February 2024 Newsletter

5th February 2024

February 2024 Newsletter

Dear Parents and Carers,

I’m pleased to be able to bring you the very latest news from Lemington Riverside as the days begin to get lighter and those brighter spring days edge closer!

New parent governors: We recently advertised two vacant parent governor positions on our Governing Body. I am delighted to confirm that we received two applications and our two newly elected parent governors are Jamie Robson and Marcus Rowe. Jamie has a son in year 3 and Marcus has a son in Reception class and a daughter in year 2. They both submitted very strong applications and will be warmly welcomed on to our Governing Body.

Attendance: We have had superb whole-school attendance since the start of the new term and last week our whole-school attendance was a very strong 96%. Well done to everyone!

Shingles: We have had a confirmed case of shingles in our Year 2 class. Children who have not previously had chicken pox can catch this from somebody who has shingles, so we would advise parents/carers to be vigilant to the symptoms of shingles/chicken pox and seek medical advice should your child develop these. NHS guidance states that children with chicken pox or shingles should “stay off school if the rash is still oozing fluid (weeping) and cannot be covered, or until the rash has dried out.

World Book Day 2024: Lemington Festival of Reading: To mark World Book Day on Thursday 7th March we will be having our very own festival of reading at Lemington Riverside! The children will enjoy a range of fun reading activities over the day during our festival and we invite children to wear their own chilled and comfy clothes for the day, just like you would if you were off to a festival like Glastonbury! All children will also receive a book voucher that can be spent in local shops and supermarkets.

Safer Internet Day: Tomorrow (Tuesday 6th February) is ‘Safer Internet Day’ and across school children will be taking part in activities and discussions to help them be safer when online. We will also be joined by an online safety expert who will be delivering assemblies for children in years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. 

‘Stay and Play’: Every Tuesday (10:00-11:00am) during term-time at the Charlton Street Community Hub (next door to school) our ‘Stay and Play’ sessions take place. ‘Stay and Play’ is ran jointly by Lemington Riverside and Healthworks Pre-School. It is for 0-3 year olds and their grown-ups, is free to attend and no pre-booking is required.

Riverside Wraparound: We continue to offer before and after school wraparound provision from 7:45am each day and until 6:00pm each evening. The childcare provision is ran by Lemington Riverside staff and the school makes no profit from wraparound, meaning we can keep costs as low as possible. Morning sessions are £4 per child (includes breakfast), evening sessions are £9 per child (includes evening meal) or you can book both for £12 per day. Places must be pre-booked and paid for at least 24 hours in advance of children attending. To book, please speak with Nicole in the school office.

Dates for your diary:

Wednesday 7th February: Y6 visiting NUCastle United Foundation for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) activities.

Thursday 8th February: Y5/6 football squad league games at Walbottle Academy.

Wednesday 14th February: Y6 visiting Centre for Life for WEST Schools STEMtastic week.

Friday 16th February: Y6 visiting Discovery Museum for WEST Schools STEMtastic week.

Friday 16th February: Y1 and Y2 visiting Newcastle University to watch Cinderella Opera performance.

Friday 16th February: We break up for the half term holiday at 3:30pm.

Monday 26th February: School re-opens for spring term 2.

Monday 26th February: Y6 visiting NUCastle United Foundation for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) activities.

Thursday 7th March: World Book Day – Festival of Reading.

Wednesday 13th – Wednesday 20th March (every day after school) – Book Fair in the Main Hall.

Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th March (3:45 – 6:00pm) – Parent’s evening