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5th December 2025 Newsletter – Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!

A few notes from Mr Applegate

We’re looking forward to the FOSM Christmas Fayre tomorrow – 12pm-3pm at St Mark’s! A huge thank you to FOSM for their efforts.
The Year 1 and 2 Christmas Performances are next week. Please use Eventbrite to cancel any unwanted tickets for others to use.
At all of our performances, we’re collecting money for The MudHouse Children’s Foundation in Tanzania. Feel free to donate as a way to say thank you to the children for their Christmas performances.
Don’t forget to order your child’s Christmas Dinner – details below.

See you tomorrow! Charles 🌲🎅

This week’s homework and learning

Agents of Change Home Challenges

Christmas Around the World – click below…

Christmas at St Marks – click below!

Christmas Dinner – Thursday 18th December

Thank you to all of you who have already ordered your child/ren’s Christmas dinners. We are still taking orders here: Christmas Dinner order form. The deadline for pre-ordering is the end of the day on Tuesday 9th December. If the form isn’t submitted by the deadline we will be unable to accept late orders and a packed lunch will need to be brought in from home please.

St Mark’s Photo Reel

Thank you to Freya and her dad for making and donating this beautiful wreath :)

Thank you so much for your donations for the Christmas Toy Drive! And well done school council for organising!

Evie was inspired by her lessons this week and made her own poem at home! Wow Evie, what a wonderful poem! 🌟

FOSM online

We’re excited to share that FOSM now has a brand-new Facebook page and Instagram account to keep you updated on all our activities and events! 💚

Facebook: Friends of St Mark’s Basingstoke

Instagram: @friendsofstmarksbasingstoke

Come follow us and stay connected! ✨

How to get in touch:

chair.fosm@stmarksce.org.uk;

secretary.fosm@stmarksce.org.uk
FOSM Events Calendar

Morning Snacks 🥕🍏

Please remember that if you provide a snack for your child to eat at playtime that it must only be fruit or vegetables.

Netball 🎽

Well done to our Y6 Girls’ Netball who played a fantastic match yesterday against Kempshott Juniors. Despite it being a loss, Mrs Archibald and Mrs Parker have praised the team for playing so well and maintaining lots of possession of the ball. Well done girls!

Crossing Patrol

Sadly, the School Crossing Patrol Officer for the “chicane crossing” at the Hatch Warren Playing Fields end of Woodbury Road, has resigned and will leave her post on 5 December 2025. Unfortunately, this means there will be no cover at this site until further notice. Should you wish to apply for the post please click here for more information.

Our Careers Fair Is Coming! Feb 2026

Can you help? Sign up here.

⭐ Weekly Achievements ⭐

⭐ Attendance Updates ⭐

Our target over the year is 97%. Last year’s attendance was 95.8% – above national levels, but we’d like it to be much higher.

Our current attendance percentage is 97% 🙂

Weekly Attendance by Class

What's the impact on missing school?

Categories	Learning days lost
Acceptable sickness & unforeseen absences.	98% = 4 days
	97% = 6 days
	96% = 8 days
Attendance below 95% is of concern to the school & you will be contacted automatically.10 days unauthorised absences for holidays over the year mean you will only achieve 95% attendance. Sickness & medical appointments, although usually unavoidable & authorised, will add further to your child’s absence record.	95% = 10 days
	94% = 12 days
	93% = 14 days
	92% = 16 days
Poor attendance Attendance below 90% is a serious concern. Your child has now missed nearly 4 weeks’ education. You may be referred to the Early Help team at the local authority.	91% = 18 days
	90% = 20 days
	89% = 21 days
	88% = 23 days
	87% = 25 days
	86% = 27 days
Very poor attendance	85% = 29 days
	84% = 31 days
	82% = 35 days
	80% = 39 days

School Dates, Lunches, and Clubs

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

Helpful Information

Year Group Information Videos
After School Clubs - Autumn 2
Meals
Autumn 2 Learning...
_Year R newsletter Autumn 2 2025.pdf

Year 1 – Polar Explorers – Curriculum Information Leaflet.pdf

Year 2 – Fire Fire – Curriculum Information Leaflet.pdf

Year 3 – The Mystery of Metal – Curriculum Informatin Leaflet.pdf

Year 4 – Raging Rivers – Curriculum Information Leaflet.pdf

Year 5 – American Road Trip – Curriculum Information Leaflet.pdf

Year 6 – Keep Calm and Carry On – Curriculum Information Leaflet.pdf
Autumn 2 PE Days
PE Uniform details can be found here. Remember, football shirts, hoodies, or general day-to-day clothing are not acceptable as PE kit.

Year R

Monday – Indoor PE

Thursday – Indoor PE

Year 1

Monday – Outdoor PE

Thursday – Outdoor PE

Year 2

Wednesday – Outdoor PE

Friday – Outdoor PE

Year 3

Tuesday – Outdoor PE

Last 2 weeks of the term after Forest School Ends:

3SP & 3D: Monday – Outdoor PE

3BR: Friday – Outdoor PE

Year 4

Friday – Outdoor PE

Last 2 weeks of the term after Forest School Ends:

4SB: Tuesday – Outdoor PE

4C: Wednesday – Outdoor PE

4M: Thursday – Outdoor PE

Year 5

Monday – Outdoor PE

Wednesday – Indoor PE

Year 6

Monday – Outdoor PE

Wednesday – Indoor PE
Autumn 2 Forest School Days - for 5 weeks until 8th December
Year 3

3SP and 3D Monday

3BR Friday

Year 4

4SB Tuesday

4C Wednesday

4M Thursday

Bridge
FOSM
Full School Calendar
Music Tuition Info
Children in (or due to be in) KS2 are invited to apply to learn to play an instrument.

Applications open each April.

This year’s applications for instrumental tuition have now closed.
Information - breakfast and afterschool clubs, uniform etc
Breakfast Club – just show up – details here.

SCL after-school club – click here for full details.

Uniform – click here for details, including Skoolkit ordering

School bags – can be ordered here

Absence – Please report absences via phone or email here by 9am. If you need to request a future absence, please use this form.

Are you eligible for Free School Meals and further funding for the school? Check online here.
Foodbank Support

In worship this week…

Music of the Week

Foodbank Friday

Many local supermarkets host a permanent donation point where people can leave the donations they purchase during their visit but we would also like to set up a station in school where children can feel that they are making a difference to help others.

We are encouraging children to occasionally bring in an item of food, which they can put in a box in our School Office.

We will update the list each week or you may prefer to download the Bank the Food App. This will update it weekly on the items we’re running low on. It’s a great app and you only need to download it and select Basingstoke Foodbank as preferred. You can also activate notifications which means you’ll get a reminder when you visit the supermarket, so you never forget to donate. It lets you know the items they most need.
Illness - should I keep my child off school?
Have your contact details changed?
Child Care Vouchers

For those of you who have access to childcare vouchers/tax free accounts, please note that these funds can only be used for childcare before or after normal school hours, e.g breakfast club and after school clubs, but not for day trips/residential trips. This is the government directive. Both SCL and HWASC accept the vouchers.
September price increases

Breakfast Club:

Early session (7.30am): £5.50
Middle session (8.00am) : £3.00
Late Session (8.20am) £1.50

St Mark’s After School Clubs: Prices of clubs can vary due to the number of resources used. Most are £2.50pw but please check individual clubs when applying.

School Dinners: £3.20

Circle of Security

Community News

Regular Notices

Going to be absent?

We’ve moved our absence request form online. This is for absence requests such as holidays, weddings, funeral, special events, and more. You don’t need to use this form for sickness or self-isolation (but please email/phone the office if they are unwell).