Dear Parents and Carers,

We have had a lovely week, and we hope you have too. Peach class delivered a fantastic class assembly explaining the life cycle of a bean, showing how a seed grows into a plant through stages such as germination, growth, and flowering. They also told the story of Jim and the Beanstalk, in which Jim climbs a giant beanstalk and helps a giant using kindness and clever ideas. The children clearly intertwined storytelling with science. Well done, Peach class.

On Thursday, the children were visited by Fab Science, who led a workshop on forces. These sessions explored how air pressure can be used to squeeze a hard-boiled egg into a glass beaker. How the difference in pressure between gravity and air pressure can help a ping pong ball stop water from rushing out of a container. And, how the Bernoulli Principle can be created by a leaf blower to keep a beach ball floating in mid-air, just like when an aeroplane creates lift to fly. The children very much enjoyed the workshops and asked lots of probing questions about forces. 

It is Mental Health Week next week, and the theme is Action, Action, this year’s theme, because while awareness is vital, real change comes when we take action too. Being kind to others and to ourselves is a key part of that. We are asking that the children wear as much green as possible on Monday (including school uniform), as green is the colour that represents Mental Health and it is a lovely way to start Mental Health Week. The children will be carrying out different activities all week. We are always letting the children know the importance of talking and being kind to each other. It is important that we all take care of our own mental health and look after each other.

Next week is the Year 6 SATs. We are so proud of all our Year 6 children and how well they are doing. We know they will do their best. Year 6 children can come in early for breakfast Monday to Thursday. We also know that all children are more than their SATs results, and they should be incredibly proud of who they are and what they have already achieved. We are very proud of them. Good luck, Year 6.

A massive thank you to all the children who are fundraising. This includes Emmett, Freddy, Silas and Luca, amongst others. We know who you are and how great you are. It is quite incredible to see all the enthusiasm and kindness from them. It is also lovely to see how proud they are of the fundraising. Thank you for your support with this, too.

Today marks Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday. To honour a remarkable champion of the natural world, the children took part in a live Picture News assembly that commemorated his life and legacy on his 100th birthday. Together, they explored his work, the wonders of the natural world, and why protecting our planet matters more than ever. Through images, discussion and thoughtful questions, pupils reflected on how one person’s voice can inspire global change and what each of them can do to care for the world around them.

On 16th May, a record 116 children and 20 parents will run the final mile of the Hackney School Challenge at Hackney Marshes. This is the largest number of entries from any school in Hackney, which is amazing. This final mile will complete a full half-marathon, following a series of similar runs at school over the spring and summer terms. There is no cost to enter, and even the t-shirt every runner receives is covered. There is a GoFundMe to raise funds for the event, with a £25 sponsorship target per runner. All money raised will go directly towards essential equipment and learning resources at Betty Layward. Here is the donation link: https://gofund.me/df92af551. Thank you for all your support with this, and to the parents and carers who are organising.

There will be a new PTFA event on Friday, 5th June. There is a cocktail-making class for parents and carers, and a silent disco in the playground for the children. More details to follow and tickets can be purchased soon.

Have a lovely weekend,

Jessica

Headteacher