of the year and receive a reward…
