Whitehouse Weekly Bulletin 321

Friday 19th September 2025

A Message from Miss Siddall:

It’s been a busy week in school!  We completed the first fire drill of the year last week and I am proud to report that the behaviour of all children was excellent throughout - they were all very sensible and all 560 children were evacuated safely. A special well done to our youngest children in reception who had not practiced this before.  It has been fantastic to see many parents attending the ‘Meet the Teacher’ sessions this week. I hope it was helpful to see your child’s learning space, talk to their teacher and look at some of the wonderful work they have already completed. Remember that you can come again for the project showcases on the 14^th or 16^th of October.

Assemblies

The theme of our assemblies this week was Wellbeing and Mental Health: How to Manage Your Worries. (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).  This would be a wonderful chance to chat with your child about any worries they have and how together you could work on them.

Accelerated Reading Certificates

Did you know that children in KS2 can work towards a range of reader certification levels by reading and quizzing on Accelerated Reader books throughout the academic year?  There are seven reader levels, each with their own set of achievement criteria:   Ready Reader, Independent Reader, Rising Reader, Super Reader, Advanced Reader, Star Reader and Classic Reader.

Children achieving the Classic Reader can work towards the prestigious ‘Word Millionaire Award’ and earn one of our much sought after ‘Word Millionaire Badges’.   

A full list of criteria for each level is on display in the KS2 library.  Mrs Balaam, our Librarian, is always happy to answer any questions the children may have about AR and help them to choose suitable books from our libraries to help them achieve their next award.

Bookmark prizes are presented to children when they achieve a new level of certification for the first time. They normally need to recertify at least twice at their current level before progressing to the next (except Independent Reader where no recertification is necessary). 

Many congratulations to Maddie (Toucans) for already achieving a Super Reader Award.  To achieve this, Maddie has read and successfully passed quizzes on three books with a ZPD of 2.0 or higher worth at least one point each.  Well done Maddie, we are super proud of you!

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:

World School Milk Day: Competition

To celebrate World School Milk Day which takes place on 24^th September, ‘Cool Milk’ who deliver milk to many schools, including Whitehouse, have introduced a new competition that your child might like to take part in.

The children have been invited to design their own milk bottle using a template which can be accessed at the link below.  Completed designs can be dropped into the school office so we can submit entries.  The winning school will receive a visit from an Olympic Athlete!

https://coolmilk.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/WSMD-MILK-BOTTLE-TEMPLATE-2025.pdf

Staff News

Congratulations to Miss Swansborough who is expecting a baby and will be going on maternity leave in the new year.  We will be writing to the parents/carers of our Owls Class shortly to inform them of the plans for the class moving forward.

Attendance: The Kiosk is back and it is time to get stamping!

Get ready, because the most exciting part of the school is making its grand return…

THE ATTENDANCE KIOSK IS OPENING SOON!

That’s right, it’s almost time to dust off those passports, count those stamps and treat yourself to some awesome rewards.

Your Passport to Success:

Every single day you come to school, you’re not just learning new things and seeing your friends, you’re also earning a stamp in your passport.  What do stamps mean?... Prizes!

Whether you are saving up for something big or spending as you go, your attendance stamps are your ticket to a world of goodies.  You never know what surprises might be waiting at the kiosk this term!

Why does Attendance matter?

Being in school helps you:

• Learn more and grow your brainpower
• Hang out with your friends and classmates
• Join in exciting activities and events
• Work towards your goals and dreams

Plus, the more days you are in, the more stamps you earn and the more rewards you can choose.

A Message from the Kiosk Keeper, Mrs Zantboer: ‘I’m so excited to welcome you all back to the kiosk!  I love seeing your smiling faces and passports full of stamps.  Remember, every day in school counts and I can’t wait to see what you’ll spend your stamps on this term!

So, set your alarms, pack your bags and be ready for a fun-filled, stamp-collecting, prize earning term.  Your attendance matters and at Whitehouse, showing up pays off!

Attendance: Duck Race Winners

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

Year 4: Dentaid Visit

The children in Year 4 had the pleasure of meeting Sarah Drew on Monday 15^th September, a nurse working for a charity called Dentaid.  She kindly came to visit the children to talk about dental structure and to give her top tips for looking after their teeth, especially at school.  The children really enjoyed the visit and asked the expert some wonderful questions, including about getting their adult teeth.  Each of the children were given a sticker for taking part in the activity and a leaflet about healthy teeth.  Sarah also generously provided toothbrushes, toothpaste and disclosure tablets which Year 4 will be using in a future science lesson.  Well done everyone for excellent behaviour and participation.

Reminder: Lost Property

Can we please remind parents/carers to ensure that all items of clothing are named – particularly jumpers and cardigans as we are having a number of these getting lost in school.  As long as there is a name we can ensure this is returned to your child.  Thank you for your support.

Dates for the Diary

Monday 22^nd September 2025 - Family Breakfast 8.00am

Monday 29^th September 2025 - Family Breakfast 8.00am

Monday 29^th September 2025 – Year 5 Gurdwara Visit

Friday 3^rd October 2025 – SMSC Day: Learning to Learn

Monday 6^th October 2025 - Family Breakfast 8.00am

Tuesday 7^th October 2025 – Year 4 Local Walk

Thursday 9^th October 2025 – Year 2 Local Walk

Monday 13^th October 2025 - Family Breakfast 8.00am

Monday 13^th October 2025 – Year 6 SATs Info Sessions for Parents/Carers – 9.00am / 4.30pm

Tuesday 14^th October 2025 – Autumn 1 Project Showcase – Years Nursery, 1, 3 and 5

Thursday 16^th October 2025 – Autumn 1 Project Showcase – Years Reception, 2, 4 and 6

Monday 20^th October 2025 - Family Breakfast 8.00am

Monday 27^th October 2025 – Friday 31^st October 2025 – Half Term Holiday

Friday 7^th November 2025 – Tour for new Reception Children (starting Sept 2026)

Thursday 13^th November 2025 – Tour for new Reception Children (starting Sept 2026)

Friday 28^th November 2025 – Reports Home to Parents/Carers

Monday 1^st December 2025 – Tour for new Reception Children (starting Sept 2026)

Tuesday 2^nd December 2025 – Online Parents/Carers Evening – 3.30pm to 5.30pm

Thursday 4^th December 2025 – CET Christmas Concert

Tuesday 9^th December 2025 – Nursery Nativity Event

Thursday 11^th December 2025 – Reception Nativity Play

Thursday 11^th December 2025 – Online Parents/Carers Evening – 3.30pm to 6.30pm

Tuesday 16^th December 2025 – Autumn 2 Project Showcase – Years Reception, 2, 4 and 6

Thursday 18^th December 2025 – Autumn 2 Project Showcase – Years Nursery, 1, 3 and 5

Friday 19^th December 2025 – Last day in school before Christmas

Monday 22^nd December 2025 to Friday 2^nd January 2026 – Christmas Holiday

Monday 5^th January 2026 – PD Day (School closed to Children)

Tuesday 6^th January 2026 – First day back for the children

Monday 22^nd June to Tuesday 23^rd June 2026 – Year 6 Residential Trip to Mersea