With digital content ever more accessible to our pupils, school will sending regular online safety advice to parents to help them understand digital risks, guide children in responsible internet use, and address issues like cyberbullying, privacy concerns, and inappropriate content. We hope that this will ensure students are protected, foster open communication, and empower parents to support their child's online well-being. As well as sending out a link to our website's blog page, we will also post the information on our school Facebook site. This week, the focus is screen time addiction: I t can be challenging for parents and carers to know whether children are spending too much time on their digital devices. It’s even more of a conundrum to decide whether a child is just deeply engaged with the internet and social media, or genuinely addicted to it. As technology becomes more pervasive in all of our lives, many children and young people in particular are beginning to experience tech-related dependencies. As trusted adults, do we have the right knowledge to identify and support children and young people who might be developing an addiction to their devices? In this guide, you'll find tips on avoiding potential risks such as damage to health and wellbeing, app addiction and a lack of sleep.

We hope all of our pupils had a fantastic time yesterday and are left feeling inspired and invigorated by the visit from a top athlete!  There's 1 week to collect any sponsorship money for yesterday’s visit from Antony Cotterill, here’s a reminder of the great prizes you’ll get for your fundraising efforts in this short video: https://vimeo.com/1000798545     Remember that the money raised will go towards new sports equipment to improve levels of physical activity in our school!  If you’ve not sponsored your child yet, now is a great time to reward them for their hard work. You can sponsor them online here: https://sportal.greatathletes.org/events/landing , or bring the cash in with your sponsorship form. Thank you for all the sponsor money that has been returned to school so far, your Support is much appreciated.

*REMINDER * We are very excited to welcome our Great British Athlete, Antony Cotterill into school on Wednesday for our sponsored event. Please can all pupils wear their PE kit on Wednesday (Pupils in Y1-6 this is our usual PE kit, no bright colours or football kits) Reception pupils can come into school in comfortable clothes and trainers suitable for exercising in. If pupils have used the paper sponsorship forms, then all sponsor money should be returned to school, with the form, no later than Friday 29th November For those parents who wish to do this electronically, there are instructions as to how to set up your sponsorship page, below. If you’ve already got yours set up, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family!   If you need help with setting up your sponsorship page, watch this short video on how to set one up: https://vimeo.com/1000802304 Dear Parent/Carer    We’re very excited to be welcoming  Great   Athletes  to the school soon!    Top GB athlete, Atony Cotterill will be visiting us, and leading a  sponsored fitness circuit  with all pupils, followed by  a motivational assembly , and  Q&A  session. The aim of the event is to  inspire every child  to be more physically active, but just as importantly, encourage them to discover and pursue their  passion in life .    The event will both connect the pupils to an extraordinary athlete role model and  raise money for new sports equipment  to improve physical activity in the school, as well as supporting both  athletes  and para- athletes , so that they can continue to inspire the next generation.     This week, your child will take home a sponsorship form to use to help raise money for the event. You can also sponsor your child by visiting:  greatathletes.org   and clicking on the button “ Set up a Fundraising Page ”. Alternatively, you can scan the QR code to go directly to the online sponsorship page. As a thank you, pupils will receive the following thank-you gifts for meeting these milestones:   Raise anything: A5 sheet of motivational stickers  Raise £5 or more: sheet of stickers, plus a blue Great Athletes wristband  Raise £15 or more: all of the above, plus a red wristband with the athlete’s signature Raise £30 or more: all of the above, plus a signed athlete poster    Please ensure that the sponsorship form and money are returned to the school office  1 week  after the event has taken place.    Please also make sure that your children come to school on the event day with their PE Kits!  (We will send a reminder nearer to the event)   Thank you in anticipation of creating a terrific and memorable event.

Our Parents meetings will take place on the following days/times for pupils in the Oscar Romero Centre:- Tuesday 19th November and/or Thursday 21st November 2024 We have a system which will allow you to book your appointment for the date and time that is convenient to you which will be sent to the primary contact we have named for your child. Please note meetings will be held face to face in the Oscar Romero Centre, and you can access the school building via the entrance on Harnham Gardens. We look forward to meeting you .

Tuesday 12th November 2024 Dear Parent and Carers   The school is due to have an inspection undertaken by the Catholic Schools Inspectorate on Thursday 14th and Friday 15th November 2024.  The inspection is both a diocesan and a statutory responsibility.   In the organisation of the Church, the bishop is the ‘first teacher’ in the diocese with responsibility for the formation and education of his people, with particular responsibilities in schools.  The inspectors working for the Inspectorate act on his behalf to fulfil this responsibility.   The purpose of inspection is to report to and advise the bishop on the quality of the Catholic life and mission of the school, of religious education and of collective worship. Of course, it also stands to inform parents and the wider Catholic community.   Inspectors will observe learning and acts of worship, talk to staff and pupils, analyse data, and discuss emerging issues with the school’s leadership. The inspection culminates in a written report that will be sent to you.   The view of parents is very important, and we shall be sharing with the inspectors any evidence we have of parents’ views of the school. The inspectors would also like to hear directly from you.  We appreciate that we have not given you very much time, but it would be helpful if you could complete the questionnaire, which can be accessed here.  Responses to the questionnaire go directly to the inspectors, are anonymous and individual responses cannot be identified. Any responses received after noon on 15 November 2024 may not be considered. I will also send a direct link to this questionnaire in a separate message.   Thank you for taking the time to complete the questionnaire. We look forward to sharing the outcomes of the inspection when the report has been received.   Yours sincerely       Miss M Elliott Headteacher

This week is national Anti-Bullying Week, with the theme: Choose Respect . To highlight the campaign, we invite pupils and staff to wear odd socks on Wednesday 13th November, to celebrate what makes us all unique. Pupils will take part in a special assembly on Wednesday highlighting the importance of  'Choosing Respect' and bring an end to bullying which negatively impacts millions of young lives. We will also spend time thinking more about this theme on Friday as part of our Children in Need Day, in school. This year, we’ll empower children and young people to not resort to bullying, even when we disagree and remind adults to lead by example, online and offline. Imagine a world where respect and kindness thrives — it’s not just a dream, it's in the choices we make.

Dear Parent/Carer We are pleased to be able to offer our German after school club, beginning on Thursday 21st November and then running each Thursday, after school until 4.30pm. This will be fantastic preparation for our trip to Gelsenkirchen, in the summer term and will also allow pupils to take part in some extra projects with our partner school. I would strongly recommend that your child attends the club if they are taking part in our summer trip. We will be using some fantastic resources in the German club, produced by the Goethe Institut including the introduction of Felix und Franz - two mascots that will feature heavily in the programme of activities. Pupils will learn through songs, videos, games and crafts allowing for us to have lots of interaction and fun as we develop our language skills together. Please can you confirm your child's attendance by completing the very simple form below. Confirm attendance here Please note that German club will still continue to run on nights where we also have parent evenings . The last session of this term will be Thursday 19th December

Dear Parents/Carers On Friday 15th November, English Martyrs' school will be supporting the annual Children in Need Charity campaign. Pupils are invited to come into school wearing something bright coloured, yellow, spotty or Pudsey ears! (no football strips please) This year, we will focus on the theme of respect and pupils will take part in some activities to explore this theme throughout the day. We would welcome a donation of 50p for wearing non-uniform. All money raised will go to support local charities. Thank you for your continued support.

Update - Thank you for such a positive response to the Knit and Natter, family craft club. We would like to welcome you into school for the first session, which will begin on Tuesday 5th November. The session will take place in the KS2 dining hall. If family members could wait on the KS2 Yard, a member of staff will come and collect you at 3.30pm. Your child will remain in school and you will meet them in the hall. If you have any questions, please contact the school office and ask to speak to Mrs Dowling. Many Thanks Dear Parents/Carers We would like to introduce a new after school club for pupils and their family members. The knit and natter club will take place on a Tuesday, after school, 3.30 - 4.30pm in the KS2 dining hall. The club will provide and opportunity for adults and pupils to work alongside each other to craft, knit or crochet together, share skills, and meet new people. You can bring a project you're already working on or start something new. See images below for further information. If you would like to register your interest in the club, please complete the short form by clicking this link https://forms.office.com/e/vceaeCqvpb We think this will be a fantastic opportunities for families to work together on some lovely projects. Refreshments will be provided as well as all of the resources and equipment needed for the project work. If you have any further questions, please contact Mrs Dowling, via the school office.

*UPDATE * Due to the high levels of demand for this club, unfortunately, we will not be able to offer a place to all pupils. We will choose pupils names from a hat. If your child has a place you will receive a text message - please look out for this message. The Drama club will begin on Tuesday 5th November. It will finish at 4.30pm with pick up from the KS2 Yard Any children who were not able to secure a place, will go on a waiting list and we will let you know if a space becomes available. We will hopefully run another Drama club in the summer term and will keep all names on our list so that children who did not get a place on this occasion will be offered places first. If you no longer require a space, please let the office know as soon as possible so we can offer this place to another pupil. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. __________________________________________________________________________________ We are excited to start a new Drama club, after half term. This will run on a Tuesday after school (3.20pm - 4.30pm) for pupils in Year 2 - Year 6. Children will take part in fun activities which will focus on some of the basic techniques of drama and help them to make the best use of an actor's three main tools: the voice, the face and the body. Pupils will take part in drama games, improvisation and performance. Pupils will work towards a performance which will be shared with parents and the wider school. Please click the link below to register interest as numbers are limited. If we are over-subscribed we will need to draw names from a hat and add your child's name to the waiting list if they do not get a place. Pupils will be informed if they have a place by the end of the week. https://forms.office.com/e/3ehVt3G2h6 If you have any further questions about this club, please contact Miss Dowdney via the school office.

We are very pleased to be working with Children North East to host the Ways to Wellbeing programme. Children North East recognise that everyone may struggle with their mental wellbeing at some point in their lives. Young people naturally go through a huge brain development in their adolescence and this can make distinguishing normal changes from a developing mental health diagnosis difficult. The Ways to Wellbeing programme has been developed to support you to better understand children and young people’s emotional development and to explore subjects related to mental health and wellbeing such as anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and eating disorders. They will offer tools and information for parents to understand and support their children’s emotional health. In these sessions, they will offer resources and guidance to support specific emotional wellbeing concerns. We will also go through a wide range of information for those wishing to understand more about emotional wellbeing and how that relates to their children. Who is Ways to Wellbeing for? Parents and carers of children and young people who have concerns about the mental health and wellbeing. We also welcome adults who have concerns about a young person in their life, such as extended family and community leaders. When and Where does Ways to Wellbeing take place? The programme will be delivered at English Martyrs' Primary school (in the KS1 Hall) 2pm Tuesday 22nd October Please contact Laura Moran for further information 0191 2747463 Laura.Moran@emcps.co.uk