1. Slippers on

2. Hazel's Exploits...

3. Oak's Endeavours...

4. Remembrance Service

5. Bardwell Behaviour Awards

6. Odd Sock Day - Monday 16th November

7. Recent Fundraising

8. Poppy Appeal

9. Walk to Walsingham

10. Cross Country Champions

11. Bearing Fruit

12. A word from a governor

13. Change to lunch menu

14. Primary School applications for YR in September 2021

15. PD Day reminder

16. Another visit from the Civil Enforcement Officer

17. Department for Education

18. Covid-19 Symptoms Reminder

19. Flu Vaccinations

20. Parent Consultation reminder

Good morning all,

It's a jam-packed newsletter this week. Therefore, with a likely weekend of inclement weather, I hope this serves as a welcome distraction. So, get the blankets out, slippers on and sit back to enjoy the week's achievements.

Mr Francksen

Executive Headteacher

The children have completed some amazing work this week! I have been so impressed with all their hard work and resilience. We have been busy learning all about multiplication with Year 2 discovering arrays, repeated addition and number lines to help them solve these calculations whilst Year 3 have been learning about related facts and grid method. We had a great day on Thursday, enjoying an experience session in literacy where we carried out lots of campfire activities including listening to spooky stories, singing campfire songs, playing games, exploring the woodlands and drinking some hot chocolate with marshmallows. I would also like to say how fantastic the children’s 3D buildings were!! They have now been proudly displayed in the school.

Oak pupils delighted in reading ‘Hansel & Gretel’ at the end of last half term, so we have begun this term by reading ‘The Graveyard Book’, written by the same author, Neil Gaiman. Last week we visited St Peter & Paul’s cemetery and spent time thinking about the stirring language used in epitaphs. Pupils have written cleverly about the kindness of the witch, Liza, using the writer’s technique of ‘show and not tell’, using expanded nouns. I am very proud of the excellent writing that is taking place, in particular the broad and rich vocabulary that is being used by all of Oak class.

We held our Remembrance Assembly outdoors this year and the children showed their excellent knowledge of the meaning and significance of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

We talked about the Cenotaph and why the Poppy is the symbol of remembrance. We looked at the mud beneath our feet and thought about the conditions on Flanders Field.

Children read prayer poems and showed the Poppy art work they have created this week.

All children then kept the most respectful two minutes’ silence whilst we listened to The Last Post.

Our learning cog focus in the first half of the Autumn term was 'Aspirational'. These were the first certificates to be handed out by Edward and Imogen in their roles as Head Boy and Head Girl.

Awards were presented to:

Reception: Jack

Year 1: Stanley

Year 2: Jake

Year 3: Isla

Year 4: Betsy

Year 5: Rubi

Year 6: Elliott

Congratulations to all recipients!

Mrs DP

We sent you an email about Odd Socks Day earlier this week. All you need to do is ensure your child wears odd socks! It's a great way to celebrate what makes us all unique in Anti-Bullying Week! It will be held on Monday 16th November 2020, the first day of Anti-Bullying Week.

A thank you from Suffolk Wildlife Trust

We have donated the money raised from last week’s Outdoor Classroom Day to Suffolk Wildlife Trust - thank you to all who donated.

They said, “Thank you very much, it's such a lovely story! It is so kind of the school and families to support the Trust in this way, and thank you also for sharing the photos. It is wonderful for the children to be able to learn outdoors, especially at this time. We have prepared a post for both Facebook and Twitter on the Suffolk Wildlife Trust main accounts scheduled for Saturday 14th at 10am.”

So, look out for that and give them a Like and a Follow if you don’t already!

The Poppy Appeal donating box has been returned to Mrs Suggett, Bardwell’s local co-ordinator. She thanks us all for our efforts and will let us know the total raised as soon as she can.

I’ve had a conversation with a parent about Children in Need. This is a cause we have supported for several years, but we decided to give it a miss this year as we have Odd Socks Day coming up on Monday and have also asked families for monetary donations twice in the last fortnight. One of our parents kindly arranged an after-school bulb planting today for those that would like to take part in something for Children in Need. Further details are on the PTA’s Facebook Group.

Mrs DP.

In the Monday Mile we are challenging ourselves to ‘Walk to Walsingham’ and follow in the footsteps of many before us from all over the world who have completed this pilgrimage. How many weeks will it take us to walk the distance?

We have the interest of the British Pilgrimage Trust - an organisation that believes that pilgrimage has the potential to promote community and diversity in Britain’s spiritual landscape. Once we have sent them some photographs, they are hoping to feature us on their social media so do please look them up.

They were particularly pleased to hear from us, as they have several pilgrimage routes to Walsingham and we’d encourage you to visit their website to find out more.

Mrs DP

A huge well done to these three Cross Country legends! Albie and Coire, both Y3 pupils, won gold meaning they recorded the fastest times across Tilian Partnership for their age group.

Ted, Y6, who recorded the fastest time for Bardwell, came in second place across the 7 competing schools, winning him a silver medal.

Excellent efforts from you all!

Mr Hurkett

No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit… A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart... For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

- Luke 6:43-45

We will soon be receiving a number of fruit trees in order to plant our School Orchard. We have taken advice from the East of England Apple and Orchard Project and will be getting some local varieties of apples, as well as individual pear, plum and cherry trees. We hope that, by the time they arrive, we will be able to invite some families in to help with the planting.

I had a lovely wave off the school grounds after judging the habitats yesterday! It was so lovely to see the children playing so well.

Dinkie Williamson - Chair of Governors

Our children do not seem to enjoy the Quorn burger that was on offer in Week 2, so pizza will now be served instead. Please see amended lunch menu here. We hope they enjoy this!

Suffolk County Council has asked us to share this poster with you and to remind you that the closing date for primary school applications is 15th January 2021. We hope to reschedule our preschool Forest School taster sessions but, in the meantime, if you’d like more information about starting your child in Reception in September, please contact Mrs Boyd via the school office.

We have a Professional Development Day on Friday 27th November - staff will be in school on this day, but pupils will not be.

West Suffolk Council’s Civil Enforcement Officer has visited again this week. He commented on the Suffolk County Council contracted minibus being on the school’s zigzag markings.

We’d like to make it clear to families that the Council’s transport contractors are given strict time frames when they can pull up opposite the school’s gate. They are asked to only be at the school from 8.30-8.35am in the morning (this is why we ask that you do not drop off before 8.35am) and from 3.05-3.10pm in the afternoon after the majority of children have exited the site. This is so that they can safely pick up transported children from as close to the school as possible, without impacting on other children and families crossing the road.

Our latest communication from the DfE notes that, “We have updated our guidance for parents and carers on what they need to know about early years providers, schools and colleges during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. This update provides information on the national restrictions that came into force on 5 November, the latest advice for clinically extremely vulnerable children and young people and advice on the use of face coverings in education settings. This guidance can be shared with your parent networks.”

We’d like to remind you of this section within our Risk Assessment.

Ensure all staff and parents understand the NHS Test and Trace process and know that they need to:

• Book a test if they are displaying symptoms;

• Provide details of anyone they have been in close contact with if they were to test positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) or if asked by NHS Test & Trace;

• Self-isolate if they have been in close contact with someone who develops coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms or someone who tests positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The annual flu vaccination is still scheduled to take place on Monday 30th November and is offered to all year groups. If you missed out on signing up but would like your child to be vaccinated, please contact the Immunisation Team on 0300 555 5055 or email ccs-tr.suffolkimmsteam@nhs.net for further information about how to access a flu vaccination.

Teachers have carried out telephone consultations with the majority of parents and carers now, but there are still appointments available next Wednesday (18th November) for those that would like one. Please click on your child's class link and complete the form.

NB: We will not make an appointment for you if we do not receive a response.

2. To develop high-quality numeracy across the school - Mrs Trotter and I had our second meeting with the National Centre of Excellence of Mathematics (NCETM). We're excited to develop our vision for maths and we will be working with staff, and pupils, to create a curriculum approach that is befitting to our learners.