Headteacher's Newsletter

Friday 12^th December 2025

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we approach the final days of term, I want to thank all our parents, carers and families for your continued support, hard work and commitment during this very busy penultimate week before Christmas. Your encouragement, patience and partnership make such a difference to the smooth running of school life, especially at this time of year when excitement levels are high!

A special thank you to Miss Attwell and Mrs Chappell for accompanying our Choir and Art Competition entrants to the Civic Mayor’s Christmas Event. The children represented St Mary’s beautifully (both in voice and spirit) and it was wonderful to see their talents shared and celebrated within the wider community.

This Sunday’s Gospel, Luke 3:10–18, asks the question, “What must we do?”—a reminder that our faith calls us to action, kindness and service to others. In the busyness of the season, these moments of generosity, joy and shared purpose show exactly what we must do: live out our faith through love and gratitude.

Thank you, as always, for being such a valued part of our school community.

Farewell and Thank You to Mrs Lord

This term we say a very fond farewell to our Office Manager, Mrs Lord, who will be leaving us on Thursday 18 December after an extraordinary 20 years of service to our school.

It’s impossible to capture everything she has given to this community. She has been the calm voice at the end of the phone, the problem-solver-in-chief, the keeper of all knowledge and a friendly face that has greeted generations of families, staff and children. Her dedication has shaped the daily life of the school in more ways than most people ever see.

Mrs Lord’s warmth, efficiency, and unfailing patience have helped hold the school together through busy seasons, unexpected challenges and countless memorable moments. Quite simply, she has been at the heart of our school for two decades and she will be deeply missed by all of us.

We are enormously grateful for her commitment, loyalty and kindness over the years. We wish her every joy and success as she begins her next chapter. She leaves with our admiration, our thanks and the lasting affection of the whole school community.

Dates for your Diary

Tuesday 16^th December – Nativity for Year 4 Parents

Wednesday 17^th December 2025 - Year 3 and 4 Carol Concert – 3.45

Thursday 18^th December 2025 - Year 5 and 6 Carol Concert – 3.45

Friday 19^th December 2025 – End of Term - 2pm Finish

Tuesday 6^th January 2026 – Return to School

A heartfelt thank you to all our parent helpers

A huge thank you to every parent who gave their time and energy to support our school disco this week. Your presence made a remarkable difference to how smoothly everything ran. You kept the whole evening ticking over with good humour and efficiency.

Because of you, the children had a brilliant time. Their smiles, questionable dance moves and enthusiasm were very much down to the support you offered behind the scenes.

We’re incredibly grateful for your willingness to help. Your contribution strengthens our school community and makes events like this not only possible, but genuinely joyful.

Thank you for being part of it.

Lost Property

As we move towards the end of term, please take a moment to ensure that all your child’s belongings (coats, jumpers, water bottles, lunch boxes and PE kits) are clearly labelled with their name and class.

We currently have a growing number of lost property items in school. If your child has misplaced anything recently, please take the time to check our lost property area.

Items without names are very difficult to return and a quick name label or marker pen can make all the difference in helping belongings find their way home.

Thank you for your continued support in keeping our cloakrooms and classrooms organised.

Achievement Certificates

The achievement certificates this week are awarded to:

Allana in 3A
Adaku in 3E
Anthony in 4D
Mercy in 4T
Daisy in 5B
All of in 5C
Eliora in 6G
Kaja in 6P

The Headteacher’s award goes to Emmanuella in 3E.

The Kindness Award goes to Ivy in 6P.

The Swimming Award goes to Rachel in 5C.

Yours faithfully,

Sarah Fizul

Acting Headteacher