Newsletters

We believe that our children should have the aspiration and opportunity to ‘Live life in all its fullness’ and ‘Shine like stars in the sky’.
 
MESSAGES FROM MRS TAYLOR
 
Asteroid Class Update
As many of you are aware, we have recently welcomed new families who have moved into our local catchment area. As a community-focused school, we are committed to providing every child in our immediate neighbourhood with a place. This has resulted in a larger class size for the end of this academic year.
I want to reassure you that maintaining our excellent standards of education remains our absolute priority during this period of growth. To ensure every child receives the individual attention they deserve, we have in place the following:
·         Consistent Support: At least two members of staff in the classroom every afternoon.
·         Enhanced Ratios: On some days, we are fortunate to have three staff members working together to lead small-group activities and provide targeted support.
This temporary increase in class size is a stepping stone. As we look ahead to the next academic year, pupil numbers across certain year groups are naturally projected to reduce as will Asteroids class size next year.
This shift is part of our strategic plan to move towards a permanent three-class structure at some point in the future. Growing our school in this way allows us to invest more in our facilities and staff, while eventually providing smaller, more focused learning environments for all our pupils.
We are incredibly proud of how our children have welcomed their new peers. Their kindness and adaptability are a testament to the strong values we share.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support as we work to make our school the best it can be for every child.
Please reach out if you have any further questions.
 
 
Update on the school production:
 
As you will know, our school production is planned in for Thursday 2nd July 2026.
Recently, we received an email from Nidderdale school to say they had changed the dates for their transition days and one of these will now be on Thursday 2nd July 2026.
 
This will have a significant impact on the production and our Year Six children’s availability to take part which I’m sure will be disappointing news for everyone as the children look forward to the production all year.  Equally, school very much recognises the importance of our children attending these transition days.
 
We have reached out to Masham Town Hall to see if we can change the dates of our production/hall booking to find a resolution to this, but unfortunately the only two dates they have available to accommodate us are in the last week of term when the Year 6 leaver service and celebratory days out are taking place.
 
I have reached out to Nidderdale High School to see if we can find another resolution to this but have yet to hear back.
 
I'll let parents know as soon as I have further news, but wanted to reassure parents that we are trying our hardest to find a resolution to this.
 
 
Spotlights from Learning…
 
In Rocket Class this week, the Nursery children have enjoyed using the paint rollers and dabbers, as we continue to develop their finger strength and fine motor control.
The Reception children had a fab time with Dave from 'Learn to Ride.'  By the end of the session, all children were riding a pedal bike independently!  We are so proud of them!  Dave did mention that some of the helmets weren't a secure fit, so please double check your child's helmet before they set off on their cycling adventures!
The Year One children have been thinking about Christianity, Judaism and Islam in RE. Learning about and comparing three different world views is a huge task.  Can they tell you about a special celebration they have learnt about?

In Comet Class, we have been having fun exploring the properties of 2D shapes, sorting them according to different criteria and explaining our reasoning.  We have learned a lot of new vocabulary along the way.  Can you tell your grown-up what a polygon is?  …how many vertices a hexagon has?  We were left wondering if there is a name for a twenty-sided shape.  Maybe you could find out…
 
This week in Asteroid Class, we have been looking at the layers of a tropical rainforest.  Can you name them?  We have also started the wire structure for our 3D Moai Easter Island heads which will be finished - hopefully - for half term.  Can you tell your adult how to make a strong and stable base for these builds?
 
WORD OF THE WEEK
Our next word to explore is:  The children are encouraged to find out what the word means and perhaps use it in a sentence or explore its etymology.  Their efforts are then displayed in the hall.  Although aimed more at the KS2 children, everyone is welcome to join in.
 
Remember to look out for more details of our learning for the term ahead on our class pages on the school website.
 
Coming up…
SATS WEEK
Next week, our Year 6 children will be taking their SATs tests, and we would like to wish them all the very best of luck. The children have worked incredibly hard throughout the year and have shown great determination, resilience and maturity in preparing for these assessments. The timetable for the week is as follows: Monday – Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling; Tuesday – Reading; Wednesday – Arithmetic and Maths Reasoning Paper 1; Thursday – Maths Reasoning Paper 2. We are extremely proud of the effort every child has put in, and we know they will do their very best. Please ensure children arrive at school on time each day, having had a good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast. Good luck, Year 6 – we believe in you!
 
ROUNDERS
On Tuesday 12th May, Sporting Influence will be running another super session with KS1 before break and KS2 after the Year 6 have finished their Reading SATs. Please can all children in Rocket Class and Years 2-5 come to school in PE kits? Year 6 will get changed after their assessment. Water bottles and sun cream are advised. Many thanks.

JAM MESSY CHURCH
Just a heads up that this term our JAM Messy Church sessions will take place on Monday 18th May and Tuesday 23rd June from 3.30-5pm.  More details about how to sign up to follow on Monday.

SPORTS DAY
Families are warmly invited to join us on the afternoon of Tuesday 19th May from 1.15 onwards for our annual Sports Day (weather permitting!).
Click here for all the details:  
News from the wider community
NEWS FROM THE BENEFICE
See below for all the latest from the parishes in our community:  
RIPON WALLED GARDEN SPRING FAIR

 
RESOURCES FOR THE GAMBIA
Some of you may know Linda Greensit, who lives in our village, and that she and her husband have links with schools in The Gambia.  Linda is currently collecting resources to send out for children and young people there and would be grateful for any donations of children’s books, sandals or sanitary towels.  You can either drop them to Linda directly or pop them into school for us to pass on.
 
Safeguarding, Health and Wellbeing Updates
TOGETHERNESS PARENT COURSES (formerly the Solihull Approach)
Learn about your child’s development and build your confidence in parenting.
For confident, emotionally intelligent children, Togetherness online pathways, take parents on a learning journey for understanding childhood development, behaviour, and wellbeing to help build connected relationships and resilience for the everyday. 
Just a reminder that there are a range of courses for parents funded by North Yorkshire Council – for free access, just use the password:  NYFAMILIES
Click below for more information:
LEARN - Togetherness