7th July 2023
Dear Parents and Carers,
This week the children have especially enjoyed a week of sporting activities including dance wiggle which proved very popular! Some of our children completed races using English Martyrs field yesterday which they were very excited about. Others have taken part in Boccia, sensory football and field games. The children are continuing to work on their musical theatre performances and one class put on their costumes and face paints to film their production. Many children have made progress in their communication. One pupils is now saying ‘Good morning, Catriona’ and ‘Bye Bye friends’. Another was able to verbally request ‘milk please’ during a class ‘breakfast’. Another has been independently going to get their speech processors and holding them, allowing an adult to connect them for a few seconds. In social skills development one child has been sharing their toys from home with their friends. Another played really nicely with the EYFS children on the slide. Two children have been on the nest swing together for a couple of playtimes. Another has been trying to make their friends laugh when they are sad. In learning across the curriculum one child tasted the green jelly and smelt the spaghetti during a sensory story. Another independently got the tray of animals, took them outside and played with them in the water tray making their own ‘watering hole’ for the animals. They put them in the water one at a time and looked at each one in the water really closely. Finally, one child did a great diagram of ‘the water cycle’ and explained it to me. He was so excited about it!
Sun Safety
With talks of a heat wave this month and the summer holidays just around the corner, it’s important to make sure we all stay protected and stay safe in the sun. The Teenage Cancer Trust found that nearly two-thirds (61%) of young people aged 13-24 have avoided using sunscreen in order to get a better tan. The damage done to our skin when we’re young could lead to skin cancer developing in later life. Some important things to remember are:
- Sunburn increases your risk of skin cancer
- Sunburn does not just happen on holiday; you can burn in the UK, even when it’s cloudy
- There’s no safe or healthy way to get a tan
- A tan does not protect your skin from the sun’s harmful effects
- The sun is strongest in the UK between 11am and 3pm from March to October
Sun Safety tips for everyone:
- Spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm
- Adults should use at least factor 30 sunscreen (SPF30) and children should use at least factor 50 (SPF50) even when it is cloudy. Sunscreen should also have at least 4-stars for UVA protection
- Protect your lips with at least SPF 30 lip balm
- No sunscreen offers 100% protection so it is important to cover up with suitable clothing, sunglasses (with CE Mark and British Standard Mark 12312-1:2013E) and a hat (that shades the face, neck and ears)
- Remember that babies and children’s skin is much more sensitive than adults and babies under 6 months should be kept out of direct strong sunlight
- Make sure the sunscreen is not past its expiry date; most have a shelf life of about 2 years and store out of direct sunlight.
- Sunscreen should be applied to all exposed skin, including the face, neck and ears. Don’t forget feet and backs of hand too.
- Sunscreen should be applied 20 minutes before going out
- Apply sunscreen liberally and frequently; approximately 5 teaspoons for the whole body and one teaspoon for face and neck
- Re-apply sunscreen straight after you have bee in water, even if it is “water resistant,” and after towel drying, sweating or when it may have been rubbed off. Even if you have not been in water, the sun can dry sunscreen off your skin so it’s important to re-apply at least every 2 hours.
- UVA radiation can penetrate glass; this can be a car window, so ensure you protect your skin if you are on long car journeys or spend a lot of time sat by sunny windows.
The CBeebies website has a great short video/song for children about staying safe in the sun.
More information and advice can be found here from the British Skin Foundation and advice here from the NHS.
Attendance Focus
For the week commencing 26th June, the classes with the best attendance were;
- Explorers hub – Pelican class
- Investigators hub – Badger class
- Engineers hub – Sloth class
Free School Meal (FSM) voucher summer scheme
Means –tested FSM eligible families will be entitled to a £10.00 voucher per child, per week, a total of £60.00 for the summer holidays. Vouchers will be issued week commencing Monday 17 July, in the same way as they were for the May half-term.
Community Hub
Those children and families not eligible for FSM will be able to access urgent support for food via the West Sussex County Council Community Hub. The Community Hub can be contacted on 0330 222 7980 and is open 09:00 – 17:00 seven days a week.
The sign of the week is bubbles!
Date reminders:
- Summer Fair: Saturday 15th July 2pm – 4pm
- Last day of term for pupils: Thursday 20th July
- First day of the Autumn term for pupils: Wednesday 6th September
We look forward to seeing you in school for our musical theatre performances and Yr 6 leavers picnic over the next couple of weeks too.
Have a lovely weekend!
Very best wishes,
Catriona