Website: www.stmarysmaltby.co.uk
Dear Parents, Carers and Children
Welcome back to school after the half term holiday. Although the weather was delightful in the first
week, it was a great shame that this did not continue into the second week which was the week many of
us were looking forward to in order to “catch-up” on our very short Easter holiday. Unfortunately, we
are not able to control or even anticipate the British weather!
Regardless of the weather, I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday and we have all returned to school
refreshed and reinvigorated for the next six weeks and two days until the end of the academic year.
In each academic year there are 190 teaching days and five INSET days. This academic year the
Department for Education (DfE) have set an attendance target for all pupils attending St Mary’s school
at 96%:
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190 days attendance – 100%.
183 days attendance – 96%.
179 days attendance – 94%.
175 days attendance – 92%.
172 days attendance – 90%.
Your child has the very best chance of academic success.
Your child has a good chance of academic success.
Your child has a lesser chance of academic success.
It will be harder for your child to make expected progress.
Your child will have significant difficulty in making the
progress expected over the academic year.
Within school currently we have a significant number of children whose attendance rate is less than
90%. These children will find it very hard to keep up with the work set for them. There are 32 days in
this last half term of the academic year. Please try to ensure that your child attends school as many of
these days as possible. Please bring your child to school unless he/she is evidently unwell. If school
staff believe that your child is unwell we will contact you. Please trust us.
The children who have been following the First Communion Preparation programme will make their
First Communion at the 11.00 am Mass on Sunday morning.
The Y2 children are just beginning to learn Maypole dancing. They will put
on a presentation in the school hall at 10.45 am on Tuesday 20th June. The
reason that this presentation will take place in June is that with Easter being
so late, it was almost May before we returned to school after the Easter
holiday. As the Y2 children are only six or seven years old they need some
time to learn the dances. As a consequence our Maypole dancing will take
place in June! Better late then never!!!
There will be a meeting for parents of Y5 girls and Y6 girls and boys at 2.45 pm on Tuesday 20 th June.
At this meeting parents will be able to view the resources that will be used with the children when they
learn about puberty on Monday 3rd July.
The Y6 pupils will be going on a residential visit to Kingswood Activity Centre form Friday 23 rd June
until Sunday 25th June.
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School will be closed for all pupils on Friday 30th June. This will be the final in-service training
day of this academic year. On this day the Y6 pupils will be attending their secondary school of
choice; either Maltby Academy or St Bernard’s High School. The expectation is that they will go to
their secondary school despite the fact it is an in-service day at St Mary’s School.
St Mary Magdalene’s Parish annual Family Fun Day will take place on Sunday 2 nd July. Everyone is
welcome to attend.
Sports Days will take place over four sessions (three days) in July.
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Tuesday 18th July pm
Thursday 20th July am
Wednesday 19th July pm
Thursday 20th July pm
FS1 afternoon pupils and F2 pupils
FS1 morning pupils and F2 pupils
Y1 and Y2 (2-3 pm)
Y3, Y4, Y5 and Y6 (2-3 pm)
The Y6 Leavers’ Mass will take place in St Mary Magdalene’s church on
Morrell Street at 6.30 pm on Monday 24th July. This will be followed by a
disco for the Y6 pupils in the school hall from 7.30 pm until 9.00 pm. Parents
are expected to remain with their child over this period. It will give parents
the opportunity to reminisce about the events of the last seven or eight years.
If any parent/parents would like to arrange light refreshments for the evening
please contact the school office. Funding is available for the event.
The Leavers’ Assembly will begin at 9.30 am in the school hall on Tuesday 25 th July.
School will close for the summer holiday at 1.30 pm on Tuesday 25th July.
Governors are interested to know if parents would be interested in receiving School News via email
rather then in paper form from September 2017. If you would prefer this form of weekly
communication, please complete the slip at the end of tonight’s School News and return to school by
Friday 17th July.
At the beginning of the last half term of the academic year I would like to remind all parents who have a
dinner debt that this will need to be paid off in full by the end of term. From September 2017 the new
Debt Recovery Policy will be strictly adhered to; namely once a debt of 5 dinners has been reached, no
child will be allowed to have further meals without payment being made.
Thank you for your continued cooperation and support.
Yours sincerely
Catherine McLaughlin
Head Teacher
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
From September 2017 I would like to receive School News via email.
My email address is …………………………………………………………………………………
Signed …………………………………………………
Parent of ……………………………………………….
16/06/2017