A new term!

A Subject Topic & Skills Grid giving an overview of what the children will be covering this term, will be published on Friday.

Homework (Prep) will continue to be set via the subject specialist teachers. Your children should now be familiar with their prep timetables and confident with their daily prep routines for Year 5, including completing this on time and to an acceptable standard. We ask that you now encourage as much independence as possible.

Our expectations are that children continue to learn their weekly spellings and complete weekly related strategies and activities set in their purple spelling books or on Spelling Shed, read daily (ideally to an adult for at least 10 minutes) and frequently revise and practise their times tables. Please do make sure you sign and comment accordingly in your child’s Prep Diary on a weekly basis.

In PSHEE/RSE, the children will continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of ‘Safety and the Changing Body’ and ‘Citizenship.’ They will explore topics such as online friendships, staying safe online, and the various aspects of puberty, including menstruation and emotional changes. They will also learn about first aid for bleeding and head injuries, and making informed decisions regarding alcohol, drugs, and tobacco.

The Years 5 and 6 children will be taking a theatre trip to see ‘Wicked’ at the Apollo Theatre, Victoria on Wednesday 19 March.

We are excited to offer your children the opportunity to see this acclaimed musical. This production not only provides a captivating and entertaining experience, but also offers valuable lessons in friendship, acceptance, and the importance of understanding different perspectives. Through its engaging storyline and memorable music, Wicked encourages children to think critically about the nature of good and evil, and to appreciate the complexities of human relationships. We believe this experience will be both educational and inspiring, continuing to foster a love for the arts and promoting important social and emotional learning.

More information will follow nearer to the date.

For all absences, please complete the absence request form via the Parent Portal. Please see the guide here on how to request an absence for your child.

If your child will need any prescribed or over-the-counter medication administered during the school day, please complete the following form here. No medication can be administered without this form.

Children are to bring their water bottles to school and take them home daily. It is very important that the children drink water throughout the day, and using bottles in the classrooms helps to prevent spillages!

In Years 5 – 8 pupils must have their own fully stocked pencil case, including the following items:

• HB pencils
• Rubber
• Pencil Sharpener
• Two Blue handwriting pens (not biro)
• Red or purple pen (a biro is fine – children will use this to refine and perfect their work)
• 30cm ruler
• Coloured pencils
• Glue stick
• Three different coloured highlighters

Children should also have their charged laptop with them in school each day.

Drop off is at 8:15am on the Terrace or in the Drop off zone, for registration at 8:20am. Children arriving earlier should be booked in for breakfast from 7:30am or join our Early Birds in the Sports Hall or Courts from 8:00am. Children should not enter the Clock Block earlier than 8:15am. Core lessons begin at 8.30am.

Pick Up is at 4:00pm at the front of school, unless your child is staying for Prep when pick up will be 5:00pm at the front of school. All children must ‘blob out’ with the member of staff on duty before they leave the school site.

If you would like your child to join us for breakfast, or stay beyond 4:00pm for Hobbies or After School Supervision / Supper Club, please book this via the Portal, or contact extendedday@pennthorpe.com for assistance.

As well as your pocket-sized diary, parents can also view the Spring Term calendar via the website and Parent Portal.

Please do have a look through and pop important dates in your diary.  Of course, sometimes plans need to be updated, and so any changes will be updated on our electronic calendar and communicated to you as soon as possible.

The key events for our Year 5 parents can also be found in Mr Murray’s Start of Spring Term Letter here.

Our brilliant Friends of Pennthorpe, as always, will be doing lots to support our school and community this term. Key things for you to watch out for include:

• The Spring Term Friends of Pennthorpe meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 14 January at 8:30am. Everyone is welcome to attend to help develop upcoming FoP plans.
• Bags of Support Collections on Thursday 30 January and Friday 28 March.
• Pop Up Treat Shop on Friday 14 February from 3:00pm
• Friends of Pennthorpe Second Hand Uniform Shop & Blueblood Sports Pop Up Shop on Tuesday 11 March.
• ‘A Night in Bloom’ Ball on Saturday 22 March 2025. For further information and to book your tickets click here.
• The Friends of Pennthorpe Mother’s Day Shop will open its doors on Tuesday 25 March.

With the continuing cold weather, please can you ensure your child has a named Pennthorpe hat, scarf and gloves in school each day.

Please make sure your child’s uniform is labelled with their name, as it does make it a lot easier to reunite lost items with their owners.

Children are expected to wear smart uniform each day:

• All children should wear their blazers coming to and from school.
• Clean black school shoes (if a child needs to wear trainers, for example where their school shoes have been misplaced, please make the form teacher aware)
• Shirts need to be long enough to tuck in.
• Earrings – one plain stud only. No hoops. The child needs to be able to take the earrings out independently for PE and Games lessons.
• No necklaces.
• Plain wristwatch, no smartwatches to be worn.
• All shoulder length hair tied up with a plain hairband or small school coloured scrunchie or headband.

The Year 5 Team will be conducting a complete kit check at the beginning of term.  This will include school coat, water bottle and sports kit (see below). It is important that the children understand the importance of looking after and organising their own property, especially as they are now in Year 5. Please support this at home, by ensuring your child uses their independence and organisational skills to ensure they have what they need in school each day and take care of their belongings (especially their laptops!).

Uniform is available to order online, for further information please click here.

All PE and Games kit should be brought in to school on a Monday morning and should be taken home for washing at the end of each week. All children require a mouthguard and shin pads for lessons, as well as competitive matches. They will not be allowed to participate in lessons or matches without these items, as this poses significant risk to the children.

For the first half of the Spring Term, boys will be continuing with rugby and the girls with netball. A full kit list is available here, and all branded items can be ordered through Blueblood

Girls (netball):

• Games kit
• All jewellery must be removed
• Base layers (recommended)

Boys (rugby):

• Games kit
• Shin pads
• Mouthguard
• Base layers (recommended)
• Separate bag (such as a bin bag) in games kit bag so muddy sports kit can be kept away from clean PE kit/uniform
• Named towel to wipe excess mud off after rugby sessions.

After half-term the boys will be switching to hockey and girls to football.

Girls (football):

• Games kit
• Shin Pads
• Football Boots (optional)

Boys (hockey):

• Games kit
• Shin pads
• Mouthguard

Please do not park in the drop-off lanes at the front of school if you are coming past the gates to drop your child into school, or collect them from one of the school buildings. These lanes are intended for dropping-off only!

Instead, please park up in the car park, or find a safe place to park on the neighbouring roads (being considerate of our neighbours, especially with regards parking near to junctions or driveways).