Whitehouse Weekly Bulletin 303

Friday 21st March 2025

A Message from Miss Siddall

I hope that you found the short report sent home this week useful to help you to understand your child's effort and progress. Thank you to everyone who attended the first of our two parents’/carers' evenings this week. There is another face to face parents' evening next week (Tuesday 25^th March 2025 at 3:30pm - 6:30pm) where the teachers will be able to discuss the report and share examples of their current work. If you have been unable to make an appointment, please contact the office.

Attendance for the previous week:

Class with the best attendance:  Owls (100%)

Assemblies

The theme of our assemblies for next week will be on Ramadan and Eid: Why is this important to Muslims and how do they show their commitment to God at this time? (UNRC: Article 14 – I have the right to think what I like, and be whatever religion I want to be, with my parent’s guidance).  Why not do a little research about Eid with your child and make a special dish to eat together?

Uniform Giveaway Event

We will be holding another of our uniform events on Thursday 27^th March 2025 from 2.00pm in the Marlow Hall.  Please do come along if you need any uniform bits and pieces, as we have lots of spare items which you are welcome to take for free.  We look forward to seeing you!

Free School Meals

We have been informed that there may be some changes to free school meals for anyone who applies after 31^st March 2025.  Currently if you apply and are successful your child will receive free school meals for the whole time they are at Primary School.  Any applications from 1^st April 2025 may lose that protection and eligibility will be checked and you will lose free school meals when no longer eligible.  If you feel you may be eligible (even if your child is in Reception, Years 1 or 2 and you do not currently pay for dinners) we would strongly recommend that you apply before the end of March 2025, so if successful you are able to keep the guarantee of free school meals until the end of Year 6. 

You can apply online here: https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/children-families-and-learning/schools/school-meals-uniforms-and-trips/apply-for-free-school-meals.  Alternatively, you can contact the school office (in person or by email to parents@whcps.org) for a paper application form.  Any questions please speak to the office. 

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:

Parents/Carers Evening

Thank you to all those parents who joined us this week for Parents/Carers evening.  We have our second session on Tuesday next week. 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 again. Also, don’t forget to pop by and see Mrs Zantboer our Attendance Officer who will also be based in the hall and will be able to answer any of your attendance questions.

U11 Inclusive Ten Pin Bowling Event

Last Wednesday, Mrs Edwards and Miss Huggins took five Year 6 pupils to Tenpin Ipswich to take part in the U11 Inclusive Ten Pin Bowling event. This was the second inclusive Bowling event that our pupils have had the opportunity to attend this academic year, and just like the previous event the format involved each school playing 2 games of bowling. Each school’s total team score at the end of the first game was recorded to determine which position each school would finish. Mrs Edwards and Miss Huggins were extremely proud of the team spirit the team showed throughout the event, as the pupils continually applauded each other’s efforts with plenty of ‘high fives’!  To celebrate their hard work and participation within the event, each pupil in the team received a medal and certificate. Well done team!

U11 Mixed Dodgeball Festival

On Tuesday Mr Jordan took ten Year 5 pupils to Inspire Suffolk to take part in the School Games U11 Mixed Dodgeball Festival. In exactly the same format as the previous week’s U11 Dodgeball competition, the festival consisted of each team taking part in a round robin of dodgeball matches, with each match again consisting of three 2-minute games. The team were placed in group 3 to play against teams from St Johns, Felix, Elmsett and Britannia Primary. The team really enjoyed the festival and worked extremely well together as a team to implement the dodgeball skills and tactics that they had learnt during the recent Year 5 after school dodgeball club. As a result of their efforts, the team managed to win two and narrowly lose two of their matches. Not only did the team demonstrate some excellent dodgeball skills, they also showed fantastic sportsmanship as they took time to shake hands with their opponents after every match!  A fantastic effort from the team, well done!

Year 5/6 Girls’ Netball

On Tuesday, our Year 5/6 girls took part in another IPSSA Netball Home league match. The girls faced last year’s league winners Broke Hall Primary, who started very strongly and scored 4 goals in quick succession. Our girls passed the ball up and down the court beautifully, showing great perseverance despite Broke Hall’s fantastic shooting. Whitehouse did manage to score 1 goal in the 2nd quarter, with the score now being 7-1 to Broke Hall. Ms Salmon boosted the girls by explaining how she loved that each and every one of them just kept going even being down 7-1. It made Ms Salmon’s day! Was it a win? No, but in Ms Salmon’s eyes it was because of the smiles on the girls faces. The game ended with a win to Broke Hall and they gave their player of match to Skye. Ms Salmon’s player of the match this week was Kyla for excellent defending. Ms Salmon would also like to thank all of the parents/carers who came and supported the girls throughout the match. 

Times Table Rock Stars: Year 4

In June, Year 4 pupils across England will carry out a Multiplication Tables Check (MTC).  The purpose of this check is to determine whether pupils can recall all of their times tables fluently, up to 12x12.  This is essential for their future success in mathematics.  To support the children in this learning, they should be using Times Tables Rock Stars (TTRS) for at least 3 minutes a day, with a particular focus on these games:

• Garage – Players are given a personalised set of 6 multiplication questions (and their matching division questions) in each round.  These questions continually adjust to support each learner’s needs.  This is the best game for improving fluency.
• Soundcheck – These games ask 25 multiplication questions (up to 2x12), allowing 6 seconds for each question.  This is a similar format to the MTC.

As they play the games, children will also build their heatmap which shows how quickly learners correctly respond to each times table.  The Year 4 teachers recently sent home a copy of your child’s heatmap along with a parent guide.  Please do look through this with your child and identify any red and yellow on the grid, as these are the tables your child needs to increase their fluency with.  If you need another copy of your child’s heatmap or TTRS parent/carer guide, please speak to your child’s teacher.

Just Giving Day

To celebrate Just Giving Day on Wednesday, we were kindly donated over 150 meals to share with our families.  A big thank you to St Joseph’s College and their caterers The Thomas Franks Foundation who hand prepared the meals and delivered them to us.  What a wonderful way to celebrate the day and make lives a little happier!  We know those families who were able to receive these were extremely grateful. 

Childhood Neurodivergence Workshop

The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust will be holding a number of childhood divergence workshops over coming months which may be of interest to some of our parents/carers.  Details of the courses and the opportunity to book can be viewed here:   https://www.suffolklocaloffer.org.uk/health-and-wellbeing/autism-adhd-and-neurodevelopment/neurodiversity-online-parentcarer-workshops.

Attendance: Duck Race Winners

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

Year 3: Colchester Castle

This week our Year 3 children visited Colchester Castle.  They very much enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about the Roman’s and make connections between what they have already learnt in these lessons.   The children also had opportunities to visit the prison, build a roundhouse and even have a guided tour underneath the castle!  Year 3 made us very proud with the way they represented the school, showing outstanding behaviour and respect to the Colchester Castle staff members and the equipment.  Well done Year 3.

ELKLAN Let’s Talk 5-11 Language Sessions

Suffolk County Council are supporting a course of eight virtual sessions for parents/carers exploring children’s understanding and talking at home.  It will give the chance to learn why some children find it challenging to understand what is said to them and to talk, and a chance to learn some practical things that can help.  The course is free except the purchase of the ELKLAN workbook, which is £15.00 plus postage.  There are limited spaces so if interested please email Lucy.parker@suffolk.gov.uk before Thursday 27^th March 2025.

Community Event

Whitton Baptist Church are holding an Easter Messy Church event on Saturday 29^th March 2025, which all members of the local community are invited to.  Places are limited though, so please go along early! It runs from 11am to 1pm and will include lots of fun, food, craft, stories and songs.  

For more information please contact messychurch@whittonbaptist.org.uk

Accelerated Reader

Many congratulations to the following children who all recently received certificates for their reading.   A big well done to you all.

Scholastic Book Fair

A huge thank you to everyone who attended our recent Book Fairs.  We were able to earn over £260 in rewards vouchers which we have used to purchase some of the titles chosen by the children on World Book Day to be added to our school libraries.  Every child took home a mini flyer prior to the book fairs which they could bring along to the fair to enter our free prize draw.  Congratulations to the winners who have each chosen a book as their prize: Lucian (Cobras), Esmae (Badgers), Shnyar (Badgers) and Vina (Toucans).

Dates for the Diary

Monday 24^th March 2025 – Family Breakfast

Monday 24^th March 2025 – Year 3 Roman Day

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

Thursday 27^th March 2025 – Uniform Giveaway Event

Monday 31^st March 2025 – Family Breakfast

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

Friday 25^th April 2025 – Year 1 Colchester Castle

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