4th September 2026 Newsletter – Key Info Sessions, Permission Forms, FOSM AGM, Agents of Change and more

A few notes from Mr Applegate

  • Welcome back! It’s been so great to be back together as a school community. We look forward to our new Year R children starting next week.
  • We are waiting on a Permission Forms from 205 families. Please complete this form. It’s to let us know who is collecting your child each day and if the Year 5 and 6 children can walk home.

  • Music tuition lessons begin next week – you will have received an email with the lesson day and time.

  • To add to your diary – Key Information Sessions:

    • These are brief online sessions for parents to give a chance to meet the teachers, hear an overview of the year group, and get key information like homework, reading, forest school and more. Links will be shared soon.

    • Wednesday 9th September – Year R – 6pm (including maths and phonics support)

    • Tuesday 15th September – Y4 5pm     and    Y5 5:45pm

    • Wednesday 16th September – Y3 5pm     and   Y1 5:45pm

    • Thursday 17th September – Y2 5pm    and    Y6 5:45pm

Have a great weekend, Charles.

FOSM AGM – Monday 21st September

Come and join our FOSM PTA Annual General Meeting – Monday 21st September 7:45pm at school. Find out what we do, and consider joining the team!

Agents of Change 

Google Logins were email out today.

Helpful Information

Childcare Tax-Free Payments Update

For parents who have been making payments for wraparound care (Breakfast Club & Lions) using the Government scheme or a similar company scheme we would like to help you to understand the process a little more now that we are getting to grips with it as well.

  • You pay in money to your scheme choosing St Mark’s C of E Primary School as the childcare provider.
  • The scheme send that money to Hampshire County Council.
  • We receive the money onto our banking system.
  • We manually add the money onto your Arbor account.
  • Your Arbor balance adjusts accordingly.

As you can see, the process is much longer than before.  As long as you tell us in advance that you want to pay in this way (tell us here) we can set up Arbor to accept your bookings for Lions regardless.  The negative balance on Arbor will remain until such time as we have received and actioned the funds.  This will be happening on a regular basis from next week.  

If you use both Wraparound provisions, please email us to tell us how much you want us to credit your Breakfast Club account and how much to credit your Lions account.  That would be very helpful. 

Calendar Dates

Remember, our school calendar is here.

Individual Photographs

Photographs of every individual child will be taken on the morning of Monday 21st September.

Children must wear their white polo shirts and green St Mark’s jumpers or cardigans.  

What about children who have PE or Forest School/Outdoor Learning?

Photos are head and shoulders only, please send your child in wearing PE kit or Forest School attire on their lower halves.

The children will come home with a code for you to preview and order the photo. The website for ordering from Cardwell and Simons is here.

FOSM Colour Run – Friday 25th September

Ticket information will be coming soon.

School Dates, Lunches, and Clubs

View the full calendar here. Subscribe on either Chrome/ Android or Apple

 

NHS Courses and Videos for Parents

Witherslack Group Parent Support Webinars

Community News

Regular Notices

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