It’s lovely to be in the throes of a busy term - we have lots to look forward to – the Harvest Festival Celebration is on our minds, with further details later on in this newsletter.   The Reception children’s first trip with the school to Westonbirt Arboretum and Year 5 & 6 are off to Cheltenham Literature Festival are just some of the exciting events coming up.

We are pleased to announce that the appointment of Head Boy and Head Girl for this academic year has been made. Again, we were extremely proud of the Year 6 pupils who took the time to write their letters of application for the role. The task to shortlist was very difficult but we managed to whittle applications down to 12 pupils.  I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge well done to ALL children who put in the time and effort to apply and to those who interviewed. You should all be immensely proud of yourselves.

The interviews were held on Tuesday 20^th September, with pupils dressed to impress. After much discussion and deliberation, we were able to appoint;

Head Boy- Rhys

Head Girl – Beatrix

Deputy Head Boy- Blaine

Deputy Head Girl- Mia

Now the hard work begins whereby they will help host our pupil leadership meetings alongside Mrs Gelsthorpe as well as taking on vital jobs in the next few weeks. Watch this space!

As always, if you have anything you would like to discuss with me please make an appointment to see me at a mutually convenient time,

Best wishes

Lucy Collins
Headteacher

The Stars of the Week for week ending 23rd September:

The Stars of the Week for week ending 30th September:

London Sinfonietta visit

On Monday 26^th September we were lucky to be visited by professional musicians from London Sinfonietta. In the morning, the musicians worked with children from KS2 and helped them to compose their own pieces. In the afternoon, the musicians from London Sinfonietta performed for KS1 and KS2, including a clarinet, a violin and a vibraphone! Finally, they held the WORLD PREMIERE of the compositions written by our KS2 children. It was a fantastic day and a brilliant experience for all the children in the afternoon. 

Year 3

Year 3 have been busy making models of the Earth’s layers. We applied what we had learnt in our Geography lessons by marking on the 4 layers, painting them and then labelling. We really enjoyed the activity!

At school, we love to take photographs or video clips of your children having learning experiences at school.  We love to share these with you even more!

We use these photos and clips only with your permission on school approved platforms such as our newsletter, prospectus, internal displays in the school, Teams, Twitter and our own closed Facebook group (users can't view the group's content until they become a member which school have to authorise).  We really need your consent to take and share photos and video clips of your child to use in these school approved platforms.  If you’re not happy for us to do this, that’s no problem – we will accommodate your preferences.

FORM: Photograph Permissions

Link to join the school's Facebook page (users can't view the group's content until they become a member which school have to authorise):

https://www.facebook.com/groups/lindenprimaryhub/?ref=share_group_link

(Please ensure you answer ALL the questions) 

EYFS (Reception) Celebration Picnic

We would like to invite Reception Parents to come into school on Friday 7^th October at 2.15pm for a ‘Celebration Picnic’. This is a chance for you to come into the school hall and see some of the children’s work and sing some songs. The children will be making sandwiches and decorating biscuits for them to eat at the picnic. At the end of the picnic the children will return to class to get ready for home where you will be able to collect them from their usual classroom door.

When you arrive please wait at the black gate outside class 2 which will be opened at 2.05 where you will then be directed to the school main entrance and welcomed into the hall at 2.15pm.

EYFS (Reception) Parent Information Meeting

The EYFS team will be holding a parent information meeting on Monday 10^th October at 2.30 in Class 2. This will be to recap a few things from the previous meeting as well as provide parents with new information regarding the coming year.

When you arrive please wait by the main black gate and the Reception team will let you in when they are ready.   When the meeting has finished, you will be asked to wait back outside while they get the children ready and you will be able to take them home.

Please don't worry if you cannot make the meeting, a powerpoint can be sent out after the meeting.

EYFS (Reception) Parents Phonics Meeting

We use the Read Write Inc. scheme to teach phonics in school. In order to keep you informed about the strategies we are using we will be holding an information session for parents/ carers. The meeting will be held on Tuesday the 18^th October at 2:30pm in the school hall. It will last around 30 minutes and resources and information will be available to look at.

If you would like to attend the meeting, please email [email protected] with your child's name and your name by 7^th October.   We will send out an information booklet to all parents after the event as we are aware that some people will be unable to attend.

Free School Meals

Thank you to the Reception parents that have applied for Free School Meals. Registering for Free School Meals can benefit your child and our school.  Please take the time to register to see if your child is eligible - even if your child is currently entitled to Universal Free School Meals (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) as the school only receives funding from the government for each child registered. The link is here if you haven't applied already: www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals and is also on the Szapp.

Wrap Around Care

Breakfast, Wrap Around Care and School dinners need to be paid for in advance. 

SZapp

You are probably already aware that, like many other schools, we use an app called SZapp. To ensure that your device is tied to your child's details, we ask that you register with SZapp using the same email address that you have listed on our database. Please ensure you keep us updated with any changes to your personal contact information. Finally, please ensure that the SchoolZine email address:   [email protected] is added to your safe senders and contacts list to avoid messages going into your junk or clutter folder.

Medication

Please be aware that staff cannot give medication to your child and the child cannot administer medication to themselves. However, you can come into the office and we will bring your child to you to give them any necessary medicine.

Late Arrivals

All late arrivals need to be escorted into the School Office as the pupil needs to be signed in, and lunch choice taken.

Late Collection

If you are running late at the end of the school day, please contact us so that we can reassure your child.

If your child is to be collected by someone other than yourself, please inform the school office. For safeguarding purposes, we will not be able to release your child from the classroom unless we have parent / guardian permission.

Dogs

May we remind all parents and carers that dogs are not permitted in the playground - even if carried.  

Year 5 have Forest School on Monday 3rd October.  

A message has been sent asking if children could come in wearing warm clothes and shoes that you don't mind getting dirty (non uniform - please no football or rugby kits) and a pair of named wellies (if you have them) and a warm coat.

Please could you also send your child in with a pair of dry shoes for afterwards  - we’ll be going outside regardless of the weather!

Year 5 & 6 Visit to Cheltenham Literature Festival

Year 5 & 6 Parents should have all received the communication regarding the trip to the Cheltenham Literature Festival on Friday 7^th October, 2022 where we will be listening to the author Louie Stowell.  

If you have forgotten, it's not too late to pay the £5 contribution towards the trip. 

Harvest Festival Celebrations

We are very excited to be celebrating Harvest Festival with our pupils.

Year 1 & Year 2

Parents/Guardians of Year 1 and 2 children are invited to the KS1 (Year 1 & Year 2) Harvest Festival Service on Tuesday 11th October 2022. The children will be walking to St Paul’s and St Stephen’s church for our Harvest Festival.  The doors for parents will open at 10.15am for a 10.30am start. The service will be around 30minutes long.

Year 3, 4, 5 & 6

Children from Year 3 to Year 6 will be taking part in a Harvest Festival Celebration Assembly in school with Rev. Pat Gifford on Thursday 13th October 2022.  

This year we are donating to the Gloucester Food Bank.  If you are able to support, these are the items that are desperately needed (to be dropped off any time prior to the assembly into the box outside the School Office):

Hello everyone, we hope you had a lovely Summer break.  Welcome to the new Reception parents. We hope that you enjoyed the new starter packs that we sent out and that your children have settled in well. 

We are busy organising some events and projects to bring to you later this term. If you would like to find out more about what we do, please email [email protected]

The online world can be a bit overwhelming at times but it is important we understand what our children are doing online so we can help make them safer. The Safer Schools App aims to help with this.

We are delighted to invite you to download our new Safer Schools App provided
by our school insurance provider Zurich Municipal.

The App is designed to support and protect children by educating and empowering them both at school and at home. Through their log-in, your children get access to information that is relevant to them and you will receive tips and advice on how to keep them safer online.

To download, go to your app store on your phone or tablet and search 'Safer Schools'. Once downloaded open the app and enter Linden Primary, you can then enter the code 7440.

By now your Year 6 child should have brought home a letter detailing the online process for transfer to secondary school.  These applications need to be submitted no later than the closing date of 31 October 2022, applications after this date will not be processed until after 1st March 2023

Further information can be found at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/schooladmissions

Hello Everyone,

My name is Ms Sidhu (some of you may know me by my previous name, Mrs Atwal).

Having worked at Linden Primary school for over 20 years, I am now the founder of my own business as a private practitioner, in a mindful practice supporting my clients with a non-cognitive therapeutic method, whilst remaining part of the pastoral team at Linden. It is currently being used with some students, with outstanding results.

I would like to offer my services to the children and families of Linden Primary before I branch out to the rest of the community. Below are details for the service I provide, please do not hesitate to contact me if you require more information or would like to make a booking on [email protected]

Some great online courses for parents this term.

   *   Upgrade Your Maths is a 5 week course which is designed for people who are anxious about maths. The group is kept small so that parents can get individual support. The course builds parents confidence so that they can support their children effectively. Recently parents have progressed from this course  to achieve a Functional Skills Maths Qualification.

This course runs on Thursdays from 10-12 starting on 22 September. Parents can apply to this course online by clicking here<https://courses.glosglobal.net/CourseDetailsView.asp?CODE=GL0055899&NAME=Upgrade+Your+Maths&ID1=2500&ID2=55899&ID3=1> and then on the Enrol Now button 

  *   Help Your Child at School for ESOL Parents is an online English course who use English as a Second Language. The course builds parents English skills and focuses on how they can help children learn in school.

This course runs on Wednesdays from 9:30-11:30 or 12:30-2:30. Parents should contact me if they are interested in joining this course.

Fay Tucker
ESOL Learning Coordinator
Adult Education in Gloucestershire
Telephone: 07760 171477

We would like to make you aware of the Holiday Free School Meal Voucher scheme that Gloucestershire County Council is currently offering to families in Gloucestershire. We hope that you will be able to pass these messages onto the relevant families within your schools to promote them.

This October half term, Gloucestershire County Council are providing vouchers to eligible families who have signed up to our Holiday Free School Meals (FSM) scheme. These vouchers are provided by Gloucestershire County Council as part of its commitment to 'no child goes hungry'. The vouchers are funded through grant funding we have received and is separate to that of the term time free school meals.

The scheme is for children in reception to year 11 who receive benefits-related free school meals and attend a school in Gloucestershire. We are unable to consider college and sixth form students as well as children who receive universal free school meals, as they are not eligible for this scheme.

Families who have signed up to the scheme will receive £15 per child, for the week half term.

To find out more about the scheme and to apply, parents can visit our Holiday free school meal vouchers webpage<https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/education-and-learning/school-transport-and-free-school-meals/meals-during-school-holidays/holiday-free-school-meal-vouchers/holiday-free-school-meal-vouchers/#main>, seen below:

Parents who have signed up previously do not need to re-register, they will already have been included. To ensure we reach all those who are eligible, we are encouraging parents that have not previously signed up, to sign up as soon as they can.

For those parents who have already signed up, if more of their children have become entitled to free school meals since they applied, please ask them to contact us at [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>  so we can update their account, as this not an automatic process.

Applications for Holiday Free School Meal Vouchers for the October half term period are now open until the 11 October. Voucher emails will be sent out on 19 October.  Please encourage parents to also check their junk/spam email folders during this period as sometimes the vouchers end up there. If parents have not received their vouchers by the 19 October, please encourage them to get in contact with us by emailing [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>.