June 26, 2021

Newsletter – 25th June- Sports Week, FOSM updates, class lists and more

Summary

Reminder about Sponsorship Forms and money- due in by Friday 9th July. Details here.
COVID – Remember, please keep siblings at home if any member of the household is showing symptoms! (The whole household has to self-isolate, not just the person with the symptoms).
FOSM – Raffle Tickets must be in by 2nd July. We can’t accept the raffle after that, but we can accept the money as a seperate donation. Thank you.

Sports Week

It was so great to have a bit of normality in Sports Week this week! Despite not being able to run normal events with our community invited, the children still had much fun. It was the first time we had done a larger gathering outside, and it worked well. A huge thank you to Miss Thomas and Miss Barnett for their organisation and efforts! We find out the winners on Monday. Thank you also for your efforts with the sponsorship!

Transition, reports, new classes- what’s the plan?

Reports go out on 19th July via email. This will contain details of your child’s new class and teacher. Update! Weather permitting, your child will have meet outside with their new teacher on Monday 19th July. This means that when your child comes home, they know who is in their new class! (Note this date has changed. It was the 12th, but will now be the 19th).

For current Year R parents, going into Year, we are organising an additional after-school Zoom for parents to help you understand the transition from Year R to Year 1. Details to follow.

Music Lessons

Thank you to all the parents who have contacted us with regard to their child starting or continuing with peripatetic music lessons from September.

We are currently still awaiting a response from Hampshire Music Service to confirm how many tuition hours we have been granted. We expect to receive notification sometime in early July, and as soon as we have this information we will make contact with you to confirm your child’s lessons. Many thanks for your patience during this process

Star Learners

Well done to:

Year R: Harry W, Sophie, Olivia
Year 1: Maksim, Daisy (1P), Harrison
Year 2: Ewan, Braden, Joseph
Year 3: Chloe (3SB), Elizabeth, Bethany
Year 4: AJ, George, Liam
Year 5: Harley, Kaiden, Charlotte C
Year 6: Oliver H, Lucas S, Daniel Hi

Rock Stars best effort:

Year 2: Sophie L, Jack T, Jackson L, Freyja O
Year 3: Elizabeth B, Jeffrey C, Harry B, Zoe B, George H, Charlie B
Year 4: Colin A, Anaya O, Sophie G, Izzy M, Elsie A
Year 5: David R, Cameron M, Hollie C, Sophia M, Harley I
Year 6: Nevaya B, Andrew C, Daniel H

Numbots best effort:

Year 1: Sarah L, Elodie M, Avani B
Year 2: Jack T, Thea L, Meredith C

Mr Applegate in the stocks? Throw a sponge at him?!

Yes, honestly! For a donation of any amount, children will be given the chance to throw a wet sponge at Mr Applegate during the school day. Eeek!

Monday 5th July – 3SB, 4PC, 1C, Bridge
Tuesday 6th July – Year R, 3PG, 5F, 5SP
Wednesday 7th July – 4G, 1P, 1J, 4H, 3T, 2B
Thursday 8th July – 6S, 6C, 6B, 2R, 2BT, 5T

Secondary School Transition Days – cancelled

Following the government’s announcement on last Monday, schools have been told that they should not carry out transition in the usual way. This is to minimse bubbles crossing. This has meant that all Basingstoke Secondary Schools have cancelled their year 6 transition days and their year 5 taster days. Each secondary school is now planning an alternative programme and will be contacting parents directly with details.

Brighton Hill Year 5 School Tours

We have been informed Brighton Hill be holding external tours for Year 5 pupils. Please contact them direct on 01256 350606 to book your place.

Please be careful!

Parking around the school

May we remind parents to be considerate when parking in and around the local roads. We have been sent this image of a parent parking on a resident’s driveway. Please avoid blocking any driveways, parking on bends or in a generally unsafe place. Don’t forget there is parking available at the Community Centre.

Covid Update from PHE

Public Health England (PHE) is seeing an increasing number of positive COVID-19 Delta cases (variant first identified in India) in schools and educational settings. This variant is more transmissible than the Alpha (variant first identified in Kent/UK) and other variants, and is now the most common type of COVID-19 in England.
To support swifter case finding and contact tracing for COVID-19 cases and help control the spread of the Delta variant, PHE is now recommending that, in the South East, close contacts of PCR positive individuals in schools and colleges take a voluntary PCR test through NHS Test and Trace on day 5 of their 10-day isolation period, even if they are not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.This only applies to children school-aged or college-aged.
Please note that if a close contact undertakes a voluntary PCR test on day 5 of their 10-day isolation period, and tests negative for the virus, they must still complete 10 full days of self-isolation. This is because the incubation period of the virus means they could develop coronavirus after receiving a negative test result if it s within the 10 days – voluntary PCR testing on day 5 therefore gives close contacts households the best chance of minimising the possible risk of spreading COVID-19 to others. It is important to remember that as many as 1 in 3 people with coronavirus have no symptoms.

Summer Holiday Childcare

Hatch Warren Under Fives Preschool – spaces available for September 2021

Do you have a child who will be aged two or above in September? Are you looking for a place at a fantastic local preschool? Hatch Warren Under Fives, based in the Hatch Warren Community Centre, has a few spaces remaining for September. If you’d like to book a visit or find out more information, please call us on 01256 322788 or email hwu5preschool@aol.com. You can also take a peek inside on our virtual tour – you’ll find it in the videos section of our Facebook page “Hatch Warren Under 5s Preschool”. www.hatchwarrenunderfives.co.uk

Hockey Opportunity

FOSM – Support Our School!

About FOSM

The ‘Friends of St Mark’s’ (FOSM) was formed early in the life of the school. All parents are automatically members and our committee organises social events for children and adults and fund-raising events such as Key Stage discos, Easter Egg Hunts and Summer Fun days.

Over the last few years the ‘Friends’ have donated money that has contributed towards extra resources to benefit the children at St. Mark’s which has included playground equipment, books for the school library, and general school funds. We are now a registered charity, too. Charity number: 1188879

Join our Facebook group here.

We need your help! FOSM can’t run without parent support and effort. Please consider how you can help! We’re a friendly group of people wanting to give that bit extra to St Mark’s. Contact us below:

General email – fosm@stmarksce.org.uk

Cherie Parker – Chair – chair.fosm@stmarksce.org.uk

Mandy Mullen – Treasurer – treasurer.fosm@stmarksce.org.uk

Emma Bryant – Secretary – secretary.fosm@stmarksce.org.uk

Regular Notices

Covid Reminders

Use the email covid@stmarksce.org.uk if you have questions or need to report symptoms or a positive case.
Please keep us updated – for example, of test results.
Read this letter from Public Health England about symptoms and testing.
NHS Symptoms Check
If a child or parent is at home because of symptoms, please keep the siblings off too. IE the whole household needs to isolate, and the person with symptoms needs to get a test.
We are moving online with homework, spellings and Google Classrooms. If you need help with technology, please do let us know by emailing the office.
If a child is off school but able to work, then Google Classroom work is available – and it should be completed. Teachers spend a lot of time making sure this work is available so no-one misses out!