The Benhurst Bulletin

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been such a joy to welcome our children back to school this week, and an especially warm welcome to our new Reception children, who have made such a lovely start to their school journey.

The excitement, smiles and enthusiasm around school have made it wonderful to see the children settling back into routines and connecting with their friends and teachers.

We have also started the year by launching our new Core Value characters, and I would like to say a huge thank you to all of the children who took the time to enter our competition. We have been so impressed by the creativity, imagination and thought behind the entries.

It has also been particularly lovely to see our teachers spending time getting to know the children, learning about their interests, personalities and aspirations, and beginning to build those positive relationships that are so important to us. It has been a fantastic first week, and we are looking forward to all that the year ahead will bring.

To all our families who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah, we wish you a Shana Tova u'metuka ( have a good and sweet year!) 🍯🍎

Have a wonderful weekend! 😊

What a fantastic start to Year 1 we have had! The children have settled in beautifully and are becoming confident with their new rules, routines and responsibilities. It has been lovely to see their enthusiasm, independence and excitement for learning.

What a fantastic start to Year 2 we have had! The children have settled in really well and are getting into the routines of their new year group. We have already had a busy and exciting week of learning!

Year 3 have made a fantastic start to the year! They have spent time exploring the new Core Value characters as well as carrying out practical maths tasks. They completed their first Computing lesson and recalled the story of ‘This is Our House’ where they took on the role of characters, produced speech bubbles cartoons and imaginative posters.

In Year 4 as part of our No Outsiders study, we have been learning about Red: A Crayon's Story. It has been lovely to hear the children's ideas about acceptance and resilience. They have written letters, diary entries and even completed an oil pastel painting with a focus on blending colours!

Year 5 have had a wonderful start to the year! As part of our No Outsiders study we have been working on The Girls by Lauren Ace and Jenny Loulie, exploring the complicated topic of friendships and identity and how they can change over time. We have practiced dealing with difficult situations with role plays, explored the similarities and differences between each of us in the classroom and linked how we can represent all our core values at school. We are set up to have an amazing year!

A Wonderful Start to Year 6!

What a fantastic start to Year 6! We are incredibly proud of all the children who have settled into KS2 so confidently and have already shown many of our Core Values in action.

Our whole-school theme this year is ‘The Journey Begins’, and the children have certainly embraced this exciting theme! This week, they have demonstrated their creativity through imaginative drawings and artwork, sharing their ideas and bringing their visions to life. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm, confidence and individuality shine through.

As we begin this exciting new chapter together, we are looking forward to watching the children grow, discover, create and flourish throughout their Year 6 journey!

Term 1: Monday 7th September - Friday 23rd October

September

Week Beginning 21st: Launch of Benhurst's 90th Anniversary 🎊- more information to follow

Wednesday 23rd: Coffee Break Attendance - 3pm

Wednesday 30th: Coffee Break OPAL - 3pm

October

Friday 2nd: Colour Run 2pm - more information to follow

Week beginning 5th: Bike to School Week

Friday 9th: Coffee Break Phonics 9am

Friday 16th: Year 3 Stone Age Day

Friday 16th: Coffee Break Zones of Regulation 3pm

Week beginning 19th: Families Week - more information to follow

Thursday 22nd: Neon 90s Theme Disco - 4pm to 5pm (EYFS and KS1)

Thursday 22nd: Neon 90s Theme Disco - 5:30pm to 6:30pm (KS2)

We have installed new gates over the summer and are currently in the early stages of programming and setting them up.

Once the gates have been fully programmed, we will share an update confirming the times when the gates will be open and closed throughout the day.

Thank you for your patience and understanding while we continue to work on this.

Year 1

Dormouse – Larissa: For demonstrating fantastic behaviour

Hedgehog – Ren: For showing fantastic effort in Maths

Year 2

Rabbit- Henry: Fantastic effort in phonics and writing

Squirrel- Mia: For being a fantastic role model

Year 3

Otter- Holly: For demonstrating ambition and resilience

Badger- Dinara: For impressive writing

Year 4

Deer- Frankie: For her resilience, positivity and for always having a smile on her face

Fox- Bill: For ambitious and resilience towards his writing

Year 5

Wren - Charlie: For his courage and ambition - participating in class discussions

Robin- Victoria: For a great attitude to learning and modelling all of Benhurst's core values

Year 6

Owl- Mashal: For her resilience and creativity towards the start of Year 6.

Kestrel - Isla: For encompassing the core value of ambition and respect throughout the week. A great start to the new class year.

KS1 Winners Year 1 Dormouse

KS2 Winners Year 5 Robin

• Bottle Green Jumper with Logo
• Bottle Green Cardigan with Logo
• White Polo Shirt
• Black trousers Black Skirt or Pinafore Black Skirt
• Summer Dresses – Green Gingham Dress
• Summer Black Shorts

• Bottle green shorts
• Round-necked plain white t-shirt
• Black plimsols or plain black trainers
• Black tracksuit bottoms & black sweatshirt

Please note that football kits are not permitted

Just a gentle reminder - please ensure children are only wearing studs with a flat back and no artificial nails or nail varnish are worn.

Break time snacks can be:

● A piece of fruit;

● A vegetable;

● A healthy cereal bar (without chocolate)

Break snacks should not include:

● Crisps (including baked crisps)

● Confectionery such as chocolate bars, chocolate-coated biscuits and sweets;

● Cakes and biscuits;

● Nut or nut products (although they can be very healthy) because of the danger to other children with allergies.

Our communication platform - MCAS
MCAS lets parents:

• View information about their child in real-time via a web browser or app e.g., attendance.
• Make payments for products, events, trips and other activities run by the school
• Receive communications and messages from the school
• Find out about and pay for trips, visits and clubs
• Update your details and those of your child(ren)

All communication via MCAS - if you require any assistance, please complete the Google Form that has been shared in the letter.

Should you require a copy of the letter, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

What is School Grid? SchoolGrid is a modern and user-friendly online meal-ordering platform. It gives parents greater convenience, control, and transparency when managing their child's school meals through a secure online account.

How it works?

• Using the SchoolGrid app, parents can easily order and plan meals in advance, and place same-day meal orders up until 9:00am.

• The platform enables parents to view menus, recipes, and ingredient information, allowing them to make informed decisions about their child's meal choices and dietary requirements.

• It features industry-leading allergy and dietary protection controls, helping to ensure that meals are suitable for individual dietary requirements.

Why School Grid?

• It is easier for parents to order compared to the current system

• It provides more detailed meal information

• It allows later on the day ordering

To ensure the safe and effective implementation of SchoolGrid, the school will share essential pupil information with the platform, including your child's name, class, age, and any recorded allergy or dietary information. This will help ensure that every child can enjoy a nutritious, suitable, and allergen-safe meal each day, supporting their health, wellbeing, and development.

As we look forward to the new academic year, we are introducing movement breaks within the classroom to support the wellbeing, regulation and learning of all our children.

From the new academic year, movement breaks will take place in class and will no longer be delivered in separate groups. This will allow all children to benefit from regular opportunities to move, refocus and reset throughout the school day.

Movement breaks can help children to regulate their emotions, improve concentration, increase engagement and feel ready to learn. They will be short, purposeful and inclusive, with activities that can be easily incorporated into the classroom routine.

Our aim is to create classrooms where children feel calm, focused and ready to learn, helping every child to flourish and achieve their potential.

Office Hours

8am- 4pm

Parking

We kindly request for our families and visitors to park safely and respect the wider community for the safety of all.

Our before and after school provider is ABACUS. They have been supporting the children and parents at Benhurst since September 2008.

ABACUS are based in our Dining Hall and provide the children with a range of toys, games, computer consoles, Lego, creative activities, home corner, books, larger equipment and use of the school outdoor space. Only Benhurst children may attend this club.

ABACUS are flexible and will accommodate children who wish to attend other in house school clubs; they will collect them and bring them to the setting.

For further information please visit www.abacusafterschoolclubs.com or telephone 07903 708764.

Your child may be able to get free school meals please see the guidance below from the Government;

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.

Your child may also get free school meals if you get any of these benefits and your child is both:

• younger than the compulsory age for starting school
• in full-time education

If you do not qualify for most benefits (also known as having ‘no recourse to public funds’), your child may still be eligible for free school meals. Ask their school or local authority whether they’re eligible.

Infant free school meals in England

Your child will be able to get free school meals if they’re in a government-funded school and in:

• Reception class
• Year 1
• Year 2

Tell your local authority if you also get any of the qualifying benefits. Your child’s school can get extra funding if you do

https://havering.cloud.servelec-synergy.com/Synergy/Enquiries/Citizen/FreeSchoolMeals.aspx