A big thank you to everyone who attended the PTFA AGM on Wednesday. We have lots of great plans for the year but cannot hold these events without your support. There is certainly something everyone can help with from cooking burgers on the BBQ, or helping with finance behind the scenes, to setting up events for the children. We can use ALL your talents - or teach you some new ones! Please see the list of exciting plans below and consider what your family might be able to support. We are delighted a Year R parent has stepped forward to lead on the Movie Nights, but now need some additional adult volunteers. The first one is scheduled for Friday 1^st October, but we cannot go ahead with this much loved child event without your help.

An extra big thank you to our hard working PTFA team who spared a couple of hours last week for gardening and a site tidy up. Thank you to Kathleen and Fynn, James, Claire and George, Natalie, Nancy, Lucy and Debbie. It was very much appreciated!

Another big thank you to Molly who has taken on the lead role with our Second Hand Uniform. She would like me to pass on thanks to everyone who has answered her plea for additional hangers and  rails.

We very much hope you can enjoy the long weekend with your children, as it is our INSET on Monday 27^th September. We will be working hard here at school, with phonics and reading training for all teaching staff.

Learning this week;

Year R have been learning all about their bodies and even made skeletons out of cotton buds!

Year 1 have been really getting to grips with the set 3 phonics sounds - especially those tricky split sounds! Keep practising at home in your reading everyone.

Year 2 wrote innovative versions of the Three Billy Goats Gruff story.

Year 3 had a wonderful first go at learning the class song in Charanga.

Year 4 have been working on understanding poetry and continuing their singing of Abba in music.

Year 5 created online mazes as part of their computer coding on Scratch

Year 6 solved tricky two-step maths problems with great confidence and resilience

Mrs Katy Pinchess, Headteacher

 

Your PTFA needs you!

We are incredibly lucky to have so many parents, carers and friends of the school and to be part of such a wonderful community.  Having been unable to run some of our favourite events over the last eighteen months, we are keen for them to be really successful this year... and we really need your help! We hope every family will be able to help in some way - please get in touch to let us know which events your family can support...

• Bonfire Night - 5th November – be part of the volunteer group to plan with Kathleen, then seek support for the night
• Movie Nights - October 1st, November 19th and February 11th – we have someone to lead this but still need volunteers please.  You can buy tickets for the first Movie Night by clicking here
• Tea towels for Christmas – would need a Leader to take this on
• Eco bags – needs a Leader to research and set up with children designing the bags
• Mothering Sunday Shop - needs a Leader plus a small team to support
• B-Fest/Father’s Day – date planned for Sat 18th June - we need a team to plan with School Staff and each class to run a stall/activity on the day
• Bentley Bike Ride – Ben Bingham is leading and will need a team to ride and volunteers to help on the day
• Bentley Fete – ideas needed to share with the Parish to represent the school

We also need help with…

• Counting the money after an event, banking and being a signatory for the PTFA account
• Support with gardening on Friday afternoons with KS1
• Minibus driving – you’ll need to take a test but now we have the smaller bus, anyone with a valid driving license can drive it
• Seeking out support from the wider community for raffle prizes
• The PTFA website and managing emails and communications
• Positive links with the community e.g. Care homes, Parish Council etc

There are so many opportunities to get involved - please contact our Chair of the PTFA to offer your help in person, or by email to k30proud@gmail.com

 

Shine Half Marathon

On Saturday night I will be walking the half-marathon distance of the Shine Night Walk for Cancer Research in London. I will be starting at 8.10pm and anticipate finishing in the early hours of Sunday morning (Target 3am). I generally love my sleep and so staying awake might be a bit of a challenge, but I am very much looking to see the iconic landmarks of London all lit up.

I am doing this to raise money specifically for Oesophageal Cancer, which my lovely dad has been receiving treatment for the last two years. Sadly, his cancer will never completely be cured, but because of great advances in cancer treatment he has been able to live a longer and fuller life than we had expected (he even heroically saw off Covid last year!)

If you feel able to sponsor me please follow this link. I will be trying to link my fundraising page to my Strava on the night so the insomniacs among you can see my progress.

Thank you for your support

Seonaid Scott-Bromley

 

Volunteer Training

Thank you very much to everyone who has signed up for our one hour 'Volunteer Training' on Tuesday 28th September. We will cover expectations and school procedures, plus all volunteers in school require annual safeguarding training.  Please ensure you have signed up via this link so we can ensure you receive the correct paperwork after the training and Mrs Tewkesbury can review and process any DBS checks. This training will be held via Zoom on this link.  Meeting ID: 895 6373 4291  Passcode: Bentley.

 

Voluntary donations to the school fund

We were fortunate last year to receive donations from many of our families, and have set up the Autumn 2021 Voluntary Donations to the School Fund on each child’s Scopay account.  If you are able to, we would welcome your donations – however small.  Every single penny donated will go towards the school fund. 

 

Help is at hand for families struggling with the utility bills

If you are having difficulties with the cost of energy bills, you may be eligible for a FREE fuel voucher from Citizens Advice to help pay for your utilities.

For more details and to find local branch contact details visit the Citizens Advice website: https://citahants.org

 

Click here to find out what’s happening next week and

here to get more information about what’s going on in the local area