May 10, 2024

10 May 2024 – Newsletter

A note from Mr Applegate

A bee-sy week at St Mark’s! Thankfully our large bee-colony has been moved elsewhere. Thanks for your understanding in this all.

Good luck to our Year 6 pupils next week as they sit their SATs tests. Not that they need it. We’re so proud of their attitude, and the hard work they’ve put in. A reminder for Year 6 parents… Children who wish to join the SATs breakfast, please enter via the Y6 gate from 8:10am.

Please can all children wear PE kit on the following days, as we are having Sports Day practice:

Tuesday 21st May for Years R, 1, 2
Wednesday 22nd May for Years 3, 4, 5, 6

Finally, a little request: please can children not bring in their own table tennis bats. We have good ones for them to use, and it can cause difficulty when they bring their own. Thanks!

Have a great weekend. Mr Applegate :)

What's your child learning next week?

Sports Day Details - Friday 24th May
Save the date!
- The day starts with KS2 (Yrs 3-6) sports day will start at 9.15am. KS2 parents/grandparents are invited to watch.
- Then there is a whole school picnic lunch (including parents etc) between 12.00pm – 12.35pm. No alcohol with your picnic please (yes, that’s happened before!).
- KS1 (Yrs R-2) sports day will start at 1.00pm – we will be finished by the end of the school day. Again KS1 parents/grandparents are invited to stay and watch.
- The KS1 and KS2 gates will be open during the start/finish times and over lunch. At other times, access to the school is through the office.
- For each KS1/KS2 session, the children take part in a circuit of activities; afterwards, more traditional running races take place.
- There will be no parking available at the Community Centre or in the school car park.
- On the day the children should all come to school dressed in their sports kit, wearing the coloured t-shirt for their team, without big logos if possible. Let us know if your child is uncertain of their team colour. They should also bring a named water bottle.
- Once KS2 children have finished their sports day (around 12pm), they will return to their classes to be registered, go to the toilet and to collect their packed lunch if necessary. It might be wise for one parent to go and collect them from classes for the picnic. After the picnic, the children return to classes for the afternoon.
- Once KS1 children have finished their sports day around 3pm, they will need to return to their classes to be registered and to collect their home bits. Please collect their from classroom doors as normal.
Sports Day Starting Location (start at your child’s colour group)

Wellbeing Week - 20th - 24th May

We are very excited to announce our annual “Wellbeing Week”, which will take place during the last week of this half term (20^th – 24^th May). Our Wellbeing Champions are busy organising and preparing a wonderful week which focusses on the Five ways to Wellbeing.

On Monday 20^th May we are launching the week with ‘Wear a colour for wellbeing.’ Choose to wear red, blue, green, orange or pink non-uniform – or even all the colours! We will also be collecting money donations on the gate to help fundraise for all the different activities.

Throughout the lunch times that week the Wellbeing Champions will be running a Mindfulness Market Stall. Children will have a chance to buy different fiddle toys, colouring books and notebooks which can all help aid mindfulness. All items will be 50p each.

Look after our animals!

We need your help!

Click here

DIY Help on Sat 18th May – can you help?

We really need 6 helpers to move 2 tonnes of sand from the front to the back, and also level out and compact 2 areas of our site with the sand. Wheelbarrows and spades would be helpful. 9am – 12pm Sat 18th May. Email adminoffice@st-markscofe.hants.sch.uk if you can help, or just show up! Children welcome to come with you.

Support Mike and Aidan in their 100km walk

2 of our parents are walking 100km in 24hours, aiming to raise £2,000 for our school! https://www.justgiving.com/page/100kmfosm

Year 2 Forest School Dates

Issue 5 of Vooking News

Winston!!

Mia in 2CL and her dad have written the most amazing book, which is available on Amazon. It follows the adventures of her dog, Winston – a clever and resourceful dog!

Order here :)

A bee-sy week!

A huge thank you to our “Basingstoke Bees” beekeepers for solving our problem this week.

St Mark’s PhotoReel

Olivia’s Judo Trophy – well done!

FOSM Events Reminder

⭐ Star Learners ⭐

⭐ Star Readers ⭐

⭐ Quietest Classes ⭐

2CL & 4C

⭐ 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 96.0%. 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

Summer 1
- Year R – Mondays (indoors) and Thursdays (outdoors)
- Year 1 – Tues/Weds or Thurs Forest school (outdoors) and Fridays (outdoors)
- Year 2 – Tuesday (outdoors) and Wednesday (indoors)
- Year 3 – Tuesdays (outdoors) and Thursdays (indoors)
- Year 4 – Mondays (swimming) and Wednesdays (swimming)
- Year 5 – Tuesdays (indoors) and Wednesdays (outdoors)
- 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

Day	Club	Pick up Time	Pick up place
Monday	Year 2 Choir	4pm	2B
	KS2 Choir	4.15pm	Small Hall
	KS2 Girls Football	4.10pm	3W
	Board Games Club	4pm	1BB
Tuesday	Art Club	4.10pm	3SG
	Authors, Writers and Reporters Club	4pm	5SP
	Dance Live Creative Team	4.10pm	4SB
	Quad Kids	4.10pm	4PR
Wednesday	Pom Pom Wool Club	4.10pm	2G
Thursday	Art & Craft Club	4.10pm	2CL
	Coding Club	4.10pm	6F
	Calm Club	4pm	4C
Friday	Cricket	4pm	4PR

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

Impromptu No.3 by Schubert

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is a Russian composer. This piece is from his ballet written in 1889 during the Romantic era.