Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
-
Weekly News Thursday 13 February 2025
Thu 13 Feb 2025Dear Parents and Carers
“Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love and the future to God’s care.”
St Augustine of Hippo
This week the children took part in our Music Week organised by Mrs Withey- Harrison.
On Monday all classes were able to take part in some Indian Bollywood Dance sessions. The children were all very enthusiastic about taking part in these sessions.
Unfortunately, on Tuesday the planned Ukelele and instrumental session by Year 4 and other individual school instrumentalists had to be postponed due to Mr P.C our ukelele/piano teacher being too unwell to come to school. We will reschedule this performance for after the half-term holiday as we don’t wish the children to miss out on this opportunity.
On Wednesday we had a woodwind demonstration by Nelson from Kent Music School. He demonstrated playing the: recorder, clarinet and saxophone. Nelson praised the children on their excellent behaviour and listening skills throughout his performance.
(If there is anyone who is interested in their child learning an instrument, they should contact Kent Music School using the contact details sent home earlier in the term. If parents have mislaid this letter another can be replaced by the school office.)
Today we closed our music week with our music concert. When each class was able to demonstrate what they have been learning over this term in music with the theme for the concert based on the book “Giraffes Can’t Dance” by Giles Andreae.
It was most definitely a “squash and a squeeze” this afternoon and was a little “chaotic at times” but was very enjoyable. The children are always very proud to share their work.
A great big thank you to Mrs Withey-Harrison, the children and all the parents who were brave enough to join us this afternoon!
Headlice
Unfortunately, we have had some unwelcome visitors across some classes. There has been yet another outbreak of headlice or nits.
If all parents could check their children’s hair during the half term holiday and if any unwelcome visitors are found please can these be treated so that we can stop these visitors spreading.
Half-term Holiday
Next week is the half term holiday and the children break up today and are expected to return to school on Tuesday 24th February as the Monday is a staff training day.
Reminder Breakfast and After-school Club
If you wish your child to attend our Breakfast or After-school Club this must be booked and paid in advance using a Booking Form and a valid ParentPay account. We are no longer accepting children who haven’t been booked.
Booking forms can be obtained from the office or by downloading from our school website: https://www.st-simon.kent.sch.uk/school-clubs/
Wishing all a restful half-term holiday
Peter McCabe
-
Weekly News Friday 7 February 2025
Fri 07 Feb 2025Dear Parents and Carers
“To follow Jesus means to share his love for every human being.”
Today we received a visit from Mrs Annemarie Whittle our Trust’s CEO and members of her central team. Their visit was to share the light from a Jubilee Candle as part of the Jubilee Year announced by Pope Francis.
Mrs Whittle and her team joined us in a special liturgy planned by members of our school liturgy team. The children outlined what the Jubilee means and how we should all be pilgrims of hope.
After the liturgy Mrs Whittle and her team visited the children in their classrooms.
A great big thank you to Mrs Whittle and her team for visiting us today and well done to the children for planning such a lovely meaningful service.
Next Week is Music Week
Mrs Withey-Harrison has been working hard planning our school’s music week. The children will be taking part in lots of musical activities throughout the week e.g. on Monday the children will be able to take part in Bollywood/Indian Dance workshops, on Wednesday they will be able to watch a woodwind performance and some of our instrumentalists will be showing off what they have learnt over the course of the week.
Our music week will end on Thursday 13th February at 2:00 p.m with a whole school music concert based on the theme of “Giraffes Can’t Dance”. Parents are welcome to join us but please be mindful that it will be a bit of a squash to get everyone in.
KIdenza Music Orchestral Concert at Highworth
The Kidenza orchestra will be performing at Highworth on Friday 14 February. As St Simon’s has an inset day the Kidenza Orchestra wanted to extend the offer of attending the 9.30am concert (suitable for primary pupils) to families who may wish to come along.
The concert will begin promptly at 9.30 and last approximately 65 minutes. The cost per person is £4.50 and tickets can be booked directly with Kidenza by emailing education@kidenza.co.uk.
INSET Days and Half term Holiday
Friday 14th February is an INSET Day(Staff Training Day) and is the beginning of the Half-term holidays for the children. Monday 24th February is also an INSET Day so the children are expected to return to school on Tuesday 25th February.
Breakfast and After-school Club
This is another reminder that if you wish your child/children to attend our Breakfast Club or After-school Club this must be booked in advance using the forms available on our website or via the school office. This is so we can make sure we have enough staff and food etc. to cover the clubs.
In both our clubs we can safely only accept a maximum of 24 children.
Both clubs must be paid using a valid ParentPay account.
Donations of useable Scooters
If anyone has any old scooters that are still usable that they would like to donate to the school for the children to use on our scooter track these would be greatly appreciated.
Dangerous Parking
This is now the 3rd week I am reminding parents to park safely and with consideration for others. Is it going to take a nasty accident to make drivers stop and think?
Parent Governor Elections
This is a reminder we have two vacancies for parent governors on our Local Governance Committee. The role involves attending termly meetings, attending relevant training as well as supporting the monitoring of different aspects of the children’s education.
No special qualifications are needed, the most important thing is to have a keen interest in the school and be prepared to play an active part in the Governance Committee work.
For more details, please read the invitation letter sent home which can also be found on the Latest News Tab of our website or speak to me or any of the Local Governance Committee.
With best wishes
Peter McCabe
-
Weekly News Friday 31 January 2025
Fri 31 Jan 2025Dear Parents and Carers
“Always know in your heart that God is by your side. Let us never lose hope!”
Visit from our Trust’s Chief Executive Officer
On Friday 7th February at 9:30a.m we will receive a visit from Mrs Annemarie Whittle our Chief Executive Officer and other representatives from our trust.
Mrs Whittle as part of the Jubilee Year has been asked by Archbishop John Wilson to visit every Catholic Primary School in Kent and Medway to present a special Jubilee candle.
We are all looking forward to our visitors and I am sure that our children will make a very good impression on them with their excellent behaviour and attitude to learning.
Year 3 and Year 1 Visits to Victoria Park
As part of their geography studies Year 3 will be visiting Victoria Park on Monday 3rd February to carry out fieldwork surveying the trees in the park.
Year 1 will be visiting Victoria park on Wednesday 5th February to look at the environment. Children in both classes will need appropriate footwear and a coat. If the weather isn’t good the visits will be postponed.
Children’s Mental Health Week
The week beginning the 3rd February is children’s mental health week. The children have been shown strategies to help promote good mental health. On Wednesday 5th February the children are asked to come to school wearing a colour that makes them happy- NO FOOTBALL KITS PLEASE!
For further information and well-being please visit our mental health and well-being page on our website: https://www.st-simon.kent.sch.uk/mental-health-and-well-being/
Music Week
The week beginning 10th February we are holding a Music Week. Mrs Withey Harrison and the children have been working hard to prepare for a music concert on Thursday 13th February at 2:00p.m.
Children will be performing music based on the book “Giraffe’s Can’t Dance” by Giles Andreae.
Parents are very welcome to attend but please remember it will be a squash and a squeeze to get everyone into the hall so no push chairs.
Wrap Around Care- Breakfast and Afterschool Club
We run our Breakfast Club from 7:45a.m until 8:30 a.m. when the school gates are open. We have our After school Club which currently runs from 3:15 until 4:30p.m. From the beginning of term 4 we are extending our after school club until 6:00p.m. for working parents who require this.
There will be an additional charge for the additional hours. All payments must be made using a valid ParentPay account costs are as follows:
Breakfast Club £3:00
After school Club until 4:30p.m £4:00
Extended After school Club £8:00
Parents must book for Breakfast Club After school Club in advance and not on a “Ad Hoc basis” as we need to make sure that we have enough staff to cover the children.
Scooters
If anyone has any old scooters that are still usable that they would like to donate to the school for the children to use on our scooter track these would be greatly appreciated.
INSET Days Coming Up
This is a reminder that Friday 14th February and Monday 24th February are staff training days so half term holidays for the children will begin on the 14th February and the children are expected to return to school on Tuesday 25th February.
DANGEROUS DRIVING
Today I had a complaint from a parent who was very upset as another parent had nearly reversed into his daughter. As the parent was speaking to me we both witnessed another parent driving down Noakes Meadow at a speed which was excessive for a road outside a school.
If parents and carers aren’t more careful we are going to have a nasty accident were a child may get hurt. I am sure that no one would like to see this happen so please can drivers take care when dropping off and picking up children.
I will pass the complaint onto Ashford Police.
Kindest regards
Peter McCabe
-
Weekly News Friday 24 January 2025
Fri 24 Jan 2025Dear Parents and Carers
“Hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” Rom 5 1-2.5
Jubilee 2025
Today we joined schools from across our diocese to launch the Jubilee 2025. The Jubilee is held every 25 years and was launched by Pope Francis on the 24 December 2024.
Pope Francis is calling all of us to be: “Pilgrims bringing hope, peace and love to people’s hearts”.
We launched the Jubilee with a special assembly in which our prayer leaders reminded us of Pope Francis’ call for us to work for justice, peace and love.
Children’s Mental Health Week
The week beginning Monday 10th February is Children’s Mental Health Week. To remind the children about looking after their mental health and to think about bringing joy and happiness the children are encouraged to wear a colour that makes them feel happy on Wednesday the 5th of February.
If you are concerned about your child’s mental health or well-being, check out our well-being page which can be found on our website: https://www.st-simon.kent.sch.uk/mental-health-and-well-being/
Monitoring what your children are watching and doing online!
Recently we have seen an increase in children playing very aggressive games or acting out what they have been watching or playing online outside of school.
We have also had an increase in children using very inappropriate language. Could I ask parents to monitor what their children are accessing online or while watching YouTube etc.
Parents should look at our latest online safety newsletter for further advice on this which can be found on our News and Events Tab.
School Uniform
Reminder to all parents and carers all pupils are expected to wear full school uniform which includes a school P.E kit for P.E lessons.
Breakfast and After-school Club
Plans are well underway to extend the hours of our after-school club until 6:00p.m for working parents and we are very hopeful that this will be operating from the beginning of next term.
We are still running our normal Breakfast Club and After-school Club however I need to remind parents and carers that we as a school can only offer a maximum of 24 places.
Parents need to book places in advance using a booking form which is available from the school office or here: https://www.st-simon.kent.sch.uk/school-clubs/
Booking in advance means that we can make sure that we have enough staff to supervise and plan activities for the children as well as making sure we have enough food to feed the children.
We can not accept children on an “ad hoc basis” we may be able to accept children in an emergency but this will still be subject to space availability.
Parking Again
I thought we were all getting better at this? I know that the weather hasn’t been very good lately but that isn’t any excuse for inconsiderate parking and for parents parking or reversing dangerously around the school gates. Please for safety of everyone show care and consideration.
With best wishes
Peter McCabe
-
Weekly News Friday 17 January 2025
Fri 17 Jan 2025Dear Parents and Carers
“If we are close to Jesus, we will have joy in our hearts and a smile on our face.”
French Cafe
This week our Year 6 children ran a “French Café” for the children in the other classes. This enabled the children to practice their French and also sample some French cuisine. This activity proved very popular with all the children. Well done Year 6 and Mrs Macdonald and Miss Freeman for organising this with the children.
Multicultural Week
With our world becoming a very troubled place it is very important that we all learn about different cultures and religions so that we can learn to more fully appreciate and respect other people.
The children have been learning a great deal over the course of the last fortnight and I have been very impressed with the learning that has taken place.
The children have displayed some of their learning in the school hall and today Year 1 and Year 2 took part in a Shabbat meal which is celebrated on the day of rest in Judaism.
Why not ask your children about what they have learnt or pop into the hall and have a look at the display work?
School Choir at Mass
This Sunday 19th January the children are invited to support the parish with their singing at the 10:00 a.m Mass. It would be lovely if as many children as possible could join as their singing and presence at the celebration helps to make the occasion even more special.
Parent Governor Elections
This is a reminder we have two vacancies for parent governors on our Local Governance Committee. The role involves attending termly meetings, attending relevant training as well as supporting the monitoring of different aspects of the children’s education.
No special qualifications are needed, the most important thing is to have a keen interest in the school and be prepared to play an active part in the Governance Committee work.
For more details, please read the invitation letter sent home which can also be found on the Latest News Tab of our website or speak to me or any of the Local Governance Committee.
Issue in our School Kitchen Fully Resolved
The issues with the extraction system in our kitchen has been fully resolved- the severe cold weather caused an electrical fault in the extractor fans on the roof meaning the gas supply to the kitchen is automatically cut off. This has now been fixed so we should have no more issues or problems.
With best wishes
Peter McCabe