1. Meet the Team St. Michael’s Catholic School Primary Phase

2. What is new for 2016 – 2017?
We will continue to embed the new expectations for the National Curriculum. The curriculum handouts will give you an overview of what is learnt in each year group.
New assessments for Year 2 and Year 6. We will continue to assess without levels.
The building project which will create new facilities for all our pupils from Jan 2017.
We are planning further opportunities for parents to find out about life in school, starting with maths week next week.
Further work with our parishes to develop our strong links with St. Augustine’s and BJHN, Fr. Joseph and Fr. Paul. Mrs Kavanagh Head of RE.

3. Welcome to Year 4 The team this year is: Mrs Akehurst Mrs Nye
Mrs Johnson
Mrs Palin
Mrs Sang

4. Timetable for Key Stage ?
9.00 – 10.05
10.05 – 10.30
10.30 – 10.45
10.45 – 12.00
12.00 – 1.00
1.00 – 2.00
2.00 – 3.15
MON
English
Collective Worship
Break
Maths
Lunchtime
PE/RE
TUES
Science
Science and French
WED
RE/ICT
THUR
Humanities/art & DT
FRI
PE/music

5. PE days Our PE lesson days are For PE lessons, children will need:
Monday
Friday
For PE lessons, children will need:
Navy shorts / skort
St.Michael’s PE t-shirt
Plimsoles and trainers
Navy joggers and sweatshirt (optional)

6. Home learning The children will receive home learning activities on:
Friday to be handed in the next Friday (spelling – approximately minutes)
Tuesday to be handed in on Thursday (mathematics – approximately 30 minutes)
Please ensure that your child reads every night. Books will be changed:
Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Please support your child with his / her homework. This might be sitting with them to help, hearing them read or just keeping them on track for handing it in on time. If your child does not understand some aspect of their homework, please send them in to ask us – they should take responsibility for this.

7. Assessment
Teachers will continue to assess pupils’ understanding in the wide range of ways that we have done previously – including questioning, marking and use of school assessments.
We will continue to report to parents and carers annually whether pupils are working at, beyond or towards age related expectations for their year group.

8. Trips and visits
We will give you good notice for trips so that payments can be processed in time for your child to attend on parentpay.
Please complete the annual consent form but a specific consent form for any trip must also be completed otherwise we cannot take your child.
This year we are planning to go to Tesco’s and a Roman Villa – look out for further information nearer the time

9. Highlights of Year
In DT the children will be making a money box and unleavened bread.
We hope to organise for the children to visit a Roman settlement as part of our humanities topic.
A visit to Tesco’s to learn about ‘Farm to Fork’ as part of our local area topic.

10. General routines
School starts promptly at 8.45am so please ensure that children are here on time. There are currently road works linked to the Daws Lane development and will be until around November time so allow extra time for your journey!
Children leave at 3pm in Reception, 3.10pm in Key Stage 1 and 3.15pm in Key Stage 2. We’ve sent out a letter asking for end-of-day arrangements which, if you haven’t yet returned it, needs to be back in school as soon as possible. Please let us know about changes to end-of-day arrangements as soon as possible and preferably in writing.
Please contact Florence Potts, her number is and her

11. How we communicate with you
Fortnightly e-newsletter
Letters which let you know about other events, trips or important information
Website
Yearly dates overview which you should have received in the first week back to school
Seeing you in the playground / by telephone if anything has cropped up during the day
Appointments
Parents’ evenings

12. How to communicate with us
Most teachers are out at pick up time with at least one member of the staff team from each year group available at this time. (Afternoons work better than mornings unless it is a real emergency.)
ing the or contacting the office staff. Staff don’t use their s as they don’t have time to check them during the day.
A note in the school bag
Making an appointment if an issue is likely to need some discussion
Parents’ evenings

13. Uniform
There is a reminder about school uniform which you can take this evening. Some reminders are:
Please label all items so that anything lost can be returned.
No jewellery is permitted. If girls have recently had their ears pierced, they should have studs covered for the first six weeks after which earrings should not be worn in school.
Boys’ haircuts should be a similar length all over. Shavings, mohicans and extreme styles are not permitted. If boys have these styles, they should be allowed to grow out and not be repeated.
Girls should have blue or white hair decorations only and these should not be overly decorative.
Proper schools shoes only are permitted. Children may not wear trainers.

14. Snacks and lunches
Children will continue to have hot lunches – if requested – in the canteen. You should have received a letter about how to order and pay for these this week. Reception children start hot lunches after half term.
Children in Reception and Key Stage 1 continue to have fruit or vegetables provided for snack time. Key Stage 2 are encouraged to bring a snack for break time but this should be fruit – biscuits, crisps, chocolate, sweets etc. are not permitted.
Please do not send sweets / cakes etc. into school for birthdays or other special occasions. These will not be given out in case children have allergies.

15. Snacks and lunches
Children can bring a water bottle to school. Water is also provided in Reception and Key Stage 1 classrooms and is available in the Key Stage 2 playgrounds.
Reception children can sign up for milk through the ‘Cool Milk’ website.

16. Any questions?

17. We hope to have an enjoyable and productive year with you and all the children. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.