2025 Spring #3

Squid Game

I wanted to bring to your attention some concerns surrounding the popular Netflix series Squid Game, which is rated 15 and unsuitable for children. Squid Game is a Korean drama series that has gained significant attention for its unique yet troubling premise. While it uses the concept of children’s games, the show portrays violent and graphic consequences for participants who lose.

Unfortunately, there have been reports in school of children mimicking elements of the series, including its games and violent themes. Additionally, Squid Game content is being shared widely on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and gaming platforms like Roblox, where adaptations of the games have been created.

As a school rooted in Christian values of compassion and care, we are committed to ensuring our school remains a safe and nurturing environment for all. We encourage you to be vigilant about the content your child(ren) may be exposed to online and to ensure it is age-appropriate. Parental controls on apps and devices can be helpful tools in managing what children access.

If you would like further guidance or support regarding online safety, please do not hesitate to contact the school. Thank you for your continued partnership in safeguarding our children’s well-being.

For further guidance and support to help you to keep your child safe on-line please look at the following websites:
o Internetmatters.org
o NSPCC – Keeping Children Safe Online

Out of School Sports Events Update

We are incredibly proud of our children for their recent sports achievements!

• Year 1 Tennis Tournament: Our youngest athletes participated in a tennis tournament this week and did an amazing job. They displayed fantastic teamwork and perseverance, making the school very proud.
• Year 5 & 6 Netball: On Thursday, our Year 5 and 6 children took part in netball matches. Their commitment, responsibility, and teamwork were truly commendable.

A big congratulations to all the children involved for representing our school so well and thank you to Miss Calabrese for supporting the children to these events.

School Dinner – price increase

Telford & Wrekin Catering have advised us that the cost of a school dinner will increase to £2.90 from Monday 24 February 2025 for children in Years 3 – 6.

Parent Book Club – 29 January @ 3.00pm

Next Wednesday Parents are invited into school @ 3.00pm for our Book Club, where you’ll have the opportunity to read with your children.

Reading is such an important skill as it opens up learning across all areas, and we’re delighted to have this chance to share a love of reading together.

To ensure the session runs smoothly and safely, please take note of the following:

• Entry and Exit: Please enter and exit via the main school office. At the end of Book Club, staff will direct parents back to the main office, where you will be signed out and asked to return your lanyards.
• Lanyards: All visitors will be provided with a parent lanyard, which should be worn throughout your time in school.
• Activities: Teachers will have reading activities taking place, and we encourage you to join in with these.
• Multiple Children: If you have more than one child, feel free to split your time between them.
• Fire Safety: We are not expecting a fire drill. However, in the event of the fire alarm sounding, please exit the building via the nearest exit and gather on the top playground.
• Dismissal: After Book Club, children will be dismissed as normal by their class teachers, either from their classrooms or on the playground.

Thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you this afternoon for what promises to be a wonderful celebration of reading.

Number Day – 7 February 2025

To celebrate 25 years of the NSPCC’s Number Day, we are asking children to take up the challenge and ‘Dress up for Digits’ to raise money for the NSPCC.

Children simply wear an item of clothing with a number on it and make a donation. This could be a favourite sports top or cap, or why not get more creative and design a unique t-shirt, hat or even become a human-sized calculator or dice!

Children will then be taking part in a full day of fun maths activities and games in class. We hope to have lots of fun and raise money for the charity too.

Parent / Teacher Meetings

Parent meeting appointments for children in Reception – Year 6 will take place on:

Monday 10 February (3.30pm – 6.00pm)
Tuesday 11 February (3.30pm – 5.30pm)

Meetings will be face to face in school and last 10 minutes (if additional time is required by the end of the meeting, this will be arranged for another day).  It will be an opportunity to discuss your child’s strengths and areas of focus.

Parents will be able to book their appointments via the school website from the end of next week.  Look out for a message via Seesaw with the link.

Parent Online Safety Information Session – 29 January 2025

An online information session for parents will take place next Wednesday 29 January (9.30am – 10.15am).

The link to access this session was sent out to parents via Seesaw this week.  Please contact the office if you need it resent to you.

The session will be recorded and will be subsequently shared.

Friends News – School Disco – Thursday 13 February

News from the Parish

This Sunday 26th January, there will be a service of Holy Communion, starting at 11:00am, at St Luke’s in Ironbridge.

St Luke’s would like to welcome children and families of the school, and their friends, to this service.

In our Jesus and Me (JAM) activity for school age children, we will be thinking about the theme of unity and diversity, and about how we can appreciate each other and value each other, wherever we may be from.

This draws upon St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, in which he talks about how all the parts of the body work together and are stronger together, and how we all bring skills and strengths.

We will create rainbow pictures to illustrate the theme.

We will be seated in the children’s area to the side of the church, at red activity tables. There are also books and toys available for younger children to play with in the church.

We hope to see children and their families here, and to share refreshments after the service has finished.

The readings are:

Nehemiah 8: 1-10
Ezra’s reading of the Law after the walls and gates of Jerusalem had been rebuilt.
All the people came together as one to read the Law together ending with “the Joy of the Lord is our strength “.

1 Corinthians 12: 12-31
St Paul talks about unity and diversity, describing how “Christ is like a single body with its many limbs and organs, which, many as they are, together make up one body.”

Luke 4: 14-31
Jesus’s mandate, as He came out of the wilderness in the power of the Spirit to Galilee.

The hymns for Sunday are:

259 Hail to the Lords anointed
409 Lord for the Years
72 Bind us together Lord
17 All heaven declares the glory of the risen Lord
438 Make way, make way for Christ the King is splendour abound

Moments Matter – Attendance Counts

Highest class attendance for week ending 17 January:  Year 1

Most improved class attendance from the previous week:  Year 5

Community News – West Mercia Police Safer Online Training

To help celebrate Safer Internet Day on 11th February 2025, West Mercia Police are hosting a free 1-hour Online Safety session for all parents and carers across Telford. Covering topics such as dangerous apps, the rise of AI, sextortion and more, West Mercia Police hope that everyone will come away from the training feeling more confident in the world of technology and the Internet.

Please click on the link below for more details including a link on how to book.

Safer Internet Day Flyer with eventbrite link

Community News – Tourettes Action Social Group

PODS are hosting the Tourettes Action Group at the Hub on Saturday 25th January 10.30-1pm
@ PODS Charity Hub, 1 Hawksworth Road, TF2 9TU

This drop-in event/group is open to any family member who has a diagnosis or is affected by Tourettes and/or tics. The group will be an opportunity for families to come together, meet each other and share experiences. We are planning some games and activities and welcome any ideas for these you might have.

Community News – Half Term Holiday Club @ Weston Park

Please click on the link below for details of a half term holiday club running at Weston Park.

Feb HT 25 – Flyer