CoMPasS Registered Charity No: 1141329
As we look forward to the final week of term, we are very much looking forward to you joining us in the Minster for our Christingle service, details of which have been sent out. This is one of the highlights of the year and one of the few times when all the children, staff and parents from St Peter’s 2-8 come together.
DIARY FOR WEEK COMMENCING Verger Alex Carberry told the children about the 4th December 2023 significance of each candle being lit on successive ALL CLUBS CANCELLED Sundays in Advent with the final candle being lit at the School Council Eucharist service on Christmas Day. You can read Year 1 Cricket* more about it here Year 1 Animals & The Environment Spectacular Advent Wreath Raising returns to York Year 2 IT Minster | York Minster.
ALL CLUBS CANCELLED Year 1 Lets Get Moving Year 2 STEM Year 2 Cricket* Year 3 Swimming Year 3 Tennis* Year 2 & 3 Dance Club*
THURS DAY
Year 1 Football Skills* Year 1 Yoga* Year 2 & 3 Choir (CANCELLED)
Year 1 Board Games Year 1 Ball Skills Year 2 Tennis 2 Art
Yeat 2 & 3 European Cultures Year 3 Hockey Year 3 STEM
Year 1 Lexia
FRI DAY
We are incredibly fortunate to have such a strong connection to the Minster. This week, six Year 2 children were invited to decorate a tree as part of the Minster tree festival. The festival features 60 trees decorated by local schools, businesses and charities. All of Year 2 made some stunning angel origami decorations and wooden The children at 13-18 put on mini trees, so we are hoping a superb performance of the they might win the best teen version of ‘Chicago’ dressed tree prize. The this week. As well as festival is open to the public performers, other pupils from 2nd December to 5th also took on backstage January and is well worth a technical roles. Over three visit if you are looking for a nights, they delivered an lovely family activity over incredible professional the Christmas period. More quality performance. details can be found here Watching the show and The York Minster Christmas seeing some pupils who had Tree Festival | York Minster been at 2-8, reminded me If you do visit, you can vote that in just a few short for the best dress tree too! years your children may go A second visit to the Minster from their very first took place this morning to tentative Christmas raise the Advent Wreath. performance to being part This time it was the turn of I hope that you have a of the Senior school show. the School Council and the This demonstrates the lovely weekend. breadth of opportunity they House Captains. The threeBest wishes, can get involved in through metre-wide wreath decorated with foliage by our co-curricular the Minster florists which is programme. raised high above the Thank you to those parents Minster’s central tower is a who gave feedback on our spectacular sight. Head
Year 2 & 3 Football*
Year 3 Cookery
WE DN E S DAY
In PSHE this week, I taught the children about the power of reflection which is one of our learning superpowers. Firstly, children had to select three specific things that have gone well and that they are proud of from the term. Secondly, they had to select three specific ‘even better ifs’ and finally three proactive specific actions that they can take to achieve their ‘even better ifs’. Teaching children to reflect in this three-step specific fashion can form the basis for productive conversations about their school day. This avoids the ‘how was your day’ question which tends to evoke negative response or the ‘what you did you do today’ which tends to lead to I can't remember! Using reflection helps to accentuate the positives, choose specific achievable targets and help children to develop independence in selecting and carrying out actions to achieve their targets, which all contribute to your children becoming expert learners as they progress through school. Theories and models of reflection and reflective practice were borne out of the work of philosopher and educator John Dewey who stated “We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.” Wise words for us all.
TUE S DAY
We are now in full Christmas performance mode with the children rehearsing and getting excited and maybe even a little nervous about performing next week. The performances are very special and memorable for parents and families to watch, but equally important for the children to learn about performance skills, oracy and finding the bravery to perform on stage in front of an audience, which are all valuable skills for their futures.
co-curricular club programme. We are very keen to hear your thoughts which mirror our own in wanting to provide the best possible offering for all children. We are collating responses and over the coming terms are carrying out a full review of the cocurricular club programme. Whilst we won’t be able to adopt all your ideas or solve all the concerns at once, please be aware that they are being included in the review process.
Friday 1st December 2023
MON DAY
This week the children have been very excited about the Keys for Life key hunt. To highlight the launch of the Keys for Life bursary campaign, a large key has been hidden somewhere around the school each day for the children to find. The lucky finder of the key wins a Keys for Life teddy bear. The competition has captured the imagination of the children who have been hunting high and low in every corner of the school for the keys, from the minute they come into school! The Keys for Life campaign aims to fundraise to increase our bursaries to 80 by 2027, when St Peter’s will celebrate its 1400 anniversary.
Newsletter No: 11
You can follow us
Year 1 Street Dance* Year 2 & 3 Lioness Football* Year 2 & 3 Running Club Year 2 & 3 Board Games Year 3 Cricket*
Date for our Open Shop Wednesday 6th December 8am-5pm - chance to buy merchandise and Keys for Life items in time for Christmas! Come to the Old Peterite office (look for the large window at the back of the Pavilion)
Please see the following page for an overview of the content and a guide if you wish to sign up.
UPDATE on Proposed sports pitches and improved parking at St Peter’s School This project is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve our existing sports facilities and provide even better opportunity for pupils to participate in sports and reach their potential on state-of-the-art facilities. The new parking area will also help to ease current parking issues at drop-off and pick-up times. Following planning submission last year, we have worked closely with City of York Council and other statutory consultees and have now submitted a pack of information which is available on the Council’s planning portal. You can still submit or re-submit your views to the Council by emailing planning.comments@york.gov.uk and quoting 22/02288/ FUL alongside your views. You can also find the planning application on the Council’s planning portal here and searching 22/02288/FUL.