Whitehouse Weekly Bulletin 306

Friday 25th April 2025

A Message from Miss Siddall

Welcome back to the summer term at Whitehouse. We hope you had had a restful holiday with your families. Thank you to those of you who took the opportunity to take part in the ‘family day out’ suggestion from the homework menu.  Please feel free to send in any photographs you took as we would love to be able to feature some of these in our newsletters and on our homework celebration display. 

Looking forward to the term ahead, we have a Reception visit to the farm, a Y1 visit to the zoo, a Y2 visit to a working farm and Y6 visit to the Hindu Samaj as well as a Y5 climate workshop and Y3 French day in school.  Thank you for your support.

Attendance for the week before the Easter holiday:

Class with the best attendance: Owls (98.32%)

Assemblies

The theme of our assemblies for next week will be The Importance of Bees (UNRC: Article 24 – I have a right to the best health possible and to medical care and to information that will help me to stay well).  Why not ask your child what they learnt and take a walk to see how many bees you see flying around?  Remember to treat them kindly and with respect!

Nursery

Did you know we have a lovely nursery on site, which is based near the front of the school, just behind our Reception classrooms?  We are currently full but will have spaces coming up for September 2025 if you have a little one and are looking for a space.  We take children from the term after their 3^rd birthday and currently run sessions in the morning from 8.30am to 11.30am, five days a week.  If you would like to pick up an application form or have any questions please speak to a member of the office team.  If you would like to have a look around and meet Mrs Vince, our Nursery Lead, this can be arranged. 

Stay and Play Sessions

Did you know that Highfield use our nursery facilities on the first Wednesday afternoon each month to hold a Stay and Play session for local families and their preschool aged children?  Any local family is welcome to attend the free session.  It is a wonderful opportunity for your child to meet and socialise with other young children and also gives mums and dads a great chance to meet other parents from the area.  The next session is on Wednesday 7^th May 2025 from 1.00pm.  You can enter via the Marlow Road gate and go straight in through the Nursery entrance. 

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:

Skills Bootcamps: Skills for Life

Are you thinking of returning to work or looking to obtain some extra skills so you can change your career?  If so, why not have a look at what Suffolk County Council can do to help with their Skills Bootcamps:  https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/business/supporting-employers-training-your-workforce/skills-bootcamps

Attendance

As we begin the new term, we want to remind everyone just how important school attendance is. Being in school every day helps children build friendships, enjoy learning, and feel part of our school community.  We also understand that some children may find the transition back into school a little tricky after a break, and that’s absolutely okay. We’re here to help. Our Breakfast Clubs offer a calm, settled start to the day, and our pastoral team is always on hand to support children with whatever they might need. We can also offer soft starts for those who need a gentle and supported re-entry into the school day.

If your child is unwell or unable to attend school for any reason, please remember to leave a message on our attendance line to let us know the reason for their absence. Sometimes, a member of our team might follow up with a quick call—just to check in and make sure everything is okay. If we don’t hear from you, we may carry out a home visit as part of our usual safeguarding checks, simply to ensure that your child and family are safe and well.

Attendance: Duck Race Winners

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

Family Breakfasts

Don’t forget our popular Family Breakfasts will start again on Monday 28^th April (next week). This is a lovely way to start the school week, as parents/carers are invited to come into school at 8.00am and enjoy a simple, free breakfast with their children.  Please come in via the Key Stage 1 playground on Marlow Road, where Mrs Gotts will meet you and show you where to go.  We look forward to seeing many of you there!  Please note for your diaries, there will be no family breakfast on Monday 12^th May 2025 as this is SATs week for Year 6.

Music at Whitehouse

This term, as a school we are learning to sing ‘The Climb’ by Miley Cyrus.  This song was chosen because it links to our Whitehouse Way about showing perseverance.  The children have all been working hard to learn it and we have been really impressed with the progress they have shown already.  If you would like to practise at home, you can follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWL5v2y_dOI.  Some classes have even started to learn the song in sign language to give everyone the opportunity to join in.  If you would like to have a go, the link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUYgyKerKh.

Word Millionaires

In the last Wonderful Week assembly of the Spring Term, we were proud to present not one, but an incredible seven Word Millionaire awards! Many congratulations to Aro (Foxes), Erik (Hedgehogs), Amelia J, Leonna (Chameleons), Vina (Toucans), Sakura and Carter (Tigers).

To achieve their award, they each had to gain their Classic Reader Award and read a minimum of one million words in this academic year.  This is a magnificent achievement and something they should each be very proud of.  Each of the children received a non-uniform voucher as well as a Word Millionaire certificate and one of our much sought-after Word Millionaire badges.  Wear the badges with pride – you deserve it. How many more Word Millionaires can we crown before the end of this academic year?

Accelerated Reader

We have also had a large number of children who have recently received certificates for their reading.   A big well done to you all.

Discounted Broadband Costs

Were you aware that some households who receive benefits such as Universal Credit may be eligible for discounted social tariffs on the cost of broadband, helping them to stay connected but at a lower cost.  To get more information please see the link: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/saving-money/social-tariffs?es_c=87654442AF3C3A0ECB8A4839575E1FC5&es_cl=202F7B5EBE3B7110EEB121F1F5B0B7C1&es_id=ph7%c2%a3o1

Spring 2 Project Showcase

We are very pleased to announce the winners of the Spring 2 Project Showcase below.  As you can see from just the few photos below, we had some wonderful work completed by the children in every class.  Well done everyone, we love seeing your homework projects.

Join us for No Mow May

This May we are encouraging all families to take part in ‘No Mow May’ by letting a section of your garden grow wild and wonderful!  It’s a simple way to help pollinators like bees and butterflies thrive.  You don’t have to leave the whole garden - a small section will do!  We would love to see what grows in your space, so please send us a photo of your wild area and the nature that it attracts.

PFA (Parents and Friends Association) Update

Please note we will be holding our very popular Summer Fair this year on Friday 4^th July 2025 so make a note in your diaries to come along.  There will be all the usual favourites!   The planning of the fair is now beginning so we would like to invite all the members of the PFA and any other parent/carer who would like to be involved to come along after school on Thursday 8^th May 2025 for the initial planning meeting.  Please come to the main office where Ms Salmon will meet you.

Dates for the Diary

Monday 28^th April 2025 – Family Breakfast- 8.00am

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

Tuesday 29^th April 2025 – Year 6 Hindu Samaj Trip – Chameleons and Toucans

Tuesday 29^th April 2025 – Year 1 Parent/Carer Phonics Information Session – 9.00am / 2.30pm

Wednesday 30^th April 2025 - Year 6 Hindu Samaj Trip – Ocelots and Tigers

Thursday 1^st May 2025 – Helping Hands (from 2.00pm)

Friday 2^nd May 2025 – Y3 French Day

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

Thursday 8^th May 2025 – Year R Easton Farm Park

Thursday 8^th May 2025 – PFA Meeting – 3.30pm

Thursday 15^th May 2025 – Helping Hands (from 2.00pm)

Monday 19^th May 2025 – Family Breakfast – 8.00am

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

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

Tuesday 3^rd June 2025 – Year 4 Victorian School – Hedgehogs Class

Thursday 5^th June 2025 – Year 4 Victorian School – Squirrels Class

Monday 9^th June 2025 – Year 4 Victorian School – Foxes Class

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

Friday 4^th July 2025 – Summer Fair

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