Another exciting and busy week this week.  

Year 3 welcomed a visitor in this week to learn all about the Romans. This evening, a selection of our pupils will take part in performing at the Hessle Lights Switch On. This is always a great way to get into the Christmas spirit!  

Thank you for your support in moving our Pupil of the Week assemblies to a Friday afternoon. We decided on the end of the day for two reasons – so that the core learning of Reading, Writing and Maths was not disturbed in the morning, and also to support parents with collecting their pupils at home time. Please note that if your child has earned Pupil of the Week, you will need to collect them in the normal way at 3.10pm. Unfortunately, we cannot facilitate parents walking back to classrooms for safeguarding reasons. Thank you for your cooperation.  

Message from the PFA: 

Friday saw a sea of comfy shoes as we hosted Comfy Feet Friday in aid of the Christmas Fair. Thank you so much for all of your generous donations. My eyes nearly popper out of my head when I saw the haul that had been collected. 

Polite reminders: 

If you have permission to drive on the school site (due to disabilities, Aces collection etc.), please do remember that there is a strict 5mph speed limit. Although pupils do not walk down the drive, the bends make it difficult to see what may be coming in the opposite direction and there have been near-misses. Thank you.  

Note about the Graduate Award from Mr Thorp: 

At Penshurst, sparking enthusiasm for learning and ensuring our children develop strong foundational skills stand as our top priorities. To foster academic scholarship and ignite a passion for knowledge, we’re reintroducing the Graduate Awards as a core component of our homework studies. This initiative will empower students across all year groups to actively pursue success and take ownership of their learning journey. 

Every week, teachers, alongside pupils, will select a topic from our comprehensive resource library, directly linked to their ongoing classroom education. Students are encouraged to prepare for the Graduate Awards using resource sheets provided by their class teacher and each Friday, students will have the chance to showcase their learning through participation in a quiz. 

The Graduate Awards system operates as follows: 

1 graduate pass equals 1 token. 5 tokens can be exchanged for a bronze badge.  

15 tokens (or 1 bronze badge and 10 tokens) can be exchanged for a silver badge.  

25 tokens (or 1 silver badge and 10 tokens) can be exchanged for a gold badge.  

Upon achieving a silver badge, pupils are invited to participate in an additional Head of School Award. In this special recognition, children will delve into a 'Little People, Big Dreams' book and undergo a quiz hosted by Mrs Preston, offering a unique opportunity to celebrate their academic accomplishments further. Success in this will result in a specially designed postcard to take home. There are over 100 books that the pupils can choose from. 

Safeguarding: 

This week I have attached information about free online courses which look at a range of issues that can occur for parents in different situations, including those who are separating.  You can scan the QR code to set up a free account and to access the online resources.    

Have a super weekend and see you next week.   

Mrs Preston

Head of School