BCPS Newsletter Issue 1 Autumn Term 2021

Autumn 2021

10 Sept, 2021

Dear Parents, Families and Friends of BCPS,

Welcome back, one and all, to a brand new school year!

What a thrill it is to back in the bosom of our precious BCPS family, and how extra-special it has been this week to be able to enjoy the simple pleasures of conversations with each other in the school playground. One thing is for sure… I shall never take the company of BCPS friends and family for granted again!

It was delightful to welcome parents to our ‘Meet the Teacher’ event on Wednesday, and lovely for all our staff to be able to outline details of the children’s year ahead face to face!

Next Friday (17th September), we shall host a ‘Welcome Evening’ in the school hall at 6.00pm for all our school family. Please do consider yourselves cordially invited to attend. My thanks are due to our PTFA for organising the event, which promises to offer the perfect opportunity for friendships, old and new, to blossom. It has been so very long since we have been able to enjoy each other’s company as a school family. Please join us!

In the meantime, I should like to thank you all for the extra-ordinary support which you have so freely given to myself and to BCPS over the last eighteen months. I have been able to count on you unreservedly throughout our necessary separation, and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Our BCPS community remained supremely strong throughout such a difficult time and I am inexorably proud of that. I was confident that I could rely on you, but even knowing that, I have been completely overwhelmed and humbled by your generosity of spirit. Let us hope and pray that our year ahead will be a healthy and happy one, free from disruption and separation. I look forward so fondly to welcoming you all, new families and old, next Friday!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Best wishes!

As always, Miss Farrow

Diary Dates

Please find below diary dates for what promises to be an exciting term ahead. The list is by no means exclusive and more dates are likely to be added as the 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
13 Sept	Transfer to High School Meeting (Year 6 parents) – 3.30pm
17 Sept	Games/Swimming begins for KS2
17 Sept	Welcome Evening – 6.00pm
w.b. 20 Sept	Extra Curricular Programme begins
22 Sept	Maths Workshop for all parents (3.30pm)
29 Sept	Phonics Workshop for EYFS/KS1 Parents(3.30pm)
24 Sept	MacMillan’s Coffee Morning – 9.00am
24 Sept	Open Day (10-4pm)
25 Sept	Open Day (10-4pm)
w.b. 27 Sept	Mission Together Week
11 Oct	School Photographs
13 Oct	Harvest Festival—9.00am
14 Oct	Flu Vaccinations
14 Oct	Parents’ Evening
15 Oct	Half term holiday.Return Monday 1st November, 2021
w.b. 15th Nov	Anti-Bullying Week
4 Dec	PTFA Christmas Event
w.b. 6 Dec	Christmas Concerts (details to follow)
14 Dec	Christmas Merit Assembly
15 Dec	Christmas Mass (TBC)
16 Dec	Christmas Lunch
17 Dec	Seven Lessons and Carols – 9.00am
17 Dec	Christmas Holiday (midday finish). Return 4th January, 2022

Pre-School: Sophie, who has settled in so well to Pre-School. She has wowed us with her determination and knowledge. A real superstar!!

Reception: Caleb, for his enthusiastic and promising start in Reception.

Year 1: Maysa, for leading an ‘army of super sitting Roman soldiers’

Year 2: Ethan, for such a strong, confident start to his BCPS experience. What a welcome addition he is to our Year 2 classroom!

Year 3: Habibah, for rising to all the challenges of KS2 and being an excellent role model.

Year 4: Leyla, for her truly exceptional effort and attitude in all subjects.

Year 5: Alina and Henna, for settling in superbly to a new class, a new school and immediately making new friends. What a wonderful start.

Year 6: Emma, for making such fabulous oral contributions during lessons and making a commendably mature start to Year 6. What a fine role model!

PRAYER FOR OUR NEW SCHOOL YEAR

Lord God, bless our school as we enter a new academic year.

May ours be a community of welcome and hope.

Watch over our pupils

so that they grow in understanding and love.

Encourage our staff

so that their service reveals your generosity and mercy.

Inspire our leaders

so that their actions show your wisdom and justice.

Loving Father, through the Trinity you teach us the importance of relationship. Help us work together to accomplish your mission:

REFLECTION

WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?

Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” He listens to the various suggestions and then asks, “Who do you say I am?” Peter tells Jesus that he believes Jesus is the Christ. Jesus then teaches his friends what this means, explaining that he will have to suffer, die and then rise again. God’s ways are not our ways. Anyone who follows Jesus will also have to put other people first and forget about themselves, but they will then enjoy life with God forever.

DID YOU KNOW?

Jewish people are celebrating Yom Kippur from sunset on 15 September until the evening of 16 September. Yom Kippur means ‘Day of Atonement’ and it is the holiest day of the year for Jews. It is a day of prayer and fasting, asking God for forgiveness, and ends with a great celebration. Jewish people know that God loves and forgives everyone!

DID YOU KNOW?

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, I believe that you are the Christ. Help me always to believe in you. Help me to follow your example and put other people first. Amen.

ACTION

Do a secret good deed every day this week.

“Hello! How D’You Do!’

This week we have welcomed all our friends, new and old, back to Pre-School. We have enjoyed exploring our classroom and making lots of new friendships.

PLAYGROUND PALS!

The week has been very special for our whole school community, as the tentative lifting of Covid restrictions has meant that we have been able to meet a little more freely. It has been a joy to have been able to greet parents at the start and end of each day in the playground, and as you can see from the accompanying pictures, our children have been utterly delighted, following the removal of class ’bubbles’, to be able to play together.

TIMES TABLES ROCKSTARS UPDATE!

Well done to everyone who kept playing during the holidays.

Your efforts have not gone unnoticed!

Class of the holiday

Year 5 – the most minutes spent playing the game!

Special mention – and TT Star of the Week

Saameya - she played an average of 5 mins EVERY day over the holidays AND is now a new member of the illustrious Rock Hero team!

TINKLING ON THE IVORIES!

TINKLING ON THE IVORIES!Congratulations to Isobelle, who has achieved a distinction in her Grade 2 Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music piano examination. What a fine achievement! Isobelle’s examiner was very impressed by her performance and praised her bright and positive tone as well as her clear shaping and dynamic contrast, commenting also that there was a lovely sense of engagement and enjoyment throughout her programme. We are all so very proud of you, Isobelle! Congratulations! Onwards and upwards to Grade 3!

“OSU!”

We enjoyed a really special assembly on Tuesday morning. Sensei Saeid and Sensei Steve joined us from ‘Ho Shin Do Karate Club’ to tell us all about an after-school Karate Club that we all have the opportunity to be involved in. Everyone got involved in their demonstration and had a great time! Hard work, but SUCH FUN!! What a fabulous way to start a Tuesday!

GETTING TO KNOW YOU!

Wow! What a fabulous start to the year. Our new Reception class has settled in beautifully. This week, the children have been getting to know each other, writing about their aspirations, exploring their new classroom and challenging themselves in the continuous provision areas.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR PROVISION!

I am delighted to announce the resumption of an exciting and extensive extra-curricular programme this term, all activities launching during the week beginning Monday 20th September. 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 refer to your specific ‘Wraparound Care and Extra- Curricular Provision’ letter, sent as an email to you all for details of how to register your child for after-school clubs.

	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNES-DAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY
LUNCH TIME CLUBS	Monday Mindfulness (KS1/2) Mrs Lester	Lego Mindstorms (KS1/2) Mr Green	Cosmic Yoga (Open to all!) Mrs Horford	Junior Choir (Years 1,2) Miss Farrow	Colouring and Conversation (KS1/2) Miss DS
	Chess Club (KS2) Mrs Prince	The World of Jane Austen – Once Upon a Story (The ‘Art’ of Storytelling) Year 3/4 Miss Farrow	Jewellery Making (KS2) Miss Farrow	Marvellous Maths (“So You Think You Can Sudoku?”) (KS2) Mr Wallace	Card Games (KS2) Mr Ross
	Boom Whacker Bash Percussion Club (KS1) Miss Farrow
AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS (charged at £5 per session)	Crochet Club‘Come and Share a Yarn! (Y4-6)	Senior Choir (KS2) Miss Farrow (no charge)	Photography (KS2) Mr Ross	Reading Club (Y5/6) Miss Farrow (no charge)	Karate (Open to all) (separate charge)
		Seasonal Craft (EYFS/KS1) Mrs Lester	Football Skills (Y2-6) Mr Green	Outdoor Learning (Teambuilding/Orienteering) (KS2) Mrs Prince	Movie Club (Open to all)
			Little Kickers (Sports Club) (EYFS/Y1) Mrs Horford	Cookery (KS1) Miss DS	Italian (Language through cultural crafts/activities) (Years 2-3)
			Computing and Coding Mr Wallace

BCPS Newsletter Issue 1 Autumn Term 2021