Mailbag 5 July 2021
Mailbag 5 July 2021
The term seems to be gathering pace! After this week we will have just eight school days left before the end of the summer term and our break for the holiday! There continues to be lots going on around school each and every day. The children are working hard and there is fantastic work going on in every year group.
On Thursday, the whole school came together for a fabulous Poetry Day, organised by Mr McIntyre. He launched the day with a whole-school assembly in the playground - the first time we’ve all been together since lock down began last March!
Each class was partnered with another, and the children spent time getting to know a new, older or younger friend. Then, using what they’d found out, they wrote a poem especially for them. It was a delight to watch them sharing their poems later in the day.
Every class had chosen their best poetry recitation and, in the afternoon, everyone visited a carousel of seven stages to watch them. To see so many children standing up and reciting a poem by heart so confidently, in front of a live audience, was magical. There are lots of photos and videos from the day in Galleries here.
Yr 6 held a hugely successful Mini-Enterprise Fayre on Friday. Well done to all the Yr 6 children for developing and making your products and engaging so successfully with your young customers.
The children’s sponsored walk is going on today and tomorrow in Arnos Vale Cemetery, with each year group taking on a different challenge - we look forward to hearing all about it.
And, of course, we are looking forward to Sports Day on Thursday. Fingers crossed for good weather!
Extra Inset Days next year - Monday 6th September will be an extra Inset day (so Term 1 begins for children on Tuesday 7th), as will Monday 1st November (so Term 2 begins on Tuesday 2nd). See the updated term dates calendar here.
Meet the new teacher Zoom sessions for parents and carers - On Wednesday morning we will have the big reveal when the children find out who their new teacher is going to be and spend the morning getting to know them, in their new classroom.
After school on Wednesday, and again on Thursday, each class teacher will hold a 15 minute Zoom session to meet the parents of their new pupils and introduce themselves:
Wednesday July 7th
Rec & Yrs 1 & 2 - 3.45 pm
Yrs 3, 4 & 5 - 4.00 pm
Thursday July 8th
Yrs 3, 4 & 5 - 3.45 pm
Rec & Yrs 1 & 2 - 4.00 pm
We will post the Zoom links on your child’s current Seesaw or Tapestry page.
Thank you from the Yr 6 fundraising team - Thanks to everyone who donated to the Yr 6 leavers fund. We’re so pleased we can do a yearbook for all the Yr 6s. We have been able to buy a few hoodies for families who needed it and we’ve got our fingers firmly crossed that the party will happen on 20th July. The lucky winner of the prize draw was Aya Gambrell and the prize will be delivered this week. Thanks again. What a wonderful, generous community we have at Hillcrest.
Super Spellers video - https://youtu.be/cvv86uAjp3Q
Future Stars Breakfast Club and After School Club at Hillcrest - More information will be in next Monday’s Mailbag but you can start booking places now at https://www.futurestarscoaching.co.uk/ See their flyer here.
Fast Forward Sports in September - Book Now - Matt Hill’s popular after school sports clubs will continue, alongside the new Future Stars after school provision. Click here to download the flyer/timetable.
Community Notices
ERIC supports parents and carers of children and young people with a bladder or bowel problem. They offer their ‘Engaged’ support groups in and around Bristol and South Gloucestershire. To join a group go to www.eric.org.uk/engagedinBristol, email engaged@eric.org.uk or call 0117 9805938
Clarks in Broadmead have asked us to let families know about their Back to School shoe fitting appointment service. Visit www.clarks.co.uk to book an appointment and click here to download their ‘Skip the Queue’ newsletter for more information. They also offer ‘Quiet Time’ appointments for children that would benefit from this, when they ensure that the shop is quiet, not too bright and free from crowds.
Homework
See your child’s year group under the Homework tab on the website.
Look out for your next Mailbag on Monday 12th July
Friends of Hillcrest Annual Roundup
This has been an unusual year for Friends of Hillcrest with many of our key fundraising and social events unable to take place due to the pandemic. For this reason, we established a crowd funder to enable us to raise funds despite the many and ongoing restrictions. We have been blown away by the incredible support shown by the Hillcrest Community and are pleased to report that the crowd funder has raised an amazing £3,000 to date!
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who took part in the enrichment events that were able to run this year, including: the Halloween Garden/Window Competition, the winter theatre performance, the Winter Wonderland Window Competition, the Pancake Scavenger Hunt, the Easter Family Egg Hunt and the ongoing Sunflower Growing Competition in partnership with Redcatch Community Garden. And not forgetting the Sponsored Walk, taking place today and tomorrow in Arnos Vale.
All money donated to Friends of Hillcrest goes back to the school to enrich our children’s education and experience. This year your donations have been used to fund the following (see photos here):
- New non-fiction books for the classrooms and Book Barn.
- Beautiful wall art to welcome pupils into the school and emphasise the four Hillcrest values.
- Bright window art on the key theme of ‘No Outsiders’.
- A shed for gardening tools used by Hillcrest children to sow and grow their own vegetables.
And shortly to be funded:
- Musical instruments for the entire school.
We are very pleased to reveal that all year groups will mark the end of the school year with a circus workshop and show taking place on the 13th and 15th of July.
Thank you to everyone who has donated money, taken part, shared their fantastic creativity, sent photos for the website, and given their time to help Friends of Hillcrest and our School.
New Committee and Volunteers needed - can YOU help?
In September several Friends of Hillcrest committee members and long-standing volunteers will be moving on.
All parents and carers are automatically members of Friends of Hillcrest, but we need new people willing to give some of their time to take Friends of Hillcrest forward. Over the next school year it will be more important than ever to connect though shared experiences and fun, and bring the Hillcrest community back together - hopefully face to face!
Specific roles include Chair, Deputy Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. We will also need Trustees, two Class Reps for each Year group and we always need Volunteers who can give as much or as little time as they can to help make events happen. For further information about what each role involves, please click here.
Joining Friends in any capacity is a great way to meet fellow members of the Hillcrest community. Many past and present committee members will remain as advisors/volunteers and will be available to provide support, answer questions and give advice about how things have worked previously.
If you are interested in knowing more or would like to be added to our mailing list, please email us at:friendsofhillcrestfundraising@gmail.com