Newsletters

Peter West

It was with sadness that we heard of the passing of Peter West over the summer. Mr West was the headteacher at St Paul’s for 24 years from 1970 to 1994 and the school thrived under his leadership. We send our heartfelt condolences to his family.

Year 6

As part of their growing independence and in preparation for secondary school, we know that Year 6 children begin walking to and from school by themselves. If you are encouraging your child to do so, please could you let the school office and your child’s class teacher know, as we will not let children walk home alone without parental consent. 

Children in Year 6 who walk to and from school unaccompanied are allowed to bring their mobile phone into school. Phones must be turned off during the school day and handed in to your child's class teacher first thing in the morning.  Please ensure that you inform the school office that you have given your child permission to bring their phone to school. We will not accept responsibility for lost or damaged mobile phones.

Good news from Y7

We have already heard from many of our past Y6 pupils who have now started Y7 in secondary school this week. We have enjoyed seeing them in their school uniforms and hearing about how they are settling in. We look forward to our current Y6 children leading the school in a number of different leadership roles during the year.

Uniform

It has been lovely to compliment the children on how smart they have looked this week. Our uniform is an integral part of our school and when the children look smart and wear the correct uniform it sends a message to everyone that they are proud to belong to St Paul’s.

A few reminders

Earrings: Small, plain, flat stud earrings are the only earrings to be worn. Hoop earrings should not be worn. Earrings need to be covered for PE lessons.

Hair should be securely fastened so it does not fall across / cover the face.

Shirts should be tucked in and the top button fastened.

Please refer to our uniform policy on the school website which provides further guidance. 

Attendance and Punctuality

You will have received a letter today from the school in regard to changes to our attendance policy following a change to guidance from the Department for Education.

As per the Home School Agreement, parents agree to ”ensure that my child is dropped off and picked up from school on time…”. In all aspects of life, timekeeping is a valuable quality that, as a school, we believe should always be upheld and taught from an early age. A lack of punctuality impacts on both a child’s learning and the subsequent disruption affects the child’s class and teaching.

All absence requests need to be approved by Mrs Cresswell. Please complete the relevant form on the school website and please note absences will only be approved in exceptional circumstances. Please try and ensure that all appointments are made outside of the school day as it is our duty to ensure that your child is in school and learning at all times.

Any families with consistent lateness and / or poor attendance will be referred to the Educational Welfare Officer.

Welcome Meetings

We look forward to seeing parents next week for the class welcome meetings. This is an opportunity to find out about the year ahead and the organisation and arrangements for your child's class.

Parents of children in Year 1 and 2 are invited to come in on Monday 16th at 2.30pm, parents of children in KS2 are welcome on Wednesday 18th at 2.30pm. Children should be picked up at the normal time at the end of the day.

If you are unable to attend the meetings, PowerPoint presentations will be shared on the website under the year groups information tab.

Is your child entitled to additional funding?

If your family is in receipt of benefits the school may be able to claim additional funding which helps in many ways.

 If you are in receipt of:-

• Universal Credit with an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guarantee element of Pension Credit
• Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for the four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
• Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit) with an annual income of no more than £16,190.

Please refer to the school website or Enfield Council for more information. 

New menu

A working party of parents and school staff met with Taylor Shaw this week to put in place a new menu which will be available to parents shortly. Thank you to those parents who joined me to ensure the menu is nutritional and offers a range of meals for the children. Further information to follow. 

Collective Worship

This half term, we are following the London Diocesan Board of Schools cycle of Collective worship based around themes from the Bible readings in Church each week. Here are some suggested questions and prayers which you may wish to use with your children at home.

This week

Themes drawn from James 2:1-10, 14-17 and Mark 7: 24-37:

• Loving others
• Discrimination, Justice
• Fairtrade Fortnight

Questions:
Have you ever made a snap judgement about someone and then found out you were wrong? What happened?

Do you know what the Fair-Trade symbol looks like? How many items can you spot this week with the logo?

Challenge:
Buy a fair-trade product this week.

Prayer:
Almighty God, I thank you that you love me. Help me to love all people too and treat them with the fairness that I would like to be shown, Amen.

Next week

Themes drawn from James 3: 1-12 and Mark 8:27-38:

• To consider how we speak to others.
• The power of the tongue – the words we speak.

Questions:

Do you agree with the saying that “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me?” Why or why not?

When someone annoys you or says something mean to you, what do you do or remember, to help you not retaliate with mean words?

Have you ever prayed that God would help you to say the right thing? What happened?

Challenge:
Who could you encourage with some kind words this week? Think about how words that you use on social media/texts/dms can hurt or encourage others.

Prayer:

Father God, I pray that you would forgive me for the times that I have hurt other people with my words. Help me to bless others with the words I speak and write. Amen
 

Some religious festivals and holy days in September

6^th Ganesh Chaturthi – Hindu’s mark the Birthday of Lord Ganesh Chaturthi

11^th - Ethiopian New Year

22^nd – Harvest Festival – Christians give thanks for the harvest and share food with the less fortunate. Dates for the service vary, but usually take place on the Sunday closest to the Autumn Equinox.

Year 2 - Gymnastics

This week, our Year 2 students began their exciting gymnastics unit focused on balance. As part of their first lesson, the children worked on creating and performing a sequence of three different balances. In an impressive display of confidence and skill, they showcased their sequences in front of their classmates, who enthusiastically applauded their efforts. It was a fantastic start to the unit, and the children should be proud of their achievements!

Year 5B - Gardening

5B did a tremendous job at filling some of our edible garden beds with new top soil.  The beds will be ready for winter veg and our seedlings in the spring.