Weekly Bulletin: Friday 21st October 2022
Headteacher’s message to parents/carers
Dear Parents/Carers,
Thank you for joining us this week for our Open Afternoons. It was a great pleasure to see Team Tunbury together, with so many of you in our classrooms, getting involved in children’s learning and showing your support for their education.
As you will have seen this week at Open Afternoons, our teachers work hard to make children’s learning engaging, purposeful and fun. We strive to offer a wide range of enrichment opportunities and this week, we have had three different enrichment days: Year 5 Viking Day on Monday, Year 6 Greek Day yesterday and Year 4 Norman Day today. These days create lasting memories for our children – who can forget making and eating your own Viking pottage (a delicious vegetable stew) in our Forest School area, or wearing an Ancient Greek toga and sandals to school in torrential rain (Walderslade weather wasn’t very Greek yesterday morning)!
Enjoyment of learning isn’t just for ‘special’ days though – it’s a feature of every day and every week at Tunbury. Whenever I walk around our classrooms, I am met by smiling faces and children totally engrossed in today’s learning. Thank you Tunbury staff for making this happen – great work! This sense of fun is important in any primary school education and we are keen to foster this, alongside a life-long love of learning, for all of our children.
Thank you for your support for your children’s education so far this academic year. I can see from our reading reward systems in every class that most children are reading with their adults at home every week – please keep it up – it makes such a difference to your children’s long-term educational outcomes. Also, please remember to book on to our Parents’ Evening for after half term. Our ambition is that the offer of in-person or online appointments throughout both sessions should mean that every Tunbury parent is able to attend.
Have a lovely half-term break everyone - please take care of yourselves and your families. We look forward to seeing children back in school on Monday 31st October.
Best wishes
Ruth Austin
Headteacher
Our Learning: Year 5
We have started the year by learning all about The Vikings and answering the question ‘Were the Vikings always vicious and victorious?’
In our English learning, we have been reading ‘How to train your dragon’. From this, we have written a range of genres including an information text all about the Isle of Berk and creating our own Viking chants. We have really enjoyed reading this book and have used the text to enhance our reading skills.
Through our topic of The Vikings, we have learnt a range of key events during the era and ordered them on a timeline. We have studied a range of this events in further detail, focusing on their everyday life and the role of men and women. We have used a range of primary and secondary sources to research historical information. For geography, we have used our map work skills for Viking migration, routes and settlements.
We ended our topic learning with an outstanding Viking workshop, which enabled the children with the experience to learn further about The Vikings, as well as provide new learning opportunities. The children were able to make pottage and flatbread, food that was eaten by Vikings. This experiences was enjoyed by all, including parents who attended during open afternoon!
Finally, our DT learning has been a key part of learning about the Vikings clothes. We have designed and made a Viking tunic.
SEN
Please see information about Kent PACT's next virtual coffee morning detailed in the letters and forms section. This link will explain who Kent PACT are and how they may be able to support you: https://vimeo.com/746302598
Notices
After school clubs: Reminder – due to parent consultations, there will be no clubs for the first 2 weeks of next term. Clubs will start again on week starting 14th November 2022.
TSA Survey: Children will be bringing home a TSA survey today. We would appreciate if you could complete this next week, answering as honestly as possible to help improve the TSA. There will be green boxes at the school gates for completed forms to be returned the first week back. Please return forms by Friday 4th November. Thank you in advance for your support with this.
Term 2 - PE kits: As we move in to the time of year where we are mostly likely to receive particularly wet or cold weather, we would just like to remind you that children will need to bring in PE kits that are suitable for the weather conditions. Where weather permits, PE lessons will be taught outside. Please could you ensure that your child has the following items with their PE kit:
- hat, scarf and gloves
- spare pair of socks
- trainers rather than plimsolls
- tracksuit bottoms and long-sleeved tracksuit top
- coat
If your daughter is wearing tights to school on the day of PE, for hygiene reasons, she will need to change in to socks for the lesson and then change back in to tights when changing back in to uniform. Thank you for your support.
Team Points: After the award of this term’s Golden Team Points, our final points totals for Term 1 are as follows. Our Team Point winners are Hawking - Congratulations! Hawking team enjoyed extra playtime today as their reward.
|
Rowling |
Attenborough |
Holmes |
Hawking |
|
6684 |
7196 |
6929 |
7434 |
Staffing news: We’re sad today to be saying goodbye to our Year 5 TA Mrs Vicol, who is relocating away from the area and therefore leaving Tunbury – thank you Mrs Vicol for everything you’ve done for our children. Our new TA is our very own Mrs Harrild, who is transferring from the midday meals supervisor role into a TA role. Mrs Harrild already knows Tunbury children well from her lunchtime work and is now getting to know Year 5 even better!
Kent Family Courses: We have been offered the chance to hold some new courses in school for children and their parents to attend. Two have been booked so far (details below) and details will follow for a third course once the date has been confirmed.
Little Builders and Boffins (STEM course) – Tuesday 15th November at 3:15pm (2 hours)
This course is for those of you that want to learn how to problem solve and have fun creating and building with your child.
Happy Thoughts/Memories Jar – Friday 13th January at 9:30am (2 hours)
This course gives the opportunity for you and your child to look back through some memories to create a jar filled with happy thoughts.
A poster regarding each course is detailed in the letters and forms section. The spaces are limited with only 24 available for each course. Spaces are not per family, they are per child and adult. A maximum of 2 parents/carers can accompany each child. If you would like to book a space, please email office@tunbury.kent.sch.uk with your name, child’s name and class, the name of the course you would like to attend and the number of adults attending with each child. Places will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Please only request one course per child. Thank you.
Financial support for families with children on free school meals: KCC is to receive further Household Support Grant for the period 1st October until 31st March 2023. KCC will provide a mixture of support to families eligible for benefits related free school meals. The majority of funding will be spent on supporting households with their energy costs and KCC are currently still determining the best way to provide a £50 energy voucher to eligible families. KCC will fund one week of supermarket vouchers for October half term, two weeks at Christmas, one week for February half term and two weeks for Easter. For each week the voucher is £10 per eligible child.
Free school meals: If your financial circumstances have changed recently, you may now be eligible for free school meals and Pupil Premium support. Now that we are re-starting our class trips, one benefit of Pupil Premium funding is that this can be used to pay for the cost of your child’s trips. To check if you are eligible for Pupil Premium support, please visit www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/free-school-meals#tab-1. To apply, please visit www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/kent/.
School places in Reception for September 2023: We have just published our new Prospectus, which you can access at https://www.tunbury.kent.sch.uk/School-Prospectus/. We would also like to remind you of our New Entrants meetings for parents/carers seeking a school place for Reception children in September 2023. These are starting immediately after half term, on the following dates.
- Tuesday 1stNovember 9.15-10.15
- Monday 14thNovember 9.15-10.15
- Wednesday 23rdNovember 3.30-4.30
- Thursday 1stDecember 1.45-2.45
We also offer an online meeting, with presentation and Q&A session only, for parents/carers who cannot visit us in person. The online meeting is on Monday 14th November at 5.00-5.45.
To book a place on any of our New Entrants meetings, please email office@tunbury.kent.sch.uk with your name, your child’s name, a contact number and the date of the session you wish to attend.
Vacancy: We have a vacancy on our staff team for a new IT Technician:
ICT Technician Technicians at Tunbury Primary School, Walderslade (kent-teach.com)
Please share this information with anyone you know who may be interested in this role.
Flu Immunisation, Thursday 10th November 2022: for Years R, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Please see https://www.tunbury.kent.sch.uk/Parents/Letters-Forms/. Please note the e-consent portal closes on 02/11/2022, 6 working days before our school’s immunisation session, and NHS cannot accept late consents or consents on the day of vaccination.
Please note the Flu Immunisations for Year 6 pupils will be on Wednesday 16th November. The relevant information has been emailed to Year 6 parents. If any parents/carers are having issues completing the online consent form, please call the immunisation team on 0300 123 5205 or text them on 07401320923.
Dates for your Diary
Term dates for 2022/23: https://www.tunbury.kent.sch.uk/Term-Dates-22-23/
Friday 21st October – Last day of term 1 for pupils
Monday 31st October – Start of term 2 for pupils
Tuesday 1st – Tuesday 8th November – Bikeability training for Year 6
Tuesday 1st November – New Entrants Meeting 9.15-10.15 am
Tuesday 1st November – Year 6/Sapphire class - Parent consultation evening – 3.30-6.30pm
Wednesday 2nd November – Year 2 visit to Kent Life
Thursday 3rd November – Parent consultation evening – 3.30-6.30pm
Sunday 6th November – TSA Fireworks
Tuesday 8th November - Parent consultation evening – 3.30-6.30pm
Wednesday 9th – Friday 11th November – Year 6 residential visit to PGL Marchants Hill
Thursday 10th November – Flu Immunisation for Years R, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Monday 14th – Friday 18th November – Anti-bullying week
Monday 14th November – New Entrants meeting 9.15-10.15 am
Monday 14th November – New Entrants meeting – Online via TEAMS 5-5.45 pm
Wednesday 16th November – Flu Vaccinations – Year 6
Thursday 17th November – Year 4 visit to Rochester Cathedral/Castle NEW
Monday 21st – Wednesday 23rd November – Bikeability training for Year 6
Tuesday 22nd/Wednesday 23rd November – Individual/family photos: Tempest Photographers
Wednesday 23rd November – New Entrants meeting 3.30-4.30 pm
Thursday 1st December - New Entrants meeting 1.45-2.45 pm
Saturday 3rd December – TSA Christmas Market (hold the date – event tbc)
Tuesday 6th, Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th December – TSA Christmas Present Room
Wednesday 7th December – Christmas Performance Year R, 2.30pm
Friday 9th December – Christmas Jumper Day and Christmas Lunch
Tuesday 13th December - Christmas Performance Year 1, 2.30pm
Thursday 15th December – Christmas Performance Year 2, 2.00pm
Thursday 15th December – Carols on the Playground Y3/4, 2.55pm
Friday 16th December – Carols on the Playground Y5/6, 2.55pm
Friday 16th December – Last day of term 2 for pupils
Tuesday 3rd January – INSET Day – School Closed for pupils
Wednesday 4th January – First day of term 3 for pupils
Tuesday 7th February – Safer Internet Day
Friday 10th February – Last day of term 3 for pupils
Monday 20th February - INSET Day – School Closed for pupils
Tuesday 21st February – Start of term 4 for pupils
Thursday 23rd February - Parent consultation evening – 3.30-6.30pm
Tuesday 28th February - Parent consultation evening – 3.30-6.30pm
Friday 31st March – Last day of term 4 for pupils
Monday 17th April – First day of term 5 for pupils
Monday 1st May - Bank Holiday – School Closed
May – Year 2 (KS1) SATs
Monday 8th – Thursday 11th May – Year 6 (KS2) SATs
Friday 26th May – Last day of term 5 for pupils
Monday 5th June - INSET Day – School Closed for pupils
Tuesday 6th June – First day of term 6 for pupils
w/c Tuesday 6th June – Year 4 Multiplication Times Tables check
w/c Monday 12th June – Year 1 Phonics check
Friday 30th June – Sports Day
Friday 7th July – Reserve Sports Day
Friday 21st July – Last day of term/academic year for pupils
Class assemblies
Class assemblies will be held in the school hall on Friday afternoons. Parents/carers and family members from each class are warmly invited to join us in school for these events, as our children love to share their learning with you. Please come to the front of the school and wait outside the hall entrance doors. You will be invited in at approximately 2.45 pm. The assembly will begin at 2.50 pm and last for about 10 minutes, finishing in time for you to collect your children at the end of the school day, as normal.
Friday 11th November Indigo Class Assembly
Friday 18th November Lilac Class Assembly
Friday 25th November Emerald Class Assembly
Friday 2nd December Azure Class Assembly
Friday 9th December Magenta Class Assembly
Friday 13th January Blue Class Assembly
Friday 20th January Violet Class Assembly
Friday 27th January Orange Class Assembly
Friday 3rd February Scarlet Class Assembly
Friday 10th February Amber Class Assembly
Friday 3rd March Lavender Class Assembly
Friday 10th March Yellow Class Assembly
Friday 17th March Crimson Class Assembly
Friday 24th March Turquoise Class Assembly
Friday 31st March Ruby Class Assembly
Friday 28th April Sapphire Class Assembly
Friday 5th May Pink Class Assembly
Friday 12th May Red Class Assembly
Friday 19th May Bears Assembly
Friday 26th May Owls Assembly
Friday 16th June Hedgehogs Assembly
