Mr Reilly's Blog
Mr Reilly's Blog
3.11.23
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School Disco
The children enjoyed a spooky disco at the end of last term and had a great time grooving and chatting to friends. A big thank you to all those parents who volunteered to help and make this event possible. We have seen an increase in numbers helping at these events recently which makes a huge difference. Over 150 children attended and were very grateful!
Open Mornings
We have our open mornings planned this month for parents considering sending their children here next year to start in Reception. These are Tuesday 7th and 14th of November from 9:30 – 11am. These are always positive experiences where we get to show the school off to prospective parents. Our older pupils will be touring the school with parent groups and taking questions.
Phonics / Writing Workshop
For parents interested to further understanding how to support their child to read and write, we have organised a workshop to inform parents about the processes we use. This event will be held on Tuesday 21st November from 2pm and Wednesday 22nd November from 4:30pm at Bean Primary School. Parents only need to attend one of these dates. More details to follow
6.10.23
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A huge THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to our Harvest Festival this week. The display was full with a variety of food items which will be packed up and sent off to the local food bank at St Mary’s Church, Greenhithe. Each class contributed with songs, readings, drama, pictures and even some drumming from Year 5 pupils. Reverend Simeon gave a brief talk and used a doughnut with a hole in as a visual aid. He asked the children, would it be better to focus on the bit that was missing or the delicious doughy bit round the edge. He likened this to being thankful for the things we have rather than focusing on things we don’t. Several teachers commented that it was a ‘holy’ experience. A number of our parent reps attended and agreed that the children’s contributions were wonderful. Pictures will be displayed on the website and reception screen shortly.
22.09.23
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Celebration Assemblies
It is good to see the children settling back into their routines and enjoying their day to day activities. Celebration assemblies have started and it is always pleasing to welcome parents and friends to these occasions. On these occasions children receive House Point certificates and Rights Respecting certificates and parents are invited in to celebrate with us. These take place on Fridays. Parents are invited the week before.
Harvest
The children are working hard on their class Harvest Festival contribution which will be held on Thursday 5th October. Parents will be invited to make a food contribution which will be donated by the Rights Respecting Ambassadors to our local food bank - St. Mary’s Church, Greenhithe. More information to follow.
Snacks at break times
Fresh fruit (and occasionally vegetables) are provided to children in Key Stage 1. We usually have enough to offer this option to Key Stage 2 children also. If your child is bringing in a mid-morning snack, please ensure it is either fruit or vegetables only.
Muddy Shoes
As we move into Autumn, the field and woods start to get muddy. Parents are encouraged to send their child in with an old pair of shoes / trainers in a strong carrier (these can stay in school) so that they can have an energetic playtime and keep their school shoes in good order.
Assemblies
We were pleased to welcome Rev Simeon this week in our assembly. He spoke to the children about Harry Potter and the Good Samaritan. He was impressed with their lovely singing and looks forward to hearing the children in St. Nicholas’ Church this Christmas.
15.09.23
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It is now the second week and the children in England Class are clearly settling in to their new routines. It is always impressive how quickly they adjust to all the many changes they face.
We have had several queries about the meal arrangements so I thought it would be helpful to give you an overview of how the children have been managing. They are showing real independence as they line up, collect their trays, choose their desert, collect their cutlery and water and then on to the optional bread and salad bar. Staff check that adequate food has been eaten by each child before they leave. If a child does not have an adequate amount, staff will ensure more of what they do like is available to ensure appropriate nutrition each day. If a child is not eating adequately, a member of staff will contact you and let you know. They are quite busy throughout the day so don’t be surprised if they come out with an appetite. This is a positive time for the children socially and they clearly enjoy eating together.
8.9.23
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Welcome back to a new school year. It has been pleasing to see the children returning full of smiles and stories of their adventures over the summer as they re-establish their friendships. Our new reception class have made an excellent start with the vast majority strolling in each day with confidence and expectation for what lies ahead.
As a school we emphasise starting and finishing well with pupils and I’m delighted to say that each class has achieved ‘starting’ brilliantly. We have had several positive comments from outside bodies which has been a joy to receive. The first came from a supervising catering staff member who works across Kent in numerous schools. It was her first time at Bean this week and she was taken aback with the good manners and politeness of the children. She was also pleased to see very little food waste on the floor following service. “They even tuck their chairs in!” she added.
The second comment came from an experienced swimming instructor at Fairfield. Following Year 5’s first lesson, Tim turned to a member of staff and declared that he had never taught such a well-behaved and enthusiastic class before.
As you will recall, the children were invited to enter the Dartford Reading challenge over the summer run by Dartford Library. We were one of 28 schools that took up the challenge and the results are: Bean Primary children achieved second place in terms of numbers of books read and enjoyed. What a fantastic result!
My final surprise this week was from our Year 6 pupils. We were learning ‘Thank your lucky Starts’ in preparation for Harvest Festival during singing assembly. As Year 6 pupils knew the song, they sang with great confidence and lead the rest of the school through the song.
As a result of all this good news, I felt compelled to give each class an extra 10 minutes golden play this afternoon.