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 8th September 2023

  Fri 08 Sep 2023 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  It is so lovely to be back. I hope you have had a great summer. Welcome to our new academic year. We have an exciting year ahead. Summer still seems to be here which is great for the beginning of term. The children have come back with huge smiles and have settled into their new classes really well. It is fabulous to see them. Welcome to all our new children and their families. I hope you will be really happy here. We are really thrilled you are part of the Betty Layward community.

   

  The upstairs has been decorated and most classrooms have been refloored. It looks amazing. It had not been done for years and the flooring was over 20 years old. It is astounding how much difference bright new white paint and fresh new floors can make. The company did not order enough flooring so two classrooms and the ICT suite will have their floors fitted in the half term holidays. A nice environment for the children is crucial for effective learning as they are in the classrooms all day and I am so pleased they now all have it. We do still need to raise the rest of the money to pay for this so thank you for your support.

  The sail shades were also due to be put up in the holidays but have been delayed due to the company being busy over the summer and the weather delaying some of the jobs before us. They should be put up this term though. Thank you for raising the money for this too.

   

  The children are really enjoying their new school lunches and I am so pleased that all children have access to school lunches at no cost to you this year. They are really delicious and the new company work well with our school ethos; putting the children first and ensuring that we are using good quality ingredients and minimising food waste. Please look at their website – Fuel for learning and see how they work. We are really thrilled they are here and Damian, the chef, is serving and talking to the children every day which is really lovely to see. They are often complimenting the chef. It is so lovely to see them happy while they are eating.

   

  We have our International Welcome event in the playground on Friday 22^nd September at 3:30 pm. This was really lovely last year and it is a great opportunity for families to meet each other, especially new families. We will be selling dishes from around the world but to do this I would really appreciate donations of a dish from you. There will also be a BBQ and refreshments. We will be selling food by the plate and there will also be drinks. If you would like to help me set up and help at the event I would also really appreciate it. Please let me know. Any money raised will go towards the decorating of the upstairs classrooms. Thank you for wanting to support this.

   

  Please remember to put your child’s name in their uniform and any other clothing they wear to school. It would be great to see less lost property this year. We do not allow crocs or backless shoes as footwear so please remember this.

  Thank you for being such a great community and I am really looking forward to this school year. If you need anything please ask. Have a lovely weekend and enjoy the sunshine.

   

  Jessica

  Headteacher

   

   

   

• Friday 21st July 2023

  Fri 21 Jul 2023 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  I cannot believe this year is finishing today. What a great year it has been, and much of that has been down to you. We say goodbye to our Year 6 children. They have been fantastic and are a credit to you as well as themselves. They were my first Reception class so I have seen them all the way through their time at Betty Layward and what a privilege that has been. Their performance of the Wizard of Oz was amazing and such a lovely way to say goodbye to them. I wish them all well for their next journey at Secondary school. Each school is lucky to have them. Well done Year 6. Keep shining. 

   

  Thank you for all your support.  I am so lucky to be the headteacher of such a lovely school with such a great community. You run and help at events, you donate via direct debit as well as many other great ways of supporting us. Thank you. It means a lot. 

   

  We have a new catering company in September. We are really looking forward to working with them. They are called Fuel for Learning and their food is delicious and sourced locally. All lunches (apart from nursery) are free next year so I do hope you will encourage the children to have school lunches and take up this offer. 

   

  Well done to the PTFA and Project Renovate. The good news is we are halfway to the amount needed for the decoration. As it’s hard to find time to get all those classrooms decorated and re-floored we are having the work done this summer. We need to definitely raise the other half now. We are also having the sail shades installed in the holidays. This is exciting as it will offer more shade to our children while they play. 

   

  Thank you for the 20ps today. We raised £908.50. This will go towards Project Renovate. Year 4 raised the moved the most money by raising £409 as a year group. Both classes received £20 to spend as they wish in Year 5. 

   

  We have so much to look forward to next year. The Opal playground project starts in September and we will be providing the children with different opportunities at lunchtime. The new curriculum is in place and going well. It is a joy listening to the children talk about their learning and using the vocabulary linked to the subject areas. 

   

  I am sure you will join me in saying a huge thank you to all the staff. They are caring, hardworking and dedicated and a pleasure to work with. We are lucky to have such a great team at Betty Layward. 

   

  Your children are amazing. They make me smile every day. Their behaviour, including their learning behaviour, is exemplary. They are wonderful to spend time with. Thank you for giving us the privilege of sending your child to Betty Layward. We really love having them. I hope you have a really lovely summer. 

   

  Jessica 

  Headteacher 

• Friday 14th July 2023

  Fri 14 Jul 2023 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

  One week to go! Time has flown by. A massive well done to Year 6 for their SATs results. The reading paper was exceptionally hard this year and there was an enormous amount to read in a very short time. The children did amazingly well and we are really proud of them. Every child in Year 6 was Star of the Week today. Well done Year 6.

   

  The children visited their new classes yesterday and really enjoyed their time in their new year group. They will be doing the same on Monday so that they are really familiar with their new adults and classrooms.

   

  We have a busy last week next week with the Year 6 show and presentation on Tuesday followed by the garden party. We look forward to seeing the Year 6 parents and carers there (only 2 guests per child please).

   

  We finish at 2pm on Friday and there is no after school provision so please ensure your child is picked up on time.

   

  Thank you to the organisers of our Eid event today. Such delicious food and treats. It was a great success. Thank you to those of you who supported the event and donated too.

   

  Thank you to the organisers of the auction and even though it was a shame we had to postpone it I know it will be great in the Autumn Term.

   

  I am so proud of Juno in Year 4 who decided to make and sell loom bands to raise money for the school. She made £20. Well done Juno. Please see the attached photo.

  It is 20p day on the last day of term so please make sure your child brings their 20ps in next week. Thank you for supporting us with this. It is much appreciated.

   

  Here is an easy way to earn money for the PTFA! Order name tags for your children's uniform and never lose an item again. Please go to www.MyNametags.com and use the School ID 65659 (please insert your school id at the checkout page/delivery address) they will give 24% back to the school, it is as simple as that.

   

  There is a picnic in Clissold Park after school closes on Friday next week. This is not a PTFA event. This is just an opportunity for all families to come together. Everyone is welcome.

   

  Have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

   

  

• Friday 7th July 2023

  Fri 07 Jul 2023 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

  Well done Cerise class on a wonderful assembly about electricity. You taught us a lot and also reminded us about how to keep safe. Well done Cerise class, you were marvellous.

  Thank you for your support with the NEU strikes this week. I appreciate it is difficult and disruptive. Let’s hope a decision is made soon.

   

  What a fantastic Summer Fair. I heard so many wonderful comments about how great it was, so well done to everyone who organised, helped, donated, cooked and tidied up. It was a really successful community event. So successful it has raised about £7800, which is amazing. Well done to the Betty Layward community. What a wonderful group you are.

   

  We are having an Eid event after school on Friday 14^th July. Please join us. There will be delicious food and some activities. Thank you to the parents who are organising this. We are very grateful.

   

  Please remember to buy your tickets for the Auction which is on 14^th July in the evening. Thank you for any donations. This is to help raise funds to decorate the upstairs classrooms.

  A parent of the school has created a really interesting film about online safety. Please watch. Thank you to those of you who came to our meeting on online safety. Please attend the virtual workshop if you could not make the one at school, as this area is really important and there is more to understand and to be aware of. The link to the film is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UY2HOpuTlk

   

  Have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

• Friday 30th June 2023

  Fri 30 Jun 2023 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  Thank you so much for attending our Parent/Carer events. The children really loved having you there and it was lovely seeing everyone having so much fun. 

   

  We celebrated Hispanic week this week and the children learnt some flamenco dancing. They were very impressive and it was lovely to watch. 

   

  I really hope you can come and support the summer fair tomorrow. This could be helping on a stall, setting up or clearing up. Every bit of help makes a difference. Thank you to the organisers, helpers and parents and carers who are cooking. It is very impressive how you all come together to create a wonderful day. Thank you to everyone who is supporting as these events raise a lot of money and make a huge difference for the children. 

   

  I hope everyone had a Happy Eid this week. We have an Eid event after school on Friday 14th July. There will be delicious food. Please come and support us. 

   

  Last Thursday, 22nd June, Hackney Education held its second Reading Ambassadors Summer Celebration. Two students represented our school and we were fortunate to receive a Gold certificate for all of our efforts to raise the profile of reading at Betty Layward. All of the Reading Ambassadors have put a huge effort into running lunchtime book clubs, presenting assemblies and writing book reviews for our school library. We look forward to building on our successes next year. 

   

  We had our new Reception parents meeting this week and I would like to welcome all out new parents. You are very lucky to be part of such a wonderful and supportive community. 

   

  Please make sure you have signed up for your parent/carer’s meeting on Arbor. Any issues with doing this please let us know as we are all very happy to help.

   

  Please remember we are closed on Wednesday and Friday due to the NEU strike. Thank you for your support with this.

   

  Have a lovely weekend and I look forward to seeing you at the fair tomorrow. 

  Jessica 

  Headteacher 

   

  

• Newsletter Friday 23rd June 2023

  Fri 23 Jun 2023 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  Well done to Apricot class, who performed a fantastic assembly this week. They remembered all their lines and told us great facts about travel. Well done Apricot class. You were impressive.

   

  Thank you for all your donations today. They are greatly appreciated. We are looking forward to the summer fair and thank you to those of you who have volunteered to help. We cannot run these events without you. Please sign up on the board by the school main entrance if you haven’t already done so.

   

  There are NEU teacher’s strikes on Wednesday 5th July and Friday 7th July and the school will be closed on these dates. I am sorry about the inconvenience. Teachers would not be doing this if they did not believe in providing an excellent education for your child. Thank you for your support with this.

   

  Thank you to those of you who attended the online safety workshop. We will also be having a virtual one for those of you who could not attend. We will be sending the time and date soon.

   

  Thank you to those of you who have completed the survey about lunchtime provision. If you haven’t done this please can you. Here is a link to the survey in case you cannot use the QR code.

  https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/YLLS7DX

   

  On Tuesday 13th June some children from year 4 and 5 took part in a football competition at Mabley Green. The boys made it all the way to the semi-finals, Well done everyone and thank you to the parent volunteer who came with us.

   

  On Wednesday 14th June, children from year 5 and 6 went to Clissold Leisure Centre to compete in the annual Hackney swimming gala. It was so much fun and we came back with bronze, silver and gold medals. Well done everyone and thank you to the parent volunteer who accompanied us.

   

  Have a lovely weekend and enjoy the sunshine,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

  

• Newsletter Friday 16th June 2023

  Fri 16 Jun 2023 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  What a great week we have had. Year 6 Ruby presented a lovely assembly about their time at Betty Layward and it was a lovely opportunity to see how they have grown over their time at school. Well done Ruby. 

   

  Thank you for coming to sports day today. What a lovely day. The children were brilliant and I was very impressed by your participation too. Thank you for all your support. I hope you enjoyed it too. 

   

  We have Parents and Carers week coming up soon. Below is your classes time slot. This is an opportunity for you to come and join in with an activity with your child’s class. It’s a fun and a lovely time for you to share and have some fun with your child and their class. I hope you can make it. 

  Monday 26th June - 

  9:45- 10:30 -Saffron

  1:30- 2:15pm - Ocean

  2:15pm-3:00pm- Aqua

   

  Tuesday 27th June -

  9:00-9:45 - Jade

  9:45- 10:30 -Emerald

  1:30- 2:15pm - Lavender

  2:15pm-3:00pm- Violet

   

  Wednesday 28th June -

  9:00-9:45 - Fuchsia

  9:45- 10:30 -Cerise

  1:30- 2:15pm - Ruby

  2:15pm-3:00pm- Chilli

   

  Thursday 29th June -

  9:45- 10:30 -Nursery

  1:30- 2:15pm - Apricot

  2:15pm-3:00pm- Peach

   

  Monday 3rd July-

  9:45- 10:30 -Buttercup

   

  Well done to some of our girls in Year 6 who won the London John Larter Cup. I am really impressed. You are also great ambassadors for girl’s football. 

  The girls wrote- 

  Last Saturday, we played against Islington in a representative game for Hackney. This was the final in the Inner London John Larter Cup. It was a tight battle, but Hackney ended up pulling it off with a goal in the second half - making the final score 1-0. After the final whistle blew, we all ran to our parents and took several victory photos with the cup. This was definitely a memorable experience, and we can't wait to play our next game as a team. 

  By Kenza, Eliza, Joan and Liliana

   

  I have been really impressed this week that the children have remembered sun hats and had sun cream applied. We are also ensuring they drink lots of water. 

   

  I hope you got the questionnaire about our lunch play and have completed it. We are really looking forward to developing our lunch provision. 

   

  I hope you have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica 

  Headteacher 

   

  

• Newsletter Friday 9th June 2023

  Fri 09 Jun 2023 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

  Welcome back after half term. I hope you had a good week. The sun is beginning to shine which is lovely to see. It was also lovely to see all the children back and coming into school with big smiles on their faces.

   

  We are thrilled we have a new counsellor and her name is Arti. She will be working with us on Tuesdays and Fridays. Artie will be helping children with friendships, worries and also working 1:1 with children. She is really looking forward to meeting you all.  We have introduced her to the children.

   

  Class assemblies for this term are -

  Ruby – Wednesday 14th June at 9:10am

  Apricot – Wednesday 21st June at 9:10am

  Cerise – Wednesday 28th June at 9:10am

   

  We have our Sports Day next Friday and we are really looking forward to seeing you there. Please remember to put suntan cream on your child before school. It looks like it will be a warm day but luckily not as hot as last year. Your child will also need to bring a bottle of water labelled with their name. We ask that you stay behind the barriers to allow the children to participate in the activities. There will be a toddlers and parents and carer’s race at the end of each session.

   

  I ask that you do attend our workshop on Internet Safety on Wednesday 21st June at 3:30pm. It is really important that you know and understand the risks of your children being online and how you can help and support them in being safe.

   

  Well done to Iris and Willow, who raised £79.50 for Project Renovate by baking cookies and cakes in the half term and selling them. This was greatly received and the cakes and cookies looked delicious. Well done Iris and Willow.

   

  On Wednesday 7th June, children from year 5 and 6 took part in a football competition at Mabley Green. Well done to the boys and girls’ team and thank you to the parent volunteer for their help and support.

   

  Eliza received an award for being the top goal scorer for the girl’s league with 20 plus goals. Well done Eliza, that is impressive.

   

  Simon won Coach of the Year. We were not surprised as he does such an amazing job. Well done Simon and thank you for all your hard work with running all the competitions.

   

  Please remember to keep saving those 20ps. We will be collecting them towards the end of this term. We really appreciate your support with this.

   

  Have a lovely weekend and enjoy the sunshine,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

  

• Newsletter Thursday 25th May

  Thu 25 May 2023 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

  Thank you for a brilliant half term. Thank you for your kindness and support. We hope you enjoyed BLastonbury. We really did. Thank you for coming and supporting too.

   

  Just a few dates for your diary -  Friday 16^th June is Sports Day and Nursery, Reception and KS1 will be in the morning and KS2 will be in the afternoon. It will be in Clissold Park and we look forward to seeing you there.

   

  We have Parents and Carers Week the week beginning 26^th June and we will send you more details nearer the time. This is a lovely afternoon when you can come and enjoy some outdoor activities with your child’s class.

   

  Our last parents’ meetings will be on Thursday 13^th July and we will close at 1pm that day.

   

  Thank you to all the parents, carers, family members and children who ran the Hackney Half and the final mile. I was so impressed with the amount of people who ran and supported the event. Thank you. It has raised over £6000 so far and we know there is more sponsorship money to come. Very impressive. A big thank you to the organisers too.

   

  I hope you have a lovely bank holiday and half term and we look forward to seeing you on Monday 5^th June,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

• Friday 19th May 2023

  Fri 19 May 2023 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  We have had a busy week. The Year 6 children had a wonderful week away in Norfolk and were absolutely brilliant. They had a camp fire, an amazing amount of activities and a lot of fun. They had the best time and they so deserved it. We are incredibly proud of them.

   

  Jade class performed an amazing assembly on Wednesday and demonstrated excellent historical knowledge, performing skills and timing. We were all very impressed. Well done Jade class.

   

  Blastonbury is on Thursday 25th May at 2pm in the playground. The children will be singing songs from around the world. Please stay behind the tape and enjoy. You will pick your child up from school as normal. We look forward to seeing you there. 

   

  Well done to Kenza in Year 6 who won their category, Ages 10 and under for Science Journalist of the Year, in the Global Young Journalist Awards 2023.  They received many outstanding entries this year, and we want to say a big congratulations for this incredible achievement. Kenza’s entry truly impressed the judges, and they were proud to recognise her talent and hard work. This is an incredible and amazing achievement. Well done Kenza. I have attached the entry.

   

  The Hackney Children’ Mile for the Hackney Half takes place tomorrow. I am really grateful to everyone who is participating and raising money for the school. If you are taking part please arrive at the marshes for 8:45am so you have time to find everyone. If you are late there won't be anyone at the meeting point anymore as everyone will have moved to the starting line.  We have 106 people to register and there are 1500 children taking part from across the borough, all wearing the same t-shirt, so please be prompt and patient until you find the Betty Layward children and families.  This have raised at least £6,100 so far!!  (this includes GIFTAID) and here is the page if you or anyone else would like to sponsor us  

   

  https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bettylaywardprojectrenovate

   

  Thank you for supporting the school with this; the organisers, runners and anyone who has sponsored us. It is greatly appreciated.

   

  On Tuesday 16th May, girls and boys from year 4 and 5 played in a football match against Kingsmead and Mandeville primary schools. We played some very good football. The boys lost both games and the girls drew 1-1 against Kingsmead and then recorded a victory over Mandeville, 1-0 with a goal from Zoe. Thank you to the children who took part.  We are very proud of you.  Thank you to the parent volunteers for coming to help.

   

  On Wednesday 17th May, children from year 4 took part in an Aquathlon festival at Clissold Leisure Centre. There were many different events like picking up glow sticks from the bottom of the pool, a relay race using noodles and floats, and many more activities. Thank you to the children who took part and the parent volunteer who came to help.

   

  Thank you for all your support with the bingo last week. It was a great evening and a great success. Thank you to everyone who came and a massive thank you to the organisers, host and performers. We are happy to say the final amount raised from Betty's Disco Bingo was £4140 and an amazing £975 was raised in REWIND donations alone. Well done everyone.

   

  Thank you for all your support and kindness. I hope you have a lovely weekend and enjoy the Hackney Half Marathon.

   

  Jessica

  Headteacher

   

  Massive Hole on the Sun’s Surface – How does this affect our planet?
  Have you ever pondered about the mysteries of the Sun? Or why we need to study the Sun’s activities?
  A new phenomenon has left scientists stunned. NASA have detected a coronal hole on the Sun’s surface that can disrupt radio transmissions and cause damage to satellites and electrical transmission line facilities, resulting in massive and long-lasting power outages. With the coronal hole being approximately 20 times larger than Earth, this has prompted US federal agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to send out a high alert as
  geomagnetic storms are unleashing 1.8 million mile-per-hour solar winds towards Earth, predicted to hit us on 25 th March at a G1 level.
  Coronal holes appear as dark areas in the outermost part of the Sun's atmosphere (solar corona), as Extrema Ultra-Violet (EUV) and soft x-ray solar images. The open configuration of the magnetic field in coronal holes allows particles to escape, and it is found that these holes are sources of high-speed
  solar wind streams.
  “Events like these are of great interest to us scientifically to further understand our Sun’s 11-year solar cycle, but are also important for us to evaluate how these winds might affect technology in orbit, like GPS (Global Positioning System)” said Machine Learning researcher at Swinburne University of Technology, Dr. Sara Webb.
  The coronal hole produced auroras far further south than usual, with the skies in Arizona turning an electric purple and green, but why?
  A coronal hole will cause solar wind to travel faster and carry a higher density of particles, therefore bringing more to the Earth’s magnetosphere. A higher density of these particles creates the bigger aurora storms that we all love to hunt. This leads to rare occurrences of the auroras as south as New York and Idaho. With this information, scientists hope to develop our understanding of coronal holes and possibly share their knowledge with future generations to protect our home.
  Only time will tell what other mysteries we can learn from the Sun.
  By Kenza Al-Yassin, Betty Layward Primary School