St Mary’s Catholic Primary Schools Trust

Friday 15th March 2019

Dear St. Mary's Parents and Carers, 

Lent
We are of course well into Lent now and we have been asking our children to think about ways they can make themselves or the world around them better. The children have been making their Lenten promises and every week we will be focusing on a different theme.

This week we have been looking at ways to support one another and celebrate our individual strengths. We have been us- ing the text below as a reflection:

‘We should be lifting each other up and cheering each other on, not trying to outshine one another. The sky would be very dark with just one star.’

Croydon Infant Dance Festival
Next Tuesday evening our Year 1 dancers will be performing on stage at Trinity School as part of the annual Croydon Dance Festival. This year our Juniors and Infant dancers will be performing on the same day so it will be lovely for us all to be together supporting one another.

If you have a child performing but have not yet purchased a ticket, they will be sold on the day from 4.00 p.m. at Trinity High School. Adult tickets cost £10, children £5. If you would like to book tickets in advance you can email: csdatick-ets@outlook.com with your name, address, name of child, name of the school and how many tickets you wish to purchase. You will then be sent details of how to pay for them.

Attendance
We have been looking at ways that we can keep you updated regarding your child’s attendance. We will therefore we introducing a new half termly‘Traffic Light’ system at the Infant School and at the end of every half term we will send out coloured letters to celebrate good attendance and highlight any areas of concern to you as soon as possible (green for 95% and above and amber for below). If a child receives a gold certificate this will mean they have achieved 100% attendance.

Although we realise that children do get ill, it is very important that children attend school whenever they are able. Below I have included a chart which highlights the difference absence makes to learning over the course of a year.

95% attendance = 9 days off school over the year = 50 lessons. 
90% attendance = 19 days off school over the year = 100 lessons. 
85% attendance = 29 days off school over the year = 150 lessons. 
80% attendance = 38 days off school over the year = 200 lessons. 
I wish you a happy and peaceful weekend.

Kindest regards,
Miss O’Callaghan
Headteacher

Important Dates for your Diary

Tuesday 19th March—Croydon Dance Festival
Week beginning 25th March—Mothers’ Week
Friday 5th April—School closes for the Easter break.