January 5, 2024

5 January 2024 – New Year Newsletter

A note from Mr Applegate

Happy New Year to you all! My favourite quote of the week is from a child who said “it feels like midnight all the time” – ie, it’s hard to get back into routine, particuarly with darker mornings and the weather. Akin to jetlag, perhaps?!

This morning we’ve sent out our Autumn Term Learning reports via email. We hope they are helpful for you. Please check spam folders first and then contact the school if you’ve not received it.

For those already signed up, Spring clubs begin week commencing 8th January 2024. Full details here: Clubs Lists Spring Term

Have a great weekend,

Mr Applegate

What's your child learning next week?

What's your child learning this term?

Walking 100km for St Marks!

Two parents of St Mark’s are walking 100km continuously across the Jurassic Coast, fundraising for the school.

Mike is a parent at the school, Aidan is Chair of Governors and a parent at the school. They are both a little addicted to walking!

Can you support their fundraising efforts for our school? Click here to find out more and donate!

SCL Update

Capacity has increased at SCL this term, but if you feel there still isn’t enough, please can we encourage you to email enquiries@wearescl.co.uk to let them know of your need. This is how they review numbers and staffing levels.

FOSM Events Reminder

Book a farm slot

Click here

School Photoreel

Please avoid parking on double yellows at the Community Centre. Thanks.

Please avoid parking on double yellows at the Community Centre!

Variety of parenting courses available

Bookings now opened – www.linktr.ee/futureinmind

January 2024

Thursday 11th – Parent Carers Wellbeing – Eastleigh 10.15

Tuesday 16th – Supporting and Managing Crisis – Havant 10.15 (change of venue)

Wednesday 17th – Learning to Love Autism (New to Autism?) – Aldershot 10.15

Tuesday 23rd – Neuroaffirming Accommodations to Access Education to Support Mental Health – Online Recorded 19.00

Thursday 25th – Turning Passions into Skills for Employability, 16-25 year olds – Basingstoke 10.15

Wednesday 31st – ARFID with Hampshire CAMHS – Online Recorded 12.00 Lunchtime

Tesco Funding - Vote for St Mark's

From Mid January to March, all of the Tescos in Basingstoke will have tokens available to ‘vote’ for a project – including our very own St Mark’s Farm and Forest School projects. This could be worth up to £10,000!

If you make a purchase in Tesco, don’t forget to vote for us by putting the token in the right box. And perhaps share this with your family and friends!

Thank you from Jane the lollypop lady

I’d like to thank all the parents and pupils for their kindness, giving me Christmas gifts and cards at the end of term – a lot of effort had gone into the hand drawn cards! I’d like to wish everyone a happy and healthy 2024!

Pupil Safety First

We’re at over 500 signatures. Can we get to 800?! Please sign our petition here! We’ll be presenting this to the council really soon!

Money in an envelope…

We’ve been handed some cash in an envelope. It was with a Christmas card without any names or details in it. Please see the office if you think this is yours.

⭐ Star Learners ⭐

⭐ Star Readers ⭐

⭐ Attendance Updates ⭐

Our target over the year is 97%. Last year’s attendance was 95.8% – above national levels, but we’d like it to be much higher.

Our current attendance percentage is 96.4%. Oh no :(

Weekly Attendance by Class

What's the impact on missing school?

Categories	Learning days lost
Acceptable sickness & unforeseen absences.	98% = 4 days
	97% = 6 days
	96% = 8 days
Attendance below 95% is of concern to the school & you will be contacted automatically.10 days unauthorised absences for holidays over the year mean you will only achieve 95% attendance. Sickness & medical appointments, although usually unavoidable & authorised, will add further to your child’s absence record.	95% = 10 days
	94% = 12 days
	93% = 14 days
	92% = 16 days
Poor attendance Attendance below 90% is a serious concern. Your child has now missed nearly 4 weeks’ education. You may be referred to the Early Help team at the local authority.	91% = 18 days
	90% = 20 days
	89% = 21 days
	88% = 23 days
	87% = 25 days
	86% = 27 days
Very poor attendance	85% = 29 days
	84% = 31 days
	82% = 35 days
	80% = 39 days

School Dates, Lunches, and Clubs

View the full calendar here. Subscribe on either Chrome/ Android or Apple

Meals
PE Days
Status: running as usual

Spring 1
- Year R – Mondays (indoors) and Thursdays (indoors)
- Year 1 – Tuesdays (indoors) and Thursdays (indoors)
- Year 2 – Tuesday (indoors) and Wednesday (indoors)
- Year 3 – Mondays (outdoors) and either Weds/Thurs/Fri Forest school (outdoors)
- Year 4 – Mondays (indoors) and Fridays (indoors)
- Year 5 – Tuesdays (outdoors) and Wednesdays (indoors)
- Year 6 – Wednesday (outdoors) and Friday (indoors)
What to wear

Children should wear PE kit to school on the days they have PE. When children have gym, please can they bring or wear shorts underneath. PE kit guide:
- Navy or black shorts. Jogging bottoms for outside in cold weather (leggings are fine too).
- PE skirts with cycling-style shorts are acceptable.
- White t-shirt. Please also wear the school jumper to school on PE days. Football shirts are not acceptable as PE kit.
- Trainers for all children.
After School Clubs
- Spring 1 clubs will begin week commencing 8th January 2024.
- Clubs Lists Spring Term
Music Info
Full School Calendar
Information - breakfast and afterschool clubs, uniform etc
- Breakfast Club – just show up – details here.
- SCL after-school club – click here for full details.
- Uniform – click here for details, including Skoolkit ordering
- School bags – can be ordered here
- Absence – Please report absences via phone or email here by 9am. If you need to request a future absence, please use this form.
- Are you eligible for Free School Meals and further funding for the school? Check online here.
Foodbank Support

In worship this week…

Music of the Week

Cello Suite No 1 in G Major by JS Bach

This is perhaps the most widely heard piece of cello music in modern society. It is frequently used to accompany movie trailers and adverts. Johann Sebastian Bach wrote this piece between 1717-1723 during the Baroque era.