On 1st April, we are inviting parents in to take part in a fun, interactive maths lesson with their children. The plan is to meet with Miss Simmons in the hall at drop off (8:45am) for a very quick chat about maths at Almond Hill. The hall can be accessed via the quadrant. This will be followed by a maths lesson (short, fun activities which use a range of maths skills) from 9.00 -10.00am in your child's classroom. It will be an opportunity for children to experience learning with you and maybe even for you to brush off those maths skills and support your children in the classroom. These types of events have always been very successful and children love having you in the classroom sharing their learning experiences. We look forward to seeing you then! As ever, you will be able to move between classes if you have children across the school.  

As with previous events, we will be using a QR code to sign parents in and out. Please ensure you have done this (there will be a paper sign in for those who are unable to scan in). QR codes will be available in the hall, the main office and outside by the drop off zone.  Parents can leave their cars in the drop off zone as this will remain open but the pedestrian gates will be locked at the normal time to ensure the school is secure. All parents will need to leave via the office and sign out using the QR code. If you parked in the drop off zone, turn right out of the reception gates and enter the drop off via the vehicle gate.  

Thank you to those who completed the food bank survey last week. I have kept this open this week to give more parents the opportunity to respond. So far, it looks like many parents are willing to donate to the food bank but not many feel they would use it. This doesn’t necessarily mean we wouldn’t have a small food bank at Almond Hill though as we want to help as many parents as possible where we can. Please note, there would be no need to speak to a member of staff to collect items from the food bank so no one need know you have used this facility once it is in place. Items will be placed in a box in the quadrant for parents to add/remove as they wish.

We have some exciting news for you! We are taking part in Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel, the UK’s largest inter-school cycling, walking, wheeling and scooting challenge. The challenge runs from 24 March- 4 April 2025. It’s free to take part and we would love everyone to be involved. 
What do you need to do?  
Encourage your child(ren) to walk, use a wheelchair, scoot or cycle to school on as many days as possible during the event.  
Including everyone 
We want to make sure that everyone can get involved in Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel. 
We know it may be more difficult for some pupils to take part than others. If you want to discuss more about your child(ren)’s specific needs, please contact Miss Waldrom and we will make sure to look into how your child(ren) can take part. 
Why we are taking part?
Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel is a great way to build physical activity in children’s daily routine which is important for their physical health and mental wellbeing.  Active school runs also help to reduce congestion and air pollution outside the school gate. A 2021 YouGov study showed nearly half of UK children worry about air pollution near their school and that children thought active travel was the best away to bring down these pollution levels. Plus, there are some great prizes to be won every day if we get enough children taking part! 
Useful resources 
To help you prepare, Sustrans has developed a handy free guide to walking, cycling or scooting to school. It is packed with advice to help you have a hassle-free journey to school.  
Download your free family guide using this link: Sign up to receive your free school run guide - Sustrans.org.uk 

For more information about the event go to www.bigwalkandwheel.org.uk . Enjoy the challenge! 

Thank you to everyone who joined us the Grafham information meeting yesterday. For those who were unable to attend, the slides from the meeting have been added to our website: https://www.almondhill.herts.sch.uk/page/?title=Grafham+Water&pid=182&action=saved  

Please see below for a copy of the minutes from our most recent Parent Forum. 

Thank you to everyone who attended. It is so useful to hear your thoughts on various matters relating to school life. If you haven’t attended one of our forums and would be interested in attending, please contact Miss Simmons. This is just one of the ways you can engage with school. We are also always keen for volunteers to accompany the children on school trips, help with in school events (such as those run by FOAH) and with running clubs. Please contact your child’s year group email if this is something you would be interested in. 

Year3@almondhill.herts.sch.uk  
Year4@almondhill.herts.sch.uk 
Year5@almondhill.herts.sch.uk 
Year6@almondhill.herts.sch.uk 

As part of our parent forum, we discussed how we currently communicate with parents and asked if there were ways we could change it to make it better/easier for parents to keep up with. Our admin team suggested repeating important messages on a Monday (after the newsletter has been sent on a Friday) with the hope that these important messages/dates etc are not missed. Those at the parent forum agreed that this would be useful so we will try this after Easter.