Dear Parents/Carers

Beckie Shaw from ‘Move it, Get Active’ is looking at the possibility of her running a holiday club over the Christmas Period.

If this is something you would be interested in, please Click here to complete the Christmas Holiday Club Survey by Monday 25th November.

Parent responses will then be with Beckie and if there is enough uptake to run a Holiday Club, further information on how to book and a flyer will follow.

Well done NJS Art Club and staff for a wonderful display in Henshalls Insurance Brokers window!

We thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to display art work on the High Street each Christmas.

Thank you to the children and staff for their hard work and Henshalls for the opportunity.

FRIDAY 22ND NOVEMBER: NEWPORT CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!

Our NJS choir will be the opening act on the stage on the Newport Christmas Light Switch on!  Choir should meet the NJS team at the side of the stage on the High Street at 4.45pm.  They should be wearing their NJS jumper and ideally something to show festive spirit on their head (e.g. Santa hat, boppers, tinsel etc.)

Also on this evening… Art Club will be revealing their Christmas window display in Henshalls Insurance Brokers window!

MONDAY 2ND DECEMBER: CHRISTMAS TREE!

The Christmas tree will be going up!

YEAR 3: If any Year 3 children would like to donate a Christmas tree decoration to mark their first Christmas at NJS please bring it in on this date.

TUESDAY 3RD DECEMBER: SENIOR CITIZENS TEA PARTY!

2-3pm, Senior Citizens Tea party in the school hall!  Senior Citizens are very welcome to come along for 2pm for tea/coffee, cake and a selection of musical performances from our NJS children.  The event will finish at 3pm.

YEAR 6: We give Y6 children the responsibility of hosting this event: we would be very grateful if they could bring in cakes and raffle prize donations on this date.

THURSDAY 5TH DECEMBER: NEWPORT FOODBANK DONATIONS

We have been asked if we could kindly collect food donations from our NJS families this Christmas, to pass on to Newport Foodbank.  Any donations are appreciated and should be brought into school on this date only.

Suitable foods to collect: Cranberry sauce, Packets of stuffing, Gravy, Tinned ham and salmon, Christmas cake, Christmas puddings, Biscuits for cheese, Chutney, Tinned potatoes, Custard, Mince pies (with a best before end date of at least Jan 2025)

Please DON’T  send any food PAST it’s BEST BEFORE DATE.

FRIDAY 6TH DECEMBER: CHRISTMAS FAIR!

To raise funds for the PTA children are invited to bring a donation into school (we suggest £2 but appreciate any donations).  During the afternoon they will be able to take part in some fun Christmas themed activities and games in the Hall.

WEDNESDAY 11TH DECEMBER: YEAR 3 CHRISTMAS PERFORMANCE

There will be two performances on this date and we ask that children are in school for both.

2pm: 2 audience members per child only.

6pm: 2 audience members per child only.

Please remember:

*Strictly two audience members per child (any siblings or babies etc will count as one audience member).  We will ask you to sign in on arrival.  Please don’t place us in the uncomfortable position of having to ask someone to leave.

*We ask that you arrive through the front security gate.

*For the evening performance the security gate will open no earlier than 5.30pm, we will ask that you drop your child into a Year 6 classroom and then make your way into the hall.

*Photographs in this performance:

We know as parents you may wish to take photos of your child in their Christmas performance.  Please note that some children, for a whole range of reasons, do not have consent for their photograph to be taken.

Please can we therefore ask that if you take photographs you try to do so only of your own child and that you do not post any photographs from this performance on social media.

THURSDAY 12TH DECEMBER: YEAR 4 CHRISTMAS PERFORMANCE

There will be two performances on this date and we ask that children are in school for both.

2pm: 2 audience members per child only.

6pm: 2 audience members per child only.

Please remember:

*Strictly two audience members per child (any siblings or babies etc will count as one audience member).  We will ask you to sign in on arrival.  Please don’t place us in the uncomfortable position of having to ask someone to leave.

*We ask that you arrive through the front security gate.

*For the evening performance the security gate will open no earlier than 5.30pm, we will ask that you drop your child into a Year 6 classroom and then make your way into the hall.

*Photographs in this performance:

We know as parents you may wish to take photos of your child in their Christmas performance.  Please note that some children, for a whole range of reasons, do not have consent for their photograph to be taken.

Please can we therefore ask that if you take photographs you try to do so only of your own child and that you do not post any photographs from this performance on social media.

FRIDAY 13TH DECEMBER: NATIONAL CHRISTMAS JUMPER DAY!

Children are welcome to attend school in a Christmas jumper instead of their NJS jumper!  (They should wear the rest of their school uniform!)

Donations for Save the Children UK (we suggest £1).

CHRISTMAS DINNER!

Christmas dinner will be offered to year groups on the dates below:

Monday 16th December: Year 3

Tuesday 17th December: Year 4

Wednesday 18th December: Year 5

Thursday 19th December: Year 6

A traditional Christmas dinner will be served by our catering team on the above dates.  Payment can be made in the usual way by ParentPay.

On your child’s Christmas Dinner day they may wear a festive jumper instead of their usual green school jumper, all other uniform should be worn as usual.

On the dates your child is not having their Christmas dinner the alternative offered will be Grab & Go.  The usual offer for Grab and Go will apply: ham, cheese, tuna or egg; sandwich, wrap or baguette.

Of course if your child does not wish to have a Christmas dinner or Grab & Go they can bring their packed lunch and will be included in the festivities!

MONDAY 16TH DECEMBER: YEAR 5 CHRISTMAS PERFORMANCE

At 6.30pm at St Nicholas’ Church our Year 5 children will hold their Christmas performance.

Children should wear their school uniform.

Church doors will not open until 6.15pm.  There is no audience limit for this performance.

WEDNESDAY 18TH DECEMBER: YEAR 6 CHRISTMAS PERFORMANCE

At 6.30pm at St Nicholas’ Church our Year 5 children will hold their Christmas performance.

Children should wear their school uniform.

Church doors will not open until 6.15pm.  There is no audience limit for this performance.

THURSDAY 19TH DECEMBER: WHOLE SCHOOL TO CHURCH

Please can all children be dropped at St Nicholas’ Church between 8.30am and 9am for our end of term service.

Unfortunately parents/carers are unable to attend this service due to capacity.

Please note: If your child attends High Five for breakfast club that day provision is made for NJS staff to bring the children to church.

FRIDAY 20TH DECEMBER: SCHOOL CHOIR PERFORMING IN THE MARKET HALL

Our NJS choir have been invited to sing in the Market Hall at 1.30pm!  They will be escorted by school staff but of course parents/carers are welcome to come along and enjoy the performance!  Children will need to wear their uniform with a Christmas accessory (e.g. Santa hat, boppers, tinsel etc.)

FRIDAY 20TH DECEMBER: FINISH FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS!

TUESDAY 7TH JANUARY: BACK TO SCHOOL!

The Health Hub have asked us to  share this information:

Teaching good hygiene habits

Parents/carers are urged to encourage good hygiene habits in their families, such as handwashing and using a tissue to catch coughs and sneezes. Regularly washing hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds or using hand sanitiser when convenient, is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of germs.

Knowing when to keep your child at home and when to send them to school

Children are encouraged to stay in school or nursery with symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat or slight cough (if otherwise well and do not have a high temperature), but should stay at home if they feel too unwell to attend and/or if they have a fever.  They should stay home until the fever has passed and they are well enough to attend.  If they have diarrhoea and/or vomiting they should stay home for at least 48 hours after these symptoms clear up.  Let the school know if your child is diagnosed with other illnesses such as scarlet fever and they can advise you how for long your child should stay off school.

Stopping the spread of stomach bugs

Stomach bugs spread easily in schools and nurseries. If you or your child have diarrhoea and/or vomiting, washing hands with soap and warm water and using bleach-based products to clean surfaces will help stop infections from spreading. Don’t prepare food for others if you have such symptoms or for 48 hours after symptoms stop. If you are unwell, you should also avoid visiting people in hospitals and care homes to avoid passing on the infection to those more vulnerable. It’s important not to return to school, nursery or work until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.

Getting vaccinated

Infections such as flu, which see a seasonal increase in winter, are easily protected against with vaccination. All primary school age children, those aged 2 years (who have turned 2 years old before the  1 September 2024) all 3 year olds and secondary school children from Year 7 to Year 11 are eligible for the flu vaccine.  This will protect the children themselves, the school community and elderly relatives.

It’s also important to ensure your children are up-to-date with their routine vaccinations, which protect against diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria and polio. If you are unsure of your child’s vaccination status, you can check their “red book” or contact their GP.

NHS UK also provides easily accessible guidance for parents to help manage winter illness at home.

These children have completed ‘Makaton Monday’ this term with Mrs Case.  They were very proud to receive their certificates!

Well done to the children and thank you to Mrs Case for running this club.