Welcome to your newsletter for week ending July 4th 

We hope children and families alike enjoyed Sports Day today- it was lovely to see so many smiling faces in the sunshine. Read on for the results!

This week children have enjoyed a range of transition events and for these we welcomed some of our new staff, who will be formally joining us in September- in Reception we welcome Miss Kindon, in Year 1 Miss Probert is joining the team, Year 2 have a new addition; Miss Mahandru, in Year 5 we have Mr Beacham and Year 6 have a new crew member too- Miss Becker. We know that if your child is in a class with a new member of staff, you will want to meet them soon; we will be adding the September 'Welcome Back/ Meet the Teacher' dates to the calendar before the end of term.

We also have three new teaching assistants starting in September too; Miss Casey is joining the Reception team, Mrs Thomas is joining Year 1 and Miss Chowdhury is joining Year 5. We would also like to welcome Mr Malik as our Higher Level Teaching Assistant.

As you may have guessed, with all these new members of staff starting, we have (or will be) saying goodbye to some of our current team- more details this next week.

What's Coming Up

Reception Request: Donations!

Our lovely reception team are in need of the following items! If you are having a summer clear out and find any of the items listed below in good condition, we would be more than happy to take hem off your hands!

Missing Items!

We have had two items handed into the school office: 

Pink handbag found at the year 2&3 disco with some items inside

White box with a sentimental item & message

If any of those sound like it could be your child's, please contact the school office. 

As always, if your child is missing jumpers/ cardigans, coats etc. please make sure to check the lost property boxes located in the George and Elizabeth buildings.

Congratulations to this week's Attendance Armadillo winners!

Last Music Lessons...

As this academic year draws to a close, so do our music lessons! Next week is the last week for all music lessons. Many groups will have already finished – the only ones continuing into next week are:

Woodwind

Violin/Viola

Brass

Guitar

Percussion

Congratulations to all our budding musicians, we are very proud of your hard work and dedication this year. We hope you continue to enjoy playing your chosen instrument for many years to come.

Summer Concert

Next Friday we will be hosting our annual summer concert in BVP’s George Hall from 6.30-7pm.

Children’s dress code: Wear smart school uniform

Children’s (performers) arrival time: 5.30pm

Parents arrival time: Please arrive 5 minutes before

We will be sharing a programme ahead of the event.

Please see the school calendar for full details. 

We hope you can make it!

Youth Proms

On July 15^th our talented choir and orchestra will be performing at The Symphony Hall as part of this year’s Youth Proms. All the relevant information has been emailed to parents whose children are involved. We cannot wait to see them perform what they have been working so hard to perfect these past few months.

You can find out more here.

We wanted to take a moment to share how incredibly proud we are of all the children following their Transition Day into their new classes. It’s always a big step moving up and meeting new teachers and classmates, but the children approached the day with maturity, curiosity, and a wonderful sense of enthusiasm.

It was lovely to see so many smiles and hear the buzz of excitement as they began building new relationships and looking ahead to the year to come.

Supporting Anxious Children 2025

We know change can feel daunting for some, and we want to thank you for your ongoing support in helping your children feel confident and prepared. We’re looking forward to the year ahead and all the fantastic learning and growth it will bring.

We have attached some links below around supporting your child with anxiety.  We have also included the PowerPoint from the Anxiety Workshop.

Supporting Children with Fears and Worries-

After School "Drop-In" Sessions for families 

As mentioned in our last newsletter, please click here to complete the form to choose your preferred day for our afterschool "drop-in" sessions from September available to all families.

Please don’t hesitate to contact the team, [email protected] , telephoning the school or popping into the office.

We hope you have a lovely weekend!

Next week we will be on Week 3.

Don't forget to pre-book your child's meal option on Arbor! (even if your child is having a Packed Lunch) 

Top Tip: When selecting your meal choice, tick "Pick for all future available dates" to confirm your selection until the end of term!

Each week, we will be recommending a book for you and your child to read at home...

Reception

A joyful exploration of our emotions and how to help us feel calm.

Year 1

Dinosaurs have taken over the Earth, stomping out all the rubbish we have left behind. Will this make anything better?

Year 3

A book recommended by the amazing Tom Fletcher and Cressida Cowell. I would say there is nothing to see, but it’s so inventive and funny, so worth a read.

Year 2

The author needs no introduction. A timeless classic for children to read.

Year 4

Sometimes you are a whisper away from magic, without even realising. A funny and fast paced book worth a read.

Year 5

A Blue Peter award winning book, telling 29 inspirational tales from 29 amazing children. Definitely worth a read.

Year 6

It is getting close now… this book maybe the eye opening realisation and support any Year 6 child could need.

Year 2/3 and Year 4/5/6 Disco

It seemed to go ok... No-one completely melted! We had plenty of water, fans and chill-out space Thanks to the volunteers that helped make the event go smoothly on Tuesday. It is very much appreciated!

We had +20 for the Year 2/3 disco, and +35 for the Year 4/5/6 which was amazing. This included some alumni coming back to help out as part of their ongoing skills development/experience. We are very open to this for those alumni that are responsible, willing to listen, able to get involved and know at least one adult helper who is also volunteering.

Year 6 Leavers

Thanks to all that have added an optional PTA donation to the Hoodie order. It is very much appreciated!

You should have received a letter outlining all the leavers celebrations, please do check you inbox. The link you need is https://forms.office.com/e/9p0vBvBXbC to tell us what you are getting involved in. We have received 82 responses - so a few more to go still. You would have got an email from School if we don't have a submission from you.

Parent Drinks and Dancing

We are heading out to Griedys Street on 11^th July from 19:00, and then for those that want to dance go onto Actress and Bishop (or we might be going to Voulez Vous at The Night Owl in Digbeth). Lets see what we think on the night. No tickets no pressure.

Other PTA Dates for this term

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11th July (Friday) - Parents Drinks and Dancing (Greidy's Street, and then Actress and Bishop) (07974331102 to join the party)

17th July (Thursday) - Year 6 Leavers Assembly George Hall 14:00 - 15:30

17th July - Year 6 Family BBQ Top Playground 15:30 - 17:00

17th July - Leavers Party, George Hall 18:00 - 22:00

18th July (Friday) - Last day of Term

And finally...

Thankyou for your continuing support families- we really do take on board your comments and feedback. On the 14th we will be sharing the link for the final Parent/ Carer survey of the year, so please look out for that and spend 5 minutes giving us your views.

We hope the sun continues to shine over the weekend and that you get a moment or two to relax.

Take care and see you all bright and early on Monday.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is the responsibility of everyone in our school and at all times we consider what is in our children’s best interests. We work to ensure our children are safe and cared for and by doing this we are protecting their health and development and preventing them from harm. If we are worried, we will raise concerns, share information, and take prompt action with the aim of ensuring families receive the right help at the right time.

Going On In Your Area...

Events in Birmingham 

Click here to view upcoming event in Birmingham: 

Black Sabbath in Brum 

UK Outdoors Championship

Summer Holiday 

Learn valuable digital skills at our unique Summer HAF code club. Coding and Computing courses covering a wide range of topics including 3D Gamebuilding, Robotics, Micro-bits, Animation, Pixel Art and Minecraft Challenges.

Workshops are taught by an industry expert working with studios such as, Electronic Arts, Codemasters, BBC, Disney, and Aardman Animation Studio. Get the inside scoop on how AAA computer games are made! They'll be plenty of off-screen time too, so children can also get active and play! This is a fantastic opportunity for children interested in tech and stem subjects.

For pupil premium bookings a delicious hot meal will be provided. For paid places a packed lunch is required. Fruity snacks offered to all children throughout the session. 

📍 Venue: St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Sisefield Road, Birmingham, West Midlands B38 9JB

📅 Dates: July 29th July to August 22nd , 5th to 8th Aug, 12th to 15th Aug, 19th to 22nd Aug.

 ⏰9:00AM to 1:00pm

Pupil premium (you must have a HAF code) booking link:https://jamcodingbirminghamsouth.coordinate.cloud/book/243045

If you are not eligible for pupil premium or don't have a HAF code, please use this link: https://portal.jamcoding.franscape.io/class-overview/4725 The paid place cost is £25.