Apollo Music Violin Bursaries

We are delighted to announce that Apollo Music will be continuing their wonderful bursary programme with SJSJ this year, providing opportunities for children to learn the violin. Congratulations to our four Year 4 pupils who have been awarded a bursary this year: Kian, Krystal, Josiah and Berenice. We are incredibly proud of them and excited to see them develop their musical skills, confidence and enjoyment of playing an instrument.

We are very grateful to Apollo Music for continuing to support our children and provide such a valuable opportunity. We look forward to hearing about the children’s progress and, of course, seeing them perform for us at one of our termly concerts soon!

Gold Award – Love Your Neighbour as Yourself

In line with our school vision, “Love Your Neighbour as Yourself” – Matthew 22:39, we will be awarding one child each week with a Gold Award for demonstrating our vision in practice every day.

We are looking for children who consistently show respect, kindness, politeness and hard work, as well as those who go the extra mile for themselves and their neighbours. These are the qualities we will be celebrating when deciding who receives the award during our celebration assemblies.

As a special reward, all winners of this particular award will be invited to visit WonderLab at the Science Museum on 2 December. We will also arrange further reward trips for the Spring and Summer terms, giving our children even more to look forward to.

A huge congratulations to Janelle (Y1) and Axel (Y5), who have already been recognised for the wonderful way they look after and treat their peers and the adults who support them.

Well done! We are incredibly proud of you!

Healthy Packed Lunch Reminder

As part of our commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles and supporting children’s wellbeing, we would like to remind families about our healthy packed lunch expectations. This guidance also applies to packed lunches provided for school trips.

If your child brings a packed lunch to school or on a trip, please ensure it contains a healthy and balanced selection of food that will help them stay focused and energised throughout the day.

Packed lunches should include:

• At least one portion of fruit and one portion of vegetables
• A healthy source of protein such as meat, fish, eggs, beans or hummus
• A carbohydrate such as bread, pasta, rice or wraps
• A dairy item such as yoghurt or cheese
• Water only (milk is also provided in school)

Please be reminded that the following items should not be brought into school or on trips:

• Crisps
• Sweets or chocolate bars
• Fizzy or sugary drinks, including juice drinks such as Capri-Sun and Fruit Shoot
• Any nut products, including chocolate spreads containing nuts, as we are a nut-free school

Healthy alternatives could include:

• Fresh fruit or vegetable sticks
• Rice cakes or crackers
• Cheese cubes or yoghurts
• Wraps, pasta salads or sandwiches
• Water in a reusable bottle

Thank you for your continued support in helping us encourage healthy habits for all children. Further information can be found on the school website.

Reminder: After School Club Collection Procedures

This is a gentle reminder that our After School Club finishes promptly at 5:00pm each day. If you wish to collect your child before 5:00pm, you must inform the school office in advance, so we can ensure your child is ready for collection. We have had an increase in parents arriving at different times between 4-5pm and this causing significant disruption.

For safeguarding reasons, we are unable to accommodate parents waiting in the school office until the club finishes. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping us maintain a safe and secure environment for all our pupils.

Thank you for your continued support.

Safeguarding Reminder

A gentle reminder to all parents and carers that, for the safety and wellbeing of all our children, parents and carers should not enter the school building during morning drop off or afternoon collection times.

In the mornings, please remain outside the school gate while the children make their way into school. If you need to pass a message to your child’s teacher in the morning, please do this through the school office, who will be happy to pass the message on. This helps our teachers to remain focused on welcoming the children safely into school and preparing for the day ahead.

At the end of the day, please wait in the designated collection areas and allow our staff to safely dismiss the children to their parents and carers.

We really appreciate your support with these arrangements. These simple measures help us to maintain a calm, safe and well organised start and end to the school day, while ensuring that our safeguarding procedures are followed consistently. Thank you, as always, for working in partnership with us to keep all of our children safe.

Reminder: Outstanding ParentPay Balances

We would like to remind all parents and carers to please check ParentPay to ensure any outstanding balances are cleared. If anyone needs support with accessing ParentPay, please come to the school office and speak to Miss Nifa, who will be happy to help.

School Uniform

As part of our ongoing efforts to maintain a smart, inclusive and focused learning environment, we’d like to send a friendly reminder about the school uniform policy here at St John and St James.

Our school uniform consists of the following items:

• Grey trousers or black jogging bottoms
• Grey skirts or tunics
• Plain red, white, or grey socks or tights
• Red or white polo shirts, shirts, or blouses
• Red sweatshirts(with or without the school logo)
• Red cardigans(with or without the school logo)
• Sensible black shoes
• Plain black trainers

During the summer months, children are also permitted to wear:

• Grey school shorts
• Red and white gingham summer dresses

Please also be reminded of the following additional guidelines:

• Footwear must be black, either sensible shoes or plain black trainers.
• Jewellery should not be worn, except for small studs in the ears.
• Hair accessories should be simple and in keeping with the uniform (e.g., plain headbands, clips, or ties).
• Tights or socks should be plain red, grey or white.
• School uniform MUST be labelled with your child’s name.

We appreciate your support in helping ensure that your child arrives at school in the correct uniform each day. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office.

Thank you for your continued cooperation in maintaining our school’s standards.

Keeping Our Children Safe at Home and In School

Safeguarding is EVERYONE’S responsibility. Our attitude is, it could happen here.

At St John & St James we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect ALL staff, volunteers and visitors to the school to share this commitment.

If you have any concerns about the safety of a child, please speak immediately to our Designated Safeguarding Lead, Joshua Watson.

If Mr Watson is not available, you can always speak to one of our school’s Deputy Safeguarding Leads: