Great Waltham C of E (VC) Primary School Parent Portal - Newsletter - Wednesday 16th October 2024

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Wednesday 16th October 2024 - Autumn Term Issue 2

Headteacher Message

Dear Parents and Carers,

I was very impressed with how confident and articulate the children were during our wonderful Harvest Service, which was exceptionally well attended - thank you! A heartfelt thank you for your generous harvest donations, which will undoubtedly make a significant difference to those in need. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the FOGWS for providing refreshments during the service and to Rev. Dan for teaching us the ‘Thank you’ song which conveyed such an important message.

Parents' evenings were once again a success. Your support is vital in fostering a strong partnership between home and school. During these evenings, many of you had the opportunity to meet some of the school's governors and learn about the essential role they play in our school. I look forward to hearing from those of you who are considering becoming a governor. Further details will be shared shortly.

I wanted to address the concerns that many of you have raised regarding the crossing at Hatchfields. Visibility can be problematic due to the overgrown bushes and the layout of the junction. We are currently exploring various options and solutions in collaboration with Nick Hill, the Sustainable Travel Planning Officer from Essex County Council, and Mike Steel, our local councillor. I will keep you informed as soon as we have concrete information to share. Meanwhile, please exercise extra caution and wear bright, reflective clothing, particularly as the mornings and evenings grow darker. The picture here illustrates how important this is. If you look carefully, there is a child standing next to the tree.

As we enter the final two weeks of the first half term, I wish you and your family well and look forward to seeing many of you over the next few days.

Best wishes,

Mrs Brooks

Awards

Aspire

Well done to our ASPIRE award winners for the last few weeks.

27/09/24	11/10/24
George H-G	Joanne-Lucy J
Rory D	Elsie H
Thea R	Brooke D-R
Oliver H	George E
Noah H	Lucy H
	Elsie G
	Sadie D
	Theo C

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Hot Chocolate Friday

Well done to all of the 'Hot Chocolate Friday' winners for the last few weeks.

Class	27/09/24	11/10/24
Australia	Brody B	Cece D
Antarctica	Sienna P	Bella F-B
Africa	Lily H	Freddie E
Europe		Georgia S
Asia	Stanley G	Jake C
North America	Phoebe G	Theo C

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News

12 Oct 2024

School Grounds Morning

A huge thank you to everyone that attended on Saturday morning. Thanks to the FOGWS for providing the volunteers with well-earned refreshments. All the apples have now been collected from the orchard and the reception play area looks very welcoming - I’m sure the children will really appr...

09 Oct 2024

Harvest Festival

Thank you to all of you that joined us for our Harvest Festival. We hope you all enjoyed the service as much as we did. Thank you for all of your kind donations that have been donated to the food bank.

30 Sep 2024

RCP Football tournament

Well done to all the children who took part in the tournament. The girls were runners up and the boys finished fourth. All the children conducted themselves well and demonstrated lots of team spirit - especially in the pouring rain!

Health Care Plans

In school, we hold Health Care Plans for all children with health needs and allergies, which we update annually. If your child develops a health need that we need to be aware of, please contact the school office to update us. We can send you a health care plan online form to complete so that this information can be shared with staff.

School Lottery - Thank you to all of you that support our lottery.

Did you know that by taking part, not only do you support the school but you could win a local prize or even the main £25,000 pot!

Lottery tickets can be purchased here - School Lottery - Please do let family members and friends know that they too can purchase Lottery tickets and help support the school. Each ticket costs £1 and 40p of this comes directly to the school.

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Online Safety & Mental Health

We are pleased to be able to share online safety and mental health guides from the National College.

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about In-Game Chat

Online gaming enjoys an apparently ever-increasing level of popularity, and many players are eager to connect with one another as they enjoy a friendly competition or go for the win side by side. Whether it’s to strategise and coordinate, or simply have a chat as you indulge in your hobby, the fact remains that plenty of games now offer means for their players to talk to one another, be that in a text or voice format.

Unfortunately, this functionality – which is used to connect with strangers just as often as it is with friends – poses several risks to younger players, and it’s vital for parents and educators to understand these safety concerns. This free guide offers expert advice on the issues that may arise when using in-game chat, and lets you know how to safeguard the children in your care as they make use of this technology.

Guide to - In game chat

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Horror Films & Age Ratings

Many children and young people enjoy exploring new and exciting genres and themes in the films and TV they consume – and as they grow, the maturity of this content will likely increase with them. However, without proper supervision and safeguarding, youngsters looking for a new title to enjoy – especially in the horror genre – might get a little more than they're ready for.

The emotional and psychological impacts of viewing age-inappropriate content can be severe. It's vital for parents and educators to know how to keep the children in their care as safe as possible while young people explore new, potentially grittier or darker, pieces of media. This free guide breaks down the risks of viewing age-inappropriate content, with a particular focus on horror, and offers expert advice on how to limit youngsters’ exposure to material that might upset or disturb them.

Guide to - Horror Films & Age Ratings

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