Newsletter 16.10.26

News

October 2026

16th October 2026

 As we draw closer to the end of our first half term of the year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our wonderful parents and families for everything you do to support our school. Your ongoing commitment to your children’s learning, whether through homework, reading together, practising maths games or simply encouraging their curiosity, makes such a difference and is hugely appreciated. Tonight, we held our first big PTA event of the year, and our Silent Disco was a resounding success! It was fantastic to see the children enjoying an event that everyone could be part of, while following the new guidelines for Benedict’s Law and ensuring that the music levels were comfortable and accessible for all. The smiles, dancing and sheer joy on the children’s faces said it all!
 

A huge thank you must also go to our wonderful Friends of Alveston, who work tirelessly throughout the year to organise fantastic events for our children and raise a tremendous amount of money to enhance our school. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated community around us, and we are so grateful for the time, energy and generosity that go into making these events possible. I would also like to thank everyone who donated so generously for World Mental Health Day on Monday. Together, we raised over £250, which is a fantastic achievement! We are delighted that these funds will support our charities, Young Minds Matter and Place2Be, who work with our school each week to support the wellbeing and mental health of our children. Thank you for helping us to shine a light on such an important part of school life.

Looking ahead to next week, we will be collecting tinned and packaged food donations for our Harvest Festival. If you are able to contribute, please bring your donations to the front of the church, where they will form part of our Harvest offerings before being passed on to the local FoodBank. As always, we appreciate your kindness and generosity in supporting those in our wider community who may be in need. As we approach the half-term break, I hope you feel proud of all that our children have achieved and the wonderful community we continue to build together. Thank you for your continued support, encouragement and partnership; it really does make our school such a special place to be. I wish you all a lovely weekend and look forward to another positive week together.

Jess Newitt, Headteacher

Stars of the Week 
 
Reception ~ Percy
Year 1 ~ Charlotte
Year 2 ~ Alex
Year 3 ~ Delancey
Year 4 ~ Matthew
Year 5 ~ Isla
Year 6 ~ Max
 
Well done, everyone, for shining so brightly!
 
Team Cup Winners
 
Congratulations to this week's team cup winners, Othello Yellows! And a big "WELL DONE" to anyone who earned team points this week.
 
 
Rainbow Welly Award
 
Our Rainbow Welly Award winner this week is.....Orion! Congratulations to Year 2 who have an extra 10 minutes of play this week :)
2026 Christmas Shoebox Appeal!
 
Once again, Alveston C of E Primary School is proud to support the Teams4U Shoebox Appeal! We have recently held a special assembly to share more with the children about the incredible work Teams4U does each year. Teams4U send gift-filled shoeboxes to children across the globe who are facing hardship due to poverty, disaster, disease, or conflict. One of their charity warehouses is conveniently located nearby, in Evesham.
 
If you’d like to brighten a child’s Christmas by donating a gift-filled shoebox, a leaflet will be sent home on Monday with detailed instructions on how to go about this. Additional leaflets will be available from the school office, and extra labels can be downloaded from the Teams4U website: http://teams4u.com
 
Shoeboxes can be prepared as a family or with friends, and don’t need to be costly. Clean, gently used toys from home or charity shop finds are wonderful. 
 
Please send completed shoeboxes into school as soon as possible, with a final deadline of Friday 13th November 2026. Boxes can be left in the school foyer.
 
Thank you so much for your generous support with this meaningful project — together, we hope to send as many shoeboxes as possible (and beat last years total!).
 
Wishing you a joyful half term and happy packing!
 
Mrs McFeely
Year 6 Forest School

Year 6 had a lovely Forest School session last week! Inspired by the Percy the Park Keeper story, they worked in small groups to create cosy, safe shelters for the woodland creatures who had been displaced from their homes. We gathered around the fire circle to sing together. Some children also revisited the skills they learned last week to create wonderful conker spiders to gift to their buddies. A fantastic session full of teamwork, creativity, kindness and woodland magic!

 

May the Force Be With You!
 
Year 5 have been learning all about forces. The children got hands-on with practical work exploring and discovering more about air and water resistance. They had fun and learnt lots!
Row, row, row your boat!
 
This week, three teams of Year 6 pupils took part in an exciting indoor rowing competition at Newbold Leisure Centre. Our students displayed incredible determination and skill, with outstanding performances across the event. We are proud to share that our mixed teams, who competed in the morning (Thomas, Eva, Calvin and Annabelle) rowed incredibly well and came in 1st place. In the afternoon, our teams continued the amazing efforts with our boys team (Jude, George, Harry and Max) coming in 3rd and our girls team (Darcey, Hattie, Korra and Bea) coming in 2nd. Fantastic achievements everyone - well done! Between them they rowed thousands of metres in a matter of minutes!
Several games of two halves!
 
On Tuesday afternoon, some of our Year 5 and Year 6 boys took part in a football tournament at Alcester Town Football Club. The boys got to take part in EIGHT matches and what a fantastic tournament it was! Their team spirit, determination and hard work from the first whistle to the last was amazing. Goals were flying in with Ben, Frankie, Edward and Max all getting on the score sheet. Our strikers and midfielders worked tirelessly and there was excellent passing and tackles made by Fraser, Benji and Calvin - with goal assists coming from them as well. At the other end of the pitch, Harry and Liam made lots of crucial tackles (and even a dramatic goal line clearance) to help keep the other teams at bay. A special mention must go to our goalkeeper Jude. His bravery and concentration was excellent, and he was put straight to the test in the very first game - saving a great penalty shot from the opposition. There were two losses, three draws and three wins in total. It was so lovely to hear the other teams commenting on how respectful and sporting the boys were. A huge thank you to Stowie for stepping in to referee the matches and to Mrs Newitt for giving up her time to cheer the boys on. What a tournament to remember!
 
(And a big THANK YOU to Carly for such a brilliant match report and for organising our team on the night!)
Well done Sea Cadets!
 
Congratulations to Calvin, Arthur and Emerson who took part in the Trafalgar March in Coventry on Sunday with Sea Cadets.They marched for three hours with hundreds of others. What a moment for them and for their families to be a part of. You look so smart in your uniforms and represented Alveston in this event wonderfully.
Upcoming CASS Workshops and Support Sessions 
 

The Community Autism Support Service (CASS) has a range of upcoming sessions designed to support parents and carers of autistic and neurodivergent children. CASS offer both online and in person sessions, depending on the workshop, covering topics such as Autism and ADHD, masking, food and EHCPs. 

View sessions and book a place here.


 

Community Interest 
 
We post community events and projects on our website under 'Our Community'. For more information about activities open to you, your family and your local community, please do check the pages regularly:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
You can also find a list of the FoodBank's "MOST WANTED" items right here. Please do take a look and help to support those in need in our local community.
General Reminders
 
Parking at Drop-Off and Pick-Up
We are so lucky at Alveston that the Football Club allow all our parents who drive to school to use their car park for drop-off and pick-up. This makes it safer for all our children. Please continue to use the Football Club car park. Please note: Parking is only available if there are spaces free and we can only park in the allocated bays. Once all the marked bays are full each day, parents will need to find alternative parking when dropping off and collecting their children. Please do not park in any other areas of the car park going forward. Please do not park on any double-yellow lines for pick-up or drop-offs. Please also ensure that you do not stop or park within the zig-zag "Keep Clear" markings at the main entrance to school. This area is marked to keep the flow of traffic moving and to ensure the safety of all pedestrians. 
 
Sickness and Absence
Please let the school office know each day your child is absent from school by calling 01789 293412, option 1, and leaving a message. You may also email parents3002@welearn365.com. You do not need to contact us daily if your child is sick/vomits. Absences for sickness/vomiting will be recorded 48 hours from the end of the day your child was last sick (i.e. if sick on Sunday, come back on Wednesday; if Tuesday come back on Friday). 
 
Medicines in School
We cannot accept medicines in school without a prescription label and a medical form completed by a parent or carer.  Please ask the school office for more information and/or a form via:
parents3002@welearn365.com

Leave of Absence during Term Time
For updated guidance and legislation regarding a leave of absence during term time, please click here. You will find the application form to request a leave of absence here.


 

Important Dates* to Remember 

Key dates for Autumn Term (1) are shown below. 
 
* Please note that all dates published are subject to change/cancellation - please check this page and/or the website calendar regularly:
 

Autumn Term (1)

 

Celebration / Star of the Week Assemblies

 

 

*19/10 (Half Term Cup)

 

 

Teacher-Led Clubs – 4 weeks

 

 

w/c 14th September to w/e 9th October 2026

 

 

 

21/10

 

Harvest Celebration [2:30pm]

23/10

 

INSET DAY – NO CHILDREN IN SCHOOL

 

 

 

HALF TERM 26th to 30th October 2026

 

 

 

2/11

 

Children return to school

3/11 & 4/11

 

Parents’ Evenings [3:30-6:30pm]

12/11 & 24/11

 

Open Mornings [for Reception 2027]

 

 

 

Upcoming Key Dates

 

 

 

11/11

 

Y2 & Y6 Remembrance Walk to War Memorial

7/12

 

Christmas Plays: KS1 & Reception Rehearsal

8/12

 

Christmas Plays: KS1 9:05 / Rec 2:30

9/12

 

Christmas Plays:  Reception 9:05 / KS1 2:30

16/12

 

Christmas Dinner + Christmas Jumper Day

17/12

 

Christingle  [2:15pm]

18/12

 

Christmas Panto / last day in school

 

 

 

END OF TERM 21st December 2026 to 4th January 2027

 

 

 

4/1

 

INSET DAY – NO CHILDREN IN SCHOOL

5/1

 

Young Voices Concert

6/1

 

Final Open Morning for Reception 2027

7/1

 

TTRS Day  [Y3/Y4/Y5]

 

 

 

HALF TERM 15th to 19th February 2027

 

 

 

23/2 & 25/2

 

Parents’ Evenings  [3:30-6:30pm]

9/3

 

Learning Time Together [2:30-3pm]

24/3

 

Y3/Y4 Easter Performance  [4pm]

25/3

 

Easter Service  [2:15pm]

26/3

 

Public Holiday – no children in school

 

 

 

END OF TERM 29th March to 9th April 2027

 

 

 

12/4

 

INSET DAY – NO CHILDREN IN SCHOOL

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