Saxton Newsletter 6.10.23

To show respect to all others in the school community

Do you know any local beekeepers who might want to use our wildlife area to keep bees? We have secured some funding to purchase a hive and equipment but aren’t able to keep the bees ourselves. We are happy to grant access to the area to someone who would value this opportunity.

FOSS are inviting children to come to school in Halloween costumes on Friday 27th October, in exchange for a contribution that can be paid on ParentPay. No inappropriate or unduly scary costumes please!

We are hoping to hold a Christmas Fair in church again this year. We are inviting contributions of raffle prizes and for a chocolate tombola. These can be brought into school at any time from now on – please give generously.

The NHS has asked us to remind all parents that measles is a highly infectious disease which is passed on easily by children at school. To help protect your child, please check they are up to date with their MMR vaccine.

We have realised that the calendar on our website wasn’t pulling through all the information and are working to amend this. Please do keep checking it for the dates of school events.

Don’t forget that the Harvest Festival will take place in church at 1pm on Monday. This is open to parents and friends to attend. We will collect gifts of items of food which will be donated to Selby Food Bank.

We can all struggle with how we’re feeling, but sometimes things get tough and it can be difficult to cope. For so many young people, when this happens, they don’t get the help they need, when they need it. But together, we can change this.

By wearing something yellow this World Mental Health Day on the 10th October, and donating what you can, you can show young people that you’re with them. Show them that they matter and deserve the support they need, when they need it, no matter what.

Join thousands across the country to stand out and show up for young people’s mental health this #HelloYellow.

In our school, we are wearing something yellow - this can be a full yellow outfit, or just a bobble or pairs of socks, and donating via our school JustGiving page here:

THANK YOU for supporting this cause, we appreciate it 💛

Click the link below to donate via the Just Giving Page - donations are not on ParentPay.

All the menus are available on meal selector via ParentPay

Children can decide daily whether they are having a school dinner or packed lunch.

Please ensure you use our new meal selector to order lunches for your child for up to 3 weeks in advance, see the link below.

Each day there are 4 choices, either the hot dinner, hot vegetarian option, jacket potato with a choice of toppings or a sandwich. The sandwich and jacket potato always come with a selection of vegetables/salad on the side and have the full pudding choice for that day.

Packed Lunches - if you are sending grapes in your child's packed lunch, can you please ensure that these are cut in half.

Now available to book

Various sessions are running throughout the October holidays from Bishop Wood Tuesdays – Thursdays 9.00am – 3.00pm. Lots of free-play opportunities, rope swings, den building, fire

lighting, games, tool use, campfire treats and much more. For more information visit www.treetopsforestschool.co.uk or book a place via www.bookwhen/treetopsforestschool. If you have any questions, please contact Siobhan Bamforth treetopsforestschool@gmail.com

If you are in receipt of certain benefits, your child could also qualify for free school meals during all school years. To qualify you must be receiving:

• Universal Credit, provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods (£616.67 per month)

• Income Support

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

• Support under part six of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

• The guarantee element of Pension Credit

• Child Tax Credit, provided you are also not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual household gross income that does not exceed £16,190 (as assessed by HMRC)

• Working Tax Credit run-on, paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

Please note that contributions-based benefits, including contribution-related Jobseekers' Allowance do not entitle you to claim free school meals.

Apply for free school meals

You will receive an instant decision on whether your application is successful. If it is, we will fully process the application in 5 working days and notify the school. Once the school has received this your child can begin enjoying free school meals. You should continue to pay until confirmation comes through. Schools may be able to arrange reimbursement of payment made while your entitlement is being confirmed.

Free school meals claims cannot be backdated. They are awarded from the date we receive the application, once eligibility is confirmed. This is because there is a legal requirement for a request to be made, before a free school meal can be provided. If you are not entitled to free school meals, you will be notified in writing.

We are delighted to be able to have volunteers into schools again, and would welcome parents to help us. If you are able to give any time to us, either on an ad-hoc or regular basis, you will need to complete a DBS application. Please contact the office for more information.

Help raise money for FOSS and label your children's school items. The soft plastic labels can be stuck on machine wash-care labels of clothes, but can also be used on shoes, dishwasher items and general school items.

Please order via the website www.stikins.co.uk and quote Saxton school number 17524

Please be considerate when parking near the school crossing. If parked too close it can be very difficult to see if it is safe to cross, particularly at pick up time-thank you.

Please click here to be re-directed to ParentPay, where you can pay for lunches and other school related items.

Email: admin@sp.starmat.uk
Website: http://www.sp.starmat.uk/
Location: Dam Lane, Saxton, United Kingdom
Phone: 01937 557396
Twitter: @SaxtonCE

The STAR MAT website links and twitter page.

Website: web.starmat.uk
Twitter: @CEOTheSTARMAT