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Our value we're focusing on this half term: Perseverance
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Welcome to the March edition of the Grayswood School Newsletter.
We have had a month jam-packed full of music, trips, sports and fundraising. But kicking off the month, and this edition of the newsletter, we had one of the highlights of the year...
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After last year, we didn't think it was possible to cram anything more into our week long celebration of reading, but 2025 World Book Week ended up being our biggest yet!
As has now become a big part of our World Book Week celebrations, we once again invited Grandparents into school to read with children in KS1.
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We had our Reception class pair up with their Year 2 buddies to enjoy some reading to one another in the sun. And the wonderful team from the Haslemere Bookshop came in to visit and offer some wonderful books to our pupils.
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To finish off the week, The Wrens and Robins parents joined forces for a Book and Bake sale, raising £537!
Thank you to the organisers for their incredible efforts, and for all of the wonderful donations.
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Shrove Tuesday Fun
Wrens celebrated Shrove Tuesday by making, flipping and eating
pancakes!
Our Reception class took pancake racing very seriously and their flipping skills were pretty impressive, with many pancakes gaining great height!
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The Music Works!
The whole school came together to listen to the musical talents of their fellow students and The Music Works staff band earlier this month.
All the hours and hours of hard work and practice paid off, with a well-deserved standing ovation to end the performance.
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Swifts Get Growing
This month, we welcomed some of the team from Squires Garden centre to school who aided our Year 5 class with planting potatoes!
Our lucky Swifts will then get to take the potatoes to the kitchen at Squires Garden Centre to make their own yummy chips.
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Support for Young Carers
"At Haslemere Youth Hub there was an event for young carers. A young carer is someone who supports a family member that has a disability. I am a young carer because I have an older brother who is autistic.
This event was to give young carers a break and to be with people who understand the challenges of being a young carer.
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The Hoppa mini bus collected students from Grayswood Primary School as well as Sarah De Marcos, our lovely Home School Link Worker, and took us to the Haslemere Youth Hub. When we arrived, we received a lovely welcome and played parachute games to introduce ourselves and get to know each other. After the parachute games, we were given a tour around the Hub and were shown all the different activities which included: LEGO, Mario Kart, colouring, clay modelling, a pool table, basketball and football and finally Nintendo Switch Sports.
After we had done a few activities, we had a break with delicious snacks and drinks. Afterwards, we spent more time doing activities and chatting with other young carers from local schools in
Haslemere.
We all had an amazing morning and we can’t wait for the next event!"
By Kyra (Swifts class)
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Wrens Go Wild
On Friday 21st March, Connie from Wild About Britain visited our Wrens class and brought along some special guests. The Wrens got to meet some endangered British wildlife up close and even handle some protected species. The class met Wren the smooth snake, a common toad, Snowdrop the Hedgehog and Freddie the Tawny Owl! We learnt lots of new facts about these animals and also how we can help care for them.
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Year 5 Take Off!
Congratulations to our Swifts class for an OUT OF THIS WORLD class assembly all about space!
Not only were we treated to facts, stats, and music, but a reenactment of the historic Moon landing of 1969. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
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Staff News
Sadly, our Swifts teacher Mrs. O'Rourke will leave us at the end of the academic year having successfully secured a new role at Churcher's College. Mrs. O'Rourke has been a much loved and valued member of staff, who shall be missed by all. We wish her all the very best at her new school!
We are pleased to say that we have been successful in recruiting a new teacher to join us here in September. We look forward to sharing more details in the Summer Term and welcoming them to the team!
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Vacancy
Grayswood CE Primary School Governing Body are looking to recruit a new Finance Governor. If you are interested in this role, or know anyone who might have financial skills and expertise, please do get in touch with the Chair of Governors, Jackie Holmes on jholmes@grayswood.surrey.sch.uk for more information.
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Road Safety
Surrey County Council have been in touch to ask Grayswood School parents to take part in their annual travel survey.
https://www.surreysays.co.uk/safer-travel/primary-school-travel-2025
The objective of the research is to assist them as they continue to develop a better understanding of the different types of travel used to and from school, and to ascertain if this is changing over time.
The Safer Travel Team’s goal is to assist schools to continue to encourage safer and more active ways of travelling to school.
To encourage parents to take part, they are offering a charity incentive for participation – donating £25 for every 100 surveys completed* to a charity that the parent will choose from either Momentum Children’s Charity or Orchid Environmental Trust.
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Stars of the Week
14th March: Joshua C, Jack M, Hugo T, Charlie, Isabelle I, Gregory, William C, Max, Joy, Holly, Ivan, Orla, Audrey W, Beth, Jack B
21st March: Rory, Austin, Ottilie R, Maxi, Sophia P, Sophia R, Annabelle I, Cressida, Arlo S, Noah F, Isla W, whole of Kingfishers class
28th March: Oliver D, Cleo, William Ba, Hugh N, Albie, Mylo, Viva, Mila Y, Rose KC, William Br, Eden N, Elkie, Rafe, Ralph G, whole of Kites class
School Value Awards
14th March: Hugh N, Ottilie R, Kyra
21st March: Thomas C, Willoughby, Emily, Toby S, Harvey
28th March: Joshua C
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School Values Awards
Love - Forgiveness - Kindness - Respect - Perseverance - Teamwork
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A very BIG well done to Emily, Alex P, Elkie, Bella M, Mylo, Iris and Ellis on your awards. You should be super proud of yourselves and wear your new badges with pride!
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House Points
The house point totals for this term are:
Hawking - 1629
Darwin - 1293
Lovelace - 1270
Burns - 1096
Congratulations to those in Hawking who can come in Mufti on Friday 25th April!
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Good attendance is not just valuable, it's essential. Good attendance promotes good outcomes for pupils and provides them with the very best opportunity to reach their potential.
We regularly track the attendance for each child and communicate with parents where any concerns may be emerging. The government class attendance below 90% is as 'persistently absent' and under 50% 'severely absent'.
The percentage attendance figures for each class as a whole in March are:
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1st. Kites - 98.45%
2nd. Woodpeckers - 97.62%
3rd. Robins - 97.22%
4th. Swallows - 96.76%
5th. Kingfishers - 95.51%
6th. Wrens - 95.16%
7th. Swifts - 95.00%
Well done Kites on topping the leaderboard for March!
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Just to remind parents/carers that our new attendance policy will come into action from September 2024. If you take your child/children out of school without authority for 5 or more days (which do not have to be consecutive), then the following will apply:
1. If you have not incurred a penalty notice relating to this child/children in a rolling 3 year period since 19 August 2024, then the penalty notice will be charged at the rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. This will be reduced to £80.00 if paid within 21 days of receipt of the notice. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in Surrey County Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court.
2. If you have incurred a penalty notice relating to this child/children since 19 August 2024, the rolling 3 year period will be activated from the date of the first penalty notice and the second penalty notice will be charged at the flat rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. There will be no reduction for payment within 21 days. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in Surrey County Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court.
3. If you have incurred 2 penalty notices relating to this child/children in the rolling 3 year period since the first penalty notice was issued, then you will NOT receive a third penalty notice – Surrey County Council will have no option but to consider a prosecution, per parent/carer per child, in the Magistrates Court under s 444 Education Act 1996.
Surrey County Council is not responsible for authorising pupil absence and therefore cannot withdraw any Penalty Notice requests without the written permission of the Headteacher.
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What is Neurodiversity?
Very simply, neurodiversity refers to the different ways a person’s brain processes information. Neurodiversity is an umbrella term used to describe a number of these variations.
It is estimated that around 1 in 7 people in the UK have some kind of neuro difference.
Being neurodiverse does not correlate with low intelligence; many people with neuro differences are highly intelligent.
People who are neurodiverse often think about and see the world differently, making them a huge asset to any team. They also face challenges. Some of the challenges associated with the most common types of neurodiversity are described in the diagram below:
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There is lots of information available on-line if you would like to gain a better understanding of neurodiversity. Here are a couple of links that may help to explain it to your children.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSTLQk9bB8I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOoASAnYvKc
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Play time snacks
Just a reminder that only fruit and vegetables are allowed in school for playtime snacks!
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Food Banks
As a school we are able to refer families who may need a little extra support to the local food banks in Haslemere (Haslemere Methodist Church) or Godalming (if you live in or around Witley).
If you would like to know more please email our Home School Link Worker, Sarah De Marcos (in confidence) at:
hslw@grayswood.surrey.sch.uk
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Hosting a party?
A reminder that you can hire our school hall for your parties, events or clubs. It's available after school, at weekends and during the school holidays.
To find out more please contact our School Business Manager, on sbm@grayswood.surrey.sch.uk
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