December 2023 Newsletter
Dear Parents/Carers, It only seems like yesterday that we were celebrating Christmas 2022 and yet we find ourselves preparing for the imminent arrival of Christmas 2023. The pupils have enjoyed many activities at school over the past month from a trip to the pantomime at the Barking Theatre with Reception pupils; the visits to Father Christmas in our beautifully designed grotto has certainly been a highlight for both pupils, parents/carers and staff; a Christmas lunch; colourful Christmas Jumper Day; competitions and everything in between! It was a real pleasure being able to host the Christmas Fair for the first time since 2019. It was so well attended and as a school community, helped the school to raise over £2000. As a school community, it is important to reflect upon the lives of those around the world that are less fortunate than us. For many people in the world who continue to live in areas besieged by conflict, the thought of family and friends gathering together at over a holiday period, will be the last thing on their mind, especially when living through a humanitarian crisis. We all hope that one day, all of humanity can experience a world that lives in peace. On a personal note, I have now been in post as Interim Head Teacher at Goodmayes Primary for over a year. I continue to be blown away by the level of kindness and support that I have experienced from the parent community at Chadwell. As your Headteacher, I am always very aware of the importance of my role in the community, in providing structure, consistency and a smile. I would like to thank parents for their continued support and words of encouragement. For those of our school community that celebrate Christmas, I wish you a very Happy Christmas and to all a healthy and prosperous New Year!
Don’t forget that school gates reopen to pupils at 8.50am on Thursday January 4th 2024.
Dates to remember School re-opens on
Thursday 4th January 2024 at 8.50am Spring Half-term holiday
Monday 19th February 2024 to Friday 23rd February 2024
Dear Parents/Carers, As many of you will know by now, I am reluctantly leaving Chadwell Primary School. In January, I am starting a new role lecturing on the teacher training course at Anglia Ruskin University. It was an extremely difficult decision to leave Chadwell as I have loved working here over the last 7 years. We are very lucky to have an amazing group of staff members who go above and beyond with their dedication to your child’s education and I will greatly miss working together with each and every one of them. It has been an absolute pleasure working with the hundreds of children I have taught and it has been really heart-warming to receive all the kind messages from the children/parents over the last few weeks; they are all deeply appreciated. Chadwell has and will always have a unique place in my heart. I hope everyone has a great Christmas and New Year; that you all stay safe and enjoy time with your family. I wish you all the best and thank you again for your help and support and I hope all the children at Chadwell have a wonderful educational experience and go out there to change the world for the better. Kind regards, Mr Halilaj
Dear Parents/carers, As you may or may not know, I – Inaaya from Mozart – am the Chairperson of the school council group. My role is to create an agenda, conduct meetings that are held twice a term and to schedule and attend meetings with Mr Walker. Not to mention, my two vice chair persons – Toha from Mozart and Iqra from Caruso – also help me to lead meetings and they provide me with cover when I am unable to attend. On the other hand, we, the school councillors, are the voices of our peers and their direct links to get their ideas and suggestions heard, and maybe even brought into reality. We discuss these ideas that are brought in by school councillors from their classes in the meetings and think how we could make it work or if it is not realistic enough. Our accomplishments so far: We have made a rather educational and enthralling trip to the Houses of Parliament; it taught us about democracy and about the political history of our society. They even let us pay a visit to the Houses of Commons, but we were unable to visit the House of Lords. We have also made future accomplishments; for example, we plan to resolve all of the complaints and issues about lunchtime and playtime. I would like to wish everyone who is celebrating Christmas a ‘Merry Christmas’ from the School Council
Yours sincerely, Inaaya (Mozart) Chairperson
On Friday 3rd November we went to Valence House Museum, we looked at some old toys and we got to play with them. We also got to choose who got to play with them next and I chose Mrs Emin. Then we had a chance to play outside and we had lunch and when we came back, we made peg dolls, my one was a Rapunzel with long golden hair. We all had fun! Mehr - Johnson Class On Friday 10th November we went to Valence House Museum, I loved it there! We made peg dolls and I remember this doll that looked a little bit like a baby, we got to pick up different toys and look at them. We also went into the museum and Miss Kerr showed me an object and I was able to tell her it was a type writer from the Elliot in the Story Machine book. Lastly, we had to write about our favourite toy and I drew my toy dog because it reminds me of my own dog. Amber – Shackleton Class On Wednesday 8th November we went to Valence House Museum, we talked about old toys and we went into a museum. In the museum we looked at lots of old toys, they didn’t have much colour. In the afternoon we made dolls, I made a skirt and a top for my peg doll and we got to look at other stuff and pretend to play with them. Aila - Cousteau Class
It was one of the most fun and terrifying experiences I have ever had but it was brilliant” Mehtab
Last month, Year 5 were very lucky to visit the London Eye to coincide with the current English text ‘The London Eye Mystery’, although the weather wasn’t the greatest this did not hinder the enjoyment the children had. The trip helped us in understanding how one of the lead characters, Salim, went missing, is also inspired all the children to begin writing their own mystery stories. “I liked how high it goes and it had very nice view over London. I liked that it was very slow and calm because I could take in the view” Muntasir
“I liked that I got to see the whole of London and the cars looked like little beads running around. Also, I liked that I could see most of the famous buildings like Houses of Parliament” - Amelia
As part of our Music curriculum, the children in Year 6 visited the Barbican to listen to the London Symphony Orchestra for a Diwali concert. The children got to discover the ancient story of Prince Rama and Princess Sita. The fascinating story was retold through music from Handel to A R Rahman, featuring orchestral favourites from the LSO alongside music showcasing traditional Indian instruments. Here are what some of the children thought about the concert:
Year 6 recently had a school trip to the London Symphony Orchestra, and it was indeed very fun and joyful. The LSO were performing songs we had been learning in music assemblies at the time, based around India, Diwali and The Story of Rama and Sita. These soundtracks included Jai Ho, the marching of Hanuman’s monkey army and many, MANY more! The orchestra also showed us their instruments that they use to play these songs (sadly I forgot every single one of them ️)! Overall, this was a great school trip and it was one of the best out of all of the ones I’ve ever had! Malakai
When we went to the London Symphony Orchestra, we were all 100% shocked at the sheer size of the place, it was absolutely massive and bigger than anything we have ever seen, and we have seen lots of big places during our years of school trips. We all sat down and patiently waited for the orchestra to prepare, and it was definitely worth the wait! The music was indescribable, no word in the whole language of English could describe the magnificence of the show, so I will try to describe as hard as I can, but feeling the music right there in time is like a dream. The sound was heavenly as it echoed around the whole room. The host was extremely engaging and we also took part in the show by singing and learning some moves such as the Mexican wave. String instruments played their song, percussion played their beat and everything was amazing and very professionally played, everyone was great. Being a young violinist, I was extremely shocked at how long the violinist lasted during the performance and if I was there, my fingers would start hurting midway through the first song! Sure, some of our classmates were extremely rude and talked during the music, but nevertheless, we all loved it. They played a variety of songs and I can’t remember them all, however I do remember one song (perhaps because it was my favourite!) called Moon Feather Magic. I highly recommend listening to this as it was like your ears were teleported to a whole new dimension, where it was like angels singing. The tech people were also very important during the show, as they used the lights to really make our minds wander to a heavenly place. I was really disappointed in the people who chatted during it, however we all went back to the school somehow still listening to the magnificent instruments. We were all somehow very exhausted, but we all sat down with contented hearts. Amy
Toha and Ibrahim
The imperial war museum was an amazing experience, no doubt. My whole class loved it, some of us were not in the right spirit while going, but a few minutes later we flipped our minds around. We were fascinated by the history and life during the blitz. Seeing the diverse unique outfits and bunkers they had back then. We had a worksheet to fill in which was really fun to do, there were four boxes and we had to find artefacts, draw them and write what it was for. There were also speakers that you could put close to your ear and hear information. We were exhausted after we came back but it was worth experiencing
Ahmad
As a part of our history topic, we went to the imperial war museum which contained a variety of WW2 artifacts. We saw many WW2 artefacts such as bombs, cars used in the war and planes. I would definitely recommend this trip to year groups below because you can learn a lot about this period of time and
Dawud
The Imperial War Museum was a life-learning and joyful experience. Artefacts, Non-fiction stories and doing things that would have been done back in 1939 were all there. For those who like the history of the Great Wars should definitely pop in for a visit. Learning what both axis and allies of WWII and WWI had to tell, it definitely made a whole impact on what I thought of the war. Planes, cars, tanks, wrecks were all interesting to see as to what life was like back in 1939.In year 6, our main focus is based on the history and geography of how life was like during World War 2. Visiting this museum was a fun and educational way to learn about the great war. Now that I have seen and learnt lots of different objects and facts I can see how life in WWII really was like. Coming to an end, I would definitely recommend visiting the Imperial War Museum in your free time
Miss Parvu, our RE Lead, in collaboration with ATAM Academy, invited Mr. Harpreet Shergill, a trustee from Karamasar Gurdwara, as a guest speaker to enlighten our students about the Sikh Faith in celebration of Guru Nanak's birthday. During the assembly, our special guest, Mr. Shergill, spoke passionately about the life and teachings of Guru Nanak, the revered founder of the Sikh faith. He shared some of the key messages that the Sikh faith emphasizes and guides its followers to embrace. These messages include the importance of sharing with others, working diligently and being honest, practicing meditation, engaging in selfless service, promoting gender equality, embracing diversity, showing compassion, demonstrating generosity, and embodying humility. Our pupils enjoyed the assembly and were keen to ask our visitor lots of questions.
On the 13th of December, the atmosphere at our school was filled with joy and excitement as pupils from Year 1 and Year 3 participated in a delightful Christmas workshop. Led by our esteemed guests from the Christian Education Project, the workshop aimed to engage the children in a meaningful and educational activity. The highlight of the workshop was the creation of beautiful Christingles, a beloved tradition that symbolizes "Christ's light" in many Christian communities. With the help of their teachers and the guidance of our guests, the children were able to make their own Christingles using a variety of delicious treats. The workshop was divided into two parts. In the first part, the children had the opportunity to learn about the significance of each item used to create their Christingle. They discovered that the orange represents the world, the candle symbolizes the light of hope in the darkness, the red ribbon signifies the love of God for the world. In the second part, the children used a variety of resources to create their very own Christingle. We would like to thank our guests and Miss Parvu for organising and delivering this engaging educational event.
Christmas is just around the corner, and here at Chadwell Primary School, we are delighted to bring to you some exciting news about our special Christmas Assembly. We recently had the pleasure of inviting Mrs. Mullis-Kunda from Christmas Education Project to share the remarkable Nativity Story with our children. During the assembly, Mrs. Kunda captivated our pupils with her enchanting storytelling, bringing to life the tale of the birth of Jesus. Through her engaging narrative, she conveyed not only the historical significance of the Nativity but also the values that are dear to the Christmas spirit. Mrs. Kunda emphasized the importance of courage, love, and joy in our lives, values that are shared and celebrated during this festive season. We would like to extend our gratitude to Miss Parvu for her effort in supporting and organising this wonderful assembly. From everyone at Chadwell Primary we would like to say a very warm Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating.
The Christmas Fair t 8th December 2023. host a school event af not being able to do so cess as there was a h would like to thank ev support and attending we raised £2074.09, achievement.
took place on Friday It was really nice to fter four years of o. It was a great sucuge turnout. We veryone for their g the event. Together, , which is a grand
Adults Raffle 1st Prize – Veer (Hawking) 2nd Prize – Filza (Jackson) 3rd Prize – Adam (Dyson) Childs Raffle 1st Prize – Sharleez (Hepworth) 2nd Prize – Arsenie (Jackson) 3rd Prize – Ehan (Cousteau) Congratulations to all the winners! We hope you enjoy all of your prizes.
This year, we were very fortunate to have Mr Jamie Matthews, who designed and created our Grotto. He had spent months working on this project, so that the children at Chadwell Primary could have this wonderful and memorable experience. From all the staff at Chadwell, we would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Jamie Matthews for his time and dedication in making this possible.
Reception children visited Barking Theatre on Wednesday 13th December to see the pantomime ‘Dick Whittington’. They travelled by coach to the venue and as this was their first trip, the children were very excited just on the journey there! Dick Whittington is traditional tale which tells the story of a poor boy who goes to London hoping to find the streets paved with gold. The pantomime tells the story with lots of audience participation. The children joined in shouting out “Look behind you” and were squirted with water. They enjoyed the dance routines and were encouraged to clap along.
On Monday 11th December, Reception children performed a medley of Christmas songs to the parents in the main hall. They did a great job of singing and dancing and some were even brave enough to stand up and speak out in front of the audience. Parents and staff were very proud of them.
On Friday 15th December, 2023, all of year 3-4 travelled to All Saints Church in Goodmayes.. Like years 5-6, they have been preparing for 7 weeks, learning a special set of Christmas songs as part of our music curriculum chosen to help tell the Christmas story. This included some traditional carols, modern songs and songs with solo verses for every class. Twelve children from each class told the story in the form of various types of historical evidence including a trip advisor report from Wise man, Melchior (AKA Rachit!) The choir sang 3 solo songs and started off our performance with a march from the back of the church with See the Star of Bethlehem with small solos sung by members of the choir. We finished with a small talk from David Low from All Saints. The performance was excellent– the children sang amazingly, behaved well and showed us they can give a touching and enjoyable performance if they persevere with learning the songs and show enthusiasm for it! We had a wonderfully full audience of parents and we would like to thank all the parents for supporting their children and the children for hard work! For many of these children, it was their first time performing in a school performance and they adapted really well to the large size of the church. We were also entertained with some organ music at the start which gave them a chance to see a pipe organ in real life after learning about them in our music lessons!
On Friday 15th December, 2023, all of year 5-6 travelled to All Saints Church in Goodmayes. We have been preparing for 7 weeks, learning a sequenced set of Christmas songs as part of our music curriculum to tell the Christmas story including traditional carols, modern takes on an old idea and even a world premiere of a song written especially for the choir! Twelve children from each class told the story in the form of various types of historical evidence including the secret diary of King Herod (AKA Muntasir). The drumming club performed a special piece and added to various songs, the choir sang 3 solo songs (and blasted us with their kazoos in Shepherds Swing!) with small solos sung by all members of the choir, we had instrumentalists for one song. We finished with a small talk from David Low from All Saints. The performance was excellent– the children sang amazingly, behaved well and showed us they can give a slick performance if they persevere with learning the songs and show enthusiasm for it and were able to adapt to a much larger venue than they usually practice in! We had a wonderfully full audience of parents and we would like to thank all the parents for supporting their children and the pupils for hard work!
Our school uniform is very important to us. We feel it helps us to develop our community identity and adds to the sense of pride belonging to Chadwell Primary School. Below we have explained what our “Perfect School Uniform” Plain white or light blue
Summer: Blue/White gingham dress Any religious head coverings should conform to uniform colours (i.e.: blue, grey and black). Items of clothing worn in school should be clearly marked with your child’s name.
Navy sweatshirt with / without the school logo
Any hair grips or hair accessories should be plain, simple and in the school colours. Plain navy or grey school skirt or Footwear Jewellery
For safety reasons children
Jewellery that has a religious symbol is allowed to be worn; however it must be tucked away at all times. Children with ear piercings are only allowed to wear small
Below we have explained what our “Perfect P.E Uniform consists of and have provided some visual examples.
Perfect P.E Uniform PE bag Black/Navy shorts
Children should always Plain white or blue T-shirt have a change of clothing Plimsolls or trainers at school for PE and outdoor games. (Trainers must be different to those which may be worn as footwear with school uniform)
Please remember that if your child is absent, you must cancel ordered lunches before 9.00am of that morning.
LetsLocalise Chadwell Primary School have partnered with LetsLocalise.
Why LetsLocalise? LetsLocalise provides a solution to the challenge of financial cuts in schools. The platform builds and fosters long-term, meaningful partnerships between members of the community and their local schools. Schools can share details of upcoming events, fundraising drives, selling items on behalf of businesses and requests for volunteers or work experience placements. That way, individuals and companies can see how and where they can offer their help, time and money in ways that are productive, meaningful and enjoyable. The platform is FREE for schools and their parent groups. You can find out more about LetsLocalise at www.letslocalise.co.uk. We would like to ask you to: 1) Sign up with LetsLocalise and follow our school https:// www.letslocalise.co.uk/school/chadwell-primary-school/sch104736/ campaigns/ 2) Did you attend our school yourself? Please identify yourself as an alumnus in the profile.
3) Lookout for our fun online events and join in. 4) Offer support in ways that are convenient for you. 5) Share this platform with friends and family. This is a great way for grandparents and others to feel connected, and to be able to support your children in their education. 6) Share with local businesses and also your employers. Businesses have budgets to support local communities that is often not utilised. Let’s work together and show them how they can benefit our school, our children and their future. We will post all events on our LetsLocalise page,
Absences Immediately Before or After a School Holiday If your child is absent before or after a school holiday you must submit relevant evidence of this. This may be medical evidence if your child is unwell, or evidence of flight delays or circumstances beyond your control. Without the evidence your child/ children’s absence will not be authorised and may incur a Fixed Penalty Notice. Holidays in Term Time Taking holidays in term time will affect your child’s schooling as much as any other absence and we expect parents to help us by not taking children away on holiday in school time. Remember that any savings you think you may make by taking a holiday in school time are outweighed by the cost to your child’s education. There is no automatic entitlement in law to time off in school time to go on holiday. Pupils will not be allowed leave of absence in term time for holidays or any other activities. Parents who go abroad without requesting leave could be fined using the O code; six days of O codes within a 12 week period could generate a penalty notice.
Sanctions for an Unauthorised Leave of Absence without Permission A Fixed Penalty Notice will be issued for unauthorised leave of absence taken without permission after the first day of absence. It will be issued by the Education Welfare Service following discussions with the Headteacher. The school adopts the per parent per child policy; this would apply to couples living together. Therefore, for a family with 3 children, each parent would receive a fixed penalty fine for each child. This means that a family with 3 children would receive in total 6 fixed penalty fines. This will incur a fine of £60.00 per child if paid within 21 days of receipt of the notice, rising to £120.00 per child if not paid within 28 days. The prosecution is for the offence of failing to secure attendance at school and not for non-payment of the fine. · Prosecutions are brought under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996. · There is no statutory right of appeal against the issuing of a Penalty Notice. · Arrangements for payment will be detailed on the penalty notice. It should be noted that Chadwell Primary intends to implement this policy strictly as we believe that short absences severely hamper a child’s education.