Newsletters

Our Vision

We believe that our children should have the aspiration and opportunity to ‘Live life in all its fullness’ and ‘Shine like stars in the sky’.

New this week…
 
WELLBEING AMBASSADORS
Many thanks to those children who expressed interest in becoming a school Wellbeing Ambassador.  Miss Mandelson really enjoyed reading your applications and is pleased to announce that our new ambassadors for 2026-27 are:  Erin, Emily L and Poppy.  Well done, girls – we know that you are going to do a great job!
 
Coming up…
BONFIRE LUNCH
There will be a special Bonfire Lunch on Thursday 5 November:

• Banger in a bun
• Vegan Banger in a bun
• Cheese Catherine wheel

…served with blazing potato wedges & veggie sticks, followed by toffee apple brownie.
 
CRUCIAL CREW
The Y6 children will be attending this important session on the afternoon of Thursday 12^th November.  More details to follow but in the meantime please click below for information about what this entails:
Crucial Crew | North Yorkshire Police
 
FLU IMMUNISATION PROGRAMME
The NHS vaccination team will be in school on Wednesday 18 November for Reception - Year 6 pupils. Parents of nursery age children will need to contact their GP Practice to arrange an appointment for the flu immunisation.

Spotlights from Learning…

This week, Rocket Class have been exploring some different world views around how the world was made. We really enjoyed the story 'How the Birds Got Their Colours' and loved using big silk scarves to act it out together. I wonder if you can have a go at retelling the story to someone at home? We have also loved getting creative with pumpkins and paint! Inspired by the beautiful artwork of Yayoi Kusama, we decorated pumpkins with colourful dot patterns, using cotton buds to practise our fine motor skills and create our own repeating patterns. 
 
In Comets, we are pleased to report that our little rat has survived the Great Fire of London.  We are very proud of our diaries and all the ‘writerly’ techniques we have managed to incorporate along the way, including onomatopoeia, personification, metaphors and similes!  We are looking forward to returning to the story of the Gunpowder Plot to practise these skills more independently when we write another diary entry in role as a rat scurrying around the cellars beneath the Houses of Parliament on the night of 4^th/5^th November 1605. I wonder what you can remember about this historical event?
 
What a fabulous end to our half term in Asteroid Class.  We have enjoyed tag rugby and some of the Year 4,5 and 6 girls attended a netball tournament.  It was a pleasure to hear how well external providers thought of our children's behaviour and attitude to sporting events.   We have planned our independent write of the Iron Man, re-writing our own versions and have some really imaginative ideas, which the children have drawn and can talk about.  We will be writing in the first week back after half-term and I can't wait to see their ideas come to life!  Their learning in art, inspired by Stephen Wiltshire, has culminated in some impressive drawing that children have really taken pride in.  I hope all children have the opportunity to be creative over their half-term break and enjoy some reading for pleasure time too.  We look forward to seeing them after their well-earned break.
 
Let’s celebrate…
Huge congratulations to Charlotte who has passed her Stage 5 swimming assessment and is looking forward to starting Stage 6 this week...  Also, a special mention to Milo, Elsie, Oscar, Toby W, Elliot G and Bodie, who all impressed Mr V so much during the Tag Rugby sessions that they earned awards for determination and respect.
 
Reminders…
TEACHER TRAINING DAY
Just a reminder that school will be closed tomorrow (Friday 23^rd October) for a teacher training day.  School reopens on Monday 2^nd November.
 
STARTING SECONDARY SCHOOL 2027
Just a reminder to all Year 6 parents, that the closing date for secondary applications is 31^st October 2026. As this falls during the half-term holiday, it is encouraged that any parents who have not yet applied, to do so by this date. (Parents can still apply up to 30 November 2026; however, after 31^st October, they will be required to provide a reason why the application was not submitted by the closing date.)
 
PARENTPAY
Mrs Fisher has asked that any remaining balances on the old ParentPay system are cleared ASAP.  This will really help Mrs Fisher as she begins to transfer any credit over to Arbor.  Many thanks for your help with this.
 
FOREST SCHOOL
This term’s Forest School sessions will take place on Wednesday afternoons, alternating between Asteroid and Rocket classes.  The next session will be for Asteroids (including Y3) next Wednesday (4^th Nov). 

Safeguarding, Health and Wellbeing Updates

DARKER NIGHTS
Our North Yorkshire Police Schools Liaison Officer has asked us to pass on the following message:
Please find attached our Darker Nights 2026 parent/carer safety letter, developed in partnership between North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service and North Yorkshire Police. The letters provide age-appropriate safety advice for families ahead of Halloween, Bonfire Night and the darker autumn evenings.

  -Primary DN26.pdf-  

ONLINE SAFETY
North Yorkshire Police report that they are seeing more and more cases where children are being groomed through online gaming, which can then lead to them being coerced to use other platforms. Roblox is commonly used in this way by those who seek to exploit children.  We continue to regularly remind children about how to keep safe online and know that, as parents, you are aware of the importance of monitoring your child’s online activity, including:

• Setting up a linked parental account through the Roblox Safety Center or device settings to lock content ratings, chat privileges, and spending limits with a PIN.
• Entering the Real Birthdate: Ensure your child's account uses their actual birthdate so the platform automatically applies age-appropriate restrictions (such as disabling open chat for young children).
• Turning Off or Restricting Chat: Limit or completely disable direct messaging, experience chat, and voice chat depending on your child's age.
• Securing Payment Methods: Remove saved credit cards or enable two-step verification so unauthorized Robux purchases cannot be made.
• Teaching Reporting & Blocking: Show your child how to use the built-in block and report tools for any player or game that makes them feel uncomfortable.

More advice and support can be found at How to Ensure Your Children Stay Safe While Playing Online Games | NSPCC

News from the wider community

NEWS FROM THE BENEFICE
At Half-Term…
…St Mary’s, Masham will be running a free Arts and Crafts Activity Day.  Please see below for contact details to book a place: …and please click below for more news from the Benefice.
  -Pew News wc 251026.pdf-  

Messages from…
THE FRIENDS PTA GROUP
After a busy start to the new school year, we’d like to introduce ourselves to new parents, give an update on last year’s fundraising events and let you know what’s coming up. Please see the Friends Newsletter attached below:
  -Friends Autumn 1 Newsletter 2026.pdf-  

…MADELEINE, RACHEL AND HELEN
We have teamed up with the Friends of Hell Wath to run a FREE Autumn Family Fun Forest School Day on the Monday of half-term. See below for further details…