Whitehouse Weekly Bulletin 324

Friday 10th October 2025

A Message from Miss Siddall: 

This week I've been visiting classes to see some of the fabulous homework projects being brought into school. Thank you for your support with this - the homework projects really do help the children to engage with their learning and to develop both skills and knowledge. We look forward to welcoming parents and carers into classrooms at the end of the day very soon so that you can see the fantastic project school work and homework for yourselves. Classrooms will stay open for 15 minutes after the end of the school day to give you plenty of time to visit different classes if you have more than one child.

Attendance for last week:

Class with the best attendance: Dragons (98.75%)

Assemblies

The theme of our assemblies this week was World Homeless Day: Why do people become homeless and how can people help. (UNRC: Article 27: I have the right to a good enough standard of living. This means I should have food, clothes and a place to live).  Maybe as a family you could think of a way to help the homeless, such as giving one or two pounds to a charity or donating to the local food bank or charity shop.

Free School Meal Vouchers

We are pleased to confirm that Suffolk County Council will again be providing vouchers to parents/carers of any child who is eligible for free school meals, to help with food costs over the October half term holiday.  The voucher will be £15.00 per eligible child.

 As usual the voucher will be sent by email from noresponse@vouchers.sodexoengage.com and will be with you by Thursday 23^rd October 2025. If you do not receive the voucher, please email freeschoolmeals@suffolk.gov.uk and they will be able to assist.  Please do not contact the school office as we will be unable to help.

Healthy Snack

Our children work hard when learning at school and by morning break are often a little hungry. Whilst the government does provide fruit for the children in Reception and Key Stage 1, they do not for our older children.  If your child would like to, they are very welcome to bring in a healthy snack, such as fruit, which can keep them going until lunchtime!

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:

Attendance: Duck Race Winners

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

SMSC Day: Metacognition Day

Our SMSC Day last Friday, 3^rd October, was all about our brilliant brains!  Across the school children learnt what brains looked like and the amazing things our brains can do.  Firstly, the children discovered all about metacognition which is how to think hard about our thinking!  Next, they learnt about what our schema is, this is our mental filing cabinet that holds all of our learning and experience. By using both of these new skills, children discovered that they had really powerful tools, using their brains better, to think harder and learn more.  The children all had a chance to put this into practise, with a day full of active learning.  Each year group got stuck into creative tasks from making brains with spaghetti to dissecting cauliflower brains!  We also explored more about the importance of having a positive mindset.  The children then used their brains by working in teams to solve puzzles.  They really had to think hard and work with their friends, using the Whitehouse Way skills of perseverance and courage to show just how successful they could be.  Children have commented: ‘I really loved learning about my brain!’  ‘This day has been so much fun!’ and ‘I am excited to try all the things I can’t do yet.’

Project Showcase

A reminder of our upcoming project showcases, when parents/carers are invited into school to view the wonderful homework our children have completed this half term.  Dates for the next showcase are:

Tuesday 14^th October: Years Nursery, 1, 3 and 5

Thursday 16^th October: Yeas Reception, 2, 4 and 6

We look forward to welcoming as many of you as possible.

Charities: Children in Need

At Whitehouse, we’re proud to support a range of charities throughout the year.  While we’re not able to support every cause every year in the same way, we do try to spread our efforts fairly over time.  As we held a fundraising event for Children in Need last year, this year we’ll be marking the occasion in a smaller way with a special school lunch menu. 

Looking ahead, we’re planning a larger fundraising event for Comic Relief on Friday 20^th March 2026, along with other smaller charity events organised by our local House Captains.

Dates for the Diary

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

Tuesday 14^th October 2025 – First Class (Reception) Photos in the Evening Star (change of date)

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 20^th October 2025 – Year 3 Local Walk – Owls Class

Tuesday 21^st October 2025 – Year 3 Local Walk – Badgers Class

Thursday 23^rd October 2025 – Year 3 Local Walk – Rabbits Class

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

Monday 3^rd November 2025 – Year 4 West Stow Visit

Thursday 6^th November 2025 – Scholastic Book Fair (after school)

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

Monday 10^th November 2025 – Scholastic Book Fair (after school)

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

Friday 14^th November 2025 – Year 2 Framlingham Castle Visit

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