Weekly Update from Mr Meehan

We’re grateful for the sunshine this week, as some of our Year 5s have been out on their bikes this week for their Bikeability. It’s also been lovely to see the continued creativity out on the playground, as we continue to roll out further aspects of our OPAL provision. The children are being so creative and innovative in their play, which is a delight to see.

As part of our ongoing celebration of reading, we enjoyed having author Ross Montgomery visit us on Wednesday, talking about his books ‘Ten Delicious Teachers’ at the infants and ‘I am Rebel’ at the juniors, which was Waterstones’ Children’s Book of the Year Award last year. His energy and enthusiasm was an inspiration to many of our children, and he was encouraging them to become budding authors themselves! If your child is keen to read one of Ross’ books, you can buy them from Parrot Street here.

It was also good to meet with some of our junior children this week, as part of our current review of aspects of our behaviour policy, especially in relation to lunchtime. More on this at the beginning of next term. We have had lots of feedback recently, for example from Forest School and Surbiton High (where our Year 5s visited recently), of how polite and respectful Christ Church pupils are, and it’s wonderful to hear of them demonstrating our ‘Ways to Be’ with visitors and other adults.

Earlier this term, our children enjoyed an Art Day - they enjoyed it so much, we must do it again some time! Of all the ‘class installations’ inspired by different artists, the winners were Owl class and Lynx class. The Lynx class installation, inspired by artist Farid Rueda, will be shortly displayed at New Malden Library!

Today, it’s our PTA disco for Years 1-3. Thank you to our PTA volunteers for organising this, and we look forward to the children enjoying making some fun moves this evening! Next Friday is also a fun day, with our next ‘Break the Rules’ day.

Additionally, next week, don’t forget we have our next Learning Look, which is on Thursday, from pick up time, until 4.30pm. Please do join us, so your children can show off all their learning and show you their classroom.

With Easter approaching, we are also looking forward to our Easter bonnet parade at the infants on Wednesday 2nd April. All the infant children are invited to bring decorated bonnets or hats to wear in a parade around the hall. You are welcome to decorate the bonnets / hats in any way you wish to celebrate Easter and new life. 

Have a good weekend everyone.

Our School Updates for Parents

Reminder: Charity Tuesday

Next Tuesday, 25th March, we are having our next Charity Tuesday to support our chosen ‘national’ charity of the year, British Heart Foundation. We are asking the children to wear something red and bring in a donation for the buckets in the morning. On the day, each class will be getting outside and doing some kind of physical fun activity to get their hearts racing to support this. 

PTA Break the Rules Day - Friday 28th March

For one day only, children can break some rules! Come to school with wacky hair, crazy socks, painted nails and temporary tattoos and pay 50p into the collection bucket for each rule you break! See attached poster for information on all the rules that can be broken.

PTA Second Hand Uniform Sale 

Also next Friday, 28th March the PTA will be selling second hand uniform at the junior site after school. Please see the attached poster for details.

PTA Easter Egg Hunt - Save the Date!

The Christ Church Annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place this year on Saturday 5th April between 11am and 2pm. A fun Easter activity to kick off the holidays! Please see the attached poster for details. We are calling on anyone who lives in The Groves area and is able to display a clue at the front of their house (in a front garden/drive/door/gate) for children to find.The only thing you would need to do is display the clue (given to you the day before) and be prepared for children to come and discover it as they complete the trail. There is no need to be in while this happens. If you are able to help, please email the school office. Nearer the time, we will also be calling out for baked goods that we can sell on our refreshments stand.

Year 5/6 Soloist Concert - Tuesday 6th May in the Junior Hall at 9am

If your child plays an instrument or sings and they would like to take part, they can send in an audition video to Mrs Bond by the end of term (but sooner if possible). This will then give the teachers time to look through all of the auditions to choose a variety of performances for the concert, and allow time for rehearsing at school with the piano if needed. Parents and the children's classmates will be invited to watch the concert. 

Please aim to keep the pieces short. If your child chooses a song, stick to one or two verses and a chorus. Also, please ensure the lyrics are appropriate and that the song can be sung easily by a child (some pop songs are unsuitable for young voices). The children may sing in a group with friends if they can arrange a video audition together. We will be available to accompany instrumental pieces and songs if we can find the music (or you can send in a backing track). Please note that this concert is only for children in Year 5 and 6.  

Clubs - Summer Term 2025

You will have received a separate email regarding the booking of clubs for the Summer term. Externally led clubs can be booked directly from today and school led clubs can be booked via Arbor from next Monday, 24th March at the times shown on the clubs timetable page of our website. As there are a number of dates that some clubs cannot run next term due to bank holidays, INSET days and other events, we have included a schedule of the weeks that each club is running in the ‘Useful Links’ section at the bottom of this email.

Summer Fair - Save the date! 

Saturday 7th June, 2025 will be the Summer Fair extravaganza and this year it will be held at the Juniors and likely to be themed! Keep a look out for further details in the weeks ahead - it would be great to see as many of you there as possible! 

Wider Community Updates

Next Thing Education - Tech & STEM Camp

Looking for something exciting and educational for your child this Easter? Next Thing Education are bringing a Tech & STEM Camp to our Junior site from 14th - 17th April - a thrilling adventure packed with hands-on experiments, high-tech gadgets, and mind-blowing inventions that you can take home with you. Children aged 5-11 will build, code, and create while exploring the world of STEM in the most fun way possible!  Check out their video to see the magic in action. Please see their attached flyer or website for more information and to book. 

Summer Junior Hockey

The Old Kingstonian HC is offering all children in school years 3-11 the opportunity to play hockey this summer and join their Summer Junior Hockey. Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Kingstonian Cricket Club - Summer colts 2025

Please see the attached flyer if your child is interested in joining a junior cricket team.

Key School Dates

• Monday 24th - Friday 28th March - Chums Week
• Monday 24th - Friday 28th March - Y5 Bikeability (pm)
• Tuesday 25th March - Charity Tuesday
• Tuesday 25th March - Y6 National Child Measurement Programme (am)
• Wednesday 26th March - Y5 Easter Experience at The Baptist Church (am)
• Thursday 27th March - Learning Look - from pick up until 4:30pm 
• Thursday 27th March - Lion Class Worship @ 2:40pm
• Friday 28th March - PTA Break the Rules Day
• Friday 28th March - PTA Second hand uniform sale after school at the juniors
• Tuesday 1st April - Y5/6 Cluster Choir Concert at Rose Theatre (pm)
• Wednesday 2nd April - Easter Bonnet Parade at Infants
• Thursday 3rd April - Y3 Trip to Butser Farm
• Friday 4th April - Easter Church Service @ 9:30am
• Friday 4th April - Term finishes early at 1.05pm (infants) and 1.20pm (juniors). Connect will finish at 5:15pm
• Saturday 5th April - PTA Easter Egg Hunt @ 11am until 2pm at the infants
• Monday 7th - Monday 21st April - Easter Holiday
• Tuesday 22nd April - Summer Term Starts