Dear Parents
What a quiet week we’ve had in school without Year 6! They’ve been having a fantastic time at Windmill Hill PGL this week for their end of year residential trip. The week has been non stop with children taking part in a wide range of outdoor and adventurous activities including: giant swing, zip wire, challenge course, all aboard, orienteering, sensory trail as examples. They have all faced their fears and conquered challenges while remaining great ambassadors of Horsmonden and a credit to their parents. I thoroughly enjoyed my day with them yesterday and was impressed by how resilient, hard working and positive they were when faced with a range of challenges.
Forest School
Following the completion of their training, Mrs Turvey and Mrs Radford are delighted to announce the ‘official’ opening of Horsmonden Forest School will take place on Friday 8th July. This will be a day of celebration where all children will take part in a forest school session led by Mrs Turvey and Mrs Radford.
All children will need a change of clothes to attend forest school that day, so depending on the weather please provide your child with:
- Wellington boots/old trainers
- Old clothes (t-shirt, jumper and comfy trousers)
- Waterproof jacket (and trousers if you have these)
- Hair ties for long hair
- sun cream and sun hat
Starfish Malawi
For those of you that are unaware, we entered into a partnership with the charity Starfish Malawi in January this year. Starfish Malawi is a Christian organisation whose main aim is to reduce extreme poverty through collaborative work with communities, schools and Churches in the UK and Malawi.
Since our collaboration began, we have been linked with Chapita School in Salima, Malawi. Children here have learned about what life is like at Chapita School through whole school assemblies led by Mr Alabi and representatives from Starfish Malawi.
Year 5 children took part in a live video call with one of the classes from Chapita School and were amazed to see 150 children staring back at them, all from one class!
Our aim at Horsmonden is to broaden our children’s understanding of different countries, cultures and experiences which fits with the transdisciplinary theme ‘Sharing the Planet’ from the IB Primary Years Programme. It is vital that we educate children from Horsmonden on current (age appropriate) issues of the wider world so they can develop into inquiring, knowledgeable individuals that understand and respect the world around them.
The recent, optional fundraiser at Bewl Water led by Mr Alabi, raised £200 for Chapita School in Malawi. Thank you to the parents and children that joined Mr Alabi to walk 8 miles round a quarter of Bewl Water Reservoir.
KS2 Sports Day 2023
Thank you to those parents of children in Years 2, 3, 4 and 5 who completed the KS2 Sports Day Survey indicating your preference for the location of KS2 Sports Day in 2023. It’s important we listen to parents and develop positive, open working relationships that result in the best possible opportunities for children at Horsmonden. Parents in the selected year groups were asked to chose which of the following options they preferred for KS2 Sports Day 2023:
- A dedicated KS2 Sports Day held off site without younger children watching and the cost passed onto parents as well as parents transporting children to and from the venue.
- A whole school Sports Day at Horsmonden where all children watch each other, Year 6 lead events and no cost to parents.
The outcome showed quite an even split of opinion with 47% preferring option 1 and 53% selecting option 2. This means that in 2023 there will be a whole school sports day for all children similar to what we have planned this year.
Whole School Sports Day 2022 – Monday 11th July
Parents are warmly invited to join us for Sports Day on Monday 11th July. EYFS and KS1 will start at 10:30am and KS2 will commence at 1:15pm. Similar to the Jubilee Celebrations, we are inviting parents to join us for a picnic lunch on the field in between EYFS/KS1 and KS2. All children should wear their PE kits to school that day and parents should ensure that sun cream, hats and water bottles are given to children.
Marvellous Males Afternoon
For those Dads/Grandads/Uncles that are available on Tuesday afternoon, you are welcome to drop in to your child’s class from 1:45pm onwards. It is an opportunity to share in the work your child is completing in celebration of Father’s Day. Please come to the main entrance to sign in.
Breakfast and Afterschool Club
Please be advised that issues with booking children into Breakfast/After School Club on Parent Pay have now been resolved, thanks to Mrs Janes and all her hard work on this!
The following options are available to book:
Breakfast Club
Drop off time from 7:45am
Breakfast included
£3.50 per session
After School Club
Finish time of 5:30pm
Snack provided
Until 4:20pm – £3.00
From 4:20pm – 5:30pm – £3.50
Until 5:30pm – £6.50
Attendance
Children should be in school every day unless they are too ill, attendance is mandatory, as set out by the Department of Education. We have high expectations of behaviour, learning and attendance at Horsmonden and will use the full extent of our Attendance Policy to support this.
Parents should aim for 100% attendance for their children. When children are not in school regularly it not only affects their learning, but also their behaviour, routines and ability to make and retain friends. We often find that those children that have friendship issues are the same children who have poor attendance. There is also a direct correlation between attendance and attainment. Children have missed out on too much education over the last couple of years and I am asking for your support in ensuring your children are in school every day.
As always, if there is anything you wish to discuss, you can arrange a meeting with your child’s class teacher, send an email, or catch me at the gate. I am out there mostly every day, along with Mr Alabi.
Kind regards,
Hayley Sharp
2021-2022 Diary Dates
- Monday 20th June – Year 5 trip to Bewl Water
- Tuesday 21st June – Open Morning for new parents of children starting school in Sep 2022
- Tuesday 21st June – Marvellous Males Afternoon for Dads, Grandads, Uncles to celebrate Father’s Day, drop in from 1:45pm
- Friday 1st July – Leigh Academies Trust Kwik Cricket Tournament (selected children in Years 5 and 6)
- Monday 4th July – Year 6 trip to Kent Police Open Day
- Thursday 7th July – Year 4 trip to Bedgebury
- Friday 8th July – Forest School ‘Official’ Opening Day
- Monday 11th July – Sports Day – EYFS and KS1 at 10:30am and KS2 at 1:15pm
- Wednesday 13th July – Parent Coffee Morning, 8:45am-9:45am
- Thursday 14th July – Rocksteady showcase to parents of children taking part in Rocksteady lessons – 10am
- Thursday 14th July – FoHPS – Summer Disco (3.30pm – 5.30pm)
- Monday 18th July – Leigh Academies Trust Sports Day (selected Year 5 and Year 6 children)
- Tuesday 19th July – Music Assembly organised by Katie Slowgrove
- Wednesday 20th July – Year 6 Production to Year 6 parents – 5pm
- Friday 22nd July – Year 6 Leavers Assembly
- Friday 22nd July – End of Term 6