Dear Families,

Welcome back after the Easter holidays and welcome to our Nursery children who have settled in to Sand Hutton like they have always been there!

First of all, I have some wonderful news. Mrs Madge is happy for me to share that she is expecting a baby! This is extremely exciting for her and us of course! Currently, she is feeling well and so expecting to see out this academic year. There will inevitably be changes for September. In order to minimize change for both of our schools as much as possible, Mrs Naylor will step in to the role of Junior Class lead at Warthill and Mrs Smith will take on Class 2 at Sand Hutton full time. Mrs Madge will have shared her exciting news with the children when they come out of school.

On a different matter, Mrs Smith would like to share this from School council at Sand Hutton:

School Council have organised another Book Swap for next week. Please bring in one book that you would be willing to swap on Monday (15th). We ask that books are in reasonably good condition please. Each child that brings in a book will be given a token which can be swapped for a ‘new to them’ book on the Wednesday (17th). Last time, was a great success and we hope even more children will join in this time. Thank you, as ever, for your support.

Miss Heffernan has also asked me to pass on that library will now be on Wednesday’s, at Sand Hutton.

We have really enjoyed our new way of looking at homework this year. We have given a great deal of thought to the project for this half term and this time there is a Geography theme. It is Mrs Wilson who has a message for our children. They will also discuss this in class:

Dear Children

Your home learning challenge for this half term is linked to Geography.

We are challenging you to create a Map of your favourite place!  Your map can either be made in 2d or 3d. The choice is yours!

Some ideas of different ways to present your map could include; a drawing, created on a device: 2calculate on Purple Mash is a great program or even Minecraft. Could it be a cake? I wonder if any of you could ‘bake’ a map! You might even decide to create a map outside using natural resources. I’m sure you will have many creative ways in which you decide to complete this challenge!

We also wondered if you could include some of the following; map symbols, map keys, grid references, compass, or even photos. I wonder what you might include?

When you have completed your map, we would love for you to bring them into school, or send links or photos via email to either: admin@sandhutton.n-yorks.sch.uk or admin@warthill.n-yorks.sch.uk

Please bring/send them in by Monday 20th May.

We look forward to celebrating your work in class and also across our federation.

Have fun and enjoy your Geography challenge!

Mrs Wilson 🌍

That sounds like lots of fun and there are so many different ways to meet this challenge. I can’t wait to see the many and varied ideas you have. Get mapping!

Finally, I have some dates for you.

The postponed Big Help Out Day at sand Hutton has been rescheduled for Sunday 21^st April. We hope that you can join us and we hope even more for better weather! The proposed jobs list remains the same.

FOWS are planning a Coffee morning on Saturday 11^th May. These are always lovely mornings. There will be a craft event for the children and maybe some seasonal planting. Please come along!

Year 6 SATs test will follow the timetable set for schools in the week beginning May 13^th. We will do everything possible to ensure that these are as stress free as possible for our young people. We often hear them talking about how much they enjoy the process when it arrives.

Our sharing assemblies are as follows for the summer term:

Sand Hutton: 19^th April, 10^th May and 7^th June

Warthill: 26^th April, 17^th May and 14^th June

We haven’t planned ‘sharings’ for July as there are many opportunities for families to attend events and come into school or church

Please add these to your diaries and we will endeavor to firm up other dates as soon as we are able and share these with you too.

Hoping that you all have a lovely weekend,

With every best wish,

Beverley Pawson

Headteacher

Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools

Dear Families,

It has been a very busy week in our schools this week and we have hosted the first of our Parents’ Evenings at Sand Hutton.

As promised, though a little later than suggested, I have included some photos of recent events on a separate letter. These are being shared with parents with no names attached and this document will not be on the website. Some photos with no identifiable pupils can also be found on Twitter or X as it is called.

As always Parents’ Evening at Sand Hutton was a pleasant event with many smiling faces. We enjoy celebrating the progress of our pupils. We look forward to similar next week at Warthill, on Tuesday.

This week we said goodbye to our students on placement in both schools. Miss Colligon left us from Warthill and Mr Craven left Sand Hutton. However, a stroke of luck means that Mr Craven will remain with the federation team and will be joining the Warthill Junior Class after Easter. The children will have already met him as he has been delivering lessons when both school merge on a Monday afternoon.

As we head towards Easter there are fun activities ahead for both schools. On Sunday, we are holding our third Big Help Out at Sand Hutton and we are grateful for anyone who is able to join us no matter how briefly. Dig out your wellies….it may be wet underfoot. However, the weather looks to be warm and dry at the moment, if not quite sunny. We can only hope!

At Warthill, there is a cinema evening on Monday, arranged by FOWs, after school. These are always well attended and a super treat for our children, thank you. At Sand Hutton the PTA have booked a Magician Event which sounds exciting and this will take place on Wednesday 20^th March, also after school.

All these fun activities are in addition to our Easter Services which will take place for both schools on Thursday 21^st March, 9am at Warthill Church and 2pm at Sand Hutton Church. We look forward to seeing you all there.

Finally, next Friday being the end of a full term means that schools close at 2pm.

I hope that you have a lovely weekend, whatever you have planned.

With every best wish,

Beverley Pawson

Headteacher

Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools

Dear Families,

I hope that you have had as enjoyable a week as we have in both our schools this week. Reading has
been a focus in both our schools, not just because of World Book Day but just because we LOVE it!
We were all so impressed at the homework which was completed and brought to school yesterday
to celebrate our love of reading on World Book Day. As always when creative tasks are set, we are
blown way by the ideas and care put into projects. Well done everyone! This isn’t the only READING
celebration I wanted to share with you today. We have a visitor from the Local Authority yesterday
who was excited as we are about the number of children in school who have earned their Blue Peter
Badge for reading! Across both schools we must have broken some sort of record for percentage of
pupils with this particular Blue Peter Badge. If there are any children who missed the application
date, remember that you can still apply yourself and join the reading gang!

I should share with you ahead of the Big Help out day that we are being supported by Bio Diversity
UK in developing outdoor areas. This is something that will benefit both sites and is also supporting
our Forest Schools offer. In the initial roll out, we are looking forward to receiving bird and bat boxes
as well as Violets to be planted as these are important contributors towards the habitat of a
particular moth. There are more exciting ideas in the pipeline and I will share these with you as they
arise.

I would like to confirm some dates with you for the last couple of weeks of the Spring terms.
Parents’ Evenings: Sand Hutton, Thursday 14th March, Warthill, Tuesday 19th March.
Easter Services: Both will take place on Thursday 21st March in respective churches: Warthill 9am,
Sand Hutton 2pm

Tracking back a little to last Friday when many of our children visited a stadium for the first time and
went to watch the Men’s International Rugby Team train….we made the papers! We have tweeted
it, but you can also find a photo on the York Press page and although it doesn’t say who we are, you
might recognize some faces in the crowd! There are some other tweets you may have missed! If you
don’t follow us already @sand_warthill.

I have a collection of pictures of all kinds to share with you. I will gather these into a picture fest next
week and send them all out together!
Have a lovely weekend,
With every best wish,
Beverley Pawson
Headteacher
Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools

Dear Families,

I am writing before the return of our lucky rugby ‘fans’ who have had the opportunity to see the England Men’s team train. Even though they are not back, I know that they are having a super time! Thank you Mr Squires for your major role in securing tickets for this event. We are really grateful and happy that some of our Warthill children were also able to benefit from this event too. I cannot wait to hear all about it. It should be the talk of the swimming bus tis afternoon!

Don’t forget it is World Book Day next week. I know that we are all looking forward to it. Linked to the event, Miss Heffernan wanted to share this information with you all. Looking at the forecast, Sunday looks like a better day!

This coming weekend there is a new trail ,in York, of book related sculptures. It’s called the Snook Trail.  It will run while WBD is on too. This is a free event. More information can be found from the links attached.

https://visityork.org/snooks

York Snooks Character Trail 2024

Have fun!

Miss Heffernan

Talking about reading: More good news. I know that the children really like to read these newspapers which are packed things to be positive about!

You are a lucky winner of a 10 pack of Issue 33 of The Happy Newspaper and it should be with very soon. The theme for this issue is Adventure and we hope it shows the children that adventure can be found in so many ways.

For any of our families wanting to know the next steps regarding our nursery places. The 6 places have been agreed and therefore these places will be taken from after Easter. Currently, these seem to be children who will be Sand Hutton starters in reception from September. However, should parents from either school require further information, please contact the Sand Hutton school office on 01904 468308.

So, all that remains is for me to wish you a very happy weekend. I am guessing tis may be World Book Day Egg Filled! Enjoy!

With every best wish,

Beverley Pawson

Headteacher

Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools

Dear Families,

We hope that you have had a lovely week!

Our children have been working really hard in all our classes. We were also happy to celebrate our children at home and at school in Sharing Assembly at Warthill this morning. Thank you for joining us if you were there.

Miss Heffernan wanted me to let you know to expect World Book Day tokens in book bags before the day itself. This means that you will be able to spend these while there is still choice in shops. As ever, these tokens can be exchanged for the books published especially for this day or can be used towards the cost of a book of choice.

Fish and Chip Friday was a success today and we would like to thank the school meal service for providing this free of charge today.

I have a couple of save the dates for diaries:

A Magic Evening at Sand Hutton on 20th March.

The Big Help Out at Sand Hutton on 17th March

Cinema Night at Warthill on 18th March

I also believe there is a May coffee morning in planning at Warthill but I won’t confirm the date as yet.

On a practical note, some of you may be aware that Mrs Thackray (Warthill Office) has been absent this week. As we are unsure of her being in school over the next couple of weeks, please ring Sand Hutton if nobody is able to answer the phone on the Warthill site and should you need to email, it might be safer to email admin@sandhutton.n-yorks.sch.uk if the matter is urgent.

Next Friday morning is our Rugby training session. Those attending should have received an email. This is for Classes 2 and 3 at Sand Hutton and Years 5 and 6 at Warthill. This is just a reminder for diaries. A warm winter coat on that morning might be necessary.

There is a Climate focused Saturday Social this Saturday 24th 10-12 in Sand Hutton and Claxton Village Hall – everyone is welcome from surrounding villages. There will be speakers for the first hour, including a rep from NYC talking about what they are doing re climate change, a talk on EPCs (Energy Performance Certificates – what they are and how they could help you save energy in your house) and also on the village hall’s thermal imaging camera and how it could help you understand where your home is leaking heat…Also, there will be table top displays re recycling and the NY Rotters (showcasing their Love Food/Hate Waste and Home Composting campaigns)… and more.

Afterwards there will be time to ask questions / mingle/ understand what your local Climate Action Group is trying to do to… Please share with neighbours/ come along – children welcome…

Have a lovely weekend.

Beverley Pawson

Headteacher

Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools