News

Last Saturday’s winter fair was a huge success, with a steady stream of families enjoying the fun, activities and great atmosphere. Thank you to Mrs Duce and the FOBS committee for organising this event and to the families who supported and helped out in the run-up or on the day. It was a lovely community occasion.  The money raised by FOBS really does make a difference to your child and our provision at Bowmansgreen as it helps to fund items that we would not otherwise be able to prioritise due to the ongoing difficulties with school funding. Today, I had a sneak preview of the newly painted playground games that FOBS has funded. They look great and pupils will be so excited to use them. Thank you.

On Wednesday, Meila took part in the Advent Carol Service at St Albans Abbey. She bravely performed her solo reading in front of a rather large audience and pupils from schools across St Albans. Well done, Meila! She represented Bowmansgreen brilliantly and really did herself proud.

Please could I remind car drivers not to block the driveways of local residents during the school run. We have recently had several very upset neighbours who have fed back that when they have asked drivers to move from where they have blocked access, they have been ignored or challenged. Please ensure that driveways and paths are not obstructed as we would really like to keep our neighbours and pedestrians happy and safe.

As you might be aware from personal experience, there are a few bugs and illnesses currently doing the rounds. We appreciate that it can sometimes be an inconvenience but we ask that you keep your child off school for forty-eight hours after your child is last sick, to help prevent the spread of infections. Both pupils and staff have been affected recently, with stubborn illnesses lasting several days.

Congratulations to Sarah Pigott who has been elected as a parent governor at Bowmansgreen. Thank you to all five of the nominees for putting the time and effort into standing for this role. It is almost unheard of for so much interest in a governor vacancy and it is a very positive sign and reflection of the support Bowmansgreen has within the community. Thank you.

A Yellow Level 10 Cold-Health Alert has been updated for the East of England and is currently in effect until tomorrow. For up to date information, see the Met Office National Severe Weather Warning Service. Please ensure that you send your child into school with a coat, hat and gloves next week, while the weather remains cold.

Next week, pupils can look forward to Anthony Glenn returning to Bowmansgreen, for a very special Shaking up Shakespeare performance of The Nutcracker. It is sure to be highly entertaining and provide lots of opportunities for crowd participation!

On Wednesday, we will have our Christmas lunch. All pupils are invited to join in the festive meal, served to them by staff and our Bowmansgreen House Captains. Pupils can also wear their Christmas jumpers on this day, for a £1 donation to Save the Children.

Pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 have been busy learning their lines and songs for their Nativity performances, which they will soon perform to the whole school and also their parents and carers. Year 3 and Year 4 have also been rehearsing, for their carol concerts which take place on the last Monday of term. There is lots to look forward to over the next couple weeks!

Mrs Fleming, Bowmansgreen’s new Headteacher, is hoping to visit next week; to say hello to pupils and so that we can begin the handover and transition to her taking over as the Headteacher after Christmas. She is very much looking forward to joining Bowmansgreen and I have been sure to stress how lucky she is, to be joining this wonderful school community.

Wrap up warm this weekend!

November 20th is World Children’s Day, with this year’s theme: For every child, every right. Monday’s assembly highlighted the significance of this date and discussed and celebrated children’s rights. We considered what rights are, why they are important and acknowledged that the rights of many children around the world are threatened. It was also an opportunity to reflect upon the fact that many children live in parts of the world where there is war or conflict and that, as the innocent victims, their rights are often denied.

The Childcare Choices website brings together existing childcare offers in one place so parents can access help that fits their family. This could be through Tax-Free Childcare, 30 Hours Childcare or Universal Credit Childcare. Some families might be eligible to use more than one childcare scheme together.
• From April 2024, eligible working parents in England with children aged 2 will have access to 15 hours childcare.
• From September 2024, the 15 hours childcare offer will be expanded to eligible working parents in England with children between 9 and 23 months old.
• From September 2025, eligible working parents in England, with children between 9 months up to school age, will have access to 30 hours childcare.
Visit the Childcare Choices website to check what offer you might be eligible for and sign up to the newsletter.

Tomorrow, our Winter Fair takes place, between 11am – 2.00pm. FOBS have been busy organising and preparing, to help make tomorrow a fantastic day for our school community. Come and have fun in the Snowball-nado; win one of the super raffle prizes; and find bargains on the stalls. Lots to keep everyone entertained! Enjoy the food and drink, face painting, dance and choir performances and much, much more! Join in the fun and help raise funds for our school. There might even be a very special guest…

This week was national Anti-Bullying Week. At Bowmansgreen, pupils and staff wore odd socks to support the message that we are all unique and should be allowed to be ourselves,  free from bullying. Monday’s assembly launched this year’s campaign : Make a Noise About Bullying and throughout the week, pupils took part in a range of activities, highlighting and discussing how and why we all play a part in helping to ensure that bullying does not happen at Bowmansgreen and if we think that someone is being bullied what we should do about it, to make it stop.

On Wednesday, the school hall went back in time, around 5000 years, to become part of the civilization of Ancient Egypt. Year 3 spent the day as Egyptians, learning about life in the ancient Kingdom and very much looking the part, in their Egyptian costumes. They had great fun taking part in a range of activities including embalming, lamp making and a banquet which also supported their learning in History. Thank you to the staff, parents and carers who supported Year 3 during this workshop, ensuring that it was a great success.

Hopefully, you have all received the information needed for you to vote in the Parent Governor Election. If you have any questions or difficulties casting your vote, please contact the school office. Voting will close on 28th November, 2023.

Please take a read of the recently published CQC/ Ofsted Area SEND Inspection for Hertfordshire

Thank you to our House Captains and Mr Garwood for laying a wreath at the London Colney War Memorial, on behalf of our school community. Each class also made a wreath to mark this year’s Remembrance Day.

Please be courteous and mindful of our neighbours and pedestrians when parking during the school run. The wet weather has caused more families to travel by car during the last couple of weeks and several incidents of dangerous parking, including blocked driveways and footpaths. Please ensure that parking restrictions are adhered to and the safety of our school community is prioritised.

Our whole school attendance is currently 95%. It has dipped slightly in the last couple of weeks and it would be great if we could tip it back up to 96% which is where it has been for most of this term so far. Please ensure that your child is at school, on time every day so that they benefit from all of the learning opportunities planned for them. The next few weeks are very busy at school, with lots of exciting curriculum activities as well as festive events; a special Shaking up Shakespeare theatre performance; and our next curriculum evening – lots to miss out on if pupils are not at school!

The Department of Health and Social Care has alerted schools to disruption to the national supply for medication prescribed to help manage ADHD symptoms. There are several reasons contributing to the supply disruption, including an increase in demand for the medication and a change in the companies who produce and supply the medication. If you or your child are affected by the supply shortage, your GP or specialist will have already contacted you with more information. The supply issue is improving but could continue until the end of December 2023 or early 2024. Please do let Mrs May (via the school office) know if your child is affected by this shortage so that we can do our best to support you and them until the situation improves.

Hertfordshire County Council is once again funding HAPpy activity camps for children and young people who attend Hertfordshire schools and are in receipt of benefits-related free school meals. HAPpy Winter Camps – booking opens Wednesday 22nd November, 2023.

Congratulations to our newly elected House Captains:

They have made a super start in their new roles and I am sure that they will represent their houses brilliantly and with pride.

Enjoy your weekend

Last week, as the temperatures outside dropped, we turned on our new heating system for the first time. The building and heating works that have taken place during the last year – to change the school’s heating system from gas central heating to air source heat pumps and more solar panels – is now complete. This change will enable the school to be more energy efficient, sustainable and hopefully reduce our energy bills.

Yesterday’s celebration assembly was a very pumpkin occasion! As well as celebrating our fantastic readers, authors, mathematicians and musician of the week, yesterday, children across the school excitedly waited to see if their names were called out as winners of Mrs Stanley’s pumpkin competition prizes. Well done to all of our winners and for all of the children who took part in the competition.

Please be reminded that breakfast club starts at 7.30am and that we ask parents and carers to walk your child to the breakfast club door, to support their transition and handover. It also gives breakfast club staff the opportunity to give messages to you, when needed.

Thank you to the families that visited yesterday’s curriculum evening. We hope that you enjoyed sharing your child’s learning in maths this half-term. We hope that you join us for our next curriculum evening, with a focus on English.

As the cost of living continues to present significant challenges for many families, please be aware that school can make referrals to local food banks. If this is something that you would like us to do, please let the school office know. There is a minimal amount of information that we require from you and then we can issue vouchers directly from school.

Congratulations to Miss Golding who is the very proud mummy of a new baby daughter. I am sure that you will join me in congratulating her and her family and wishing them well at this very happy time. Both mother and baby are both doing well.

Enjoy your half-term.

Last Friday, pupils across the school had lots of fun at the first school disco of the year. It was lovely to see so many pupils, singing, dancing and socialising together, including many of our new Reception pupils enjoying their very first school disco. Thank you to the FOBS committee for organising another successful fundraising event.

This week has been slightly quieter than usual at school… as many of our Year 6 pupils have been away on their residential trip to Manor Adventure. They arrived back yesterday afternoon having had a fantastic time, taking part in a range of activities including bouldering, caving, paddleboarding, axe-throwing and archery. Thank you to Ms Franks, Mr Sanders, Mr Garwood and Miss Goodfellow, for helping to ensure that pupils enjoyed such a great time. I am sure they will all sleep well this weekend!

Please can we remind parents and carers that staff cannot give out, to classes, celebration cakes or any other sweet or savoury treats brought in by families, due to the risk to individuals with allergies. We have a number of pupils, across the school,  who have severe allergies to specific foods, including nuts, eggs and general dairy products and we do not want to risk their health by offering them food items that may contain any of these ingredients.

Next Tuesday, all pupils will take part in an online safety workshop. Each workshop will be tailored to the year group and delivered at an age-appropriate level. The topics covered will include: personal information and privacy; cyber-bullying; grooming and how it may occur; and how to report concerns.

There is a presentation for parents and carers to accompany these workshops, to provide an insight into the online world that our children inhabit and the reality of how they navigate this digital world. The presentation covers a range of topics including: what children are taught about online safety; the latest trends of what children are doing online; and the issues and dangers they face. We will share the link to this presentation next week – it will then be available to Bowmansgreen families, for four weeks.

Next Thursday is our first Curriculum evening of the year. We look forward to being able to share your child’s learning in English this half-term and hope to see you in the school hall, from 3.05pm – 4pm and 6pm – 7pm.

I am very pleased to announce that we have had five parents and carers who have been nominated to stand for election as a parent governor at Bowmansgreen. As we have had more nominations than vacancies, we must now hold a secret ballot. The ballot will take place after half-term, with details to follow about the process and how to vote. Thank you to the parents and carers who have put themselves forward for this vacancy – we really appreciate your interest and support.

Please be reminded that we have an INSET day next Friday and school is therefore closed to pupils. The following week is half-term.

Enjoy your weekend.