BC Newsletter Template (Yvonne)

We hope you’ve all been training hard in preparation for the Run Kids Run event at Battersea Park on Sunday 28th April.

Don’t forget to collect your donations via the Friends of Burdett-Coutts Just Giving page, which you can find @ www.justgiving.com/campaign/runbcrun

We’re utterly thrilled at this amazing opportunity to participate in what promises to be a fun, fitness fundraising event!

THERE’S STILL TIME TO REGISTER to compete in this fundraising event: simply fill in this Google Form: https://forms.gle/V3rbcVRERWsmVeck8 

You can register up to 4 runners on one form and older siblings can also take part (please select the 2 mile Y5 & Y6 option).

Then get training, and ask as many people as possible to sponsor your child/ren’s sporting challenge, as every donation will go towards raising funds for our school.

On Sunday 28 April, bring your child/ren to Battersea Park from 2 – 4pm. The children will run their races and on completion, will receive a medal and snack at this fun family day out.

Fundraising goals:

Our school’s PSA, The Friends of Burdett-Coutts (Charity #1167707) are working with us to realise our School Council Playground Pledges of improvments to our playgrounds.

The total amount required is £16,000 to fund:

• Project 1: A REALLY BIG sandpit & sand-play equipment for the EYFS & KS1 playground.
• Project 2: A dedicated comfortable seating area and age-appropriate construction & imaginative play resources.

With a remaining £8,000 still to be raised, this is where you can help out, by having as many family members, friends and neighbours sponsor your child/ren to compete in the Run Kids Run event.

To make a donation, simply go to: www.justgiving.com/campaign/runbcrun

In-School training:

Our PE coach, Mr Raheem is leading in-school training sessions (see side panel for dates) for all pupils who have registered for the Run Kids Run event.

They will need to wear their full PE kit and trainers to participate, with additional lunch-time training sessions on their normal PE days.

For children to take part, parents must register them via the Run Kids Run Google Form AND inform the school office by email before the start of any session.

Thank you for your support in this whole-school fun, fitness fundraising event.

We hope to see many children signed up, ready to train and be sponsored for their run at Battersea Park on Sunday 28th April.

If you are a parent, carer or a guardian of a child that attends our school, then you are automatically a member of our Parent Staff Association, Friends of Burdett-Coutts.

Being part of our PSA offers an exciting opportunity for you to meet other parents, whilst supporting our school, through organising fundraising events, volunteering and much more.

Even if you can only give a small amount of time, you will be making a difference to the school experience for your child and other pupils in our school.

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Our next planning meeting will be on Thursday 26th April @ 09:00 – 10:00 in the Ground Floor Hall to discuss arrangements for the Cake Bake Sale on 2nd May.

All are welcome – please come along and join us, your energy & support is very much needed!

Please ensure that your child is wearing the correct PE kit to school each week.

Pupils who are not wearing their full PE kit will not be able to participate in lessons, and a note will be sent home indicating why they were not able to participate.

The full PE kit for the Autumn/Winter term is as follows:

• Plain navy blue leggings or tracksuit bottoms
• School navy blue PE t-shirt
• School navy blue sweatshirt (all year groups).
• Pupils in KS2 (Years 3 – 6) must wear a school navy sweatshirt for PE and NOT their school jumper.
• Plain black trainers (velcro if your child struggles with shoe laces)
• Please ensure all items of uniform are clearly labelled (with a permanent pen or label)

On Monday 8th January, parents were sent a welcome email from Arbor via the school office email account. Please read this carefully, as it contains vital information of the steps required to download the Arbor app, which is now live and ready to use for our school.

Once you have downloaded the app and followed the setup steps, you will be able to pay online for the following:

• Breakfast Club
• After School Club (6 o’clock club)
• School Trips and Visits
• Nursery Extended Day Fees
• Preschool Fees

You will also be able to view your child’s details held by the school, such as their attendance record  and the named adults allowed to collect them from school.  After the Easter Break, you will also be able to sign up and pay for Extended School Day (Enrichment) Clubs.

We understand that while paying online is the preferred option for many of our families, those wishing to continue paying by cash will still be able to do via the school office.

If you would like your child to move from bringing a packed lunch to having a school meal, you must inform the office at least a week in advance of this change being made. Kindly note pupils are not allowed to alternate between having packed lunches and/or school meals on a daily or weekly basis. If you have any questions, please see a member of the school admin staff at the school office.

You can find the current school lunch menu here >

If you require a printed copy, please ask at the school office. Should you have any questions about the menu, kindly make an appointment to speak with Miss Barnett.

February 2024 half term vouchers for pupils eligible for FSM are available for collection from the school office.

We have noticed several pupils are consistently late to school each day. It is essential that every child arrives at school by 08:45 so that they are in class and ready to learn at 09:00. If your punctuality has slipped recently, please ensure that you take steps to arrive in school on time after the February half term break.

Why good school attendance matters: Missing a few days of school here and there may not seem a big deal, but research shows that it can have a significant impact on children’s learning.

Children who miss a substantial amount of school fall behind their peers, and struggle to catch up. Most of the work they miss is never made up, which can lead to big gaps in their learning.

• Poor attendance often starts at primary school and children who fall into this pattern are likely to under-achieve at secondary school.
• Pupils who miss between 10 and 20% of school (that’s 19 – 38 days per year) stand only a 35% chance of achieving five or more good GCSEs, compared to 73% of those who miss fewer than 5% of school days.
• An attendance rate of 95% is generally considered good; this allows for children to miss 9.5 days across the school year.
• Persistent absence (PA) is defined as an attendance rate of 90% or below.
• All pupils are expected to have an attendance rate of 95% or higher.

Attendance class of the week: Each week we will be celebrating the class with the highest attendance levels.