Riverside News Issue 442 – 31.01.25

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STAR of the Week

Leopard: Bennie F

For striving every single day to be a Risky Risk Taker and showing us all what a super learner you are! We love your enthusiasm for learning and are very proud of you Bennie!

Zebra: Elsie M

For amazing independent sentence writing during independent learning and early morning work. Elsie writes brilliant sentences, with capital letters, finger spaces and full stops. She will always listen to how she can improve upon her sentence and will then try her best to do so. Well done Elsie, we are very proud!

Lion: Teddie G

For always challenging himself to become a risky-risk taker. Teddie loves completing the learning challenges around the room and has demonstrated excellent learning on capacity this week. Well done.

Bear: Primrose P

For an amzing PE lesson, exploring different shapes on the apparatus with great control.

Otter: Maisie C

For your excellent effort doubling numbers in maths and for completing some extra missing number problems at home! You are a fantastic role model! Keep smiling!

Seal: Samuel P

For his fantastic contributions when working as a class to write our shared text in English. Sam shared some brilliant expanded noun phrases and verbs. Keep up the great work!!

Dolphin: Henry H

For trying so hard to listen in the input to lessons. He has smashed maths this week and I have been very proud of him showing more star values. Well done Henry, keep up the good work.

Tiger: Hugo S

For settling in well in your new school! Starting in a new school can be challenging, but you’ve handled it with confidence and positivity. Well done!

Panda: Mason O

For making great choices and working hard, striving to achieve. You have been a true role model to others this week, well done!

Turtle: Maxwell K

For always listening and being ready to learn. You are a fantastic role model for others.

Giraffe: Saraya B

For showing fantastic initiative in using the adults around you to support your learning during maths lessons! You have been working really hard to grow in confidence and understanding. Well done!

Monkey: Sofie W

For exceptional performance in maths, particularly in the skillful recognition and generation of equivalent fractions and decimals.

Kangaroo: Millie B

For being a supportive peer and always working hard.

Koala: Luke L

For has performed amazingly during our SATs practice papers despite feeling unwell at the beginning of the week – he has been so focused all adults working with him have been impressed, Well done!

 

Attendance

W/E: 24/01/25

Tiger98.8%
Panda98.3%
Otter97.2%
Lion96.4%
Koala96.3%
Giraffe95%
Dolphin94.2%
Kangaroo93.9%
Monkey93.7%
Bear92.9%
Turtle92.5%
Seal92.3%
Leopard91.1%
Zebra90.4%
94.4%
Overall Attendance

Letters

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

Leaflets/Posters for Parents

Letters sent this week

World Book Day – 31.01.25

Tennis Sports Camp – 29.01.25

Year 5/6 Soup Making – 28.01.25

Sumdog East of England Maths Contest – 27.01.25

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

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.


No Crossing Patrol
We have been informed by Essex County Council that the crossing patrol lady will not be on duty on

  • Friday 28th February 2025
  • Monday 3rd March 2025

Please therefore ask your children to be vigilant when crossing.


KS1 Playground
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

Photo/Video Permissions

Thank you to everyone who completed the updated permissions form. 

If you wish to change your preferences at any time after submitting the form, please feel free to email us, and we will update the permissions accordingly.

For events involving recordings or photos, teachers will solely rely on the permissions indicated on the form and will not be checking individual cases at the time of the event.

Please note, if you selected no for; 

  • Class Photographs
  • School Productions to be uploaded to YouTube as a Unlisted Video

Your child will not be included in the above events.

10% Discount for Parents until 31 March 2025

SEN

Coffee mornings

Here are the SEN coffee morning dates for 2024-2025. If you have a child currently on the SEN register, are curious about an element of SEN or simply would like to come along for a chat about something SEN related, please attend.
 
They will be held in the red building meeting room at 9:10. If you would like to attend, please drop an email to sen@riversideprimary.co.uk.
  • 6th February- 2.30pm
  • 20th March- Focus to follow
  • 8th May- Focus to follow
  • 26th June- Focus to follow
We look forward to seeing you, 
Miss Marshall and Mrs Rice

Supporting Families with ADHD: A Resource for Parents

Are you a parent of a child diagnosed with ADHD or showing traits of it? You’re not alone. Navigating the world of ADHD can be challenging, but an invaluable support network is just a click away!

Our featured website, created by a dedicated group of volunteers, is a hub of information, advice, and resources for families managing ADHD. Whether you’re looking for practical strategies, up-to-date information, or a supportive community, this platform offers it all.


What Does the Support Group Offer?

  • Peer Support: Join a network of parents and individuals with ADHD sharing real-life experiences, tips, and encouragement.
  • Positive Environment: Discover ways to help children with ADHD enjoy life while connecting with others in a relaxed, helpful setting.
  • Community Engagement: Learn how this group is raising awareness of ADHD in schools, healthcare, and beyond.
  • Informative Events: Attend focus groups, online support sessions, and talks led by experts to address key topics like managing emotions, school strategies, and ADHD in adults.

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendar for these exciting opportunities to connect and learn:

  • ADHD Family Focus Group Support Sessions: Held monthly in Chelmsford at Boreham Village Hall.
  • Online Support Sessions: Easily accessible from home, with topics like “Understanding ADHD” and “ADHD and Emotions.”
  • Special Talks and Guest Speakers: Gain insights from professionals on ADHD management and education.

For a full list of events and booking details, visit the website’s Eventbrite page or their Facebook community for updates. 

Learn More

ADHD+ Support

Persistent Absences

If your child takes too much time off school they will become categorised as PA or persistently absent.  Missing school will make your child fall behind in lessons and will impact on their academic progress and achievement. 

Below is the percentage of children per year group who currently fall into this category.  If you are worried about your child’s school attendance, please do not hesitate to contact the school where we can work with you to improve this.

Year Group % of
Persistent Absences
R 20%
1 5%
2 13%
3 4%
4 12%
5 7%
6 13%
Overall 11%

Bronze Reading Awards

Well done to the following children who have received their Bronze award for reading 50 times.

Year R

  • Savannah G
  • Ayrton M
  • Poppy S
  • Oscar W
  • Luna H

Year 2

  • Connie F
  • Lucie S

Year 3

  • Isaac D
  • Indie W
  • Frankie B

Year 4

  • Grayson H
  • Jessica M

Year 5/6

  • Oscar A

Personal Contact Details

As you are aware we keep confidential records on our systems with parents/carers contact details, ie. addresses, phone numbers, emergency contacts and email addresses.

If you have recently made any changes could you contact us on admin@riversideprimary.co.uk so we can update our systems please.

Team Points

Silver Reading Awards

Well done to the following children who have received their Silver award for reading 100 times.

EYFS

  • Harper J

Year 2

  • Iris W
  • Remy F

Year 3

  • Esmai-Rae T

Year 4

  • Mia B
  • George B
  • Joshua C
  • Alice C
  • Arnie F
  • Cali F
  • Freddie F
  • Henry T
  • Tilly M
  • George S
  • Rosie M
  • Anabelle L

Year 5/6

  • Summer G
  • Chloe L

Times Tables Challenge - Quiz! - Microsoft AppsTimes Tables

Congratulations to the following Year 3/4 children who have earned their;

Bronze award as they can fluently and rapidly recall the 2,5 and 10 times tables.

  • Robin M
  • Luke B
  • Noah G

Makaton Sign of the Week

We’re excited to share our ‘Sign of the Week’—How are you?

 

Year 6 SATS Information Recording

 

Childcare Vouchers

Tax free childcare vouchers can be used to pay for Breakfast and Twilight sessions.


Breakfast club cost £6 per session.

Please arrive in between 7.30 – 8.15am. Your child will be walked back to their class by a member of staff when the school day begins.

Included in this cost will be a drink and a breakfast of toast and cereal.


Twilight club cost £7.50 per session.

Twilight Club runs from 3:15pm to 5pm. Your child will be taken to Twilight club by their class teacher at the end of the school day.

Included in this cost children are provided with a drink and healthy snack

Bookings must be booked 24 hours in advance via ParentPay.

To contact a member of the Twilight staff, please call 01702 230911 and select the Twilight Club option.

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. 

Please keep an eye out for a parent survey that will be sent to you soon. 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!


Parents’ survey about playtime at school

Dear parents and carers,

We are looking at our playtimes and thinking about how we can improve them by introducing the Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Primary Programme.

Can you help? We really want to know what you think of playtimes now.

https://forms.gle/E19nbzGJUyYqtuzu6

Thank you in advance.


Please can any donations brought in be left in the red building reception area. Thank you

11+ 2025 Entry Important Dates

1 March 2025 — NATIONAL OFFER DATE

Achievements

At Riverside, we love celebrating our pupils’ achievements, both inside and outside of school. If your child has accomplished something beyond the classroom, we want to hear about it!

Please email admin@riversideprimary.co.uk with a brief description along with any photos of their achievement. We’ll be thrilled to showcase their success in our weekly newsletters.

Safeguarding
Advertisements

Adult Shirts Needed!

As part of our OPAL project, we are looking for donations of old adult-sized shirts to be used in our outdoor digging area. These will help keep the children clean and comfortable while they explore and enjoy outdoor play.

If you have any old shirts to spare, please drop them off in the red building foyer.

Thank you for your support in helping us create a fun and enriching outdoor play environment!

Dinner Menu

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

Schools Dinners are free (UFSM) for children in EYFS & KS1 (Years 1 & 2) and for families eligible for FSM (Free School Meals). For children in KS2, who are not entitled to FSM please see pricing below.

Main Meal
£2.70
Vegetarian Meal
£2.70
Jacket Potato
£2.70
Grab Bags
£2.90

Football/Netball fixture list for 2024/25

Trouble viewing? Please click here.

PTA

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH UPCOMING EVENTS!

Dates not shown on previous issues are added in RED!

Spring 1 2025

31/01-06/02/25 — Year 1-6 East of England Maths Contest

07/02/25 — Police officer/cars visit to EYFS

11/02/25 — Safer Internet Day 2025

11/02/25 — 2 Johns Workshops – Details to follow

11/02/25 — EYFS Road Safety Presentation to parents and children

12/02/25 — EYFS Road Safety Presentation to parents and children

12/02/25 — Active Maths Festival – Year 3

13/02/25 — 2 Johns Parents Workshop – Details to follow

14/02/25 — Children break up today

Half Term – Monday 17th February – Friday 21st February 2025

Spring 2 2025

24/02/25 — Children return back to school

25/02/25 — Parent/Teacher Consultations 3:30 – 6:30pm

27/02/25 — Parent/Teacher Consultations 3:30 – 6:30pm

06/03/25 — World Book Day 2025

11/03/25 — Year 4 MTC presentation to parents – 3:30pm

12/03/25 — PTA Wonderful Women’s Sale

20/03/25 — Year 1 Phonics Presentation to parents – 3:30pm

Easter Holidays – Monday 7th April – Monday 21st April 2025