Churchtown Chatter
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This week we have had three year groups perform for their grown-ups; Nursery, Reception and Year 5. The feedback we have received has been really positive; thank you for taking the time to speak to staff about how much you have enjoyed these, especially seeing your child perform amongst their peers. Thank you to St. Cuthbert’s Church who have allowed us to use their facility for Reception and Year 5. We will all look forward to visiting next week, when we have our end of term Christmas assemblies at St Cuthbert’s Church too. Year 3 visited Chester on Tuesday for their educational visit linked to the Roman theme. Again, we have had feedback on the children’s respectfulness and manners from adults involved in the day, especially the Roman soldiers who lead the day. The children thoroughly enjoyed marching through the streets of Chester! Next week, we finish on Friday for the Christmas holidays. Please be reminded that we close at 1.30pm. Children will have their lunch as normal before they start the holidays. Party day for KS2 takes place on Monday, if you haven’t already, please support and contribute on ParentPay for Years 3 and 4 to visit Father Christmas and listen to a Christmas story. Have a lovely weekend, Mrs Payne!
LOVE OF LEARNING
This half term, the Value that Churchtown is developing is Love of Learning. At the end of the half term, Value Champions will be nominated for each class.
2024/2025
Churchtown Primary School
Term Dates
The term dates for the 2024-2025 academic year have been uploaded to our website.
Please click here to access them.
ATTENDANCE
This week’s attendance champions are
Year 4 Birch!
From January 2025, school lunch fees will be increasing to £2.50 per day (£12.50 per week). Further information in relation to the lunchtime menu can be found on our website:
https://www.churchtown.org.uk/parent-andcarers/lunchtime-menu
Churchtown Primary School
Open Morning
We would like to invite prospective pupils and their families to our Open Morning. This is a great opportunity to take a look around Churchtown Primary, meet our staff and current pupils. The Open Morning will start at 9.30am prompt at the main school entrance (school office).
Booking for this event is essential as we have limited spaces for each Open Morning. To reserve your space, please visit our school website https://www.churchtown.org.uk/ or call our school office on 01704 508500.
Next available date:
Thursday 9th January 2024
Please click here to access further information in relation to this on our school letters page on our website titled ‘Arrangements for Admission to Reception – September 2025’.
Last Friday, all the children in school took part in the School Games National Santa Dash! The children completed the daily mile around the playground with their class mates, whilst wearing their Santa hats. A great time was had by all and everyone was certainly in the Christmas spirit!
School Health Screening
For those children who have started school in reception, their health and well-being will now be supported by the Sefton School Health Team in partnership with you and school. During their time in reception, the Sefton School Health Team will visit school to screen your child’s distance vision and hearing.
If you do not wish your child to be included in any aspect of the screening programme, please ensure you inform the School Health Team by Monday 23rd December 2024 on 0151 247 6354 or by email to mcn-tr.seftonschoolhealth@nhs.net
Please click here to access copy letter on our website titled ‘Reception Screening Letter 2025’ for more information.
Please be reminded that school will close at 1.30pm on Friday 20th December for the Christmas break.
Gates will be open at 1.20pm and close at 1.40pm.
Thank you for our Christmas Dinner!
All of the staff and pupils at Churchtown Primary School would like to thank all of our kitchen staff & midday supervisors for their hard work in preparing and serving a festive meal for us all to enjoy yesterday – it was delicious!
Our Melody Makers will be on the playground bringing festive cheer to parents with an array of joyful favourites on:Wednesday 18th December at 8.30am Thursday 19th December at 8.30am Friday 20th December at 8.30am
PLAYGROUND LEADER TRAINING
Last Friday was a very successful day for our sports ambassadors and leaders, who took part in playground leader training. They demonstrated amazing teamwork and creativity and did an excellent job creating their own games, before trying them out with some of our year 1 children! All children showed great enthusiasm, were wonderful role models to the younger children and are a real credit to our school. We are very excited for what the future holds for our lunchtime play now that they have completed their training!
After School Clubs Timetable for the Spring Term
Please see below for information regarding the after-school clubs that will be on offer for the Spring term, which commences in January 2025.
Please check all dates as the clubs do not all start at the same time. Please click on your ParentApp message to apply for a place. The online booking form will close at 3pm this Sunday, 15th December.
PARENTAL CONDUCT POLICY
Please can we make you aware of an updated Parental Conduct policy which is on our school website. This can be found using the link below: https://www.churchtown.org.uk/policies-reports/policies
One of our key Values at Churchtown is RESPECT. We constantly, through our every day work, talk to the children about the importance of respecting ourselves, each other and our school environment. It is essential that this is reflected and adhered to by adults at all times. The Value cannot be underestimated in terms of how much children learn, copy and role model the behaviours of adults around them
This Parental Conduct policy therefore is a reminder to parents of how we conduct ourselves at Churchtown Primary School. We appreciate that the vast majority of parents conduct themselves appropriately and respectfully at all times.
If, for any reason, as a school we feel that the parental conduct expectations are not adhered to, then initially a conversation will take place with a parent to understand and potentially address these issues.
Reporting Absences
If your child is going to be absent from school, please complete the absence form on the Parent App, or alternatively, please leave a message with the school office. Telephone number for the office is: 01704 508500 and the office email address is ‘office@churchtown.org.uk’. We monitor and review all pupils’ absence, and the reasons that are given, thoroughly.
Please follow the following procedures:
• Contact the school on the first day of absence before 8:50am when registers are taken.
• The school has an answerphone available to leave a message if nobody is available to take your call, or you may call into school personally and speak to the office staff/Attendance Officer. Please be aware that if you leave a voicemail to report your child’s absence, you may receive a follow-up call from the school to establish whether the absence should be authorised or not.
• Contact the school on every further day of absence, again before 8:50am. On the Parent App, it will ask for an anticipated return to school date. We appreciate that it is impossible to say when a child will return to school if they are poorly. If they are absent due to a lengthier illness, such as chickenpox, you may decide to extend the anticipated date in which they will return to school. However, please be advised that school may still decide to do a wellbeing call and call for regular updates.
• Ensure that your child returns to school as soon as possible and you provide any medical evidence, if requested, to support the absence. Medical evidence may be requested where your child is having multiple periods of absence which are reported as being due to medical reasons. In order to make informed decisions about whether your child is well enough for school, please refer to the NHS guidance; Is my child too ill for school?
If you have any queries or concerns regarding attendance, please ask to speak to our Attendance Officer, Mrs Welsh, who is happy to assist. All parents/guardians have a legal duty of care to ensure that their child is accessing their full education. We want to ensure that we work with parents/guardians and that is why honest and open conversations around any possible barriers to attendance are imperative.
Thank you for your support.
Date
Monday 16th December 2024
Wednesday 18th December 2024
Wednesday 18th December 2024
Thursday 19th December 2024
Friday 20th December 2024
Friday 20th December 20254
Friday 20th December 2024
Monday 6th January 2025
Tuesday 7th January 2025
Thursday 9th January 2025
Wednesday 29th January 2025
Friday 14th February 2025
Monday 24th February 2025
• Text in red is a new addition to the calendar
Event
Key Stage 2 Party Day (mufti/party clothes)
Performing Arts Club – performance for parents at 4pm in The Old Hall. Entry via the main school entrance.
Melody Makers to sing on the playground 8.30-8.45am
Melody Makers to sing on the playground 8.30-8.45am
Melody Makers to sing on the playground 8.30-8.45am
Christmas Assemblies in St. Cuthbert’s Church
School closes at 1.30pm for the Christmas holidays
INSET Day
Back to school – rise and shine, school starts at ten to nine!
Open morning for prospective pupils and families –9.30am to 11.00am
Y1 Educational Trip to Imagine That! Liverpool
Break up for half-term (normal times)
Back to school – rise and shine, school starts at ten to nine!
Nursery Snowdrops (open 51 weeks of the year) – closure dates (2024/2025)
CLOSED – Monday 23rd December to Friday 27th December 2024 (Christmas Holidays) -re-open
Monday 30th December
CLOSED – Wednesday 1st January 2025 (New Year’s Day Bank Holiday)
CLOSED – Friday 18th & Monday 21st April 2025 (Good Friday and Easter Monday Bank Holidays)
CLOSED – Monday 5th May 2025 (Early May Bank Holiday)
CLOSED – Monday 26th May 2025 (Spring Bank Holiday)
CLOSED – Monday 25th August 2025 (Summer Bank Holiday)
Butterflies Holiday Club………….
will be open to Churchtown Primary School Children on the following dates:
CLOSED - Monday 23rd December to Tuesday 31st December 2024
CLOSED - Wednesday 1st January 2025 (New Year’s Day Bank Holiday)
Thursday 2nd & Friday 3rd January 2025 (Christmas/New Year Holidays)
Monday 6th January 2025 – INSET Day
Monday 17th to Friday 21st February 2025 – Half-Term Holiday
Monday 7th to Thursday 17th April 2025 – Easter Holidays
CLOSED – Friday 18th & Monday 21st April 2025 (Good Friday/Easter Monday Bank Holidays)
CLOSED – Monday 5th May 2025 (Early May Bank Holiday)
CLOSED – Monday 26th May 2025 (Spring Bank Holiday)
Tuesday 27th to Friday 30th May 2025 – Half-Term Holiday
Monday 21st July 2025 – INSET Day
Tuesday 22nd July 2025 – INSET Day
Wednesday 23rd July to Friday 29th August 2025 – Summer Holidays
CLOSED – Monday 25th August 2025 (Summer Bank Holiday)