Dear Kilmorie families,
I, Dennis, have the pleasure of writing this week’s newsletter in the absence of Julie and Kate. Once again it has been another action packed week.
Our week started with Martha leading this week’s whole school assemblies on one of our Kilmorie qualities: curiosity. She defined curiosity as being interested in things and wanting to find out things we don’t know and discussed how important it is to ask questions and to listen with an open mind. Children were shown the picture book ‘Flotsam’ by David Weisner, which encourages curiosity by telling the story of a boy who finds an underwater camera washed up on the beach. The pictures on the camera are curious and unexpected, leading to questioning and exploring what is possible. Martha suggested to the children that when you are curious it is easier to learn, and we gathered ideas about how to be more curious both inside and outside of school. Early Phase assembly continued this theme using the book, ‘Emily Green’s Garden’ as a stimulus
This week, the Reception children went on their first school trip to St George’s Church. They really enjoyed being shown around the church by Rev’d Richard Lane and learning about some of the traditions that Christians follow.
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"I liked listening to all the stories" - Olive HT
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"I liked looking at the patterns on the windows" Anabella
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"I liked all of the flowers everywhere" Aarya
To support year 3 with their geography learning, they went on an educational walk to the Horniman Museum. The children learned about historical sites, landmarks, and places of interest around the local area. Here are some quotes from the children, see photos here.
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“We found human and physical features of our local area and walked to the border between Lewisham and Southwark boroughs.”
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“When back at school, we loved to make maps of Forest Hill”
The week concluded with Shipra’s wonderful class assembly; all the children were stars! The focus of the assembly was Space, and we were treated to an odyssey of dancing, singing, rapping, comedy, boxing, as well as acting. Professor Brian Cox would have been proud. The assembly crossed a range of subjects from science to history, as well as some rather physical politics! The children performed magnificently, really showcasing their range of skills and talents. A big thank you to Ground Control, Shipra and Debbie, who put the assembly together.
On Tuesday, Maria and Kate led a Reading & Writing Parent Workshop for years 2-6. They shared our approach to reading and writing; providing strategies and tips on how to support your child at home. If you couldn’t attend the workshop, the presentation from this workshop has been uploaded to the year group pages on the school website.
Next week, the children will start their rehearsals for their winter performances. I cannot believe how quickly this year has gone! Emails with links to book your tickets will be sent 2 weeks ahead of the performance and links will go live at 7pm, you need to book tickets in advance due to the capacity of our school hall. You can see performance dates on the school calendar.
Festive Feast themed lunch menu – if your child normally has packed lunch OR normally has school dinner but does not want the festive lunch, please complete this before Monday (27th) 9am.
NB. If your child normally has school dinners and would like to have the festive lunch – you DO NOT need to complete this form.
Tackling Race Inequality Evidence shows us there are historic, systemic inequalities in the education system – not just in Lewisham, but in London and across the UK. All Lewisham primary and secondary schools have signed a pledge to kickstart work to change this. You can read the pledge to tackle race inequality in schools here. Since signing it, we have:
- Continued to develop our curriculum to ensure diversity
- Restated our commitment to the HALO code
- Celebrated Black History Month but with the understanding that Black History needs to be celebrated all year round across the curriculum
- The Governing Body and the Senior Leadership Team have representation from the global majority. Furthermore, a member of the Governing Body is attending the “Governor’s Tackling Race Inequality in Education (TRIIE) Toolkit” training
- A TRIIE Action Plan has been created to drive our work forward
- An audit of the racial make-up of all school bodies is being conducted to get an understanding of how well different ethnic groups are represented on each body. Once the results have been compiled a plan will be made to encourage increased representation from under-represented groups.
- A Diversity Working Group is in the process of being set up and will include all aspects of the school community.
The Local Authority are trying to collate up to date information from all schools and ask that parents complete this survey. Responses will be stored securely.
SEND Coffee Morning on Thursday 30th November at 09.10 to 09.50 in the Community Room. There isn’t a topic to discuss but it provides a forum to chat to other parents over a cuppa! If you would like to attend, please sign up using this link.
Anti-bullying Rap videos, further to last week’s newsletter here are the videos showing the anti-bullying raps. Enjoy!
Woolstone/Cranston/Houston Junction Petition – Update. The petition to improve safety at the notorious junction has reached 800 signatures, and it's not too late to sign! Guy & Clare (Kilmorie parents) presented the petition to Ellie Reeves MP at the school summer barbecue, she forwarded it to Damian Egan, Mayor of Lewisham. After a slightly disappointing initial response in September, they pushed and got a site meeting with council officials just before October half term. The council is now monitoring traffic and pedestrian use of the junction.
The Highways Officer will give some feedback at the next Perry Vale Ward Assembly (which will be held on Zoom) meeting at 7pm on 5th December. The meeting link will be posted here - please join if you are able.
Exciting News for Kilmorie Families! First News is the UK’s most trusted source of news for kids. If you're looking for a Christmas present that boosts your children's literacy, we can recommend a home subscription to First News. Subscribe today using this unique link and Kilmorie will earn a 10% commission on every sale made.
A huge THANK YOU to everybody who has helped get our school ready for our ‘Starry Night fair’ by signing up as a volunteer, purchasing an item from our amazon wish list, or donated chocolate / unwanted items. Friends are extremely grateful for your support. Please do read further information about the fair below in FOK News box.
Sadly, due to a personal situation, Julie is unable to join us at tomorrow's ‘Starry Night fair’. She has tasked me and the rest of the staff with making sure everyone has enormous amounts of fun. Julie is really sorry to miss this event as it is a truly special one, bringing the Kilmorie community together.
A reminder the raffle will be drawn on Tuesday at 1pm.
We look forward to seeing you all at the ‘Starry Night fair’ on Saturday, 1pm to 4pm. Please remember that children remain the responsibility of parents / carers throughout the fair. A reminder the raffle will be drawn on Tuesday at 1pm.
Have a lovely weekend
Dennis
Team A / year 6 Monday football game, really was a game of 2 halves and Kilmorie definitely gave it their all to keep our clean sheet. There were shots on target, great saves, amazing defending and so much determination that was evident the whole game through. 
Outstanding Instrumental Lesson Fees
Mental Health & Wellbeing of our Black Children and Families