1st March 2019

Spring Term

Newsletter St. Francis Catholic Primary School London Road, Maldon, Essex CM9 6HN

Executive Headteacher: Mrs S. Ginzler-Maher

Telephone: 01621 856698 www.stfrancismaldon.co.uk

Email: admin@st-francisrc.essex.sch.uk Charity No. 276312

Jesus said ‘Love one another as I have loved you’. St Francis School is a loving community, respecting every child and adult and

caring for God’s world, as we help each other to do our best and grow

together in Christ.

Dear Parents and Carers,

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (6th March). It is a time to

return with our whole heart to God through prayer, charity

and fasting. Pope Francis urges us to not be superficial in our

acts and that these acts should truly enrich the lives of

others. “Each year during Lent we need to hear once more the

voice of the prophets who cry out and trouble our

conscience.” (Pope Francis) So if we are going to fast from anything this Lent, Pope Francis

suggests that even more than sweets, chocolate or alcohol, we fast from indifference towards

others.

Lenten Blessing

Lord, Bless us with the gift of a humble heart.

Then we will be free to bring to you all our troubles.

Give us the grace to be a priestly people, lifting to you all who are too burdened

to raise their own hearts and lives as an offering to you.

Bless them Lord this day.

Amen.

Please continue to pray for all those in our school community in need of our prayers.

Mrs S. Ginzler-Maher EXECUTIVE HEADTEACHER

Coffee Morning and Parents Forum

You are invited to join

Mrs Ginzler-Maher and Mrs Peear for

coffee and questions on:

Thursday 25th April 2019

9.30 a.m. in the School Hall.

Please come along to the open forum with your questions,

suggestions and queries.

We look forward to seeing you.

Our school attendance target

this year is 97%.

The up to date yearly attendance

table is listed below.

The class with the highest

attendance this week (99%) and

receiving the ‘Attendance Cup’ is

Year 3. Congratulations!

Judging Others (Luke 6.39-45)

Jesus told a parable to his disciples. ‘Can one

blind man guide another? Surely both will fall

into a pit? The disciple is not superior to his

teacher; the fully trained disciple will always

be like his teacher. Why do you observe the

splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice

the plank in your own? How can you say to your

brother, “Brother, let me take out the splinter

that is in your eye,” when you cannot see the

plank in your own? Hypocrite! Take the plank

out of your own eye first, and then you will see

clearly enough to take out the splinter that is

in your brother’s eye. “There is no sound tree

that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten

tree that produces sound fruit. For every tree

can be told by its own fruit; people do not pick

figs from thorns, nor gather grapes from

brambles. A good man draws what is good from

the store of goodness in his heart; a bad man

draws what is bad from the store of badness.

For a man’s words flow out from what fills his

heart.’

Mathletics Results

11th - 24th February 2019

Year 2: 31,751 points

Year 6: 23,150 points

Year 4: 13,277 points

Year 3: 11,781 points

Year 5: 7,560 points

Mathlete of the Week

David B (Year 6)

Year Attend %

5 97.52

6 96.62

2 96.29

3 95.96

Reception 95.29

4 94.55

1 94.15

Whole School 95.77

Attendance

96% - 98% Good

91% - 95%

Needs Improvement

Below 90%

Unsatisfactory

100% Excellent

Public Speaking Competition

We have had some very good news in Year 4 this week; last half term we

entered a poetry competition as part of the Public Speaking contest that we

will be participating in later this month. 30 schools are involved, there were

nearly 900 entries and 3 winning poems were chosen. Sofia Langer is one of

these winners!

Her poem is being sent out to 10 schools to be learned and recited on the day

of the competition in Anglia Ruskin University.

On the day of the competition, Sofia will be introducing each of the

three judges to the audience, saying a little about each one and then

presenting each with a framed copy of her poem. Her poem will be on a

very large screen in the University. Many congratulations to Sofia and

good luck to Year 4 in the public speaking competition!

School Book Week; 4th - 8th March.

Next week it is Book Week, we are having

a Sponsored Silent Read – ‘Shh we’re

Reading!’ every day in classes.

KS1 will read their chosen books for 5

minutes and KS2 will read for 15 minutes, so by the end of the week they

should have accumulated 25 minutes and 75 minutes respectively. Sponsor

forms have been given to the children. It would be wonderful if the

children could collect sponsorship for all their minutes of silent reading

from family and friends; e.g.. 10p/20p/50p a minute, which will be put

towards furnishing and stocking our new library. Children can bring in their

sponsor money in cash or payment can be made through ParentPay by Friday

15th March. There will be prizes for children who collect the most

sponsors!

During Book week, children will be focussing on work by a chosen author and learning more about

their work through fun activities with their teachers.

I am also running a competition to make a ‘Diorama’, a decorated scene or characters from your

favourite book inside a shoebox. I have already received some brilliant entries, well done children.

We will present these in assembly on World Book Day (7th March) and prizes will be given for the

most inventive and creative efforts.

We are also inviting parents in to share a story with classes, if you would like to read please let

your class teacher or the office know.

Available times are:

KS1 - Mon/Wed/Thurs/Friday - 11.45am or 2.50pm

KS2 - Mon/Tues - 11.45am or 2.50 pm

Many thanks, Mrs Scudiero

English Subject Leader

ALLERGENS Ce = Celery, Cr = Crustacean, E = Eggs, F = Fish, G = Cereals containing Gluten L = Lupin, Mk = Milk, Mo = Molluscs, Mu = Mustard, N = Nuts, P = Peanuts Se = Sesame Seeds, So = Soya, Su = Sulphur Dioxide

Catering News

The children enjoyed trying the winning salads from the

Salad Bar Competition this week. Anais’s mango salad

seemed to be the favourite.

Next week there will be some changes to the usual week 2

menu. On Tuesday 5th March (Shrove Tuesday) we will be

having pancakes for dessert and on Wednesday 6th March

(Ash Wednesday) a meat free pasta will be served followed

by jelly and ice cream.

We will be celebrating Red Nose Day with a Red Nose Cake

for dessert on Friday 15th March.

Tasty Tuck next Friday for Reception and Key Stage 1

children will be either cheese and biscuits or a fruit pots.

These cost 50p each.

Mrs Stainer, Catering Manager

Parent Lunch

Spring Term 2019 (Wednesday)

Year 2 13th March

Year 1 20th March

Reception 27th March

A reminder that you are invited to dine

with your child’s class and should

therefore leave the dining hall when you

and your child have finished dinner.

Please go directly to Reception and sign

out and do not enter other parts of the

building or playground during your visit.

Please note we unable to accommodate

younger siblings during the meal.

Thank you for your support and co-

operation.

Week 2 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Jacket Potato Day

with Cheese

Baked Beans

or Quorn Chilli

(Mk)

Local

Beefburger in a

bun

(E,G)

Vegetarian

Pasta

(E,G,Mk)

Chicken

Fajitas

(G,Mk)

Pasta Day

Choice of

Macaroni Cheese

Napolitaine

Tuna Pasta and

Sweetcorn Bake

(F,E,G,Mk)

Bean Burger

(E,G) Quorn Fillet

(G,Mk) Vegetable

Fajitas

Salad Bar

Chips and

Garden Peas

Mexican Rice

Sweetcorn

Crusty Bread

(G)

Fresh Fruit Platter Pancakes

(E,Mk) Jelly and Ice

Cream

(Mk)

Crispy Chocolate

Cake

(Mk,G)

Blueberry Cake

(E,G,Mk)

Red = Religious

Black = General

Green = Sports

Blue = PTA

20 Year 1 Parent Lunch

21 10.30am, Key Stage 2 Reconciliation

Service at school

21 Year 2 Infant Music Festival

25 Year 3 Cookery

27

27

27

Reception Parent Lunch

Year 2 Trip to the Museum of London

Year 6 Class Assembly - to be rescheduled

April Dates

2

2

2

Fire Safety - Year 3

Cyber Safety - Year 6

6-8pm, Parents Evening

3

3

2pm, Year 5 perform The Passion to KS1

4-6pm, Parents Evening

4

4

2pm, Year 5 perform The Passion to KS2

and parents

4-6pm, Parents Evening

5 End of term - school finishes at 2pm

Easter Holiday

Monday 8th April - Friday 19th April

22 Easter Monday Bank Holiday

23

23

Children return to school

Feast of St. George

24 Year 5 Bradwell Residential Trip

25 9.30am, Coffee Morning and Parents

Forum at school

25 Year 5 Bradwell Residential Trip

26 Year 5 Bradwell Residential Trip

March Dates

1 Feast of St. David

4 School Book Week starts

4 Year 3 Cookery

6 Ash Wednesday

6 11am, Whole School Mass at school

(Year 4 to lead)

7 World Book Day (no dressing up)

11 Year 3 Cookery

13 Year 2 Parent Lunch

17 Feast of St. Patrick

18

18

18

Year 3 Cookery

Year 4 trip to Danbury Outdoors

3.30-4pm, Parent Drop-ins

19 Feast of St. Joseph

May Dates

6 Bank Holiday

8 Year 4 Class Assembly

13 Year 2 Cookery

14 Year 3 trip to Cudmore Grove, Mersea

16 2pm, Whole School Procession for Mary

20 Year 2 Cookery

21 Class photos