Key Dates
Monday 22nd - Friday 26th October
Half term holiday
Monday 29th October
INSET day - children not in school
Friday 2nd November
Year 3 cake sale, 3.00 - 3.30 pm
Wednesday 7th November
PSA Fireworks Night, 5.45 - 7.30 pm
Thursday 8th November
Year 1 trip to Tudor Drive Library Year 5 & 6 trip to the Film Festival
Monday 12th November
Zoolab visit to Nursery
Monday 12th November
School silence at 11.00am to mark Remembrance Day
Tuesday 13th November
Reception trip to Tudor Drive Library
Wednesday 14th November
Planetarium visit for Year 5
Wednesday 14th November
Year 4 trip to Thames Explorers (Yew & Larch)
Wednesday 14th November
Year 4 trip to Thames Explorers (Yew & Larch)
Thursday 15th November
Oak class parent assembly, 9.00 - 9.30 am
Friday 16th November
Year 4 trip to Thames Explorers (Chestnut)
Friday 16th November
Children in Need mufti day - collection and cake sale
Key dates for the Autumn term are available on the website here.
Reminders
INSET day
Don’t forget that Monday 29th October is an INSET day. We’re looking forward to welcoming the children back on Tuesday 30th October, refreshed and ready for a very busy second half of term! Have a lovely half term break.
Parking
May we remind families that there is NO parking on the school site; entry through the car park barrier is for emergency vehicles and deliveries only. Please also be aware that new parking restrictions are now in place in many roads around the school including Durlston Road, Studland Road, St Albans Road and Latchmere Road. A Permit Parking Area (PPA) which operates between 11.00am and 2.00pm, Monday to Saturday, has been implemented for these roads. Although there are no marked bays, there are street signs at the entrance and along the length of each road to inform motorists of the parking restrictions. You may still use the roads at the start and end of the school day, but you may be issued with a penalty charge notice if you park during the restricted times without displaying a valid permit. Unlike Albany Park Road, there are no pay and display bays.
Lunches
Bookings for hot lunches for the first week back after half term are now closed. If you would like to book a lunch for week commencing 5th November, please remember that the deadline is midnight, this Sunday 21st October.
Girls' basketball
Spartans Basketball Academy is a local basketball club for boys and girls of all abilities in school years 4 to 9, who love basketball. They are a fun, fresh and active club with a real focus on improving player ability and confidence and are now offering a girls only basketball session for years 4 to 8 on Tuesday evenings at Tiffin Sports Centre. Please see the flyer attached below for more information.
Gardening day
Thank you to the eleven families who joined the Gardening Day last Saturday, giving up their time and working tremendously hard for the benefit of the whole Fern Hill community. We achieved a great deal and have made a huge difference to how the gardens and playground look. Mrs Dutra is very grateful indeed for all your help! A Gardening Day is held once a term, usually the Saturday before or after half term, and we hope to see many more of you there at the next one in the spring.
Attachments
Year group newsletters
Fireworks Night map
Spartans Basketball Academy
Our healthy hedge has arrived!
Have you seen our wonderful new hedge? On Monday and Tuesday this week over 100 individual plants were dug in along the 40 metre length of the KS1 playground fencing on the Richmond Road. Even the children lent a hand with a representative for each class, from Reception through to Year 6, helping to plant alongside Mr Pantling on Tuesday morning. A huge thank you to Shrub & Stone, a local landscaping company, who helped us choose the hedge and did all the groundwork needed to prepare for planting. The younger children thoroughly enjoyed watching the digger at work from their playground!
The school theme this week has, of course, been the environment and the children have reflected, both in class and during assembly, on what it means to look after the environment they live in.
From start to finish this has been a whole community project involving children, parents, staff and local businesses and it is a wonderful reflection of what we can do when we work together to achieve something that inspires us. As it grows and fills out over the next couple of years, the hedge will provide much needed privacy for our children and a means of cutting pollution from cars and buses on the busy Richmond Road. It will also look fantastic, both for the children in the playground and our local community as they walk past or wait at the bus stop.
The focus on improving the children’s environment will continue over the next few months using the funds we have raised. During the half term break, the raised beds in the Secret Garden will be repaired, as will the pergola in the junior playground. Plans are also underway for plenty more planting throughout the school site, including the entrance and courtyard.
Parent governor election result
Following the recent election, we are delighted that our new parent governor is Rob Terry.
Rob brings with him skills and experience that will be of huge benefit to the school and a great asset to the Governing Body. Thank you to all the candidates who put themselves forward for election as parent governor and to all the parents and carers who took the time to cast their vote.
Year 4 bring the past to life at Butser Ancient Farm
Last Friday, Year 4 had a fantastic trip to Butser Stone Age Farm. The weather held out for us and the children were on their best behaviour. the day started with a talk sitting around an open fire in a reconstructed Neolithic house. The children learnt about wattle and daub too. After that, everyone took part in 4 activities: cordage (making rope from dried grass), pottery using clay straight from the ground, archaeology- where we all got to dig up bones and flint and chalk painting using dock leaves and flint. It was great to spend a day learning outside with hands on activities. Thanks to the parents who were able to come along and join us for the day.
Mrs Brechin, Year 4 class teacher
Tree Tops information
On Tuesday, a letter from Mr Scott was sent out via ParentPay to inform families that Tree Tops will be offering a new early afternoon session from Tuesday 30th October. The session will run from 3.15 – 4.30pm and is available to book from Monday 22nd October. Please note that Tree Tops is for children in Reception through to Year 6 only and not Nursery. It is very important that the Tree Tops home school agreement is completed and signed by BEFORE your child attends a session. If you have not already returned a signed agreement, please do so as a matter of urgency. The agreement is available on the website here.
TEAM POINTS
The overall winner this week is COOMBE
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Kingston
258
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Coombe
341
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Richmond
259
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Hampton
292
After school club news
Gardening club has now finished for this year and will resume in the spring, after the February half term break. Thank you so much to all the children who have helped maintain the gardens and harvest all the wonderful vegetables this autumn.
Start to Sing club will begin after half term, on Monday 5th November. This club is for children in Years 1 and 2 and is fantastic preparation for the school choir club which runs on a Tuesday for the older children. If you would like to book you child into Start to Sing, please email clubs@fernhill.rbksch.org
There are still places available for the Pottery club where children can learn modelling techniques and create amazing sculptures. Pottery is a fantastic way to develop the fine motor skills needed for handwriting and all work is glazed and fired in a kiln for the children to take home. Past projects have included door plaques, pencil holders and toadstools! To book a place for your child, please contact Busy Lizzy Crafts directly by email at: leebusylizzy@gmail.com or via text on: 07813087333.
PSA News
The last Friday of the half term started in style with croissants and pains au chocolat for Dads' Breakfast. It was a great event, as always, and we are already looking forward to the next one. Special thanks go to the parent volunteers who served the breakfast, we really appreciate your support.
Friday afternoon was the last opportunity to buy tickets for Fern Hill PSA's Fireworks Night. This event has always been extremely popular and while we do try very hard to ensure all those who wish to are able to come, we are restricted by space and safety parameters. Thank you for your understanding. A map of where the fireworks and stalls will be on the night is attached below.
School photographs
Individual and sibling photographs were taken last week and your child will be bringing home their school photograph proof sheets today with details of how to order the photographs. Don’t forget to check their bag! The deadline for orders is Monday 5th November.
If you have any queries or do not receive a proof sheet, please contact our school photographer, In Time Photography, directly via email at info@inTime-Photography.com or by telephone on 07931 593 169.
Weekly Attendance
Well done to Year 6 who had the best year group attendance for this week.
The Attendance Cup is awarded to Bracken class once again for the best attendance with 100%!
| Year | Attendance % | Star Year ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Reception | 90.96% | |
| Year 1 | 93.11% | |
| Year 2 | 96.15% | |
| Year 3 | 96.00% | |
| Year 4 | 91.49% | |
| Year 5 | 94.67% | |
| Year 6 | 97.17% | WELL DONE! |
Inspiration 