End of Autumn Term Two Dec 25
Dear families,
The first term of the academic year is completed! Thank you to everyone for your continued support, it is very much appreciated.
The final few weeks of term have been very busy with performances, both Christmas and curriculum. Reception and year one delivered a beautiful nativity, and every child played their part so well. Year three, five and six all shared their learning to a packed audience. Thank you to everyone who came along to support these events. We are always very proud of the children when they are in the spotlight.
It was a joy to see many families enjoying our Christmas Fair, thankfully the weather was kind to us. The money raised from events such as this support us to further enhance the children’s enjoyment of school. A huge thank you to the staff for giving up their time to run the Christmas Fair, especially Mrs Higgins who is the chief organiser of this event.
The children enjoyed their Christmas dinner on Wednesday; it was a very festive occasion involving lots of fun and laughter (some year groups even had tablecloths!). For those children who have a school dinner please can we make a plea to parents to preorder their dinner using the online system as this ensures the children get a choice of meals, rather than a jacket potato. If you need any help accessing the system, please speak to Miss Lee in the office.
Those families who are entitled to free school meals will receive vouchers for the Christmas break; the value of these vouchers is £10 per week per child. You will receive an email or text tomorrow with details of how to access these. If you are not currently in receipt of free school meals, but believe you could be, please apply online at https://www.dudley.gov.uk/residents/benefits/free-school-meals
A huge thank you to all our parents who encourage strong attendance for their children, we want all children to benefit from a good education, and it is important that they are in school and on time unless they are not well enough to attend. Absences from school create gaps in their learning, and we miss them when they are not here.
Today is the last day of term for our children, but the staff will be in school tomorrow. We hope that our parenting community will consider attending our Speech and Language workshop tomorrow afternoon (1.30pm to 2.30pm). There is a creche available for children aged 0 to 11, and you will be welcomed with a hot drink and a biscuit. Strong foundations in speech, language and communication are so important for all children, and the workshop will provide you with an insight about how best to support this at home.
As always, it is an absolute pleasure to be a part of the Olive Hill community. The children make us smile every day and their enthusiasm is infectious. A big thank you to the staff for everything they do. We wish all our families a lovely break and look forward to seeing you in the new year.
We return to school on Monday 5th January.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Kind regards,
Miss Grasby and Miss Walters