Weekly Update from Mr Meehan

I hope you and your family had a great half term over last week. If you are planning firework celebrations this weekend, have a happy and safe time with friends and family.

This week at Christ Church, we have introduced our new house points system, and the children have been earning housepoints for all sorts of good deeds, remembering our ‘golden rules’. This week, as announced by our house captains, the winning house in the infants was Poplar and in the juniors was also Poplar - a clean sweep for Poplar in the first week! At the end of each term, we will add up all the points to see which house will gain the new ‘house cup’ for the term. This is just one part of our revised Behaviour Policy which we have been working on, and which is now available on our website. 

We have also just started our new iShare Learning theme for this half term, ‘Here I am to Worship’ with our new memory Bible verse over these coming weeks: Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his.  Psalm 100 vv2-3

I’d also like to share with you some staff news this week. We have just welcomed back Mrs Honeybone, our Infant Lead, and I know she is very pleased to be back. Mrs Honeybone will be now job-sharing Seahorse class with Miss Neale, as well as taking up her role again of leading early reading and phonics in the school. 

In three weeks’ time, as Seahorse parents already know, we will be saying a sad goodbye to Miss Webb, a long-standing TA in our early years team, who is moving on to pastures news, in a new safeguarding role within the local authority. We wish her well, thank her for all her years of commitment to Christ Church and wish her all God’s blessings for the future. I know she has played an important role in many lives in Christ Church over many years and will be missed.

Finally, we hope to see many of you at our ‘Learning Look’ next week, when our classrooms will be open between 5-6pm for your children to show off their learning and invite you in. Drop in with your children as you are able to during this time to see their books and learning environment. Your child’s class teacher will be there to welcome you and your child.

Key Updates for Parents

Anti-Bullying Week - Message from our Pupil Leaders, Hannah & Rosie

We will be having an ‘odd-sock day’ on Monday 14th November to mark the beginning of National Anti-Bullying Week.  There will be various activities during the week, including a scavenger hunt, which will all be related to the theme ‘Reach out’; exploring who we can ask for help. 

Wellbeing Week

We are holding a well-being week, beginning 21st November. This will become a regular week, once each term, with a real focus on wellbeing, for both children and staff.  As part of these weeks, we will include some ‘well-being’ learning and activities for all the children. More details on this will follow.

Remembrance Parade

Some of our Year 6 children will be taking part in the New Malden Remembrance Parade next Sunday 13th November. If you want to attend this event, the parade assembles at 8.45am in Presberg Road, near the Fountain Roundabout. The parade marches off at 9.00am for the service at the War Memorial at 9.30am. 

October Newsletter

Please see our October Newsletter to see some of the activities that children have been involved in this month. 

Christmas Performance Plans

All the dates and details of these were circulated in a separate email at the beginning of the week, which can be found here.

PTA AGM 2022 Minutes

Thanks again to all those who attended the AGM on Thursday 13th October and a big thank you to our newly elected committee: Becks Reid and Cat Beston (Co-chairs), Aysem Vanberg (Secretary), Glyn Hooper (Treasurer) and Sasha Svensson (Social Media). Please find minutes from the AGM attached here.

Christmas Fair Poster

Big congratulations to Emily Copley from Macaw Class, who designed the wintry scene that will feature on our Christmas Fair poster, attached here, which is also being used on SeOUL Residential boards going up around New Malden to advertise the Fair. Special commendation also goes to Clara Dyson from Owl Class for her excellent design shown here.

Key Dates - Autumn 2022

• Thursday 10th November - Reception Tour for Prospective Parents @ 9:30 a.m.
• Thursday 10th November - Gazelle class worship performance @2.45pm, Junior hall
• Thursday 10th November - Whole School - Learning Look @ 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• Sunday 13th - Remembrance Day Parade - 9.00 a.m.
• Wednesday 16th November - Reception - Y6 Individual Photographs
• Monday 21st November - Reception Tour for Prospective Parents @ 5:00 p.m.
• Wednesday 23rd November - Y1-6 Author Visit (Banji Alexander)
• Thursday 24th November - Reception Tour for Prospective Parents @ 9:30 a.m.
• Saturday 26th November - PTA Christmas Fair @ Junior Site - 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Tuesday 29th November - Nursery Tour for Prospective Parents @ 9:30 a.m.
• Wednesday 30th November - Y5 Trip to the Science Museum
• Thursday 1st December - Antelope class worship performance @2.45pm, Junior hall
• Thursday 8th December - Turtle Class Nativity @ 9:00 a.m.
• Thursday 8th December - Seahorse Class Nativity @ 9:45 a.m.
• Friday 9th December - Christmas Jumper Day
• Wednesday 14th December - Junior Christmas Production @ 2:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m.
• Thursday 15th December - Christmas Party Day
• Friday 16th December - Christmas Service at the church - 9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
• Friday 16th December - Last day of term - School closes 1 hour early:
  • Infants @ 2:15 p.m.
  • Nursery @ 2:20 p.m.
  • Juniors @ 2:30 p.m.
  • Connect will start at 2:15 p.m. and run until 5:15 p.m.