Riverside News Issue 474 -05.12.25 - Riverside Primary School

⭐ STAR of the Week ⭐

Leopard: Harvey H

For fabulous progress when completing his phonics workbook. Harvey challenges himself to segment and blend for reading independently and thinks carefully about the sounds he needs to use when writing words. Super work Harvey – we are very proud of you!

Zebra: Primrose W

For showing exceptional kindness and sportsmanship during cross-country racing, and for always trying your hardest in class. Well done Superstar, we are so proud of you!

Lion: Scarlett H

For showing incredible bravery by singing a beautiful solo in our Christmas performance, and for proudly representing our school at the cross-country event. Your hard work, courage, and talent shine so brightly. Well done — we are so proud of you!

Bear: Alexander M

For playing the percussion instruments with amazing accuracy and enthusiasm during our Christmas performance. What a supertsar!

Otter: Isabelle A

For being an absolute superstar in the recording of our Nativity performance! Isabelle learned all the songs, remembered every action, and shone on stage with confidence and enthusiasm. Her amazing attitude and bravery truly stood out—especially when she stepped in as a Narrator at the very last minute. Well done Isabelle!

Seal: Jack H

For his fantastic attitude towards learning this week and always coming to school with a smile on his face. Jack approaches every day with positivity and gives his best effort in all he does. Keep up the great work!

Dolphin: Harrison B

For always having a positive attitude, being a superstar learner and an excellent role model. Well done and keep it up!

Giraffe: Jack K

For making positive choices and working hard during all lessons.
We have noticed him for all the right reasons, and he should feel very proud of his efforts.

Turtle: Devon F

For trying exceptionally hard when practising your Christmas songs for the school production. Your dedication really shines!

Panda: Iris W

For paying excellent attention to detail in our story Pebble in My Pocket, skillfully visualising the imagery and creating a beautifully detailed picture using thoughtful adjectives.

Tiger: Oliver S-S

For outstanding effort in his Math’s assessment and for consistently striving to do his best in every lesson. Well done Oliver!

Meerkat: Sofie W

For creating a wonderful colour palette that beautifully represents the rainforest. Your sketching skills were clear, precise, and showed great attention to detail—especially when sketching leaves.

Rhino: Baylee A

For excellent work and for making great progress, demonstrating real resilience and strive in your learning.

Kangaroo: Austin A

For always being an excellent role model, working conscientiously and consistently volunteering excellent ideas.

Koala: Serenna H

For by asking a really thoughtful question during the MP visit, she truly stepped out of her comfort zone. Her growing maturity has been wonderful to see, and she is always polite and respectful – keep it up Serenna!

📅 UPCOMING EVENTS! 📅

Dates not shown on previous issues are added in RED!

Autumn 2 2025

08/12/25 —Year 1 Christmas Productions 9:30 / 1:30

08/12/25 — PTA Event – Christmas Sale (after school)

09/12/25 —Year 2 Christmas Productions 9:30 / 1:30

10/12/25 — Christmas Jumper Day

10/12/25 — Christmas Dinner – Special Menu

11/12/25 —Year 3/4 Christmas Productions 9:30 / 1:30

12/12/25 —Year 5/6 Christmas Productions 9:30 / 1:30

15/12/25 — KS1 Christmas Disco

16/12/25 —EYFS Christmas Productions 9:30 / 1:30

17/12/25 — KS2 Christmas Disco

18/12/25 — Christmas Post Box Closes

Letters

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

Leaflets/Posters for Parents

Letters sent this week

Year 2 to 6_ Sumdog Winter Wonderland Maths Contest – 03.12.25

Christmas Jumper Day and Christmas Dinner – 03.12.25

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

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.

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

Latest Facebook Posts

✨ New Online Safety Resources for Children Who Game Online ✨

Our Young Volunteer’s Amazing Good Deed 💛

🇬🇧 UK Parliament Week at Riverside! 🇬🇧

🎄 Trip to the Free Church 🎄

Xmas Jumper Day

🎄 Christmas Special Menu – 10th December! 🎅

A Polite Reminder – Scooters and Bikes on the Way to School

We’ve had a few parents share their concerns about younger children riding scooters or small bikes at speed on the way to school, particularly along Ferry Road. In some cases, children are well ahead of their adults, and there’s a real worry that one could accidentally veer into the road before a parent is close enough to intervene.

Please can we kindly ask all families to ensure that children stay close and ride at a safe pace when travelling to and from school. This helps to keep everyone safe – especially near busy roads.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support in keeping our school community safe.

The 2 Johns

The 2 Johns will be back on Thursday 11 December, 8.00pm with one of their popular online sessions. This is your chance to hear the latest insights, tips, and must-know updates to help keep children safe online — just in time for the holiday season. Save the date and register now by scanning the QR code via this link

Further information and links available on ESCB – Online Safety

Poppy Appeal Total Announced

We’re delighted to share that the money collected through the Poppy Tins during this year’s Remembrance period has now been fully counted by the Hockley Royal British Legion Branch.

Thanks to the generosity of our school community, we raised an impressive £155.37 for the Poppy Appeal. This is a fantastic achievement, and we’d like to extend our sincere thanks to all staff, pupils, and parents who contributed.

Your support helps the Royal British Legion continue their vital work with serving and former members of the Armed Forces and their families. We are proud to play a part in this important cause and hope to continue supporting the Poppy Appeal in the years to come.

The Royal British Legion also welcomes feedback from schools, aiming to improve and evolve the resources and activities offered during Remembrance. If you have thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to share them.

Match Reports

Riverside Primary – Edward Francis Primary

Riverside girls’ team played their very first football match today, and despite the 7–0 scoreline, they showed fantastic determination from start to finish. For many of the girls it was their first time ever playing in a real match, but they never gave up, kept chasing every ball, and supported each other throughout.

The opposition were more experienced and took their chances well, but our team stayed positive, kept trying to pass and move, and showed real improvement as the game went on. There were some brave tackles, great saves, and lots of smiles—even when things got tough.

We’re incredibly proud of their effort, teamwork, and attitude. This is just the beginning, and with more practice and confidence, the results will come. Well done, girls!

Player of the Match: Lily S

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.

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

Prospective Families

Is your child starting school in September 2026?

The primary school (Reception) admission round opens on Monday 10 November 2025 for parents of children to apply for a Reception school place for the academic year that starts in September 2026. The statutory national closing date for applications is 15 January 2026.

From 10 November 2025, applications can be made online via www.essex.gov.uk/admissions. 99% of parents in Essex applied online last year.

The website also has a copy of the Primary Education in Essex 2025-26 booklet and the Schools Admissions Policies Directories contain details of all admission policies.

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!

As part of our exciting OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) journey, we are continuing to develop a rich and varied outdoor play experience for all our children—whatever the weather!

To help us make the most of our wonderful outdoor spaces even as the weather turns wetter and muddier, we are asking that every child brings a pair of wellies to school from September. These will be kept in school so that children can continue to enjoy outdoor play at lunchtimes and still return to lessons feeling clean, dry, and comfortable.

Thank you for your continued support as we build a happier, healthier, and more active playtime for all our children.

The OPAL Team

OPAL Play Project – Donations Wanted!

As you know, we are developing our playtimes through the OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) project. This exciting approach helps children develop creativity, teamwork and resilience by giving them access to a wide range of play opportunities.

To keep building on this, we’re looking for donations of the following items:

Medical toys (doctor/nurse kits)
Wallpaper (for crafts)
Toy tools (plastic hammers, spanners, screwdrivers, builders’ kits etc.)
Larger sized wellies (sizes 5, 6, 7)
Pop-its

If you have any of these at home and no longer need them, please drop them off at the school office. Every little contribution helps us make playtimes even more exciting!

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.

Attendance W/E: 28/11/25

	Class	%
1	Turtle	100.00
2	Tiger	96.90
3	Panda	95.30
4	Meerkat	94.90
5	Koala	94.60
6	Rhino	94.20
7	Giraffe	93.50
8	Zebra	93.30
9	Dolphin	92.90
10	Seal	92.90
11	Lion	91.50
12	Kangaroo	88.50
13	Leopard	84.90
14	Otter	84.50
15	Bear	79.00

Team Points

Makaton: Sign of the Week

We’re excited to share our ‘Sign of the Week’— To Sing

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.