11th June Newsletter – Car Wash, Rev May, Sports Week, Art, INSET Day Follow Up, September, Covid, and more

Summary

• Car Wash – Saturday 12th June! Times are: KS1 10.00 – 11.30 KS2 11.30 – 1.00 If you have children in both, come any time ! Card payments and cash accepted
• Rev May – don’t forget to say goodbye this week.
• Sports Week – for children only! See details below.
• Use Facebook? See our school page here or Join the FOSM page here 

Message from Mr Applegate

Rev May: Sadly, it is Rev May’s last week with us at St Mark’s. Please do wish her all the best – she’ll be on the gates as usual this week (Monday KS2, Tuesday KS1), as well as on Friday for 15minutes each. We have LOVED having Rev May in our St Mark’s community. Despite starting in July 2019, she has very much become “one of St Mark’s”, and we are so grateful for her time, support, input and fun. We will be having a special worship on Friday to send her off, too! On behalf of our school, we wish her the very best as she takes up her new post in Chichester.

INSET Update: On our INSET day on Monday, we spent time strengthening our curriculum to ensure it best meets the needs of our children. We looked at the projects we teach, and how we can teach all subjects to help children become experts! We also reviewed how we include, represent, and value everyone in our society through what we teach – irrespective of race, ethnicity, religion etc. Everyone is loved and accepted, and we want our children to really hold that within their own values and actions, and to stand up for injustice.

September Classes: Very soon, we’ll be sending you a link to complete an online form regarding friendships for classes for September 2021. It will come via email.

September Plans and Covid: Making decisions about September is tricky – there is no change in government guidance, and possible government delays to ‘Freedom Day’ on June 21st may or may not impact school. Rest assured we will keep doing our best to ensure children’s safety. Please continue to be careful! You may be interested to know that in Basingstoke primaries, there was a total of 11 cases last week alone. We too had a positive case last week, although the child hadn’t been at school since before half-term so there was no risk to our pupils, and they didn’t have any contact with others during half-term. The family did the right thing in getting a PCR test once there were symptoms, and also isolating. Please remember:

• If you or your child has a temperature, persistent cough, or loss/change of taste/smell, they must isolate, along with your household, and get a PCR test immediately. Please also inform the school via covid@stmarksce.org.uk. Please err on the side of caution. Please don’t just carry on with normal life if you have symptoms.
• A lateral flow (LFD) test is not a replacement for a PCR test. If there are symptoms, a LFD test is no good! It has to be a PCR test. This is a common misconception. LFD tests are used on an ongoing basis when there are no symptoms.

Generosity: On a different note, your generosity knows no bounds! On our Non-uniform day before half-term, you gave £798! And at a recent nearly new sale, you raised £120. This brings our totaliser figure to £18099.92! Amazon Smile has raised over £465 – it’s easy! The money raised is being used to cover COVID costs, and to provide children with additional resources including technology, playtime equipment, stationary, books and more. Thank you so much

Mr Applegate

Year 6 Group Photo

The school photographer will be taking a year group photo of our Year 6 children on Wednesday 16th June. If you do not want your child to be included in this photo, please let the school office know.

Sports Week

This year sports day will look a little bit different. Due to Covid, we are unable to all spend the day outside competing for our colour teams with our family and friends to support us. We still want sports day to go ahead and for children to have the opportunities to earn points for their team.

We will be holding a Sports Week from Wed 23^rd June to Fri 25^th June (reserved dates Mon 28^th to Wed 30^th June).

Across this week, each year group will have an afternoon where they compete for their colour teams in an Obstacle Race. Then at another point this week, they will attempt the challenge of beating the teachers at a number of different activities.

During sports week, we would like all children across the school to wear sports clothes. On their designated afternoon for the obstacle race, we would like your child to wear their colour team t-shirt – please see timetable below. Class teachers will have list of who is in which colour team if you are unsure.

Obstacle Race Days – team colour t-shirts needed to be worn on this day.

• Year 1 and 2 – Weds 23^rd June (Reserve Mon 28^th)
• Year 3 and 5 – Thurs 24^th June (Reserve Tues 29^th)
• Year R, 4 and 6 – Fri 25^th June (Reserve Wed 30^th)

For the beat the teacher challenge, we are asking for the children to be sponsored. Thanks for all your support, please do ask your child’s teachers if you have any questions. Miss Thomas and Miss Barnett

Enjoy our work by Year 2 pupils!