Dear Families

All of our old temporary classrooms have now been demolished ready for the new building to start.  As with all things, there are unexpected problems and this Monday we had no internet or phones when the build team knocked down the last of the buildings.  Cables that we had been told were underground were also connected to the temporaries and when the last unit was demolished we lost our connection.  Apologies for anyone who was trying to contact us after 8:15.

Last Friday, we had our first non-uniform day since the no hoodies in school rule.  Please note that the no hoodies in school rule includes non-uniform days.  So, even on non-uniform days, hoodies cannot be worn inside school.  I should have made this clearer before the day, so I am sorry for any confusion or upset this caused.  Some pupils are wearing hoodies in replacement for a coat.  We do not mind if they wear these to and from school, but they cannot be worn on the playground or anywhere on the school site.  Please ensure that your child has a suitable coat to wear outside at break times.  Pupils are welcome to wear coats with a hood and warm hats, but not hoodies.

Across the year, we have special days to mark and celebrate different religious festivals.  These are on the school calendar and usually added to the weekly bulletin.  These days often have a change in dress for pupils and staff, but this is always optional. Pupils are welcome to wear normal school uniform.  On these days, pupils will find out a little about the reason for the celebration, such as which people celebrate it and what the celebration or special day is for.  At lunch there is usually a different food option relating to the celebration.  There are always other food choices available too.   This is one of the ways at Meadow that we try to build pupils' understanding of differences within our school community.  We feel it’s really important for us to build a community that shows mutual respect for diversity in all its manifestations across our school community.

We had the first of these days this year, on Monday when we had a dress white for Yom Kippur.  Yom Kippur is the Jewish day of reflection and asking for forgiveness for any wrong doings.  The food options didn’t change as there are no specific foods associated with Yom Kippur.

Meet the tutor evening is on 5th October.  This is a chance to meet your child/children’s form tutor. During meet the tutor evening we will have help on hand to help you to connect to the Evidence for Learning App.  We use this app to provide parents with termly updates on the work pupils have been doing.  Please bring your mobile phone with you, so we can help get you connected if you are not already on the app.  You need internet access and a valid email address to connect.  Mr Millard will also invite you to a coffee morning if you want more information about this app and how we use it in school.

Kind regards