Meanwood C of E Primary School

Newsletter 21
Friday 3rd March 2023

Dear Parents/Carers,
If there is one thing that has really become obvious this year is that
relationships are everything. We all need strong relationships which grow
through understanding and love for one another.

Relationships are the single most powerful tool on earth. They allow us to get
through tough times and give us the best moments in our lives.
Always be patient; always work hard; always look after you- so you can look
after others.

Value for this Half-Term

Each half-term we promote a value in school through our Collective Worships.

This half-term’s value is forgiveness: probably one of the most difficult of our Christian values to accept.
Forgiveness is very deep, it not only involves forgiving others but also forgiving yourself.

Through our Collective Worships we will look at the different threads associated with forgiveness and how
it can make us better individuals.

The theme will also be linked with Easter and the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made in order for us all to
be forgiven.
“Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive others.” Colossians 3:13

Dates for the Diary

Mental Health and Wellbeing Day: Monday 6th March 2023
Break the Rules Day: Friday 24th March 2023
Collective Worship at Holy Trinity Church: 27th March 2023

Art Day: Friday 31st March 2023

 CARE Champions
We’ve had another hugely successful week in school as we continue to promote our CARE values. Here
are this week’s CARE Champions:
Reception: Lenny, Layton, Summer D and Eden.
Year 1: Rowan, Killian and Eloise.

Year 2: Alfie, Lucas, Tahlia and Ollie.

Year 3: Eddie and Matilda.
Year 4: Seth and Kara.
Year 5: Jakob, Edee and Keren.
Year 6: Chloe, Simon, Robin, Joshua and Meghan.

Drum Assembly
Becky Knight from ‘Top of the Rock Drum Tuition’ is coming into school to do a drum assembly on
Thursday 16th March. Becky will be demonstrating her drumming skills as well as giving some children the
opportunity to have a go themselves.

After the assembly, Becky is speaking to school about the possibility of offering drum tuition. We will keep
you informed on how this progresses and what may be the next steps.
 Next Week in a Nutshell
Here is next week’s summary. Anything in green is an event/activity open to parents . All other
events/ activities are happening within school.

Week beginning: 6th March 2023

Monday:
• Mental Health and Well-Being Day: the children will be doing a range of activities both in and
out of the classroom.

Tuesday :
• Year 4 walking to the JRR Toilken Plaque in the Hollies.
• Phoenix Dance: Year 4 pre-paid club (3:30- 4:15pm).
• Year 1 Parent Reader session 2.45-3.15pm.

Wednesday:
• Guitar lessons
• 2-touch football for year 3 and 4- paid after school club (3:30- 4:15pm)
• Full Governing Body Meeting.
• Year 2 trip to Temple Newsam.
• Girls Football Festival: John Smeaton (1:00-2:30pm).

Thursday :

• Year 3 Performance Showcase in the school hall. Parents please enter through the main
reception (9:00-9:30am).
• Debating competion at Immaculate Heart Primary School (9:30- 11:00am).
• West Yorkshire Cross Country Finals at Temple Newsam (12:30 - 2:30pm).
• Year 5 football match away at Alder Tree Primary School (3:30 – 4:30pm)

Friday :
• Celebration Collective Worship (9:00-9:20am)

Prayer for the Week Hall Lettings

Dear Lord,
We all have love inside of us.
Sometimes that love is blocked
through darkness. May we have the
power to turn towards your light and
let our love pour out to all those we
meet.
Struggling for a venue for a party or a function?
Why not hire the school hall?
Evenings and weekend bookings can be made for through Leeds
City Council on 0113 3787998 or educ.lettings@leeds.gov.uk
The price is £27 per hour.

Your love conquers all.

Amen.
 Useful Contact Details
For all school enquiries: admin@meanwood.leeds.sch.uk

For extended services information and enquiries (breakfast club and after school club):
extended.services@meanwood.leeds.sch.uk

For school hall bookings: educ.lettings@leeds.gov.uk

For PE uniform: www.hardgear.co.uk/meanwood

Twitter
Remember to follow us on Twitter. We try to tweet all the exciting things we do in school. Our twitter
handle is @MeanwoodCe.

Attendance Term Dates and Training Days

Reception: 98% Autumn 1: Tuesday 6th September – Thursday 20th
October
Year 1: 98.7%
Autumn 2: Monday 31st October – Friday 16th
Year 2: 100% December
Year 3: 98.7% Spring 1: Tuesday 3rd January – Friday 10th February
Year 4: 96% Spring 2: Monday 20th February – Friday 31st March
Year 5: 95.3% Summer 1: Monday 17th April – Friday 26th May
Year 6: 96.1% Summer 2: Monday 5th June – Thursday 20th July
School Attendance: 97.6% Training Days
Well done year 2 you are this week’s Friday 21st October, Friday 21st July, Monday 24th
attendance champions! July and Tuesday 25th July 2023.

Times Tables Rock Stars

Don’t forget to keep going with Time Tables Rock Stars. The constant practise helps with quick recall and
improved confidence with number. Well done to all the children who received certificates in assembly
this morning for their recognition of time they have spent practising their times tables.
Times Tables Rock Stars – Times Tables Rock Stars (ttrockstars.com)
 Anxiety Workshop for Parents and Carers
Thank you to all parents and carers who attended the anxiety workshop on Tuesday 28th February. It was
great to be part of a packed room of people eager to learn more about how we can support our children
when they experience anxiety. The session, led by the MindMate Support Team, developed our
understanding of where anxiety comes from, some of the physiology of it, suggestions for approaches
and tips for calming and signposting to next steps.
There’s more information that may help on the SEND page of the school website.
SEND | Meanwood Church of England Primary School (meanwoodschool.co.uk)

Mrs Ratcliffe keeps updating this page with useful links and information as it comes to her, so please
keep visiting.

Mental Health and Well-Being Day

The day is nearly upon us. It is promising to be an uplifting day for both staff and children. The timetable
is now complete and we can announce the following activities will be taking place throughout the day:
Zoe Jones: Mindfulness sessions with all classes.
Emily Campbell: Sensory Play with Reception and KS1
Stitch Up: Mindfulness sewing and textile work: Years 2, 3 and 5.
Grace Foster: Holistic sessions with Years 4, 5 and 6.
Mindmate: Mental well-being assembly with the whole school.
Mindmate: Healthy and positive relationships with Year 3 and 4.
Leeds Park Ranger: Nature walk in Meanwood Park with Years 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Important things to remember:

• All children to wear P.E kit.

• Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 wear sensible shoes for walking in the park: trainers should be okay if the
weather is fine but if it is raining please bring in wellies or similar.
• Children in year 4, 5 and 6 to bring in a small blanket and a small cushion (not essential) to use
in the holistic sessions with Grace.
• To enjoy the day.
 We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
We already have a lot of entries for the ‘design the bear’ competition. However, if you haven’t done it yet
there is still time. The closing date for entries is Friday 10th March. It would be great to have as many
designs as possible to choose from.
The bear has been visiting various classes this week as he/she prepares for their makeover.
 300 CARE Points
On Wednesday afternoon the SLT had a lovely afternoon sharing afternoon tea with all the children who
have recently reached 300 CARE points.
Well done everyone. We hope to have another afternoon tea very soon.

Walk and Wheel Event (20th-31st March)

As mentioned in previous newsletters: the school is partaking in the ‘Walk and Wheel’ event. A
nationwide project that promotes sustainable travel to and from school.

The Sustainable Travel Committee met last night and have come up with a number of ideas that may be
actioned over the course of the event. These include:

• A walking bus.
• Pollution monitoring.
• A road safety charter.
• Posters created by the children for safer travel to school.
• Parent and travel surveys.
• Park and walk routes highlighted.
At the minute all these ideas are in their infancy: we will keep you updated of how they progress.

PLEASE DO NOT PARK AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARK BY HUSTLERS

ROW. THIS IS AN ACCESS POINT FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES.
 PTA
Thanks to everyone who came along to the meeting on Monday, it was another productive one. We wanted to open
the newsletter this week with some numbers, to highlight how crucial the PTA fundraising continues to be for
School.
Although we have been able to fund some great activities and resources for the children this year so far, the
increased cost of coaches and resources means that ongoing fundraising is important, given that we also still have
some trips left to fund this school year.
Please help if you can, joining in with events has the added bonus of being fun and social - you can even rope the
kids in - I do frequently! Details on upcoming volunteer slots below.
Tombolas £211
R&R bingo £405
Disco £800
Easy Fundraising £225
Funds raised this academic year Xmas lights £138
Poker £120
Xmas fair (net) £1,593
Bun sales £191
100 club (net to date) £730
Coaches £3,730
Den building £450
Books £772
Funds spent this academic year
First aid £630
Subs £170
Other event costs £448
Net deficit -£1,800
Upcoming volunteer slots available

- Refreshments at the parents evening 1/2 hour slots 22nd March

- Co-ordinating break the rules day on 24th March
- Helping on the fun run subcommittee, contact Matt Shallcross, Katie Cliff or James White!

Please help us keep the fundraising going this year to raise vital money towards our children’s education, contact
your class rep or email pta@meanwood.leeds.sch.uk if you are able to get involved with any of the above.

We have removed the tickets from school money but have room for a final couple of tables so drop us an email at
pta@meanwood.leeds.sch.uk with the number of people in your group if you'd like to come along! Saturday
11th March 5pm-8pm, food, drinks and music!

Thanks to the amazing Georgie at sugarcrush bakes there will be plenty of sweet treats available. You could even
win a box of brownies or a much-coveted bottle of PRIME!

Easter Raffle
We will be running an Easter raffle with tickets soon to be available for just £1 on school money. We already have a
couple of prized lined up but would really appreciate donations of easter eggs, please bring in from wc 13th March.
Upcoming Events
Bun sale for Year 3 Today!
Family Rock and Roll bingo Saturday 11th March 5pm-8pm!
Break the Rules day 24th March
Movie Night 24th March
Bags2school 30th March
Easter raffle draw 31st March
Date for the diary - The Annual Fun Run is booked for Sunday 21st May 2pm-4pm
 Easter Holiday Club
We are looking to run holiday club over the Easter Holidays.

The club will run from 8:30am – 5:30pm: Monday 3rd April – Thursday 6th April and Tuesday 11th April –
Friday 14th April.
The club will not run on Friday 7th April or Monday 10th April because these are bank holidays.
The cost of the club will be £30 per child per day, which is payable via school money. Childcare vouchers
will be accepted.
We are limiting numbers to 15 children (school aged children only) per day, on a first come first served
basis.
Snacks and drinks will be provided throughout the day but children will need a packed lunch.
Booking will open on Monday 27th February at 9:30am.

KS1 Parent Reader Afternoons

The parent reader afternoons will be continuing next half-term. Please see the dates below:
Year 1:Tues 15th March, Tues 29th March
Year 2: Tues 7th March, Tues 21st March

The sessions run from 2:45-3:00pm in the school library. Please enter through the school’s main reception.

After School Clubs

Just a reminder that the only after school clubs that will be taking place this half-term are the paid clubs.

Phoenix Dance: Every Tuesday 3:30-4:15pm (Year 4)

2-Touch Football: Every Wednesday 3:30pm-4:15pm (Year 3 and 4)

Ukulele: Every Tuesday 3:30pm- 4:15pm (Year 2-now full)

Clubs will resume as normal in the summer term: apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
 World Book Day
It was a joyous day in school. It was lovely to see so many different characters wondering around the school
throughout the day. Thankyou for all the efforts you put in to make it a truly special day. Some of the
highlights can be seen below:

.
 Lent
Lent – a time of preparation. At the start of his three-year public ministry, Jesus was baptized by John
the Baptist in the River Jordan.
Immediately afterwards he went into the desert of Judea, where he remained for forty days, not eating
or drinking at all (‘fasting’). He needed to be quiet, to be alone and to pray at the start of the work that
God had sent him to earth to do. There in the desert he was tempted to use his powers to win people to
follow him; he was tempted to do things the easy way and not God’s way, but he resisted.
Lent lasts for six weeks and is the forty days before Easter in the Christian calendar (not including
Sundays!). It is a time of disciplined preparation for the great festival of Easter—a time for getting
spiritually fit. It is a time to stop and take stock of life and to make resolutions to do better in future.
Many Christians try to do something special during Lent. This might be something extra like reading a
thoughtful book about the Christian faith, spending more time in prayer, or it might be giving something
up (cakes or chocolate, for example) as an act of self-denial and discipline, and giving the money saved
to a charity.

In school (through our Collective Worships and R.E lessons) we will be looking at ‘The Rhythm of Life’
resources supplied by the Leeds Diocese. Children will reflect on what lent really means and that it goes
deeper than just giving up something.

Performance Showcase
As school we are attempting to be more wide ranging in the opportunities that we offer children. Mrs
Johnson our year 6 teacher, who is now the P.E and music lead in school, has come up with the brilliant
idea of a performance showcase.
The showcase will be an opportunity for children to perform in front of an audience. It is now Year 3’s
turn. If your child wishes to perform they must inform Mrs Johnson asap. Parents of the performers are
welcome to come into school to watch.
The showcase will take place on Thursday 9th March at 9:00am in the school hall.
 Safeguarding and Behaviour
As a staff we have just completed our 5th session of Restorative Practice. It has been an unbelievable
experience. We are learning so much about how the human brain deals with anxiety and stress and how
these produce physical, verbal and emotional reactions in people. Not only is this the case with children but
also with adults.

We have also been looking at strategies of how best to deal with these stressful situations when they
arrive. One of the best visuals to understand this a little better is the Dan Siegal’s Hand Brain Model: a
simple representation of how the brain works when faced with stressful situations. It has been very
powerful.

Bike Marking
The school has signed up for the ‘Big Walk and Wheel’ programme, which runs from 20 th-31st March. The
main objective of the programme is to promote more eco-friendly and safer travel to and from schools.

The Sustainable Travel Committee are meeting next week to discuss possible projects which could be
implemented over the 2-week period in the hope that they can become more long-term fixtures.

The programme will start on 20th March with ‘bike marking’: the local authority will be in school security
marking bikes. If you wish your child’s bike to be security marked please bring it into school on Monday 20 th
March between 8:30am-9:30am. The team will be located in the bottom playground.
 History Pop-up Museums
Over the next half-term, the majority of classes will be learning about their History topic. A great way to
celebrate their learning is through the pop-up museums. Please see the list below for dates of the different
museums.
All museums will run from 2:30-3:00pm in the hall unless other wise stated.
Tuesday 21st March: Year 6.

Friday 24th March: Year 5.

Tuesday 28th March: Year 4.
Wednesday 29th March: Year 1.
Thursday 30th March: Year 3

Stitch-up Workshops
As you will notice from the Mental Health and Well-being Day section of the newsletter: we are teaming up
with ‘Stitch-Up’- a community-based sowing, knitting and craft group that are based at Meanwood
Community Centre.
They have a few places left on their ‘Young Makers’ after-school club.
If you would like to book a place please click on the following link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/young-makers-after-school-club-spring-term-6-week-booking-tickets-
518700044797

Additionally, the programme offers weekly classes for adults and children which can be seen below.
 Meanwood Cricket Club
Meanwood Cricket Club is offering training for girls between the ages of 8-11.
It is a really friendly club and the training sessions are designed to encourage participation and enjoyment.
The sessions are good fun and run by friendly and DBS checked coaches.

There are also refreshments available for parents and children served by a familiar face.
If you are interested please contact Howard on the email below.
 SEND

Scooter and Cycle Rack

You may already be aware that we have cycle and scooter rack in school which can be used by the
children.
If your child is keen to travel to school by scooter of bike, we have a secure place to store them during the
day. The racks are located at the front entrance of the school.
 The Big Green Poetry Machine
You may remember that some time back we announced a poetry competition called, ‘The Big Green
Poetry Machine’. It was the opportunity for children to write a poem to be published in a book.
We are please to announce that 8 of our entries were successful:

Lin-Ah (Year 5)
Lola (Year 5)
Edee (Year 5)
Elizabeth (Year 5)
Sophia Brown (Year 5)

Joanna (Year 4)
Sumayya (Year 4)
Eleni (Year 2)
The children’s work will be published in the Big Green Machine Poetry Book, available for purchase in May
(more details to follow).
Well done to everyone who entered.

Our winning entries received a book mark, a sticker and a golden certificate which they were presented
with in this morning’s celebration collective worship.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Mr Chapman, Mrs Parker and Mr Smith
SLT team