26th January 2024

Dear Families,

Happily, both our schools have remained unscathed in the high winds with only a tiny tile casualty at Sand Hutton which has been fixed. It seems we can look forward to a pleasant weekend weather wise.

Following a Sand Hutton PTA meeting last night there is some information coming your way regarding an event to support mental health week. This will be shared at the next Sand Hutton sharing along with the act of kindness homework and a Save the date for the next Big Help Out. This will take place on Sunday 17th March and we would appreciate any time you are able to give. There will of course be more details to follow. To support Children’s Mental Health Week, children will be given a piece of paper chain to write a message of kindness to another. Finally, on Friday 9th February, children can wear something they ‘love to wear’ instead of school uniform for the day. This can apply to children in both schools.

I have another thank you to FOWs this time. Before Christmas the children took part in the Lakeland Challenge. In addition to the sponsorship money, which is still arriving, we have received a parcel of fabulous non fiction books! We were able to reveal these to the children in sharing assembly this morning and they are really excited. They look fabulous! Thank you!

Today, I was going to remind you about the free lunch we are being provided with next week. However, I have moved the date of this due to circumstances beyond my control. The free lunch will now take place on Friday 9th February. Please put this amendment in your diaries.

If you haven’t returned the form for the Junior Class visit for the Chocolate Story, please can I remind you to do so. This visit is scheduled for February 7th. It is only a very short half term and so we are squeezing as much is as we can!

I would like to wish you all a lovely weekend and I believe we may have a proper spring like day on Sunday. Enjoy!

With every best wish,

Beverley Pawson

Headteacher

Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools

12th January 2024 and Spring Menu

Dear Families,

Happy New Year and Welcome Back to the Spring Term!

 

We are very pleased to welcome back Mrs Madge. I know that the children have been excited to see her back in their classroom. I would also like to make you aware of students we are supporting in the near future across our schools. Mr Craven will be joining Mrs Smith/Mrs Naylor and Miss Colligon will be joining Mrs Wilson and Mrs Liston. They will be with us for the Spring Term as teaching members of staff.  Further to this, we will be welcoming a student from East Riding College who will be joining Sand Hutton on Fridays until the end of June. She will be supporting in all classes. We are always happy to have extra hands and I know they will be made to feel very welcome.

Please check the email you were sent at the beginning of the week with new dates on for sharing etc. We will be sending out dates for Easter services and Parents’ Evenings as soon as we are able. There is also a date on the attached homework item to add to your diaries. This will link to the beginning of our focus on Mental Health Week. More information about this will follow in due course.

I wanted to bring your attention to a couple of safeguarding matters. Firstly, attendance. As I am sure that you have heard on the news, this continues to be an area of concern for school leaders and in turn for Ofsted. On the whole, our attendance figures are positive and I have previously shared information about the impact of decreased attendance with you all. Staying above 90% attendance is important however there are a small number of children who are teetering below this. An outbreak of chicken pox is the main culprit for this at Sand Hutton, but as we continue to navigate through the cough and colds season, please be aware that contact may need to be made with specific families whose children’s attendance is being monitored. Thank you for your support in this matter.

Secondly, a further reminder about choking and the additional risks some foods such as grapes and cocktail sausages present. I sent out a document just before Christmas with details on. I know this was a really busy time and may have been overlooked. Please cut these foods into smaller pieces if you are to add these to packed lunches.

Talking of lunches, you may remember the issue that we had with meals before the Christmas break. In response to a very disappointed email I sent, supported by an extremely helpful parent, we have been offered a gesture of goodwill, by way of an apology. On Friday 2nd February, the fish and chip meal will be free for all pupils across both schools to apologise for the disruption, inconvenience and food waste. Just book a meal as usual and there will be no charge for the meal on this day. In addition, Talking Tuesday lunches will begin next Tuesday at Sand Hutton. Mrs Thackray is not currently at Warthill and I would like to wait until she has returned to start this in that setting. Should you wish to book a lunch, please let Mrs Roughley know. The meal planner will also be attached to this email.

The car park at Sand Hutton is tight and we have had a car damaged this week sometime between 8am and 5.30pm. Please could l ask everyone be extra vigilant opening doors, especially in windy weather as it is easy for doors to be blown out of hands, especially if children are holding them. I have asked the same of all staff as I know there is much coming and going throughout the day.

 

 

Now for the homework:

 

Spring Term Homework

 

Dear Children,

Your home learning challenge this half term is linked to our Corinthian Values. We are challenging you all to complete an act of kindness in your community. This could involve many things: making your local area tidy by doing a litter pick with your family; writing a letter of thanks to someone who has helped you; making a gift for a family member from recycled materials or ​helping someone. I am sure you will have lots of creative ways to do this of your own. 

 

When you have completed a kind act, we ask you to record this in some way. For example, you could take a photo, write about what you did or copy a letter you sent. Please bring this to school by Monday 5th February. We will celebrate your work in class as usual. Just think about how many people we could cheer up as a whole school! We look forward to hearing about how you have made a difference. 

Miss Heffernan

 

I know the children will have some super ideas.

So, with such a lot of information to process, I will leave it there for today. Please enjoy a lovely weekend.

With every best wish,

Beverley Pawson

Headteacher

Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools

 

22nd December 2023

Dear Families,

We have made it to the end of a very long Autumn Term. Happy Christmas to you all!

We have had a lovely week and our schools have been very Christmassy! This week it was the turn of Warthill pupils to share their nativity. Fireside Nativity was entirely new to me this year and the children did a marvellous job, supported by the adults in school, to deliver two beautiful performances. Such complicated songs and a gentle tale of the Christmas story. Well done!

Both schools have enjoyed their Christmas Craft Days which I know the children really look forward to. I hope that you have many new decorations for your trees. My children still enjoy seeing their creations emerge from the decoration box each Christmas, even if they don’t always make it on to the tree!

Thank you to FOWs and PTA for their fund-raising events at this busy time of year. Both were a runaway success and we all know how much our children benefit from money for extras these generate. Thank you for supporting the Christmas Fair at Sand Hutton and the Lakeland Challenge at Warthill. Can I also remind you that clothing bins in both of our school provide a funding stream and so if you are planning a Spring Clean, please consider using these.

Many thanks for all the contributions to the Nursery Consultation letter. The response was really supportive and I think I have answered questions where they were asked. This means that we can move to the next stage and approach families to see how many sessions might interest them and give a clearer indication of how the process works so that we can open to these children after Easter.

Before I finish with festive messages, a random note of precaution. I have noticed a few children having whole grapes in packed lunches. I have quartered these, as these constitute a choking hazard and I have followed guidance to chop these up. However, I thought it was a good time of year to remind about the risks some food present to choking. Grapes are one of these but others can be found here:       https://capt.org.uk/

I know that Christmas is a busy time for families and I would like to thank you and send thanks on behalf of staff for all Christmas wishes, cards and generous gifts, be they personal or for the staff room. We are all aware how lucky we are. We would like to send you our most sincere Christmas wishes. Have a very Happy New Year and we look forward to seeing everyone Happy, Healthy and Ready to Learn on Tuesday 9th January.

Festive wishes,

Beverley Pawson

Headteacher

Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools

15th December 2023

Dear Families,

This week has been very Christmassy with the first of our Nativities at Sand Hutton. The two productions of Whoops-a-Daisy Angel were magical. The whole school together in song. We also featured the Steel Pans with Mrs Naylor playing for the evening performance. Well done everyone. What a talented lot! It was truly the beginning of my Christmas. I can’t wait for Warthill’s Nativity next Tuesday.

Class Three would like to say thank you (and there are postcards in school for you too!) to the PTA for their polar bear adoption which came as a great surprise this week, as they finished their class novel.

And….talking of reading, Miss Heffernan entered a competition on behalf of the federation and won copies of Happy news, which she has shared between the two schools. These newspapers only contain uplifting news from around the world to help readers focus on the positives in life. They really do bring smiles and are being enjoyed.                      Thank you!

Next week we are looking forward to Craft days and Christmas parties. I am pleased to be able to say that our Christmas Dinner will be on Wednesday 20th December in both schools. Hurray!

As previously happened at Sand Hutton, the Local Authority will be carrying out their safeguarding visit at Warthill on this day and she may wish to talk to parents at the gate. She will be wearing her lanyard and she will stay for the day. This will also be the FOWS sponsored event…we like to pack things in don’t we!?

Finally, another reminder that school will finish next Friday at 2pm on both sites.

And………….see you tonight at the Sand Hutton Christmas Fair if you are coming!

With every best wish,

Beverley Pawson

Headteacher

Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools

1st December 2023

Dear Families,
I hope you have enjoyed the snow this week and haven’t been too adversely affected.
There are some key bits of information to share with you today. Firstly, we are really sad to say that
today has been Heidi Hall’s last day in our kitchen. We know she is just as sad as we are and we have
given her a fabulous send off today!
More news, delivered with sadness today is it say that Mrs Madge is not well and will not return
until after the New Year. We are sending love and we wish her speedy recovery. In her absence, she
will be covered by Mr Lee, who has already been getting to know the junior children at Warthill this
week.
In better news I am really pleased to announce the return of our once popular Talking Tuesdays. This
is designed to encourage positive conversation over lunch with the added advantage of storytelling
with small groups. These will begin after the Christmas break. If you would like to attend, you don’t
need to make a commitment to every week. If you would like to join in, you simply contact school to
book and pay for a lunch on the day you would like to take part and we will assign you a seat. After
eating lunch, you can choose a story to read with children inside or outside. Adults and children
enjoyed these sessions pre-covid and it is time they returned.
Thank you for any foodbank donations you have already made. Just to remind you, there will be a
collection point beside the Sand Hutton clothing bin or you can bring into either school office.
Talking of clothing bins, we have also had one installed at Warthill. If you are planning on any spring
clear outs, please consider donating to this. It is the same as Bags2school but entirely at your
convenience. It has proven to be a very welcome additional funding stream at Sand Hutton.
We look forward to continuing to celebrate Christmas in a variety of ways over the next few weeks.
With every best wish,
Beverley Pawson
Headteacher
Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools

17th November 2023

Dear Families,

Firstly, thank you to anyone who sent in donations for Children in Need. The day is looking colourful and exciting!

Today has been sharing assembly at Warthill and we have enjoyed celebrating successes and awarding Corinthian medals. Thank you for joining us this morning if you were able. We were very proud of the children who entered the art competition and look forward to seeing their work in print when the copies of the books arrive in our schools.

It feels like we are rushing headlong into December with everything that entails. We are already practising for nativities and I know you will love what we will be sharing with you. Just a reminder of dates for these. December 13th at Sand Hutton at 9am and 6pm, December 19th at Warthill at 9am and 5.30pm.

While we are talking Christmas, I would like to let you know about the Sand Hutton Christmas Fair. There will be more details coming your way, but this is a ‘save the date’ for Friday 15th December….a Christmas elf has told me that the man himself may just be dropping by. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

December is looking busy even though November seems to be a quiet one. Look out for a letter about a Junior Class visit at Warthill and I have booked a theatre company to come and perform in Sand Hutton Hall for all children in both schools which I will send further details out about.

Please take the opportunity to take a breather during November because I think December will be a rollercoaster ride of fun!

Have a lovely weekend,

With every best wish,

Beverley Pawson

Headteacher

Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools