Dear Parents and Carers,
I want to start this week by thanking you for your support through the last few weeks of the teachers’ strike, which has made a challenging situation easier to deal with. One of the things that strikes me about the Palatine community is how we work together and what a positive and thoughtful community we are. Thank you!
Despite their short week the children have made some great progress. In communication development one pupil has started to speak in full sentences and another has been doing great switch work. In sensory and physical learning one pupil become more independent in the swimming pool whilst another pupil had a great swimming session whilst using our new floats which provide some of our pupils with more complex needs with the opportunity to be more independent in the water. Another pupil has been using her walker to move around school with increasing focus and speed! In creative and scientific learning one class has been learning about ladybirds. They have created beautiful paintings and have been learning about and labeling the features of a ladybird. In food technology one class has made some delicious truffles. In regard to personal and social development one child has been transitioning wonderfully around the school and another has made big improvements in their self-regulation. Another has shown fantastic concentration in their sensory play; improving their behavior for learning. One child has read in full sentences from a book independently.
Next week, we have the excitement of Time to Dance with some of our pupils performing in a joint dance with pupils from Oak Grove College at the Worthing Pavilion alongside many local schools. They are always the stars of the show! I know a number of you will be there to enjoy their performance and I look forward to seeing you there!
Attendance Focus
For the week commencing 6th March, the classes with the best attendance were;
- Explorers hub – Zebra class
- Investigators hub – Gecko class
- Engineers hub – Koala class
Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) reports that last year, 91 types of toy were recalled because they were dangerous. A report from the British Toy and Hobby Association found that, of 101 dangerous toys withdrawn from sale on online marketplaces, 65 seemingly identical toys were still on sale a year later.
Research by CAPT reveals that 70% of parents don’t check to see if a product has been recalled and 93% of us don’t know how to check. So CAPT have set up a new advice hub where parents and practitioners can check if the toys and childcare products we are buying are safe. Click here for more information.
With mounting financial pressures and a cost of living crisis, many of us search online for better prices than in shops but apparently only 13% of us check out who the seller is or where they are based. This increases the risk of inadvertently buying dangerous products for children. CAPT offer practical tips on how to swerve rogue online sellers, alongside advice on who to call if you are worried that you’ve bought something dangerous.
Free school meal voucher scheme – Easter
Means-tested FSM eligible families will be entitled to a £15.00 voucher per child, per week – a total of £30.00 for the Easter break. Vouchers will be issued in the same way as they were for the February half-term, week commencing 27th March.
Holiday Activities & Food (HAF) programme
This scheme is fully funded by the Department for Education and offers children who are entitled to means-tested FSM the opportunity to attend participating holiday clubs and have a free meal. Easter bookings now open. You can search for local providers online here. Places are limited and filling up fast.
Superhero and Easter theme Children’s Craft and Play Session
For children of all ages on Tuesday 4th April 10.00am – 11.30am at The Old Palace, Glebe Road, Tarring, BN14 7PF. The session is £2.50 for the session per family and includes refreshments.
Author Kate Thompson will be reading a Superhero story followed by Superhero crafts and Easter crafts.
They will also have Beth from Body Shop at Home with some affordable items to buy.
Have a lovely weekend everyone!
Very best wishes,
Catriona
English
Arabic
Bengali
Lithuanian
Polish