Year 1: News items
Christmas Newsletter, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 20th Dec 2024 @ 12:04pm
Dear Parents/Carers,
As the final week of the term comes to a close, I would like to congratulate our pupils for being the best that they can be each and every day. Thank you to our parents/carers and community for your generosity this week - appreciated by all of us. Thank you to all our wonderful staff for their hard work and commitment. Finally, my gratitude also goes out to our army of volunteers in school and those who make FOMBA the dynamic PTA that they are - we are truly blessed.
Christmas Fun!
Christmas at primary school really is special. I am sure parents/carers of our Early Years pupils were bursting with pride watching the nativity performance, which had all the ingredients required to serve up an absolute festive treat. Similarly, KS1's 'Colours of Christmas' really did put a smile on our faces and get us truly into the Christmas spirit!
Christmas Fair
We enjoyed welcoming you to the Christmas Fair last week, which was very popular and raised funds that will contribute to your child's ongoing experiences at our school in the coming year. The choir were great, and I was particularly proud of the Craft Club, who made and sold their Christmas wares too! Thank you again to the FOMBA team and our staff for making it all happen (and for the Christmas tree given to every child this week!)
Bike Shed/Scooters on Yard
The bike shed is up and in action on the junior playground. This was enabled via grant funding accessed by FOMBA 🙂. Please can I ask bikes and scooters are put away straight away (including on the infant yard), this is simply to avoid any accidents before school on the yard. Thanks for your help with this.
Reading for Pleasure
As always, the focus is on reading for pleasure at Marus Bridge and the attached reading newsletter gives a taste of what goes on to encourage a lifelong love of reading. Thanks in advance for reading with your children over Christmas 🙂.
Reading Newsletter Autumn 2 Dec 24.pdf
Primary School Place Applications for September 2025
If you have not already done so and have a child starting school next year, please remember to apply for your child's place (even if you already have a child at our school). If you need any help, then please just call into the office. Please remind friends and family too 🙂. The closing date for applications is 15th January 2025.
Primary school admissions (wigan.gov.uk)
School reopens on Tuesday 7th January
Sending all our very best wishes from the whole team at Marus Bridge - see you in 2025!
Mr Aldridge
Naughty Elves at Marus Bridge, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 13th Dec 2024 @ 10:33am
Look who came to Marus Bridge - Those naughty naughty elves getting up to mischief!!!
Christmas Card Winner for our local MP, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 6th Dec 2024 @ 12:23pm
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We had a very special visitor in school today - our member of parliament - Josh Simons. He came to announce the winner of a Christmas card competition he has been running across his constituency. Our very own Nancy in Year 5 was the winner, alongside the two runners up - Sophie from Bryn St Peters and Isla from Nicol Mere. They each received a prize of gift vouchers and copies of Hacker books signed by the pooch himself! Congratulations to you all.🤩👏 @joshsimonsmp @hackertdog
Newsletter 22.11.24, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 22nd Nov 2024 @ 2:29pm
After a cold and wintery week, you’ll be warmed by the feedback from a group of headteachers who visited the school from York this week. They commented on how lovely, focussed and knowledgeable our children are – something I couldn’t agree with more. Over the week I have been priviliged to observe some great activities, one of my favourites being a taste tester for Year 4 biscuit baking in DT! (I gave a few handshakes out too!)
When I ask my children what they did at school... I sometimes get quite a limited response! Marus Bridge has SeeSaw, which helps to share learning and achievements, but here are a few question stems/ideas that might spark some discussion from this week!
Reception: Tell me about Humpty Dumpty's friends and the characters in nursery rhymes.
Y1: Tell me about Space Tortoise!
Y2: Can you name the continents? (And even sing the continent song?!)
Y3: What was invented in the Bronze Age? What stitches have we learned in our DT lessons?
Y4: How do we stay safe online?
Y5: What were children's lives like during the industrial revolution?
Y6: Tell me about Oliver Twist!
Online Safety
We are much obliged to Joe Hurst (aka Mr Hurst), for visiting the Y4s to discuss e-safety (his background is in IT). In an ever-changing digital and online environment, education about online safety remains one of our priorities. As a parent myself, I am trying to stay as informed as possible - which can be hard at times! Resources like our online safety hub do really help - please take a look.
Online Safety Hub - Marus Bridge Primary School
ParentKind/Cash Pot for Schools
Thankyou for giving your support to this – we have just surpassed the £1000 mark! ParenKind are the charity that provide support for PTAs like the wonderful FOMBA, who are finalising details of this year's Christmas fair.
Mini ducks etc
On Friday's moving forward, children can bring mini-ducks etc to swap on the playground at lunchtime. A few parents and the school council spoke to me about providing a way of doing this, especially in the lead up to Christmas. If brought to school, please send in a labelled container or bag.
Parent Partnerships
Recently, we have had visits from Youth Connect and Wigan Warriors, who have been providing varied workshops for parents - you may have seen fliers for these.
Please see the lovely letter attached from Wigan Warriors that sums up the impact of the work they do with our school and about our outward facing approach to community partnerships.
Message from office regarding Christmas toys for sale:
Further to the previous message, please be advised that the school office are not permitted to accept cash payments for the Christmas toys. Kindly place the money in an envelope with your child's name clearly written on it, and hand it to their class teacher upon arrival at school. The toys will be available to purchase all next week.
Support at Christmas
This year, we are again supporting families who maybe struggling with financial hardship and would otherwise be unable to provide gifts for the family and enjoy festive food and treats. If you or someone you know are struggling and feel this would help, please contact Mrs Bish Pastoral Manager either by phone 01942 248129 or email k.bish@marusbridge.co.uk. who can make the referral. This is a confidential service and is not means tested.
Dates for the diary:
Friday 6th December 2024 Non-Uniform Day (for Christmas Fair and The Brick) and Christmas Craft Afternoon for EYFS 2-3pm
Tuesday 10th December 2024 KS1 Christmas Dinner Day
Wednesday 11th December 2024 KS2 Christmas Dinner Day
Thursday 12th December 2024 Year 4 Brass concert & Christmas quiz 10.00-11.30am / FOMBA Christmas Fair
Friday 13th December 2024 Year 5 Christmas Quiz afternoon 1.45-3.15pm
Monday 16th December 2024 Pantomime day (Whole School - departing at 9.15am and back for a later lunch)
Tuesday 17th December 2024 Year 6 Christmas Quiz 1.45-3.15pm
Wednesday 18th December 2024 KS1 (Y1 and Y2 together) Christmas performances 9.30am and 2.15pm
Thursday 19th December 2024 EYFS Christmas performance 9.30am / Year 3 Christmas Quiz afternoon 1.45-3.15pm
Friday 20th December School Closes at 1pm
School reopens Tuesday 7th January
Take care and have a lovely weekend,
Mr Aldridge
World Kindness Day, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 15th Nov 2024 @ 3:14pm
We have celebrated World Kondness Day in school. We linked this to one of our core values of Kindness & Respect.
We were so lucky to recieve a lovley gift off one of our pupils to celebrate the day and the kindness of all the staff team at Marus Bridge from Oliver and his family.
Thankyou
FOMBA DISCO TIME!!!!!!, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 18th Oct 2024 @ 11:18am
The children had an amazing time at this weeks 'School's Out' discos. Each disco was well attended and all the children enjoyed singing and dancing along with the DJ as well as creating colouring pics. We can't wait for the next event.
Thankyou to everyone who purchased a tocket and came along.
Officially - A Healthy School, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 18th Oct 2024 @ 11:15am
Its Official - We are a Healthy School! The PSHE ambassadors, Ellie, Grace, James & Jamie accompanied Mrs Heaton to the Wigan Healthy Schools Celebration event to receive our Healthy Schools accreditation certificate for this year. What a wonderful morning sharing the successes of all the schools taking part and meeting all the people who deliver the wonderful workshops across the borough and beyond. From cycling smoothie making to exploring mental health it was an entertaining, engaging and very informative morning.
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Youth Connect 5 Parent Course, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 16th Oct 2024 @ 1:30pm
We are pleased to announce that we are working in partnership with Wigan Council to deliver a parent course in our school. The course runs for 5 weeks and starts on 31st October. Join us from 9.00am for a coffee before the course starts at 9.30 lasting approx until 11.30am. We would love to see as many of our families as possible attending. Please see the attached flyer for more information and email Mrs Bish at k.bish@marusbridge.co.uk to book a place.
FOMBA PTA Notices, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 14th Oct 2024 @ 11:05am
Dear Parents/ Carers,
SCHOOLS OUT DISCO!
Please note this is not a Halloween themed disco, so children do not need to dress up. But they can do if they wish!
CHRISTMAS ART WORK
The children’s Christmas Artwork that came home on Friday, has to be ordered via the website and by 26th October.
This is not organised by school, so please don’t contact the school office.
If you have any queries please message the FOMBA team.
Many Thanks
The FOMBA Team 😊
'Empathy for the Elderly', by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 10th Oct 2024 @ 12:47pm
Youth Connect Parent Workshop, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 2nd Oct 2024 @ 12:17pm
We have a Youth Connect Parent workshop over 5 weeks. This is a great opportunity for our parents and the community. These sessions start at Marus Bridge Primary School 31st October. Welcome and Coffee 9:00am and the course runs 9:30-11:30. We are hoping lots of the Marus Bridge community will be able to attend. Please email k.bish@marusbridge.co.uk to book a place.
Pupil Leadership Team 2024-2025, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 20th Sep 2024 @ 1:11pm
Say Hello to our New Head boy - Freddie & Head Girl - Scarlett accompanied by their deputies - Daniel & Evie. Congratulations!! The pupils were chosen through a whole school vote as part of our work on SMSC and democracy.
Importance of reading, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 12th Sep 2024 @ 12:55pm
Please see the attached information from our English leads.
Visit our school - Open day, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 11th Sep 2024 @ 10:41am
Is your child starting school in September 2025 or know someone who is?
Come to Marus Bridge tour day, it will give the opportunity to look around the school, absorb the atmosphere and meet the Headteacher, staff and pupils. It will provide you with an insight into the interaction of staff and pupils and also the relationship between the pupils and their peers at our fabulous school and help you decide that you want your child to start their journey through education with us. We look forward to seeing you.
Support for young people in Wigan, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 11th Sep 2024 @ 9:51am
Wigan has lots available for young people regarding emotional health and wellbeing for all and support for neuro diverse young people. Please see the attached leaflet below with QR codes to scan to find out what is available to you.
This can also be found in the SEND section of the website.
New and Improved Bridge Builders - Exclusive to Marus Bridge, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 11th Sep 2024 @ 9:36am
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Newsletter 06.09.24, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 6th Sep 2024 @ 11:40am
Dear Parents/Carers,
A warm welcome back to the new school year. It has been great to see our children settle back into school-life, being reacquainted with friends, teachers, school routines, whilst looking incredibly smart in their school and PE uniforms too.
Our new starters in Reception have made a wonderful start to school life. I would like to extend a warm Marus Bridge family welcome to our new parents/carers; we are looking forward to getting to know you all!
All classes will be receiving key information from teachers to give you an overview of timetables and what children will be learning this year. You will receive messages from me too throughout the year as well as fortnightly updates such as this one. All statutory information can be found on our website, including key dates, term times and policies.
Reading
As always, teaching children to read, so that they can read to learn and experience the enjoyment in reading, is one of our everyday aims. Thankyou for supporting children with reading at home - don't forget that the books sheds are open everyday to swap age appropriate and varied titles that we know children will enjoy reading.
If any adults are available to give their time to listen to readers, it would be greatly appreciated. Please just pop into the office for further details.
Attendance
Excellent attendance continues to be of the highest priority to the new Government, local authority and to our school . Please read the most recent LA guidance sent out this summer. We really do appreciate your support with this and avoiding holidays in term time this year.
School Lunches
Don’t forget that from Reception (EYFS) to Y2, school lunches are free and from Y3 onwards extremely good value! They are tasty, well-balanced and save a bit of time for us parents too. There is a new menu from which I can definitely recommend the burrito boat! They are definitely worth giving a try - if you have any questions, give the office a call. J
Music Mark
Hot off the press! We have just been awarded the highly coveted Music Mark, awarded to schools for their dedication to delivering high quality education and experiences in music for its pupils. 🙂
FOMBA
Following a successful first year in office, the new FOMBA (Friends of Marus Bridge Association) team are itching to make plans for the coming year. If you wish to be involved, the next meeting is on September 16th
Finally, all the very best to Miss Evans, who begins her maternity leave today.
Hopefully the sunshine will last for the weekend,
Mr Aldridge
Online Safety Hub, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 28th Aug 2024 @ 11:24am
Dear Parent, Find out how to keep your child safe online. Don’t forget, that the Online Safety Hub is now live! You can access it for free here: https://marusbridge.onlinesafetyhub.uk The Online Safety Hub is a brand-new online resource with lots of expert advice and guidance to help you manage your child's safety online as a parent. It includes information on the latest hot topics when it comes to keeping children safe, such as how to manage your child's screen time, understand the latest gaming platforms, what they mean for your child’s safety and lots more. We’re also offering you as a parent, a free Qustodio account facilitating parental controls on any individual device and free premium access for 30 days. Gain more visibility on what’s going on in your child’s online world. Block dangerous content, introduce screen-free schedules, receive alerts for inappropriate content, keep tabs on their location and more. Follow the link to create your free account https://www.qustodio.com/en/30-days-school-special/?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=OSHub &utm_campaign=marusbridge-uk If you have any questions on any of the above, please get in touch
We got GOLD!!!! School Games, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 19th Jul 2024 @ 11:12am
We have been awared the school games gold award for 2023-2024. Well done to everyone involved.
Online Safety Hub, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 18th Jul 2024 @ 8:29am
The Hub is better than ever with a new look and new features that make it easier to help parents keep their children safe online and it is now live.
Take a look at the redesign https://marusbridge.onlinesafetyhub.uk/ especially over the summer time when the chidlren will be spending more time on their devices.
MBPS Outstanding Enrichment, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 17th Jul 2024 @ 9:38am
OUTSTANDING ENRICHMENT
Dear Parents / Guardian
Please find attached a list of Enrichment Activities we have provided this academic year.
Throughout the year there are curriculum related educational visits or school-based workshops so that Marus Bridge’s curriculum remains innovative and meets the needs of every learner by deepening children’s learning experiences.
In addition, we give our pupils the opportunity to experience theatre, life education skills, an enormous variety of sports and activity clubs as well as contributing to the wider community through charitable support.
We appreciate that financially what we offer can be challenging for some families and value the contributions that you make to ensure that the various opportunities can go ahead. Transport costs, insurance and visit/workshop charges soon mount up these days. So, thank you again for your support.
As a school, we subsidise every enrichment activity. This is to try to keep the costs to parents/carers to a minimum and we are grateful to the Friends Of Marus Bridge Association for their considerable financial support in paying towards a number of the enrichment opportunities yearly. If we cannot meet the cost of visits, workshops or experiences then they would not be able to proceed.
We believe that the children of Marus Bridge deserve the best primary school experience possible, and we strive to ensure that their lives are enriched why they are with us. If you have any ideas on what activities, clubs, trips might further enhance our enrichment offer that we do not currently provide, please get in touch and we can look into this for the next academic year.
Thank you again for supporting our vision in providing outstanding opportunities for Marus Bridge Pupils.
Kind Regards
Mrs A. Atkinson & Mrs A. Hurst
End of Term Newsletter 24.05.24, by Mrs Atkinson
Date: 24th May 2024 @ 1:52pm
