Dear Parents and Carers,

It is hard to believe that we are already at the end of January and the half-term break is only two weeks away! 

This week in school

Small Steps assembly

On Monday we were delighted to welcome Anita, the headteacher of Small Steps, to our whole school assembly.  Small Steps is a school for children with physical disabilities in Richmond.

In the assembly, Anita explained that for some children, messages from the brain can be disrupted and this makes simple movements difficult.  Small Steps helps these children with specialist care and equipment as well as offering support for parents.

We are very happy to have Small Steps as our half-term charity and our Mini-Vinnies are organising a Wear Orange and Crazy Hair fundraising day for next Friday. Please see more details below.

Y1 assembly

Yesterday our Y1 children led the whole school in a Celebration of the Word.  Their scripture focus was the story of the Presentation of Jesus, when Anna and Simeon met the baby Jesus in the temple.  The children explained that Jesus is the light that guides our lives and they too are trying to be shining lights to others in their good choices at home and in school.  Thank you, Y1, for leading our prayers so thoughtfully.

Sports update from Mr Sagar and Mrs Knowles

Three of our sports teams were in action this week. On Monday, the netball team encountered Marshgate School in a local derby. The game was end-to-end action and St Elizabeth's showed excellent team work and fluid passing skills. Kai was voted player of the match by the opposition for his confident shooting.

On Tuesday, the boys football team travelled to The Russell School. St Elizabeth's played a strong passing game and opened the scoring. In the closing minutes, the boys thought they had secured a 3 -2 win, only for the goal to be ruled out as the ball had gone out of play seconds earlier. Sherwood was awarded player of the match for his important goalkeeping.

Finally, on Thursday the girls football team visited The King's School in Kew. The girls played some good football, in particular some strong defending from Beatrice and Emilia and accurate attacking from Mia and Alianna. Ola was given player of the match after scoring an excellent penalty.

Well done to all our players and a special thank you to our parent drivers, without whom these away fixtures would not be possible.

Next week in school

Mass for Candlemas – Wednesday 4^th February

All parents are warmly invited to join us for Mass on Wednesday 4^th February at 2pm.  Y3 children will be leading the readings and prayers and Fr Peter will be celebrating Mass for us.

Explorer Dome

On Thursday 5^th February we have the Explorer Dome in school.  Reception, Y4, Y5 and Y6 children will be entering the Dome for hands on Science workshops.  Please make your payments for the Explorer Dome through Arbor Pay.

Vocal Concert

There will be a Vocal Concert in the school hall at 6pm on Thursday 5^th February.  If your child would like to take part, they need to speak to Mrs FitzGerald who is organising the event.  All parents and family members are welcome to attend.

A message from the Mini-Vinnies

Wear Orange - Crazy Hair Day – Friday 6^th February

On Friday, 6th February, our school community will be coming together to raise vital funds for Small Steps.  To show our solidarity with our brothers and sisters, we are inviting everyone to add a splash of colour to their day. For a £2 donation, students can come to school wearing a bright orange accessory or sporting a crazy hairstyle. Every pound raised goes directly to helping Small Steps continue their incredible work. 

Information for Parents

Wild Wil West Line Dancing! – Friday 6^th February

Only 1 week to go until the Wild Wild West line dancing evening at school.  No experience needed, just bring your biggest smiles and get ready to learn some awesome dances, show off your moves, and laugh your way through the night.

Dress to impress! Cowboys, cowgirls, and all Western styles welcome, best dressed wins a prize.  Food available on the night to keep you fuelled for all that dancing!

So grab your hat, dust off your boots, and mosey on down to support our Y6 class. It’s going to be a rootin’-tootin’, rip-roarin’ blast you won’t want to miss!  Book your tickets and order your food now via https://st-elizabeth-s-school-richmond-pta.sumupstore.com

Information for Parents

PTA Pre loved Uniform Sale

The PTA is collecting clean, good-quality unwanted school uniforms for our Pre-Loved Uniform Sale. If you have items your child has outgrown, we would be grateful for your donations. Please send them into school anytime from now until 26^th February.  Thank you for supporting our school community.

Lost Property

We have collected a large amount of lost property this term.  Weather permitting, we will put this out on the tables by the school office on Monday and Tuesday next week.  Please do take anything that you think is your child’s.  Please also make sure that all your child’s clothes and their water bottle have their name on them as some of the names have rubbed off by this point in the year.

The Suitcase Project

Do you have an old suitcase that you no longer need?  If so, we would be very grateful if you could donate this to school.  Our School Council are starting an exciting project to increase the choice of activity at playtime using suitcases for mobile storage.  We are hoping to collect 10 to 15 suitcases, preferable with hard cases. Suitcases can be dropped off at the school office.

Online Safety Workshop for Parents

We have received information from Richmond Borough about a safeguarding workshop taking place on Thursday 12^th February at 10 a.m. The workshop is designed to help parents build confidence around online safety and digital well-being.  This event is primarily targeted at parents and carers of primary and secondary school age children. It is designed for those seeking practical tools to manage online risks while maintaining a supportive relationship with their children.

Upcoming dates

FEBRUARY

3^rd   10:00 a.m.   National Storytelling Week: Y1 and Y2 online workshop

4^th   2pm   Mass for Candlemas

5th 10:30 a.m.   Y6 & Y5 last swimming session

5^th   Reception, Y4, Y5 and Y6 Space workshop with Explorer Dome               

5th   6:00 p.m.   Vocal Concert in school hall

6^th   All Day   Wear Orange or Crazy Hair Day for Small Steps

6^th   6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Y6 PTA Line Dancing evening

9^th   All week   Children’s Mental Health Week

9^th   All week a.m.   Y6 Cycling Proficiency

11^th   9:10 a.m.   Y2 assembly – parents invited

12^th   9:15 a.m.   Reception Class Concert – parents invited

6:00 p.m.   Orchestra & Instrumental Concert

13^th   9:15 a.m.   Y2 Class Concert – parents invited

13^th   9:00 a.m.   Parents’ Coffee Morning – all parents invited

Half – Term…   Half – Term…  Monday 16^th – Monday 23^rd February    Half – Term… Half – Term

Please note that school returns on Tuesday 24^th February.  

Attendance and punctuality this week

Congratulations to Y5 for having the best attendance this week at 99%, closely followed by Y3 with 98.7%. 

Well done to Y2 for having the best punctuality this week.

Wishing you a lovely weekend,

Jane Hines and the staff of St Elizabeth’s