Meridian Primary School Parent Newsletter 4 - Friday, 28th September 2018

www.meridian.greenwich.sch.uk

What have we been learning during Week 4 of Autumn Term 1?

The Nursery children have been reading A Squash and a Squeeze and thought about who

they live with. Our deaf instructor, Tina taught the children some sign language about family members. Anastasia is demonstrating the sign for daddy.

As Reception children continue to get to know each other, they really enjoyed playing a name game with the parachute. Y1 have been learning about the important places in Greenwich and created maps to show where they are. Using persuasive language, the Rocking Horse Room children have started to write their London brochure.

Y2 have been writing their own stories about the Snail and the Whale and reading them aloud to the class. Y3 have been writing information posters all about

rainforest sloths. They have been learning how to organise their facts by using sub-headings. Y4 have been learning about the layers of the rainforest and wrote their own recipes to

create a “rainforest cake” with all the key ingredients.

The Castle Group have been rounding numbers to the nearest 10, 100 and 1000. In their PE lessons, Y5 have been building their strength in gymnastics by performing high and low bridge shapes. They also added travelling and a turn

or a roll to improve their sequence. The Discovery Group have been learning to solve problems involving negative numbers. Y6 have been developing their clas-

sification skills in Science. They have researched the characteristics of different vertebrates and inverte-brates, then used this understanding to classify dif-ferent animals.

Well done to Y6 on this morning’s inspiring assembly. What a lot you have all learnt in 4 weeks! Whole school assemblies are fantastic opportunities for parents and carers to see and hear what their children have been learning about in class. Dates for class assemblies during Autumn 1 are: Friday, 5th October—Y5 Friday, 12th October—Y4 Friday, 19th October—Y3

Please be in the Top Hall for a prompt 9.30am start. We hope you can join us!

The (Prime) Meridian Line is important because it goes through our school. And how far you are away tells you what time it should be. If you were in Canada, the time would be 5 hours be-hind because there are 5 Meridian lines behind our Meridian line. Ava, Y1

We used “high five” to remind us when to round up. Castle Group

One of our whole school values is Aspiration—the hope or ambition of achieving something. During assemblies this week we found out about aspirational members of our school community and about how being focussed helped them to achieve their ambitions: Y6 told the story of Ernest Shackleton’s deter-mination to explore the Antarctic in their class assembly this morning. s

Y5’s Bea and Maya recently took part in a triathlon which involved swimming 100m, running 1km and cycling 4 km. They had to train in all 3 sports in the run up to the event. Thinking about what would be at the end kept

them going. As part of a reading competi-tion,

Skylar in Y3 had to read 8 books about animal agents to win her medal.

Sharon, our School

Admin Officer, took up running last year and set herself a challenge of run-ning 100km over the summer to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK. She set out to achieve her goal bit by bit, week by week. Sometimes goals seem overwhelming and we don't know where to begin but it’s important to just start—as composer John Cage said, “Begin anywhere.” What did you do today to bring you a step closer to your goal?

What does family mean? Everyone! Henry, Nursery (FS1)

I knew I had to run regularly if I was going to reach my goal. I started in April and by June had reached the 100km mark so I decided to double my target. In the end, I managed to run 202km by 31st August. It was hard going at times, especially when I injured my leg, but when you have your heart set on doing something, the motivation keeps you going! I’ve already set my next goal and will be running a 10km race this winter!

A reminder that when the bell rings at 8.55am, children should make their way to class. The register is taken at 9.00am. Anyone arriving after this time is late and should go to the office to collect a late slip before going to class.

Be on time—be in class by 9.00am.

I loved throwing the toys and swapping places with Lia—now I know her name! Mwikali, Reception (FS2)

This third layer needs a dash of seeds and insects and a spoonful of reptiles. Joey, Y4

We felt very proud and tired. Bea and Maya, Y5

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY including School Trips Holiday/INSET dates in GREEN, new dates in ORANGE

Wednesday, 3rd October—Y1 trip to Old Royal Naval College—packed lunch required

Remaining Class assemblies for Autumn Term 1: All start at 9.30am in Top Hall

Friday 5th October—Y5

Friday, 12th October—Y4

Friday, 19th Oct—Y3 Friday 12th October, 9.00am—FROMS Annual General Meeting - all welcome

Tuesday, 16th October—All Kids Can will not run on this day due to Parents’ Evening

Parents’ Evenings—crèche will be provided for chil-dren aged 3 and over Tuesday, 16th October 3.30-5.30pm Wednesday, 17th October 5.00-7.30pm

Thursday, 18th October 1:30-3:00pm—Coffee afternoon for parents of DSP children

Friday, 19th October—Autumn Term 1 ends Half term holiday Mon, 22nd — Fri, 26th Oct in-clusive

Monday, 29th October—Autumn Term 2 starts

31st October—deadline for secondary school applica-tions for entry in September 2019

Wk/c Monday 29th October—Bikeability runs for Y6 during the entire week—more details to follow

Thursday, 1st November—Flu Immunisation Day Friday, 21st December—Autumn Term 2 ends

Christmas Holidays: Mon, 24th December—Friday, 4th January inclusive INSET Day 3: Monday 7th January 2018 —school closed to children

Tuesday, 8th January—First day of Spring Term except for Nursery children who start again on Wednesday 9th January 2018.

Tuesday, 15th January 2018—deadline for primary school applications for entry in September 2019

Fees for chargeable clubs are now due:

All Kids Can—£30 Guitar—£35 Drumming—£60 Ukulele—£60 Flute—£60 KS1 Football—£27 KS2 Football £30 Please pay on Parentpay or via the office with cash or cheque.

There are still a few places in the following clubs: Ukulele for Y2-6 Flute for Y4-6 and KS2 football.

If you are interested, please pop into the office.

Congratulations to Y5 who won the Attendance shield for Week 3 of Autumn Term 1.

Final call for return of Flu Immunisation consent forms For anyone in Reception to Y5 who has not yet returned their form, please do so by Monday, 1st October. This applies to all children, even if you do not want your child to have the immunisation.

Start and End of Day: FS/KS1 children should be accompanied to and from class by their parents/carers. KS2 children should come into the school building by themselves at the start of the day and be met in the playground at the end. If parents/carers have an urgent matter to discuss before school, they can talk to a member of staff in the playground or school office.

To relieve congestion at the start and end of the school day, we are asking KS2 (Y3-Y6) children to please enter and exit the school independently by the staircase/door on the nursery side of the build-ing. This will leave the entrance and staircase by the main playground free for Foundation Stage/KS1 children and parents/carers to use.

At the start and end of the day—which door?

Please can parents/carers and children check the bike shed and playground racks for any scooters or bikes they might have left in school. Next week we are having a tidy out!

Please remember to label your child’s clothing, book bags, lunch boxes and PE kits with their names. FROMS have signed up to Stamptastic—a great way to name your child’s belongings. Meridian will receive 30% cashback for every order placed using Meridian’s code: SE109NY. To find out more and to place an order please go to: https://stamptastic.co.uk/ Thank you very much for your support.

Book bags (£4) and swimming hats (£1)are back in stock. Buy yours from the office.

Wanted—if your child has outgrown any leg-gings or jogging bottoms suitable for Nursery aged children (3-4 years) and you would like to find them a good home, Nursery would love to have them for their spare clothes store. Any donations can be taken straight to Nursery. Thank you!

Nursery, Reception, Y1 and Y2 children and parents/carers please use the main entrance and staircase off the playground.

Y3, Y4, Y5, Y6 children please use the door and staircase closest to the Nursery garden.

Meridian Governing Body I am pleased to announce that Matthew Filbee has been elected as our new Chair of Governors and Sarah Bray as our new Vice Chair. I would like to thank our outgoing Chair, Helen Jenkins, for her dedication, commitment and hard work over recent years. We look forward to working with Matthew and Sarah in their new roles.