5JK’s Class Assembly:   It was lovely for parents and children to watch our first class assembly of the year on Friday 4^th October. Thanks to 5JK, who led a very topical assembly about harvest; many of us learnt that there are harvest events all around the world. It was a good reminder for us to be thankful for the food that we have and to donate or volunteer where we can eg: to food banks or supermarket collections. 

 

Year 1’s Local Walk:     On Thursday 3^rd October, Year 1 classes enjoyed a local walk as part of their geography learning. They became cartographers (map makers) and created their own maps. These included symbols that the children had chosen. They learnt the importance of maps being accurate and enjoyed making more maps on the return to school. 

 

Black History Month:     October signifies the start of Black History Month. In school, we have been discussing why it is important to participate in Black History Month through the ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ campaign. Throughout the school, children have been be researching different significant individuals of black origin, who have overcome racism and adversity to achieve great things in sport, science, human and civil rights and performing arts.

 

Macmillan Coffee Morning:  Thank you to all of our parents, family and friends, who attended our coffee morning on Friday 27^th September and ensured that it was a great success. The children did not miss out on the cake sale and enjoyed buying a cake (or two) to support Macmillan during the day. We will let you know how much we have managed to raise in a future newsletter.

 

Parents’ Evening: Thank you to everyone who attended the ‘settling in’ parents’ evening on Thursday 26^th September. It is important that we meet with you throughout the year so that we can update you with your child’s life at school.

 

Visit to Parliament:          On Wednesday 25^th September, last year’s School Council members enjoyed a trip to London, where they experienced a boat trip along the River Thames and had fun spotting some famous landmarks, including Tower Bridge and Big Ben. Following this, they were treated to a tour of the Houses of Parliament, where they were even allowed to enter the Houses of Lords and Commons. They learnt many interesting facts and were fascinated to learn that the King is not allowed to enter the House of Commons! The children behaved beautifully throughout the day and were a real credit to Moat House. 

 

Year 2 Local Walk:          On Tuesday 24^th September, Year 2 enjoyed a walk around the local area. The children identified both physical and human features which linked nicely to our geography topic. We even encountered some flooding of a field as a result of the heavy rainfall which sparked some discussions! Our next steps will be to record our walk in our English topic when writing a recount. We thoroughly enjoyed exploring the area and look forward to more trips in the future. 

 

Early Mental Health Assembly:        On Tuesday 24^th September, we welcomed Amanda in from Compass Shine who spoke to our children about emotional wellbeing. She introduced a character, called Sam and shared how his emotions changed throughout the day, depending on what was happening eg: he was excited about seeing his friend at school but became disappointed when his friend was poorly. He then became happy again when he received an invitation to a party. Amanda explained that it is normal to experience several different emotions over a day. Amanda also gave the children some ideas about what they could do if their emotions change.

 

MP Visit:            On Thursday 19^th September, we welcomed our local MP, Mary Creagh into school. She was keen to meet our School Councillors (from last year) who are excited about their trip to Parliament. Our children had lots of questions for her about her job and what to look out for in Parliament. She was also keen to meet our parents and carers and we hope that you had a positive interaction with her if you met her out and about on the playground yesterday afternoon.

 

School Council:    As it is the start of the new school year, each class has elected two children to represent their class on the Moat House School Council.  The aim of the School Council is to involve pupils in decision making, in and around the school. The following children are the successful candidates. who have been nominated by their peers:

 

 

We held our first meeting this afternoon and used it as a great opportunity to get to know each other and to discuss the roles and responsibilities involved in being a school councillor.

Non-Uniform Day:            We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone for your contributions of cakes for our Macmillan Coffee morning.

 

Message from the Police:   Recently we have noticed an increase in burglaries in Coventry.  There has been a rise in incidents during school drop off and pick up times most specifically.  Our ask is for all parents to be extra vigilant and to utilise all methods they can to deter and prevent this from happening to them.  If you spot anyone acting suspiciously, please call the Police on 101 for non-emergency or 999, if urgent.  For any local alerts please look to sign up for our messaging service on the following link: www.wmnow.co.uk

Clubs:    You will have received a letter giving details of a wide range of after school clubs available for your child. These include: football, gymnastics, arts and crafts and nature. You will need to sign up for a club using the My Child at School app.

 

Macmillan Coffee Morning:            On Friday 20th September, we will be holding a non-uniform day in exchange for a donation of shop bought cakes (which will need to be in date and edible for at least a week). Please also ensure that they do not contain nuts. The following week (Friday 27^th September), we will be participating in the national Macmillan coffee morning. Parents, carers, relatives and friends are invited to join us in the school dining area from 9:00 am – 10:00 am, to enjoy a coffee (or tea) and a cake for a small donation. Our children, of course, will not be missing out - there will be a cake sale during the day, so children are invited to bring along 20p to buy a cake. We look forward to welcoming you in school and we would like to thank you for supporting us to raise money for the fabulous work that the Macmillan nurses do.

 

Jewellery:      Just a reminder that the only jewellery which children are allowed to wear at school are stud earrings and watches (as long as they are not smart watches).

Welcome Back:     It was great to see the children back in school on Tuesday and I hope that they have all enjoyed their first few days in their new classes. They were all very smartly dressed and looked wonderful! The Year 6 children looked especially grown up in their new black sweatshirts and seem ready to take on the mantle of being role models for the rest of the school. I am looking forward to another exciting year at Moat House and look forward to meeting you at Parents’ Evening, class assemblies or on the playground at the start or end of the school day.

 

New Start Time:    Thanks to you all for getting your child/ren in to school before our new bell time of 8.45am. Starting at this time means that our school day now matches the government requirements.

 

Class Assemblies: Please make a note of your child’s class assembly date, as detailed below. It is always a joy for us to invite you into school to share with you what your children have been learning.

 

Healthy Food and Drink:                 Please remember to bring a named water bottle to school every day for your child. Children can drink water throughout the day and refill their bottle at school. Please do not send your child into school with any other drink eg: squash or fizzy drinks. Also a reminder that children in Early Years and Key Stage 1 have access to healthy snacks on a daily basis. Key Stage 2 children are welcome to bring in healthy snacks at playtime, as long as they don’t contain nuts. 

 

Asda Rewards:               If you shop at Asda and have the Asda rewards app on your phone, can you please nominate us in the Cashpot for schools section. They will then make a donation to us for every pound spent on shopping. Please also ask friends and relatives to do the same. Any money raised will be spent directly on the children. The promotion lasts until the end of November and it takes less than a minute to nominate us.

 

School Bank:  On Tuesday 10^th September, the Moat House School Bank will be open once again for anyone who wishes to make a deposit or a withdrawal. Many of our children have now opened accounts and are saving hard for things like spending money for their holidays or Christmas presents. If your child would like to begin saving using the School Bank, please complete an application form and bring your first deposit along to the bank, which is open every Tuesday morning at 8:35 am. Forms are available from the school office.

 

Gifts:    On behalf of all of the staff I'd like to say thank you for all the cards, gifts and kind words that you gave us at the end of the Summer Term. Everything was greatly appreciated.