Issue 40 - Friday 19th July 2024
Headteacher's Welcome
Dear Parkfield Families,
We have reached the end of another school year, and hasn't it flown by! This week has been especially emotional as we said goodbye to our wonderful Year 6 pupils. They enjoyed their leavers' party on Monday evening, a bowling trip on Tuesday and their leavers' assembly on Thursday morning, which was enjoyed by the whole school and their families. During this special assembly, our oldest Parkfielders shared some of their fondest memories from the past year and reflected on the wonderful experiences and memorable moments they've had over the years. The end-of-year leavers' video was a hit, as always, and can be viewed here. A special thanks to Mr. Haughton for his efforts in putting the video together.
It was a pleasure to hand out the Parkfield Character Awards this week to those nominated by their class teachers for being Responsible and Honest. Congratulations also to our two winners specially selected by our school councillors.
It has been a busy final week for other classes as well. Year 3 visited Murton Park in York, where they learned about the Romans, and Year 5 enjoyed Bikeability lessons, which taught them how to ride safely on the road. Year 5 also showcased their musical skills in a special assembly, performing in front of their families after a term's work learning to play the p-bone (plastic trombone).
As always pictures from all these wonderful learning experiences can be found on our X feed or the photo albums page of the school website.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire Parkfield staff team for their amazing dedication and hard work this school year. Without their support, Parkfield wouldn't be the same wonderful place it is.
Finally, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Parkfield families for your continued support. Have a wonderful summer holiday, and we look forward to welcoming our Parkfielders back to school on Wednesday, 4th September. Stay safe.
Mr Kemp
LATEST NEWS
GOOD LUCK MRS PRICE
Today we say goodbye and good luck to our Year 2 teacher and Assistant Headteacher Mrs Price. Mrs Price has taught at Parkfield for over 5 years and has made a significant contribution to the school. Her energy and enthusiasm has had a positive impact on the children she has taught and the colleagues she has worked alongside. We wish Mrs Price the best of luck in her new role as Deputy Headteacher at a primary school in Bury. She will be missed by the whole school community here at Parkfield. Thank you for everything Mrs Price.
BUSY BEES PAYMENTS FROM SEPTEMBER
A new and easier way of paying for our after school club is now in place and information has been emailed out. If you have any questions, please contact ethe office and they will be happy to help.
SUMMER FAIR
We raised a total of £1300 during last week's Summer Fair. Thank you for all your contributions over the past few weeks and thank you to those that were able to attend and spend their money. Your support is appreciated and the money will be spent on improving the break time experiences for our pupils and replenishing our class libraries.
FREE UNIFORM
We hope you found the rail of free uniform useful this week. We have a huge amount of unclaimed lost property or donated uniform and it's better being used by our families rather than sitting in bags in our PE cupboard! We hope to make this a regular occurance next academic year.
PE TIMETABLE FOR SEPTEMBER (Y4 Swimming starts on the second week back.)
The days Parkfielders are to come to school in their PE kits from September can be seen below:
Monday: Year 3 and Year 4
Tuesday: Reception, Year 5 and Year 6
Wednesday: Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4
Thursday: Reception, Year 1, Year 2
Friday: Year 1, Year 5 and Year 6
PE KITS
A reminder that from September, children can wear either a white or royal blue t-shirt for their PE kit. The t-shirts don't have to include the school badge but these are available from Broadbents, Middleton.
WATER BOTTLES
Children will need to bring their own water bottles with them in September.
KS2 LOCKERS
The KS2 lockers are only small. As a result, children only need a drawstring type bag for school. There is no need for large school bags.
REPORTS FEEDBACK
End of year reports were sent out earlier this week. We would like your views on the reports to see what improvements, if any, can be made for next year. Please let us know by completing this short questionnaire: https://forms.gle/UykT6zzg7EryduEw9
ATTENDANCE - SCHOOL FINES FOR UNAUTHORISED ABSENCE
As mentioned previously, from September there is new legislation for schools to follow regarding fixed penalty notices. More information can be found further down this page.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
We like to be prepared and give parents as much notice as possible and as a result we have updated our school calendar for 2024-2025. Please visit the calendar to see the wide range of events we have planned for next year.
WOOD NON-UNIFORM DAY FRIDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER
Children in Wood House (Green) can wear non-uniform on the first Friday back as they were awarded the most House Dojos this half-term!
School Games GOLD Mark Award 2023/2024
Mrs Banks is delighted to announce that we have achieved the School Games Mark GOLD Award for the 2023/2024 academic year. This is a Government-led award presented to schools for commitment to sport across the school and into the community. Well Done Parkfielders!!
AFTER SCHOOL SPORTS CLUBS
PLEASE NOTE: THEARE ARE NO AFTER SCHOOL SPORTS CLUBS IN THE FINAL WEEK OF TERM.
REMINDERS
STAFFING FOR SEPTEMBER 2024
Following our recent recruitment we are now in a position to name the staff that will be in each class from September.
Reception: Mrs Taylor, Miss Dippnall and Miss Aspin
Year 1: Mrs Hartley, Mrs Mullane, Miss Charlotte and Mrs Randell
Year 2: Miss Gibson*, Mrs Bardsley, Mrs Balfe and Miss Rigby
Year 3: Mrs Gooding, Mrs Gully, Miss Hamilton and Miss Hall
Year 4: Miss McCall and Mr Shearman
Year 5: Mrs Acil, Mrs Rowarth, Miss Bradshaw and Mrs Heyes
Year 6: Mr Robinson, Mrs Naughton, Mrs Langan and Mr Barnett*
Cherry Tree Room: Mrs Shepherdson and Miss Howarth*
*Welcome to the Parkfield team
SUMMER READING CHALLENGE
Mrs Clawson and our Reading Ambassadors promoted this year's Summer Reading Challenge in assembly on Wednesday which they would love lots of Parkfielders to take part in!
How to take part in the Summer Reading Challenge at your local library
Children can join the Challenge at the library and take part in person. The 2024 Challenge starts on 6 July in England.
How it works:
Visit your local library (Middleton) and tell them your child would like to take part in the Summer Reading Challenge.
The librarian will sign up your child and give them a collector folder. Your child will set a reading goal.
Your child can borrow and read books, eBooks and audiobooks for their Challenge. They can read anything they like!
The library will provide stickers and rewards for your child’s reading.
Many libraries offer a variety of events and activities for children and families to enjoy throughout the summer in addition to the summer reading challenge. It would be great to see lots of children getting involved this summer! We will present children who have completed the reading challenge with a certificate in a special assembly when we come back to school in September.
Click here for more information: https://www.rochdale.gov.uk/libraries/reading-challenge
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING SUPPORT FOR Y6 PUPILS
Please note that our Y6 pupils have had the app Kooth recommended to them to support their mental health and wellbeing. It is an app that children can access on their phones/tablets and more information can be found here: https://www.kooth.com/ . It is free and is recommended to children across the country between 11-16 years old.
NO NUTS OR NUT RELATED PRODUCTS IN SCHOOL
A reminder that children are not allowed any nuts or nut related products in school because we have children that are allergic to these products. For example, Nutella or Reese's chocolate.
Latest Class Updates
SAFEGUARDING INFORMATION
Mr Kemp is our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) supported by Mrs Clawson and Mrs Smith (Deputy DSL). If you have any concerns about the needs or welfare of a pupil, please don't hesitate to contact the school. We all share a responsibility to our pupils safety and wellbeing.
As a school our promise is: We will listen, we will support and we will take action.
More information can be found on the school website here: https://www.parkfieldprimary.com/website/safeguarding-and-child-protection.html
ATTENDANCE and PUNCTUALITY
As you are all aware, school attendance and punctuality is one of Parkfields priorities and I have been thrilled with the support that parents have been giving with regards to improving their children’s attendance.
Our school target is 96% this year and we need your continued support to ensure that we meet this mark.
ATTENDANCE - HOLIDAYS IN TERM TIME
Please note that, in line with the school policy, fines will be issued to families that go on a term time holiday where children miss 5 consecutive full days. Currently the fine is £60 per child per parent which equates to a £240 fine for a two parent family with two children. If you are going on holiday due to exceptional circumstances, please speak to the headteacher as a fine may not have to be issued. More information an be found on our attendance policy found here.
Persistent Absence
Persistent absence is defined by the Government as attendance below 90%. This equates to 19 days or more of absence a year or 100+ lessons missed. If a child’s attendance drops below 90% this could lead to them becoming a safeguarding concern. This could also result in the authority taking legal action against parents, resulting in a fine or court appearance. Over the next few weeks I will be making contact by letter with the families of children whose attendance is below 90% to invite you into school for a discussion about how we can support you to improve your child’s attendance.
Thank you so much to all the families who have been working hard to ensure children’s attendance and punctuality is high. Establishing early good habits really will make a positive difference to their lives. The link between attendance and achievement cannot be over stated. Your child will achieve better if they are in school every day. Only in very exceptional circumstances should a child be absent from school. Please ring the school office no later than 8.30am to report an absence.
Punctuality
Please get your child to school on time. Poor punctuality can lead to your child…
Feeling embarrassed in front of their friends
Missing the beginning of vital lessons making them fall behind
Missing important instructions for the rest of the school day
At Parkfield children are to line up before school and doors open at 8.45am. They close at 8.50am.
If you arrive after 8.50am you will have to come through the school office.
National changes to the Penalty Notice Framework wef 19 Aug 2024.pdfHEALTH and SAFETY
STAY SAFE EARLY BIRDS - REMINDER
If your child is attending Early Birds, please walk down the path and through the KS1 yard - it may take a few more seconds but it's much safer than walking through the busy car park. If the hall door is ever closed, simply ring the bell for assistance.
Dogs are not permitted in the school playground.
If driving, park further away from the school and walk to reduce congestion and the possibility of any serious accidents.
Unfortunately, Parents and Carers are not allowed to drop off and pick up from the school car park at any time.
Children are not allowed on the play equipment before and after school. Please keep them off.
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING
5 WAYS TO WELLBEING
At Parkfield we promote the 5 ways to Wellbeing which can help children and adults to achieve a more positive lifestyle.
#THRIVE offer a local service for children and young people aged up to 19 years who are experiencing health and wellbeing issues such as feeling stressed, worried or not enjoying things. #Thrive can also provide advice and support to parents, carers and anyone that works with a child or young person. You can find out more information about the service by clicking here: https://www.penninecare.nhs.uk/thrive