Without wishing to tempt fate, the weather seems to have finally got the memo about the change in season. With this in mind it’s a good idea to start sending your child to school with a hat (not the woolly variety). With the balmy conditions we are seeing cardigans and jumpers being discarded in record numbers. Please ensure that your children’s clothes are named and try to remind them to grab them at the end of the day. Named items are always repatriated with their owners by us here at school. Sun cream and full water bottles would be most helpful too – long may it last! 

The church was mercifully cool on Wednesday when we welcomed singers from St Joseph’s (Guildford), St Edmund’s and St Polycarp’s for a singing workshop and performance. Mr Ellson’s passion for imparting his love of music and singing to the children shone through, and they sang with energy and enthusiasm throughout. The St Cuthbert Mayne Choir closed proceedings with a rendition of When I Grow Up which included some fantastic solos from Ruby, Orlaith, Arabella and Vitoria. 

This week Year 1 had a wonderful trip to Marwell Zoo, and today some of our Year 5 children represented the school at a Dynamo’s Cricket tournament in Farncombe. 

Thank you to Year 3 who led our Collective Worship on Tuesday with a dramatic performance about St George. The liturgy involved singing, acting and even a language lesson – all delivered from memory. It’s amazing what you can pack into a 15 min liturgy!  

I hope you all enjoy the fine weather over the weekend. 

Mr Thomas Hall,

Head of School  

Liturgy 

On Thursday some of our KS2 children joined the parish for Mass to celebrate Ascension Day – Fr Alistair showed various different artistic interpretations of Jesus’ ascension into heaven, most of which depicted just His feet as he disappeared into the clouds. The key message was that it is through prayer that we bridge the gap between heaven and earth. 

Jesus, you ascended into heaven; help us keep our eyes fixed on you. You promised the Holy Spirit to us. Make us witnesses to you in our everyday life. May we share your love with all people. Amen. 

MAY IS THE MONTH OF MARY

As always we continue to look for ways to invite our children to engage with the beautiful tradition of honouring Mary in May and we particularly encourage you to pray the rosary with children this May for peace in our world. There are many creative ways that you can help children to access this beautiful prayer tradition – rosary walks, paper roses, bead chains. Aid to the Church in Need have produced some resources to support younger children with praying the rosary for Peace in May https://acnuk.org/resource/the-maisy-milk-rosary-for-peace/

Please do join us on the school playground at 8:40am to pray the rosary together during the month of May.

Mrs Newland

Year R Class Teacher and RE Lead

ONLINE SAFETY ADVICE

JOB ADVERT - FLU IMMUNISATION ADMINISTRATOR

Would you like some extra income while contributing to our community?

Join our team for a 14-week mission as a Flu Immunisation Administrator (£23,575 per annum pro rata).

We are looking for enthusiastic individuals to work within our school-based immunisation team, based at locations across the South- West of Surrey, to support with the delivery of the school based 2024 flu vaccination programme.

Job Advert (jobs.nhs.uk)

WEEKLY CELEBRATION CERTIFICATES.

For Year 2 Parents - First Holy Communion for baptised Catholic children starting Year 3 in Sept 2024

As parents you will be aware that supporting your children through their FHC is an important part of their faith formation.  To support you in this we invite you to attend a parents’ preparation course on 28/2, 13/3, 10/4 and 24/4 from 7.30 to 9 pm.  The meetings will be held in person in the Cranleigh Parish Meeting Room and will be a necessary part of strengthening our faith community as you as parents prepare for this important moment.  This a requirement of your child being accepted onto the First Holy Communion Course which will start in September 2024. Please book your place by emailing cranleigh@abdiocese.org.uk by 30 January 2024.

Attendance

At St Cuthbert Mayne we place great importance on school attendance. Please see the graphic below which illustrates the cumulative effect of continued poor attendance at school. In the first instance we will always work closely with families to support improvement in attendance when necessary.

On 19 January Mr Hall wrote to parents outlining the possibility of Penalty Notices being issued to parents in the event of unauthorised absences. School attendance is rarely out of the headlines - this BBC article details plans to increase the minimum fine from September 2024.

The cost of a family holiday outside of term time can be eye-watering, but we would urge all parents to consider what sort of message they are giving their children about the value that they place on education if they choose to take their children on holiday during term time.

Useful Links:

Fines for parents for taking children out of school: What you need to know

School Attendance Policy

Cupcake Baking and Decorating Classes

As part of the 2024 Parish Talent scheme, our family is offering cupcake Baking and Decorating Classes. Before I started as a TA at SCM I spent 10 years running my own successful celebration cakes business from home, and I thought that I could pass some of that knowledge on to anyone that would like to learn and have fun whilst we are at it!

Please contact: Kirsty Kay-Russell on WhatsApp 07563 140611 or email kirstykayrussell@googlemail.com to book your space/s!

Positive Parking

We continue to be very grateful to all our parents that park and stride/cycle/walk to school, and to those that park safely and respectfully around the neighbouring roads.

We are aware that some people continue to park on the yellow zig-zag lines outside the school and the church car park. Rule 243 of the Highway Code states that road users must not park near a school entrance; for the safety of all the children at St Cuthbert Mayne, we would ask that all members of our community adhere to this rule and do not park on the yellow zig-zag lines.

We must also ensure that we are polite and respectful to local residents at all times.

Please show your children, by your actions, that positive and respectful parking is a way to show that you care about other pedestrians, neighbours and road users. Be a good role model!

For helpful information about road safety please visit: https://www.think.gov.uk/

Uniform

After a considerable amount of time spent moving our uniform supplier to Marks and Spencer we have been informed that they will be discontuing their service as a provider of bespoke school uniforms.  We have already contacted an alternative supplier.  Details will be provided but it looks like it will be October when we move to the new supplier.

The new supplier have already sent a sample product and the purple is closer to the school colour than the one Marks and Spencer supply so if you do require new jumpers and cardigans you mighty want to wait for the new supplier to take over.

Classlist

Classlist is the most effective way of staying touch with other parents. Please click this link in order to sign up.

Safeguarding

Keeping children safe is everyone's responsibility at St Cuthbert Mayne. Please see below for some useful links and resources for all families:

Family Lives – very useful parental information website, provides lots of links and resources - they also have a telephone support line for parents/carers. Parenting and Family Support - Family Lives (Parentline Plus)

Mental Health support – suitable for lots of families, especially at this time of year. Mental health support - Surrey County Council (surreycc.gov.uk)

NHS Talking Therapies – it may be helpful for any parents to be able to talk to someone and this is a self referral service Home Mind Matters Surrey - NHS Talking Therapies (mindmattersnhs.co.uk)

Family Conflict – SCC pages for parents. Our resources for reducing conflict between parents - Surrey County Council (surreycc.gov.uk)

Your Sanctuary – Domestic Abuse Support Services. YS Home (yoursanctuary.org.uk)

Relate – resources for relationships –

Get Help | Relate

Find your online centre Relate

Drug and Alcohol Support Services

i-access Drug & Alcohol Service : Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (surreydrugandalcohol.com)

Catalyst – substance and mental health support

Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Service in Surrey (catalystsupport.org.uk)

Citizens Advice – another more general link but useful for newsletters at this time of year

Citizens Advice

Family Information Service – Families can search for services near to them

Family Information Service - Surrey County Council (surreycc.gov.uk)

Online Understanding your child guides – Free for all Surrey residents – use access code ACORN.

Online Learning (heiapply.com)

Our Safeguarding Team: Mr Hall (DSL), Miss Wilkin (DDSL), Mrs Chalstrey (DDSL)

As a team we are always here to support, to be a listening ear, and guide in anyway you feel appropriate. Do get in touch with any member of the team via phone 01483 274961 or email DSL@stcuthbert-mayne.surrey.sch.uk

You are not on your own and many individuals or families do come and ask. 

Summer Teaching Internship Programme

Teach Southeast are offering a new, three-week internship programme which incorporates a paid scheme for secondary maths, computing and physics undergraduates (£300 pw) and an unpaid scheme for all other secondary subjects and primary teaching. Our aim is to help undergraduates in all subjects explore how rewarding and challenging a career in teaching can be.

As part of the programme, interns will have the opportunity to get involved in all aspects of school life, including: 

· Taking part in a bespoke training programme with other interns.

· Working closely with a mentor in a placement school to observe and teach lessons.

· The chance to meet with ECTs and SCITT trainees to get their perspective on the realities of  teacher training.

Xavier Teach Southeast - Undergraduate teaching internship

Mary’s Meals would like to invite you to collect all your foreign currency* no matter how old or obscure.  Clear out your drawers and have a look under the sofa.  Currently, the charity feeds over 2.4 million young children one good meal every day in their place of education – by giving Mary’s Meals your foreign coins and notes, you can help feed the next hungry child.

Mary’s Meals feeds in over 18 countries.  Because of our low costs, we can do this for as little as £19.15 per child per year!  *We will also take UK coins/notes that aren’t legal tender

Donations can be left in the Cranleigh Parish Office, which is outside the SCM green school gates - double white patio doors - on Tuesday, Thursday or Friday mornings.   With thanks from Tracy in the parish office.

Our calendar for the term can be found here.