School Newsletter : 16 December 2022
| Issue 7 | Autumn 2 | Week 14 |
Happy Holidays & a HUGE end of term thank you!
Wow, what a busy Autumn term we have had!
There has been so much that we have celebrated across the term, and especially during this busy nativity season. These final two weeks of term, have given us many opportunities to reflect back on our term, the past year and celebrate the present.
Wonderful Nativity services, community singing events, the Children’s Christmas lunch our Christingle Service just to name a few, all of which have provided occasions to come together as a school community.
Thank you so very much to all the wonderful support that parents and wider family members give to the school, your participation and attendance at these events is very much appreciated, by your children and staff.
Thank you also to BADU sports for the very kind donation of 10 Christmas Hampers to families within our school this year. We know that these were very much appreciated and we thank you for your continued community support across all the schools you work with.
On behalf of all the school staff, governors and trustees, I would like to wish all our families and friends a safe and happy holiday.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and the best wishes for a Happy New Year!
KS1 & EYFS Nativity Play: It’s a Party! What a Show Stopper!
The invitations were unusual… the guests were unlikely… and the venue was unconventional. But what a party!
More than two thousand years after the Christmas story first began, the celebrations still continue. Whilst Mary and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem, we followed the progress of the angels as they delivered invitations.
Those lucky enough to be included on their guest list got to attend a most unconventional party.
An excellent performance of the Christmas story from KS1 & EYFS. Congratulations to all the children who took part and we are very proud of them all.
Thanks also to all the parents and carers who attended the performance and joined in singing our songs!
Christingle Service
Over the past two weeks we have been full of the Christmas spirit with our two wonderful Nativity shows, 9 Lessons Carol Service, Christingle and… SNOW!
Some of you may be wondering what a Christingle is, apart from being the time of year when everyone has to remember to bring an orange to school. Christingle is a lighted candle in an orange that children hold during a special service, usually held between Advent and Epiphany.
At Burdett-Coutts we always celebrate Christingle before Christmas, usually on the last day of the Autumn Term. It is believed the word comes from the German word ‘Christkindl’, which means ‘little Christ child’.
The orange represents the world and the lit candle represents Jesus as Light of the World bringing hope to those in darkness. The red ribbon or tape around the middle of the orange reminds us of Jesus’ love and the blood he shed for us.
The four cocktail sticks holding raisins, sweets or other treats represent the four seasons and all of the good things in the world that God created.
Upcoming Events
January 2023:
- Wednesday 4th January: School starts for all pupils
- Sunday 15th January: Deadline for applying to Reception classes for 2023
Biscuits Bytes!
Woof!
Hi everyone! Wow what a term it’s been! How much fun was the last two weeks in school?
There has been so much singing and drama (the good kind), arts & crafts, a few assessments (apparently those are not as much fun) and lots and lots of yummy food!
Then we had all this amazing stuff fall from the sky and it made everything outside all white and very cold (and slippery sometimes). I learnt that it was snow. I also learnt the I LOVE SNOW! I am keeping my paws crossed that it comes back again!
I can’t wait to see you all again next term, so please have a safe Christmas holiday, and remember to stay away from water in the parks etc, as it is dangerous and cold!
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and looking forward to an exciting 2023!
Love Biscuit xx
Community Corner
Collective Worship
The whole school attends acts of Collective Worship every day.
- Mondays and Tuesdays: key stage singing assemblies led by Mr Carden.
- Wednesdays: Church service led by Graham or Helena, the clergy at St Stephens with St John on Rochester Row. These services are very child-friendly, and Year 6 take a leading role by processing, singing in the choir and reading the Bible readings and prayers.
- Thursdays: We focus on celebrating achievements, led by a member of SLT, School Council or a class teacher with their class. When a class teacher leads the assembly, their class also recite a piece of poetry they have been learning. We would be very grateful if parents could support their children in learning these poems when it is their turn.
- Friday: Opportunities for classes to share what they have been learning with their families and the rest of the school.
Community Questions
- Being halfway through Advent, we are thinking more about this period of preparation and patience.
- When was the last time you had to be patient? What were you waiting for? Did you find it easy or difficult? Why?
- Christians have been waiting nearly 2000 years for Jesus’ return. Why do you think that Advent is important to them?
Term Dates 2022-2023
Please remember that holidays will not be authorised during the school term, and that all children should be in school (on time) every day.
Please refer to the table below for the term dates, including INSET days and Bank Holidays when the school will be closed to pupils.
Alternatively, you can click on the image thumbnail on the right to view the PDF (please note this will open in a new window) or you can click on the link below:
|
AUTUMN TERM 2022 |
||
|
Start of Term (for Years 1-6) |
Monday |
05 September 2022 |
|
To |
Friday |
21 October 2022 |
|
Half Term |
Monday |
24 October 2022 |
|
|
Friday |
28 October 2022 |
|
Return on |
Monday |
31 October 2022 |
|
End of Term |
Friday |
16 December 2022 |
|
SPRING TERM 2023 |
||
|
Start of Term |
Wednesday |
04 January 2023 |
|
To |
Friday |
10 February 2023 |
|
Half Term |
Monday |
13 February 2023 |
|
|
Friday |
17 February 2023 |
|
Return on |
Monday |
20 February 2023 |
|
End of Term |
Friday |
31 March 2023 |
|
SUMMER TERM 2023 |
||
|
Start of Term |
Monday |
17 April 2023 |
|
To |
Friday |
26 May 2023 |
|
Half Term |
Monday |
29 May 2023 |
|
|
Friday |
02 June 2023 |
|
Return on |
Monday |
05 June 2023 |
|
End of Term |
Friday |
21 July 2023 |
| INSET DAYS | ||
| Teaching & Learning: Curriculum Map Autumn/Spring |
Thursday |
01 September 2022 |
| Teaching & Learning: Phonics |
Friday |
02 September 2022 |
| Assessment & Pupil Progress |
Friday |
02 December 2022 |
| Teaching & Learning: Curriculum Map Autumn/Spring |
Tuesday |
03 January 2023 |
| Assessment & Pupil Progress |
Friday |
07 July 2023 |
|
|
|
|
| BANK HOLIDAYS (school closed) | ||
| May Bank Holiday |
Monday |
01 May 2023 |
|
Coronation Bank Holiday |
Monday |
08 May 2023 |
PE Days
Classes will have PE lessons on the following days for the Autumn Term.
- Monday: Year 1 (PM)
- Tuesday: Year 4 (PM)
- Wednesday: Year 5 (AM)* and Year 2 (PM)
- Thursday: Year 6 (PM)
- Friday: Reception & Nursery (AM) and Year 3 (PM)
*Kindly note that ONLY Year 5 pupils will need to come to school in their school uniform and bring their PE kit to change into after attending Church, on their designated PE day (Wednesday).
Please ensure that your child is wearing the correct PE uniform to school on their designated PE day. If you have any questions about school uniforms, please call, email or pop in to the school office
Correct PE uniform:
- Navy PE t-shirt (with school logo)
- Navy sweatshirt (with school logo)
- Navy jogging bottoms, leggings, skirt or shorts
- Trainers or plimsolls (black)
Amazon Smile Account
By setting up a Smile Amazon account, every time you shop there, you can make a ‘free’ donation to our PTFA Friends of Burdett-Coutts!
By linking your existing Amazon account to a charitable cause, Amazon will donate a small amount to our PTFA each time you buy something, at no extra cost to you.
- To do this, go to www.smile.amazon.co.uk
- Click ‘Get started’
- Sign into your Amazon account (or create one if you haven’t got one)
- Pick your charity by searching for ‘Friends of Burdett-Coutts’
- Then click ‘Select’
- Tick the box that says ‘Yes, I understand that I must always start at smile.amazon.co.uk to support Friends of Burdett-Coutts’
- Start shopping and remember to always go to www.smile.amazon.co.uk for all your Amazon shopping to make that vital donation to the Friends of Burdett-Coutts.
For a visual description of these instructions, please click the image on the right >
September 2023: Nursery & Reception places available
If you are looking for a Nursery or Reception Place, for your child from September 2023, please contact the school and make an appointment to join a school tour.
We’d be delighted for you to join us for a 30-minute bespoke EYFS tour, where you will have the chance explore our Early Years setting, speak to key staff and ask any questions regarding admissions and your child starting with us at Burdett-Coutts.
Please contact us to register for our tours which take place every Thursday, with times available from 09:30 – 14:30 during term time.
- To book your tour place, please call 0207 828 6790
- For further information about starting Reception at Burdett-Coutts, please click here >
Funding eligibility letter for Pupil Premium, Early Years Funding & Free School Meals
Due to changes in the eligibility criteria for Pupil Premium, Free School Meals and qualifying for 30 hours of funding for Nursery provision, many pupils currently enrolled at our school may now be entitled to one of these funding allocations.
We will be issuing letters to families who are currently not in receipt of the above, asking you to complete the registration for the identified funding option your child/ren maybe eligible for. Thank you so much in advance for your help in completing this.
This funding allows us to increase additional staffing hours to run booster groups, and an exciting range of extended day activities, that benefit our school and your child, and your cooperation is greatly appreciated at this difficult time for school budgets.
- If you should have any queries with regards to the letter sent to you, please contact Mrs Deary or the school office.
Nursery:
Nursery have been so excited with the recent snowfall! We found lots of interesting ways of decorating nature’s gift by experimenting with watercolours in the icy tuff trays.
Reception:
We have all had a wonderful first term in Reception. We have made new friends, enjoyed after school enrichment clubs and settled well into our daily routines. We have learnt the first set of phonics sounds, explored numbers up to and beyond 10 and began to write sentences with finger spaces. We have had lots of fun with our topics ‘All About Me‘ and ‘Celebrations‘ and even caught a naughty little elf! Have a restful Christmas holidays and we will continue our journey in the new year!
Year 1:
In Year 1 we have been talking about Advent and what we can do in the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas. We have created a kindness advent calendar and discussed lots of different ways we can be kind to our friends and families during the time of Advent. Open up each day to see what we can do to be kind!
Year 2:
Year 2 have been very busy over the last weeks with their learning and with their preparations for Christmas. They’ve been learning and rehearsing lines and songs for their Nativity performance. They read the Nativity story and explored Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem and Jesus’ birth and his visitors. Children then decided what they felt was the most significant part of the story for Christians and took time to reflect and remember the true meaning of Christmas. They discussed how Christmas is a time of joy and giving; it means the warmth and love of family and friends. As a class, children agreed that the real meaning of the season is something greater – it lies in the ‘spirit‘ of Christmas. Christmas is not only about putting up a tree and decorations, sending cards or singing carols. It’s about opening their hearts and sharing their love with friends and family. This week, they also had fun working together creating our Christmas baubles and cards to take home.
Year 3:
In class this week we have been focusing on our 3’s, 4’s & 8 times tables. We have been practicing them daily so that they become instant knowledge, rather than having to work each one out. This will help us as we move forward with our Maths. To celebrate the end of term we have been creating our own Christmas Baubles. We decided to create reindeer in the snow, and then we added them to our class Christmas tree!
Year 4:
This week in Year 4 we have been consolidating our Maths learning. We were practising our 7, 8 & 9 times tables and using these to solve reasoning problems. We have also been learning how to solve simple algebraic problems, using symbols instead of digits. We are now beginning to use mathematical language such as the product and sum of numbers and use both visual and abstract methods to work out our answers.
Year 5:
In Year 5 this week we have been finishing off our class book ‘The Adventures of Odysseus‘, as well as researching the Ancient Greeks and presenting our findings to the class. We have really enjoyed learning about the Ancient Greeks, but we are also excited to find out what our topic will be next term. We have explored Forces in Science and learnt about fractions in Maths. We are becoming increasingly confident with adding and subtracting fractions which are not alike – which means they have different denominators. First you must find the equivalent fraction with the same denominator then you can add or subtract as usual. We are very proud of our efforts!
Year 6:
This week, we were fortunate enough make our annual visit to Norton House – a local care home. We sang some well-known Christmas carols and songs from our Christmas show, which both the residents and we thoroughly enjoyed. One of the residents Daphne Harris MBE, shared her stories as a prima ballerina, ballroom and Latin dancer. What a beautiful morning it was.