Newsletter 10.05.24, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 13th May 2024 @ 2:03pm

Dear Parents/Carers,

Success all round in Y5 today. Firstly, Mrs Bower’s Class took us on a whistlestop tour of their learning this year, from the glorious Greeks to some smelly science – a great performance by all involved. Well done to all the children who represented the school in the Y5 football tournament – we are super proud of you. Updates on Sky Sports News later! 😊

To our wonderful Y6 cohort – good luck with your SAT tests next week. We could not be prouder of how hard you have worked and the determination you have shown each and everyday. You will smash it next week! Don’t forget Y6 pupils can arrive from 8.30am onwards for a piece of toast and drink next week.

Hats and Water Bottles

Now we are (dare I say it) experiencing some warm weather, on sunny days please can children be sent with caps/sun hats for break-times and their water bottles. Some of the juniors have not had bottles this week.

Sports Day

You are invited to join us and spectate on the field – entrance will be at the gate from the corner of the school field near the Y6 classrooms. In the event of inclement weather, we may have to postpone and rearrange, but will  let you know asap.

• Wednesday 22nd May at 9.30 – 11.00 Reception then 1.30 – 3.00 Y1 and Y2 (KS1)
• Thursday 23rd May at 9.30 – 11.00 Y3 and Y4 (LKS2) then 1.30 – 3.00 Y5 and Y6 (UKS2)

Please send children in PE kits.

Pupil Premium Funding

We would like to ask all of our parents/ carers from reception to Year 6 to consider whether they might meet the criteria for free school meals for their child(ren). This would help to ensure that the school does not miss out on additional pupil premium funding. A simple way to check to see if your child(ren) may be entitled to free school meals is via the link below or giving us a call in school.

Free school meals, pupil premium, and EYPP (wigan.gov.uk)

Also, there is a very good article on the Martin Lewis Money Saving Expert website which provides some useful information.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/free-school-meals/

Friday Attendance

Whilst analysing attendance data, we have noticed that Fridays are our most poorly attended day of the week. Please can I encourage you to avoid keeping children off school unnecessarily and support us in improving our Friday attendance.  As a school, we celebrate pupils with 100% attendance by entering them into our Monthly prize draw to win a £10 shopping voucher.

Safer Roads Event

In partnership with Safer Roads Greater Manchester and Wigan Council, Good Egg Safety are running a FREE child car seat checking event at Wigan Tesco (WN1 1XS), between 10am-3pm, Friday 7th June 2024.

Please find the leaflet for the event attached to this email and here is the Facebook link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/459785479903747/?ref=newsfeed

New Starters 24

We are looking forward to seeing parents of our new starters to our welcome meeting on Tuesday 21st May. Please feel free to arrive from 5.30pm onwards, aiming to begin at 6pm. If you have not already done so, please email the office to accept your child's place at school. Admission forms were also sent recently via email and we kindly request that you complete and submit them by the 21st May We still have a few places available for September, so if friends or family are moving into the area etc, please ask them to get in contact with the school office for a tour.

Key Whole School Dates:

• Monday 13th to Thursday 16th May – Y6 SATS
• Friday 17th May - Mrs Hurst/Collier’s Class Assembly
• Monday 20th May – Reception and Y6 Graduation Photographs
• Wednesday 22nd May at 9.30 – 11.00 Reception Classes then 1.30 – 3.00 Y1 and Y2 (KS1)
• Thursday 23rd May at 9.30 – 11.00 Y3 and Y4 (LKS2) then 1.30 – 3.00 Y5 and Y6 (UKS2)
• WB Monday 20th May - Healthy Living Week 
• Friday 24th May - Non-uniform day for Summer Fest and End of Term
• Monday 3rd June - School closed for staff INSET day
• Tuesday 4th June – School reopens for Summer Term 2

Many thanks,

Mr Aldridge

Digital Safety Meeting, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 3rd May 2024 @ 10:50am

Thankyou to the parents and family members that came today to our digital online safety meeting. I hope you found it very useful. The children presented brilliantly through, facts, song and poetry before Lyndsey from Smoothwall gave some fantastic information.  Don’t forget to go onto our school website, go to the class pages and click the link for the online safety hub. You can search for how to secure your child devices as well as for information on apps and games they are using and don’t forget to sign up to the parent app (FREE) so you can keep a check on what your child is viewing on their electronic devices. https://marusbridge.onlinesafetyhub.uk/

Newsletter 26.04.24, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 26th Apr 2024 @ 3:17pm

Dear Parents/Carers,

Firstly, would you give your children a pat on the back from me to say well done for promoting and living out our school core values. We have had various visitors to school this week, and I have been complemented by them separately on how determined, polite and respectful our children were in class and around school.

New Starters 24

We are looking forward to seeing parents of our new starters to our welcome meeting on Tuesday 21st May. Please feel free to arrive from 5.30pm onwards; we are aiming to begin at 6pm. If you have not already done so, please email the office to accept your child's place at school. We still have a few places available for September, so if friends or family are moving into the area etc, please ask them to contact the school office for a tour – it would be great to meet them.

Healthy Living Week

WB Monday 20th May pupils will be taking part in lots of exciting activities delivered by experienced coaches, trainers, instructors & teachers including all with the main aim of promoting healthy lifestyles for our pupils. Please check out the separate PM next week from Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Heaton for all the details.

Marus Bridge Summer Fest 2024

Don't forget to keep Saturday 8th June free in your diary to come down to school and join in the fun – it is shaping up to be a cracking event! There is a non-uniform day on Friday 24th May for tombola items – Mrs Atkinson will send the details of that soon. If you can offer some of your time to help in any way at the Summer Fest, please let our FOMBA chair Adam know on 07730131000. Visit the FOMBA Facebook site too for all the details!

Football

We are proud of the Y6 football team, who beat St Paul’s comfortably this week – a talented bunch who gelled very nicely according to Mr Duncalf. Great feedback and onwards to the next match.

Finally

Thank you for the kind donations to the local family who suffered such loss in the house fire recently. A big shout out to Oliver in Y3, who purchased a giftcard to donate from his pocket money – immense kindness that really embodies our school core values.

Key Whole School Dates:

• Thursday 2nd May - Digital Safeguarding Day - Parent workshop at 2.15pm
• Friday 10th May – Mrs Bower’s Class Assembly
• Monday 13th to Thursday 16th May – Y6 SATS
• Friday 17th May - Mrs Hurst/Mrs Collier’s Class Assembly
• Monday 20th May – Reception and Y6 Graduation Photographs
• Wednesday 22nd May - Sports Day at 9.30 – 11.00 Reception Classes then 1.30 – 3.00 Y1 and Y2 (KS1)
• Thursday 23rd May - Sports Day at 9.30 – 11.00 Y3 and Y4 (LKS2) then 1.30 – 3.00 Y5 and Y6 (UKS2)
• WB Monday 20th May - Healthy Living Week
• Friday 24th May - Non-uniform day for Summer Fest and End of Term
• Monday 3rd June – School closed for staff INSET
• Tuesday 4th June – School Reopens for Summer Term

Many thanks,

Mr Aldridge

Measles update from Wigan Council, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 25th Mar 2024 @ 2:07pm

Please see infomration from Wigan Council regarding measels. 

Newsletter 22.03.24, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 22nd Mar 2024 @ 3:02pm

Dear Parents/Carers,

Thank you to our Y2 children for a wonderful performance this morning, teaching us all about the maths you encounter each day in school. It was a pleasure to see all children speaking and singing their hearts out – you are a credit to us all!

Thanks also to FOMBA for arranging the film night which was a big hit!

Parents' Evening

Thank you for booking your parents’ evening slots for next week, we know how valuable they are and look forward to seeing you (please use the front entrance – there is no need to sign in). We will also be sharing our school survey throughout the week, so that we can take feedback and assess what we are doing well and learn how we can further improve our service to our children and families. There will be a QR code in the hall that takes you direct to the survey.

Autism Acceptance Week

Autism Acceptance Week is Monday 25th March-Thursday 28th March . TESS (Targeted Education Support Service) are offering some bitesize support sessions, these may be for those already on the pathway or for those who want to know more about autism. Similarly, if you have any questions you want to ask school , please call and arrange a discussion with Mrs Lloyd or Miss Evans who will be happy to spend time with you. Please see attachment for further details.

Education for Anxiety

Wigan Central Family Hub and the Mental Health Support Team are offering parent workshops that outline what anxiety is, the symptoms and strategies to help children manage it. Research tells us that this is something that is affecting a growing number of children and as a school we aim to grow our own expertise and strategies to support our children too. The links to book on the parent sessions are below. I would also ask you to contact Mrs Bish if you feel that your child is having such feelings or behaviours, so that we can coordinate further support in school should it be required. You can also pick up a leaflet compiled by our mental health leads from the office. 

Session 1

Thursday 11th April, 1.00-2.30pm

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/psychoeducation-for-anxiety-1-workshop-for-carersparents-in-wigan-central-tickets-865497575547

Session 2

Thursday 11th April, 3.00-4.30pm

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/psychoeducation-for-anxiety-2-workshop-for-carersparents-in-wigan-central-tickets-865604736067

Session 3

Thursday 11th April, 5.00-6.30pm

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/psychoeducation-for-anxiety-3-workshop-for-carersparents-in-wigan-central-tickets-865605708977

Allergies

We would like to remind you that our school is a nut-free environment due to several students having nut allergies. We kindly request that you do not send any products containing nuts to school. This includes items such as peanut butter, chocolate bars with nuts, and Nutella-style chocolate spreads. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated as it helps us ensure the safety and well-being of all our students. If you have any concerns or questions regarding this, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

SeeSaw

Please phone the office direct with messages about who is picking a child up, if you are running late or if pupils are ill etc. Due to being in class, teachers can only pick up messages following the end of the school day, when again there may be clubs, tutoring or meetings taking place. I appreciate your understanding.

Key  School Dates:

• Monday 25th March - Tuesday 26th March - Parents' Evenings (NB Y4 Mrs Collier/Mrs Hurst run on Tuesday and Wednesday)
• Thursday 28th March - Close for Easter 3.15pm finish
• Monday 15th April - School opens for summer term
• Monday 13th May - Thursday 16th May - Y6 SATs
• Monday 20th May - Healthy Living Week begins - Details to follow
• Wednesday 22nd May - Sportsday - Reception AM - KS1 PM (times tbc)
• Thursday 23rd May - Sportsday - LKS2 AM- UKS2 PM (times tbc)
• Friday 24th May - Close for half term
• Monday 3rd June - School closed for INSET
• Tuesday 4th June - School opens for Summer 2
• Saturday 8th June – FOMBA Summer Fest 

Many thanks for your continued support and kindness.

Mr Aldridge

Startwell Easter Activities, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 21st Mar 2024 @ 12:31pm

Please see below activities being offered by Startwell over the Easter break. 

Easter Egg/Bonnet Competition Time, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 21st Mar 2024 @ 12:29pm

Please see attached information about the annual Easter competition. 

Newsletter 15.03.24, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 18th Mar 2024 @ 8:51am

Dear Parents/Carers,

Following on from World Book Day and a sparkling assembly from Miss Foxwell's Class that taught us lots about the great fire of London last week, we have motored along with lots of learning over the course of this week too.

World Book Day

First of all, thank you for your help with the wonderful outfits and supporting the children to create their story spoons - there were some fantastic creations and some very lifelike representations of staff too! 🙂 Each class created a Little People, Big Dreams book inspired by the series that Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara has created. The potential for our very own little people to achieve such great things themselves in the future is endless! 

Book Fair

The Book Fair is back in town next week! From Wednesday onwards you will be able to purchase books after school from the hall each day and also during parents' evening the following week. 

Online Safety Hub

You may be interested in accessing our online safety hub https://marusbridge.onlinesafetyhub.uk/  - an online resource with lots of expert advice and guidance to support our families and their children online. 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 and lots more. It also has a 'request' feature which allows you to contact the company if there is a particular platform, app or game your child is using that you may want further information about. Please take a look.

Baby News

Mrs Boffey and her family have welcomed a little baby boy into the world this week. They are now back at home, doing well and enjoying time their time together as a family. I know you will join me in sending all our love and best wishes.

Attendance

We have seen a rise in average attendance over recent weeks and so would like to say a big thank you for your commitment to this.

FOMBA

The FOMBA lottery is going from strength to strength - Robert Mann was our first winner last week and it could be you this week! Thanks again to the team and in anticipation of the movie night next week.​ https://forms.gle/sjWnWjbW4jo7M63G9

Finally, for those nostalgic amongst us or with family who used to attend the school, please have a look at the Wigan Today web pages who have run an article about the school over the years. Some fresh-faced staff on there as well if you look closely.

Key School Dates:

• Friday 22nd March - Miss Evans' Class Assembly 9am
• Monday 25th March - Tuesday 26th March - Parents' Evenings (NB Y4 Mrs Collier/Mrs Hurst run on Tuesday and Wednesday)
• Thursday 28th March - Close for Easter 3.15pm finish
• Monday 15th April - School opens for summer term
• Monday 13th May - Thursday 16th May - Y6 SATs
•  Monday 20th May - Healthy Living Week begins - Details to follow
• Wednesday 22nd May – Sports Day - Reception AM - KS1 PM (times tbc)
• Thursday 23rd May – Sports Day - LKS2 AM- UKS2 PM (times tbc)
• Friday 24th May - Close for half term
• Monday 3rd June - School closed for INSET
• Tuesday 4th June - School opens for summer 2

Have a great weekend,

Mr Aldridge

World Book Day Competition Winners, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 8th Mar 2024 @ 8:30am

A huge thank you to all who participated in the Story Spoon Competition. The entries were fantastic and enormously difficult to judge. Thankfully, the Reading Ambassadors deliberated and decided on winners in each class.

We also had some fabulous outfits across school, some making our children unrecognisable! Orange faces, green wigs, sparkly shoes, crowns, wings, and so much more. Our best dressed winners were:

Newsletter 01.03.24, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 1st Mar 2024 @ 3:29pm

Dear Parents/Carers,

We talked in assembly today about our school being a place where no one person is the same, but everyone is equal. This is one of the guiding principles of our No-Outsiders programme, that teaches our children to be kind and respect each other, no matter what our differences might be. A big thank you to the PSHE ambassadors for their help in the assembly – you do an amazing job leading the subject!

Careers Week

It is careers week next week and our assemblies will be focused around what a career is and the types of skills needed for different careers. If you might have a spare 20 minutes at the end of the day over the coming weeks to talk about your career in class, please would you contact your class teacher via SeeSaw - we would love to hear from you!

https://primary-careers.careersandenterprise.co.uk/ 

FOMBA Update and Lottery

Lots going on and to look forward to thanks to the FOMBA team! The FOMBA lottery is certainly gathering momentum, check the PM from earlier this week and climb on board – you’ve gotta be in it to win it! Message from FOMBA will be sent shortly too, so please take a look. 🙂

FOMBA Lottery Subscription (google.com)

Movie night is booked in and at the last meeting the team began to lay down the foundations for summer...watch this space!

World Book Day - Thursday 7th March

Children are invited to come to school dressed as their favourite book character or in pyjamas / loungewear. Children are encouraged to bring their favourite books into school to share and recommend to their friends. If they don’t have a copy at home, there are the options of borrowing from our Reading Sheds, asking a teacher if they have a copy available, or accessing your local library. FOMBA will leave a box at the front office for any outgrown or unwanted costumes next week- please look and grab a costume if one suits. If you wish to leave a small donation in return for a costume, please pop in the honesty box.

Smart Watches

A polite reminder that smart watches (Apple etc) are not permitted in school for safeguarding reasons.

Healthy School News

Attached is the Healthy School Newsletter for your perusal.

Dates (please also look out for SeeSaw updates):

• 07/03/24 – World Book Day - Details to follow
• 08/03/24 – Y1 Miss Foxwell’s Class Assembly
• 21/03/24 - World Down Syndrome Day 'Rock your most colourful socks!'
• 22/03/24 – Miss Evans’ Class Assembly
• 26/03/24 – Y4 RE Trip
• 25 and 26/03/24 - Parents’ Evenings booking on PM to follow soon
• 28/03/24 – Y2 Farm Trip
• 28/03/24 - Close for Easter

Have a lovely weekend,

Mr Aldridge

Easter Rugby Camp, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 1st Mar 2024 @ 3:28pm

See attached flyer for details of a Wigan Warriors Rugby Camp during the Easter holidays

Reading Newsletter Spring 1, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 16th Feb 2024 @ 10:09am

Newsletter 9.2.24, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 12th Feb 2024 @ 8:12am

Dear Parents/Carers,

The EYFS Marus Bridge Spa opened today, where the children enjoyed some well-earned R + R. I think the teachers enjoyed coming to school in their onesies too! At the other end of school, Y6 visited the Liverpool War Museum to bring their World War Two Topic alive - one that I know they are loving at the moment.

Repair Work

You may have noticed the ramp is out of order next to Y2 - this is whilst we await remedial work on the wall which are hoping to have done in the coming weeks. Apologies for any inconvenience this may be causing.

Children's Mental Health Week

This week was Children's Mental Health Week - aimed to empower, equip and give a voice to all children and young people in the UK. We spoke about it in assemblies and in classes this week. I have attached a leaflet from the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families entitled, ' You're never too young to talk mental health.' It gives very good tips for parents/ carers on talking with their children about mental health. It also provides some useful contact numbers if you require further support.

Lunchtime Supervisor Role

If you are interested in supporting children at lunchtime as a supervisor, please pop into the office and speak to the team. It is a vital and rewarding role and one which we are currently looking to fill.

Dates for Spring Term:

• 12/2/24 - KS1 Benedetti Foundation Music Workshop
• 14/2/24 -  2.30pm - LA Attendance officer – QA/drop-in session for parents
• 15/2/24 - Y5 Jodrell Bank
• 16/2/24 – Y2 Mrs Fisher’s Class Assembly
• 16/2/24  - Close for Half-Term
• 26/2/24 - Reopen for Spring Term 2
• 7/3/24 – World Book Day - Details to coming next week from Mrs Holden
• 8/3/24 – Y1 Miss Foxwell’s Class Assembly
• 22/3/24 – Miss Evans’ Class Assembly
• 25 and 26/3/24 Parents’ Evenings
• 28/3/24 – Close for Easter

Have a lovely weekend,

Mr Aldridge

Newsletter 2.2.24, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 2nd Feb 2024 @ 4:27pm

Dear Parents/Carers,

As you can imagine, our children fill me with a sense of pride everyday at Marus Bridge and yesterday was no different. I had a visitor in school who was amazed at the behaviour, focus and determination our pupils showed in their lessons as we walked round. Well done 🙂.

Secret Readers

A big thank you to our reading ambassadors from Y6 who visited classes at the end of each day this week to read stories. The children loved it and I know it will have inspired the younger children too. Pics on FB coming soon.

Children's Mental Health Week 2024

Next week we will be exploring the importance of talking about how we feel and having our voice heard. The theme is 'My Voice Matters' and focusses on how children can be supported to express themselves. If you would like more information, please head to the website or pop into the office for one of our mental health first aid leaflets. If this is something that you wish to discuss further in person, then please contact Mrs Bish, our Pastoral Manager.

Children's Mental Health Week (childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk)

SeeSaw

Just a reminder that if your child is ill - please let the office know rather than messaging on the SeeSaw app. Also, please be mindful that teachers are not expected to respond to messages in the evening. They are very dedicated, but as you know have other commitments and families to spend time with in the evening. They will of course aim to respond to any messages the following day.

Tesco Tokens - Raising funds for a new reading hut

We are edging it for tokens in Poolstock Tesco at the moment. Ask for tokens if they don’t readily give them to you and vote for our school reading hut project. No matter where  we come in the vote; we get a donation, but more goes to the winner of course. Other stores taking part in the scheme are Hindley Extra, Ashton in Makerfield and Hindley Green Tesco.

Artist Visit

The artwork that our children collaborated on with Victoria Hough is completed and up in the hall!  The artwork is inspired by our school core values, as well as our No Outsiders programme, that celebrates inclusivity and the differences that make us all unique and special. Check FB for a sneak preview. 🙂

Coram Beanstalk – Inspiring children to read!

A reminder that we have a newly created partnership with Coram Beanstalk, a charity that trains volunteers to inspire children to read. By becoming a volunteer with the charity, you would be trained to deliver brief but fun reading experiences once a week with a child at our school. It would mean the world to us and to our children. If you are a parent or grandparent who may be able to offer their time, please follow the link for details or pop down to the office for more information. 

Volunteer with us | Coram Beanstalk (beanstalkcharity.org.uk)

Dates for Spring Term:

• 9/2/24 - Y6 Liverpool Museum
• 14/2/24 -  2.30pm - LA Attendance officer – QA/drop-in session for parents
• 15/2/24 - Y5 Jodrell Bank
• 16/2/24 – Y2 Mrs Fisher’s Class Assembly
• 16/2/24  - Close for Half-Term
• 26/2/24 - Reopen for Spring Term 2
• 7/3/24 – World Book Day - Details to follow
• 8/3/24 – Y1 Miss Foxwell’s Class Assembly
• 22/3/24 – Miss Evans’ Class Assembly
• 25 and 26/3/24 - Parents’ Evenings
• 28/3/24 – Close for Easter

Have a great weekend,

Mr Aldridge

Fabulous creative art work for our school environment, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 2nd Feb 2024 @ 2:37pm

Our children from EYFS all the way to Year 6 have been working with a local artist Victoria Hough to create two pieces of art to enhance our school environment. She has been helping develop creativity and has engaged and inspired our children in our two wonderful pieces of art.  For the entrance of school, we have completed a piece based around our core values of kindness & respect, determination, trust, responsibility and friendship. All the children across school were asked to design an image which portrays each value and then, with the artist a selection of children from each year group created this magnificent piece of art. The second piece is around our work as a No Outsiders school where everyone is welcome, we know we are not all the same but are all equal. The art work portrays characters from the texts we look at from EYFS to Y6 to prepare our children to be global citizens for a life in modern Britain. I am sure you will agree they look amazing. Well done to all the children involved across school. 

WE NEED YOU FOR 1:1 READING - CAN YOU HELP ?, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 25th Jan 2024 @ 1:13pm

Coram Beanstalk provide one-to-one, in-person reading support for primary schools to help your school encourage reading for pleasure among your pupils and improve reading attainment.

Coram Beanstalk wants all children to choose to read. There is a wealth of research showing that when we read because we want to – not because we are being told to or feel we have to – it makes a significant difference to how successful we are in education, how good we feel and how well we do in life. We support a child at every stage as they continue along a path to becoming someone who not only can read independently but chooses to do so!

volunteers provide consistent support to children who have fallen behind and need more intensive or longer-term help to change their attitude to reading and build their reading skills, ability and confidence. 

One-to-one reading support – from all quarters - changes children’s lives: most dramatically the lives of those children who would otherwise be excluded from the benefits and pleasure that reading can bring.

We know that the more children are supported in a way that means they enjoy reading, the more inclined they are to keep trying when they find it hard (and keep doing it when they have other options!), the more they progress and the more their self-confidence and self-esteem grows.

We would love to take part in this wonderful programme to provide 1:1 reading support and develop love for reading.

We need volunteers from our school community to commit to being a reading expert with Coram Beanstalk and support our children. Can you help?

Initial training is delivered online and will set you up to begin one-to-one sessions with confidence. Once established as a reading helper, you can continue your learning journey by using the self-directed resources available on our online portal and booking onto our online trainer-delivered group sessions.  

For more information you can click the link. Volunteer with us | Coram Beanstalk (beanstalkcharity.org.uk) If you are happy to help or know a family member who you think this would be suitable for, please get in touch with Mrs Carver (Y4 teacher) and/or Mrs Holden (EYFS teacher) in school. 

We look forward to hearing from you. 

Child Mental Health Week - week commencing 5th February 2024, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 23rd Jan 2024 @ 9:47am

Child Mental Health Week - week commencing 5th Feberuary 2024

Children will be engaged in a range of activities to promote their mental health and wellbeing. The theme this year is Our Voice Matters. 

Attendance Matters, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 16th Jan 2024 @ 10:04am

Please see the attached regarding attendance.  

Newsletter 12.01.24, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 15th Jan 2024 @ 3:26pm

Dear Parents/Carers,

Firstly, a warm welcome back to the spring term – I hope you all had restful and fun festive break – the children have certainly had lots to tell me about! A busy term awaits, but one that really does see children fly and so one that I always look forward to.

FOMBA Meeting

The next meeting is Monday 15^th January @ 5.30pm in school. Everyone is welcome, whether you have been before or not.

FOMBA successfully got us onboard Tesco Stronger Starts. This is where shoppers vote for a particular community project in store with a token (you will have seen the voting stations before). Funding is allocated according to the most votes. Our project is a new reading hut to inspire readers from their first day in school onwards. We are awaiting the exact date this goes live, but hopefully at some point in the coming week. So when itplease tell family and friends to vote for us – every little token helps!

The stores are as follows: Poolstock Ln Wigan, Hindley Extra, Ashton in Makerfield, Hindley Green

Coram Beanstalk – Inspiring children to read!

We have a newly created partnership with Coram Beanstalk, a charity that trains volunteers to inspire children to read. By becoming a volunteer with the charity, you would be trained to deliver brief but fun reading experiences once a week with a child at our school. It would mean the world to us and to our children. If you are a parent or grandparent who may be able to offer their time, please follow the link for details.

Volunteer with us | Coram Beanstalk (beanstalkcharity.org.uk)

Guidance - Mild Illnesses

Please see the NHS guidance attached below on mild illnesses.

Is my child too ill for school? - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Stay Wise

Below is the link to the government backed initiative ‘Stay Wise’ and resources about the role of the emergency services and the part they play in keeping us all safe. I have shared with staff, but there are videos and games you might be interested in sharing with your children.

Home | StayWise

KS2 Path Safety

Finally, I know the path up to KS2 gates can get congested at drop off and pick up, but please give yourselves and others space, so that our children are kept safe at these busy times.

See you all next week,

Mr Aldridge

Emotionally Friendly Schools Bronze Level Accreditation, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 28th Nov 2023 @ 11:52am

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that our school has achieved Emotionally Friendly Schools Bronze Level Accreditation.

We are the 12^th school within Wigan Local Authority to achieve this level. This award recognises the hard work and commitment to whole school emotional health and well-being.

The panel were so impressed with our strategic, whole school approach which has been taken in school promoting emotional health and well-being. They also commented on our person-centred approach to gaining a child’s views and supporting them in their education journey.

"There is a clear whole school commitment, with wonderful examples of promoting emotional health and well-being and it was clear from the visit that this truly is a team approach at Marus Bridge." 

Newsletter 17.11.23, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 20th Nov 2023 @ 8:22am

Dear Parents/Carers,

Great work from Mrs Capstick's Y3s this morning. Fun and informative with great ideas about how to stay safe online. Speaking of which, a number of parents got lots from our online safety workshop this week – should you require further information or guidance, please check out our online safety hub.

Home - Marus Bridge Primary School - Hub (onlinesafetyhub.uk)

There are two attachments this week relating to Christmas, including key dates and Christmas Jumper arrangements.  Please take a look. I'll ask the office to send out separately too. Lots of exciting and enriching activities to look forward to over the coming weeks, with our wonderful friends at FOMBA adding an extra bit of sparkle to proceedings.

Core Value Award

Our core values are displayed throughout school and we strive (both pupils and staff) to live them out each day in everything we do. The focus for this term is kindness and respect with different pupils from each key stage being awarded a weekly certificate and trophy. See our FB page and website for all the details and for this week's winners!

Thankyou for looking after our office staff when you contact them or pop into school; they have vast responsibility in the smooth running of school and in keeping me organised -  please treat them with kindness and respect.

Christmas Support

As we approach Christmas, again this year, we are supporting our families ensuring that they can experience the joy and warmth of the special season. We are able to refer our families to agencies where you can have the opportunity to go along and choose your own Christmas food and gifts. If you are struggling financially and would otherwise be unable to provide gifts for your family and enjoy a Christmas dinner, festive treats and a Christmas Eve Box – please telephone Mrs Bish, Pastoral Manager – 01942 24129 who will be happy to complete a referral.  Please note the closing date is Friday 1st December 2023.  This is a confidential service.

Road Safety Week

It's road safety week next week and we will be reminding children how to take care on our streets. I wrote to you last week about taking extra care at the busy junction on Warrington Road. Please see links below to look at with your children should you wish to. 

Video link for Beep Beep for EYFS & KS1 https://youtu.be/0cV6V7SNgVw

Link to Videos for KS2 https://www.brake.org.uk/road-safety-week/resources-for-educators#films-to-raise-awareness-about-speed

Have a great weekend,

Mr Aldridge

Anti-Bullying Week, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 6th Nov 2023 @ 9:58am

See flyer for more details for next week. 

Newsletter 03.11.23, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 6th Nov 2023 @ 8:31am

Dear Parents/Carers,

We were back with a bang this week, straight into Halloween discos that went down a treat. It was the new look FOMBA's first event and I would like to thank them and all our volunteers and staff for helping on the night and for their organisation, creativity and smiles. Speaking of smiles, the choir sang marvellously in assembly this morning and are now moving on to some Christmassy numbers, with the aim of singing in the community soon.  The school choir is open to all in KS2 (currently we have no boys!) - if you think your child might be interested, then do sign them up via the school office.

It's only just November, but...Christmas!

As usual, we have a busy schedule over the festive period, so Mrs Atkinson has kindly put everything together on one page so that you know what is happening and when. Last year we enjoyed a carol service with KS2 at St. Paul's church, unfortunately it is under renovation, so we have put in other activities for KS2 in school.  Please see Mrs Atkinson's separate PM for the full run down.

Support at Christmas

This year, we are again supporting families who may be struggling with financial hardship and would otherwise be unable to provide gifts for the family and enjoy a Christmas dinner and festive 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  This is a confidential service and is not means tested.

Mental Health Awareness - Message from the Pastoral and EFS team

At Marus Bridge we fully support and understand the importance Mental Health and Well Being has in a child’s life.  We want our pupils to thrive academically, emotionally, personally and socially and to do this they may need that little extra advice and support. The Pastoral and Emotional Friendly School team have created an informative leaflet that is packed with organisations, contact numbers and website links for parents and pupils. These leaflets can be located in the KS2 library for pupils. It's a great resource which parents can also find copies of at the school entrance. We will be speaking to pupils in assembly to reinforce this message and to explain what and where the leaflets can be found.

Dates (please also check SeeSaw for updates):

• 7/11/23 School Tour (new starters 24)
• 8/11/23 School Tours (new starters 24)
• 13/11/23 Odd Socks Day (start of anti-bullying week)
• 14/11/23 School Tour (new starters 24)
• 15/11/23 Digital Safety (online meeting 6.30pm)
• 11/12/23 Y3 Road Safety
• 13/12/23 Whole School Panto
• 15/12/23 Christmas Jumper Day - The Brick Donations 
• 19/12/23 KS1 Christmas Carols 
• 20/12/23 Reception Nativity  
• 22/12/23 School Closes 1pm
• 8/1/24 INSET DAY
• 9/1/24 School opens for Spring Term

Newsletter 20.10.23, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 20th Oct 2023 @ 11:43am

Dear Parents/Carers,

Miss Johnstone’s class assembly was a wonderful way to close the term, singing and speaking with gusto and looking the part too – well done to you all! 

Parents' Evening

Thankyou for the feedback from parents’ evening - very positive and as always some useful suggestions we can act on to better our service to you. It is always a pleasure seeing you all and absorbing the interactions around the room.

Digital Online Safety Meeting

We are running a workshop dedicated to helping parents understand the risks young people face online and the practical things you can do to help. This session will cover gaming, social media and web browsing, with opportunities to ask questions and have access to a free online safety hub. The meeting will take place on Wednesday 15th November 6:30pm - 7:30pm. Please follow this link on the night to access the meeting:

https://meet.google.com/cta-hvdc-qif

Covid

You may have noticed a rise in the number of covid cases recently. Government and Wigan guidance continues to state that it should be treated as any other similar illness – ie stay off school if too ill to come in and return to school when well enough to do so. If there are any changes I will inform you asap.

Healthy Lifestyles Event

thankyou to the team who represented Marus Bridge at the event at the Edge last week. Well done to Isla, Samuel, Ella and Freddie in Y5, who were outstanding ambassadors for the school, sharing all the ways in which we promote healthy lifestyles at Marus Bridge.

Healthy Schools Celebration Event 2023 - YouTube

New Starters 24-25

The dates for school tours are as follows and at 9.15am (see website for details):

Tuesday 31^st October

Tuesday 7^th November    

Wednesday 8^th November

Tuesday 14^th November

I have added an evening walk round on Wednesday 8^th November at 5pm too. Please book via the school office.

NB The application form for Reception Intake 2024 is now live. Please apply online via the Wigan primary admission web page. Primary school admissions (wigan.gov.uk) 

Dates:

30/10/23 School Reopens for Autumn 2

31/10/23 School Tour (new starters 24)

1/11/23 FOMBA Halloween Discos

7/11/23 School Tour (new starters 24)

8/11/23 School Tour (new starters 24)

14/11/23 School Tour (new starters 24)

15/11/23 Digital Safety (online meeting 6.30pm)

11/12/23 Y3 Road Safety

13/12/23 Whole School Panto

19/12/23 KS1 Christmas Carols  (full details to follow)

20/12/23 Reception Nativity  (full details to follow)

20/12/23 School Closes 1pm

8/1/24 INSET DAY

9/1/24 School opens for Spring Term

Finally, before we break for the half term, can I say thankyou to our governing body, our PTFA and the burgeoning army of volunteers who help make our community what it is today and everyday.

Mr Aldridge

MBPS Online Safety Hub, by Mrs Atkinson

Date: 12th Oct 2023 @ 12:16pm

You can now access the Marus Bridge Online Safety Hub FOR FREE.

Head to the Online Safety Hub for lots of expert advice and guidance to help you manage your child's safety online. It includes information on the latest hot topics when it comes to keeping your child safe, such as how to manage your child's screen time, understanding the latest gaming platforms, what they mean for your child’s safety and lots more. Simply follow the link to access The Online Safety Hub: https://marusbridge.onlinesafetyhub.uk

Qustodio Online Safety Parent App

Don’t forget to sign up for your FREE Qustodio. Gain more visibility on what’s going on in your child’s online world and make sure they are kept safe. Block dangerous content, introduce screen-free schedules, receive alerts for inappropriate content 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