20th September 2024
Dear Parents
It has been a week of firsts for Ladybirds this week! Their first week of full days, first P.E lesson and they met their Year 6 buddies for the first time! We have all been so impressed with how all of the children have settled in and are learning our new routines. We forget how much there is to learn when you start school and the children have soaked up all the new information so quickly. The class has enjoyed circle time this week where they have learned about what each other enjoys and also who is in their family. This has helped us to find new friends and find out who enjoys the same things as us.
Next week Reception start our journey of learning to read through our Bug Club lessons and the children will begin to work in their small groups to build independence. Mrs Withers and Mrs Haines are so excited to see what this year brings with such a fantastic group of children.
And what did the Ladybirds think of their first week of school?
"I love coming to Harpenden Academy" - Frankie
"School is the best" - Tin Yu
"Can we come to school everyday?" - Grace
Peace Festival, Year 6
Year 6 spent a wonderful afternoon on Thursday at Harpenden Methodist Church for the annual Peace Festival. In the words of Mother Teresa, 'Peace begins with a Smile'.
Round Net
Today the KS1 and KS2 children had workshops on a new sport called Round Net.
Trainer, Nicky Harding, held an assembly on the sport this morning and then all the children had 30min-45min sessions learning to do the sport.
The children thoroughly loved it and Nicky even managed to convert a few children who don't like PE!
We do hold a Round Net (Spike ball) club on Friday, 3.20-4.20pm for Year 3 and Year 4 so if your child isn;t signed up yet there are a few spaces available. Please book them on to the club via Edulink or contact the school office.
Congratulations Joseph in Year 4
Big cheer for Joseph in Year 4! He’s been chosen to join the Luton Town Football Academy for the 2024/2025 season! What an amazing accomplishment! We can't wait to hear all about his exciting journey and the incredible training ahead. Here’s to a fantastic season, Joseph!
Eco School Award -with Merit
You may have noticed our new addition to the school building! At the end of the Summer Term we were awarded the Eco Schools Award with Merit for our work on sustainability. As a smaller school with limited outdoor space, we are extremely proud of how hard our eco leaders worked to gain this award. This involved fundraising to raise awareness for environmental issues, weaving sustainable themes into our curriculum and working hard to run as sustainably as we can. Thank you to our eco-leaders, Mrs Bowyer and Mrs Curnow.
Parents' Evening Appts -Tuesday, 15th October 2024 and Thursday, 17th October 2024, 3.30pm-7.30pm
Letters went out via Edulink yesterday and we are delighted to invite you to our Autumn Term parents' evening. On Wednesday, 25th September 2024 at 5.00pm the Edulink booking window for parent evening appts will open. This is an excellent opportunity for you to meet your child's new class teacher/s and discuss how your child has settled into their new year group/school. Both parent evenings are face-to-face in school, as we believe that this is the preferred method of communication for the majority of parents. This has the added benefit of teachers being able to share your child's work with you, which we believe will be invaluable in helping you to understand your child's progress. Please log on to Edulink and select 'parents' evening' and then the event (either 15th Oct or 17th Oct) to book your 10min appt. The events will not show up until 25th September at 5.00pm.
Once the booking window is open, please contact the school office if you need any support in setting up your appt and they will be happy to help.
Mrs Moss, SENCo & Class Teacher Meeting, Monday 7th October 2024
In addition to the parent evening dates above - parents, with children on the SEN register, will also be able to book an appt on Monday, 7th October 2024. This will be an opportunity for parents to attend their child’s Assessed Plan Do Review (APDR) meeting where we will discuss your child’s new targets for the Autumn Term. There will also be the opportunity to discuss how your child has settled in to their new class. The meeting will be with Mrs Moss the SENCo and your child’s class teacher. Once again parents will be able to book their appts via the Edulink app once the booking opens at 5.00pm on Wednesday, 25th September 2024.
Fellowship Afloat
Next week we wave farewell to our Year 5 children who go to Fellowship Afloat. We have our fingers crossed for good weather and of course an excellent time. Sadly I will not be going on this year's trip but Mr King, Miss Harvey and Miss Rymill will be.
Unwelcome Visitors!
We have had some unwelcome visitors in school. I have sent a message directly to the class involved but on a general warning to us all, I thought I would alert the whole school.
At the moment there are children with lovely, long hair running around school - both boys and girls. It will be a nightmare getting unwanted visitors out of that hair. For everyone's benefit if your child has hair that is longer than the top of their shoulder please tie up the hair. Thank you.
Apps on Phones
It has come to our notice this week that some children in Year 5 and Year 6 have the following apps on their phones which are not appropriate:-
Tik Tok – 13 years and older
Snap Chat – 13 years and older
Shein – 16 years and older
This is of course the parents' responsibility to check phones regularly and to approve of the apps your child is signed up to. As a school, as part of our safeguarding, it is our responsibility to make parents aware of the age appropriateness of the apps and to advise against them if appropriate.
Useful Feature on Class Dojo - Language Translation
I would like to alert parents to a feature on Class Dojo which translates all Class Dojo messages to your language of choice.
Here is how you change your profile settings:
- Click on your ‘Profile’ or your name in the upper right corner of the screen.
- Click on ‘Account Settings’.
- Click on ‘Language preference’ or the "Language and Region" tab on the left.
- Select your desired language.
- Click the blue "Save changes" button.
Then, you can click on the blue writing under the message that will be in the language you choose. This will translate the message into your preferred language.
Further instructions can be downloaded here
IMPORTANT: Nut Free and Sesame Free School
We remind all parents and students at the start of each new academic year that we ask all members of the Harpenden Academy community not to bring on to the school site any nuts; including sesame seeds and sesame oil or nut products such as houmous, even the imitation version of houmous. We have a number of children with nut and sesame allergies and sometimes these can be triggered, not only by ingestion but also by touch and inhalation.
Reminder Earrings in School
Guidance from the association for PE states "“Personal effects, such as jewellery, (including body piercings), watches, hair slides should ideally always be removed to establish a safe working environment"
For health and safety reasons, we strongly recommend that children remove their earrings before participating in physical activities such as PE and swimming. This is because wearing earrings can pose a danger to both the wearer and those around them. We must prioritise their safety over aesthetics. This is particularly important when it comes to children wearing earrings to school. We have a duty of care to ensure that our children can participate in physical activities without unnecessarily endangering themselves or others.
In the event that your child has just had their ears pierced and is unable to remove their earrings for PE, our office will tape them up for their PE lessons. However, we recommend that you consider piercing your child's ears at the start of the summer holidays to allow for six weeks of healing time. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Exciting New Holiday Club – Traffic Light Creative & Performing Arts!
We’re thrilled to remind you about the exciting new **Traffic Light Creative & Performing Arts Holiday Club** launching this October half-term at Harpenden Academy! Monday, 28th October to Friday, 1st November 2024. Daily or weekly booking available.
Led by Mrs Marchment and supported by our wonderful teaching assistants, this club offers an incredible opportunity for children passionate about creativity and performance. With Mrs Marchment's extensive background in performing arts, theatre administration, and her own children’s theatre company, your child will be in for an unforgettable experience.
Highlights of the Holiday Club
- Explore creative arts and performing in fun, engaging sessions.
- Led by experienced professionals with a passion for working with children.
- Priority enrolment this week for Harpenden Academy children
This is a wonderful opportunity for children to develop their artistic skills and build confidence in a supportive environment. If successful, we hope to make this a regular feature during school holidays!
**Spaces are limited, so be sure to sign up soon!**
Book Fair
Happy Birthday this week to:
Please click here to view our Harpenden Academy vacancies
Breakfast Club: Monday - Friday, 7.00-8.30
After School Club: Monday – Thursday, 15.00-18.30 & Friday 15.00 – 17.15
Hourly Rate: £8.60 to £11.44+ Holiday Pay
Rugby @ Old Albanian
The rugby season is upon us so I am advertising a flyer for Old Albamans Rugby Club.
U12 rugby is open to Year 5 and Year 6 girls, while U14 rugby is open to Year 7 and Year 8 girls at secondary school.
Please share this flyer with friends who have children of this age. Secondary schools are teaching rugby this term and if they do enjoy it, there is somewhere they can go.
