Dear Parents and Carers,
We started off this week with our Mass for the opening of the spring term. A big thank you to Year 3 for taking the lead. The singing was beautiful despite not having Mr. Ellson and at times any music! I am determined to get to the bottom of the technical issues with the embedded music!
Our Year 5 netballers took part in a netball tournament at Parkmead on Wednesday. It was wonderful to see their faces when they returned to school – they were so full of excitement after reaching the semi-finals. A couple of the children had not played netball before and are now keen to explore netball outside of school. Thank you to Mrs. Chalstrey and team for taking the children. Mrs. Chalstrey said their sportsmanship was amazing and really shone!
Thank you for your patience with the issues with the green gate this week. The electrician looked at it yesterday, and the release button is now fixed. Just the intercom part to get sorted now.
You should have received communication from the school office regarding the changes to the booking systems for school lunches. The new system starts on Monday and means that you need to book your own child’s lunch. If you need help or have not received the information, please do contact the school office so that we can ensure lunches run smoothly on Monday and everyone gets a meal.
Do keep an eye out for upcoming Friends events – especially Fun Film Fridays!
Have a lovely weekend and enjoy the sun,
God Bless,
Mrs. O’Donovan
Safeguarding
Online Safety
YouTube continues to be a go-to platform for entertainment, learning and creativity, but its vast and largely unregulated content library presents ongoing challenges. This guide outlines how features like recommendations, Shorts and social interaction can shape young people’s viewing habits, sometimes exposing them to inappropriate or extreme material.
It also explores key safeguarding concerns, including stranger interaction, risky trends and the limits of automated moderation. With practical advice on tools such as YouTube Kids, supervised accounts and parental controls, the guide supports parents and educators in encouraging safer, more balanced and informed use of the platform.
Safety at Drop-Off and Pick-Up Times
For the safety of all children, we ask that parents and carers closely supervise their children at all times during drop-off and pick-up - this includes pre-school children. It is essential that adults know exactly where all of their children are while on the school site.
We have noticed instances where children are not being adequately supervised during these busy times. This presents a serious safeguarding risk, and we must stress that responsibility for children’s supervision remains with parents and carers until they have been handed over to school staff in the morning and then at the end of the day again once they have been collected.
Please note the following important safety reminders:
These rules are in place to keep all children safe and to prevent accidents or injuries. Thank you for your cooperation in helping us maintain a safe and orderly environment for everyone.
Punctuality and Lateness
Regular punctuality is an essential part of good attendance and plays a vital role in children’s learning and wellbeing. The school day begins at 8.50am, and children are expected to be in school, ready to learn, on time every day.
We are concerned about the number of pupils who are persistently late. Frequent lateness means children miss the start of lessons, key instructions and vital learning time. Over time, this has a negative impact on academic progress, confidence and attitudes to learning. It also disrupts teaching and the learning of others.
While we recognise that occasional lateness may be unavoidable, regular lateness is not acceptable. Families of children who continue to arrive late will be monitored, and where concerns persist, the school will follow attendance procedures, which may include meetings with school staff or referral to external services.
We ask all parents and carers to ensure that morning routines are organised so that children arrive on time. If there are genuine, ongoing difficulties affecting punctuality, please contact the school as soon as possible so that this can be addressed.
Thank you for your cooperation and support in ensuring all children start the school day positively and ready to learn.
