Newsletter 2 - 16th May 2025

Key Dates

Sunday 18th - Wednesday 21st May
Year 6 School Journey to PGL Liddington

Tuesday 20th May
Year 5 Author Vist with Claire Linney

Thursday 22nd May
Year 1 visit to Windsor Castle

Year 5 visit to Hampton Court

Elm class parent assembly at 9:00 am

Friday 23rd May
Home Learning Showcase for Years 1-6

Inclusion Coffee Morning at 9:00 am

Year 3 Roman Workshop

PSA Reception cake sale after school

HALF-TERM BREAK
Monday 26th - Friday 30th May

Tuesday 3rd & Wednesday 4th June
Class Photographs

Thursday 5th June
Clover class parent assembly at 9:00 am

Friday 6th June
PSA Film Night for Years 5 & 6

Monday 9th June
PSA tombola donations Mufti day

Thursday 12th June
Cornflower class parent assembly at 9:00 am

Friday 13th June
PSA Dads' Breakfast at 8:00 am

Nursery Sports Day

Saturday 14th June
PSA Summer Fair 12:00 - 3:00 pm

 

Key dates for this school year are published here. Some of these dates are provisional, and all dates are subject to change — please refer to this newsletter and communications via ParentPay for the latest information. 

Click here for term dates for the current and 2025/2026 school years, including INSET days.

Reminders

Secondary Schools
If your child is in Year 6 and intends to take up a place at an independent school for Year 7, please let the school office know. The transition process has begun and we are sharing the children's information with their secondary schools so it is very important that we know your child's correct destination. 

Year Group Weekly News
Don't forget to check the Google Classroom for your year group's weekly update and any important reminders for next week. 

Home Learning 2

Home Learning

Home Learning Grids for this half-term are posted on the Google Classroom. Work should be completed in time for the Home Learning Showcases on Friday 23rd May.

School lunches & snacks

Please remember to order your child's school lunch by 8:00 am on the day required. Click here to view this term's full menu. If your child brings a packed lunch, please ensure it is healthy (no sweets or chocolate) and strictly nut-free. Please may we also remind you that morning breaktime snacks should be friut and/or vegetables only. This applies to all year groups. Children in Reception to Year 2 are provided with a friut or vegetable snack through the National Fruit for Schools Scheme but you are of course welcome to provide this from home.

Well DoneA HUGE well done to all the children in Year 6 who took their SATs this week. We are very proud of their hard work and effort and hope they enjoy a well-deserved and relaxing weekend before heading off to PGL Liddlington on Sunday. We are really looking forward to hearing all about this exciting adventure when they return on Wednesday!  

Spark!Spark! School Book Awards

The Fern Hill Spark! Pupil Competition is now open! The children can choose their favourite Spark! shortlisted book as inspiration for their entry and they can be as creative as they like…

  • Write a book review or design a book review poster

  • Write a story or create a comic

  • Bake a cake (and take a photo before it all gets eaten!)

  • Create an artwork or model

  • Create a story box for your favourite scene/setting

  • Recreate the cover using sewing/collage/crochet

  • Create a video book trailer

  • Write a song & record it

There will be prizes for the winners and the best entries will be sent? on to the main inter-school Spark! Competition. Please make sure your child’s name and class is on their entry which should be handed to Ms Rouillard in the library by the deadline of Monday 2nd June 2025. 

Inclusion Coffee MorningInclusion

This school year we have run a series of Inclusion Community Coffee Mornings for parents and carers.

The aim of these events is to encourage and support an inclusive community for our families, particularly those who have children with SEN needs or who have English as an additional language. The events provide an opportunity and space for families to meet and build relationships together and offer support from outside professionals and Fern Hill staff who will be sharing research based strategies and school practice.

Our next Coffee Morning is on Friday 23rd May and will focus on supporting your child to develop positive home learning habits. It will start at 9:00 am and run for one hour. We would love to see you there! If you plan to join us, please let us know by completing the registration form here. 

CameraClass Photographs

Our school photographer will be taking photographs of the children all together in their classes on Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th June. This will include the Year 6 Leavers’ year group photograph. All children should be wearing full school uniform. The photographs will be available to purchase and delivered to school before the end of the term. If you do not wish your child to be included in the photographs, please email the school office by Friday 23rd May to let us know.

KCC LogoYoung Photographers’ Competition

This week, the children have been invited to take part in the Kingston Camera Club’s Young Photographers’ Competition. The photos entered will be displayed at Ham Fair on Saturday 14th June with the prize giving ceremony at 3:00 pm in the Art Marquee. Photos can be taken with either a camera or smartphone/tablet and there is no specific theme. Entries should be handed in to your class teacher no later than Friday 6th June. Happy snapping!

Eco Schools LogoEco Schools Update 

The Eco-Committee have announced their Bird Feeder Competition! Children are invited to design and build a bird feeder to encourage birds to come to our school grounds and improve biodiversity. Entries should be handed to Miss Evans in Nursery by Friday 23rd May and the winner, chosen by the Eco-Committee, will be announced after the half-term break.

Dates for the summer term

Please save the date for Sports Day, which will be held on Friday 20th June at the YMCA Hawker Centre field. The format will be the same as last year with events for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 running in the morning from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm and events for children in Years 3 to 6 running in the afternoon from 12:00 – 3:00 pm. We hope you will join us to cheer on your children and enjoy a whole school picnic lunch from 12:00 - 12:30 pm.

Class changeover day, when the children will spend the afternoon with their class teacher for September, will be on Monday 21st July. 

Community 2Become a Young Scientist for the day!

The Developing Minds Lab at Kingston University is holding their annual Young Scientist Event for children aged 4 - 12 on Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th May. This free event takes place at Kingston University’s Penrhyn Road campus and is a fantastic day filled with fun, hands-on activities designed to spark curiosity and a love for science in young minds, offering a unique chance for children to explore the wonders of the scientific world, particularly about psychology and what psychologists do. You do need to book to attend - you can find out more here.

 

Music in KingstonMusic in Kingston

On Saturday 17th May, Kingston Music Service is hosting an afternoon of live music and discovery for children, young people, and their families. The event is taking place at All Saints Church from 12:00 - 3:00 pm with free entry for all ages. KMS will be joined by a range of music providers from across the borough, all showcasing their inspiring work through performances, hands-on, interactive workshops, and exhibitions. Try-an-Instrument sessions will also be running throughout the event. You can find out more here.

 

Books of the Week

Bea's Bad Day'Bea’s Bad Day' by Tom Percival

Bea is counting down the days until her birthday - her whole family is coming to visit and she can’t wait. When it starts snowing, Bea is excited. But when the snow blocks the roads, she realises that Dad won’t be able to go and get the food and no one will be able to drive to her party. It feels like everything is ruined. But then her brother Archie takes her sledging, and even though it is not what she was expecting, perhaps she can still have a good birthday after all.

 

‘Bea’s Bad Day’ is another excellent instalment in Tom Percival’s ‘Big Bright Feelings’ series and he perfectly captures the feeling of intense anticipation and the resulting crushing disappointment when everything doesn't turn out as planned. An empathetic and beautifully illustrated story about resilience and coping with disappointment.

Mission Manta Ray‘Mission: Manta Ray’ by Philip Kavvadias

In Finn & Milo's second adventure, they find themselves skydiving onto a ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean (along with Arti the microraptor) for a special mission to investigate strange happenings in the Mariana Trench in their capacity as RAPTOR junior agents. But almost as soon as they arrive, the ship is torpedoed by a submarine in the shape of a giant manta ray and they find themselves adrift alone on a life raft. When they finally reach a volcanic island they are reunited with another junior agent, Tasi, and a familiar enemy. Can they escape the bad guys and find out what is going on at the bottom of the ocean?

 

'Mission: Manta Ray' is another non-stop, madcap adventure featuring intrepid children, thrilling action, wildly imaginative technology, and witty banter - perfect for KS2.

 

 

 Team Points Update

The overall House winner this week is HAMPTON

KINGSTON

265

COOMBE

244

RICHMOND

265

HAMPTON

288

Attendance Update

Weekly Attendance

Congratulations to Year 6, who had the best attendance for this week.

Well done to Lavender, Heather and Willow classes with 100% attendance! 

 Year Attendance % Star Year ★
Reception 97.9%  
Year 1 98.0%  
Year 2 97.6%  
Year 3 98.2%  
Year 4 96.3%  
Year 5 96.3%  
Year 6 99.0% ★
     

 

PSA News & Events

Click here for Fern Hill PSA's weekly newsletter.  

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