News – St Mark's CofE Primary School https://www.stmarksprimary.net Growing and Learning Together In God's Love Thu, 23 Jul 2026 08:36:11 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 https://www.stmarksprimary.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-android-chrome-512x512-1-32x32.png News – St Mark's CofE Primary School https://www.stmarksprimary.net 32 32 22nd July 2026 Newsletter – Have a wonderful Summer! https://www.stmarksprimary.net/2026/07/22/22nd-july-2026-newsletter-have-a-wonderful-summer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=22nd-july-2026-newsletter-have-a-wonderful-summer Wed, 22 Jul 2026 16:32:15 +0000 https://www.stmarksprimary.net/?p=74281

A few notes from Mr Applegate

  • What an brilliant end of year worship we had today. So much fun, tears and talent.
  • We had 407 responses to our end of year survey – you can see the results here (and well done to Puffins with 28/30 responses by Tues 12pm!)
  • Thank you so much for your support across the year. We are so grateful for the strong sense of community, and the kindness and generosity shown. As we sang this morning, “Together we’re stronger.”
  • We return again on Thursday 3rd September for children. We look forward to welcoming our new Year R children and their families into our community.

Have a great summer! Charles.

Last minute Must-Dos

  • Log into Arbor or email for help if you can’t. You need this for any school payments.
  • If you will be using a Childcare Payment scheme for Breakfast Club or Lions, please complete this form.
  • Need to apply for Free School Meals or check for additional Pupil Premium funding? Click here for an instant response.

Agents of Change Home Challenges

Following your feedback, we’ll be moving this system to Google Classroms from September. Easier tracking, submitting and managing!

Arbor – A significant change for school payments

 Where are we up to? So far…
  • we have started taking bookings for Lions sessions,
  • we have set up the Year 4 Residential trip (for current Year 3 parents to start making payments),
  • we have set up accounts for you to start topping up your Meal accounts and Breakfast Club accounts,
  • we have asked you to clear any debts before July 31st
  • we have advised you that you can continue to pay for the Year 6 Residential (March 2027) via Scopay until the deadline – 
  • we have advised you that all credits or debits will be carried across from Scopay to Arbor.
From August 1st…
  • we will start to move across all leftover monies and debts to the corresponding Arbor accounts.
What’s next? From September…
  • you will need to have money in your Meals account to pay for school dinners (KS2 only unless they are FSMs). NB: You do not need to set up any Meal Preferences, so please ignore this on Arbor.
  • you will need to have money in your Breakfast Club account if you are going to be using this wraparound care provision.  You DO NOT need to book for this.  Just turn up and you’ll be charged accordingly.
  • if your child will be learning to play a musical instrument with HMS (not guitar or ukulele with Mr Maycock) we will set up an invoice for you to start paying towards the fees.  This will hopefully be set up over the summer. You can add money for this by topping up the Music Tuition account. 
  • if your child is allocated a space on a teacher/LSA – led club, you will see this listed under Activities>Clubs. This will happen over the summer. You will need to pay for the club.
  • if your child is going on a School Trip, you will see this listed under Activities>Trips. You will need to give consent for the trip and pay. We will email you to let you know when you need to do this.
Watch Out!

If you want to book onto Lions or to see which sessions you have booked, please make sure you look in Activities>Clubs.  Some parents have been confused and have been looking under the Accounts section which will only show you when you have made payments.

St Mark’s Wraparound Care and Clubs

Breakfast Club 7:30-8:30am  (amended 23/7 due to publishing incorrect timing)

In September, the arrangements for Breakfast Club will remain the same.  Charges will be arranged after your child attends a session and you do not need to book your child’s place in advance.  You are able to add a Top Up amount to your account for funds to be taken from.  Please see here for further details.

Lions 3:20 -6pm

As you know, we’re excited to be launching our very own provision for Afterschool Care from September. Click here to see details.

Standard Teacher and LSA Led Clubs 3:20-4:10pm

You will receive information about club start times and beginning and ending dates via email.  Please take care to add this information to your diaries.  Club pick up location is via the KS1 gate (along Woodbury Road).  Please let grandparents know as we often find they are unaware of the pickup location.

Dance Live, Forest School, Football, Orchestra and Choir/Young Voices Clubs

These clubs often follow a different schedule and have different finishing times and pick up locations.  Please look very carefully at the information you will be sent.

Ordering School Bags

A reminder that our drawstring school bags should be purchased here. 

Calendar Dates

Remember, our school calendar is here.

The Warren – Summer Sessions

See Community section below for weekly session overviews.

⭐ St Mark’s Shout Outs ⭐

Year 3 have been growing a £1 for our Fairtrade Agents of Change project. 
Avery in 3D has said she is continuing to sell her artwork to raise money for coeliacs and diabetes charities.  Her brother is Phoenix and has diabetes and Avery has coeliacs disease.  She has been so inspired with our grow the pound she wanted to do this for these charities.  What a fabulous thing to do! Well done Avery and Phoenix!

The Wellbeing Champions and Eco Warriors came together to plant wildflower seeds in our wildflower garden area, helping to promote wildlife, support the environment, and enhance wellbeing by creating a beautiful natural space for everyone to enjoy. These seeds were gifted by Evie’s dad which we have been so delighted to received.

FOSM SAVE THE DATE!

Thank you all so much for your support at our FOSM events this year.  We have had lots of fun and raised funds to enrich the education of all the children. Please see attached a poster for the postponed colour run – please save the date! Ticket information, more details and prices will be  announced in September.

School Dates, Lunches, and Clubs

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

 

Helpful Information

In worship this week…

Music of the Week

NHS Courses and Videos for Parents

Witherslack Group Parent Support Webinars

Community News

Dashwood

Regular Notices

Latest Posts
]]> 17th July 2026 Newsletter – Parent Survey, End of Year, Arbor Pay, Lions and more https://www.stmarksprimary.net/2026/07/17/17th-july-2026-newsletter-parent-survey-end-of-year-arbor-pay-lions-and-more/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=17th-july-2026-newsletter-parent-survey-end-of-year-arbor-pay-lions-and-more Fri, 17 Jul 2026 16:12:56 +0000 https://www.stmarksprimary.net/?p=74216

A few notes from Mr Applegate

  • Well done to our Year 6 pupils – an incredible performance of ‘Shrek’, a brilliant Leaver’s Service today, and outstanding SATs results too. Enjoy the Leaver’s Disco this evening – you deserve it!
  • Win your class a prize by completing the end of year survey here. Deadline is Tuesday 12pm!
  • Lost property – we will put all the lost property out on the KS1 Playground at hometimes next week. On the last day, if there are unnamed items that you would like, please take them as they will be binned or charity shop’d if not taken.  
  • Our Giant Sand Pit begins to take shape this weekend – have a look at the lower corner of the top field on Monday! Thanks to Ben and Trevor for your hard work here.
  • Thanks to your generosity and FOSM’s hard work, we been able to purchase some new chromebooks and storage trolleys for school – meaning less sharing and better learning of important IT skills.
  • The last day of school is Wednesday 22nd July. We’ll return again on Thursday 3rd September for children.

Have a great weekend, Charles.

Before the end of term…

  • Bring a carrier bag or 2 for taking end of year things home – clearly named please.
  • Bring back all reading and library books
  • Log into Arbor or email for help if you can’t.
  • If you will be using a Childcare Payment scheme for Breakfast Club or Lions, please complete this form.
  • Need to apply for Free School Meals or check for additional Pupil Premium funding? Click here for an instant response.

Agents of Change Home Challenges

FOSM SAVE THE DATE!

Thank you all so much for your support at our FOSM events this year.  We have had lots of fun and raised funds to enrich the education of all the children. Please see attached a poster for the postponed colour run – please save the date! Ticket information, more details and prices will be  announced in September.

St Mark’s Wraparound Care

Breakfast Club 8:00-8:30am

In September, the arrangments for Breakfast Club will remain the same.  Charges will be arranged after your child attends a session and you do not need to book your child’s place in advance.  You are able to add a Top Up amount to your account for funds to be taken from.  Please see here for further details.

Lions 3:20 -6pm

As you know, we’re excited to be launching our very own provision for Afterschool Care from September. Click here to see details.

Ordering School Bags

A reminder that our drawstring school bags should be purchased here. 

Calendar Dates

Remember, our school calendar is here.

⭐Weekly Achievement and Attendance ⭐

Class and Year 6 Year Group Photographs

If you missed the deadline for ordering photographs, please note that you can still go ahead and order for home delivery.

The website for ordering from Cardwell and Simons is here.

The Warren – Summer Sessions

See Community section below for weekly session overviews.

 

School Dates, Lunches, and Clubs

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

 

Helpful Information

In worship this week…

Music of the Week

NHS Courses and Videos for Parents

Witherslack Group Parent Support Webinars

Community News

GOL

Regular Notices

Latest Posts
]]> 10th July 2026 Newsletter – Fun Day Thank Yous, Lions, Arbor and more https://www.stmarksprimary.net/2026/07/10/10th-july-2026-newsletter-fun-day-thank-yous-lions-arbor-and-more/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=10th-july-2026-newsletter-fun-day-thank-yous-lions-arbor-and-more Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:10:17 +0000 https://www.stmarksprimary.net/?p=74112

A few notes from Mr Applegate

  •  What a week! The children and staff have managed so well with the heat. And we had a really successfull transition morning on Wednesday. Thank you for your support with this.
  • FOSM team – we salute you for raising an incredible amount from the Summer Fun day. See below for the total!
  • We’re exicted to have announced the launch of Lions, our very own Afterschool Care starting in September. Details here if you missed it.
  • And only 8 days to go!

A few things to do

  • Bring a carrier bag or 2 for taking end of year things home – clearly named please
  • Bring back all reading and library books
  • Log into Arbor or email for help if you can’t.
  • Email the office if you will be using a childcare payment scheme to pay for Lions.

Have a great weekend, Charles

We say goodbye to…

… our lovely Mrs Nicholls, who has been on our St Mark’s team for many years, starting as an LSA and then training as an HLTA to teach across our school. It’s been brilliant to see her develop and flourish here. Her kindness, flexibility and fun nature will be hugely missed, and we wish her all the best for the future. She is very sad to be finishing, as are we to see her go!

This week’s homework and learning

Agents of Change Home Challenges

Summer Fun Day 

A huge congratulations and thank you to our wonderful FOSM volunteers for putting on the most amazing Summer Fun Day last Saturday! It was a fabulous event with so many members of our school community able to join in and enjoy the fun activities that were organised.  We are so grateful to every single member of the fantastic FOSM team who gave up their time and lots of energy in making such a great event happen!  

Thanks also goes to the staff and Year 6 pupils who came along to volunteer and the community members who supported FOSM on the day or by donating raffle prizes.  And of course, thank you to all the children and families who came out to have the best time at our 2026 Summer Fun Day! 

Together, we raised…..

Lions Afterschool Care

September booking coming soon!

As you know, we’re excited to be launching our very own provision for Afterschool Care from September. Click here to see details.

We are doing everything we can to be in a position to open bookings by the end of the day on Monday 13th July.

At the moment, there won’t be anything showing on the app or portal that mentions Lions club being available for registration.  We will email to confirm when this changes so you can hop on and book the sessions you need for September. 

Love Basingstoke

August Adventures is back this summer, bringing free, family-friendly activities to parks across the borough. The events, organised by Love Basingstoke and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, aim to keep children aged 3 to 13 entertained over the summer.

Families can enjoy everything from hands-on crafts and music workshops to sports, games and discos. Whether it’s building, drumming, dancing or trying something completely new, there’s something for all ages to get involved in.

This summer you can find us in War Memorial Park, Penwood, Tadley, Russell Howard Park and Brighton Hill Park. Pack up a picnic and join in the fun. For more information visit www.LoveBasingstoke.co.uk/news/August-Adventures

⭐Weekly Achievement and Attendance ⭐

Class and Year 6 Year Group Photographs

If you ordered a class photograph before the deadline, you should have received this photo from school today.

The Year 6 Year Group photo is available to order now.  The code has been emailed to all Year 6 guardians and the website for ordering from Cardwell and Simons is here.

The Warren – Summer Sessions

See Community section below for weekly session overviews.

 

Brighton Hill Open Mornings

Calendar Dates

Remember, our school calendar is here.

⭐ St Mark’s Shout Outs ⭐

Ava (1BM) has been an amazing Agent of Change! 

She has donated 10.5 inches of her hair to the little princess trust (for children with cancer).
 
Ava, you have a very kind heart and we are very proud of you!

The Hatch Warren Squirrels Scout group — including many St Mark’s pupils — have achieved fantastic fundraising success while working towards their Community Impact Badges. Over the past eight months, they have supported Guide Dogs UK and helped raise awareness of the charity’s life‑changing work.

They learnt how guide dogs are trained and how volunteers like Carol and her puppy Zac (see photo) prepare dogs for their future roles, proudly sharing their new knowledge with others.

To raise money, the Squirrels took part in a Mini Highland Games, a car wash and a community litter pick. Their brilliant efforts have raised £510 for the Guide Dogs UK Basingstoke branch, helping to highlight the vital difference guide dogs make to people with visual impairments.

FOSM Dates

School Dates, Lunches, and Clubs

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

 

Helpful Information

In worship this week…

Music of the Week

NHS Courses and Videos for Parents

Witherslack Group Parent Support Webinars

Community News

NHS1

Regular Notices

Latest Posts
]]> 3rd July 2026 Newsletter – Don’t forget the Summer Fun Day tomorrow! https://www.stmarksprimary.net/2026/07/03/3rd-july-2026-newsletter/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=3rd-july-2026-newsletter Fri, 03 Jul 2026 16:09:44 +0000 https://www.stmarksprimary.net/?p=74009

A few notes from Mr Applegate

  • FOSM Summer Fun Day is tomorrow, Saturday 4th July from 12pm to 3.30pm.  This year, we have a BBQ, so join us for lunch or an afternoon snack. Entry via KS1 gate, with no car-park access. And thank you for your tombola donations today.
  • Another busy week – Year 3’s Musical Performance and Roman Day, our school Musical Showcase with almost 100 musicians, and Year 5 and 6 taster/transition days. And our new Year R’s joined us for Stay and Play sessions. And only 13 days to go :)
  • Have you signed up for the Arbor App yet? This will be our new payment system from September. More details and how to login are here.
  • Also for September… remember gates will close at 8:45am. After 8:45am will be marked officially as late. If you currently arrive at the later end of the morning arrival, it may be worth doing some test runs this side of the summer.
  •  We hear there’s a football game on Monday at 1am… At St Mark’s, we can’t authorise any absence or lateness, but children will have the opportunity to watch the game during the school day, in their classes. We trust this eases conversations at home, and gives the children the sleep they need, as well as the fun of the football with their friends. Depending on how things go, it may just be the highlights!

Have a great weekend, Charles

Summer Fun Day

 

This week’s homework and learning

 

Agents of Change Home Challenges

⭐Weekly Achievement and Attendance ⭐

Brighton Hill Open Mornings

Calendar Dates

Remember, our school calendar is here.

⭐ St Mark’s Shout Outs ⭐

Well done to Amaya from 6C. Her U14 cheerleading team, Xtreme, entered a competition called called Future Cheer Internationals. The team were in a very difficult division of 11… and they only went and won!!! Amazing!

Great work from our Eco Warriors! 

They saved our spare snack time tomatoes to collect and save the seeds. We planted them in the hope that they would grow into new tomato plants, supporting regrowth and sustainability. They have been incredibly successful, and we have grown a large number of healthy new plants from them. This has been a great example of how simple sustainable practices can help reduce waste while promoting a love for the environment. Well done!

FOSM Dates

 

School Dates, Lunches, and Clubs

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

 

Helpful Information

In worship this week…

Music of the Week

NHS Courses and Videos for Parents

Witherslack Group Parent Support Webinars

Community News

HMEH

Regular Notices

Latest Posts
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