BCPS Newsletter Issue 3 Spring Term 2022

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Spring 2022

21 Jan, 2022

Dear Parents, Families and Friends of BCPS,

Another week marches by, with challenges aplenty for all of us in school. We were delighted to welcome families to an unofficial ‘Open Day’ on Tuesday. Visitors were unanimously thrilled with our wonderfully vibrant school and commented profusely on the enthusiastic and happy atmosphere and the joy of the children – and the staff – in their learning and lessons. We look forward to new families joining our school community very soon!

Our Friday assembly today was particularly fabulous, as we celebrated the wonderful achievements of so many of our children who have completed daily practice sessions on our Times Tables Rock Stars and, as a result, made super progress. Well done to all our worthy workers who were rewarded with an extra play time this afternoon!

As I emailed earlier in the week, new self-isolation regulations came into force this week for pupils who test positive for COVID-19. As you may be aware, from Monday 17 January, the 7 day self-isolation period for people who record a positive LFD test result for COVID-19 has been reduced to 5 full days in most circumstances. It is not currently necessary to seek a confirmatory PCR test in this situation. Individuals may now take LFD tests on day 5 and day 6 of their self-isolation period. Those who receive two negative test results are no longer required to self-isolate. The first test must be taken no earlier than day 5 of the self-isolation period and tests must be taken 24 hours apart. If both of these test results are negative, and you do not have a high temperature, you may end your self-isolation after the second negative test result and return to school from day 6. Please note that the day symptoms begin, or a test is taken and a positive result is returned, is counted as day zero.

I shall, of course, keep you updated further, as necessary. The rules and isolation regulations seem to be changing at a rate of knots at the moment. Thank you for your help and cooperation in keeping our school community as safe as possible! Your efforts are all so very much appreciated, as we steer our way together towards more settled times!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Best wishes as always, Miss Farrow

Nursery: Alfie, for his determination and effort when writing.

Reception: Zaviyar, for his innovation!

Year 1: Betty, for the most delightful email from home, written and sent with Betty’s very own fingers!

Year 2: Erin, for her exceptional handwriting in every piece of work this week!

Year 3: Aadam S., for demonstrating an incredible work ethic… always!

Year 4: Bella, for producing some fantastic persuasive writing in English.

Year 5: Haroon, for fabulous effort and quality of work right across the board – writing, maths, TTRS and more. What a star!

Year 6: Imaan, for fantastic application to a whole array of maths problems – what a maths wizard! Well done!

Kindness Cup

The Kindness Cup this week is awarded to Alina, who selflessly lent Imaan a copy of ‘Wundersmith’, the sequel to ‘Nevermoor’ by Jessica Townsend. Alina bought the book over the Christmas holidays and hasn’t started it yet. As she has another book ‘on the go’ and Imaan had just completed ‘Nevermoor’ and was eager to read the sequel, Alina, so generously, handed ‘Wundersmith’ straight over to Imaan to read, even before she has had the pleasure of reading it herself!

DIARY DATES

Please find below the first of the diary dates for what promises to be an exciting term ahead. The list is by no means exclusive and more dates will be added as the half term progresses. Please keep your eye on the newsletter for any additions.

Of course, you realise that we remain bound to abide by any Government guidelines which may be introduced but fingers crossed, the dates will stand.

We appreciate your understanding should there need to be any changes.

Date	Event
28 Jan	‘New Year Knees-Up’ (6:00pm)
1 Feb	PTFA Meeting (6.00pm)
9 Feb	Safer Internet Day
10 Feb	Half term holiday begins (3.30pm finish)
21 Feb	Return to school
w.b. 7 Mar	Book Week
w.b. 28 Mar	Easter Mass (date and time tbc)
31 Mar	Stations of the Cross (9.00am)
1 Apr	Easter Holiday begins (midday finish)
19 Apr	Return to school—Summer Term begins

BUSY! BUSY! BUSY!

Our Reception children have been exploring length and height this week. They used footprints and cubes to help measure the lengths of a whole array of superheroes. They then compared each of the lengths by looking for the largest and smallest numbers. The children have also designed and made traps for the dastardly ‘Evil Pea’ using different junk modelling materials. No more ‘Evil Pea’ … not on our watch!

REFLECTION

GOD’S PROMISE

Imagine the scene. The people are praying in the synagogue. Jesus stands up and is handed the Torah scrolls. The portion Jesus reads says that God promises to send someone to save everyone. The Messiah will bring good news to poor people, give sight to the blind and set prisoners free. The Jewish people have been waiting hundreds of years for this prophecy to be fulfilled. Rolling up the scroll, Jesus tells the people that he is the Messiah. What a moment!

DID YOU KNOW?

St. Paul says the Christian community is like a body. A hand is not an eye and a foot is not a nose, but we need all of these different parts to make up one body. In the same way, Christians are Jesus’ body on earth. We are all different, but we are all working together for God. It is up to us to carry on Jesus’ work of loving and caring for people. We are Jesus’ eyes, hands and feet on earth today.

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, help me to work with you to make God’s promises come true. Help me to bring your good news to everyone. Amen.

ACTION

Use your eyes and ears to notice people who need help and your hands to care for others, giving a hug or doing the washing up.

‘CALLING ALL PARENTS AND FRIENDS…
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY!’

Our first PTFA meeting of 2022 will take place on 1st February at 6pm. We shall be looking ahead to our Easter celebrations and making plans for the rest of the academic year! Please do come and join us—the more the merrier and the greater the input, the more exciting our plans can be. Let’s look ahead with hope in our hearts! For those of you who cannot make the meeting in person but would like to attend, a Zoom link will be sent just before the meeting. Please let the office know, should you require this!

‘NEW YEAR KNEES UP!’

FRIDAY 28th JANUARY, 2022 –6pm!

Please come along and join us, albeit a little belatedly, to toast the year ahead and enjoy a giggle and a catch up in the school hall. There are delicious refreshments on the menu, as well as a fun quiz and a round or two of ’stand up bingo’ (back by popular demand – from parents and children alike!!). There will also be the obligatory BCPS raffle, with some smashing prizes, so don’t forget your purses!

A SUPER ‘SUPERTATO’ WEEK!

This week in Nursery the ‘book of the week’ was ‘Supertato’. The children listened carefully to the stories and made ‘wanted’ posters to warn everyone about the ‘Evil Pea’!

On Wednesday, Supertato left the children a letter asking them to make their own ‘Supertatoes’. The children used lots of positional language to stick a variety of items onto their potatoes and were very pleased with their finished products.

A GENTLE REMINDER!

Please may I remind you that the little red boxes sent home during Mission Together Week need to be returned to school by the end of term, please. Thank you, in advance, for all your help and support in filling these.

The proceeds will all help towards buying a school bus for Moses and his friends at Mua School for the Deaf in Malawi

DAILY JOURNALS - JUST IN TIME FOR THE NEW YEAR!

Abbas and Zaviyar’s mum has compiled these wonderful daily journals, a version each for boys and girls. They are just packed with positive affirmations, activities and opportunities for reflection and gratitude. They are a wonderful way to promote good mental health and wellbeing. The journals are available on Amazon—please click on the links below for more details. Perfect gifts for Christmas, keeping them a fabulous way to kick off the new year! (Boys’ Journal)
(Girls’ Journal)

TIMES TABLES ROCKSTARS UPDATE!

Well done to our top achievers below…

Ask your teacher for more information

Most improved speed

Lower School: Habibah
Upper School: Abbie

Fastest Rockstar

Imaan 0.66s… still fantastic!

Biggest Increase in Coins in the Whole School

Saameya +10,050

TT Star of the Week

Haroon - for doing all his homework tasks AND extra every single day!

PARISIAN DELIGHT!

What a fabulous ‘Family Friday’ as we had our first Book Club meeting of 2022! There was lively conversation and much cheer as we reviewed and discussed ‘The Red Notebook’ by Antoine Laurain, a charming tale set in Paris, the very quintessence of French romance! The book got a huge thumbs up, as did the delicious refreshments we enjoyed. Thanks to all those who contributed to our discussion so enthusiastically. Here’s to our next read, ‘Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel’. Take it from me—it is well worth picking up; exquisitely written, it is a certain favourite of mine!

FAMILY FRIDAYS!

Calling all parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles... in fact… ALL OUR SCHOOL FAMILY!!! Come and join in our ‘Family Friday’ events...you are all so welcome!!

Date	Event (9.00-10.00am)
28 Jan	Keep Fit ‘Tone with Christina’
4 Feb	Coffee Morning
25 Feb	Book Club
4 Mar	Keep Fit ‘Tone with Christina’
11 Mar	‘Book Week’ Celebration! Details to follow!
18 Mar	Book Club
25 Mar	Easter Extravaganza! Details to follow!

NEWS FOR OUR BOOKWORMS!

Our current ’Book Club’ title is……

Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel
by Ruth Hogan!

‘You sneak around in the shadows pretending to be like everyone else, but like it or not, you never will be. What you have can be a blessing or a curse, but the choice is entirely yours. It is what you make of it. You can spend the rest of your life skulking or you can find your swagger.’

A novel of mothers and daughters, families and secrets and the astonishing power of friendship.

Tilly was a bright, outgoing little girl who liked playing with ghosts and matches. She loved fizzy drinks, swear words, fish fingers and Catholic churches, but most of all she loved living in Brighton in Queenie Malone’s Magnificent Paradise Hotel, with its endearing and loving family of misfits – staff and guests alike.

But Tilly’s childhood was shattered when her mother sent her away from the only home she’d ever loved to boarding school, with little explanation and no warning. Now, Tilda has grown into an independent woman, still damaged by her mother’s unaccountable cruelty. Wary of people, her only friend is her dog, Eli. But when her mother dies, Tilda goes back to Brighton and with the help of her beloved Queenie, sets about unravelling the mystery of her exile from The Paradise Hotel, and discovers that her mother was not the woman she thought she knew at all …

‘Moving; as lovely as a burst of bright bluebells’ (The Observer)

‘Resist this little novel if you can; it’s the very quintessence of French romance’ (The Times)

DELVE IN – DIGEST – DISCUSS!

Date:-
Date to remember… 25th February, 2022 (9.00am)!
Join us for coffee and cake… and some fabulous chat about a gem of a book – a real cracker!

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.” George R.R. Martin.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR PROVISION!

Please find below details of our exciting and extensive extra-curricular programme this term. Lunchtime activities run from 12.25 – 12.55pm each day and sessions after school run from 3.30 – 4.30pm. As you can see from the timetable, there are some smashing opportunities for our children, and huge thanks are due to our wonderful staff for providing and facilitating such a vibrant and varied programme.

Please contact the office to register your child for any of the activities and/ or wraparound care provision.

Please also note that it is essential to register your child for after school clubs, to enable us to satisfactorily staff and resource sessions.

	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNES-DAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY
LUNCH TIME CLUBS	Monday Mindfulness (KS1/2) Mrs Lester	Lego Mindstorms (KS1/2) Mr Green	Junior Choir (Years 1,2) Miss Farrow	Illustration Club (KS2) Mr Wallace	Card Games (KS2) Mr Ross
	Chess Club (KS2) Mrs Prince			Pompom Craft Club (KS1) Miss D-S

AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS (charged at £5 per weekly session)		Senior Choir (KS2) Miss Farrow (no charge)	Photography (KS2) Mr Ross	Reading Club (Y4/5/6) Miss Farrow (no charge)	Karate (Open to all) (separate charge)
		Drama (Open to all) Mrs Horford and Mrs Lester	ICT/Animation (EYFS/KS1) Mr Wallace and Mr Green	Multisports (Hockey/Netball) (Rec-Y3) Mrs Prince and Miss D-S	Movie Club (Open to all)

BCPS Newsletter Issue 3 Spring Term 2022