Riverside News Issue 453 – 09.05.25

Home > Newsletters > Riverside News Issue 453 – 09.05.25

STAR of the Week

Leopard: Harley W

For making such lovely progress when using his phonics sounds. Harley has been working hard, at home and in school, to practise segmenting and blending and is becoming more and more confident to read and write independently!
Well done Superstar!

Zebra: Evie W

For trying really hard this week to complete the daily challenges every day. Evie is so inquisitive and enthusiastic with her learning and always shows 100% attention during carpet inputs. Keep up the great work Evie.

Lion: Freya W

For excellent participation in our PE lesson this week. Freya was able to follow the rules of the game, use the space safely and always shows an awareness of others. Well done.

Bear: Richie Z

For a wonderful piece of work showing great understanding of the parts of a plant and their functions in Science. Excellent effort Richie!

Otter: Halle C

For being a resilliant learner in maths, when creating addition sentences for different sets of arrays. You also wrote a lovely letter form the Giant to Jim, in our English lesson. Great work, keep being your cheerful self!

Seal: Alexander S

For showing great imagination and creativity when coming up with exciting new ideas to improve his journey story, including thoughtful changes to the setting and characters.

Dolphin: Sienna B

For always working hard, having an excellent attitude to her learning and being a brilliant role model.

Tiger: Amelia S

For trying so hard with her Maths this week; becoming more confident and putting her hand up to answer questions. Well done Amelia, fantastic effort!

Panda: Lois B

For  persevering when things are hard! You don’t give up, and you try your best. Keep shining and believing in yourself, you’re doing a great job!

Turtle: Alfie B

For you have shown outstanding dedication, always putting in your best effort and eagerly volunteering answers. Your enthusiasm and commitment to learning are truly inspiring!

Giraffe: Lennon W

For always striving to do his best and for being a fantastic role model to others. He consistently shows good listening skills and lovely teamwork.

Monkey: Stanley B

For outstanding achievement in the SumDog decimals assessment, showcasing exceptional maths and earning an impressive score!

Kangaroo: Evie G

For enthusiastically partaking in the cricket lesson and always being a super role model.

Koala: Archie C

For his great piece of independent writing – showing his clear understanding of the features needed and creating some great dialouge to show how his charatcer’s are feeling, it was a pleasure to read!

 

Attendance

W/E: 02/05/25

Bear98.7%
Koala98.1%
Lion97.9%
Tiger97.1%
Zebra95.9%
Otter94.7%
Turtle94.3%
Seal93.9%
Panda93.9%
Dolphin93.7%
Kangaroo92.9%
Leopard92.2%
Monkey91.7%
Giraffe91%
94.7%
Overall Attendance

Important Notice: Sandpit Use Before and After School

Please ensure that children do not play in the sandpit before or after school. When the cover is on, it means the sandpit is not in use.

We want to keep this fantastic resource in great condition so all children can enjoy it safely during school hours.

Thank you for your support.

Letters

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

Leaflets/Posters for Parents

Letters sent this week

  • None

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.


Supervision

This is a gentle reminder that parents are responsible for supervising their children and siblings on-site before and after school. We have had a couple of incidents reported to us which were considered ‘near misses’ and children could have got hurt. Thank you for your attention to this matter.


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

Autism Central presentation and coffee morning

 

Childcare Vouchers

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


Breakfast club cost £6.60 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 £8.25 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.

IMPORTANT – REGISTER TO VIEW SCHOOL PHOTOS

Exciting news! Carmel Jane Photography will be visiting our School on the 7th of May 2025, to take the Class Groups Photos.

All parents are requested to pre-register for instant access to your child’s photographs once they are ready, pre-registration is required for every photo shoot.

Register in 3 easy steps in less than a minute:

1. Head to www.carmeljaneshop.co.uk

2. Enter your unique code : JRWXP9RATD

3. Include your child’s full school register name.

Don’t miss out – pre-register today!

Easter colouring competition

We recently held an Easter Colouring Competition, inviting children to showcase their creativity by decorating Easter eggs. The response was fantastic, with a large number of imaginative and beautifully decorated entries. After careful consideration, we selected two winners and a runner-up from each key stage. Among our Key Stage 2 winners was one exceptionally talented participant whose artwork truly stood out.

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!


🌟 Calling All Dinosaur Lovers! 🦖🦕

We’re creating an exciting Dino World for the children to enjoy at lunchtimes, and we need your help! If you have any spare dinosaur toys—big or small—we’d love to give them a new home where they’ll be played with and loved.

🦕 Donations can be dropped off in the red foyer

Thank you for helping bring this prehistoric playground to life! 🦴✨

KS1 OPAL

KS2 OPAL

Bronze Reading Awards

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

EYFS

  • Ivy H
  • Teddy P

Year 4

  • Chloe P

Year 2

  • Oliver W

Silver Reading Awards

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

EYFS

  • Archie T
  • Emilio W

Year 1

  • Jackson B
  • Grace H
  • Louis P
  • Nancy E

Year 2

  • Ellie-Rose A
  • Tilly M
  • Alexander S

Year  4

  • Thomas E

Year 5/6

  • Seb D

Gold Reading Awards

Well done to the following children who have received their Gold award for reading 200 times.

Year 2

  • Hollie B

Year 4

  • Charles F
  • George B

Year 5/6

  • Sophie H
  • Baylee A
  • Mark K
  • Lydia H

Team Points



 

Makaton Sign of the Week

We’re excited to share our ‘Sign of the Week’— VE Day

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.
  • 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

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

Safeguarding
Netball

Term Dates 2025/26

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
£2.85
Vegetarian Meal
£2.85
Jacket Potato
£2.85
Grab Bags
£3.05

Football/Netball fixture list for 2024/25

Trouble viewing? Please click here.

PTA

11+ 2026 Entry Important Dates

May 2025 — Registration opens

Further details here – https://csse.org.uk/examination/

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH UPCOMING EVENTS!

Dates not shown on previous issues are added in RED!

Summer 1 2025

12-15/05/25 — KS2 SATs Week

16/05/25 — Year 6 Special SATS meal

19/05/25 — Year 6 Mersea Island Parent Information Session at 3.30pm

20/05/25 — Year 3 Nature Reserve Walk

22/05/25 — Children break up from school

23/05/25 — INSET Day

Half-Term – Monday 26th May – Friday 30th May 2025

Summer 2 2025

02/06/25 — Children return back to school

04/06/25 — PTA Marvellous Men’s Sale

13/06/25 — Mad Hatters Tea Party – non uniform £2 and special picnic

23/06/25 — Year Six secondary transition week (Essex)

27/06/25 — ‘Jump Up’ Day

27/06/25 — New EYFS Stay & Play Session 1

30/06/25 — Year 6 to Mersea

02/07/25 — Year 6 Return from Mersea

03/07/25 — KS2 Districts

04/07/25 — Year 6 Performance to school

04/07/25 — Reports to Parents

08/07/25 — EYFS drop in session

09/07/25 — Sports Day

11/07/25 — PTA Event – KS2 Summer Disco

11/07/25 — New EYFS Stay & Play Session 2

15/07/25 — Year 1 to Hyde Hall

16/07/25 — Sports Day (Reserve)

17/07/25 — PTA event – EYFS / KS1 summer discos

18/07/25 — EYFS Trip – Gruffalo Park

18/07/25 — PTA event – Year 6 Leavers Event

22/07/25 — Year 6 Graduation 9:30am