Headteacher Newsletter 469

School Ping

We are currently experiencing some issues with our parent communication app, School Ping. Some families are having difficulties receiving messages and using the app. We are in regular contact with School Ping, who are working hard to resolve these problems as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, today's Headteacher Newsletter is also available in paper form, and we will continue to share updates through the News section of our school website. If you have any questions or are experiencing difficulties accessing information, please contact the school office, who will be happy to help. Thank you for your patience and understanding while these issues are being resolved.

Poppy Appeal

We are supporting the Poppy Appeal again this year, with poppies and a selection of poppy-themed goodies available to purchase this week and during the first week after half-term.

Suggested minimum donations are 20p for a paper poppy and 50p for other items (stocks are limited). Children are welcome to donate more if they wish. Please encourage them to purchase one poppy and one additional item at most, so everyone has the chance to take part.

For younger children, a named envelope labelled Poppy Appeal is a helpful way to bring in their money and avoid any lost coins.

The Poppy Appeal supports the Armed Forces community and their families, past and present. It is also a lovely opportunity for our children to learn about remembrance, respect and gratitude for those who have served and sacrificed. Thank you for your support.
 

Parents’ Evening

Information about our upcoming Parents' Evening was shared with families this week. These meetings are a valuable opportunity to celebrate your child's successes, discuss their progress and talk about how we can work together to support their next steps in learning.

Please do sign up for an appointment as soon as you can. If you're having difficulties accessing School Ping and are unable to book, please contact the school office, and we'll be happy to help.

We look forward to seeing you!

Reading Update

Reading Gems

It's wonderful to see how excited the children are about our new Reading Gems reward system, launched at the start of term!

We're encouraging every child to read at home four times each week (for example, Monday to Monday, depending on their usual reading day). The great news is that all reading counts – whether it's a school reading book, a library book or a favourite book from home!

Please record each of the four reads as an individual entry in your child's Reading Record. Once these have been checked by an adult in school, your child can add a Reading Gem to their class's collective jar. If the jar reaches the marker line by the end of term, the whole class earns a special reward! This term, rewards include pyjama days and watching a film – very exciting!

We'd be really grateful for your support in helping your child build a regular reading habit and work towards their class reward. Just four reads a week can make a real difference, and it's lovely to see the children working together towards a shared goal. Happy reading!

Summer Reading Challenge

We recently received some fantastic news following the Summer Reading Challenge from the organisers: “We are delighted to let you know that 42 children from your school took part and a whopping 36 of them completed the challenge. This is an outstanding percentage of finishers, by far the best performance across the board - such a great performance!”  Woodland View received a book bundle prize following this achievement. Well done to all families who took part!

School Book Fair - Coming Soon!

Our fantastic School Book Fair kicks off on Tuesday 24th November, after school in the hall.
Please come along and browse the wonderful selection of books. Every purchase made helps raise funds to buy new books for our school.

The Book Fair will also be open for browsing before and after school on Wednesday. Thursday afternoon will be the last time to shop. Please note the Book Fair is CASHLESS. QR codes will be available in the hall for a quick and convenient payment.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Culture Day - Thursday 5th November

We're really excited about our upcoming Culture Day on Thursday 5th November! This is a fabulous opportunity for children to celebrate their cultural heritage, share traditions and discover more about the wonderful diversity within our school community.

Please take a look at the poster for the details. Here are just a few things to look forward to:

• Celebrating in style: Children can come to school wearing cultural or national dress, flag colours and/or face paint.
• A cultural mini-exhibition: We'll be inviting children to contribute items that are special or meaningful to their culture. 
• Our cultural fact files: A fun, creative way to explore your family's culture together. Every child will receive a paper copy before half term. Children can then choose to share their fact file on Culture Day.

At Woodland View, we love learning about one another, celebrating what makes us unique and recognising all the things that bring us together. We can't wait to fill the school with colour, stories, traditions and celebrations from around the world. It's going to be a wonderful day of sharing, learning and celebrating our amazing school community!

Free Online Internet Safety Course

Service Six is offering a free online course for parents and carers about keeping children and young people safe online - Internet safety for parents and carers of children and young people with SEND. This course recognises that children with SEND may use and experience the internet in different ways.

It is free to attend and will take place online. Registration is via Eventbrite. Please see the information below from the organisers for further details and booking links.

Monday 9th November - 6:30pm to 7:30pm

Our introductory SEN parent/carer workshop aims to empower parents/carers or the professionals working with SEN children/young people to support them navigating the online world.

This includes understanding why those with SEN use the internet, the risks involved, how you can support them and understand the terminology they may use. We use the latest data, laws and research to inform our practice and the guidance you receive.

We also look at the pressures young people face, increase their awareness of the grooming process, the risks associated with indecent image sharing and inform you on how to report online harms so you feel equipped to support your young people.
 We will cover the upcoming law changes and the potential impact it could pose.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-safety-session-for-sen-parentscarers-tickets-1997967728259?aff=oddtdtcreator 

End of Term and Blogs

It's hard to believe we're already approaching the end of our first half-term! It's been a busy and exciting term, with lots of learning, new experiences and wonderful achievements across the school. Thank you, as always, for your continued support – it really does make a difference.

If you'd like a glimpse into what the children have been getting up to, do take a look at our school blogs. They're a lovely way to see some of the learning, activities and special moments happening across our classes.

We hope everyone enjoys a restful and happy half-term break, with plenty of time for family, fun and a little relaxation.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Tuesday 3rd November, ready for another exciting half term of inspiring, enjoying and achieving together!

Here are some images from the latest school blogs!
https://www.wvps.northants.sch.uk/page/?title=Blogs&pid=75

Key Dates

Thursday 22nd October - Flu Immunisation for pupils 
Friday 23rd October - Term Ends
Monday 26th October - Craft Barn Holiday Camp 
Monday 2nd November - Teacher Training Day
Tuesday 3rd November - School Opens for Autumn 2
Thursday 5th November - Culture Day - details above
Week beginning 9th November - Parents’ Evening 
Friday 13th November - Children in Need - details to follow
Week beginning 23rd November - School Book Fair - details above
Thursday 26th November - SEND Coffee Morning - 9-10am - in school
Monday 7th December - Cinema Club - 3.15-5pm - details to follow
Thursday 17th December - Christmas Party Day - details to follow
Friday 18th December - term ends

Yours sincerely, 
Mark Horsley, Headteacher