Whitehouse Weekly Bulletin 302

Friday 14th March 2025

A Message from Miss Siddall

As the children would like to support Red Nose Day on Friday 21st March, we are planning to hold a non-uniform on the day (for a small donation of £1.00).  Children can choose whether they would like to participate.   Also, don’t forget that short reports will be sent home next Wednesday.  Please check the information carefully and bring the report to discuss at the face to face parents’ meetings on Thursday 20th March or Tuesday 25th March.  At the meetings the teachers will be able to discuss your child’s progress and share examples of their current work. If you have been unable to make an appointment, please contact the office. Thank you for your continued support.

Attendance for the previous week:

Class with the best attendance:  Lizards and Tigers (100%)

Assemblies

The theme of our assemblies for next week will be based on Down’s Syndrome Awareness: What is down’s syndrome and how does it affect people? (UNRC: Article 23 – If I am disabled, mentally or physically, I have the right to special care and education to help me develop and lead a full life.).  Why not ask your child what they have learnt?

Job Vacancy

Please note we currently have a vacancy for a Midday Supervisor. We have placed all the information and an application form on our website at the following link:  https://www.whcps.org/vacancies/.  If you would be interested in applying for the position, please note the closing date is 9.00am on Monday 17^th March 2025. If you would like a paper copy of the application form, please ask at the office.

Trips: Packed Lunches

As you will know when we have a school trip, we have been able to provide packed lunches for any of our children who are eligible for free school meals.  We are now pleased to let you know that we are able to extend this to all children who are on a trip.  At the point that you sign the consent form, please also let us know that you would like to order a packed lunch for your child.  The options are cheese or ham and the cost will be £2.52 the same as if your child were having a pick and mix lunch in school. 

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 is 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.

EYFS:

Key Stage 1:

Lower Key Stage 2:

Upper Key Stage 2:

Dinner and Breakfast Club

Please note, we have a number of families who have a debt for dinner money or breakfast club payments.  Can we please ask this is cleared as a matter of urgency.  Thank you.

Parents/Carers Evening

We are looking forward to welcoming our parents/carers on Thursday 20^th March 2025 and Tuesday 25^th March 2025.  Please note, you will be able to enter school via either of our car park entrances (Marlow Road main entrance or via Waterford car park) and will be able to move freely through the school to each appointment.  Details of where teachers will be based are listed below.  Please make a point of visiting the dining hall where Lunchtime Co, who provide our school dinners, will be offering free tasters from our menu on both evenings.

Parents/Carers Evening: Attendance

Come and say hello!  During the two parents/carers evenings, Mrs Zantboer, our Attendance Officer will be on hand to answer any of your attendance questions.  You will be able to find her based in the dining hall on both evenings.  Examples of the Attendance Passports will be available for parents/carers to view and you will also be able to look at our new attendance kiosks.  

Attendance: Duck Race Winners

Well done to the winners of our Duck Races last week:

Y5/6 Girls’ Netball

On Tuesday, Ms Salmon took 7 of our Y5/6 girls to take part in another IPSSA Netball league game. The girls faced Heath Primary School. Heath started very strongly and soon took the lead in the first quarter. Our girls passed the ball up and down the court beautifully, but it was one of those games that was just not going our way. Whitehouse carried on showing great perseverance despite Heath scoring another 4 goals in the 2nd quarter. The girls came to life in the 3rd quarter and played some fantastic Netball, stopping Heath from scoring any more goals. The play in the 3rd and 4th quarter was superb and Ms Salmon was very pleased with the girls’ performance and attitude to carry on as a team. The game ended with a win for Heath 5-0 and they gave Player of the Match to Imogen, which was very well deserved. Ms Salmon's player of the match went to Ivy for displaying great perseverance.  Whitehouse's team consisted of Imogen, Skye, Violet, Shanelle, Ivy from Year 6 and Mia and Idunnu from Year 5. Ms Salmon would like to say a huge thank you to all the parents/carers who transported the girls to and from the match and a massive well done to the girls for displaying the Whitehouse way throughout the entire game.  

U10 Girls’ Football Festival

On Monday, Mr Jordan took six of our Year 5 pupils to attend the Suffolk FA U10 Girls’ Football Festival, which was held at Ipswich Town Football Club. As with previous festivals, the event was very well attended with 28 teams taking part from 27 different Suffolk primary schools!

The aim of the festival was to provide the players the opportunity to play football with minimal coaching from the sidelines, and no referees! Instead, both teams worked together to implement the rules of the game and most importantly, simply enjoy playing football! The festival also provided the opportunity for the girls to play a number of 4v4 football matches on the astro-turf pitches within the fantastic surroundings of the ITFC stadium. Despite being the first time that the girls had played together as a team, they were fantastic! The girls showed excellent teamwork and effort throughout each match. As a result, the team did not concede a single goal and were unbeaten within their group, winning 3 and drawing 1 of the matches. Most importantly, the girls played each match with big smiles on their faces! A great effort, well done girls!

U11 Mixed Dodgeball Competition

On Tuesday, Mr Jordan took seven Year 6 pupils to take part in a School Games U11 Mixed Dodgeball competition which was held at Inspire Suffolk. In the same format as the recent U9 Dodgeball event, the 20 schools that attended the competition were placed in four separate groups to compete in a round robin style format against five other teams. Each match again consisted of three 2-minute games. Throughout the competition, the team showed some excellent dodgeball skills to dodge their opponents attacks and also mount their own attacks (throws) to attempt to get their opponents ‘out’.

Mr Jordan was also incredibly proud of the effort shown by the team during each of their matches throughout the event. As a result, the team managed to win 4, draw 3 and lose 4 of their games within each of their matches. Overall, this meant that the team won 1, drew 2 and lost just 1 of their matches. Well done to the team!

Year 1: Great Fire of London

This week, our children in Year 1 took part in a very exciting ‘Great Fire of London’ workshop.  Using role play and drama, they took a journey back in time to the fateful night of the Great Fire!  The children really enjoyed learning all about the timeline of the fire, who the key characters were and how this big disaster made 1666 a year to remember.

Bags of Taste: Free Cooking Lessons

We know many people are concerned about the rising cost of food or would like some more help on how to cook healthy food for their families.  Bags of Taste have some spaces for their next course, which will start at the end of March, where they not only help you learn new recipes, they even provide the ingredients!  To register just email ipswich@bagsoftaste.org or call/text to 07751 890912.  This may be the last course to run this year (depending on funding) so don’t miss out!

Suffolk Parent Carer Forums

Please note, the Suffolk Parent Carer Forum are holding some upcoming focus groups for families who have a child with SEND.  If you are interested in any of the following please email info@suffolkpcf.co.uk for details on how to join.  All sessions will be held virtually but you do need to register beforehand.

• An Introduction to Suffolk User Form – Friday 21^st March 2025.  10.30am – 12.00pm.
• All Age Carers Strategy – Wednesday 26^th March 2025.  10.30am – 12.00pm.
• Attendance Difficulties – Thursday 27^th March 2025. 1.00pm – 2.30pm

Red Nose Day

Don’t forget it is Comic Relief (Red Nose) Day next Friday, 21^st March 2025.  Please note all children are welcome to come into school in non-uniform in return for a small donation which will be donated to Comic Relief to be used to help a variety of small charities in both the UK and across the world.   Thank you for your support.  

Dates for the Diary

Tuesday 18^th March 2025 – Year 3 Colchester Castle Trip

Wednesday 19^th March 2025 – Year 5 Trip to the Co-op

Thursday 20^th March 2025 – Parents Evening – 3.30pm to 5.30pm

Friday 21^st March 2025 – Comic Relief – Non-Uniform Day (for small donation)

Monday 24^th March 2025 – Year 3 Roman Day

Tuesday 25^th March 2025 – Parents Evening – 3.30pm to 6.30pm

Wednesday 2^nd April 2025 – Whole School SMSC Day

Monday 7^th April 2025 to Monday 21^st April 2025 – Easter Holiday

Tuesday 22^nd April 2025 – PD Day (School closed to children)

Wednesday 23^rd April 2025– Year 2 Shrimpling Farm – Dragons Class

Friday 25^th April 2025 – Year 2 Shrimpling Farm – Frogs Class

Monday 28^th April 2025 – Year 2 Shrimpling Farm – Cobras Class

Monday 5^th May 2025 – Bank Holiday (School Closed)

Friday 23^rd May 2025 – PD Day (School closed to children)

Monday 26^th May to Friday 30^th May – Half Term Holiday

Monday 23^rd Tuesday 24^th June 2025 – Year 6 Residential (Danbury)

Tuesday 22^nd July 2025 – Last day of the Summer Term

Wednesday 23^rd July 2025 – First day of the Summer Holiday

Monday 1^st September 2025 – PD Day (School closed to children)

Tuesday 2^nd September 2025 – PD Day (School closed to children)

Wednesday 3^rd September 2025 – First day of term for the children