Dear Parents,

The festive season is now underway and we began our week with Year 1 and 2’s Advent Assembly on Monday morning at All Saints Church. Thank you to Reverend Tony for leading the service and reminding us that amidst a frenzy of school events, shopping and preparations, Christmas should be a time of calm, peace and hope. The church is collecting new toys to give to children in East London. If parents would like to contribute, please take them to their services on Sunday 1st December at 10am or Tuesday 10th December at 7pm. Alternatively bring them to the school office by Thursday 5th December and we will ensure that they reach the church. Reverend Tony has given us the dates of Christmas services, as well as a reminder of next weekend’s Christmas Tree Festival! A visit is highly recommended, to see so many decorated trees in the church is a wonderful sight and of course, you can vote for the Writtle schools’ joint entry - Christmas Countdown! Messy Church will have its final Christmas Service on Sunday 22nd December, 10am, with a firepit, smores, and hot chocolate outside and other activities indoors.

Yesterday we hosted another very popular Open Evening for parents of children starting September 2025. Thank you to our Chair of Governors Mr Coffey and the rest of the staff for welcoming the parents and to our Forest School team for running yet another brilliant session for a group of Year 2 children who came back for the evening. Judging by the comments we received, the parents were very impressed with the school and we wish them every success with their school applications.

Writtle Library

Sharks class had their turn to visit the library this week, exploring the books on offer and enjoying a reading session with Mrs Soden. Thank you to Writtle library for hosting. Essex Libraries are launching their annual Winter Reading Challenge in the New Year. The Dragons’ Adventure starts on Thursday 2 January and runs until Saturday 22 February, and children can join at any point during that time. They will be asked to complete six challenges, with stickers and prizes available. Classes who have not visited the library this term will have their opportunity in the New Year, just in time for the challenge.

Developing Careers in Education

We are lucky to have links with many local educational institutions, where we can share expertise and develop young people’s passion for education as a career choice. Miss Strutt is our SCITT (School-Centred Initial Teacher Training) trainee teacher, based in Dolphins class until the end of term, while we are also lucky to have Miss Cross and Miss Clarke on placement with us - both students undertaking T Level qualifications in education at Chelmsford College. We are delighted that Miss Cross was offered a place at Anglia Ruskin University this week to study for a degree in Primary Education including Qualified Teacher Status and we know she will be an asset to our profession in the future. We hosted a group of SCITT trainee teachers in school this week to develop their understanding of teaching Reception and Key Stage 1, as well as teaching assistants from The Hawthorns School to visit our Foxes and Squirrels classes and share their knowledge of Special Educational Needs education with the staff. Our Year 2 children are also enjoying PE lessons with students from Anglia Ruskin University Writtle each week, as they train for their qualification in sports coaching. If you are interested in careers in education yourself, please take a look at our Community Links page for information.

Christmas Events

Next Thursday we look forward to A Cosy Christmas in Foxes and Squirrels classrooms, when children will share a Christmas craft with parents, sing some songs and recite some festive poems. Year 1 and 2 will perform “Jesus’ Christmas Party” the following week, so parents, please remember to send in a festive top or Christmas jumper for your child in a named bag by next Friday, as they will need them for their performances on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th. Tickets will go on sale via ParentMail this evening at 7pm. We will hold a collection at these events for The Children’s Society.

The Elfridges store will be open on Friday 6th December during school hours. Children with tickets will be invited to choose festive gifts for their parents. Thank you to the PTA for organising this popular event.

A reminder that all clubs have now finished for the term. Please ensure that children are collected at 3.10pm every day.

Children’s Health

We have had over 50 cases of chickenpox in school this term, so please continue to look out for symptoms. If your child is unwell and you are not sure whether to send them to school, please contact us and we will be able to advise. We will always contact parents if we feel that a child is not well enough to be in school. This poster from the UK government is a useful reference point for common childhood illnesses, as well as the NHS Mid and South Essex guide to "What to do if your child is unwell."

The school nurse is available for drop-in sessions on Tuesday afternoons. If you have any concerns about the issues listed in the leaflet, please email us to make an appointment.

Enjoy your weekend.

Best wishes

Tracey Wilson