Weekly Newsletter

Headteacher - Mr J Parkinson

Associate Assistant Headteacher - Miss L Whale

Associate Assistant Headteacher - Mr K Reynolds

It has been another busy and purposeful week at Larks Hill, with pupils taking part in a range of enriching experiences alongside their learning in class.

Despite a cold, foggy and damp start on Sunday morning, we had a fantastic turnout from Larks Hill pupils at the Junior Parkrun. It was brilliant to see so many children showing determination and perseverance, with lots of personal bests achieved. We were also pleased to welcome several first-time runners, alongside many pupils who are now regular participants — a wonderful habit to build!

A special congratulations goes to Nia (Year 4), who was proudly awarded her marathon wristband for completing her 21st Junior Parkrun — an amazing achievement.

Thank you to all parents and carers who came along to support, and also to Mrs Whale, Miss Jones and Mrs Smith for being there to cheer our runners on. You can view more information and the latest results on the Junior Parkrun website:
https://www.parkrun.org.uk/pontefract-juniors/

The next Junior Park Run will be on Sunday 1st March.

At the start of the week, our Year 6 pupils took part in a walking visit around Pontefract as part of their current writing unit on information texts. The visit allowed them to explore the town, learn more about Pontefract’s rich history and see how it has changed over time. They gathered valuable notes and ideas which they are excited to use when planning and drafting their writing next week. A big thank you to the parent and carer helpers who kindly gave their time to support the trip.

You may have noticed the beautiful work that has taken place on the planters at the front of school. Members of our Gardening Club have been busy planting bulbs as part of their project this term. We are looking forward to seeing these bloom in the spring and are very proud of the care pupils are showing towards improving our school environment.

We were also pleased to host the Girls’ Active Leadership Squad (GALS) from across the Trust this week. Pupils met at Larks Hill to begin planning their projects for the rest of the academic year. Our Larks Hill GALS have already started work on a display and have created a plan to help promote girls’ active leadership across all year groups in school.

Today, selected pupils from Years 3 and 4 represented Larks Hill at the Dance Festival held at Fairburn Community Centre in Knottingley. We are incredibly proud of their effort, enthusiasm and performance. As always, our pupils represented the school brilliantly.

As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting families with online safety, we would like to share information from the Data Protection Commission’s recent “Pause Before You Post” awareness campaign. This focuses on ‘sharenting’ (the oversharing of children’s personal information online). There is a thought-provoking video along with helpful tips and guidance available for parents and carers via the campaign website: Data Protection Commission

Ivy - Reception

Elsie - Year 1

Tommy - Year 2

Jack - Year 4

Freddie - Year 5

Noah - Year 6

Arabella (Year 2) for her incredible fundraising efforts within the community to support families affected by autism, ADHD and other learning needs and disabilities. After already completing several impressive challenges, Arabella is now preparing for her next one: running one mile every day for 28 days! We are extremely proud of her determination, kindness and commitment to helping others. You can find out more about her inspirational fundraising and how to donate by reading the poster below:

Tuesday, 27th January - Year 6 SATs Meeting to Parents - 5pm - 5.30pm

Wednesday, 28th January - Parents Evening 1 - 3.30pm - 6pm

Friday, 30th January - Young Voices Concert

Wednesday, 4th February - Parents Evening 2 - 3.30pn - 6pm

We have received several emails from parents this week telling us about their children's achievements and successes out of school, these are wonderful to read so please keep them coming in! We will be having a round-up of all of the children in a future Newsletter.

This week's CATS Spotlight goes to Brodie and Darcie who both achieved Star of the Week in their swimming classes - it was Brodie's first time in the Stage 3 class too! Well done to both of you.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. It has been a week full of opportunities beyond the classroom as well as excellent learning within it. We are very proud of how our pupils continue to represent Larks Hill and look forward to another positive week ahead.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Reynolds

The menu for next week is Week 2

Are you having a New Year clear out? Have the children grown AGAIN?

We are pleased to be running a clothing collection to support The Clothing Bank and our local community in Pontefract.

We would be grateful for donations of clean, good-quality women’s, men’s and children’s clothing that you no longer need. All items should be bagged and can be brought to the school office or taken directly into your child’s classroom.

Donations will be accepted throughout this half term and next half term. Your generosity will help support families within our local area, and we thank you in advance for your continued support

Please follow this link if you would like to find out more about The Clothing Bank. https://theclothingbank.org.uk/mission/

Please see below our Spring Diary Dates. Please note that some dates may be subject to change and more events or activities may be added. We will endeavor to keep you informed of any changes or additions throughout the term.