Dear Parents,

Half term has come and gone in a flash and we have returned to a very busy week! Thank you to everyone who attended Family Learning Time on Wednesday morning, it was great to see so many parents and to receive your lovely comments about how informative you found the maths session.

Primary School Applications

We hosted another Open Evening for parents of children starting school in September 2025 on Wednesday. The hall was absolutely packed and there was a very positive response to our presentation and tour of the school. The highlight for parents was a special evening Forest School session, kindly run by Mrs. Winsley and Mrs. Stobbie and attended by some of our Year 2 children, who had a brilliant time toasting marshmallows, making shadow puppets and talking about the lives of nocturnal animals. We are grateful to our wonderful staff for staying for the evening to demonstrate our school in action and of course to the children and parents who attended out of hours, without whom we would not have been able to show off our incredible Forest School facilities. Particular thanks must go to Mr Norfolk for illuminating the Forest School area so beautifully, as you can see it looked absolutely magical!

Please remember applications for primary school places are now open - this is for any child starting in Reception year or Year 3 (Junior School) in September 2025. Year 2 parents are invited to Writtle Junior School on Wednesday 13th November at 6pm and a repeat of the same meeting on Friday 15th November at 9am.

Children's Health

Chickenpox continues to make its presence felt in school! Please keep an eye on your child and follow the NHS guidance for treatment of any symptoms and keeping your child home from school. We have been reminding the children about hand hygiene as germs and bugs do spread easily in schools. We have advertised our new drop-in sessions via ParentMail this week. If you have any concerns about the issues listed, please email us to make an appointment with the school nurse.

Writtle Parish Council Competition

A reminder that Writtle Parish Council is looking for entries to their competition for children to write about or draw their favourite aspect of school life. Please bring your entry to the school office before the end of November, we can't wait to see them!

Next Week

We will remember the fallen at 11am on Armistice Day (Monday) with a minute's silence in school. Our Year 2 children will visit the War Memorial on the village green at this time - parents are welcome to join us if you wish. Poppies are available to buy on the playground on Monday morning.

Friday 15th November is a dress down day for Children in Need. Please wear something spotty and bring a small donation for this very special cause.

Online Parenting Courses - Family Lives

There are no manuals for being a parent and with so much conflicting advice and so little time on our hands, we thought that this series of online parenting courses from Family Lives might  make the challenge a little easier. If you are interested, please follow the link below:

https://www.familylives.org.uk/how-we-can-help/online-parenting-courses

Family Lives offers a confidential and free helpline service for families in England and Wales (previously known as Parentline). They can be contacted on 0808 800 2222 for emotional support, information, advice and guidance on any aspect of parenting and family life. Their website is also a rich source of useful support and advice.

Wishing you all a restful weekend.

Best wishes

Tracey Wilson