Esh Winning Primary School

NEWSLETTER February 2019

Dates

February 15th Break up for half term holidays 25th School resumes

March 7th World Book day 15th Red Nose Day 25th Parents Evening 25th Book Fair Week 26th Parents Evening 28th Nursery thank you ladies lunch 29th Reception thank you ladies lunch

April 02nd Spring charity day for pupils 04th Easter Celebrations 05th School breaks up for Easter 23rd School resumes (Tuesday)

May 6th May Day Bank Holiday 13th Year 6 SATS week 24th School breaks up for half term

June 3rd School resumes

July 19th Break up for the summer holidays

September 04th School resumes (Wednesday)

Class Photographs

Tempest will be coming into school on Tuesday 12th February

to photograph the pupils in their class groups. Any individual /family photographs missed in September

will also be offered photographs on this day. Letters were sent home at the end of January.

We would like to thank Brandon & Byshottles Parish Council for their very kind donation of

£200 which will go towards buying all the children re-usable water bottles for school to cut down on

plastic waste. Thank you!

DRIVING Recently there has been some dangerous and very inconsiderate driving in the school grounds by parents when dropping off for the Breakfast Club. Please remem-ber there are lots of children, other adults and vehicles moving around in the car park at this busy time of the day and drive with extra special care. PARKING BAYS Also please be aware that the parking bays next to the library are unloading/loading & disabled parking spaces. We are currently looking into getting markings to identify the bay use but we would appreciate your support immediately. Temporary signs are in place.

Message from Julien Kramer, Head of Education & Skills, Children & Young People’s Services. I have been impressed by the work of some schools in equipping our pupils and students with good financial skills; and an astute approach to the risks presented to vulnerable young people by the commercial money markets. Tracking back, it is clear that two things have made a difference to young people’s attitudes and awareness: the Durham Credit Union, and the anti-poverty team. Some families in Durham and the rest of the UK have lost the savings habit and become dependent on debt. It has become acceptable in many families to pay high interest on multiple loans for everyday items. Payday lenders, door step lenders, weekly payment stores and loan sharks are common place and drain family finances. This can im-pact on children’s well being, their diet, the ability to purchase school uniforms, pay for school lunches, trips and other school activities. It can also lead to foodbank reliance and ultimately eviction. The impact of debt on the physical and mental wellbeing of young people and their families can be catastrophic. Some of our head-teachers make the case that one of our key aims should be educating children and their families about money and financial issues through in-school events and activities, including bringing back the idea of the school bank. This is important because we know that children form life-long financial habits by the age of 11. The school savings bank can provide an important lesson about managing money in the future. We are working closely with Banks and Building Societies as well as other Durham County Council services to raise financial awareness and capability to help families make household expenditure savings, borrow more fairly and safely, and save on a regular basis helping to build financial resilience and become less reliant on debt and credit. The County Council partner NEFirst provides savings and loan accounts in communities throughout Durham and are a key part of the Durham Savers programme. As a credit union, they are regulated by the Bank of England, everyone who saves is a shareholder, so profits go back into the community in the form of loans to those that might otherwise turn to high cost credit, and offering a viable, ethical service as main-stream banking is leaving our towns and villages. Schools are at the heart of our communities and can provide an excel-lent platform to inform and educate the wider community as well as host events aimed at saving people money. Over 60% of adults in County Durham have less than £100 in savings and average non-secured household debt is set to reach £15,000 by 2020. (This does not include mortgages and rent). Over £20m in interest payments leaves County Durham every year; this is money that could be kept here in Durham if more of us used not-for profit banking. Many thanks.

Please remember only basic watches which help a child tell the time are allowed in school. Vtech and other smart watches are not permitted in school. Thank you.

As some of you will know, Mrs Corrigan has not been with us for some time and I wish to inform you that she will not be returning to us at Esh Winning Primary School. Mrs Corrigan has taught many children and supported numerous families throughout her time at our school. We wish Mrs Corrigan all the best for the future.

On Friday 15th February some of our mini police will be going to the Police Training Site at Meadowfield in the morning. On the afternoon between 2pm and 3pm they will be doing some litter picking in the village with our local community police officers starting at the school gates. Parents are welcome to join them on the litter pick.

Healthy Packed Lunches What’s the big idea?

Packed lunches can be very healthy and nutritious. They can also be little more than a dose of sugar, fat and salt.

Children who bring in packed lunches should be encouraged to bring in healthy options that reflect the healthy messages being promoted by school.

A healthy packed lunch can be simple to prepare, inexpensive and fun to eat.

Healthy Lunchbox Suggestions Sandwiches Try to vary the type of bread such as wholemeal, granary or high fibre white bread. Also make sandwiches from different kinds of bread including bread rolls, French bread, bagels and pitta bread as well as sliced bread. Shop bought sandwiches are full of salt and sugar. Use a different sandwich filling each day – preferably including a fruit or vegetable. For example: Cheese and cucumber, Chicken, lettuce and tomato, Mashed banana, Tuna and sweetcorn Grated Cheese and carrot, Hummus, Cottage cheese, grated carrot and grated apple

Fruit and vegetables Some fruits to try: Seedless grapes, Apples (can be cut up for younger children and brushed with lemon juice to avoid browning), Satsumas or Tangerines, Plums, Small bananas, Dried fruit such as apricots or raisins, Cherries, Fruit Salad Some vegetables to try: Cherry tomatoes, Cucumber chunks, Carrot sticks, Baby sweetcorn, Celery sticks, Grated carrot and raisin salad

Drinks Still water or fruit juice only

Sweet suggestions: Scones, Yoghurt, Malt Loaf, Teacakes, Flapjack

Savoury suggestions: Rice cakes, Cheese and crackers, Bread sticks, a boiled egg

We hope this helps to give you some ideas and show that healthy eating for you and your children need not be boring and can have a great deal of variety. If you need any further advice or help, please contact the school.

NO CHOCOLATE, NUTS, SWEETS OR FIZZY DRINKS ALLOWED IN LUNCHBOXES

Dental checks for Reception, Year 1 & 2 will take place on Tuesday 19th March. More information will follow nearer the time.

CHINESE NEW YEAR 2019 year of the pig

We will be helping the children acknowledge and celebrate the Chinese New Year on Tuesday 5th February in school.

On Saturday 9th February, there are lots of Chinese New Year events happening in Durham City Centre between 10.30am and 4pm. It is free entry to all events.

Events Include Calligraphy, Chinese Language and storytelling, Chinese lion dancing, craft stalls for children, music and dance performances chopstick activity, traditional handicrafts, Chinese seal/hairpin making, Chinese horoscopes and a tea ceremony.

For more information and times, please look on the following link: http//www.durhambid.co.uk/events/chinese-new-year-events-durham-city

After half term we are starting two new after school clubs, Tag Rugby for years 1-

6 and a KS2 Singing & Drama club. Both clubs will be on a Friday.

Singing & Drama club will run from 3.15 until 4.15pm. Tag Rugby will run from

3.15-4.30pm. Letters will be coming home next week.

World Book Day! On Friday 7th March the school will be celebrating World Book Day! Children and staff are welcome to dress up as their favourite book character. This is always an enjoyable day in school with fantastic costumes. Maybe you and your children could start designing costumes over the half term holi-days.

This year SATS WEEK is Monday 13th—Friday 17th May 2018

It is most important that all year 6 pupils attend school during this week.

School Website Address: www.eshwinning.durham.sch.uk