St Anne’s C of E (A) Primary News

“Developing the whole child, spiritually, mentally and physically in a caring Christian

environment through close links to the Church and Community”

Dear Parents & Carers,

We are fully immersed in the Christmas mayhem! Classrooms are decorated and Caretaker Adele’s elf has arrived and is keeping a ‘Christmas eye’ on everyone! On Tuesday, Class 3 had fun participating in the ‘Jingle Jog’ at Sherwood Pines. This is a 3km fun run - the children took this at their own pace! The atmosphere was amazing, and all the children did their best. It was a delight to see the sportsmanship the children were showing, cheering each other on throughout the event. Thank you to all adults involved with the trip.

Our thanks extend to those of you who came to the RSHE (Relationships, Sex and Health Education) consultation; all materials can be found under the curriculum section of the website including the PowerPoint presentation that was shared.

Classes R, 1, 2 have been working hard towards their nativities – please encourage them to practise their words – we are all looking forward to their performances next week.

In amongst all this activity, we had the Local Authority fire audit, and I can report that whilst we await their report, they were happy with the systems that we have in place.

On Thursday afternoon, Class 4 shared their learning in their ‘class assembly’ all about South America, the digestive system and their learning in English. All the children spoke with clear voices, showed great confidence and should be congratulated on their group effort.

A highlight of the week has been seeing the children’s ‘angels’ from the classes adorning the tree down at ‘Priory Church Christmas Tree Festival’……it really does look magical and is open this weekend. Thank you to ‘Class Councillors, Mrs Smith and Mrs Wilkinson for organising this.

Snacks in school

A reminder that the snack ruling is a piece of fruit at breaktimes. Sweets and crisps are not allowed, and your child will be asked to take them home. We are a nut free school due to children with severe allergies so please help us by adhering to this request.

Children in classes 3 to 6 can book for a crumpet/teacake each day via ParentPay.com (please ensure the drop down menu says ‘morning’, scroll down to book meals and places – then you should be able to select a teacake or crumpet).

School Christmas Raffle (organized and run by FOSAS/PTA)

There is a poster attached to the newsletter email about the Christmas Raffle.  Tickets will be on sale at the KS1 Nativity (alongside teas / coffees and mince pies).  They can also be purchased via the office. Tickets are £1 per strip and 14 prizes to be won – see the attached poster!    

The Christmas stall will have bits and pieces to purchase all of which will go to support the children in school.

Do we have a cooker expert within our school community?

One of our cookers has seen better days in the KS2 Class cooking area. We are looking to replace it and wondered if any of our parents/carers can advise us in our choice making.

Bassetlaw Behaviour Partnership

Kerry from Bassetlaw Behaviour Partnership has continued to offer a range of support/guidance to parents about a range of matters within the home – whether it be sleeping patterns, dealing with change. She will be offering a monthly drop in – please see the dates below.

Monday 13 January 9.00-11.00am

Monday 10 February 9.00-11.00am

Monday 10 March 9.00-11.00am

Monday 31 March 9.00-11.00am

Monday 28 April 9.00-11.00am

Monday 19 May 9.00-11.00am

Monday 16 June 9.00-11.00am

Monday 14 July 9.00-11.00am

After School Club

Activities for the week ahead

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Christmas Cards	Christmas brain break activities	Connect	Christmas jumper day – design a jumper	Sports

Please note that there will be NO After School club on the last day of term – Friday 20^th December.

Help Others at Christmas

Is Christmas a struggle for you as a family? Please don’t be proud - if you are finding it difficult, school can contact the local charity ‘From the Heart’, who work within the community to ensure children receive a gift at Christmas time.  Please have a word with Mrs Middleton or Mrs Ridout if the school can act on your behalf.

Crafting Afternoon

Class teachers will be sending out messages to parents/carers about their plans for Thursday 12^th December at 1.30 pm, where ‘extra pairs’ of hands can come together for crafts – we ask only one adult from a family, but do not worry if you are busy at work there will be plenty of people to lend a hand.

Movie Mob

Thank you for supporting the event. We apologise for the congestion caused on Harrington Street and the rain didn’t help! We will be reviewing entrances and exits for the future and the problem only occurs in the winter months due to the dark and balance of light across the site.

Bassetlaw Museums

Bassetlaw Museums Christmas Crank Up! is this Saturday from 10-2pm, a lovely event featuring vintage tractors, some stalls and refreshments. Maybe even Santa on a tractor! A great opportunity to see Bassetlaw Museum all decked out in beautiful decorations as well!

On Thursday 12^th December, the Festival of Light returns to Retford. Starting on Carolgate, outside Wonderland Bookshop at 4:30pm, the parade of lanterns will head along Carolgate to the Market Square where there will be carolling, Evie the Elf, Retford Lions Santa and the beautiful Ice Princess. There will also be chance to buy last minute presents from the market.

Well done to the Cauliflower Card Best Design Winners

Phoebe (KS2) and Lily E (KS1).

Learning News from the Classes

Reception

This week Class Reception have been busy practising their nativity performance ready for next week.  They are building up their confidence and trying to be as loud as possible. They have already had some lovely comments about how lovely their singing is. They have been enjoying their gymnastics lessons and have been using the apparatus to practise their jumping, landing, rolling and balancing.

Class One

This week, Class 1 took a trip across to Church to see Rev Dave and Claire. They spoke to them all about Advent and showed them signs of Christmas in Church. They talked about what the vicar wears at Christmas time, and why. They talked about the nativity story and reflected on what Christians celebrate at Christmas.

Class Two

Class 2 have had a busy week preparing for their nativity.  They have learnt the words and actions to a number of catchy songs which they sing beautifully!  In history, they have learnt all about ‘Florence Nightingale’ including why she became so significant and what changes occurred because of her work. 

Class Three

This week, Class 3 have been exploring non-chronological reports. In English, they are building up to write their own report based on Stonehenge. To begin with, they had to identify the key features and retrieve key facts. For maths, the children have been developing the skill of column addition and subtraction. For Geography, the children have been developing their knowledge and understanding of the Equator. One of their tasks was using an Atlas to find specific countries and work out where they were based on the Equator, using terms such as northern and southern hemisphere.

Class Four

Class 4 have had a busy week practising for their class assembly ready to share all their learning from this term. In English, Class 4 have started their narrative writing based on the ‘Great Kapok Tree’. They are being challenged with including punctuated speech, expanded noun phrases, complex sentences and fronted adverbials. There have been some fantastic discussions about the book with some ambitious vocabulary being used. In science, Class 4 were using their knowledge of sound to create the best string telephone. They used their working scientifically skill of evaluating and reporting findings to assess their string telephone and make adaptations including tightening the string so that the vibrations could travel more effectively and using a larger cup to amplify the sound. In French, class 4 have been asking for half a kilo and a kilo of different vegetables using ‘un kilo de’ and ‘un demi kilo de’.

Class Five

It is hard to believe that we are already in December, and the Class 5 classroom is well and truly ready for the festive season. The tinsel has been hung, the trees are dressed, and Elf is certainly in the building!

This week started with an introduction to a new English genre: poetry. The children thoroughly enjoyed exploring Robert Macfarlane's text, The Lost Words, and have been creating their own versions, using the beauty of nature as their stimulus. They relished the opportunity to forage around the school grounds for various natural objects, including leaves, twigs, grass, and moss. Following this, they began composing their own stanzas, using a range of literary devices such as metaphors, similes, and alliteration.

In mathematics, the children have been progressing through the multiplication and division block of learning. They have developed a solid understanding of how factors and multiples can assist mathematicians in manipulating numbers across various equations and operations. They have also discovered how to use factors when organising individuals into groups.

In French, the class has truly impressed Mrs Camish with their newfound confidence in posing questions about their families. Their presentations have demonstrated remarkable fluency and pronunciation, much to the delight of their peers.

It has been another productive week, and they are looking forward to their Christmas craft afternoon scheduled for next week.

Class Six

Year 6 have had a testing week; they have completed more SATS papers and worked very hard to improve their scores. The children can see the progress they have made and were proud of themselves. 

Also in Science, children have applied their knowledge from their ‘Electricity ‘unit (from last half term) to make lighthouses; they did this is pairs but without adult help. In maths children are continuing to learn fractions and have started to multiply a fraction by a fraction and a whole number. 

In English they have started doing drama, which will help them write their letters and continued to learn about Anne Frank during the whole class read. 

Congratulations to our Stars of the Week this week

Class Reception – Penny and Millie

Class One – Star and Noah

Class Two – Willow

Class Three – Jude A

Class Four – Lily

Class Five – Nicole

Class Six – Frankie and Harper

Lunch time Stars:

Florence (R) for being a good friend to others.

Vicky (4) for displaying lovely manners.

Tidiest Classroom Award:

This week, Caretaker Adele has chosen Class 5.

Gymnastic Awards

Explore apparatus Level 1

Julia (3), Oliver (3), Alfie (1), Alexander (1)

Explore Apparatus Level 2

Grace (3)

Out of School Achievements

Daisy (3) - Reindeer Cup Gym Competition – 2^nd Floor, 1^st Beam, participation medal.

Isobel (6) - Reindeer Cup Gym Competition – 1st Floor, 2nd Beam, Cup – 1^st overall

Elsie (R) - Reindeer Cup Gym Competition Medal – covering floor, trampette and beam.

Daniel (2) Player of the Match – SJR

Leo (2) - sharing his football trophy for his defence skills.

Teddy (2) 10m swimming

Well done to Poppy (6), Violet (6) and Harri (4) for their dance troupe performances in Blackpool coming 2^nd and 3^rd.

Church Services

Sunday 8^th December

9am Holy Communion led by Rev Edith followed by shared refreshments.

10.15ish STA @10 A Service for All Ages led by our Family & Children’s Worker Claire.

6pm An Advent Reflection with informal worship, word and prayer led by Rev Dave.

Wednesday 11^th December

3.20pm St Anne's Connect - Family Worship in the school hall with food, games and a time to worship together (Suggested donation to cover costs of £1-£2 per family)

Friday 13th December

3.00pm -5.00pm St Anne's Drop In - in the church hall for Y4 upwards. Crafts, games, tuck and video games. A time to till out after school at the end of the week. All welcome.

2024 -2025 Attendance

Class	Attendance
R	92.6%
1	94.7%
2	95.6%
3	94.6%
4	96.7%
5	97.2%
6	94.1%
ALL	95.1%

Our winners from last half term have chosen their attendance treat – ice cream sundaes! Please be advised we do not authorise absence for birthdays instead we celebrate the children coming into school on their birthdays.

Prayer from Rosie (6)

Dear God,

Please help us to make the right choices and to not take you for granted. In your loving name. Amen

And finally, if you haven’t applied for your place for Reception next year, please do so before the January deadline. We had a recruit for Class 2 this week!

With our very best wishes,

Mrs Middleton and the St Anne’s Team

INSET DAYS 2024-25	Key Statutory Weeks (Assessment)
2nd September 2024 27th September 2024 20th January 2024 28th July 2024 29th July 2024	Year 6 SATS – 12th May -all week Class 1 Phonics - 9th June week Statutory Multiplication Check -2nd to 13th June – Year 4 Please ensure your children are in school during these times.

Looking Ahead
December	9	Primary Engineering Club Celebration Event 2.30pm
	10	Year Reception Nativity 9.30 am (45mins) School Hall Y1 & Y2 Performance 2.00 pm (1hr) St Anne’s Church Hall Y6 DAaRT Parent Meeting 3.30 pm in School Hall
	11	Y1 & Y2 Performance 9.30 am (1hr) St Anne’s Church Hall Year Reception Nativity 2.00pm (45mins) School Hall
	12	Crafting afternoon in classes 2pm
	13	Class 2 singers to Luncheon Club
	17	Choir to sing at the Family of Schools Concert at St Anne’s Church 6.30pm
	18	Christmas Dinner/Party Day
	20	End of term Christingle Service 2pm
January	6	Children return to school Reception Class – Forest School
	7	Class 3 Roman Workshop Trip – in school
	13	Class 6 Ancient Maya Visit to school day Reception Class – Forest School
	14	Reception Class – Forest School
	16	Classes 4 & 5 to Worksop College Apollo 5 Music Workshop Day
	17	Y5/6 Group Sportshall athletics
	20	INSET DAY
	22	Class 6 Sinfonia Music Workshop Day
	27	Reception Class – Forest School
February	3	Children’s Mental Health week
	4	Class 4 visit to Perlethorpe Anglo Saxons/Vikings
	7	Book Fair Arrives NSPCC Number Day
	10	Pupils & Strategic Committee Governors Meeting
	11	Safer Internet Day Parents’ Consultations – child’s progress
	12	Parents’ Consultations – child’s progress
	13	Class 3 Class Assembly 2.45pm
	14	Break up for half term/ Non-Uniform Day
	24	Children return Admissions Committee 10am
	27	Class 1 Assembly 2.45pm
March	3	World Book Week
	5	Ash Wednesday Service 9am
	6	World Book Day
	13	Governor’s Finance Committee
	17	Year 6 Parents SATS meeting
	25	Full Governing Body Meeting 6pm
	27	Class 5 Class Assembly 2.45pm
April	4	Break up for Easter 2pm Easter Service
May	16	Reception Class – Forest School – pond dipping