This is the place where you will be able to read my weekly newsletters. Thanks for taking the time to read them, Jessica

• Newsletter Friday 27th September 2024

  Fri 27 Sep 2024 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  We have not let this wet weather get the better of us this week. We have had a great week. Thank you for attending your Meet the Teacher meetings. It was great to see you there. We look forward to seeing you at next week's Reception and Nursery meetings. Please remember we have the Reception and Year 1 phonics and reading workshop on Wednesday at 3:30pm. We hope you can make it. The slides for the parent’s meetings are on the website.

   

  Please remember to look at our knowledge organisers on the website to help support your child’s learning with the curriculum from Years 1 – 6. The link for this is

  https://www.bettylayward.hackney.sch.uk/knowledge-organisers/

  October is Black History Month. In today’s world, stories are powerful tools that shape how we understand our past, present, and future. For too long, the history of Black communities has been told through lenses that often misrepresent, oversimplify, or entirely overlook the rich and diverse experiences of those who lived it. But 2024 is set to be a transformative year. Black History Month UK has unveiled its compelling theme: Reclaiming Narratives. This theme encourages us to shine a spotlight on the untold stories, the unsung heroes, and the everyday individuals who have made an indelible impact on our communities. One of the most exciting aspects of Reclaiming Narratives is its potential to inspire and educate the next generation. This theme offers a fresh perspective on Black history that goes beyond the traditional focus on slavery and civil rights. It’s about celebrating Black excellence in all its forms—whether in the arts, sciences, politics, or everyday life. As well as activities for the children and visitors invited to come and talk to the children at school there will also be a Black History event for families on Wednesday 16th October from 3:30-5pm in the school hall. More information will follow. We hope to see you there.

   

  I want to say a massive well done and thank you to Cem, Didem and Deniz who raised £65 for school by selling books and toys.  They were incredible at being very proactive in setting up the stall, making posters, pricing their stock and getting people to stop and take a look. Well done Cem, Didem and Deniz, this is amazing and very much appreciated.

   

  It was lovely to see some of you at Reception’s first Family Friday today. There will be more opportunities to visit this term. It was lovely to see parents are carers reading with the children.

   

  Thank you for not blocking the front entrance in the mornings and afternoons. It really makes a difference for the children coming in. Please can you continue to keep the school entrance clear. Thank you.

   

  I hope you have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

  

• Newsletter Friday 20th September 2024

  Fri 20 Sep 2024 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  We have had a great week. The sun was shining for us and to make the most of the lovely weather all the children ate lunch outside on Thursday. The children really enjoyed it and it was lovely to see.

   

  The African Caribbean Education Network visited us this week and Years 4, 5 and 6 had an anti-racism presentation and Years 5 and 6 had a workshop on Understanding Black British History and Racial Inequality today. The staff then had training with ACEN. What we all learnt was the importance of-

  • discussing and asking questions about racism in an open and safe environment
  • using techniques like active listening to help develop understanding 
  • exploring what a stereotype is and start to challenge assumptions we hear and see in the media  
  • celebrating others’ differences and similarities  
  • being empowered to create an anti-racist environment.  

  We always let the children know they have a voice and why it is also important to be an upstander and let people know if they see or hear any unacceptable behaviours they can speak out. If they feel safe they can say something there and then or they can get an adult to come and help. Our children know this and are good at telling adults about unacceptable behaviour. We want to ensure all our children feel safe to say when something is not okay.  The facilitators from ACEN were very impressed by our children and staff and the contributions they made during the presentation, workshops and training. That is always lovely to hear. A massive thank you to ACEN who worked with us and we look forward to continuing to work with them.

   

  Thank you for coming to our International Food Welcome Event today.  It was lovely to see so many of you there. Thank you for your help and donations too. This is such a lovely way to start the school year.

   

  This week some children in Y3 and 4 competed against other Hackney schools in tennis.  They were supportive of each other and had a lovely positive attitude.  

  Both teams were successful and came back as winners.  Well done to everyone who took part.

   

  A team of Year 4 girls took part in a football competition on Wednesday 18th September at Mabley Green. The girls started with three league games: winning one against Olive School, drawing one against Gayhurst School, and losing one to Shacklewell, which meant we qualified for the quarter-finals. During the quarter-finals, Betty Layward and Millfields had a close encounter, which went to penalties, which we unluckily lost despite some really good penalty kicks. Well done to all the children who took part. We are very proud of you.

   

  Mara showed us the costume she will be wearing in the Hackney Carnival on Sunday during Star of the Week assembly today. Hackney Carnival returns on Sunday, 22nd September 2024. The street parade will be the highlight of the day and feature eye-catching costumes, soul-stirring music and a spectacle of talents from over 30 parade groups. The parade begins at 12:00pm and finishes at 5:00pm. There will also be a wide range of other sites and sounds across Hackney. Here are just a few of the highlights: 

  Hackney Town Hall Square

  It’s a carnival take-over down at the Hackney Town Hall square. Come see a mix of thrilling street arts, bass sound systems and live performances from special guests. 

  St John’s Walled Garden
  For everyone - everyone can get into the spirit at this family friendly disco and activities from Hackney favourites DISCO LOCO! 

  St John’s Church
  Nestled in the front gardens of St John’s church is a family area with food, fun activities and a relaxed atmosphere. 

  Food Market
  No need to dance on an empty stomach. Fuel up and get refreshed with cuisines of the world. Head to the Tesco car park in Morning Lane.

   

  https://www.lovehackney.uk/hackney-carnival

   

  Have a lovely weekend and enjoy the Carnival if you are able to go.

  Jessica

  Headteacher

   

  

• Newsletter Friday 13th September 2024

  Fri 13 Sep 2024 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  Our first whole week back has been great. The new Reception and Nursery children have settled in brilliantly and we are so proud of them. It is like they have been here for ages. When I pop into the classrooms they are happy, focused and having a great time. Well done Reception and Nursery.  Welcome to all our new families as well. 

   

  We have our International Food Welcome Event next Friday (20th September). This starts after school and there will be delicious food and drinks. You pay £8 for an adult plate and £4 for a child's plate. We also ask for donations of food. It would be much appreciated if you could make something or donate a dish. It is a really nice event and gives new families to meet others and it is also lovely to see all our familiar families. Please donate and please come. 

   

  Betty Layward has been awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag. Well done to Emma (year 6 teacher), the children in the eco committee and all the other children and adults who made this happen. We are very proud of this. The Eco-Schools Green Flag is the perfect way to acknowledge, reward and celebrate the ecological achievements of young people. It clearly demonstrates that their hard work is appreciated, and it provides them with the confidence and motivation needed to continue actively engaging with environmental issues throughout their lifetimes. Finally, it also tells local communities that we are forward-thinking and promote child-led environmental education and action.

   

  Thank you for returning the letters of interest about your child learning a new instrument. The instrument lessons we have remaining for children in years 2 - 6 are trumpet, violin, flute, clarinet and saxophone. Please email admin@bettylayward.org if you would like to book your child into lessons for the year or would like more information. 

   

  On Wednesday, we had the first online safety assembly of the year. We discussed the SMART online safety guidelines, and that children should always speak to an adult if they see anything that worries them online. All children will be signing a 'safe internet use in school' agreement next week. 

   

  Please check you have downloaded the Arbor app. Please set up an account. Any problems let us know and Rebecca (rebeccaday@bettylayward.org) deals with payments so please get in touch with her if there are any issues with those.

   

  Children can bring in individual cupcakes for their birthday. We cannot allow large cakes, sweets or any other items. Please make or buy items that do not contain nuts as we are a nut-free school. Thank you.

   

  Please can I remind you that the gate opens for Years 3, 4,5 and 6 is at 8:50. The children can walk in on their own. We then let Years 2, 1, Reception and Nursery in at 8:55 and they need to be accompanied by an adult. We ask that you walk all the way round and out of that car park gate. The only reason to come back to the front gate is if your child needs to collect their bike or scooter. This avoids congestion. Please could you pass this information on to other people who drop off or collect your child. That would be really appreciated. Thank you. 

   

  We have Grandparent's Week coming up during the week beginning 21st October. This is a lovely opportunity when Grandparents can come into their grandchild’s class and read a story or talk to them about an interest. More details will follow. 

  Please can you ensure you have completed the form about who can pick your child up. Thanks.

   

  Please remember to check the calendar on the website for dates. You can link your own calendar to it and it will automatically transfer dates over. We have meet the teacher sessions coming up and we would really like to see you there.

   

  Have a lovely weekend. Hopefully, the sun will continue to shine,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

   

   

   

• Newsletter Friday 6th September 2024

  Fri 06 Sep 2024 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  Welcome back. I hope you had a brilliant summer. It is lovely to see all the children back. It is great to see them. I really enjoyed watching them saying hello to each other and they were so happy to see each other. It was a pleasure to watch. They have come back with big smiles and ready for the new academic year.

   

  The solar panels are up. We have already started to use them and it will be great to see a difference in our electricity bills. Thank you to everyone who has helped fundraise for this project. This includes parents, carers, children and staff. By working together we were able to make this project happen really quickly and it will make a big difference to the school.

   

  Year 5 and 6 can walk home from school on their own if we receive permission from you. You can also leave permission for year 5 and 6 children to walk home after clubs. Please ensure you give permission for these if this is okay as we cannot let a child walk home on their own without it.  The children can also bring in mobile phones but they must hand them in to the teacher straight away. We are going to encourage children to not have smartphones because of the following reasons –

  • Sleep issues: Using smartphones before bed can disrupt sleep patterns because the bright light from the screen prevents the body from producing melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. 
  • Mental health: Excessive use of smartphones can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. 
  • Cyberbullying: Children are vulnerable to cyberbullying, which can cause psychological distress and mental health issues. 
  • Social skills: Spending more time on a smartphone than interacting with people can impair social skills development. 
  • Physical health: Excessive use of smartphones can lead to a sedentary lifestyle, which is associated with physical health problems. 
  • Access to unsuitable content: Smartphones provide unfettered access to the internet, which can expose children to unsuitable content. 
  • Eye strain: Smartphones can cause eye strain. 
  • Decreased attention span: Smartphones can lead to a decreased attention span. 
  • Phone theft: Smartphones are at risk of being stolen. 
  •  

  I am aware that ultimately it is a parent and carer’s decision which phone their child has but I would really appreciate the above being thought about. Thank you for your support with this.

   

  Please remember to walk around the school after drop off and when you collect. Please do not go back through the main gate. This avoids congestion. Key Stage 2 come in on their own at 8:50am and Key Stage 1, Reception and Nursery come in accompanied by an adult at 8:55am. The collection time for Key Stage 2 is 3:10pm and the collection time for Key Stage 1, Reception and Nursery is 3:15pm. Thank you.

   

  Please remember to look at the website calendar for dates. There are meetings coming up which gives you the opportunity to meet the teacher and hear about what your child will be learning this year. We hope you can make these.

   

  We have our International Food Welcome Event on Friday 20^th September at 3:30pm . I would really appreciate any dishes or food donations that you could make for this and we really hope you can come. It is a great opportunity to welcome new families.

  We are really excited that Nursery and Reception start back on Monday and we cannot wait to see them.

   

  Have a lovely weekend and it is so great to have you all back,

  Jessica

  Headteacher