28th April 2023

We have been really pleased to see all the pictures for the new school cross coming into school this week. The cross is being made at the moment and Mrs Mitchell is hoping to meet with the Art councillors and Vision & Value leaders next week to start to plan where the images will go on the cross.

Last week, we updated the class home pages, but unfortunately there was a problem with some of them. The issue has been rectified, so you should be able to log in to them without any problems now. There is lots of information about the curriculum for this half-term on the Class Home Pages, so please do take a look here.

There were lots of excited Reception children arriving at school this morning as today is the day of their trip to Bekonscot. They have had a wonderful time and the day has been a great success. Thankfully, it stayed mostly dry which has made a big difference to their experience.

Yesterday, we were interviewing for the post of Assistant Headteacher for Reception, and I am pleased to say that we have appointed Mr Creese to the role. As a result, Mr Creese will be leading Reception from September and will be taking on whole school responsibilities as part of the Senior Leadership team.

Mrs S Reynolds

School Council - Helping others

Before the Easter holidays, on Water Day,  we raised money for the charity WaterAid. As a school, we earned about Sustainable Development Goal 6 which as the global aim of having clean water and sanitation for everybody by 2030. The children all decided that as a school they wanted to help with clean sanitation part of this goal and thought that, as the KS1 toilets were twinned with a toilet block in Malawi (a result of previous fundraising), that it was only fair that we twin the Reception toilets too.

This week the school council met and discussed ideas for fundraising for this toilet twinning and a long list of ideas were suggested. The first one they are going to attempt will be at the May Fayre on May 13th. They want to have a stand with a toilet bowl for people to throw donations in. Now all we have to do is find a toilet bowl!

Next Week's 'Learning at a Glance'

Parent Information Session - Whole school

On the 3^rd May from 7pm - 8.30pm we are running an interactive, information session for all parents to gain more of an understanding about Online Safety, PE and Metacognition in school. If you would like to attend the session please sign up here.

We have shared with you on a few occasions that metacognition is one of our key school development priorities for this year. We are making good progress with this and wanted to share with you the sorts of things that we are using in class which is helping the children to become more aware of how and what they are learning. 

Online Safety is an area that many parents are concerned about, and during the session we will aim to outline how we teach online safety in school and give you hints and tips on how to keep your children safe online.

We are incredibly proud of our PE curriculum which goes above and beyond the National Curriculum, not only teaching the children the expected skills but also developing the coach/mentor relationship. We use the Real PE platform and curriculum and are a Real Legacy school. During the session we will outline the background, principles and curriculum for PE in our school.

We will also provide some advice on what you could do to support your child/ren at home in these areas.

Class Photos, 3rd May - Whole school 

On Wednesday the 3rd May, we will be holding class photos. To eliminate the need for proofs Baker Studios have devised a code that enables parents to pre-register. You can pre-register to view your class group photograph images when they are ready to view. Web address is www.photoordering.co.uk and code is JRBW54R.

Statutory Assessments - Year 2

Statutory Assessment Tests (SATS) are tests administered to measure how children achieve in Maths and English at the end of Key Stages. Although they are formal tests, the tests at the end of Key Stage 1 are done in a very relaxed way and most children are unaware of why they are doing the tests and enjoy doing the 'booklets'. May is the month when the end of Key Stage 1 tests take place and these tests inform the teachers' judgements to what depth the children have learned the Key Stage 1 curriculum. Children in Year 2 in our school will be taking these tests towards the end of the May, and they have done some practices over the last few weeks to familiarise themselves with the format of the questions. It is worth pointing out that the teachers assess the children throughout the year, and it is their judgements that determine the final assessment at the end of Year 2.

Sharing Your Views - Reception 

As part of their commitment to the continuous cycle of school improvement, the Governors of Marlow C of E Infant school are reviewing the process for pupils starting school in Reception. This will cover everything from open days, admissions and induction. We’re looking for parents to take part in a focus group, in particular families who are new to the school, but any Reception parent is welcome! It will just be a one-hour session with a daytime or evening option depending on what works best for you.

This is a great chance to provide feedback to the school and have an input on shaping the future admissions and induction process.

Please click here if you are interested in participating.

King Coronation Celebration - Whole school

We will be celebrating the King Coronation in school on Friday 5^th May, and we have lots of fun planned for the day.

This will be a non-uniform day, and we would love the children to come in wearing Red, White and Blue for the occasion. They will be taking part in lots of activities during the day, and at lunchtime we will be having a street party on the school playground.

Street Party Lunch

Lunch will be street party style, outside on long tables. There will be picnic lunches available for order from Dolce, please choose between a cheese or ham farmhouse roll. They will be bagged up together with fruit and a sweet treat. All bags with be labelled clearly with your child's name.

If you are unable to book the picnic lunch because of your child's allergies please email the school office, and we will notify Dolce separately to ensure that alternatives are provided for your child.

We would like some parents to help set up tables and serve the children. If you are able to help, please contact the office.

After School Family Picnic - 3pm to 5pm

We would like to invite all Sandygate families to join us on the school field after school on the 5^th for a Family Picnic.  This will be a lovely opportunity to come together with other families to celebrate the Kings Coronation. You will need to bring your own picnic and a rug. There will be a tuck shop run by the PFA. Please note that you will have full responsibility of your child/ren. Also, if rains, this picnic will be cancelled.

Show & Tell - Year 1

We love Show & Tell Friday's, but there have been a number of children forgetting to bring in their item to show to their class. Please refer to your child's class homepage, as this is where you will find the timetable and topic information.

Egg Cartons - Year 1

We are on the hunt for empty egg cartons to use during our maths lesson next week. If you have any, please send them in with your child on Tuesday.

WANTED: MDSA Vacancy

We currently have a Midday Supervising Assistant (MDSA) vacancies. We are looking to appoint a responsible and enthusiastic individual who will ensure the safety, welfare and good conduct of the children during the lunchtime period. You will be part of a friendly and supportive team working with happy and friendly children. 

The full job description and details of how to apply can be found on the school website here.

Midsummer Dinner Dance - Saturday 17^th June

We are excited to announce the first ever Sandygate parents Midsummer Dinner Dance event, which will be held at Temple Golf Club on Saturday 17^th June 7.30pm until late. Dust off your dancing shoes, and join us for a fun evening of dinner and dancing with a live band.

Tickets are £55pp and are now available on ParentPay and will include a welcome drink, 2-course dinner, band, raffle and photo-booth. We have the band 'An Absolute Shambles' providing live music - it's set to be a great night!

Tickets are limited, so buy early to avoid disappointment.

May Fayre Donations - Dates to Remember

Friday 5^th May - Tombola donations (chocolates/wine/smellies/biscuits)

Wednesday 10^th May - Second hand toys/cuddly toys

Friday 12^th May - Cakes/biscuits/tray bakes/homemade produce

Brickies Lego Workshop - Sunday 25^th June

Budding brick builders face their toughest test yet as trouble brews at the bottom of the Bricklantic Ocean. Reports have surfaced that an evil Ocean Overlord plans to rule the seven seas!

This is a 90 minute LEGO building workshop, running from 2pm – 3:30pm on Sunday 25^th June. Limited tickets are £12 and are now available on ParentPay.

The Brickies format is a visual story presentation to the children punctuated with several building challenges that link into the story. Brickies is all about promoting imagination and creativity, there are no instructions and there is no right way or wrong way to build something. We provide the children with bundles of positive encouragement to be as creative as possible.

Each child will receive a Brickies certificate, a special edition Brickies badge and a little edible treat at the end of the workshop.