Head Updates

This week at school….

We have had another really good week.

From Dunkirk to hot air balloons, the Battle of Britain to chasing our tails like puppies – please check out the class updates for all the news and info on what the children have been up to this week – they have been truly amazing learners!

School Notice Boards – Please take a look at our notice boards these are full with lots of information and are updated regularly so be sure to check them out!

Census Dinner – This term’s census theme is ‘Brunch for Lunch’ which is taking place on Thursday 5th October 2023. The funding our school receives is based upon census returns that we have to complete each term, with particular emphasis on the uptake of school dinners. In order to help us to do the best for your children we are asking for your support. Please log onto school money and place your order.

Individual & Sibling Photos – Get your smiles at the ready! – Tempest will be returning to MIJS on Monday 25th September to take Individual and Sibling photos. If you have any questions or do not wish for your childs photo to be taken please contact the school office.

School Uniform – Our next order will be placed on Friday 6th October. Please log in to school money to place your order before this date.

PTFA Halloween Glow Party – TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW! Check out the school notice board for further information regarding this event, tickets can be purchased via school money.

Isle of Wight Residential Trip (Yr6) – Please ensure you give complete the form here: https://forms.gle/uFmC5TkyGq4ZGWwx8 to confirm if your child will be attending this trip or not, Deposits must be paid by 30th September 2023, this can be made via school money in the normal way. If you have any questions or think you may qualify for PP please contact the school office.

Hilltop Residential Trip (Yr4) – Your next instalment is due today, please login and make your payment via school money.

Last day of term:  Whilst it may seem early, please note that the last day of this term is Thursday 19 October.  The term calendar is available on the website.

Reminders:

For all clubs please contact school office to book a place

Tuesday:  Free after school club – MJS Football 

Thursday  : Free after school clubs Archery – Yr 1&2/MJS Gymnastics

Friday  :  Swimming for Year 6 Friday 15 September until Friday 3 November

. This week at school……

We have had a really good week.

All the children have settled into their new classes and are tackling their learning with enthusiasm. From learning to fly, magic crayons, to Dunkirk little ships, there have been lots of great learning happening across our school!  Check out the weekly class updates for more information.

Individual & Sibling Photos – Get your smiles at the ready – Tempest will be returning to MIJS on Monday 25th September to take Individual and Sibling photos. Please ensure that your child is in school uniform. Year 6 parents will be contacted nearer the time in regards to a change of PE day for this week only to allow for photos to be taken in our school uniform. If you have any questions or do not wish for your childs photo to be taken please contact the school office.

Pre-Loved Uniform – The MIJS PTFA uniform shop is a great opportunity to get good quality, pre-loved school uniforms. Use this link to make a request: https://forms.gle/pP1ddk1DY3gcrkXU9

School Lunch Bookings Reminder – Cut off for ordering lunches: Every Sunday at midday the following week’s lunches will be taken offline and no more bookings can be made. If you have not ordered a lunch then the school admin team will contact you and you/a family member or friend will need to bring in a packed lunch to the office before 12pm for your child.

Census Dinner – This term’s census theme is ‘Brunch for Lunch’ which is taking place on Thursday 5th October 2023. The funding our school receives is based upon census returns that we have to complete each term, with particular emphasis on the uptake of school dinners. In order to help us to do the best for your children we are asking for your support. Please log onto school money and place your order.

PE Days – please ensure that your children are wearing PE uniform to school on their PE days. Please see below table for days:

Class	PE Day
Reception	To be confirmed
Neverland – Year 1	Thursday
Narnia – Year 2	Thursday
WhoVille – Year 3	Tuesday
Wonderland – Year 4/5	Tuesday
Hogwarts – Year 5	Thursday
Rivendell – Year 6	Monday

Last day of term:  Whilst it may seem early, please note that the last day of this term is Thursday 19 October.  The term calendar is available on the website.

Reminders:

For all clubs please contact school office to book a place

Tuesday:  Free after school club – MJS Football 

Thursday  : Free after school clubs Archery – Yr 1&2/MJS Gymnastics

Friday  :  Swimming for Year 6 Friday 15 September until Friday 3 November

This week at school….

Welcome back everyone!!!!

It has been lovely to see all our children and parents back after the long summer holidays.  This year we were so lucky with the weather and all the staff have enjoyed listening to the children’s experiences of fun on the beach, in parks and around our lovely county spending time with family and friends. 

The children have all settled in well to their new classes and we are very proud of how they have embraced a return to learning in school so quickly.  Please checkout the class updates for more information.  

This year we will also be posting news blogs on our facebook page – our head pupils have amazed us with their journalistic prowess, have a look to see what’s going on in school each week with our live updates!

New September Opening Times – The drop off window has now changed to 8.40am – 8.50am. Our school day will still end at 3.20pm.

PTFA Halloween Glow Party – TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW! Check out the school notice board for further information regarding this event, tickets can be purchased via school money.

School Uniform – Our next order will be placed on Friday 6th October.

Pre-Loved Uniform – The MIJS PTFA uniform shop is a great opportunity to get good quality, pre-loved school uniform. Use this link to make a request: https://forms.gle/pP1ddk1DY3gcrkXU9

School Lunch Bookings Reminder – Cut off for ordering lunches: Every Sunday at midday the following week’s lunches will be taken offline and no more bookings can be made. If you have not ordered a lunch then the school admin team will contact you and you/a family member or friend will need to bring in a packed lunch to the office before 12pm for your child.

Census Dinner – This term’s census theme is ‘Brunch for Lunch’ which is taking place on Thursday 5th October 2023. The funding our school receives is based upon census returns that we have to complete each term, with particular emphasis on the uptake of school dinners. In order to help us to do the best for your children we are asking for your support. Please log onto school money and place your order.

PE Days – please ensure that your children are wearing PE uniform to school on their PE days. Please see below table for days:

Class	PE Day
Reception	To be confirmed
Neverland – Year 1	Thursday
Narnia – Year 2	Thursday
WhoVille – Year 3	Tuesday
Wonderland – Year 4/5	Tuesday
Hogwarts – Year 5	Thursday
Rivendell – Year 6	Monday

Last day of term:  Whilst it may seem early, please note that the last day of this term is Thursday 19 October.  The term calendar is available on the website.

Clubs:  After school clubs will return for next week.  Please complete the surveys to book a place.  All applications are accepted in order and we will hold a waiting list if needed.

Reminders:

For all clubs please contact school office to book a place

Monday: 

Tuesday:  Free after school club – MJS Football 

Wednesday:  

Thursday  : Free after school clubs Archery – Yr 1&2/MJS Gymnastics

Friday  :  Swimming for Year 6 Friday 15 September until Friday 3 November

This week at school…..

And it’s here!……………

What a busy week we have had.  It’s been strange with our Year 6 children off on adventures in the Isle of Wight.  Take a look at some of the pictures below for a sneak peek!

We watched an amazing production from the Year 2 leavers, with lots of smiles and laughs and a few tears. Then we saw the Year 2 performance delivered to our parents. After the performance, the children and parents walked through a guard of honour by our Junior School children and staff to welcome them to the Juniors.  This was followed by a welcome assembly and the current Year 3 class sang a song for the Year 2’s.  There were a few misty eyes but the children did a fantastic job.  Well done to everyone!

Movers and shakers:  We are saying goodbye to a number of staff this year and I am sure that you will join me and all of the staff in wishing them a heartfelt thanks for their service. We wish you luck in your new roles and adventures. As of September, some new members of staff will be joining us; we look forward to welcoming you to the team! 

All that remains is to wish you and your family all the best for a brilliant summer break and we look forward to welcoming you back on Wednesday 6th September at the new drop off times between 8:40am and 8:50am!

This week at school…..

On Monday and Tuesday children experienced their “new” classes in person during transition days. The children all showed fantastic resilience and we were able to support any wobbles had on the day. During their time in their new classes they undertook lots of fun activities to get to know each other in some cases and to begin to get to know their teachers.  

Attenborough Class had a lovely trip to Amazona Zoo today and thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the animals.  Take a look at the class update for all the brilliant things they have been learning this week!

Year 6 has had an eventful week.  Last night they all did absolutely amazing by performing their Year 6 production in the Atrium to all their families.  We were so proud of all their hard work and achievements. Today sees them have their final farewell with an assembly before heading off to the Isle of Wight in their final week. We wish them all the very best for a fantastic week away.  

This week’s Tech Update is looking at Staying Safe online this Summer.

This is the last tech update for this academic year.  This week we are spotlighting some of the best practices that we all know to remind us how to be safe online.  During the holidays our routines change and inevitably become a little more “loose”.  During these times it’s important to support children to make good choices and avoid binge gaming – even if they really want to!  Take a look at the National Online Safety guide below and stay safe and have fun!

Reminders/Dates for the Diary

Pre-Loved Uniform Donation Requests – We would welcome any donations of uniform that your child may have now outgrown, please continue to hand them in to the school office.

Last Day Lunch – Orders must be placed by midday this Sunday. 

Last day of term Friday 21 July and School reopens on Wednesday 6 September

Dates for the Diary

Monday:  Music After School Club; Cricket After School Club

Tuesday:  MJS Dodgeball After School Club; MIJS Gardening Club

Wednesday:

Thursday: MJS Football After School Club; MIS Multi Sports After School Club; 

Friday:  Swimming – Earhart Class

This week at school…..

We have had a different week at school as many of our children have been visiting new classrooms and even new schools in readiness for transition at the end of the year.  Next week children will experience their “new” classes in person during transition days.  We very much look forward to welcoming them in their new cohorts and hearing about their experiences! Some of our Year 2 class have had the opportunity to come over at the end of the day to the Junior school and see what happens.  It’s the same but in a different place to their normal routine. We will be supporting all our children to enjoy all the transition process and alleviate any worries they may have. 

Year 1 and 2 had a brilliant trip this week to Cromer. They visited the Henry Blogg Museum, went to see the lifeboat on the pier and even went to the beach!  It was a lovely day and the children were so amazing we were very proud of them all!  Check out the class update for more information.

This week we have welcomed in some former students from the school as part of their work experience placements from High School.  They have been working in a number of classes and the children have really been amazing teaching them how things are done now in comparison to what it was like when they were here! The feedback from them has been lovely and the children have enjoyed having them here. Next week we will have 2 more students from another high school in the Juniors. We look forward to welcoming them too. 

This week’s Tech Update is looking at BBC Bitesize!

For many of you with older siblings in the family you may be more familiar with BBC bitesize being used as exam revision but have you ever looked at it for your Primary School child?  With the summer holidays looming and the ever present spectre of what should your children be accessing, this is a good site that provides so many different games and activities to keep younger children occupied.  As with any app or games you should always review them first to determine their appropriateness for your child. The advantage of this BBC service is firstly, its Free!Secondly the quality of the games and activities are similar to those you will see in the App stores for many other childrens games but these are also linked to the national curriculum so you can be sure that not only are the children having fun but its supporting their learning too.

When you search the site you can choose the age range of your child/ren and then access games that focus on particular areas or are just fun!  You might even want to try one yourself to see how you do!

As with any site or app or game you need to use this in the way that you feel is most appropriate for you and your children.  Let us know your favourites. We would love to get your feedback!

Reminders/Dates for the Diary

Top Class 2023 – Our year 6 class will be featured in the North Norfolk News Supplement on Thursday 13th July 2023.

Attenborough Class Amazona Zoo Trip – Please login to school money to make the payment and book your child’s snack pack. You can also go into the school money shop if you would like to purchase your child’s souvenir. You will also need to provide consent for your child to attend this trip : https://forms.gle/o95EJAPHe7WQbx6HA

Pre-Loved Uniform Donation Requests – We would welcome any donations of uniform that your child may have now outgrown, please continue to hand them in to the school office.

Year 6 Leavers Performance – Please complete this form if you haven’t already:  https://forms.gle/aGjK98cxWdQpHXc49

Transition Days – letter out today with information for next week.

Last day of term Friday 21 July and School reopens on Wednesday 6 September

Dates for the Diary

Monday:  Music After School Club; Cricket After School Club

Tuesday:  MJS Dodgeball After School Club; MIJS Gardening Club

Wednesday:

Thursday: MJS Football After School Club; MIS Multi Sports After School Club; 

Friday:  Swimming – Yousafzai

This week at school…..

We have had a very busy week!

With delivery of Incredible Eggs – which have now hatched into cute ducklings to First Aid, Water Safety demos and talks and of course, picnic on the field with parents followed by an amazing Sports Day, we have had a very busy week.  Everyone had a great time!  

We welcomed the British Red Cross this week to talk to Yr 6 about first aid and let them participate in some activities including resuscitating Auntie Annie the dummy!  All the children interacted so well and asked some great questions.  We also had a talk from Coast Watch and the Mundesley LifeBoat about Water Safety, which is part of our curriculum along with swimming as we are a Coastal school.  It is so important for children to be aware of what to look out for and we all learned a great deal.  

Culminating all our activities this week was our Sports Day.  The children all participated as did the parents!  The picnic on the field initially was lovely and we all enjoyed spending time together and seeing our whole school community come together.  The children enjoyed a number of races and the Juniors also had a carousel of activities.  Though the weather was very hot, everyone was amazing, including our parents who joined in for a parent race!  We have lots of photos, a couple of which are below, the rest will be shared with you in a folder for you to enjoy!  Thank you to everyone who organised and participated in the day, including all our families who were there to support the children – you really made the day for them.

This week’s Tech Update is looking at AI – Artificial Intelligence.  Unbeknownst to many of us, AI is a platform of technology that forms the basis of many programmes and software that we access increasingly frequently. From adults accessing services like insurance or utility companies offering live chat options; to banking and increasingly within game platforms.  We know from research that children eagerly experiment with new found computer generated companions in a number of age related or non age appropriate games.  Having a virtual friend or pet that they interact with sometimes daily is part of their daily lived experience. So how do we as parents or carers control the risks?  The National Online Safety website is a definite go to and they have a great fact sheet with lots of information, but here are some of the key points:-

Chat about chatbots and find a balance. Have a relaxed chat with your child so you know who and what they are interacting with every day.  You could even explore together. If your child wants to explore and engage with chat bots, do it together or have a shared space they do it in, in the lounge or kitchen at the table for instance where you are around and can see and hear.Make sure you are setting up parental controls to filter content. Lastly and probably most importantly, AI and chat bots should not replace real life interactions with other children and adults.  Try balancing tech time as part of play time, so it is not the only thing children are playing with.  DOnt forget that chatbots are collecting data at all times about their users and they are only as good as the developer behind them.  Always ask yourself “am I happy for this chat bot to teach my child or influence my child”? If not, stop.  AI is here to stay but you are able to control how they affect your family and how you use them.  

Reminders/Dates for the Diary

Earhart Swimming – Will be swimming next Friday 30 June 2023. Please be reminded that swimming hats are compulsory and can be purchased on the school money shop for £1.06.

Isle of Wight Trip – Parents/Carers will have received an email on Thursday 22/06/2023. Please complete your child’s medical and dietary information here: https://forms.gle/y9YBakSCkztqiGSP8

Last day of term Friday 21 July and School reopens on Wednesday 6 September

Dates for the Diary

Monday:  Music After School Club; Cricket After School Club

Tuesday:  MJS Dodgeball After School Club; MIJS Gardening Club

Wednesday:

Thursday: MJS Football After School Club; MIS Multi Sports After School Club; 

Friday:  Swimming – Earhart Year 2

This week at school…..

What a lovely week we have had, and the weather has been scorching!

Events this week have included 2 open evenings to welcome parents of children starting in Year 3 and Reception in September.  It was lovely to meet everyone, some for the first time, for other parents a welcome back!   During the evening we were able to share lots of information about the curriculum, meet the teachers that children will be with and understand a little more about how school systems work and what to expect.  If you were unable to attend we will ensure you are supplied with a welcome pack.  As always we are on hand to answer any of your questions. Please contact the school office and we will endeavour to help!

Thursday and Friday saw our friends from Bruce Grove  visiting us and we had an amazing time showing them all of our school facilities and of course our wonderful beach!  With the beautiful weather we had it made everything just that little bit more special!  We very much look forward to doing this again next year. 

This week’s Tech Update is focussing on creating good habits for you and your children as soon as they begin to use digital technology.  We are now familiar with giving even very young children our telephones or a tablet to watch their favourite characters, but the most common question we are asked about is how to control the “rage” or reaction of children when it’s time to come off the device.  This is all about creating expectations and signposting to your child/ren what is happening now, and what is expected next.  Unfortunately there is no quick or easy way of doing this and the key to success is having the perseverance to start and then weather the results until your child/ren understands that this is just what happens in your family.

So what does this mean?  We understand that time without tech is really important for children as much as with it.  Where do you start? Encourage unplugged, unstructured playtime. Create tech-free zones or times, such as during mealtime or one night a week. Discourage use of media entertainment during homework. Set and enforce daily or weekly screen time limits and curfews, such as no exposure to devices or screens one hour before bedtime.  Start small if you don’t have this in place already. Explore with older children a game you could play together, look up how to play card games and allocate one time a week that you will always do this. We know that children love to play games in school and we forget to play with them at home sometimes.  Life is busy and can be chaotic but investing just half an hour can have really positive results.  Practice going onto and then coming off a device. Make it into a game, which children can be part of.  Let them do it to you too – they will love playing “parent”!  

Creating good screen time balance is really important for children and their development.  We would love to hear from you some of your experiences and tips you have used to make this work for you. Please let us know!

Reminders/Dates for the Diary

Feast on the Field – Orders must be placed by midday this Sunday. This lunch is taking place on sports day.

Earhart Swimming – Will be swimming on Friday 30 June 2023. Please be reminded that swimming hats are compulsory. We have some on the school money shop to purchase for ONLY £1.06.

Pre-Loved Uniform Donation Requests – We would welcome any donations of uniform that your child may have now outgrown, please continue to hand them in to the school office.

Sports Day – Parents collect children from the normal end of day locations at 12 before taking them to the field to find a picnic spot.

Last day of term Friday 21 July and School reopens on Wednesday 6 September

Dates for the Diary

Monday:  Music After School Club; Cricket After School Club

Tuesday:  MJS Dodgeball After School Club; MIJS Gardening Club

Wednesday:

Thursday: MJS Football After School Club; MIS Multi Sports After School Club; 

Friday:  Swimming – Yousafzai

This week at school…..

We  went Strawberry mad!

As part of our project week  all the children have participated in a large range of activities that have encompassed everything from marketing and making their own jams, understanding where Strawberries come from, business terms like making profit and of course lots of baking and maybe some eating (!) of lovely strawberries. This culminated in our very own Farm Shop being opened! Thank you to all of you who have supported us, from volunteering to help in class and buying some of the children’s produce.  We have had an amazing week and the children have really enjoyed it – we hope you have too!  Have a look at some of the photos at the bottom of this update.

Next week is going to be action packed. We have 2 open evenings booked for new Reception parents and for Year 3 transfers to Junior school.  Its well worth coming in and getting a chance to meet the team and getting to know what goes on, even if you have had a child here before as we are always updating and improving our offering.  If you have any questions please just call the office for more information, we very much look forward to welcoming you!

Thursday and Friday next week Bruce Grove students will be visiting us after our brilliant trip to London recently to see them.  We will be showing them all of our school facilities and of course we will take them to the beach and maybe sample some fish and chips!  We have everything crossed for a little bit of warm weather to heat up the sea ready for the obligatory paddle.  Watch out for next week’s update for news on how it all went!

Updates for this week:

Coastal Club Telephone – The telephone line in Coastal Club is now up and running. Should you need to call, the telephone number is 01263 720401 option 4

Pre-Loved Uniform Order Requests – With only 6 weeks left in this academic it can be frustrating having to buy new uniform so if your child is in need of anything to get them through the last half term please submit your request here: https://forms.gle/37qkpQiBovEHW1bs8. We would also welcome any donations you may have so please continue to hand in to the school office.

Yousafzai Swimming – Started today – Please be reminded that Victory have informed us that swimming hats are compulsory. We have some on the school money shop for ONLY £1.06.

Uniform order – The cut off date is today so please ensure all orders are placed on school money before 6pm. Please note this will be the last order before children return in September.

Cricket Club – Free after school club on Mondays for Yrs 4-6. Last few spaces available, please contact the office to book your child’s place.

Basketball Club – Free after school club on Thursdays for MJS pupils. Last few spaces available, please contact the office to book your child’s place.

This week’s Tech Update looks at some of the Apps available for children that are educational/age appropriate.  As we are getting close now (just 6 weeks away) to the summer holidays, it might be time to do a bit of housekeeping on your child/rens devices.  Have a look at the Apps on there and delete anything that is not appropriate or has not been used for a long time.  When looking for apps for children there are lots to choose from.  We have found a few sites that offer lots of different apps to access for multiple age groups.  Many of these are free and are underpinned by the opportunity to learn or practice skills while they are playing.  Many of our posts are around the dangers to look out for and this applies no matter what the app you are looking to download. However, there are lots and lots of really fun apps available for children to access and play on.  Next time you are scrolling through your phone, have a look at some of the platforms available. We would love to hear from you about some of the children’s favourites!

https://www.educationalappstore.com/app-lists/best-apps-for-kids

https://www.netmums.com/activities/top-educational-apps

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/electronics/g28212386/best-apps-for-kids/

Reminders/Dates for the Diary

Last day of term Friday 21 July and School reopens on Wednesday 6 September

REMINDERS

Monday:  Music After School Club; Cricket After School Club

Tuesday:  MJS Dodgeball After School Club; MIJS Gardening Club

Wednesday:

Thursday: MJS Football After School Club; MIS Multi Sports After School Club; 

Friday:  Swimming – Yousafzai

This week at school…..

We have spent our time settling back into a more normal routine after the whirlwind of the last two weeks. Please check out our class updates to see what the children have been up to!

Thursday saw our Year 5 children off to Bruce Grove in London.  The weather has been amazing for them – a lot warmer than home and they were able to enjoy seeing some of the sights as they travelled.  They have all been amazing and a credit to each and everyone – we are very proud of them.  I am sure they will return with lots of tales of the different things they have seen and experiencing a very different environment than we enjoy here.  Well done Year 5 and have an amazing half term!

Lego Vouchers – Thank you to all of those who handed in lego tokens, Our school have collected enough to receive a £50 voucher to spend on LEGO Education Items.

Pre-Loved Uniform Order Requests – Please submit your request here: https://forms.gle/37qkpQiBovEHW1bs8 Donations can be made on school money, please continue to hand in clothing donations to the school office.

Yousafzai Swimming – Starts 9th June – Please be aware that swimming hats are compulsory and can be purchased on school money for £1.06

PTFA Pre-Loved Uniform Order Requests – Please submit your request here: https://forms.gle/37qkpQiBovEHW1bs8 Donations can be made on school money, please continue to hand in clothing donations to the school office.

This week’s tech and online safety info focuses on Tik Tok – this app very much came to the fore during the pandemic with lots of us posting or spending time being entertained by others posts.  Like lots of other Apps Tik Tok can be lots of fun but there are a few key things to keep in mind when watching or sharing this with your children. 

Tik ToK is a 13+ rated App. This means that content is not filtered for primary aged children and could mean that your children see content that is not appropriate for their age.  Here are a few key things to note:

When you download the app, users can see all the content without creating an account although they are not able to post, like or share anything until they’ve set up an account on the app.  By default, all accounts are public so anyone on the app can see what your child shares. However, only approved followers can send them messages.  Users can like or react to a video, follow an account or send messages to each other, so there is the risk that strangers will be able to directly contact children on the app.  Tik Tok is also used by many to start and send on trends (remember the ice bucket challenge?), Children may be tempted to take risks to get more of a following or likes on a video so it’s important to talk about what they share and with who.

Here is a link to the Internet Matters website that provided this detail.  Internet Matters link  This and many other handy tips are available on it.  Please take a moment to have a look.

All that remains is to wish you all a lovely half term break. We will look forward to seeing the children again on Monday 5 June.

Reminders/Dates for the Diary

School is closed Monday 29 to Friday 2 June

School reopens on Monday 5 June

REMINDERS

Monday:  Music After School Club

Tuesday:  MJS Dodgeball After School Club; MIJS Gardening Club

Wednesday:

Thursday: MJS Basketball After School Club; MIS Multi Sports After School Club; 

Friday:  Swimming – Yousafzai