Weekly Blog Friday 12th January 2024
Date: 11th Jan 2024 @ 1:59pm
Attendance
Every week in our Celebration Assembly, we celebrate the class who has achieved the highest attendance for that week. This week, Mrs Singh's class had the highest attendance with an amazing 100%! Well done Year 1!
Please see below for the attendance figures for this week. The target attendance for all children is currently set at 97%.
Attendance for this week
Nursery - 92.50%
Reception - 92.40%
Year 1 Miss Singh - 100%
Year 2 Mrs Davies - 93.40%
Year 3 Miss Scott - 98.32%
Year 4 Mrs Wood - 97.44%
Year 5 Mrs Pickersgill - 94.29%
Year 6 Miss Dunn - 91.53%
Celebrating fantastic attendance!
This term, we want to continue to celebrate our children's fantastic attendance. Each class that gets 100% attendance on a particular day will receive one letter from the word MAYFLOWER to put on their classroom door. Once a class has spelt out the word MAYFLOWER, a member of the class will bring all their letters down to the office to claim their prize from our box of Awesome Attendance Activities. Mrs Powell has set the challenge this morning in our Celebration Assembly, so we look forward to finding out who our first winners are!
Contacting the school office
If you need to report your child as being absent, please ensure that you phone the school office on 01302 710721 by 8.30am that morning please. The office staff are available to answer calls from 8am each day; however, if you would prefer to ring prior to 8am please leave a message on the answer machine and this will be picked up once the office staff arrive.
Please do not email to report your child's absence or to inform us of a change of arrangements for that particular day. We provide a timescale of 48 hours to read and respond to all emails and whilst we do endeavour to deal with them well within that timescale, it is not always possible for the office staff to check emails on the day they are received.
NHS Guidance
Stars of the week
Each week in our Friday Celebration Assembly, we celebrate our stars of the week. Each class teacher chooses 2 children from their class each week who have really impressed them. Please see below for who has been chosen this week, together with the reason for them being chosen.
Nursery & Reception
Hugo in Reception for working really hard this week in phonics, he is trying his best and has shown progress already this term.
Oliver F in Nursery for being really kind and helpful this week and being a good friend to the other children in his class.
Year 1
Colby: This week our focus in school has been about new goals and aspirations, so Colby has been working extra hard to be kind and work hard. Colby completed his homework straight away and he did some wonderful Art work reminding himself and his friends to make the right choices. Keep up the good work Colby!
Lais: Well done Lais on your first week at Bawtry Mayflower Primary School. I am so proud of how you have settled in and how hard you have been working in your new classroom. You have been extremely kind to your friends in getting to know them and you have been great at following our school rules. Keep up the hard work!
Year 2
Logan - for settling in well to his new class and new school. He is following the rules and routines, trying hard with his work and starting to make new friends, Welcome to the school, Logan.
Tommy M - for starting the new year with a fantastic new attitude. He is demonstrating how to follow the school rules and is trying hard to be the best he can be. Keep it up, Tommy.
Year 3
Daniel - Daniel has come back to school very motivated and giving 100% in all lessons. Daniel is making a really conscious effort within lessons on his presentation and making sure he is working to the best of his ability. I am really impressed with Daniel's attitude to learning and the maturity he is displaying within his learning.
Natalie - Natalie has had a great start to the new term, she has been trying her best in all lessons, getting involved with paired work and sharing her ideas with the class. I am really happy with the increase in confidence I have seen this week within Natalie's learning.
Year 4
Jayden - Jayden has started the year and the new term with a really positive attitude. He has been focussed on his learning and trying his very best in lessons. He has shown how responsible he is by being honest and trustworthy when helping adults.
Charlotte - Charlotte has had a fantastic start to the new school term. She has set an excellent example to other children by demonstrating how respectful she is. She has followed all of the school rules and is working incredibly hard in every lesson.
Year 5
Gracie-Leigh - Gracie-Leigh has come into school every day this week with a smile on her face, full of positivity and she has made me, and others in the class, smile. She has tried so hard this week with her learning and has put 100% effort in to every lesson. Keep it up Gracie-Leigh!
Piper-May - Piper has come back to school with a positive attitude towards her learning and she has tried really hard to complete work to the best of her ability. She has demonstrated increasing confidence in new and unfamiliar situations and is beginning to face challenges with a positive attitude. Keep it up Piper!
Year 6
This week in school, we have been focusing on goals and aspirations and looking out for those children who embody our school values of believe, achieve and succeed. This week's Stars of the Week in Year 6 have been chosen with this in mind.
Brione - Brione's confidence in herself and her learning has really improved this week. She has begun to trust her own ideas and believe in herself more. In maths, Brione has been confident to work independently on challenging concepts when learning about fractions and equivalence and she has shown the confidence to clearly explain strategies and concepts to others. You are capable of so much Brione and I believe in you. Make sure that you continue to believe and have faith in yourself too.
Jack - Jack has had a fantastic start to the new year and has tried hard to meet the goals that he has set for himself. He has pushed himself in writing to ensure that his work is the very best that it can be and has worked hard on spelling given words correctly. Jack has been respectful to other children and to all adults this week and has shown that he can be a positive role model for others. This is fantastic progress Jack - keep it up!
Headteacher Award
Each week in our Celebration Assembly, Mrs Powell chooses someone who has really impressed her during the week and presents them with her Headteacher Award trophy. This week’s superstar award goes to Evelyn in Year 6. Evelyn has made it her resolution for this year to always give 110% in everything she does and so far, so good! We know you will succeed in whatever you put your mind to Evelyn, so we are sure this will continue for the rest of your time here at Mayflower and beyond. You are determined and your commitment is so very much appreciated. Well done!
Please remember we are a nut-free school
We have noticed again this week that some children are bringing food containing nuts into school in their packed lunches. Please re-familiarise yourselves with the following information, as we are a nut free school here at Bawtry Mayflower.
We currently have children throughout school with a range of allergies and are a nut free school. People who suffer from nut allergies can develop a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.
If someone has a nut allergy, it is not just eating nuts that can cause a severe reaction, just being touched on the skin or smelling the breath of someone who has had nuts or a product containing nuts can trigger anaphylactic shock (which can cause breathing and swallowing difficulties).
Most staff members in the school are trained to use Epi-pens (an injection of adrenalin) which are required immediately if this happens. School also has emergency Epi-pens in the event that a child’s Epi-pen fails.
We cannot have nuts in school in any form so please can we ask that you do not put nut products in your child’s lunch box or that no nut products are brought into school as a snack.
For example:
- Peanut butter sandwiches
- Chocolate spreads
- Cereal bars
- Some granola bars
- Cakes that contain nuts
- Biscuits / Cookies that contain nuts
- Peanut butter cakes
This list is not exhaustive, so please check the packaging of products closely. We appreciate that this is an additional thing to check but we know that you will recognise the importance of it.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to speak to a member of staff.
Reception applications for September 2024
If your child is due to start in Reception in September 2024 and you haven't yet made your application for their place, the closing date for applications is this coming Monday, 15th January 2024.
If you live in the Doncaster Council area, you can apply by visiting https://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/schools/school-admissions and clicking on 'Primary Admissions'. If you live outside of the Doncaster Council area, please contact your local School Admissions Team.
National offer date is 16th April 2024 - parents will be emailed their decision by their Local Authority, using the email account used to apply. Once an offer is received families will be contacted by school directly regarding the next steps.
Makaton Sign Of The Week
The children have recently started learning Makaton's 'Sign of the week' each week. Each Monday, the children learn the new sign for that week. We thought it would be useful to share the following week's sign with parents/carers on our Friday blog so you can get involved too if you wish. Please click on the link below to see the sign that the children will be learning next week.
Parent Governor Vote
Just before Christmas, we held a vote for our Parent Governor vacancy. We are pleased to announce that Mrs Lindsey Buxton received the most votes and has therefore been voted on to our Governing Body. Congratulations! We look forward to Mrs Buxton having an active role alongside our other Governors in the Governing Body's strategic focus here at Mayflower.
Payment for After School Clubs
If your child is taking part in one of our after school clubs this term and you haven't yet made the required payment, please ensure that you log in to ParentPay this weekend to make the payment.
Reminder about school dinner payments for children in Year 3 and above
Children in Year 2 and below receive a free school meal as part of the Government's Universal Infant Free School Meal Initiative.
If your child has school dinners and is in Year 3 and above, payment for these should always be made in advance of the meals being taken. Payments can be made as far in advance as you wish. The amount paid then remains on your child's dinner money account on ParentPay and each time they have a school meal, the cost for that meal is deducted from the balance.
There is a facility to use Auto Top-Up on ParentPay, whereby you can set an automatic payment to the value of your choice to come out of your bank account when your child's dinner money account reaches a limit that you specify. This then ensures you don't have to remember to top up your child's dinner money account, as the system will do it automatically for you when required.
If you currently owe any dinner money, please ensure you log in to ParentPay as soon as possible please to clear the outstanding balance and then ensure that your child's dinner money account remains in credit going forward.
Free School Meals - have your circumstances changed?
We thought it would be useful to share information each term regarding Free School Meals with parents/carers. Some parents/carers may not realise that they are eligible, for example if their circumstances have recently changed. Parents/Carers with children in Years 2 and below may also not have applied for Free School Meals as their child already receives a free meal which is funded by the Government's Universal Infant Free School Meals initiative.
Children who are eligible for means-tested Free School Meals are also entitled to receive additional funding called Pupil Premium. This is a grant provided by the Government which school will receive for 6 years to enable us to support the children and enhance their education.
For further information regarding Free School Meals, please click on the link below.
https://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/schools/free-school-meals
If you live in a different Local Authority to Doncaster, please visit your own Local Authority's website for further information on Free School Meals.
If you think you are eligible and would like us to make the application on your behalf, we are more than happy to do this if you contact the school office.
Tea & Talk Wednesday 17th January
We would like to invite all parents / carers to our drop-in tea/coffee morning next Wednesday, 17th January from 8.45am to 9.45am.
This will be a great chance to meet our Family Manager Mrs Westerman, our SENCo Mrs Wood, our CAMHS ‘With Me In Mind’ advisors, school nursing team, and a member of our locality Your Place team to discuss any worries you may have about your child’s or your well-being or any advice and support around family/home life.
Boggledybook Children's Bookshop
Courses for parents
We have been asked by Doncaster Council to make parents/carers aware of their parenting course which is available free to all parents, carers and grandparents who live in Doncaster. Please click on the three links below for further information and details of how to access the course.
Sporting Activities
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Lunch Menu for week commencing 15th January 2024
Please see the menu below for next week. There may need to be last minute changes to the menus on occasion, to take into account availability of items or delivery issues.
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Diary Dates
Please see below our current diary dates. It may be that there are dates on here that involve your child that you haven't had any information for yet. Please don't worry, information will come out in plenty of time prior to the date concerned. Dates that have been added since the last blog are shown in bold.
Monday 15th January - closing date for Reception applications for September 2024
Wednesday 17th January - Tea and Talk parent drop-in session 8.45am to 9.45am
Tuesday 30th January - Year 1 Safe Touch talk
Tuesday 30th January - Boggledybook Bookshop in school
Wednesday 7th February - Tea and Talk parent drop-in session 8.45am to 9.45am
Thursday 8th February - meeting for Year 4 parents regarding the Multiplication Tables check 3pm in the Year 4 classroom
Friday 9th February - last day before half term
Monday 12th February to Friday 16th February - half term
Monday 19th February - first day back after half term
Wednesday 21st February - Young Voices concert at Sheffield Utilita Arena this evening for our choir children
Tuesday 27th February - Year 6 visit to Crucial Crew
Wednesday 6th March - Tea and Talk parent drop-in session 8.45am to 9.45am
Friday 8th March - PTA Mothers Day Shop during the school day - further details to follow
Monday 11th March - English Touring Opera in school - 'The Big Stink'
Wednesday 13th March - Year 6 at STEM event at Queen Elizabeth's High School
Thursday 14th March - Year 3/4 PTA Social 3pm to 4pm - further details to follow
Tuesday 19th March - parents evening - further details to follow
Wednesday 20th March - parents evening - further details to follow
Thursday 21st March - Year 5/6 PTA Social 3pm to 4pm - further details to follow
Tuesday 26th March - Rocksteady concert 2pm (for those parents whose children are taking part in the Rocksteady music sessions)
Thursday 28th March - last day before Easter holidays
Thursday 28th March - PTA Easter Hunt during the school day - further details to follow
Friday 29th March - bank holiday - school closed
Monday 1st April to Friday 12th April - Easter holidays
Monday 22nd April to Wednesday 24th April - Year 5 residential to Caythorpe
Monday 6th May - bank holiday - school closed
Monday 13th May to Friday 17th May - Key Stage 2 SATs tests
Wednesday 15th May - Tea and Talk parent drop-in session 8.45am to 9.45am
Thursday 16th May - Year 4 Hollowford residential parents meeting
Thursday 23rd May - class photos (change of date from 15th May due to Key Stage 2 SATs)
Friday 24th May - last day before half term
Monday 27th May to Friday 31st May - half term
Monday 3rd June to Friday 14th June - Year 4 multiplication checks to be completed during this 2 week period
Monday 3rd June - Training Day - school is closed to pupils
Tuesday 4th June - Training Day - school is closed to pupils
Wednesday 5th June to Thursday 6th June - Year 4 residential to Hollowford
Monday 10th June to Friday 14th June - Phonics screening check Key Stage 1
Wednesday 12th June - Tea and Talk parent drop-in session 8.45am to 9.45am
Thursday 13th June - PTA Fathers Day Shop during the school day - further details to follow
Thursday 20th June - Sports Day - further details and timings to follow
Thursday 20th June - Summer Fair straight after school - further details to follow
Wednesday 3rd July - Tea and Talk parent drop-in session 8.45am to 9.45am
Thursday 4th July - PTA Summer Disco - Year 1/2 3pm to 3.45pm, Years 3 to 6 4pm to 4.45pm - further details to follow
Tuesday 16th July - Rocksteady concert 2pm (for those parents whose children are taking part in the Rocksteady music sessions)
Thursday 18th July - PTA Colour Run - further details to follow
Friday 19th July - last day before Summer holidays
Monday 22nd July - Training Day - school is closed to pupils
Tuesday 23rd July - Training Day - school is closed to pupils
