Riverside News - 13/11/26 - Riverside Primary School

⭐ STAR of the Week ⭐

Leopard: Rowena L

For being a wonderful role model who brings our school values to life every single day. Rowena shows RESILIENCE when completing learning challenges, works hard to STRIVE for her personal best, demonstrates TOLERANCE by always treating others with kindness and respect, and takes immense pride in everything she works to ACHIEVE. Well done Superstar!

Zebra: AJ S

For making an excellent effort with his phonics learning this week, AJ has shown great confidence and pride while making amazing progress learning new sounds and segmenting to spell. We are all so proud of his achievements, which brilliantly reflect our STAR value of ACHIEVE.

Bear: Ronnie M

For demonstrating our core value of STRIVE. We are so proud of the fantastic positive attitude you have brought to your phonics tasks this week. You have settled down brilliantly to your work and tried your absolute best to apply your phonics skills when reading words.

Keep aiming high and working hard!

Otter: Ivy H

For showing brilliant strive across maths and writing this week. Ivy has given incredible effort in all lessons, setting a fantastic example on the carpet by always being ready to learn. Her growing confidence to raise her hand and share her ideas shows her dedication to her learning! Well done Ivy!

Lion: Blake C

For demonstrating brilliant communication when reading aloud to his friends with such wonderful expression. He has also put in fantastic effort in maths, working hard to calculate two-digit addition and subtraction sentences. We are so happy to see you working confidently!

Seal: Alba B

For demonstrating ambition by setting high standards for herself and taking great care with how she presents her learning. Alba has already made wonderful progress this year and her dedication to continually improving her work is a joy to see.

Dolphin: Emilio W

For showing our STAR value of STRIVE by consistently working hard and trying his best in every lesson. Emilio brings a positive attitude to his learning each day and puts great effort into everything he does. Superstar!

Tiger: Megan F

For showing our STAR value of STRIVE by trying her absolute best in every single lesson this week. She has worked hard, believed in herself, and approached all her learning with wonderful enthusiasm.

Panda: Grace H

For demonstrating excellent maths skills in column addition and subtraction this week, she has shown brilliant progress in her learning. She has tackled her calculations with great focus and is now beginning to exchange across columns with growing confidence. By working hard and believing in her own ability, she has shown true STRIVE.

Turtle: Albie W

For showing fantastic RESILIENCE during Geography this week while using a world map to locate different countries. Even when navigating the map became really challenging, he persevered with great determination and kept going until he completed his worksheet. Well done, Albie!

Giraffe: Ruby L

For showing our STAR value of STRIVE by working incredibly hard to achieve her maths goals, tackling tricky multiplications with a variety of techniques and proudly supporting her classmates along the way.

Meerkat: Teddy E-S

demonstrating the STAR value of ACHIEVE during our PE lesson this week. He showed brilliant focus and physical skill throughout the session, performing every activity with impressive control and precision.

Rhino: Elsie R

For showing wonderful COMMUNICATION across all of her learning this week. She consistently volunteers thoughtful, well-explained answers during class discussions and takes great pride in presenting her written work neatly. Alongside her sensible attitude and hard work, Elsie sets a fantastic example of what it means to be a confident Riverside Learner!

Kangaroo: Aidan V

For developing their KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD during our science topic on day and night. They explained how the Earth spins on its axis with real confidence, using scientific vocabulary clearly to share their understanding.

Koala: Alice C

For showing brilliant resilience by standing up in front of the whole class to perform during our science lesson and reading with such amazing confidence. Alice is a true star!

Penguin:

For

📅 UPCOMING EVENTS! 📅

Dates not shown on previous issues are added in RED!

Autumn 2 – 2026

19/11/26 – Year 5 & 6 Planetarium Visit

19/11/26 – Prospective EYFS Intake Open Evening

20/11/26 – INSET Day – School Closed to Pupils

23/11/26 – INSET Day – School Closed to Pupils

01/12/26 – Christmas Card Box Opens

11/12/26 – EYFS Christmas Productions 9:30 / 1:30

14/12/26 – Year 2 Christmas Productions 9:30 / 1:30

15/12/26 – Year 1 Christmas Productions 9:30 / 1:30

16/12/26 – Christmas Jumper Day

16/12/26 – Christmas Dinner

17/12/26 – Year 3 & 4 Christmas Productions 9:30 / 1:30

17/12/26 – Christmas Post Box Closes

18/12/26 – Year 5 & 6 Christmas Productions 9:30 / 1:30

18/12/26 – Children break up today

Christmas Holidays – Monday 21st December – Friday 1st January

Recent Facebook Posts

📸 Year 6 Cyberbullying & Online Safety Workshop!

OPEN EVENING

Important Reminder for Parents & Guardians: Safe Parking near School

Please be reminded not to park on road corners or on double yellow lines around school drop-off and pick-up times.

We have recently experienced a few near misses involving children and families. Parking on double yellow lines and corners obstructs sightlines for oncoming drivers and pedestrians, making it significantly harder for children and parents to cross the road safely.

Alternative Parking: Please make use of the Pooles Lane car park, which is FREE and provides a safer, stress-free spot to park before walking over to the school.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our children and community safe!

Letters

Below are a list of letters, leaflets and posters uploaded to the website this week.

Leaflets/Posters for Parents

Letters sent this week

OPAL donations – music wall – 13.11.26

All Years – Children due to start EYFS in September 2027 12.11.26

Year 5&6 Christmas Production 11.11.26

Year 3&4 Christmas Production 11.11.26

Year 2 Christmas Production 11.11.26

Year 1 Christmas Production 11.11.26

EYFS Christmas Production 2026 11.11.26

Parent Attendance Reward Letter 11.11.26

Previous letters, leaflets and posters can be found on the school website Events & Letters > Letters & Parent Meetings

Dinner Menu

We are operating a three week rolling menu. The menus, ingredients and allergen lists can be viewed on our website by clicking here.

Reminders

Reporting Pupil Absence

This is a reminder to all parents/carers that the correct way to report absences is to leave a message on the absence line answerphone daily. If messages are sent by email to the admin email address they will not be registered in time for the morning attendance and you may then receive a call from our attendance team.

Supervision

This is a gentle reminder that parents are responsible for supervising their children and siblings on-site before and after school.

Please do not allow children to play on the equipment either before/after school. At the end of the day, parents and children should leave the site promptly . This enables us to open up the playground for our other clubs. Thank you.

KS2 Playground
Please note that the day in KS2 does not start until 8:40am when the doors open. Children should not be left unsupervised on the playground before this time. Children should not play on the equipment. Thank you

Team Points

Attendance W/E: 06/11

	Class	%
1	Zebra	99.20
2	Panda	99.00
3	Meerkat	98.30
4	Kangaroo	97.90
5	Turtle	97.50
6	Lion	96.70
7	Otter	96.60
8	Dolphin	96.40
9	Leopard	96.20
10	Tiger	95.70
11	Rhino	93.90
12	Seal	93.40
13	Giraffe	93.20
14	Bear	93.00
15	Koala	91.30

KS2 Accelerated Reader Word Count

Rank	Class Name	Total Word Count
1st	Koala	252,495
2nd	Rhino	127,439
3rd	Meerkat	98,814
4th	Giraffe	71,322
5th	Tiger	63,817
6th	Kangaroo	55,146
7th	Turtle	29,823
8th	Panda	27,144

Sports Update

KS1 – Lloyd Burton Event: Our KS1 children had a brilliant time at The Deanes trying out tennis, football, basketball, and archery. It was a great afternoon focused on building confidence, learning new skills, and falling in love with sport. Well done, everyone!

Year 5/6 Football (Riverside 5 – 0 Edward Francis): What a start to our Rayleigh League campaign! After a hard-fought, goalless first half, the team came out firing in the second. An impressive hat-trick from Josiah and two goals from Grayson sealed a fantastic 5–0 victory. Great teamwork and resilience from start to finish.

Man of the Match: Josiah

Year 3/4 Rayleigh League Football:

Year 3/4 Football (Riverside 3 – 5 St Nicholas): The boys went toe-to-toe with a strong St Nicholas side in a thrilling, end-to-end match. Brilliant goals from Lenny, and Oliver capped off a great attacking display. The final score doesn’t reflect the quality and grit on show—a massive well done to the whole squad for their never-give-up attitude!

Man of the Match: Lucas

Online Safety Guides

Before children have even learnt to read, most can navigate through devices to play games and watch cartoons.

Internet Matters primary school guide helps you to:

Get up to speed on popular apps and platforms like YouTube and Roblox
Learn more about risks and challenges they might face, from inappropriate content and too much screentime.
Find tips and resources to protect them from online harms

Elite Kids Self Defence

If you are interested in finding out more about Elite Kids Self Defence and the sessions they offer, please see the attached flyer for further information.

Krav Maga Elite Website

SEN

Emotional Based School Avoidance Support

SNAP charity has compiled a short guide explaining Emotional Based School Avoidance (ESBA). The guide includes advice and resources to help parents and carers.

To find out more and access the resources, visit SNAP’s website.

The Megacentre Community Space

Please see a list of activities that run throughout the week at the Megacentre at their new venue (78a Eastwood Road, SS7 7JP).

Please not you do not need a formal diagnosis to access any of our support.

Unless otherwise stated, sessions take place at our Community Space: 78a Eastwood Road, SS6 7JP.

Here’s a quick guide to what’s on:

Monday Mix
Exclusive soft play for SEND families – plus crafts, football, gaming room, inflatables, laser tag, and more.
Held at The Megacentre, Brook Road
No booking required.

Monday – Youth Group

Open youth group for secondary aged children, Games, Crafts & Snacks. Term time only. No booking required.

Tuesday – Punching for Purpose
Boxing-based sessions to build confidence and resilience.
5:00–5:45pm (ages 6–15)
5:45–6:30pm (ages 16+)
Suggested donation: £7
Booking required: families@megacentrerayleigh.co.uk

Wednesday – T21 Heroes (for families & children with Down Syndrome)
First Wednesday of the month: 1:00–2:30pm (under 5s)
Fortnightly sessions: 3:30–5:00pm (ages 5+) – contact us for dates

Wednesday – Midi Mix (SEND club for school-age children)
4:00–6:00pm
Activities include arts & crafts, sensory play, table football, table tennis, and outdoor games (weather permitting).

Thursday – Your Space – Youth Wellbeing Group

4:00–5:30pm

Secondary age. Referral only, please contact us if this sounds like something your child would benefit from

2nd Thursday of the Month – SEND Coffee Morning
10:00am–12:00pm
Meet other SEND parents, ask questions, and hear from guest speakers on a range of SEND topics.

4th Thursday of the Month – DLA Workshop
Support and guidance for completing Disability Living Allowance forms.

Friday – Mini Mix (Under 5s SEND Group)
A safe, welcoming non-judgemental group for families with younger children who have SEND needs – free play time, no structured activities and no music. Facilitated by experienced SEND professional.

External Events

OPAL

We are excited to share that we have begun the OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) project to enhance the lunchtime experience even furtherfor your children. The aim is to provide more opportunities for creative and active play.

This section of the newsletter will keep you updated on our OPAL journey, including upcoming developments and ways you can get involved.

Also, if you are having a clear-out, please look out for our donation requests for resources to enhance the playground. Your contributions would be greatly appreciated!

Parking Concerns Around School

We kindly remind parents and carers that any parking issues in the local area can be reported directly to Chelmsford City Council. This helps ensure concerns are logged correctly and sent straight to the enforcement team.

To report a parking issue:

Visit the Chelmsford City Council website.
Click ‘Parking & Travel’ on the homepage.
Select ‘Parking Restrictions’.
Click ‘Report a Parking Issue’.

Your report will go directly to the council’s Enforcement Team, who will respond to you directly.

Thank you for helping us keep the area around the school safe for all.