23rd June 2023

Learning about our school value of Service has been lived out practically this week with the Year 1 and 2 children serving the community in different ways. You can read all about it in the news stories but to say that I was proud of them all is an understatement! Next week, it is the turn of the Reception children who will be visiting All Saints to help weed and tidy up the churchyard. We are still in need of helpers to for this, there are more details in the article below.

As we approach the end of the school year, we are already thinking about what next year holds for us at Marlow Infants. As part of this work, we will be asking your opinion about how this year has gone. Next week, the Governors will be sending out the annual parent survey, so look out for that arriving in your inboxes early in the week.

On Sunday, it is Sandygate Sunday at All Saints (the last one of the school year) and we are looking forward to seeing lots of red jumpers/red PE t-shirts there!

Mrs S Reynolds

Refugee Week 19^th– 25^th June – Whole school

This week we have been thinking about Refugees as World Refugee Day, an international day designated by the UN to honour refugees around the globe, was on 20^th June, and we have been marking Refugee Week.

On Wednesday,  the Rights Respecting Ambassadors led a school worship where they spoke all about refugees and what the word refugee meant. They shared their plans for raising money to help refugees. During the week, all the children in school have been making friendship bracelets and decorating cakes and biscuits and today the Rights Respecting Ambassadors held a sale for their peers. The £275 raised will be donated to Marlow Refugee Action.

Here are some activities you may like to try:

1. There are many rights related to being kept safe and protected from harm. Do you have a special place where you feel really safe? Maybe at home or a grandparent’s home, or somewhere else? Draw a picture of where you feel safe.
2. Watch this video explaining what a refugee is. Can you create your own animation or a simple PowerPoint presentation to help younger children in your school understand who are refugees?
3. Watch and listen to My Name is Not Refugee or Help them Feel at Home. Use the themes of the stories to open up a simple exploration of what it is to be a refugee.
4. If you had to flee your home suddenly, what would you take with you? Draw or list what you would take and remember that you might have to carry it a long way.

Next Week's 'Learning at a Glance'

Sandygate Sunday: Sunday 25^th June – Whole school

On Sunday 25^th June will be one of our regular 'Sandygate Sundays' at All Saints Church. We will be taking part in their 10.59 service with some children reading prayers, and we will sing one of our worship songs. 

We would love to see as many red jumpers/red PE t-shirt in the congregation as possible, so please come along if you can. Click here if your child will be attending.

After Sandygate Sunday, there will be a church picnic in Higginson Park, which everyone is welcome to attend!

Reception Act of Service – Trip to All Saints Church

On Wednesday 28^th June, children in Reception will be walking to All Saints Church to carry out some work in the churchyard. In order to do this, we will need some volunteers to walk with us and help for the morning. We will be aiming to leave school at 9am and will be back for 11am. Thank you to all the parents who have already volunteered, we are still looking for 4 more volunteers to walk with us to ensure we can go on the trip. If you are able to volunteer, please sign up here.

30 Days Wild – Whole school

If your child has been working on something at home during the 30 Days Wild month, we would like to invite them to bring their item in next week. We will have a nature table set up in the hall for the children to display their items.

Creative Week: 10^th–14^th July – Whole school

We are having a creative week this half-term between 10^th–14^th July. At the end of creative week we will be running an exhibition (14^th July) to showcase art made by the children (between 2.00pm and 4.00pm). You will also be able to buy your child's piece of art.

We would love some helpers to help run the set-up and take down of the exhibition.

Please let the office know if you are able to help.

Sports Morning: Monday 26^th June – Whole school

On Monday 26^th June we will be holding our school Sports Morning from 9.30am–12 noon and all parents and carers are invited along to cheer on their children.

The children will spend the first half of the morning in teams of mixed year groups taking part in a round-robin of sporting activities. These should finish at around 10.30am when the children will go back inside the school for their fruit snack. At 11.00am they will come back out onto the field in their classes and will take part in a running race against their classmates.

All children can come to school on this day in their PE kit and trainers.

The PFA will be serving refreshments for adults before the event starts.

Solar Panels: Week of 3^rd July – Whole school

A while ago, we shared with you that, as part of our Eco work, we had secured funding to have Solar Panels installed on the roof of the school. We are pleased to say that the installation will be happening during week commencing 3rd July. 

There will be a few changes to how we operate during the week and these will be shared with you in next week's newsletter. 

It is very exciting that we will soon be generating our own electricity!

Open Afternoon: Wednesday 5^th July – Whole school

From 4pm-6pm you are invited to come and see some of the work the children have done, which is displayed in classrooms and communal areas. Each year group is working on a short performance, a dance or a song, which they will give during the afternoon and the Maypole and Recorder club will also perform.

The order for these are: 

• 4.30pm – Recorder Club
• 4.45pm – Maypole Club
• 5.00pm – Reception
• 5.15pm – Year 1
• 5.30pm – Year 2

All performances will all be on the school field except for Recorder Club, which will be in the hall.

Pizza during Open Afternoon: Wednesday 5^th July

At the school Open Afternoon, to take the burden off you having to sort out dinner for you and your children, we will be organising pizzas to be delivered.

They will be available to buy on ParentPay up until the day before the open afternoon, on 4^th July. £15 for a large margherita/vegetarian/pepperoni pizza.

We will also be serving soft drinks and having a tuck shop for the duration of the event.

Year group Sandygate tea towels

It is that time of year again when the children have been doing their self-portraits ready for the year group masterpiece and pride of your kitchen the tea towels.

These tea towels have the whole year group on them including the staff, and are a lovely memento (see example above from a few years ago). Tea towels are priced at £6 each or 3 (of the same) for £15 and are now available to buy on ParentPay.

Ordering will close on 30^th June in order for us to get them printed.

Camp Night 2023: 8^th – 9^th July 4pm onwards

Today is the last chance to buy a pitch for the Sandygate 2023 Camp Night before sales close!

Tickets are £30 per ticket (to include tent pitch, hot drinks and a cereal/croissant breakfast) and pizza's for supper are available to buy separately on ParentPay. These will be delivered to the school around 5.30pm on the Saturday. We ask that you only bring your own children to this event and no tent sharing please.

More information will be sent to those that have booked camp night next week. 

Date for your diary – Wednesday 19^th July

The PFA AGM will be taking place Wednesday 19^th July at 7.30am at school.

This is a shorter meeting than usual, legally required to take place each year. We will have drinks and snacks to celebrate our achievements over the last year and would love to see as many people as possible. We are still looking for a new secretary and new chair to start from next year, so please come along if you're interested. The community events the PFA put on are valued by everyone in the school, and the money raised is really necessary for the daily running of the school as well as funding a lot of the school trips etc.

There are quite a lot of already very active PFA members who are happy to stay on the committee, but we do need a bit more support and would love to see some new faces.

Please feel free to speak to Rachel Bourdillon, Lauren King, Caro Robinson, Jo Snell or Claire Robinson for more information.

Summer Silent Auction

Congratulations to all the winners of the Summer Silent Auction.

There are still a number of prizes unclaimed, please collect your winnings at the school office.

A big thank you to Softcat

Last Friday, we had a team from Softcat working in the school grounds – tidying, painting, gardening and jet washing. We really appreciate their support and are looking forward to them coming back again to help in the future.