Newsletters

July 2023

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July 2023

MESSAGE FROM MRS ROBINSON

As we draw to the end of this academic year, I want to take this opportunity to thank all in our Bosmere community for your support throughout the year. It has been an amazing year, with so many exciting events and so many things to celebrate. The children have all been absolutely brilliant. We will be sorry to say goodbye to our lovely bunch of Year 6 pupils, as they continue on their journey to secondary school and wish them the best of luck in their endeavours.

STAFFING NEWS

We say our goodbyes to one of our HLTAs, Mrs Barnes, at the end of next week, as she retires to spend some more time working on her other hobbies and interests. We wish her all the best and hope that she comes back to say hello every so often, as she will be immensely missed.

We are also saying goodbye to Mrs Wicks, who has been doing some additional teaching in Year 5. She has slotted in so well as part of the team for the short time that she has been with us and we will miss her greatly too.

We are looking forward to welcoming Mrs Moore as our newest member of the office team, who starts with us in September as our new SIMS Manager, as Mrs Morris moves into an LSA role.

YEAR GROUP STAFF 2023-2024

 

3B – Mrs Barnard (LSAs Mrs Kemp and Mrs Day)

3D – Miss Dawes (LSAs Mrs Faithfull and Mrs Marsh)

3R – Miss Rankin (LSAs Mrs Chapman and Mrs Morris)

Additional Y3 staff – Mrs Baker (Teacher) and Mrs Terry (HLTA)

 

4AW – Mrs Austen and Mrs White (LSA Ms Carew)

4B – Mr Baker (LSAs Mrs Conway and Mrs Page)

4S – Mr Sherlock (LSA Mrs Simpson)

Additional Y4 staff – Mrs Cronin (HLTA) and Miss Faithfull (HLTA)

 

5K – Mr Kershaw (LSA Mrs Pullen)

5P – Mr Parrack (LSA Mrs Jordan-Norris)

5DS – Mrs Shore / Mrs Dawson (LSA Mrs Morgan)

Additional Y5 staff – Mrs Dunn (HLTA) and Miss Faithfull (HLTA)

 

6B – Mrs Browne (LSA Mrs Wright)

6C – Miss Calcott (LSA Mrs Clark)

6R – Mrs Reed (LSA Mrs Buckwell)

Additional Y6 staff – Mrs Smith (Teacher) and Miss Emery (HLTA)

INSET DAYS FOR 2023-24

A reminder that we have set our INSET days for next academic year, matching the INSET days for Fairfield. They will be:

  • Friday 1st September
  • Monday 30th October
  • Tuesday 2nd January
  • Monday 19th February
  • Friday 21st June

WARM WEATHER

During this period of hot weather, please can we remind parents to apply sun cream to children before they come into school. It is also good for the children to have a hat/cap to wear at break times.  Please also ensure your child has their water bottle with them every day.

SPORTS DAY 

We had a brilliant day on Sports Day at the end of June. Thank you to all the parents who came to support and well done to all the children for showing great sportsmanship and support for each other. A special well done to Exeter, who had a clean sweep, winning the Lower School Cup, the Upper School Cup and coming out the overall winners!

END OF YEAR CELEBRATION ASSEMBLY 

A reminder that we are looking forward to welcoming parents into school for our Final Celebration Assemblies on Friday 21st July. L/S will be held at 9:15 am and U/S at 10:15 am. As with last year, we have decided to hold the assemblies outside, under the shade of our lovely tree at the back of the school. If it is raining on the day, the assemblies will still go ahead, but will be held in the hall. If the weather is fine and the assemblies can be held outside, parents wishing to attend either of the assemblies will need to enter the school via the small green gate on South Street. This will be opened at 9:00 am for the Lower School assembly and at 10:00 am for the Upper School assembly. It is anticipated that each assembly will last around 40 minutes. (If the assemblies have to be moved indoors, entry will be via the main door.) We are looking forward to seeing you there.

YEAR 3 NEWS

We have been enjoying our final weeks together in Year 3, finishing off our science topic on magnetism and reaching the end of our Stone Age history unit.  The children have been producing some fantastic Stone Age diary entries in English, combining their historical knowledge with their super writing skills; they can be very proud of what they have achieved.  The big end of term clear-out is underway, and many of the children will have come home this week with their books to share with you.  We have selected some books to remain in school, and these will come home in the Autumn term.  Homework tasks are also being sent home; we have been so impressed with the creativity shown in Year 3 and look forward to seeing what the children create in Year 4.  

Our transition morning last week was successful, with many of the children heading off to Year 4 feeling a little nervous and returning with huge smiles.  Despite a few wobbles, the class mix-ups were met with overwhelming positivity, and we are excited to see the friendships that will develop and grow next year.  You will have an opportunity to meet new class teachers in September, by which point the children should be feeling settled and will be able to share their Year 4 adventures with you.

Thank you for your continued support this year. We have loved teaching your children and are so proud of how far each and every one of them has come.  Have a wonderful summer!

YEAR 4 NEWS

This month we have continued to enjoy our weekly afternoon gardening sessions, especially when we can harvest some of our produce – the strawberries are especially popular!

Our visits to Dell Quay were just wonderful. Most children braved handling a crab when they were doing the scavenger hunt and then making crab homes with their finds. Splashing around in the river was great fun, particularly finding the eels, fish and other lovely creatures from this habitat, and of course we had a wonderful walk to and from the education centre where we could all witness first hand all the different habitats this area of coastline offers. Chichester Harbour Conservancy were extremely complimentary about the behaviour and enthusiasm of the children. They really were a credit to school and to you!

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YEAR 5 NEWS

We have been rehearsing our 'Bombed-Out' production and we are looking forward to performing for you on Friday 14th July. We are also starting our DT project which is making sensory wall hangings; the children have already started to plan what their wall hangings should look like and they will be starting to practise the sewing skills they need to complete this project. 

YEAR 6 NEWS

The Year 6 children have had yet another busy month in school! The children have enjoyed their transition days at their new secondary schools and have proven they are ready to take on this next challenge. They have shown great resilience and ambition and represented Bosmere Junior School brilliantly. 

The children have been continuing with their work on our English topic of Macbeth, writing letters in the style of Lady Macbeth persuading her husband to do her bidding. They have produced some lovely pieces of writing reflecting all of the skills they have been working on over their time in Year 6. 

In Art, the children have been working on replicating the work of Gaudi by creating their own animal tiles out of clay. Once they have dried, the children will be covering their tiles in colourful tissue to emulate Gaudi's distinctive style.

During our geography day, the children researched different biomes from around the globe and used this information to teach others. They presented to the rest of the year group on either desert, savannah, rainforest, coniferous forests, tundra or coral reef. 

The children are now really looking forward to our trip to Paulton's Park and the other exciting things we have planned before the end of the year. 

MEET THE STAFF – Vicky Morgan

What is your role?   

I work as an LSA.

Where can you be found?

I am currently in Year 6, but I am moving to Year 5 next year.

When did you join Bosmere? 

I started at Bosmere in 2008 so have seen lots of families go through the school and I remember some of our current Year 6 being born and proudly brought in to see us by older siblings! I love working at Bosmere and helping the children reach their full potential.

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What do you like to do in your spare time? 

I enjoy cooking, gardening and walking my golden retriever and caring for my old tabby cat. I am a very relaxed gardener and let plants flourish where they spring up; other people may consider them weeds! I grew up in the county of Herefordshire and went to Portsmouth Polytechnic and settled here as I love the sea! I love reading and often have several books on the go at once.

Interesting facts:  

I have 4 sisters and one brother, two grown-up children, who are married. I have two beautiful granddaughters, three grand cats and a grand rabbit. 

I once served afternoon tea to the late Queen and her mother. 

I have lived in Indonesia and the Czech Republic.

MEET THE GOVERNOR  

Mike Powell 

Background     

I grew up in Havant, attending Stockheath (long since gone!), Bidbury Middle School and later Oak Park and Wakefords. After several years of working in and around Hampshire, I split a few years between seeing the world, living /studying and working in London, before finally coming back to the south coast to escape and help raise our two children. I now work for a national construction firm, in the field of electrical engineering.  

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Interests       

I like to keep fit by running and weight training. Anything Sci-Fi, old pubs with lots of decent beers to taste and ‘80’s music...always on the look-out for concerts to attend. 

Why I became a governor     

When the role of parent governor came up, I applied because I wanted to: 

  • find out more about how schools are run 
  • give something back to my community 
  • gain an extra skill to add to my CV 
  • try to help my children’s school in its ambition to continually improve  
  • meet new people. 

My day job involves a lot of Health and Safety practice, and I’m familiar with how schools are built; I thought I could be used as a resource in case of any H&S or technical queries in my role as governor. I also have to analyse a lot of information in my job. I thought that skill could be of some use to the school too.    

My current roles on the governing body and what they involve:    

We all receive relevant training to become a governor, attending short courses or completing online training. As a governor, I help make sure the school is meeting its commitments in health and safety/buildings by reviewing existing procedures and looking at how they are implemented, providing feedback in areas which may need a little attention. I also attend H&S walkarounds (when I can), I get to meet the children occasionally and ask them how they view the school and what improvements they think could be made, alongside the building manager. These sessions are pre-arranged, and designed to make sure that Bosmere’s policies in all aspects of learning are filtering down to their level, so they can tell us what they are experiencing. Feedback goes back to the senior leadership team with all comments received. 

I also help make sure the school is meeting its commitments with its physical education policy, in checking that what Bosmere says it will do for the children is what Bosmere is doing...so far so good! 

ECO NEWS

Class Trees

Many trees on the field had to be cut down due to Ash die back but 105 new trees have now been planted on the school grounds. As a long-term project (over the next few years), we will be monitoring the trees’ growth. Eco Club selected one tree for each classroom which the class will measure as their ‘class tree’ every half term. Click here for more photos.

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Trip to Dell Quay with Chichester Harbour Conservancy

Eco Club enjoyed visiting Dell Quay with the opportunity for some pond dipping and bug hunting in Chichester Harbour Conservancy's special 'Beaky's Wildlife Area'. (The original plan was to go out on the harbour in the Solar Boat. Unfortunately it was too windy but Plan B was such good fun, we soon got over our disappointment.) Click here for more photos.

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Taming the Willow Dome

We have made a start on tying in, weaving, and trimming the willow to bring the dome back into shape. Click here for more photos.

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We have saved our best news to the end …

Eco Schools Green Flag

Bosmere has been awarded the Eco Schools Green Flag with distinction for all the eco work and activities we have achieved this academic year.

Well done to Eco Club who have led the way, raised awareness, and helped the eco ethos to spread across the whole school!

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LIBRARY NEWS

Cut-off Covers Competition

This month we ran a competition which required the children to search the library shelves for books to match the images of covers which had been cut-off to hide the title and author. To make it slightly easier, the author’s initials were provided but it was still quite challenging. Here are some of the winning entries:

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Summer Reading Challenge

We have launched the annual Summer Reading Challenge which encourages the children to keep reading during the summer holidays. This year the theme is ‘Ready, Set, Read!’ with the usual rewards, stickers and certificates on offer, plus the chance to win a Samsung Galaxy Tablet. All the children have to do is to read 6 books between 15th July and 16th September. Taking part is absolutely free and you can either register at your local library or online at https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/.

For more details click here.

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Finding your nearest library https://www.hants.gov.uk/librariesandarchives/library/libraryfinder

Visit the website to check on opening times and how to register online for a library card if you don’t already have one.

Emsworth https://www.hants.gov.uk/librariesandarchives/library/libraryfinder/emsworth-library

Fareham https://www.hants.gov.uk/librariesandarchives/library/libraryfinder/fareham-library

Havant https://www.hants.gov.uk/librariesandarchives/library/libraryfinder/havant-library

Hayling Island https://www.hants.gov.uk/librariesandarchives/library/libraryfinder/hayling-island-library

Leigh Park https://www.hants.gov.uk/librariesandarchives/library/libraryfinder/leigh-park-library

Waterlooville https://www.hants.gov.uk/librariesandarchives/library/libraryfinder/waterlooville-library

Enjoy reading some great books over the summer!

E-SAFETY TIPS – Charging e-Bikes/Scooters

Fire brigades in the UK have warned users of electric bikes and scooters not to charge them overnight after a rising number of fires. In 2022 alone, the London brigade attended 116 fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters. 

An e-bike was the most probable cause of a fire that killed a mother and her two children that was recently featured in the news:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-66088503

Fire brigades have said recent events underscored the importance of following the manufacturer's instructions when charging the devices, and not leaving them charging unattended or overnight. To reduce the risk of overheating, it advises that the batteries should be allowed to cool down after use, before recharging. They should always be charged on hard, flat surfaces where heat can dissipate.

It remains illegal in the UK to use a privately owned electric scooter on public roads, pavements or cycle lanes. Electric scooters can only be legally used on private land with the permission of the landowner. 

WELLBEING TIP

Am I an overprotective parent?  

All children are precious, and all parents want to protect their children from physical, mental, or emotional harm. Children are far more resilient than they’re given credit for! Kids need the ability to learn how to “bounce back” and overcome everyday difficulties independently. 

An overprotective parent can create a child who is incapable to deal with what life may throw their way. The child may be so used to having a parent make their decisions, clean up their mess or deal with small challenges, they may find the simplest difficulty overwhelming. 

If your child always expects you to swoop in every time, they may not fully develop self-esteem or resilience. If you do everything for them (from getting them dressed to completing homework), they may start expecting you to do other simple things that they can and should do by themselves. They may also be hesitant to take on new challenges or wait for issues to be sorted out as they are yet to be allowed to develop these skills. 

If you stop a child from being independent, they may become overly anxious of trying new things. They may worry they’re going to get hurt or rejected and eventually shy away from new experiences. 

It is important to give children space for decision making on their own. Of course, we can advise them, but we want to encourage our children to be independent thinkers with their own confident opinions. 

Do you answer YES to these? 

Do you make decisions for your child without giving them options? 

If your child wants to try something new, do you get them to do what you want as it’s “safer”?  

Do you frequently step in and “rescue” your child from a situation because you think they can’t handle it? 

Are you always with them during parties or events just in case something happens that you think they can’t handle?  

You could be that overprotective parent. 

Now for the science bit… children process information with the amygdala. This is responsible for the perception of emotions such as anger, fear, sadness and controlling aggression. It helps store memories of events and emotions so that the child may be able to recognise similar events in the future. Perfect for decision making and resilience!   

Adults use the prefrontal cortex which controls perception, personal expression, decision making, and controlling social behaviour.  

Basically...an adult's thought process is totally different to that of a child.  

Let them make mistakes... let them learn… it’s all a part of growing up 

Health Protection Update - Measles

The latest UKHSA health protection data shows there has been a rise in measles cases. Between 1 January and 20 April this year, there have been 49 cases of measles compared to 54 cases in the whole of 2022. Most of the cases have been in London, although there have been cases picked up across the country and some are linked to travel abroad.

With cases of measles on the rise in the UK and across the world, Hampshire County Council is reminding young adults - as well as their parents - about the importance of catching up with the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine or other vaccines, ahead of any summer travel and festival plans.

Councillor Liz Fairhurst, Hampshire County Council’s Cabinet Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health said: “Due to the pandemic, some people may have missed getting their routine vaccines and are not fully protected, which puts them at risk of catching and spreading serious illnesses. We strongly urge Hampshire residents to take this opportunity to check they’re up to date with their vaccines before their summer holidays or attending any festivals. Vaccination not only protects someone’s health but also helps prevent the spread of diseases within our communities.”

“Many young people might not be aware that they’ve missed out on important vaccinations and that’s where parents and carers can help. Having a conversation with a young adult about the importance of vaccination can help protect them, especially if they’re about to mix with large numbers of people at events or while travelling. If you’re unsure if yours or your child’s vaccinations are up to date, contact your GP Practice to find out.”

As a reminder, some of the vaccines that young people should have had by age 14 include:

  • Vaccines that protect against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, and whooping cough. These are given at various points throughout childhood, with a booster given in school year nine.
  • The MMR vaccine - two doses of which should be given by the time a child starts school but can be provided at any point thereafter if any doses are missed. This vaccine protects against three diseases: measles, mumps and rubella.
  • Meningitis vaccines, which include the Meningitis B, HiB/Meningitis C and Meningitis ACWY vaccine. The last of these is given to children who are in school years nine and 10.
  • The HPV vaccine, which helps protect against cancers caused by the human papillomavirus and is given to both boys and girls at 12 to 13 years of age.

It is never too late to get vaccinated. If anyone has missed one or both doses of the MMR jab, or any of the other routine childhood vaccinations, they should contact their GP practice to book an appointment – or to check which they might have missed.

Further information about vaccinations can be found on the NHS website.

DIARY DATES

JULY  
17th

Reports to parents

Y6 Trip to Paultons Park

19th Y3 Celtic Day
20th Y6 Leavers DISCO 6.30pm to 8.30pm 
21st

Final Celebration Assemblies

Yr 3 & Yr 4 9:15am

Yr 5 & Yr 6 10:15am

LAST DAY OF SUMMER TERM - non School Uniform

AUGUST  
30th School Uniform Shop OPEN 10am -2pm
SEPTEMBER  
1st INSET Day
4th Autumn term begins for children
14th PTA AGM 6pm
18th Autumn Clubs start
19th

Y4 trip to Fishbourne Roman Palace

Y3 trip to the Church (time tbc)

20th MacMillan Coffee afternoon and Drop in for all year groups (3-3.30pm)
29th Y6 Team building 6pm
OCTOBER  
2nd Y5 Planetarium trip
3rd Autumn Pre-loved uniform and costumes 3pm
11th

Open Day for 2023/24 Y2 children

Y4 Drop, Stop and Calculate

12th

Y3 & Y5 Harvest Assembly 9am

Y4 & Y6 Harvest Assembly 10am

19th

Y4 Trip to Fort Nelson

Lower School Halloween Disco 4:45pm

Upper School Halloween Disco 6:45pm

20th

Y6 Drop, Stop and STATS (time tbc)

Last day of half term

23rd - 27th

HALF TERM

30th

INSET DAY
31st Back to School