Weekly Newsletter: Friday 9th January

Dear Parents and Carers,

Happy New Year! I hope that you all enjoyed a restful and happy break and were able to spend the festive season with your nearest and dearest. It has been a real pleasure to welcome the children back to school this week, and despite the snowy and very cold start to the term, they have returned with enthusiasm, smiles, and a readiness to learn. The school has once again been filled with laughter, curiosity, and energy, which is always wonderful to see.

Although this half term is a shorter one, with just six weeks until the February break, it promises to be a busy and exciting time. There is lots of learning planned across all year groups, alongside opportunities to celebrate achievements, recognise positive behaviour, and continue building our strong school community. As always, we will be making the most of every moment together.

At the end of last term, you will have received a letter from Cathryn Adams outlining the process for recruiting a new Headteacher. I would like to confirm that the advertisement for this post went live on Monday. As always, thank you for your continued support during this period.

This term, Mr Speller and I will be swapping days in school to ensure that we both have the opportunity to fully appreciate all that goes on at St Michael’s. I will be in school from Monday to Wednesday, and Mr Speller will be in school on Thursday and Friday. We are both very much looking forward to spending time across the school, visiting classes, and working closely with staff and pupils.

This week during our Collective Worship, we focused on the theme of change and new beginnings, which felt particularly fitting at the start of a new year. The children listened to the story of Jesus and the fishing nets, learning how Jesus encouraged Simon Peter to cast his nets once more and trust in Him. Through this story, we reflected on how trying something new, even when it feels challenging, can lead to many rewards. The children were then invited to set their own personal resolutions, thinking carefully about what they would like to work towards this term. These will be proudly displayed in our school hall as a reminder that anything is possible when we are willing to open our hearts and minds and journey together with Christ.

Our Celebration Assembly returns next week and will take place on Mondays, providing a positive and uplifting start to the week. These assemblies are a lovely opportunity to celebrate the children’s hard work, effort, and achievements from the previous week. If your child has taken part in any special activities or achieved success outside of school - such as sports, music, clubs, or community events - please do let us know so that we can celebrate these accomplishments together as a school community.

Also back by popular demand is our next series of The Mottlesnatch. Each week, children who participate will earn 5 house points, and we are looking forward to seeing enthusiasm, teamwork, and determination on display once again.

Notices and Dates

The school diary is relatively quiet next week. Please can we remind parents and carers to ensure that children arrive at school on time. The school gates open at 8:45am and close promptly at 8:55am. Closing the gates on time is important to ensure that children can move around the school site safely and that learning can begin promptly.

Please may I kindly remind everyone to be considerate of our school neighbours during drop-off and collection times. We encourage all members of our school community to continue demonstrating the St Michael’s School values outside of school, just as we do within it.

Attached below are the links for the SCS afterschool clubs. These clubs are always very popular, so we recommend booking a place as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

SCS Afterschool Club Booking Links:
https://sportscoachingspecialists.classforkids.io/info/508

https://sportscoachingspecialists.classforkids.io/info/509

https://sportscoachingspecialists.classforkids.io/info/554

Finally, as the cold weather continues, please ensure that your child comes to school with a warm coat every day. With low temperatures at break and lunchtime, it is important that all children are suitably dressed to stay warm while enjoying time outdoors.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support. I wish you all a fantastic weekend - do stay warm!

Kind regards,
Mrs Louisa Sillett
Head of School