Dear Parents/Carers You are receiving this message as you have paid the requested deposit for the Germany trip. Thank you for paying promptly and allowing me to proceed with the trip planning. I wanted to give you an update on where we are currently at in terms of the planning and preparation. We now have submitted confirmation of numbers to the DfE who have approved our funding and made the necessary amendments (funding dependent on pupil numbers). I am very pleased to say that the trip is now financially viable and as mentioned in the initial meeting, I will look at ways to further support the trip and reduce costs as much as possible for each family. Thank you to those parents who have already been able to help with this through contributions from their employers or through ideas for fundraising. We will look at this and other ideas when we next meet. I have been given approval from Bishop Bewick Trust to book flights, after negotiating a group deal with Eurowings. Hopefully, the flights will be booked on Monday. As this is a special group booking, they do not require any further individual details from you at this stage. I have also identified some accommodation, which I think will work really well, in the city of Essen – around 30 minutes from the centre of Gelsenkirchen but with fantastic transport links. This will also allow the children to experience two neighbouring but very different cities. I have spoken to the owner who is excited at the prospect of hosting our group and has been extremely helpful in his communication. This is a smaller accommodation, and although our current numbers do not allow me to book the whole venue for a sole booking, as this would increase the cost significantly – the layout of the accommodation will allow us to have our own space, away from any other guests. We will have the majority of the rooms booked and there is potential that the remaining rooms will not actually be taken (especially if they hear that there are a large group of Primary school pupils staying for the week!). However, I will visit the accommodation in early December and ensure that it meets all safety requirements and will share all of the information with you, on my return. I would like to invite you to a meeting on Tuesday 17th Decembe r where I will be able to share information around travel, accommodation and an updated itinerary. I will also be able to arrange the paperwork for travel documents and passports for those children who do not currently hold a valid British Passport. In order for as many people to attend the meeting as possible, I am happy to host the meeting straight after school in person or at a later start time, virtually via Teams. I will send out a link nearer the time to see what the preference would be.   Thank you all again for your support and enthusiasm for the trip. I know it will be a fantastic experience creating memories for a lifetime.   Mr Kennedy

An overview of what your child will be studying in RE this term, key dates and home learning suggestions.

Links Pray as you Go  https://pray-as-you-go.org/ Ways into Silence and Stillness— Ways into Silence and Stillness ( diocesehn.org.uk )   Our Father in different languages —     The Lord’s Prayer in the World's Languages - Catholic Bishops' Conference ( cbcew.org.uk )

Dear Parents and Carers We would be grateful if you could donate any non-perishable food this week to donate to Joe’s place and people in our parish. Any tins, packets of pasta rice etc would be wonderful. Donations can be handed in to the class teachers. We are always so amazed by the generosity of the English Martyrs' community and appreciate your support with this appeal. On Friday 11th October (this Friday) we invite children to come to school dressed in bright clothes as part of the 'Brighten up this Harvest' campaign.

Dear Parent/Carer A reminder for those parents/carers who have expressed an interest in the Y5 trip to Gelsenkirchen, that there will be a short meeting at 3.30pm this afternoon, after school. The meeting will take place in the Y5 classrooms – Y5 pupils are welcome to attend and there will also be provision for additional pupils and siblings to be supervised in another classroom. I strongly advise that parents/carers attend, if possible, but I appreciate that some of you may not be able to make the meeting. I will send out slides with the information shared to those who have expressed an interest. However, I will need to have numbers confirmed by Monday 30th September in order to meet funding deadlines. I will contact those who cannot attend today's meeting, on Monday. This will be to seek confirmation of a place on the trip and to share information regarding overall costs, payment plans and a non-refundable deposit, which will need to be paid. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible, this afternoon. Mr Kennedy

An exciting morning for our Year 6 pupils, as they were given their extra responsibilities, for the year and presented with their special badges. During a special celebration of the Word – pupils were invited to come and receive their badges. Our Year 6 pupils will act as ambassadors for the school in many areas; supporting the staff, leadership team, pupils and the wider English Martyrs’ community. In addition, roles were also allocated to our House group captains, chairs of the school council our Head and Deputy boy/girl. We know that they will all be fantastic role models this year and will do their very best in their roles to offer support and guidance to the English Martyrs’ School family. We pray that they develop patience and understanding as they share their gifts with others, wisdom to make good choices and to embrace their roles with confidence and kindness. May our Year 6 pupils shine brightly as leaders and friends in our school community.

School has been contacted by a member of the public in relation to an incident of dangerous driving which took place on Thursday 19 September; following collection of pupils at the end of day at approximately 3.35pm. We were informed that an uber registered vehicle did a U-turn on Netherby Drive, and then proceeded to mount the pavement where children and parents were walking home. Furthermore another vehicle followed the same manoeuvre and did the exact same thing, mounting the pavement on turning the vehicle. We were also particularly saddened to hear that the children who had entered the vehicle were also shouting out of the window in a rude and arrogant manner when the driver was confronted about this. Whilst car parking and how members of the public drive is outside of school's jurisdiction, the safety of our pupils and parents is of paramount importance to us and should feel safe approaching and leaving the school building. I can assure you that the police have been notified of this incident and have details of the car/s involved and any further incidents will be reported to the policy and local authority. There will also be patrol cars in the area at the start and end of day collections. Thank you to those of you who continue to park in a respectful and considerate manner, and we would ask that if you do witness any dangerous driving and/or parking this is reported directly to the police and local authority.

Dear Parents/Carers of Year 5 pupils Thank you for all of the responses so far to the information request, regarding the Germany trip. I am pleased to have had a positive response. Please can I ask that any parents/carers who have not responded, please do so by the end of today – even if you do not wish for your child to take part . This will really help with planning and administration. Here is the link https://forms.office.com/e/uY1M1YkUhA I invite those interested in their children taking part in the trip to a short meeting on Thursday 26th September, at 3.30pm. This will take place in one of the Y5 classrooms. Please wait at the upper KS2 end of the yard and a member of staff will direct you to the classroom. I appreciate many of you will have your children, siblings etc with you. There will be provision made for them to stay with a member of staff in another classroom, or they can come into the meeting as long as they can sit sensibly. The meeting should last no longer than 20-25 minutes. I would strongly encourage attendance. I will provide further information about the trip, including travel information, staffing, accommodation and a draft itinerary. I will also be able to answer any questions, which I am sure you may have. As we are still in the planning stages, some information will still be unknown or unconfirmed. Once we have final numbers we will of course hold further meetings to discuss the finer details, closer to the dates of the trip. If you are unable to make the meeting but would like your child to take part, it is important to let the school office know as I will need accurate numbers submitted no later than Monday, 30th September, in order to meet Government deadlines. I look forward to seeing you on Thursday.   Mr Kennedy

Update: Thank you to all parents/carers who have responded so quickly with the information requested. A reminder that I require all responses by Monday 23rd September at the latest. I invite all interested parents / carers to a short meeting, in school on Thursday 26th September at 3.30pm where I will be able to share some further details. In order to meet funding deadlines, I must submit pupil numbers before the 1st October. Visit to Germany, June 2025 Dear Parents/Carers of Year 5 pupils I would lkike to share some exciting news with you... As some of you may know, since 2023, we have been working closely with a primary school in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Last September staff from English Martyrs’ were able to visit ‘Rainbow School’ and work with the teachers and staff, in Gelsenkirchen as part of an ongoing project. We have since worked together on several projects, including; art, writing and PSHE. We have more plans to work with the children in Gelsenkirchen, this year through online, virtual communication. The link is even more special as Newcastle is officially twinned with the city of Gelsenkirchen, and the 75th anniversary of this relationship has recently been celebrated. In recent weeks, we have been able to secure some funding through the Government Turing programme which may enable our Year 5 pupils to visit Rainbow School, with staff from English Martyrs’ as well as explore the City of Gelsenkirchen and experience German culture first hand. The proposed dates would be from 2nd June – 6th June, 2025. Flights are direct from Newcastle Airport to Dusseldorf with options to travel by rail or coach to the City of Gelsenkirchen, direct from the airport. It is hoped that the funding will significantly subsidise the costs of this trip, which I am sure you will agree would be a fantastic opportunity. Currently, I am not able to say how much parental contribution we will require as this depends on a number of factors, still yet unknown. As well as subsidising travel and accommodation costs, there is also some funding available for ‘readiness to travel’, which would include things such as passports, visas and insurance. In addition, should we go ahead with this trip, we could also explore further fundraising opportunities to further subsidise the visit. In order for me to be able to access the funding and plan the details of the trip, I will require some further information from parents/carers. I would ask that you complete the short questionnaire at the bottom of this page, by clicking on the link, even if you do not wish for your child to take part in the potential visit . All answers will remain strictly confidential and will only be used for planning and funding purposes. Once I have gathered the required information, I will arrange a meeting with you all to share our plans going forward to take part in this exciting opportunity. I must stress that at this moment, the trip is not confirmed and will be dependent on costs. I will endeavor to ensure that costs to parents remain as low as possible and look forward to working with you to do this. Kind Regards Mr Kennedy https://forms.office.com/e/uY1M1YkUhA

The vision screeners will be in school on Tuesday, 15th October 2024 and we are inviting your child to receive vision screening.   The UK National Screening Committee recommends vision screening for 4 to 5-year-old children and this forms part of the healthy child programme. We enclose an information leaflet to explain what vision screening is and what happens if your child is found to have reduced vision. You should take time to read this information.   If your child does not pass the screening test, school will be asked to provide the health team with your home address, contact telephone number and GP practice. Everyone will receive an outcome of the school vision result.   If you DO NOT  want your child to have vision screening, or if they already attend the hospital eye department, then please collect a consent form from the school office which must be completed and returned before the date of the screening Otherwise we will assume you are happy for your child to be screened.

Dear Parent/Carer   We’ve got some exciting news to share with you.     Parentkind – a charity that supports school fundraising - have teamed up with Asda, who is making millions of pounds available to donate to primary schools across the UK through their ‘Cashpot for Schools’ initiative. To support English Martyrs', all you have to do is opt-in through the Asda Rewards app, shop and scan in store or shop online at Asda.com . A big Thank You to all parents, carers and friends of the English Martyrs' community who have already registered.   Between 2nd September and 30th November 2024 – every time you shop with Asda using your Asda Rewards app, Asda will donate 0.5% of the value of your shop to your chosen Primary school. Also, every time somebody opts-in to support English Martyrs', Asda will give an additional £1 to our school Cashpot.    The supermarket has joined forces with Joe Wicks to support the initiative – look out for the TV advert, radio ads and social media coverage!   It’s as easy as 1,2,3 1. Download the Asda Rewards app, register and opt-in to Cashpot for Schools (make sure you have the latest version of the app installed) 2. Choose our Primary School – either searching by name or postcode (NE5 2SA) 3. Shop instore across Asda and George, or online at Asda.com and start filling your Cashpot as you shop   Asda does the rest, all money raised will be donated to schools. Funds raised will go straight back into school projects, such as developing our outdoor areas and purchasing new and exciting resources for our pupils.   Remember, anyone can sign up – so start spreading the news and raising funds for our school.   This initiative is on top of the existing Asda Rewards benefits you get as a shopper – so you won’t lose out on any of your own earnings or Cashpot, so everyone is a winner! For more details, visit asda.com/cashpotforschools Thank you for your support, Miss Elliott and the SLT

Dear Parent/Carer     We would like to invite parents/carers with pupils in Years 1 to Year 6 into school on  Wednesday 25th September 2024, at 3.30pm  to find out about the curriculum in your child's class and what to expect, this academic year.      The presentations will last around 30 minutes, finishing at approximately 4. 00pm .     This will be a wonderful opportunity to come into school and meet your child's class teacher as well as discuss our school values, curriculum opportunities, expectations, and how we can best work together as a school/home partnership.      If you are able to attend this event we would ask that you collect your child at their normal finish time end of day and then wait on the school yard. You will then be invited back into school by a member of staff and directed to your child's classroom.    Children are also welcome to attend and will be looked after by our support staff in  another classroom, allowing you to listen to the presentations.      If you have more than one child in school we ask that you choose one class presentation to attend. Following the meeting all information will be uploaded to our school website and the link will be text out to all parents/carers.    After the presentations, there will be an opportunity to attend a 'drop-in' session with the Senior Leadership Team in the Key Stage 2 Hall,  who will be on hand to assist with any problems you may be having with any online communication - which includes; iPayimpact online payments, website access, Tapestry and other online facilities.