Dear Parents and Carers,

What a hot week it has been. The children have been brilliant at staying in the shade, wearing hats, and drinking plenty of water. It looks like the warm weather will continue, so please ensure your child has sunscreen on.

On Monday, during our music assembly, we were very fortunate to enjoy a musical performance by Daniel and Tommi, who played traditional Chinese instruments. The instruments are called Erhu and Yangqin. They performed three pieces: Butterfly Lovers, Golden Snake Dance, and General's Mandate. The children are very talented musicians, and it was a delight to hear them. Well done, Daniel and Tommi and a big thank you to their parents for their support.

Buttercup delivered an exciting assembly about Anansi the spider and his adventures. Buttercup class were confident and spoke with enthusiasm. Well done, Buttercup class.

Ocean class performed a wonderful assembly about food and its origins. This was their first assembly and they were brilliant. They spoke with confidence and sang beautifully. Well done, Ocean class.

On Wednesday, Year 1 enjoyed a magical day at the Discover Children’s Centre, where they participated in an engaging storytelling workshop based on the story of Billy and the Beast. The interactive session brought the story to life, inspiring the children to use their imaginations as they explored Billy’s world and her furry companion. The children were captivated by the storytelling and the creative activities that enhanced their understanding of the characters and plot. They also explored a specially themed Billy and the Beast circus area, filled with fun and engaging experiences. It was wonderful to see how inspired the children were by the story, and they behaved beautifully throughout the visit. Well done, Year 1.

On Thursday, Year 5 participated in an illustration workshop organised and led by author and illustrator Laura Carlin, who has been commissioned to create sculptures for the Quentin Blake Centre at its new location in New River Head, Islington. The centre is expected to be completed in 2026 and will showcase everything related to illustration, including galleries, workshops, and a café. Part of its design features a beautiful garden with an outdoor seating area, which includes a large horse sculpture. The horse reflects the site's history as a Water Company where horsepower was once utilised. The sculpture aims to represent the local area, the schools, and the children who are part of it. The children were asked to write about the borough where they live—favourite places, trees, cafés... how they get to school, what makes their community special, and what could be improved. They then sketched, wrote, and drew their ideas. Laura Carlin collected all of these, which will be incorporated into the horse sculpture that will be a highlight of the Quentin Blake Centre’s gardens. The children enjoyed the workshop and look forward to seeing their illustrations when the centre opens in 2026.

Nursery had a lovely family event today and please see the attached photos as they show what a great time they had.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch today to celebrate Windrush Day. The menu featured chicken or vegetarian Jamaican patties, rice and peas, grilled plantain, and coleslaw. For dessert, they had Jamaican banana bread or tropical fruit salad.

Next week, we will celebrate Hispanic Week. On Thursday, the children will enjoy grilled chicken or black bean and cheese tacos, served with rice, sweetcorn, salsa, guacamole, and chipotle cream. They will have pineapple upside-down cake or vegan coconut ice cream for pudding.

Our Summer Fair takes place on Saturday, 5th July, and we will need volunteers for stalls, tidying up, and clearing away. We are really looking forward to seeing you there. Please sign up; any help is greatly appreciated. We also have an exciting raffle with tickets available online. Please purchase tickets and encourage family and friends to do the same. The raffle proceeds significantly support our funds, so sharing the link below would be very helpful.

Here’s just a taste of what you could win:

- 1-month Platinum Membership at InstaGym

- £55 cake voucher at Luminary Bakery

- Polarised sunglasses worth £145 from Ollie Quinn

- Screenings at Rio Cinema

- Date night babysitting from Bubble

- Wine tasting at Yield

- Lunch or dinner at some of our favourite local pubs

- Hampers worth over £200

- Personal training sessions worth £255

- 3 days at Simon’s Sports Camp

- 2 tickets plus a book signing for *In Conversation with Asako Yuzuki*

- Haircuts at Mancave, Crops & Bobbers, and free coffee for a week

Link to raffle: https://galabid.com/bettylaywardraffle

More prizes are being added regularly, so please keep buying tickets. Good luck! The draw closes at 3pm on 5th July.

On Thursday, 3rd July, we will have a non-uniform day. Children may wear their own clothes in exchange for donating a bottle of alcohol, toiletries, or new or nearly new toys. All donations are warmly welcomed. Thank you for being so supportive.

Year 6 will be going on a residential trip to France next week, and we hope they have an amazing time.

Have a lovely weekend and enjoy the sunshine,

Jessica

Headteacher