Whitehouse Weekly Bulletin 359
Friday 11 September 2026
A Message from Miss Siddall:
It has been a real pleasure to visit classes throughout this week and see the children enjoying their learning. I have seen them using the 'Whitehouse Way', showing courage, perseverance, reflection and responsibility to support them in their lessons. Meet the teacher sessions are coming up next week, taking place straight after school on different days throughout the week – please see the timetable below. This is your opportunity to see your child's classroom and the work they've already completed, chat to your child's teacher about the year ahead, and ask any questions you may have. We look forward to welcoming you into school.
School Photos: Individual and Sibling
A reminder that we have our school photographer coming into school on Monday 14th September to take individual photos of our children. Please remember to send your child in wearing their full uniform and looking their best. If your child was due to have PE that day, please ensure they come into school in their school uniform instead of their PE kit.
We are pleased to also be able to offer parents/carers the opportunity to have a photo taken of siblings (this can only include siblings who attend Whitehouse). These will be done on a first come, first served basis between 8.00am to 8.40am in both the Marlow Road and Waterford Road Halls. Please come in via the KS1 playground and into the back of the hall or through the Waterford Road car park.
Dental Service
We are aware that it can be very difficult to get an NHS dentist for your children, so we are very pleased to let you know that on Tuesday 3rd November 2026 and Tuesday 17th November 2026, we will have a mobile dentist on site at school. The dental team will be offering appointments for your child to have their teeth examined and provide any needed treatment. Letters have been sent home with the consent forms which must be completed by parents and either returned to the school office or sent directly to snee@cds-cic.co.uk. These must be received by Tuesday 20th October 2026.
Regular dental examinations are important for your child’s health, so if you struggle to get a dentist this is a great opportunity we hope you will feel able to take up.
Breakfast Club
Can we please remind parents/carers that if you wish your child to attend breakfast club, it is important that you have booked them a space. This can be done on Arbor or by speaking to a member of the office team.
Family Breakfasts
Please note the first Family Breakfast Club has been delayed due to sibling photos and will now take place on Monday 21st September. 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 as many of you as possible.
Meet the Teacher Sessions
We are pleased to inform you that we have our ‘Meet the Teacher’ sessions coming up very soon. These take place directly after school and give parents/carers the opportunity to come into the classroom and have a chance to speak to the teachers. Classes that have two teachers will run two sessions so that you can meet both teachers if you wish to. Please note the session times are:
Monday 14th September: Year 1, Year 3 and Lizards
Tuesday 15th September: Reception, Year 2 and Year 6
Wednesday 16th September: Nursery
Thursday 17th September: Giraffes, Zebras, Year 4 and Year 5
Parking
We are aware parking is often an issue at the start and end of the school day. Please ensure you are following the guidance below. Please note Ipswich Borough Council have now provided the QR code which can be used to report any parking issues you encounter. We would encourage all members of our school community to be considerate when parking to ensure the safety of all.
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Attendance Passports are Back!
We are excited to have reintroduced our Attendance Passports this week! Children in Years 1-6 can earn a stamp in their passport for every week they attend the school every day and on time. Reception will be joining the scheme from April.
Each child will have a passport kept safely in school, which will be stamped at the end of every successful week. And what to stamps mean? Prizes!
Children can choose how they spend their stamps. They can cash them in regularly for smaller prizes, combine stamps for a selection of prizes, or save them up for a bigger prize later in the year.
Children in Years 1 and 2 will have access to our Attendance Trolley, which will visit their classes with a selection of prizes. Years 3-6 will be able to visit the Attendance Kiosk on a rota.
We hope the Attendance Passports provide a fun way to celebrate and reward excellent attendance and punctuality.
Keep coming! Keep collecting! Keep earning those stamps!
If you would like to have a look at the passport, there is a sample in the school office for you to see.
New Allergy Regulations
You may have heard that new regulations around the management of allergies in schools were introduced in September, known as Benedict’s Law. We know how challenging it can be when you have a child with a severe allergy, so please be reassured we are here to help and support you. If you have any concerns about an allergy, please do come in and speak to a member of the office team and ask for a meeting with Miss McCullum, our Designated Allergy Lead and Mrs Bendell, our Medical Lead who would be happy to discuss any needs. We are pleased to say we have strong measures in place within the school to support anyone with an allergy, including spare adrenaline pens and training for all staff.
School Play Equipment
We would like to remind parents/carers that the play equipment on school grounds is for supervised use during school hours only. As indicated on the signage by the equipment ‘use of play equipment must be under school supervision.’ Please note that we do not supervise the play areas before or after school. Once your child has been collected at the end of the school day, they are under your care and supervision. We kindly ask that the children do not use the play equipment before school or after they have been collected as we cannot supervise its use during these times. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in keeping our children safe.
Dates for the Diary
Monday 14th September 2026 – Family Breakfast - CANCELLED
Monday 14th September 2026 – Sibling Photos Marlow Hall 8.00am to 8.40am
Monday 14th September 2026 – School Photos
Monday 14th September 2026 – Meet the Teacher: Years 1 and 3
Tuesday 15th September 2026 – Year 4 Dental Nurse Visit
Tuesday 15th September 2026 – Accelerated Reader Parent/Carer Session – 2.30pm
Tuesday 15th September 2026 – Meet the Teacher: Reception, Years 2 and 6
Wednesday 16th September 2026 – Meet the Teacher: Nursery (11.30am)
Thursday 17th September 2026 - Meet the Teacher: Years 4 and 5
Monday 21st September 2026 – Family Breakfast
Monday 28th September 2026 – Family Breakfast
Monday 5th October 2026 – Family Breakfast
Tuesday 6th October 2026 – Year 1 Local Walk
Monday 12th October 2026 – Family Breakfast
Monday 19th October 2026 – Family Breakfast
Monday 19th October 2026 – Year 3 Local Walk (Badgers Class)
Tuesday 20th October 2026 – Year 3 Local Walk (Owls Class)
Tuesday 20th October 2026 - Autumn 1 Project Showcase: Years N, 1, 3 and 5
Wednesday 21st October 2026 – Year 3 Local Walk (Rabbits Class)
Thursday 22nd October 2026 – Autumn 1 Project Showcase: Years R, 2, 4 and 6
Friday 23rd October 2026 – Whole School SMSC Day
Monday 26th October 2026 to Friday 30th October 2026 – Half Term Holiday
Tuesday 3rd November 2026 – Mobile Dental Visit
Tuesday 10th November 2026 – Year 3 Stone Age Visitors
Tuesday 17th November 2026 – Mobile Dental Visit
Friday 27th November 2026 – Reports Home to Parents/Carers
Tuesday 1st December 2026 – Online Parents/Carers Evening 3.30pm to 5.30pm
Tuesday 8th December 2026 – Nursery Nativity
Thursday 10th December 2026 – Reception Nativity
Thursday 10th December 2026 – Online Parents/Carers Evening 3.30pm to 6.30pm
Tuesday 15th December 2026 – Autumn 2 Project Showcase: Years R, 2,4 and 6
Thursday 17th December 2026 – Autumn 2 Project Showcase: Years N, 1, 3 and 5
Friday 18th December 2026 – Last day of the Autumn Term
Monday 21st December 2026 to Friday 1st January 2027 – Christmas Holiday
Monday 4th January 2027 – PD Day (School closed to the children)
Tuesday 5th January 2027 – Spring Term (first day back for the children)