Every week at St Peter’s 2-8 is packed with a myriad of learning opportunities and activities making for incredibly busy days and by the end of the week, tired children! We are incredibly proud of the breadth of learning we offer, but equally are always aware of the need to offer some reflective moments of calm. Assembly is one of these times. I ask that the children come into assembly and sit without talking so that they can use this time to be with their own thoughts and reflect. Teaching children how to reflect brings benefits for self-knowledge, selfregulation and for supporting them to be metacognitive learners, able to incorporate previous learning strategies and apply this to new tasks.
I also like to set the children some challenges to try during the week at our Monday assembly which we reflect on at our Friday assembly and for this week there were two!
The first was connected to World Smile Day that we celebrated today with a vibrant photo booth filled with props set up by Mrs Bateson. The children got to visit, dress up and have some lovely photos taken to show off their beaming smiles. This week I challenged the children to share their smiles with everyone they met and to notice the impact of this simple but powerful act that a smile can have on others. I’m pleased to report that there have been lots of smiles that have brightened the week and created positive connections, especially on the dull and rainy days as the fatigue of week five sets in. A big thank you to Mrs Bateson for organising the day.
The second challenge was connected to our celebrations for European languages day that we extended to be World languages. I was able to tell the children in assembly that 26 different languages are spoken by children at our school, and I showed this word cloud.
Newsletter No: 5
Friday 4 October 2024
To celebrate all of the languages I challenged the children to see how many languages they could learn to say hello in by the end of the week! On Wednesday I had a visit from Xander in Year 3 who had done some fabulous research bringing me a notebook with 20 hellos in different world languages. We work hard to ensure that our children have opportunities to learn about and value diverse cultures. As you will know at 2-8 the children learn Italian. We are fortunate to have Mrs. Zoellner, our talented Italian teacher, who comes from Austria and is fluent in both German and Italian. Under her guidance, our children, from ages 2 to 8, are immersed in a joyful and engaging Italian language program that blends learning with fun. Mrs. Zoellner’s approach is rooted in interactive and immersive methods, with a special focus on songs, stories, and games. By incorporating music and storytelling, the children naturally absorb the language, making it enjoyable and intuitive for them to learn. You might hear your child singing Italian nursery rhymes or talking about characters from Italian storybooks they’ve read in class!
Best wishes,
Year 1
Year 2 Art Year 2 Cricket* Year 2 & 3 Football* (Yr 3 cancelled)
3 STEM (cancelled)
& Play All Year Groups
Year 1 Let’s Get Moving Year 1 Wellbeing Year 2 STEM
Dear 2 & 3 Dance Festival Club*
Year 3 Swimming Year 3 Tennis*
Year 2 & 3 Mini Duke*
Year 2 & 3 Languages Year 3 Hockey
& Play — All Year Groups
Year 1 Lexia
Year 1 & 2 Dance*
Year 2 Coding
Year 2 & 3 French
Year 2 & 3 Lioness Football*
Year 3 Board Games
Year 3 Cricket*
SCHOOL COUNCIL
This Monday Council welcomed Rebekah Desport, Chief Operating Officer at St Peter's to our meeting. She came to tell us about her job and how we can help her by not wasting resources in school. The children were very interested in the amounts of money involved and asked what was the biggest bill she had to pay. Rebekah told us it was the one for all the power we use! School council decided they were going to remind their classes about turning lights and other electrical equipment off when not in use.
Thank you Rebekah for visiting us and sharing interesting and valuable information to help school and our planet.
Music Concerts
Year 2 Music Concert Celebration :
Monday 14th October, 1.30pm, Rayson Room
We will be holding a concert at the end of this half term for our Year 2 children to celebrate their music journeys so far. The concert will start at 1.30pm with a performance from our Year 2 and 3 Choir and then will be followed by soloists from Year 2. If your child has been learning an instrument for a little while and would like to perform, please can you email me a.hayden@stpeterstork.org.uk so I can add them to my list. If your child has just started their instrument they may not be quite ready for their debut performance, there will be another opportunity for them to perform later on in the academic year when they have a few more notes under their belt!
Year 3 Music Concert Celebration :
Tuesday 15th October, 1.30pm, Rayson Room
We will be holding a concert at the end of this half term for our Year 3 children to celebrate their music journeys so far. The concert will start at 1.30pm with a performance from our Year 2 and 3 Choir and then will be followed by soloists from Year 3 and a performance by our Year 3 Ukulele club. If your child has been learning an instrument and would like to perform, please can you email me a.hayden@stpeterstork.org.uk so I can add them to my list. We very much look forward to welcoming you into school.
Next Week’s Menu
Snack Menu
We would like to share with your children and their families details of the family service which is taking place this Saturday, the 5th of October, at 10am at York Minster.
The service has the catchy title of ‘Mason Mouse’s Monster Minster Mashup’ and details about the service are available via the link below: https://yorkminster.org/whats-on/event/minstermash-up/
The theme of this Saturday’s service is Harvest and there will be lots of singing, games and fun for the whole family and the service will last no more than 40 minutes. It is one of five large family services that York Minster is hosting during the school year.
Because it is a service, the whole family will be able to get into York Minster for free and after the service they will then have full access to the Minster and explore all the treasures within, including the Undercroft and climbing up to the top of the tower for the best views of York.
Of course, if the families already live in York then please do remind them that York Minster is free to all who are resident in York.
You are all very welcome to attend, the more children who attend, the more fun will be had!
We are delighted to announce that the whole school fundraising last Friday, raised an incredible £12,497 for five worthy causes:
The Island York Mind
MND Association Rob Burrow Campaign
My Name’5 Doddie Foundation
St Peter’s School Keys for Life Bursary Campaign
A huge thank you to everyone who donated and of course the pupils for doing such a great job!
PHOENIX: lightshow | York Minster
Help Make Our Keys for Life Fundraising Gala Unforgettable!
We’re looking for exciting donations of experiences, prizes, services, and treats for our upcoming Keys for Life Fundraising Gala on 29th November 2024! Following the success of last year, we’ll be hosting another online auction that reaches thousands of our community members and beyond.
We’re already partnering with leaders in hospitality, the arts, and sports, and we have plenty of room for more amazing contributions. Don’t miss this chance to get involved!
Last year's event raised nearly £30,000 for the Keys for Life Bursary Awards, opening doors for children to attend St Peter’s School.
By donating to our auction, your business or industry will gain fantastic brand exposure within the York St Peter's School network and you’ll be supporting a wonderful cause.
For more information, please contact us at development@stpetersyork.org.uk. We’d love to hear from you!
United Education Adventure Camps
Book now for the October half term and Christmas holidays!
28 October to 1 November 2024
16 to 20 December 2024
Fusion Multi Activity: Reception to 13 years
Young Leaders: 14-16 years
For booking information - United Education Camps | St Peter's School (stpetersyork.org.uk)
