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Leopard: Miley M For her super learning in Maths this week. Miley enjoyed ‘doubling’ the number of spots on the ladybirds! Well done Miley, you are becoming a super mathematician! |
Zebra: Leo L For showing such enthusiasm during our PE lesson this week and for listening very carefully and following instructions brilliantly. You had amazing ball control. Well done Leo! |
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Lion: Emilio W For creating a fantastic wanted poster to help find the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk. Emilio wrote a lovely sentence to describe how the giant looks. Well done. |
Bear: Elsie M For always following rules and routines, being a super sitter, listening nicely and being respectful to others. What a wonderful role model you are Elsie! |
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Otter: Caitlyn S For your excellent focus in phonics! You worked so hard and used your phonics to segment and blend words! Super work! |
Seal: Remy F For being a super mathematician all week! He used his understanding of measurements to help him explore and answer questions. Well done Remy! |
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Dolphin: Sienna B For excellent work in maths measuring in centimeters – you put so much effort into your maths – we are very proud of you! |
Tiger: Ella C For working really hard to master bus stop division and for always being an excellent class room monitor. Ella is always the first to volunteer for any jobs that need doing. You are amazing! |
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Panda: Leo G For being a curious and enthusiastic learner, always eager to explore new ideas and embrace challenges with excitement! |
Turtle: Ruby M For working so incredibly hard this week. We are really proud of how she has conducted herself in all lessons. Well done. |
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Giraffe: Arnie F For standing out for all the right reasons! You have shown excellent listening skills and put in lots of effort in every lesson. Keep up the fantastic work! |
Monkey: Summer G For outstanding skills in geography. You have excelled in researching the coordinates of a location, recognising physical features on a map, and using an index in an atlas. |
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Kangaroo: Ava-May B For always trying hard, persevering and always being friendly to everyone! |
Koala: Melissa M For her great story map in English – it was beautifully drawn and her hard continued work and determination even when she finds something a little tricky! |
W/E: 14/02/25
Below are a list of letters, leaflets and posters uploaded to the website this week.
Letters sent this week
DT Biscuit Parent Helper – Year 3 – 28.02.25
PTA Riverside Monkey Bizzness Giveaway
Reminder: Safe Scooting and Cycling After School – 28.02.25
PTA Wonderful Women Sale – 24.02.25
Previous letters, leaflets and posters can be found on the school website Events & Letters > Letters & Parent Meetings
You can find out all about what your child will be learning over the coming weeks. Additionally, it contains some ideas and suggestions for how you could support your child’s learning at home, including: books to read together, ideas for activities, days out and programmes/videos to watch that link in with the theme. We hope you find it useful.
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 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
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.
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 | 17% |
| 1 | 7% |
| 2 | 14% |
| 3 | 6% |
| 4 | 17% |
| 5 | 9% |
| 6 | 16% |
| Overall | 13% |
Red Nose Day is back, and we’re getting involved! 🎉
On Friday 21st March, we’ll be ‘doing something funny for money’ to support Comic Relief’s 40th anniversary.
How can children take part?
🔴 Wear non-uniform
🔴 Come to school with a crazy hairstyle – the wackier, the better!
🔴 £2 donation to support this brilliant cause
Why it matters
Every pound raised helps fund vital projects in the UK and around the world—providing shelter, tackling child poverty, and supporting mental health services.
Health & Safety Reminder
✂️ Hairstyles must be safe for the school day
🚫 No sharp or heavy accessories
👀 No styles that obstruct vision
💨 Hair products (e.g., sprays/gels) should be applied at home
How to donate – ParentPay
This year, we are collecting donations via ParentPay.
✅ No need to send cash—donate directly via our ParentPay Donations Page
✅ Gift Aid available—boost your donation by up to 25% at no extra cost
✅ Funds go straight to Comic Relief, making an immediate impact
Simply log into ParentPay and follow the link to our Red Nose Day Donations Page to contribute.
We’re looking forward to seeing your wacky and wonderful hairstyles while raising money for an important cause. Let’s go big, give big, and feel good together!
Thank you for your support.
We are pleased to see so many children choosing to cycle and scoot home from school, as it promotes an active and healthy lifestyle. However, we would like to remind all families of the importance of ensuring that children do so safely and with consideration for others.
Please take a moment to remind your child about being mindful of their own safety and that of other path users. This includes being aware of those who may find it more challenging to react quickly to a child on a bike or scooter, such as young children, elderly pedestrians, and dogs on leads. We encourage all children to ride at a sensible speed, be alert to their surroundings, and always show respect to others using the paths.
Your support in reinforcing these messages at home will help ensure a safe and enjoyable journey for everyone. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school community safe.
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.
Mark your calendar for these exciting opportunities to connect and learn:
For a full list of events and booking details, visit the website’s Eventbrite page or their Facebook community for updates.
Learn More
Bronze Reading AwardsWell done to the following children who have received their Bronze award for reading 50 times.
Year R
Year 1
Year 2
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.
Silver Reading AwardsWell done to the following children who have received their Silver award for reading 100 times.
Year 1
Year 2
Year 4
Year 5/6
Well done to the following children who have received their Gold award for reading 200 times.
Year 4
Times TablesCongratulations 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.
Silver award as they can fluently and rapidly recall the 3, 4, 6 and 11 times tables.
We’re excited to share our ‘Sign of the Week’— Panda & Tiger
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!
Please can any donations brought in be left in the red building reception area. Thank you
1 March 2025 — NATIONAL OFFER DATE
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.
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.
Dates not shown on previous issues are added in RED!
05/03/25 — KS1 Computing Workshops
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
13/03/25 — Year 3 DT Biscuit Making
14/03/25 — Infant Music Festival
20/03/25 — Year 1 Phonics Presentation to parents – 3:30pm
21/03/25 — Comic Relief Day – Non uniform
21-27/03/25 — Year 1-6 Sumdog Spring National Maths Contest
24/03/25 — Year 1 Fire Engine Visit
25/03/25 — Year 3 visit to St Thomas’ Church
01/04/25 — Year 4 Colchester Castle
01/04/25 — EYFS Height, Weight and Vision
Easter Holidays – Monday 7th April – Monday 21st April 2025
22/04/25 — Children return back to school
01/05/25 — Year 2 SATs Presentation – 3.30pm
06/05/25 — Year 6 Height and Weight
07/05/25 — Class Photographs
12-15/05/25 — KS2 SATs Week
22/05/25 — Children break up from school
23/05/25 — INSET Day
Half-Term – Monday 26th May – Friday 30th May 2025
02/06/25 — Children return back to school
04/06/25 — PTA Marvellous Men’s Sale
11/06/25 — EYFS Gruffalo Trail – Thorndon Country Park
