Issue 5 - 4th October 2024
Dear Parents/Carers,
We have an exciting month ahead! We're looking forward to welcoming our Year 3 parents for lunch on the 9th, 16th and 23rd. Parents are also invited to meet their child's class teacher during parents' evenings on the 8th and 10th. Plus, the children can look forward to the FOAH Halloween (silent) disco on Tuesday, 22nd October! If you haven’t already, be sure to book your child’s ticket on School Gateway by Tuesday 15th October, as we absolutely won’t be able to add any more children afterward as health and safety risk assessments have to be written. We'll also be hosting our monthly book sale on Wednesday 23rd October, just before half-term from 28th October to 1st November.
Please note, some clubs are cancelled in the coming weeks due to parents' evening and/or the Halloween Disco.
Tuesday 8th October (parents' evening) - cooking, French and netball
Thursday 10th October (parents' evening) - Outdoor activities
Tuesday 22nd October (Halloween disco) - cooking, French and netball
Have a good weekend.
Emma Fordham
Headteacher
Key Messages
Responding to feedback about the pop-up pool
Thank you for taking the time to read the letter regarding the pop-up swimming pool. I am really pleased to see that parents have taken the time to ask questions and give feedback and it is fantastic to see all the positive comments about the pool. As previously mentioned, we will answer questions via the newsletter so that all parents can be informed and information can be shared with everyone at the same time. Please see below for answers to the comments raised so far. Please feel free to submit the form if you have any other questions.
When will lessons take place?
There will be 12 children in a group and 10 half an hour lessons across the school day.
Will there be an option to pay the swimming fee over the term/year?
Yes. Payments will be made via School Gateway and you will have the option to pay over a number of months with a deadline being around February/March 2025.
Does my child have to take part?
We would like every child in Years 5 and 6 (even if they are competent swimmers) to get at least one chance to have a go and also be assessed but we appreciate some children already have lessons outside of school and can swim the 25 metres required. We will be asking for consent for children to use the pool so you are able to decline this opportunity if you would prefer.
Where will children get changed?
Children will be separated into boys and girls for changing in the same way they are when they go to the pool. We do not want any children to feel uncomfortable getting changed for lessons so will of course accommodate a space to change privately where we can. You can help with this by allowing your child to wear their swimming costume under their uniform to make getting ready for lessons quicker.
How deep is the pool?
It is a 10m x 5m x 1.4m heated pool with an average temperature of 30° C.
What year groups is this for?
For this year, we will be offering this opportunity to Years 5 and 6. I thought it would be very tough for the Year 6 pupils to miss out on such an exciting chance and in this way all the children in the school currently will get a turn this year or next.
If the trial is successful, we will book this provision annually and it will be offered to the children in Years 4 and 5 meaning that children who need it will get two sustained periods to secure this skill.
Please can you clarify the cost?
We have calculated that each lesson costs £4.50 which means if your child swims for the whole month (20 lessons in total), this will cost £90. The lessons take place daily and last for 30 minutes.
We appreciate that this will be very difficult for some families. No child will be denied the chance to swim if their family cannot or does not pay. However, we would not be able to fund a huge shortfall each year so if we were not able to cover the costs with voluntary contributions and possible fund-raising activities, we would not be able to make this an annual feature of our school offer.
Please can I ask parents in Years 5 and 6 to complete the form below as soon as possible.
School open events and key dates for secondary transfer
Moving on 2025 leaflet Information for parents with children in year 6 at primary/junior school. Further information about moving to secondary school in September 2025 will be available at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/admissions
The timetable below gives you an idea of what will happen over the next few months.
July, September and October 2024 |
Schools hold their open events |
Thursday 31 October 2024 |
Closing date for applications (online and paper) |
Cinema Trips
As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, these are the dates for the cinema trips.
Year 4 - Kung Fu Panda 4 - 13th November 1:00 - 2:40
Year 3 - Garfield - 27th November - 10:00 - 11:45
Year 5 - Asterix and the secret of the magic potion - 19th November 10:00 - 11:40
Year 6 - Despicable me 4 - 28th November 10:00 - 11:45
Year 4 parents, as the Year 4 film is in the afternoon, we wanted to give you the option of collecting children from the cinema or from school. We will need to know before the day so we can plan for the correct number of staff waiting at the cinema as well as those walking back with the children. Please complete the form (linked below) to let us know your plans as soon as possible. Parents will need to collect from the cinema at 2.45pm. We will not be in a position to wait so anyone who has not been collected at this time, will be brought back to school. We anticipate we will be back at school by 3.30pm. The time of arrival is approximate.
Voices in Hertfordshire
Earlier this week, I sent a letter to parents about the Voices in Hertfordshire Project. This is a great opportunity for the right children and would urge parents to read the information and complete the form attached if your child would like to participate.
School Photos
Our photographers will be in school on Tuesday 22nd October to take individual photos of the children. The photos taken of Year 6 will be used in the yearbook so please do your best to be here on the day. Almond Hill siblings will also have their photos taken on this day
Parents’ Evening
We are planning Parents’ Evenings for the Autumn Term on Tuesday 8th and Thursday 10th October.
Booking is now closed - please contact the school office if you need to make any changes or you have not yet booked an appointment. For those classes with a shared teacher, your appointment will be with one or both of the teachers.
You will receive a paper copy of the parents’ evening information today to give you an opportunity to digest the information and ask questions during the appointment.
School Uniform Reminder
Please be reminded that school uniform is a white polo shirt or shirt and red t shirt for PE. Red polo shirts are not part of the school uniform. We like the children to look really smart and to differentiate between the two uniforms. Please help us by supporting our uniform policy. We appreciate that cost can be a barrier so invite parents to attend our uniform sales which are held monthly. We wouldn’t want anyone to purchase unnecessary uniform so if you are reusing an older siblings uniform or have already purchased for this year, please don’t worry I would just ask that when you replace the uniform, you replace with the correct items.
https://www.almondhill.herts.sch.uk/page/?title=School+Uniform&pid=48
Umbrellas
We know the weather has been pretty awful recently but can I please ask that children do not bring umbrellas to use at break/lunchtime as they can be dangerous when children are running around. If the weather/rain is too bad, children will be inside.
Donation request
Following my letter regarding the pop-up pool, I would like to ask parents for any donations of old swimming costumes/trunks, swim hats or towels. I want to remove barriers where I can and I think kit is something we can certainly support with. Please bring donations to the office – thank you.
Clubs
Can I ask parents to please be mindful when signing up for clubs and ensure your child wants to attend as parents and children are disappointed when they are full and it is a shame when then they have spaces due to people regularly not attending. The idea of these after school clubs is to provide additional enrichment opportunities outside of the curriculum – they are not intended as childcare so please make sure your child wants to join the club you have selected.
If your child is part of a club that they don’t want to attend, please contact the school office so we can remove them from our register. Not only does it take a lot of ‘admin time’ to follow up on attendance to clubs, but we also have a waiting list of children who we could offer these spaces to.
Diary Dates
Did you know, you can subscribe to our calendar to keep up to date with the events going on within the school?
Follow the link below, select 'subscribe' and follow the instructions for your device.
Upcoming Events
-
08/10/2024 - 3:30pm – 6:00pmParents' Evening
-
09/10/2024 - 12:15pm – 1:00pmParents to lunch (3L)
-
10/10/2024 - 4:00pm – 7:00pmParents' Evening
-
14/10/2024 - 6:00pm – 6:30pmFOAH Meeting
-
15/10/2024 - 10:00am – 11:30amVoices of Hertfordshire - Almond Hill hosting
-
16/10/2024 - 9:00am – 11:00amAuthor Visit for Year 3 and 4
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16/10/2024 - 12:15pm – 1:00pmParents to lunch (3W)
Cost of Events - Please Read
We understand that with the current cost of living crisis, many of our parents are facing challenges or finding things more difficult than usual. We are committed to ensuring that no child misses out on school experiences due to financial difficulties. To help ease the burden, we offer preloved uniform sales, book sales and we also fund or subsidise events ourselves.
We thought it would be helpful to provide parents with advance notice of some of the planned events for the year to assist with budgeting and planning. Below, you’ll find a table of events organised by year group. Additional fundraising events may be arranged throughout the year by our school government (once elected), FOAH, or charities, but participation in these will always be optional.
If cost ever becomes a barrier for your child to take part in school events, please don't hesitate to contact Mrs. Burgess, who will be happy to explore available support in strict confidence.
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Whole School |
Fundraising |
|
September | Pirate Writing Day (funded by school) |
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October | Grafham Residential £253pp |
FOAH Halloween Disco £5 per ticket |
Blue Cross | |||
November | Trip to The Space Centre £33pp |
Christmas Carol Writing Day (funded by school) |
RNLI | |||
December | FOAH Christmas Present Room £2.50 per gift |
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January |
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February | Trip to the museum £7pp |
Courageous Castle Writing Day (funded by school) |
Beowolf Writing Day (funded by school) |
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March | Trip to Krishnate Temple £25pp |
FOAH Mother's Day Present Room (TBC) £2.50 per gift |
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April |
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May |
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June | 'Wise up' £16pp |
FOAH Father's Day Present Room (TBC) £2.50 per gift |
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July | Trip to Shuttleworth £6.50pp |
Proposed trip to Legoland approx £27pp |
Club Collection Points and End Dates
Club |
Day |
Time |
Club Leader |
Collection point |
Year |
Football 3&4 |
Monday |
3:15 – 4:15pm |
WB Coaching |
Year 5 gate |
3&4 |
Football 5&6 |
Tuesday |
3:15 – 4:15pm |
WB Coaching |
Year 5 gate |
5&6 |
Netball |
Tuesday |
3:15 – 4:15pm |
Mrs Small/Miss Wase |
Year 5 gate (by the church) |
5&6 Boys and girls |
French |
Tuesday |
3:15 – 4:15pm |
Mrs Pridmore |
4W |
3&4 |
Cooking – 8 weeks |
Tuesday |
3:15 – 4:15pm |
Mrs Bond, Mrs Hukin, Mrs Lamacraft |
Computer room |
4 |
Dance (paid) |
Wednesday |
3:15 – 4:15pm |
Lynsey Pollard |
Hall |
All |
Football Year 6 only |
Wednesday |
3:15 – 4:15pm |
Miss Simmons/Miss Harris |
Year 5 gate (by the church) |
6 |
Mad Science (paid) |
Wednesday |
3:15 – 4:15pm |
Mad Science |
3W |
3&4 |
Stop Frame Animation |
Wednesday |
3:15 – 4:15pm |
Mrs Lyons |
3L |
4 |
Basketball |
Thursday |
3:15 – 4:15pm |
Premier |
Year 5 gate (by the church) |
5&6 |
Gymnastics |
Thursday |
3:15 – 4:15pm |
Premier |
Hall |
5&6 |
Outdoor Activities |
Thursday |
3:15 – 4:15pm |
Miss Harris |
Year 5 classrooms |
3&4 |
Basketball |
Friday |
3:15 – 4:15pm |
Premier |
Year 5 gate (by the church) |
3&4 |
Gymnastics
|
Friday |
3:15 – 4:15pm |
Premier |
Hall |
3&4 |
Outdoor Activities |
Friday |
3:15 – 4:15pm |
Miss Harris |
Year 5 classrooms |
5&6 |
Pre-Loved Uniform Sale
Pre-loved uniform sales take place monthly in the hall 3.00-3.30pm.
Thursday 3rd October
Thursday 7th November
Thursday 5th December
50p Book Sale
If your child would like to purchase a book, please can they bring their money to school with them (exact money is preferred where possible). Books cost just 50p each!
Wednesday 23rd October Wednesday 27th November
No book sale in December
SEND/Pastoral Parent Meetings
We want any parent who feels these sessions may benefit them to have the chance to attend so welcome feedback about the time/dates that these are planned.
Attendance Matters
Year 3 98.33%
Year 4 96.59%
Year 5 94.72%
Year 6 94.02%
All Students 95.87%
Class Winners
Lower School 3B 99.2%
Upper School 5S 98.8%
Almond Hill Achievements
Click the button below to see all the wonderful things our children have achieved outside of school.
House Points
FOAH News...
Silent Halloween Disco 22nd October
Can you floss like Frankenstein, dance like Dracula or waltz like a Witch?
Friends of Almond Hill will be hosting silent discos for each year group on Tuesday 22nd October. Tickets are £5 each, include a drink and a snack and can be purchased on School Gateway until 15th October. Please note we are unable to accept cash on the day or bookings after this date.
Details of the discos are as follows
Year 3 – 3.15 to 4.15
(Class teachers will drop them off after school)
Year 4 – 4.00 to 5.00
Year 5 – 4.45 to 5.45
Year 6 – 5.30 to 6.30
Please drop your children off at the hall door in the quadrant and pick them up from the central cloakroom – this will be sign posted.
We hope to see you there and can’t wait to see your dance moves.
FOAH Christmas Cards
Please ensure your child's finished artwork is returned to their class teacher by Monday 7th October.
All artwork must be clearly labelled.
Next Meeting Monday 14th October at 6.00pm
Microsoft Teams
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 353 847 555 630
Passcode: MR2xuQ
In Other News...
Bloomsbury Author Visit
As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, we have an exciting visitor planned for Years 3 and 4. Colm Field will be hosting an assembly on 16th October and will hold a book sale after so children will have the opportunity to purchase one of his books. You can take a look at the books by following the links below:
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/kyan-green-and-the-infinity-racers-9781526641748/
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/kyan-green-battles-the-multiverse-9781526641786/
If you would like to pre-order one of his books, you can do this on School Gateway or you can wait and purchase on the day.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Visit
A volunteer from The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) will be visiting Year 5 and 6 in November to tell them all about the wonderful things they do. As with the visit from the Blue Cross, the assembly is free of charge but we would love to make a donation to the RNLI as a thank you for their visit. This will be available on School Gateway the week before the assembly.
Blue Cross Visit
This week in Year 5, we had a visit from Blue Cross. An animal welfare charity that provides veterinary care and expert behavioural help as well as helps finding homes for pets in need. During their visit, we had an interactive presentation with lots of interesting information about the importance of keeping our pets safe, espec…
Cross Country
The Almond Hill cross country team did us proud! Last week, they took part in an event at Fairlands competing against other Stevenage schools. The Year 5 boys and girls team came 3rd overall earning themselves BRONZE! We also had two individual medallists. Jack in Year 5 and Hetty in Year 6 were both awarded GOLD. All…
Art Club
This week at art club we painted our ornaments. We used acrylic paints and gold to highlight the leaf design.