We are delighted to be holding our Open Afternoon today, Saturday 9 October 2.00-4.00pm. There will be craft activities for the children and a chance to chat informally with staff over tea and cake for parents as well as a tour of our lovely school. If anyone is unable to attend our Open Day or would like to visit school during a normal school day individual visits are available by arrangement. We welcome applications from all families of all or no faith. If you know of any families who are presently applying for a school place please encourage them to attend our Open Day or contact me to arrange a visit to the school. Applications for Reception Class 2022 must be completed online by 15 January 2022.

If you have any queries regarding application please do not hesitate to speak to us or email office@st-ambrose.worcs.sch.uk

From Monday 8th November we will be requesting that all children use their Saint Ambrose water bottle in the classroom and use any insulated chill bottles at lunchtime. All children over the next few weeks will be provided with a Saint Ambrose bottle. Thank you

Parents' evenings are one of the most important appointments in the school calendar, allowing  teachers and parents to work together to increase pupils results. Last year parents' appointments were all virtual and feedback has identified that some parents prefer a virtual appointment. Dates are as follows and appointments can now be booked (sorry for the delay this was due to technical issues beyond our control):

If you have a child that was born between 1st September 2017 and 31st August 2018 you need to now make an application for a reception school place for September 2022.

The deadline for the application process is 15th January 2022 and you are encouraged to do this online.

If you require any assistance with your application then please speak to the school office in the first instance.

Mrs O'Hara and her family are doing a mud run for cancer research. This is a charity that is really close to their hearts. If you can donate and support this worthy cause in any way they would be most grateful.

Thank you to everyone for your feedback at Teapot time, it is a great way for us to learn and grow. This week the questions asked were:

If my child is off school due to covid will remote learning take place?

Yes, please contact the school office and email your son or daughter's class teacher and a member of staff will support you and your family.

Parents asked about spellings on Purple Mash. How are spellings given out?

See letter below

Spellings at St Ambrose

Dear Parents/Carers,

As a school we will be using purple mash as part of our weekly spellings this year. It is important to us that children have the opportunity to learn spellings, in different ways, in order to retain them

• Your child will take their spelling check - (please the details of the set day on your child's class page on our website)
• A spelling quiz will be set as a 2Do each week on purple mash. To enable your child to keep playing the quiz please do not hand it in.
• Please check that your child knows what each word means.

‘Spelling is improved when reading is done.’

Thank you,

St Ambrose staff

Our Year 6's led their first Rosary Service as a class at 2pm on Friday afternoon and their chosen theme was caring for God's creation. They chose to share the Joyful mysteries with everyone and we all joined in together to ask Mary, our Mother, to help us care for our common home.

It was lovely on Wednesday, seeing all our children developing important life skills. Our focus this half term was on independence.

It was an exciting time in Reception as they had a try at learning how to ride bikes. In Year 1, the children were really helpful sweeping up and clearing tables after lunch. Year 2 made sure their classroom was clean and tidy by learning how to use a vacuum. Year 3 were busy making sure they know how to tie their own shoelaces and how to do their ties. Year 4 had fun learning how to make a bed and how to fold their clothes. In Year 5 they had a lovely morning learning how to sew! For Year 6, they all had the opportunity to take part in Mini First Aid training - they learnt how to help someone who isn't breathing, who has burnt themselves or who has had a bump to the head. We look forward to Year 6's helping us, if the need arises, with any future first aid.

We are really proud to be able to offer our pupils our life skills curriculum and it was lovely seeing the children all take part so eagerly!

Thank you for all of the wonderful pumpkin pictures that have already been returned to school. If you haven't already done so then please send into school by Monday 18th October.

Can we please ask that you donate any unwanted, pre-used, clean school uniform for a swap shop by November 5th. All items will be sold for £1 an item on 6th November 9 am-10 am.

We would like to thank the Teapot Time Group for helping to organise and co-ordinate this event.

You are most welcome to join us in church now that Covid restrictions have been lifted. Alternatively you can join using the live-streaming facility. Please note if cases rise in the area we may make the decision to not attend Church and access Mass via the livestream-parents will be informed ASAP.

We are delighted to inform you that we are planning to hold an assembly for every class in the Spring and Summer term. Please see the assembly dates below:

REMEMBER

Please send in cupcakes and biscuits, with child's name, class and list of ingredients 

Children will have the opportunity to buy cakes in school time from 20p, 50p, and £1 and at 3pm

Parents can come along and buy cakes after school outeide year 2 and 3 classroom.

Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in both key stages will be handed out at the Bake off.

Can we please remind you that applications for Secondary school places closes on 31st October

Please see the poster below about this wonderful incentive that is being run by people within our school community.

At St Ambrose, we are passionate about teaching our pupils to become fluent and confident readers who love reading. This year, we will be focussing on reading and will continue to provide lots of opportunities for our children to develop their reading skills.

This year, we are delighted to be working with Sooper Books, who have kindly donated award-winning fairy tables, bedtime stories, fables and poems for kids for you to read and share at home. Please see our reading for pleasure resource under our school tab on our website. More stories will be added throughout the year so please keep checking what's new!

This week we are launched 'Go Read' at St Ambrose, a digital reading diary to record pupils' reading journeys. Thank you to everyone who trialled the app last term, the feedback from parents, pupils and staff were very positive and we have taken onboard all the feedback provided. This will now replace the paper reading diaries we have used in previous years.

If you already have 'Go Read' then all you need to do is carry on using it. If you are new, then you will find all the details as to how you can download the app on the letter below. Your child should have come home with your log in details and their personal code for you to use, please see a member of staff if you did not receive this. Once accessed, you can then log what pages your child has read and pupils also have the option to log what they have read by themselves (particularly KS2 pupils).

In addition to any books your child is reading from school, Go Read' has the option to add on their own personal books they are reading from home. We would love to see what books your child is interested in reading. Please note that when your child has finished a book, do not click the tab where it says complete book as this is just for teaching staff.

'Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things.'

As a reminder, our reading expectations are for all children to read at least 5 times a week at home. How regularly and how much pupils are reading will continued to be monitored by staff each week on the 'Go Read' app. It is recommended that: children read for at least twenty minutes a day; that they are listened to by an adult and that time is dedicated to discussing what has been read and any new vocabulary discovered. Pupils will also continue to be listened to read each week by members of staff and this will be logged on the app as well.

The Emmaus Directors have agreed that for the Autumn Term that children can wear P.E. Kit on their P.E. days. 

Please ensure that your child comes to school in their correct P.E. kit. The P.E. uniform is as follows:

• Black shorts, black leggings, black track suit bottoms (unbranded if possible)
• Maroon round neck T-shirt with embroidered badge
• P.E pumps or black trainer

PLEASE NOTE: P.E. HOODIES CAN ONLY BE WORN ON P.E. DAYS.

Father Lamb extends a warm welcome to all families to continue to attend Mass over the summer. Please click on the link below which will take you to the Parish website where you can view newsletters and get information on Mass times.

Please follow the link below to access this week's Wednesday Word.

Kind Regards,

Mrs Brocklesby