• Challenge your children to walk you to school.  Do they know the whole route?  Could they describe it or direct you from home?
• Focus on directions ensuring the difference between left and right is clear with younger children which way do you turn at different points on the route?
• While you’re walking, have a look at the road and traffic signs does your child know what they all mean?  Think about colours too (red=warning etc., yellow=attention).
• Why not lay a treasure hunt trail and provide clues as to where you might find the hidden items?
• Get creative draw or describe a particular place you pass on your walk to school and ask your child to look out for it and tell you when you get there!
• Whilst walking together, have a think about street furniture what types exist (e.g. benches, grit bins, street lamps, post boxes, traffic lights)?
• Race against the clock what’s the quickest you can walk to school?  If there are other children or parents from your school nearby, why not challenge them to a walking race?

Each September in the first week of term the children in every class from year 1 to year 4 vote for the children they wish to represent them for the year. Children can stand every year if they wish. Each child in the class has 1 vote and the children with the highest number of votes become the class representatives for the year. They can stand down if they wish by giving notice to the council and the class and a new vote will take place to find a new council representative for the class for the rest of the year.

Each class has a council notebook in which they can write any concerns they would like the council to discuss and possibly sort out. The council reps report back to their class in regular Class Council Assemblies.

Meetings usually take place once per fortnight in the Staff Room. Council officers are elected at the first meeting of the year. The constitution is also reviewed at this meeting.

“The school council is an excellent forum for pupils to express their views and pupils have raised significant amounts for local charities.” Ofsted 2006

The officers this year are:

Chairperson – Yasmin Jones.

Secretary – Luke Alligan.

The Council Class Reps this year are:

Willow Class – Yasmin Jones and Luke Alligan.

Elm Class  – Sophie Ticker and Zac Sewell.

Holly Class  – Ruby Collins and Oliver Hudson.

Rowan Class – Lillie Beard and Jack Terrey.

Chestnut Class – Chanice White and Harvey Allen.

Photographs of our School Council members are on the notice board in the foyer.

This letter is just to gauge the amount of interest that these two prospective opportunities generate.

Mr Hedges, one of our school governors, would like to start a recorder group for year 2, 3 and 4 children starting in September. This will be for children who are beginners to playing the recorder. This club will be held on a Friday evening at school between 3.30 and 4.30 pm. There would be an initial cost to parents for a tutor book and descant recorder of approximately £10.

Mrs Hedges would like to start a club for school band. Children who can play any tuned instrument, even if they have only learned to play a few notes or chords would be welcome. This club will be hopefully be held on a Wednesday night after school between 3.30 and 4.30 pm from September, but the day will need to be finalised early in September.

Mrs Hedges would like to arrange an evening before the end of term to meet with prospective band members and their parents to provide more information and gather information to help with her planning.

Both clubs represent increased opportunities for our children to play musical instruments and we are most grateful to both Mr and Mrs Hedges for supporting us in this way.

If you would like to receive further information about either of these activities please return the reply slip to school.

Music Interest Letter 1

Each family pays an annual membership fee of £5, which is non-refundable. Fees are payable in advance to the session leader. We require at least 48 hours notice of cancellation of a booked session in order for the fee to be refunded. Failure to collect a child promptly will attract an additional charge. Please see the price list for further details of individual session fees.

After School Club

This is open to any child from 3 years of age up to and including Year 7 if certain criteria are met. Most of the children attending this session are already attending Watling Lower School as pupils. Further details are available in the Admissions Policy. The club is open from 3.30pm to 6.00pm Monday to Friday.

Before School Club

This is open to children from 4 years of age to Year 4 providing that the child is currently attending Watling Lower School. The club is open from 8.00am until the start of school at 8.45am.

Holiday Club

Open to any child from 3 years old up to and including year 7. This is structured recreational childcare. The club is open from 8.00am to 6.00pm during the school holidays. Split sessions are available on request.

Children are put into one of four Houses when they begin at Watling.

In keeping with the tree theme the four houses are named after forests and each has its own colour:

Epping (yellow), Hatfield (green), Sherwood (red) and Windsor (blue).

They were originally set up to add more team spirit to Sports’ Day but have since been used in more ways. House points are earned every time children receive a merit certificate or an attendance certificate.

We are constantly looking for more ideas for giving house points. If you have any ideas, please let us know.

House points have never been taken away once given – yet!

Each term a cup is given to the house with the most merit points. At the end of the year a bigger cup is given to the house which gained the most points over the whole year. A cup is also given to the house which wins Sports’ Day. The cups are received by the House Captains and Vice Captains.

Each house votes in a Captain and Vice Captain from year 4 in September. These children help count the merits and sort out merit certificates each week as well as the good jobs of receiving all the cups on behalf of their houses.

The House Captains and Vice Captains this year are as follows:

Merit System

Children are given merits for all sorts of reasons: good work, good behaviour, effort, politeness, helpfulness etc.

Merits are written on a card and once a child has ten a certificate is given in Merit Assembly.

For every ten merits a certificate is given.

Attendance Awards

A new initiative for Watling from September 2003 is giving certificates for 100% attendance.

Certificate – one half term’s 100% attendance

Bronze Certificate – one term’s 100% attendance

Silver Certificate – two terms’ 100% attendance

Gold Certificate – three terms’ 100% attendance

The training day dates will be listed with the term times and also in the events calendar.