Published on: 16th September, 2024

Autumn Newsletter 4 (20.9.24)

Contents:

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Compassion in Action

Georgia was booked to go up the bell tower at St Nicholas church this weekend during the heritage open days but after speaking with Sandra who’s over seeing the church she explained she was in need of volunteers inside.

Georgia without hesitation asked if she could help myself and a colleague serve refreshments on the day giving up her time on the weekend.

Amazing example of compassion, well done Georgia.

Values in Action

Term Time Requests for Leave

Please find attached our Attendance Policy which is compliant with national guidance:

2024 Attendance Policy

I need to remind you that we comply with the national guidance and it is highly unlikely that requests for leave will be authorised.

 The changes to national guidance from August that parents need to be aware of:

  • If your child has 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a 10 school week rolling period, you may be issued with a Penalty Notice. These 10 sessions may include any unauthorised absence, including leave in term time and do not have to be consecutive.
  • Penalty Notices are increasing to £160 from September 2024. This can be reduced to £80 but only for the first Penalty Notice issued, if paid within 21 days – this reduction does not apply to any subsequent Penalty Notice.
  • Any 2nd Penalty Notice, to the same parent for the same child, issued within three years of the date of the first Penalty Notice will be charged at a flat rate of £160
  • A third Penalty Notice will not be issued within a three year rolling period, to the same parent for the unauthorised absence of the same child, – alternative action or legal measures will be utilised for subsequent offences.
  • In some circumstances a ‘Notice to Improve’ may be issued – However, a Notice to Improve will only be used in cases where support is appropriate. They will not be issued in cases of unauthorised leave in term time for holidays, where information for parents is included on schools website or a simple warning by the school that a Penalty Notice could be issued if unauthorised leave in term time is taken will suffice.

 

Travel to and from school…

I just wanted to send some reminders about travel to school for keeping our locality safe for our children at these busy times of the day.

*We recommend that cars avoid Avenue Road at school drop off and pick up times: it is very busy with pedestrians crossing and reducing traffic will keep this safer.

*We ask that, if you can, families walk, scoot or cycle to school.

*We can that, if you can’t travel to school by foot, you park in a local car park and walk from there.  We suggest Shuker Field, B&M, Specsavers, Waitrose…

*We ask that on the journey to and from school members of our school family are polite and considerate to our neighbours on Avenue Road.

Thank you for your support.

Lunch Menu for Thursday 26th September

European Day of Languages- Italian Themed Lunch Menu

Beef Bolognaise

Vegetarian Bolognaise

Spaghetti

Baguette

Mixed Vegetables

Chocolate Mousse

 

Exciting School Council Decisions

Our School Council have chosen in one of their first decisions of the school year, for last week’s Award winners to present the new week’s Headteacher’s Awards and take the job off Mrs Moody! This a great example of discussing ideas as a group and coming to a decision.

This was a job that last week’s winners thoroughly enjoyed doing. A great change by Mrs Parker and her team. 😊

 

Attendance Award: 4L!!

Huge congratulations to 4L who won the attendance award this week!

Mr Lawson was presented with a crown and ‘class of the week’ sash to wear around school with pride!

Well done 4L.

Music Lessons!

Just to remind our families that we have two ways you can access lessons for musical instruments:

RockSteady

https://www.rocksteadymusicschool.com/

Telford and Wrekin Music Service

https://www.telfordandwrekinmusic.co.uk/parents/

School Photographs: Wednesday 25th September

Academy will be in school on Wednesday to take individual school photographs.

If there are siblings within school then we will organise these within the school day.

If your child has a sibling in another school you are welcomed to the hall at 830am for a photograph. Please come to the hall through the gate opposite One Dental.

FAITH DAY

Today we held a ‘Faith Day’ at NJS.

The aim was the enable the children to spend time with different teachers in our school family and to build relationships as well as to deepen their understanding of some World Religions, non religion and to ask some big questions!

Club sign up…

A couple of people have asked today why we don’t give an exact time for clubs to be on Parent Pay so we just want to explain…

We used to give a time but this led to challenges and ParentPay got very confused and kept logging people out because everyone was on at exactly the same time! It was like trying to get Oasis tickets!

So through experience we learnt giving a window of time means people go on at a range of times and it runs smoother!

Youth Mental Health Day

Yesterday – 19th September – was Youth Mental Health Day. The theme this year is Control Your Scroll.

Children have discussed the following skills in class this week:

Understanding how to use devices effectively.
Knowing how to protect information and to think critically about the information you access.
To take time to reflect on how your interactions might be affecting you emotionally.
To keep up on new learning about emerging technologies and challenges.
To behave online in the same way you would behave offline, specifically with regards to being respectful and keeping within the law.

Stem4 – the charity who organise Youth Mental Health Day – have shared the following signposts for additional support, which may be useful for young people of any age. (These are worth saving or noting down for future use!)

WWFC – Halloween Soccer School

SS_October24_Telford_A5

Compassion at NJS – Jeans for Genes

Head teacher Awards 13th – 19th September

House Points 13th-19th September

Grab & Go!

Diary Dates Week 4 – 23rd-27th September

Attendance Award 13th-19th September

Clubs 23rd-27th September