Headteacher's Message
Can you believe it is December already?
There is so much to pack into the next two weeks along with our learning. Please, please engage with our website to ensure that you are up to speed with the dates for our concerts, Christmas dinner day, jumper days and other events.
A reminder that school finishes at 1.30pm on the last day of term – Friday 16th December and we start back on Thursday 5th January. It is a new term and quite a short one so please make sure your children return on that day. The Thursday and Friday will be the days when their new topics are launched.
I spent all of last week trying to ensure cars on Kirkdale parked courteously and parents dropping children at school were considerate, as well as safe in their use of the roads around the school. Unfortunately it seems to be something that is an ongoing problem, and in truth, it shouldn’t be. Last week a member of staff was hit by a car whilst crossing the road on Kirkdale. Lets change things now to keep our roads safer.
Congratulations
Congratulations to our fantastic swimmer – Lenny Lewis. Lenny won 5 medals at the Black Lion Club Swimming Gala.
50m breast stroke – GOLD, 100m front crawl – GOLD, 100m breast stroke – SILVER, 50m front crawl – SILVER, 50m butterfly – BRONZE.
Here he is with his five very large medals . Lenny says ‘I got five medals for the five races I entered, two were golds. I am so, so happy with myself’.
Flight of the Bumble Bee
In partnership with the Bumble Bee Conservation Trust, we were very lucky to be invited by Chartwell’s food company (Michael Brooker) to join the theme day – ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’. This was to highlight the importance of the bumblebee’s role in the food chain and their relevance to school meals.
All pupils received a fun and educational set of collectable playing cards. The children have really enjoyed this and couldn’t wait for the next cards to arrive. The cards were given out over a 2 week period.
The children are now busy swapping and collecting cards from others across the school – bringing the programme to life.
Chartwell’s also arranged assemblies for year 1 up to year 6. The assemblies were hosted by Pirianka Louis-Montfort, Chartwells Nutritionist, and covered:
– Introduction to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust
– The pollination journey
– The food cycle (Harvest related)
– The Seasonality of food
The children learned that bumble bees are crucial for the pollination of our fruit, vegetables and legumes and without them, we wouldn’t be able to eat 30% of the foods we eat today!
School Council
In school council this week we talked about how children come to school. We looked at our data from last year which showed that more children would like to come to school in more active ways. We discussed that it would be better for our health if we walked to school and also better for the environment. We talked about the reasons why people come to school in the car, and what we can do to change this.
Children said that they felt more ready to learn if they have had exercise before school and it made them feel happier and one of the advantages of walking was that they bumped into their friends on the way. They said that when they come in the car it felt more stressful as often they are late leaving and get stuck in traffic. We then talked about how busy the road is outside school (Kirkdale). We decided we wanted to record how busy it is on different days and different times.
Prefects
Congratulations to the following Year 6 pupils who were elected by their peers and by Year 6 staff to be our school prefects this year:
Emmanuel Anyaegbu, Sarah Xue, Alice Green, Tyler West, Evelyn Duffy, Amelie Ackford, Luca Dennis, Elliott Meads, Van Doan, Divine Erhini Ogudu, Max Fenwick and Rojus Ksevickas
We are all very proud of you and look forward to seeing you flourish in your new leadership roles.
Polite Reminder
Please NEVER smoke outside the school gates where children are arriving and leaving school.
New Banners
Have you seen our new banners outside school? If not here they are. Click on the photo to enlarge.
Thank you to Janine Green and Adrian Legouix for organising their design and installation. Thank you also to the School Council who wrote the captions.
We think they look great and really show off our school for the wonderful place that it is.
Christmas Jumper Swap
On Wednesday 7th December at 3.15pm, visit the main hall with last year’s Christmas jumper to swap for a different one! Just in time for Christmas jumper day on Thursday 8th December!
If you don’t have a Christmas jumper to swap, no need to worry. You are still most welcome to come and choose one.
We are also still accepting donations of Christmas jumpers, so please do bring any donations to the school office.
We will also be setting up our winter hub and upcycled uniform shop again, so please do come along if you are in need of any items. We look forward to seeing you.
School Meals
We will be having our Christmas dinner on Wednesday 14th December 2022 (click here for Festive Feast Menu) and children are invited to wear their Christmas jumpers on this day.
If your child is usually ‘packed lunch’, please ensure you pre-book their dinner by Wednesday 7th December, if your child has school meals then there is no need to pre-book! Simply email your child’s name and class with a request for Christmas dinner (£2.30) to lwatson@kelvingrove.lewisham.sch.uk or call the office.
If you wish to change your child’s meal pattern then you must fill in our ‘pupil meal choices’ form and remain school meals or packed lunch for the full half term.
School meals cost £2.30 per day (£11.50 per week) – Nursery meals £3.20 per day (£16 per week) – unless your child is entitled to free school meals, or receives universal free school meals (Reception & Y1 & Y2 pupils).
We would also like to remind parents to pay for school meals and clubs in advance via Pay360, and not to fall into arrears as this affects school finances.
Starting Primary SChool
Lewisham admissions team are excited to announce that they are running a free informal event for parents to learn about the primary application process. They will be offering friendly and supportive advice from Admissions, Family Information Service, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and Free School Meals teams.
This will be on Wednesday 14th December from 9.00am-6.00pm at Catford Library. BOOK HERE
You can also sign up for our weekly emails – these go out weekly every Tuesday with tips, advice, and reminders. SIGN UP HERE Reception Reading Cafe
We invited parents in to read with the children last week in our ‘Reading Cafe’.
It was great that so many of you came along to read with your children. The partnership between home and school is so important.
Lost Property
All lost property is stored in the Club Xtra cupboard. Alison Jupp, our Club Xtra Manager, will get the lost property out every couple of weeks for parents to look through and find anything they may have missing. Unnamed and uncollected items will be sent to the local charity shop. Alison will next display the lost property by the pod in the main playground on Friday 1st December from 3.00pm to 3.30pm.
INSET Day Change Reminder
Due to a change in teacher training, we are moving the INSET day from 17th April 2023 to 4th January 2023. This will mean that children will return to school on 5th January for the spring term and on 17th April for the summer term. We have updated the term dates on the website to reflect the change. Term Dates 2022-2023
Class News
Copper Class News
A big change in Year 6 is that we spend our afternoon in topic groups rather than our classes. We rotate three times a week, so everyone
Jade Class News
This week in Jade Class we have been busy learning all about light and shadows. We learned that a shadow is formed when an object blocks
Cinnamon Class News
We have had a busy week in Cinnamon class, making explorers’ pouches. We designed our pouches, learned to thread a needle and have used a running
Violet Class News
This week, children in Violet class have taken part in lots of fantastic learning and we are pleased to be able to share with you some
Cobalt Class News
In English this week we have been finishing our innovative narratives based on our focus text “Cinnamon”. We have included direct speech, expanded noun phrases and
Orchid Class News
This half term in Orchid class our topic is ‘We Are Explorers!’ We’ve had so much fun using our passports to travel to different countries including
Indigo Class News
This week in Indigo class, the children are further exploring the impact of WWII on Britain and the world. The children have become historians and are
Amber Class News
In Amber Class we have been learning all about toys. We launched our topic with a visit to the Horniman Museum and we learnt about toys
Emerald Class News
In English, we have have been reading the book ‘Sulwe’ and learning that it’s important that we like ourselves and see our value even if others don’t.
Letters sent home
Year 2 Polar Express
Reception Newsletter 02 12 2022
The Turning of the Year Concert 2022
Parent Representative for Turquoise
Groove School Winter Warmer Concert
Parent Representatives for Reception
Reception Winter Singing Show
Jade Class – Parent Representative
Reception Newsletter – 25 11 2022
Lavender Class – Local Walk
Indigo Class – Local Walk
Violet Class – Local Walk
Governors' News
the Governors
Well, it’s now December and we have two weeks left of term – where has the time gone?? The next couple of weeks will be full of shows and festivities, please keep an eye on texts and emails so you’re aware of what’s going on.
From a governors’ perspective we have our Full Governing Body meeting on 8th December, where we will review the progress on the priorities for this school year. All individual committee meetings have taken place this term already.
Thank you to Simonè and the team for organising the winter clothes bank, such a brilliant initiative. If you have any ideas on how to further help the KG community at any point, please do get in touch.
If you need to contact the governors, you can email us on: governors@kelvingrove.lewisham.sch.uk Community News
Children's Centre
Babies & Crawlers at Eliot Bank CFC on Mondays 10.00-11.30
Snack& Chat at Eliot Bank CFC on Mondays 11.45-12.30
Latino Bambino Toddlers 9.30-10.15 & Latino Bambino Babies 10.15-11.00 at TNG on Tuesdays
Giant Messy Play at TNG on Wednesdays 10.00-11.30
Adventure Time (soft play) at TNG on Thursdays 10.00-11.30
Sydenham Community Supermarket at Kelvin Grove CFC on Thursdays 9.00-12.00 & 13.00-15.00 £3.50 membership fee per week – last shopping day 22/12/2022 – re-opens 05/01/2023
Mini Chefs at Eliot Bank CFC on Thursdays 13.00-14.30
L.I.F.E. Cooking Sessions for mums aged 16-35 at Eliot Bank CFC on Fridays 11.00 -13.15
Free Legal Advice Duncan Lewis via phone on Fridays 10.00-12.00
All sessions held at TNG will be charged £2 per adult/Low income families are free
Children’s Centre Timetable Autumn 2022
Please join our Facebook page: Eliot and Kelvin for the latest updates.
Global Camps @ Kelvin Grove
If you are looking for child care over the Christmas period, then look no further. Global Camps will be running at Kelvin Grove School from 19th to 23rd December.
Global Camps are offering Kelvin Grove families a 10% discount, use code HJA247 when you book. CLICK HERE TO BOOK
A Global Experience…
At Global Camps we pride ourselves on our innovative programme, which offers a rounded mixture of foreign language learning, sports and outdoor and creative education to keep kids active and engaged during the school holidays. Children feel safe, fulfilled and make lasting friends and memories. That’s why children come back to us again and again!
Meet Santa
Come along and meet Santa at:
Dragonfly Yoga Studios, 22a-24 Sydenham Road, SE26 5WQ
Saturday 17th December 2022, 2.00-5.00pm
- Face painting
- North Pole Post
- Craft table
- Reindeer food
- Cakes
- Hot Chocolate
- Lucky Dip
- Mulled Wine
- Mince Pies
Book tickets here @ £4: www.sydenhamcommunityproject.com
Lighting Up Sydenham
Gather around the new sustainable Christmas tree (by the Sydenham Centre) with Ellie Reeves MP, Father Christmas and Lewisham Mayoress for:
– Turning on of the Christmas tree and street lights
– Carol singing
– Our Lady and St Philip Neri Primary School brass band
– St Bart’s School choir
– Free mulled wine, mince pies and squash
Refreshments for the whole family at Ignition Brewery
Lots of great prizes to be won for kids and adults alike with lucky dip and raffle!
Saturday 3rd December 2022, 4.00pm
Festive Football Christmas Camp
Our Christmas Camp is the perfect festive football fix to keep the children busy over another break from school.
Book now to secure a place – 21st and 22nd December 2022, 9.30am – 3.30pm
Boys and girls aged 4 – 12, £25 per day or £45 for two days (10% sibling discount)
Goals, Eltham SE9 5LY
Inspire – Nurture – Develop – Achieve
Ballers Sports Coaching
Ballers is a local sports coaching company that provides football and basketball coaching for primary aged children.
Read more on each of the following flyers if you think your child may be interested:
Ballers Basketball ages 6-8 and 9-10 at Sydenham School
Ballers Saturday Soccer School ages 6-8, 9-10 and 11-12 at Alexandra Road
Lightopia - Crystal Palace Park
The ultimate winter light festival is bigger and brighter than ever this Christmas! Bursting with exciting new installations, a mesmerising festive water show and some very special star guests!! The award-winning Lightopia Festival returns to Crystal Palace Park, bringing its incredible light show to London for the second year, and it’s bigger and brighter than ever this time!
