A polite reminder that the school car park is for staff only. Please use the WMC car park for drop off and pick up, including breakfast club and wraparound care. We have kitchen deliveries and other school deliveries and maintenance who all use the car park, making it unsuitable for parents drop off. Thank you for your cooperation with this.

If any families would like to sue the disabled car parking space, and are blue badge holders, please see Mrs Lyall who will make this space available.

Please note that the security gate to and from the car park has a buzzer system enabled throughout the school day until 4pm. Families are asked to use the WMC entrance rather than crossing the car park if returning to school within the school day.

Huge congratulations to our wonderful cook Mandy who got married over the summer holidays. Mandy being Mandy did it in fantastic style with a surprise wedding at Gretna Green! The photographs look amazing, what a super day. We send her and her family our love and congratulations.

On Friday 8th November we will have the opportunity to participate in diabetic screening as part of an NHS pilot scheme called the ELSA study. More information about the study and a parents guide can be found by following this link.

This is an opt in scheme whereby children have a simple finger prick test to find out their likelihood of developing type 1 diabetes in the future. Parents will receive more information over the coming weeks.

This screening will only be available for children with parents consent, an online form to participate will be available over the next few weeks.

A polite reminder to ensure that school has the most up to date emergency contact information. Please contact school via admin@hod.318education.co.uk if you have new information, including phone numbers, this academic year. It is vital that we have emergency contact details for every child.

Weekly house point totals are:

Owls = 47

Badgers = 50

Squirrels = 41

Foxes = 53

Well done to the Foxes team.

Well done to everyone who received awards or shout outs today. We are very proud of you. A brilliant start to the new term, keep it up!

• Class R – All of class R for a fantastic start to school life at Hodnet. They have shown kindness and respect and have had a superb start. Well done.
• Class 1 – Charlotte, for being respectful and responsible and showcasing a superb learning attitude in the classroom.
• Class 2 – Rory, for persevering in all activities even with his broken arm.
• Class 3 – Harry T, for his fantastic attitude to learning and for always doing the right thing.
• Class 4 – Dylan, for a fantastic start to Hodnet School.
• Class 5 – Archie, for being ready to listen and to learn, well done.
• Class 6 – Daisy, for a fantastic start to Hodnet School.
• KS1 Headteachers – Oliver L in class R, for sharing his ideas in assembly and for showcasing our values around school. Well done, what a star!
• KS2 Headteachers – Maeve in class 5, for showcasing our school values and being a role model to others in assemblies. Well done, what a star you are!
• Raffle ticket – Theo in class 5.
• Lunchtime award – Arlo in Class R for being polite and confident when talking to lunchtime staff, well done.

A polite reminder that the playground equipment including the exercise machines are only for use within the school day with the supervision of school staff. Please do not allow children or siblings to use them at the end of the school day. This is for insurance purposes. We thank you kindly for your cooperation with this request.

Diary dates are being added to our website. Here is a list below of useful dates for this term. New dates, such as school trips, will be added to the website as they are organised.

September 2024

• Fri 6^th – DEAR 3pm
• Mon 9^th – Y5&6 Curriculum & Coffee morning 8.45am in classes
• Tue 10th – Y3&4 Curriculum & Coffee morning 8.45am in classes
• Tue 10^th – Cookery club starts
• Wed 11^th – Activsports club starts
• Thur 12^th – Y1&2 Curriculum & Coffee morning 8.45am in classes
• Fri 13^th – Roald Dahl day – not dressing up. Covering in class
• Fri 13^th – YR Curriculum & Coffee morning 8.45am in the hall
• Mon 16^th – Swimming starts Y3&4 for 6 weeks
• Mon 16^th Reception parents phonics workshop 2.25 – 3.15pm in the hall
• Thur 19^th – Voting for class houses, Y6 speeches.
• Tues 24^th – FGB 4-6pm
• Wed 25^th – Quality of Education Quality Assurance visit.
• Fri 27^th – Book Fair opens for 1 week, after school daily in the hall.
• Fri 27^th MacMillan Coffee afternoon from 2pm – wear green, cake donations, £1.
• Mon 30^th – Y5&6 Netball competition after school at MDJS.

October 2024

• Fri 4^th – Y6 to Thomas Adams school for an enterprise event.
• Fri 4^th – DEAR 3pm
• Mon 7^th – Harvest donations
• Wed 9^th – Fri 11^th Y6 Bikeability
• Thur 10^th – Word Mental Health day – wear something yellow
• Tue 15^th – UKS2 invited to Thomas Adams production Guys & Dolls.
• Wed 16^th – New to Reception 25/26 open morning 9.30-11.
• Thur 17^th – Cross country event
• Thur 17^th – PTA AGM 6pm in school
• Mon 21^st – Last swimming session for Y3&4
• Wed 23^rd Break up for half term.

November 2024

• Mon 4^th – PD day. School closed.
• Tue 5^th – school reopens to children
• Fri 8^th – NHS Diabetes screening optional – opt in session.
• Fri 8^th – DEAR 3pm
• Fri 8^th – PTA bonfire night
• Mon 11^th – Swimming starts for Y5&6 for 4 weeks
• Wed 13^th – Parents evening 3.30 – 7.30
• Thurs 14^th – Parents evening 3.30-5
• Fri 15^th – Children in Need day – non uniform £1.
• Wed 20^th – Y5 class assembly 9am parents welcome
• Tue 26^th – FGB 4-6pm
• Wed 27^th – Y2 class assembly 9am parents welcome
• Wed 27^th – Kwick Cricket KS2
• Thur 28^th – Y5 Tag Rugby

December 2024

• Wed 4^th – Y3 class assembly 9am parents welcome
• Wed 4^th – Ian Barlett LA Safer Schools lead – meeting 10am, parents welcome.
• Fri 6^th – DEAR 3pm
• Thur 12^th – Christmas jumper day & Christmas lunch
• Tue 17^th – EY & KS1 Nativity 2pm
• Wed 18^th – EY & KS1 Nativity 2pm
• Thur 19^th – Church Performance 2pm at St Luke’s Church.
• Fri 20^th – Party day – non uniform.
• Fri 20th – Rock Steady concert 9.30am – families of those who participate are welcome to attend.
• Fri 20th – Break up for Christmas holidays. Return Mon 6th January. 

Welcome back to the Autumn term, we look forward to an exciting term with many events planned and exciting curriculum opportunities on offer. Welcome also to our new starters, we look forward to working with you over the coming years as partners in your child’s education and we thank you for choosing Hodnet School.

To find out more about the coming term, please attend the curriculum and coffee mornings next week if you can, this will be an opportunity to meet with your child’s class teacher, ask any questions and find out about the learning and key events for the term. The information will be sent home for those who are unable to attend.

• Monday 9th Sept – classes 5&6, parents please attend in the classrooms, children will be registered in the school hall.
• Tuesday 10th Sept – classes 3&4, parents please attend in the classrooms, children will be registered in the school hall.
• Thursday 12th Sept – classes 1&2, parents please attend in the classrooms, children will be registered in the school hall.
• Friday 13th Sept – class R parents please attend in the school hall, children will remain in the class.

Our school activity clubs will be back up and running next week, with Cookery starting on Tuesday and ActivSports running on Wednesday and Thursday. Our many lunchtime clubs will also start next week. We have a range on offer from homework and quiet club to chess, reading, choir, lego and creative clubs.

Our music enrichment starts next week with Miss Salt teaching Penny Whistle and Dood in classes 1,2,5 & 6, and 1:1 lessons resuming next week. Rock Steady started today and was a pleasure to hear as always. Please see our music curriculum page on our website for more information and informative links.

A reminder that swimming starts for classes 3&4 on Monday 16th September and will run for 6 weeks. Y5&6 will then start their swimming sessions for the remaining 4 weeks of the 10 week block booking. Please see the swimming letter for more details.

Diary dates for the term are on our website, a list is also on this newsletter within a separate post. Dates will be added throughout the term when trip and visits are booked, please keep up to date with events via our website.

Please contact school via admin@hod.318education.co.uk if you have any questions or queries, please also look at our website which has a wealth of up to date information to support families.

Thanks to KSPlantscapes who have renovated the garden area at the front of school. They have removed all the old bushes and replaced the old shrubs with turf and new lavender plants. This has really opened up the front of school and made the rooms feel much brighter and visibility is much better. This will also be safer as the area was quite hazardous especially for younger siblings who enjoyed running on the secret path between Mrs Lyall’s window and the kitchen, sorry to spoil the fun! We ask that families kindly to keep off this newly laid turf and respectfully refrain from picking the new plants. Thank you.