Waste Week
Every year we take part in Waste Week, which focuses on a different way to save resources and not waste them. This year’s campaign is 'Buy Loose, Waste Less'. Research shows that selling items loose (unpackaged), so that people can buy just the amount they need, is an effective way to reduce household food waste. Please see some tips below.
On Monday, Mr Creese will talk to us during school worship about ways to have a Plastic-Free lunch.
Class-led worship
- Date: Thursday 20th March
Bee class is our last class to lead worship. Next week they will teach us about the value of thankfulness. If you are a parent of a child in Bee class, and you haven't signed up yet, you can do so by clicking the button below.
Each class worship will be from 9am-9.30am. We are limiting 2 tickets per family.
Red Nose Day
On Friday 21st March, children can come to school wearing an additional red item. This could be a red nose, red socks, red headband, red hair etc. We look forward to seeing more red than usual! In return, please donate to Comic Relief using the link below.
Please donate here
Do you have a joke?
We will also choose 5 children to stand up and tell a joke to the rest of the school during worship on Friday.
If your child has a joke they would like to share, please hand it into the office with their name by Wednesday.
Footsteps Training Programme
Footsteps is a practical pedestrian training scheme for children up to the age of 7, developed by Buckinghamshire Council. It involves taking children to the roadside and teaching them how to behave around traffic, what to look for, how to find safe places to cross the road and how to cross roads safely with an adult.
We are looking for a couple of parents to help with this programme towards the end of the summer term. It will involve a 1-hour training session with Mrs Higham, then walking with small groups of children throughout the programme.
Mrs Higham will work around you! We can run the programme 1 afternoon for 6 weeks or 2 afternoons for 3 weeks or 3 afternoons for 2 weeks over the summer term. Each session will be from 1.30pm to 3pm.
Great Big School Clean
On Monday 24th March, our Tidy Up Team and Eco Warriors will be litter-picking outside Seymour Park Recreation Ground with some of the Marlow Wombles. Other schools in the town will be litter picking in other areas as part of our Eco-collaboration group and the rest of our children will be litter picking in the school grounds.
We would also like to lend our litter pickers to families to use over the weekend prior to the 24th March. A limited number of pickers will be available to take home at the end of the day on Friday 21st March. Please collect these from the office.
Mobile Smartphone Survey
Thank you to everyone who completed the Marlow Smartphone survey in December and January. The survey was completed by 520 parents across Marlow primary schools, including Marlow Infants. All primary school parents were given the opportunity to participate.
The results are now in and show a high level of concern about smartphone usage by children, as well as the start of a new trend to delay smartphone usage for children. You can see a summary of the findings at the bottom of the newsletter, with a link to the detailed results, if you are interested here.
If you want to wait to give your child a smartphone as they get older, you’re not alone. As most of our children will eventually be going to Holy Trinity Junior School, it's good to know that over 80 existing parents have already committed to delay until at least 14 by signing the Smartphone-Free Childhood Parent Pact. The pact is a way to join with others to agree to delay until children are a bit older and more able to deal with everything the online world brings.
https:/parentpact.smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk/
Learn more about the risks of smartphones for children here:
https://smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk/the-problem
We hope you find these survey results interesting, reassuring and empowering. We have also included a guide for parents outlining the alternatives to smartphones and a fresh perspective on some of the common reasons parents feel they need to buy their child a smartphone. We hope you find it useful.
Smartphone-Free Childhood, Marlow
Values home learning - REMINDER
- Deadline: Friday 28th March
This is the fourth values home learning of the academic year, which is for all children in the school are expected to complete.
As mentioned last half-term, the aim of these home learning activities is to encourage discussions at home about what the values represent and how we can show them in our interactions with each other.
Along with the discussion prompts, the home learning sheet (uploaded on Google Classroom) has an activity, home school challenge, for the children to complete. This forgiveness challenge is to design a cross using images of their favourite places in Marlow and school - following the theme of the Salvadorian cross.
Easter Service
On Tuesday 1st April from 9.45am-10.15, we would like to invite all families to our Easter Service at All Saints Church. Please let us know below if you are able to attend the service.
We also need a number of parents to help walk to the church with the children. We will leave school at 9.15am and return by 10.45am. If you can help, please let us know below.
Hot Cross Buns
The children will receive a hot cross bun, following the Easter Service, to take home with them on Tuesday 1st April. We would like a couple of parents to help bag these up for us, either in the morning around 11am or in the afternoon around 2pm. If you are able to help, please let the office know.
Easter Competitions
- All entries brought in: Monday 31st March
It's that time of year again for our annual Easter Competitions!
We would like the children to bring their entries into school on Monday 31st March so that we can judge them and award the winners on Thursday 3rd April. Please don't bring them in before this date as we don't have enough space to store them.
We are planning to have an Easter Hat parade on Thursday 3rd April at which the Year 2 children can show off their Easter Hats to the rest of the school.
The details for the competition for each year group's are shown below. The categories are:
Reception – Easter Basket
Create an Easter basket using recycled materials and using some of the symbols of Easter that you have been learning about.
Year 1 – Easter Garden
An Easter garden is a traditional way of remembering what happened on Good Friday and usually includes a hill. As the bible says, Jesus was crucified on a hilltop, three crosses, a stone to represent the stone across the entrance to the tomb. Some simple instructions for a garden are shown below.
Year 2 – Easter Hat
An Easter hat is any new hat worn traditionally on Easter Sunday. It is the tail end of an English tradition of wearing new clothes for Easter and is in keeping with the spirit of renewal and redemption at this time of the year.
For our Easter hats, we would like you to take the theme of renewal further by reusing and recycling materials for your hat.
MDSA vacancy
We currently have a Midday Supervising Assistant (MDSA) vacancy. We are looking to appoint a responsible and enthusiastic individual who will ensure the safety, welfare and good conduct of the children during the lunchtime period. You will be part of a friendly and supportive team working with happy and friendly children.
The full job description and details of how to apply can be found on the school website here.
