News - 5th December 2024

Dear Parents/Carers,

As we approach the festive season, the air at St Mary’s School is filled with excitement and anticipation. Our pupils are immersing themselves in the spirit of Christmas, busily preparing for various activities that bring joy and warmth to our school community.

The hallways are abuzz with the sound of nativity rehearsals, as our young performers perfect their roles for the upcoming production. Simultaneously, creative minds and nimble fingers are at work crafting unique gifts for our much-anticipated Christmas market.

I'm delighted to share some recent highlights that showcase the remarkable talents and achievements of our pupils. Last week, the Senior Leadership Team had the privilege of experiencing a culinary delight prepared by our ‘Licence to Cook’ club. The young chefs demonstrated exceptional skill, not only in the preparation and presentation of the meal but also in their attention to detail and professionalism. From crafting menus to serving with grace, and efficiently managing the clean-up, these pupils impressed us at every turn. Their dedication and the high standard of their work are a testament to their own abilities and to Mrs Balchin's excellent coaching. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all involved in this gastronomic success!

In other exciting news, we've had the pleasure of welcoming back Mrs Bennett to Year 1 on a phased return. Her presence has been sorely missed, and it's heartwarming to see the joy on both her face and those of the children as they reunite.

This morning, our school was treated to a spectacular performance of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by The Drama Club. Under Mr Hanson's brilliant direction, our young actors delivered a magnificent show, demonstrating their theatrical talents and bringing Roald Dahl's beloved story to life. We're immensely proud of their hard work and dedication.

Looking ahead, we have several exciting events on the horizon. Our termly Rocksteady Concert is scheduled for Friday 6th at 10am. We cordially invite the parents of our budding rock stars to join us for what promises to be an electrifying performance.

On Saturday, we eagerly anticipate welcoming you all to our Christmas market. The gates on School Lane will open at 12 pm, unveiling a variety of stalls for your enjoyment. Among these, you'll find one run by our enterprising pupil leadership team, with all profits benefiting Starfish Malawi.

No Christmas market would be complete without a visit from Santa Claus himself! We're thrilled to announce that Santa will be present to greet all the children, accompanied by his merry Elf. Children will have the opportunity to visit him in his outdoor grotto, adding a touch of magic to the festivities.

I look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming events and sharing in the warmth and spirit of our St Mary's family.
With very best wishes,

Mrs Buckley
Headteacher

CLUBS

Clubs taking place next week:
PSD Football
Cooking Club (Y1)
Rugby
Netball

Please note this is last week for ALL clubs.

Information about next terms clubs will be sent out on the last week of term. Clubs will go live for booking on Monday 6th January 2025.

STARTING SCHOOL:

Starting School – Reception:

If your child was born between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020 you will need to apply for a school place. You can apply between 31 October 2023 and 15 January 2024.

If you live in Surrey, you can find out all you need to know about school admissions and apply online at surreycc.gov.uk/admissions or you can call on 0300 200 1004.

NATIVITY

The Nativity is taking place on 12th and 13th December (This is a ticketed event).

For this occasion we will be fundraising for Save the Children. If you wish to donate to this cause, payment can be made on Scopay.

“Every child has the right to learn.
Every child should have good food to fuel their bodies. Every child should have medicine when they're sick. For over 100 years, we've fought for a fairer world for children.”

CHRISTMAS LUNCHES

Please ensure that you update Scopay if you wish for your child to have Christmas Dinner (M or V). On the day that your child is not having a Christmas Dinner (prefilled with T), they will require a packed lunch.

P.E FOR KS2
Please send in a spare pair of shoes for days that your child is participating in outdoor PE.

Children may wish to bring in a spare change of clothes as well due to the wet weather/mud.

Please ensure that Scopay is updated on Wednesday by midday each week for lunch choices for the following week.

Please review Scopay for any outstanding balances for trips, breakfast club or school lunches.

If you are having any issues with making payments, please do get in touch.

KOOSA

If your child attends KOOSA and you decide to pick them up at 3pm, and are therefore no longer attending KOOSA, please contact KOOSA directly to inform them.

They can be contacted on 01276 21884 or info@koosakids.co.uk

SCHOOL FUND
On a termly basis, we ask for a small contribution per family in order to support some of the extended opportunities that we provide. This may be used for additional resources for specific resources i.e. Art or a piece of equipment to be used by pupils on the school site.

In today’s economic climate, I am aware that parents are concerned about requests for financial support from schools. However, the reality of the situation is that, like all schools, in our latest budget we have had to make significant savings, which reflect reduction in our funding allocation from central government. It is only through continued careful management of resources that we have been able to afford to do this and protect the core curriculum resources.

With this in mind, your on-going support for the school fund would help us to continue to support these additional resources. For the academic year 2024 – 2025, we would like to ask each family to contribute £25 per term; however, anything you can contribute would be gratefully received.

We want to remind you that there are new Department for Education regulations in place regarding children’s absences. These took effect from 19th August 2024 which affect penalty notices issued for unauthorised absence from school.
More details can be found: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance
https://www.stmaryschidd.org/key-information/parent-information/school-attendance/

Week Commencing 25th November 2024
Reception – 99.1%
Year 1 – 94.2%
Year 2 – 95.8%
Year 3 – 87.9%
Year 4 – 91.8%
Year 5 – 96.2%
Year 6 – 96.9%

ST. MARY’S SCHOOL VISION

Wisdom

Wisdom is a core Christian value in our school because we believe through wisdom good choices are made, that it encourages us to learn from our mistakes and encourages us to live our lives wisely for the benefit of all. "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’’ John 8:32

Hope

Hope is a core Christian value in our school because hope gives us energy and supports us through difficult times. "Be happy because of the hope you have. "Be patient when you have troubles. Pray all the time.’’ Romans 12:12

To act with hope is to aspire to greater things, to promote positivity and courageous advocacy.

Respect

Respect is a core Christian value in our school because we believe that all life is precious within the image of God and deserves to be valued. "Do to others as you would have them do unto you." Luke 6:31

Our Christian value of respect means living up to the image of God with our school, our community and ourselves.

Community

Community is a core Christian value in our school because we know that together we are stronger and can achieve more. "Live together in peace with each other. Don’t be proud, but be willing to be friends with people who are not important to others. Don’t think of yourself as smarter than everyone else.’’ Romans 12:16

Everyone in our school, local and global community are needed and valued.