Key Dates
Saturday 17th December
Christmas tree sale outside school
Monday 19th December - Tuesday 3rd January
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY
Tuesday 3rd January
INSET Day - children are not in school
Wednesday 4th January
Children return to school
Friday 13th January
PSA Year 1 Cake Sale at 3:15 pm
Thursday 26th January
Clover class parent assembly at 9:00 am in the Large Hall
Friday 27th January
PSA Reception Cake Sale at 3:15 pm
Reminders
INSET Day
Tuesday 3rd January is an INSET day and the children are not in school. Their first day back after the break is Wednesday 4th January when school will start at the usual time. The school office will reopen at 8:00 am on that day.
Flu immunisation
If your child missed their nasal flu immunisation in school last month, there is an opportunity to receive it at one of the community catch-up clinics. Please see the letter from the Healthcare Immunisation Team attached below for further information.
Attachments
Flu Immunisation Community Catch Up Clinics
On behalf of all staff, we would like to say a huge thank you for all the gifts and festive wishes received this week. They are very much appreciated.
Lunches for the first half of the spring term are now available to order on ParentPay. Lunches for the first week back (Wednesday 4th January - Friday 6th January) must be ordered by midnight on Sunday 25th December; if you miss this cut-off time, please ensure that your child has a packed lunch from home. The full menu is available here.
The deadline for booking for next term’s school-run clubs through ParentPay is Tuesday 3rd January. The club timetable and information on how to book is published on our website. Please note that the following clubs are now fully booked: Just 4 Kicks Infant Football, Chess, Magpie Makes Art and Sewing (all days), Technokids Computer Coding (all days), Technokids Lego Robotics and Baking with Rana.
Next term's Home Learning Grids for children in Years 1 to 6 are being published on the Google Classroom today.
Mr Scott's Message
Despite the length of this autumn term, the children have continued to model our values right to the very end and have certainly made the most of all the rich learning opportunities on offer both in and out of school. You can read about just some of the highlights here.
We have finished the term on a very festive note. Congratulations to the children and teaching staff for their fabulous concert performances, some in the spectacular setting of All Saints Church. Thank you for joining us to celebrate your children and life at Fern Hill.
It was an absolute pleasure today to be able to present my Headteacher awards to the children in a whole school celebration assembly – the first time all year groups have come together in the Large Hall since 2019. The children have earned over 13,500 team points this term, a real testament to their positive behaviour, attitudes to learning and sense of belonging at school.
I am very grateful to all our families for their continued support of our home-school partnership. So many of you go above and beyond, helping in the classroom and on visits out of school. A huge thanks to the Class Reps for all their efforts throughout the term, particularly the organisation of the class Christmas parties this week – the children had such a great time!
Despite being a very small team, our PSA committee has continued to show their dedication and energy, leading events that we have all enjoyed and which raise vital funds for the school. Please do consider getting involved next term if you can. The Parent Council has also done some great work, reflecting the shared responsibility that we have as a community to work together and provide the best education for the children.
I hope you are all able to have a well-deserved break and look forward to seeing the children back in school on Wednesday 4th January, rested and ready for what will certainly be a shorter but equally rewarding spring term.
The ‘12 Days of Christmas’ - an alternative version
We all know the song - and most of us can remember the gifts ‘my true love gave to me’ up to 5 (gold rings) or even 6 (geese a-laying) although it gets a bit vague after that. I know there are some swans, and some pipers and even some lords a-leaping, but please don’t ask me the order! Well, how about an alternative? If you would like to stay active over the holidays, here is a ‘12 Days of Christmas’ routine to try, if you have some free time.
On the first day of Christmas, my teacher said to me, 'a lap of the garden before tea', On the second day of Christmas, my teacher said to me, '2 half-curl sit-ups, and a lap of the garden before tea'. On the third day of Christmas, my teacher said to me, '3 ‘mind your knees’ squats, 2 half-curl sit-ups, and a lap of the garden before tea'. And so on...
4 gentle side lunges, 5 de-e-e-ep breaths, 6 jump up burpees, 7 spotty dogs, 8 full foot step-ups, 9 mountain climbs, 10 running high knees, 11 running bottom kicks...
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my teacher said to me, 12 star jumps,11 running bottom kicks, 10 running high knees, 9 mountain climbs, 8 full foot step-ups, 7 spotty dogs, 6 jump up burpees, 5 deep breaths, 4 gentle side lunges, 3 ‘mind your knees’ squats, 2 half-curl sit-ups and a lap of the garden before tea'!
Hope you all have a happy and restful Christmas break! See you back in 2023 for lots more sport at Fern Hill.
~ Mrs Lawn, Sports Lead
Book of the Week
'Leila and the Blue Fox' by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Leila was born in Syria but has grown up in London with her aunt and cousin while her mum works as a meteorologist, studying climate change in Norway. Leila hasn't seen her for six years when she travels to Tromso, but when she arrives she learns that her Mum has been tracking an arctic fox called Miso that has already migrated nearly a thousand miles and together they travel to Svalbard to follow the fox's progress.
'Leila and the Blue Fox' is an incredible environmental adventure, based on the true story of an Arctic fox who walked from Norway to Canada in seventy-six days. It is also a beautiful book, gorgeously illustrated with tracing paper overlays, and would make a fantastic gift.
Happy Christmas reading!
~ Mrs Rouillard, School Librarian
Team Points
At the end of term, the number of team points each House receives is allocated based on their position (1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th) each week of the term.
The overall winner this term is COOMBE with 3,981 team points
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Kingston
26
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Coombe
33
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Richmond
21
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Hampton
10
PSA News & Events
Festive Discos - thank you!
A big thank you to everyone who helped out at the Year 3 & 4 and Year 5 & 6 Festive Discos, and particularly to Raquel and Caroline who led on each event. The children had a fantastic time, and it definitely put everyone in the holiday mood!
Pre-Loved Fashion Event - thank you!
A huge thank you to Lou Long, her husband Matt and the rest of the team of helpers for organising a brilliant pre-loved fashion event on Tuesday evening. It was really well-attended with lots of happy shoppers snapping up some incredible bargains. The event raised over £850 for the PSA, so an amazing result! Thank you to everyone who helped put this together, and to those who came along.
Christmas Trees - one day left!
A reminder that Christmas trees will be sold outside school on Saturday 17th December, so come along and pick yours up if you haven't already.
And finally....
Thank you to everyone who has volunteered and participated in our fundraisers this term. With your help we have been able to put on some brilliant events for both children and parents, and raised lots of money for the school. We'll be back next term with more events including our Comedy Night on Saturday 4th February so watch this space...!
We wish you a happy Christmas and a relaxing break!
The PSA Committee
Inspiration 