Whitehouse Weekly Bulletin 253

Friday 8th December 2023

A Message from Miss Siddall

This week some of the children have been busy planting new trees with the help of volunteers from the community.  Thank you to Miss Jaspal and Miss Tempest for organising this event.

Don’t forget, we have lots of parent/carer events planned over the next two weeks:  every single year group is offering a special event in the run up to Christmas.  The dates / times are below, so please check carefully to avoid disappointment. Finally, we hope to see lots of families at our Christmas Fair next Friday (15^th).  Thank you for your continued support.

Attendance for last week:

Class with the best attendance: Badgers (98.20%)

Christmas: Parent/Carer Sessions

Please note we are excited to be able to invite parent/carers into school before the end of the term for the following:

Free School Meal Vouchers

We are pleased to confirm that Suffolk County Council will again be providing a £30 supermarket voucher for each child who is eligible for Free School Meals (due to being on certain benefits).  Please note an email will be sent to each eligible parent/carer before Wednesday 20^th December 2023 from Pluxee UK Limited, so please keep an eye out for this.  If you have not received the voucher by that date, please email the free school meal team for assistance at freeschoolmeals@suffolk.gov.uk.

If you have not applied to Suffolk County Council yet but feel you may be eligible please note you can make an application by following the link:  https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/children-families-and-learning/schools/school-meals-uniforms-and-trips/apply-for-free-school-meals

Awards

As you may be aware, the children are encouraged to follow ‘The Whitehouse Way’ in school to help them in their learning and in becoming good citizens. Our ‘Wonderful Week’ awards this year will be given as a recognition that the children have worked very hard in one of these areas:  Courage, Perseverance, Reflection or Responsibility.  This will be shown in the colour coded lists below.  We are so proud of our children at Whitehouse and their wonderful achievements.  Well done to you all.

Key Stage 1:

Lower Key Stage 2:

Upper Key Stage 2:

Breakfast Club

Can we remind parents/carers that if you are dropping children into Breakfast Club, it is essential that you enter and leave via the KS1 playground and do not cross over the car park.  Staff are entering at that time and it is vital we keep all parties safe. Thank you for your assistance.

Assemblies

The theme of our assemblies for next week will be: Migration: What is a migrant? (UNRC Link: Article 10: If I and my parents are living in separate countries, I have the right to get back together and live in the same place).  Resources related to this assembly will soon be available on our website.  To access them, simply go to Learning and click on our Enquiry Based Assemblies.

SEND Strategy Consultation

Suffolk County Council are looking for the input of parents and carers who have a child with SEND to assist them in shaping the new SEND Strategy for Suffolk from 2024. They are particularly interested to know what works well for you and your child and what doesn’t.  Please take a few moments to complete the survey and look at further information at the following links:

Survey:  https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/SEND23/

Information: https://infolink.suffolk.gov.uk/kb5/suffolk/infolink/advice.page?id=Er-jioiCxEc

Can you help?

Year 6 are in need of lots of pine cones!  If you have any that you are able to donate, or if you would like to help your child collect some to bring in, we would be very grateful!  They are particularly looking for ones that are dry and fully open.  Thank you for your help!

Readers’ Cup

Well done to the following classes who won the Readers’ Cup the week before half term:

Dates for the Diary

Monday 11^th December 2023 – Family Breakfast – 8.00am

Monday 11^th December 2023 – Reception Nativity Play – 9.30am / 2.15pm

Monday 11^th December 2023 – Christmas Dinner - Year 1

Tuesday 12^th December 2023 – Christmas Dinner – Year 2

Tuesday 12^th December 2023 – Parent/Carer Sewing Session – Year 5 – 1.45pm

Wednesday 13^th December 2023 – Christmas Dinner - Year Reception and Year 3

Thursday 14^th December 2023 – Christmas Dinner – Year 4

Thursday 14^th December 2023 – Parent/Carer Craft Session – Year 2 - 2.30pm

Friday 15^th December 2023 – Christmas Dinner – Year 5 and 6

Friday 15^th December 2023 – Christmas Jumper Day 2 (No donation required)

Friday 15^th December 2023 – Christmas Fair

Monday 18^th December 2023 – Family Breakfast – 8.00am

Monday 18^th December 2023 – Parent/Carer Craft Session – Year 6 – 9.15am

Monday 18^th December 2023 – Parent/Carer Singing and Craft Session – Year 1 - 1.30pm

Monday 18^th December 2023 – Parent/Carer Singing and Craft Session – Year 3 - 2.00pm

Monday 18^th December 2023 – Christingle Service – Year 4 – Parents/Carers invited. 1.45pm at St Thomas’ Church, Bramford Lane.

Monday 18^th December 2023 – Parent/Carer Festive Reading Session – Year 6 - 2.00pm

Tuesday 19^th December 2023 – Parent/Carer Christmas Craft Session – Year Reception 2.00pm

Thursday 21^st December 2023 to Wednesday 3^rd January 2024 – Christmas Holiday

Thursday 4^th January 2024 – PD Day (Children not in school)

Monday 19^th February 2024 to Friday 23^rd February 2024 – Half Term Holiday

Friday 29^th March 2024 to Thursday 11^th April 2024 – Easter Holiday

Friday 12^th April 2024 – PD Day (Children not in school)

Monday 24^th June 2024 to Tuesday 25^th June 2024 – Year 6 Residential Trip at Mersea