Newsletter Date:

September 2017 Issue 1

Laurels Messenger

Website: www.laurels.w-sussex.sch.uk Email: office@laurels.w-sussex.sch.uk

Head Teachers Comments.

A very warm welcome to you all. I hope that you and your

family had a great summer break and are looking forward to

the new school year.

This is my first newsletter as Acting Headteacher. I am

thrilled to be leading such a wonderful school team. I will be

in the school playground most mornings, when I can, to

greet you and welcome the children to school. Do stop and say hello.

I like to have an open door policy and so please make an appointment if

you would like to discuss anything with me or call at a convenient time. I

will always come back to you as soon as I can.

New children

A special welcome to our new Reception children and their families. They

have settled so well and we hope they will be very happy here at the

Laurels.

The Start of the School Term

One of the areas which Headteachers are required to oversee is school

attendance and this includes children arriving at school on time. Please ensure

that the children arrive at school on time and that they have everything that

they need i.e. P.E kit. Punctuality really enables children to settle more

quickly and to get into good habits and routines.

I have been very happy to see that the children have returned to school look-

ing very smart. Just as a reminder, please ensure that children have sensible,

suitable school shoes and do not wear trainers as part of their uniform.

Page 2 Laurels Messenger

Did you know?

If you are in receipt of any of the benefits listed below and

you apply for free school meals, your childs school will receive

a pupil premium grant of 1300 to support your

childs education!

Is your child eligible? If you are in receipt of any of the benefits listed below,

free school meals are available:

Income support

Income based Job Seekers Allowance

Income related Employment and Support Allowance

Support from National Asylum Support Service (NASS)

The guaranteed element of state Pension Credit

Child Tax Credit (provided you are not receiving Working Tax Credit and

have an annual gross income of no more than 16,990)

Working Tax Credit run-on

Universal Credit

To apply please come and see the office!

Halloween Disco

The Friends of the Laurels will be holding a Halloween disco on

Friday the 20th October. It will be lots of fun and will help

raise much needed school funds. The FOTLs have helped fund all of the

school trips this year and given classrooms new resources. Please let them

know if you can help and come along and support the school.

Flu Immunisations

Taking place on 15th November for Years 1/2/3/4. Please make sure you re-

turn your consent form. You still need to return even if you do not want

your child to be immunised.

Page 3 Laurels Messenger

Little Laurels Nursery

SPACES AVAILABLE! Our new Nursery is now open!

We have space for 30 sessions am & 30 sessions pm

for children aged 2-5.

Call into the office to pick up an application pack!

Little Laurels Nursery

LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE! Our new Nursery is now open!

We have space for 30 sessions am & 30 sessions pm

for children aged 2-5.

Call into the office to pick up an application pack!

WILL YOU QUALIFY FOR 30 HOURS FREE CHILDCARE?

Parents with 3 or 4 year old children will need to meet the following criteria in order

to be eligible for 30 hours free childcare:

You earn or expect to earn the equivalent to 16 hours at National Minimum or

Living Wage over the coming three months.

This equates to 120 a week (or c.6,000 a year) for each parent over 25 years

old or 112.80 a week (or c.5,800 a year) for each parent between 21 and 24

years old.

This applies whether you are in paid employment, self-employed or on zero

hours contract.

The parent (and their partner where applicable) should be seeking the free

childcare to enable them to work.

Where one or both parents are on maternity, paternity, shared parental or

adoption leave, or if they are on statutory sick leave.

Where one parent meets the income criteria and the other is unable to work

because they are disabled, have caring responsibilities or have been assessed

as having limited capability to work.

Where a parent is in a start-up period (i.e. they are newly self-employed) they

do not need to demonstrate that they meet the income criteria for 12 months.

If a non-EEA national, the parent must have recourse to public funds.

Who will not qualify? A parent will not meet the criteria when:

Either parent has an income of more than 100,000

Either parent is a non-EEA national and subject to immigration control (and has

no recourse to public funds)

What happens if a parent loses eligibility? They will receive a grace period this means they will be able to keep their

childcare for a short period.

Once the grace period has lapsed, the parent may be entitled to the

universal 15 hour entitlement.

Harvest Assembly

Harvest Assembly is on Tuesday 17th October.

Please come along and watch your children

perform a Harvest song or poem.

Reception and Year 1 & 2 Assembly will be from 9-9:30

and Years 3-6 will be from 9:30-10:00.

School Council

Our school council has been elected by their peers and are very excited to

attend their first meeting this week.

.

Year 1- Swallows

Lola Sharman Lucas Moran

Year 2- Barn Owls

Leo Lewendon Ruby Swan

Year 3- Woodpeckers

Ella Brown Thomas Moran

Year 4- Kingfishers

Imogen Linscer Nathan Dogbe

Year 5- Herons

Jessica Smith

Year 6- Red Kites

Logan Stringer Amelia Locke

http://mattsewell.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/kingfisher-botw.jpghttp://mattsewell.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/greenwoodpecker.jpghttp://mattsewell.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/swallow.jpghttp://www.rspb.org.uk/greyheronhttp://www.rspb.org.uk/redkite

Issue 1 Page 5

Messages from the Premises Officer

Please remind your children not to touch or eat any of the mush-

rooms growing at the front of the school. We are removing them

as fast as we can but they continue to pop up!

Please remember to place all litter in the appropriate bins. Used

nappies have been found on the school premises which makes a very unpleasant job for

our school caretaker.

Chartwells will be holding a special Italian themed menu

day on Thursday 5th October. We would request that

your child has a hot meal on this day as the number of

children eating a school dinner on 5th October impacts on

our school funding.

A separate Parent Mail will be coming home reminding you.

Thank You!

Messages from the Office

Data collection sheet Being sent home Monday 2nd October.

This needs to be completed by all parents informing us of any changes to

address/telephone numbers/email addresses and any other information we

may need about your child.

ALSO

If there is a last minute change of who is picking up a child, please can the

office receive a call before 2.30pm to enable the message to get to the

classroom in time for end of day.

Issue 1 Page 6

Congratulations to the following who have won The Reading Raffle.

Alfie Bowley

Sam Woodstock

Maria Preston

Alex Wigmore

Lola Sharman

Taylah Mitchell

Selina Cassell

Briar Goldring

Willliam Mackenzie

Megan Brackston

Katie Linscer

Peyton Brown

Louis Batson

Rachana Chundi

Emilia Warr

Congratulations to the following children who have

produced good homework:

The Year One Class have almost all won a homework hero

award for their superb homework this term.

Well done Swallows!

House Captains

We had a very exciting House Captain election last week.

Children in Years 5 and 6 prepared speeches, powerpoint

presentations and even poems to convince the children in their

houses to vote for them.

The new house captains are.

Teodora Cholakova, Megan Thompson-John, Sirine Merabet,

Matthew Czuba, Emilia Warr, Josh Scott-Wright, Leon Sharman

and Ollie Marett

WELL DONE!

.

Attendance News

The class with the best attendance so far this year is..

Year 3 Woodpecker Class

Well done Woodpecker Class, you have won our attendance

bear Reggie twice already this year.

The most punctual class so far this year is..

A tie between Red Kite, Kingfisher, Barn Owl and Woodpecker class.

Well done Years 2, 3, 4 and 6 for being on time the most this year so far.

Individual Attendance Awards

I have also given out awards for children with the highest attendance since

starting at the Laurels and the winners are..

Year 6 Shane Oakley

Year 5 William Macken