Mr Applegate
Posts by Mr Applegate:
26 January 2024 – Newsletter
A note from Mr Applegate
We’ve been thinking about volunteering this week in worship, and shared with the children about governors, school helpers and also those who help with Cubs, Brownies and so on. They were inspired!
Thanks to everyone for their support of the Disco tonight, in whatever capacity. A gentle reminder about parking and respecting local residents. And FOSM – you are amazing 🙂
Children’s Mental Health week is Monday 5th Feb. Here’s a great leaflet to get you thinking.
A reminder about Safer Internet Day on Tues 6th Feb; this will be non-uniform and children are encouraged to wear something orange if possible – the colour of Safer Internet Day.
Have a great weekend, Mr Applegate
Prime bottles/hats etc
A reminder that school isn’t a place for logo’d items like Prime bottles. Thanks!
Farm updates
- We have new locks on the cages – just put the code in and then pull down to release.
- For those doing an evening booking, please remove the chicken food and put it in the shed. No need to feed. If you are doing a morning slot, return the chicken food to the shed and ensure it’s filled up.
Children’s Mental Health Week
From 5th – 11th February it is Children’s Mental Health Week. This year’s theme is ‘My Voice Matters’. Our Wellbeing Champions will launch the week during our Monday Worships. Here is a leaflet from the Charity Place2Be with some top tops for families.
School Car Park
If you have permission to use the school car park or are using it to collect children during the school day and can not find a marked bay to park in, could you please make sure that you park on the LEFT side of the car park. This ensures that there is always space for emergency services to use the car park in the event of an emergency.
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1. Free Webinar – Understanding Sensory Processing and Integration in Children – click here – watch anytime!2. Free Webinar – Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Wednesday 31st January – click here3. Free Youtube video – What is Co-regulation, and why does it matter? Click here.
School Photoreel
⭐ Star Learners ⭐

⭐ Star Readers ⭐

⭐ Quiet Classes ⭐
1TM & 3D
⭐ 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 96.2%. Oh no 🙁
Weekly Attendance by Class

School Dates, Lunches, and Clubs
In worship this week…

Music of the Week
Gymnopedie No. 1 by Satie
Eric Satie was a French composer and pianist. He composed this, the 1st of 3 gymnopedies, in 1888 during the Romantic era.
- 23rd October 2026 Newsletter – PE and Forest School days, Book Fair, Harvest, Prayer Space and more
- 16th October 2026 Newsletter – Harvest donations, Prayer Space and more
- 9th October 2026 Newsletter – Last chance to buy Disco tickets!!
- 2nd October 2026 Newsletter – Parents’ Evening, Disco and more
- 25th September 2026 Newsletter – School Elections, Parents’ Evening, Census Day, Disco and more
- 18th September 2026 Newsletter – School Elections Deadline, Photographs on Monday, FOSM dates and more
19 January 2024 – Newsletter – Disco, Forest School Update, Pastoral Drop-In and more
A note from Mr Applegate
It’s been another busy week! We’ve been thinking about “influencers”, including Martin Luther King Jr, Robert Swan, and St Mark’s children 🙂
Year R continue their theme of People Who Help us, and it’s been lovely to have parents in their work capacity supporting our learning. Thank you.
Children’s Mental Health Week is coming up in 2 weeks, which includes Safer Internet Day on Tues 6th Feb; this will be non-uniform and childre are encouraged to wear something orange if possible – the colour of Safer Internet Day. More to come!
BTW, for the Y6 SATs Information Evening slides, click here.
Have a great weekend, Mr Applegate
Lost Property – going, going, gone
Our lost property boxes are beginning to overflow. If you have any missing, coats, gloves, scarves, cardigans, jumpers, lunch boxes or water bottles could you please explore the boxes before Thursday 25 January to claim your belongings. All unclaimed belongings will be donated or disposed of on Thursday 25 January.
What’s Forest School looking like now?
Pastoral Drop-In – Mental Health & Neurodiversity
FOSM Disco Tickets!
To book, click here: www.stmarksprimary.net/fosm_shop
⭐ Star Learners ⭐

⭐ Star Readers ⭐

⭐ Quiet Classes ⭐
2B & 4SB
⭐ 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 96.3%. Oh no 🙁
Weekly Attendance by Class

School Dates, Lunches, and Clubs
In worship this week…

Music of the Week
Habanera by Bizet
This piece ‘Habanera’ is from the opera ‘Carmen’ composed by Georges Bizet in 1875 during the Romantic era. This is an instrumental version.
- 23rd October 2026 Newsletter – PE and Forest School days, Book Fair, Harvest, Prayer Space and more
- 16th October 2026 Newsletter – Harvest donations, Prayer Space and more
- 9th October 2026 Newsletter – Last chance to buy Disco tickets!!
- 2nd October 2026 Newsletter – Parents’ Evening, Disco and more
- 25th September 2026 Newsletter – School Elections, Parents’ Evening, Census Day, Disco and more
- 18th September 2026 Newsletter – School Elections Deadline, Photographs on Monday, FOSM dates and more
Year 6 – SATs Information Evening
Dear Parents and Carers,
Thank you so much for attending our evening at school on Wednesday to share information about the upcoming SATs papers the children in Year 6 will sit in June. It was lovely to see so many supportive families.
For those unable to attend the slides summarise the areas we discussed on the evening. Please feel free to ask if you have any questions at all.
Here’s to a great Spring Term of learning!
The Year 6 Team.
12 January 2024 – Newsletter including FOSM Disco details
A note from Mr Applegate
Highlights of this week include:
- Year 3 Forest School sessions – they are loving it, despite the cold 🙂
- Our 80-strong ‘Dance Live’ pupils preparing for their competition in February.
- Setting our “Agents of Change” class challenge; ask your child about what they are doing!
Our Ofsted report will likely be out next week. We will email it to you when it goes live.
Have a great weekend, Mr Applegate
Deadline for Year R applications
Reminder that the deadline for applications for Year R students starting in September 2024 is Monday 15 January.
Year 3 need shoe boxes!
For Year 3’s art collage project for this half term, each child will need a shoe box. Please can you provide as many shoe boxes as you can before Wednesday 24th January. Many thanks, Year 3 team
Term dates and INSET days for 2024/25
A reminder that term dates and inset days for 2024-2025 can be found on our school calendar, and also in summary at the bottom of this page.
FOSM Disco Tickets!
To book, click here: www.stmarksprimary.net/fosm_shop
Congratulations!
Dance
Congratulations to Bailey who competed in a dance competition last weekend in Essex. She came 2nd in her solo event. What an amazing achievement!
Table Tennis
Another massive well done to Olivia in Yr 6, who represented our school and won the County Final for individual table tennis this week. A massive achievement and a place at the National Final! Massive congratulations Olivia!’
School Photoreel
Pupil Safety First
We’re at over 500 signatures. Can we get to 800?! Please sign our petition here! We’ll be presenting this to the council really soon!
⭐ Star Learners ⭐

⭐ Star Readers ⭐

⭐ Quiet Classes ⭐
2G & 6C
⭐ 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 96.4%. Oh no 🙁
Weekly Attendance by Class

School Dates, Lunches, and Clubs
In worship this week…
Your child’s class or year group are planning how they can be Agents of Change together! In the coming weeks, they will be taking part in their own activity to make our school, community or world a better place. Watch this space!
Music of the Week
‘Moonlight’ piano Sonata No.14 by Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. He wrote this sonata in 1801 during the Classical era.
- 23rd October 2026 Newsletter – PE and Forest School days, Book Fair, Harvest, Prayer Space and more
- 16th October 2026 Newsletter – Harvest donations, Prayer Space and more
- 9th October 2026 Newsletter – Last chance to buy Disco tickets!!
- 2nd October 2026 Newsletter – Parents’ Evening, Disco and more
- 25th September 2026 Newsletter – School Elections, Parents’ Evening, Census Day, Disco and more
- 18th September 2026 Newsletter – School Elections Deadline, Photographs on Monday, FOSM dates and more


















