Friday 20th December 2024

Please can all library books be returned after Christmas. We have over 125 books which have not been returned. Unfortunately we will have to introduce fines in the new year so that we can raise some funds to re stock the library.

ELLINGHAM SCHOOL NEWS

So Many Thanks

This has been the best Christmas yet in my time at Ellingham and it's thanks to the efforts of staff, parents and Friends of Ellingham, plus the amazing smiles and giggles from all the children, that has made it so glorious. Of course it's not about me - although I love Christmas, it's about the children and I think it's been the best one yet for them with all of the events and celebrations. The children have immersed themselves in the Christmas celebrations spreading joy through their delightful performances, their visit to Santa's Grotto, the fair and the laughs on Christmas jumper day and lunch.

It is not just the magic of Christmas that has made this happen, it's also our parents' commitment to our fundraising efforts have made all of this possible. So many of the Christmas decorations, prizes, gifts, festive table cloths and Christmas lunch dessert were funded from your contributions - so thank you wholeheartedly.

It has been a lovely autumn term and the children are making such good progress - they should all be on the good list. Have a very happy Christmas and we'll see you back in 2025 on Tuesday 7th January.

Mrs Keogh and The Ellingham Team wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Year 4,5 & 6 Christmas Concert at Chessington School

On Thursday evening we enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Concert. The children all sang beautifully and we all enjoyed singing together to Wish everyone at Ellingham a Merry Christmas. Thank you to all the children and staff who helped make the evening a success.

Choir on Christmas Tour

Message from Mrs Pakes:

Once again, I have been so impressed by the choir as they have sung carols around the community. As well as putting on a tuneful performance, they showed commitment, stamina and excellent behaviour. We began at Hook library, before visiting the Chessington Garden Centre, where the staff said that the choir were “so wonderful” and were pleased that so many customers were able to hear them. The children certainly enjoyed a warming cup of hot chocolate on their return!

Their next visit was to the Royal Star and Garter Home in Surbiton, where the residents really enjoyed their singing, and they were told that they were “a credit to the school”. The final stop on the tour was John Lewis Department Store in Kingston. This was a really magical experience – we all loved seeing the smiles on the faces of the customers as they stopped for a few moments to listen. The member of store staff who stayed with us throughout the visit said that ours was one of the best choirs they’d had. On the walk back to the bus station, we were stopped by a lady who asked if we were the choir that had just been singing in John Lewis. She wanted us to know that the singing had been brilliant and that it had made her day!

I would like to thank all the parent helpers and members of school staff who came with us, and all the parents who came along to the events to offer their support, smile encouragingly, clap in all the right places, and generally give our community a taste of the happy Ellingham experience.

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Elfingham Bringing Joy

My office elf, Elfingham, created mischief every day and the children delighted in peeking through the office door to see what he'd been up to. He was very creative borrowing tubs of sweets and raffle tickets when it was the school fair and dressing up as Robin Hood and an Ancient Greek to celebrate Year 5's trip to the Rose Theatre and Year 4's Ancient Greek day.

Today he wished everyone a Happy Christmas and we don't expect anymore antics while school is closed and there are no chidlren to check on.

Christmas Hoops

Our school corridors have been beautifully decorated with a Christmas hoop from each class and Explorers Breakfast & Afterschool club.

The children will be bringing home their creations so that you can decorate the Christmas tree.

Piglets Nursery visit our Santa Grotto

We were delighted that Piglets Nursery came to visit Santa in our grotto with some special Ellingham Elf's on hand to help.

Santa Claus Came to Town

The children had a magical experience of meeting Father Christmas in the school grotto. They shared their Christmas wishes and made reindeer food. Don't forget to sprinkle it on your path on Christmas Eve so that the reindeer know their way to your house. Quite magically, snow appeared from the grotto at the end of the day.

Christmas Counts for Reception , Year 1, Year 2 & Year 3

The countdown to Christmas included an amazing Christmas performance from our younger children, with delightful singing and acting. The teachers and children worked so hard to create a magical experience and the audience definitely felt the magic.

Nursery Shine and Sing Out for Christmas

Our Nursery parents came in this week and enjoyed some Christmas songs from the Nursery children. It was wonderful even if the children were perplexed that their parents were in the room!

Pantomime time at Ellingham - Oh no it's not!

A big thank you to the Friends of Ellingham for paying for a production of Jack & the Beanstalk to visit. The children had a great afternoon.

A Big Muddy Paws Thank You

Thank Muddy Paws for donating a Christmas tree for our entrance.

If you want give your dog a Christmas doggy do-over, the details are below:

https://www.doggroomerintolworth.co.uk/

info@muddypawstolwroth.co.uk

020 8390 6284

450 Ewell Road, KT7 7EL

What an Atmosphere at the Christmas Fair!

Thank you to the Friends of Ellingham and all the parent who volunteered to give our children a fantastic time at the fair and at Santa's Grotto. The fair had the most amazing atmosphere and the children were so excited to go home with Christmas decorations and an iced biscuit, as well as lots of prizes.

Head to the North Pole with Compass

Thanks to Compass on behalf of the school and the Friends of Ellingham for sponsoring the event.

Christmas Lunch Fun

A big thank you to the Lauren & the ABM Kitchen team for our Christmas lunch. It was delicious and everyone enjoyed it. The staff served their class and year group and then sat down with them to pull a festive cracker and share the corny jokes. It was lovely that the children were dressed in their Christmas jumpers as it really added to the fun.

LEARNING TOGETHER

Grocery Shopping for Nursery

Today the children in Nursery went on a walk to Lidl to buy some ingredients for cooking activities. They walked really well remembering the rules for crossing the road - stop, look, listen and using the button at the pelican crossing.

In Lidl they each had their own trolly to put the ingredients they needed before then scanning them at the end.

On return to Nursery we used some of the ingredients we bought to make some rice crispy cakes.

A Cloud of Daffodils for Reception

Reception children planting daffodil bulbs donated by Jack's dad and we're looking forward to a sea of yellow in the springtime.

A Caring Christmas from Year 1

Year 1 made beautiful Chistmas cards for the residents of the Amy Woodgate Care Home. They delivered them this week to help spread some Christmas cheer.

Year 3's Santa List for Others

This week Year 3 wrote persuasive letters to Santa to convince him to bring a special present for to someone close to them. There were lots of thoughtful ideas (as you can see in the examples below) and we learnt to appreciate the gift of giving.

Year 4 Learning about Ancient Greece

Year 4 had a great day learning all about Ancient Greece, what type of clothes they wore, what games were played at the Olympics, how to be a Spartan soldier and creating their own Greek pots.

Year 5 Rose Theatre

Year 5 enjoyed a trip to the Rose Theatre this week to see Robin Hood & The Christmas Heist, it was full of songs and dancing and the children had a lovely afternoon.

Year 6 Discover A Whole New Category of Creatures!

Year 6 have discovered some incredible new creatures within the Animalia Kingdom! Did you know that when a new species of animal is discovered, taxonomists have to observe its characteristics to decide how to classify it? Year 6 used their imaginations and scientific knowledge to consider the classification of their creature, including characteristics, diet, appearance and habitat. They also came up with some fantastic 'latinised' names, just like Carl Linnaeus. Take a look at their amazing creations!

SAFEGUARDING, HEALTH AND SUPPORT

Safeguarding during the Holidays

The holiday season can bring joy, but it also presents challenges when it comes to safeguarding children. Schools and some workplaces are closed, and people have more free time, potentially leading to increased risks. If you are worried about a child, please report your concerns directly to Kingston Single Point of Access (020 8547 5008) or Surrey C-SPA (0300 470 9100). If the child is at immediate risk, please call the police directly on 999.

New Device for Your Child - Set Parental Controls

Please ensure that any on-line devices have parental controls set rigorously. This link should show you how.

2024_25- Helping children series flier.pdf

This is the full safeguarding team in school. They are all trained to Level 3 and everyone in the school received the annual update of Safeguarding Level 2 training at INSET.

Contact details: 020 8397 3864 or email: office@elp.rbksch.org to request a safeguarding call back. For pupil support, contact 020 8397 3864 or email: pupilsupport@elp.rbksch.org

Wayne Finnie

Vice Chair of Governors & Designated Governor for Safeguarding and Child Protection

Lisa Keogh

Headteacher & Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)

Jacqui Malherbe

Pupil Support & Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)

Sally Sephton

SENDCO & Designated Teacher (LAC/PLAC) Safeguarding Team Member

Esme Winn

Deputy Headteacher & Designated Safeguarding Team Member

Lorraine Davis

Pupil Support & Designated Safeguarding Team Member

LOCAL EVENTS & COMMUNITY NEWS

Maths for Parents_Primary school maths_January_2025_DIGITAL.pdf

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