Dear Parents,

I hope some of you were fortunate enough to witness the Northern Lights this week! What a treat!

We have had another packed week in our schools and have much to share with you both in showing you what we have been doing and making you aware of the plans we have afoot.

I wanted to mention again our Sand Hutton Reading Café morning and thank those of you who attended, even though this is a little while ago now. We do intend to repeat this as a visitor event for a further occasion in the future. I know those who were able to join us found it an enjoyable and informative experience. On the subject of reading, both schools have up and coming Book Fairs, to coincide with respective Parents’ Evenings. These raised money for both settings last year and therefore we have taken the decision to repeat this.

Miss Heffernan says….

There will be a reading competition for all pupils to win a £10 book voucher to spend at the Scholastic fair on Parents’ Eve.

Pupils must create an a4 poster about why they love reading (name on the back). The Reading Ambassadors at Sand Hutton have designed this competition for the federation and will support me (Miss Heffernan, as English Lead), in choosing a winner. Entries need to be in by Friday 18^th Oct and we will announce the winner in Well-Being Week (more information to follow later in the letter about this!)

GOOD LUCK

https://bookfairs.scholastic.co.uk/bookcases

Due to this half term being particularly long, we have set aside the four-day final week for a well-being focus, entitled Wonderful Me. Included in this week will be the packing up of the Christmas Boxes, leaflets went out during the week and we already have contributions coming into school for. (Thank you! Keep them coming.) Evidence shows that one of the biggest boosts we can enjoy for our own well-being comes from doing something for someone else. We know how much the children enjoy this activity. The week will also include opportunities to work outside and participate in sports and mindfulness activities. At Warthill the FOWS have financed a pop-up sensory room for the day and we have booked this for this week too. We plan to invite children to fully participate in a variety of meaningful activities at a point in the half term when they would be the most tired and therefore often the least productive.

Linked to well-being, I recently attended a conference where the key speaker was author Paul Dix. If you are interested in his work, google the book, When the Adults Change.  While he was an obviously entertaining speaker, he also talked very seriously in terms of changing lives for children through his strategy; Positive Noticing. As he talked, I was aware how much of this was already embedded practice in our schools to which we don’t necessarily give a name. He was also an advocate of simplifying ‘school rules’ to three simple threads such as Ready, Respectful, Safe. We have decided to adopt this approach since it mirrors what we already do and will mark the launch with Positive Noticing Day on November 13^th.

https://www.positivenoticingday.com/

We hope that you will support us in this and will send more information closer to the time.

Only yesterday, we received a phone call out of the blue from some very kind people offering to bring owls to show our children. This visit was a direct enhancement to our Class 1 and 2 curriculums for different reasons. We had looked into booking someone and the cost was beyond our budget. So the timing was like magic! The time they offered to come clashed with the online lesson with the author Class 3 already had planned but we didn’t want to forgo the opportunity. We are so pleased that we managed to work around very tight schedules in school and with the visitors to ensure that all our children benefited.

I wanted to tell you, in detail, about the two events.

Class 3 did our school proud in the online lesson this morning and even had one of their questions read out. I know how much they have been looking forward to the lesson and reading the book. They were really deeply affected by the lesson and decided to take into their own hands what they wanted to do next! I walked in to a lesson of letter and rap writing groups. Ask them about sea turtles….. Class 3 you made us all smile! (PTA you may be getting something in your inbox!)

Meanwhile, Classes 1 and 2 gathered in a very chilly Early Years outside area with Katie and Simon, and their four owls. They asked incredibly mature questions. They were respectful and quiet. Each of these children had time to hold an owl, if they wanted to. We had many, many smiling faces! Our visitors very kindly agreed to stay and squeeze in a short session with Class 3 between the online lesson and swimming…oh to have such a tight schedule. While the time was limited, they did have the opportunity to view, at close hand, these very beautiful birds. Due to the time limits, only a few of this class had time to hold these birds. I hope the others weren’t too disappointed.

The visitors said that our children were the best audience, adult or child, that they had EVER shown the owls to. They described them as intelligent, knowledgeable, inquisitive, respectful and gentle. Even though we felt we had been given the gift from them, they showed immense gratitude to us. If anyone would like to find out more information or donate they can be found on Owls.And.About.

I just wanted you to know how much your children were a credit to the school today in both these activities. I hope that you can let them know just how proud we all are here. I think they put a very small school on the map today!

Friday is a very busy day here and I feel so fortunate that we were able to fit this in at such short notice

What an incredible experience!

I will end the Newsletter today with some reminders. Firstly, those Asda Reward points are mounting up. Please consider our schools when you shop. We will be able to make use of this funding. Thank you for anyone who has already downloaded the Asda Rewards App and named one of our schools.

Also, if clearing out before Christmas, please consider our recycling bins. I believe they also take toys. The Warthill one certainly does. There is a comprehensive list on display on the side. It is an excellent funding stream for our schools.

Saturday, weather willing, is a further Big Help Out at Sand Hutton. I will be opening school from 1pm (event officially 2-4pm). Anyone willing to give their time to spruce up the outdoor areas in school and meet other parents is very welcome!

Next Tuesday afternoon is Warthill Parents’ Evening. We hope to see you all there. Please make an appointment if you haven’t already.

Wednesday is Sand Hutton’s Harvest Service in church at 2pm. The PTA will be providing refreshments. Please see the posters around the gates.

The Christmas Services in both schools are confirmed if you haven’t already noted these times and dates.

Sand Hutton Wednesday 11^th December 2pm and 6pm

Warthill Tuesday 17^th December 9am and 5.30pm

I believe that concluded a rather longer than usual newsletter for this week. We are so proud of our schools and we always appreciate your support, however you are able to give it. Should you need any additional support from us, please don’t hesitate to let someone you feel able to speak to know and we will help where we can.

With every best wish,

Beverley Pawson

Headteacher

Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools

Dear Families,

Well, another busy week for all our children and staff in the federation.

On Wednesday we were visited by a group of ladies from Yorkshire Water who delivered a Lego STEM session for Class 3 at Sand Hutton and Junior Class at Warthill. The activities themselves were absolutely excellent, all equipment provided, and the children in both schools made all of us very proud. We hope to see them return another time. Well done everyone!

Dear Families,

I hope that you found the safeguarding leaflet in bookbags on Friday useful. The QR codes are quick links to helpful information.

Last week was such a busy week in both our schools and this week has begun in much the same way. It was lovely to see so many families attend the sharing assembly at Warthill on Friday and then stay to the sport morning. We are hoping to duplicate this at Sand Hutton on Friday this week, however be on stand-by for a change of plan as the weather may have other ideas!

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Dear Families,

I hope that you have already settled into, or back into, the school routine. We have certainly been very pleased to welcome so many families back either informally at the beginning and end of days or if you attended either of the Flying Start events. These were really well attended in both settings and it gives opportunities to ask those questions that may have come about because your child has had a change of teacher, classroom or routine. All our classrooms are calm and industrious learning spaces already.

You will be aware of an additional letter being sent out with the newsletter today. This is the first of a monthly letter which concentrates solely on helping families to keep up to date with changes, benefits and dangers of using the internet and social media. Apps and online platforms change so rapidly that even we, as part of our day to day job, struggle to identify what has changed, what is beneficial to use and what might present challenges or dangers to our young people online. For this reason, I have signed up to a subscription which keeps us up to date for and highlights the areas which we should be most alert to. As part of this subscription, families also receive a monthly letter with the most pressing issues for that month. Later in the year, there will be an information meeting for parents too. I hope that you can already see, in this first letter, how useful this will be.

I can see on my Asda Rewards App, that people are starting to contribute to our cashpots. As of now, Sand Hutton has a pot of £75 and Warthill will have £52 once the Asda contribution is acknowledged.  There are still 78 earning days left, so this really could be money for nothing. It is really easy to sign up to the Rewards App and then you chose the school and shop as normal. Money is allocated to school cashpots for us to spend when the offer ends.

I am sorry to have to increase lunch prices again this year. I am working on a way with the LA that we can merge with other settings to bring these down. This is where our rural location works against us I’m afraid. The lunch price will increase to £3.25 from the 1st October, but please contact me if this causes any financial difficulties and we will manage the situation, in confidence, together.

Finally, some date reminders:

Wednesday 18th September: School photos. At Sand Hutton, pre-school siblings joining family photos to arrive at 8.30. At Warthill, siblings for photos should arrive at 1pm.

Thursday 26th September: Early Harvest at Warthill. 9am at church.

Finally, Mrs Roughley is intending on putting in the final numbers for Young Voices next week. If you would like your child to sign up, and haven’t yet done so, (Years 3-6), please let her know on 01904 468308 before the end of the week. If anyone still needs further details about this, ask in either school office or speak to me or Mrs Naylor. It is one of our favourite events!

I would like to wish you all a very happy weekend and hope the sun shines.

With every best wish,

Beverley Pawson

Headteacher

Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools

Dear Families,

Welcome Back to Autumn Term 2024!

Welcome to all our new starters in both our schools. New beginnings have gone exceptionally well and our new Reception and Nursery children already look as though they have always been here!

I hope you all had an enjoyable summer.

First of all, I wanted to share some wonderfully happy news! Mrs Madge had a beautiful baby boy, Benjamin, during the holiday. She popped into school with him on Monday and both he and she look the picture of health and happiness. Congratulations from everyone!

Because of when Harvest is being celebrated in church at Warthill, their Harvest is earlier than usual this year and will be at 9am in church on Thursday 26^th September. This means the church will be decorated for the Harvest Service. At Sand Hutton, we have proposed some dates and we are working round some clashes in the church diary but will get back to you to confirm as soon as we are able.

Both schools will be hosting their drop in Flying Start meetings. Teachers will be available in their classrooms for you to visit at 9am on Tuesday 10^th September at WARTHILL and the same time on Thursday 12^th September at SAND HUTTON. We are looking forward to welcome as many of you as possible. This will be followed later in the half term by earlier than usual Parents’ Evenings. You will receive a separate letter about this in due course but these will take place on Tuesday 15^th October at WARTHILL and Wednesday 23^rd October at SAND HUTTON. Dates for your diaries.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank a group of parents at Warthill for their hard work over the summer break in repairing, renovating and improving our outdoor area. We have a light and airy tree house because of the extensive tree trimming, a beautiful new fence which sets off the children’s artwork wonderfully and additional bark chippings! Thank you so much!

Some of you have mentioned the Asda rewards Cashpot offer for schools. This looks fabulous. If you download the Asda App, you can assign money to a school cashpot and we will be able to spend this on resources. Money for nothing! Spread the word!

As, always please let me know if any family support is required whether in terms of finances or time and I will do what I can to help.

Have a lovely weekend,

With every best wish,

Beverley Pawson

Headteacher

Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools