Dear Parents and Carers
I can’t quite believe we’re already in our final week of Term 4 and hurtling towards the Easter Holiday so quickly. I really hope that now the clocks have changed, the weather will too so we can all enjoy the lighter evenings!
A Fond Farewell to Mrs Margaret Ellis
After an incredible 26 years of dedication to Horsmonden School, Mrs Margaret Ellis will be retiring at the end of this term. Margaret’s impact on our school community is immeasurable. Over nearly three decades, she has worn almost every hat imaginable, from supporting our Breakfast and After School Clubs and managing office duties, to supervising lunchtimes and serving as both a Teaching Assistant and Higher Level Teaching Assistant. Because her roles have been so diverse, Margaret has worked across every year group, building unique and meaningful bonds with every single child. She has been a constant, steady presence through years of change, making lifelong friends and shaping countless lives along the way. It’s safe to say we will miss her presence immensely, she leaves behind a legacy that will be hard to match! However, we are thrilled that she can finally swap the classroom for well-deserved relaxation (and, of course, enjoy the perks of holidaying outside of term time). Thank you, Margaret, for everything you have given to this school. We wish you a long, healthy, and very happy retirement!
Mrs. Parker’s New Role
Following the departure of Mrs Ellis, Mrs Parker will be stepping into the role of Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA). In this capacity, she will take over class cover to facilitate ‘Planning, Preparation, and Assessment’ (PPA) time for our teachers. We are delighted to have her expertise in this new position.
Recruitment for Year 5
With Mrs Parker transitioning to her HLTA role, we are now looking for a full-time Teaching Assistant to join the team. I will be interviewing this week and the successful candidate is expected to start after Easter, primarily based in Year 5. I will share further details regarding this appointment as soon as they are finalised.
Welcoming Miss Lay
I would also like to officially highlight the recent appointment of Miss Lay as a part-time Teaching Assistant. Miss Lay has already settled in brilliantly, providing extra support for children and assisting during lunchtimes. Her addition to the team gives us valuable extra capacity and flexibility across the school.
Clubs
Our next range of co-curricular clubs will start on Monday 20th April and below you will find out what’s on offer to be booked.
| Mondays - 20th, 27th April, 11th, 18th May | Super Scribblers with Miss Foord | EYFS, Y1, Y2 |
| Forest School with Mrs Radford & Mrs Turvey | EYFS, Y1, Y2 | |
| Netball Club with Mrs Sharp | Y3, Y4, Y5, Y6 | |
| Tuesdays - 21st, 28th April, 5th, 12th, 19th May | Scratch Club with Mr Fenton | Y3, Y4, Y5, Y6 |
| Taskmaster Club with Mrs Bellingham Inspired by the popular show Taskmaster. Through a series of fun, creative and often surprising challenges, children will develop important life skills such as teamwork, problem solving, communication, lateral thinking and resilience. | Y3, Y4, Y5, Y6 | |
| KS1 Football Fivestar with Mr Bodle. Booking open now | EYFS, Y1, Y2 | |
| Wednesdays | KS2 Football Fivestar with Mr Bodle (parent). Booking Opening Now | EYFS, Y1, Y2 |
| Fashion and Textiles with Emily Sunnocks (parent) Booking open now | Y3, Y4, Y5, Y6 | |
| Arts and Crafts with Nina Dodge (parent) Booking open now | Y1, Y2 | |
| Thursdays - 23rd, 30th April, 7th, 14th, 21st May | Calypso Cricket Fun cricket activities for all abilities Booking open now | Y2, Y3, Y4, Y5, Y6 |
| Dance Club with Miss Card | Y3, Y4, Y5, Y6 | |
| Gardening Club with Mrs Huby | Y3, Y4, Y5, Y6 |
Co-Curricular (Teacher run clubs) cost £4.00 per session and must be paid for as a block, in advance through MCAS. Clubs will open for booking on MCAS at 8am on Tuesday 31st March and will close at 3:15pm on Thursday 2nd April Please ensure children are booked into their chosen club during this time to avoid disappointment. Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Choir Club (KS2) run by Mrs Wenham will take place on Monday lunchtimes and there will be no charge for this club.
Football Five Star is available to book straight away by contacting Jim Bodle on: 07714-798-268
Art and Crafts is available to book straight away by contacting Nina Dodge – see the flyer for more information.
Fashion and Textiles is available to book straight away by contacting Mrs Sunnucks at: emily.thejuniordesignclub@outlook.com or on 07476-113-493
Calypso Cricket is available to book straight away using the link here.
As always, if you have any questions, or feedback, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am available on the school gate most days, as is Mr Fenton. Alternatively, please contact the school office to make an appointment.
Kind regards
Hayley Sharp
PTO for diary dates, new dates in bold
| Thursday 2nd April | Year 2 Class Assembly @ 9:00am |
| Thursday 2nd April | FoHPS Easter Egg hunt |
| Thursday 2nd April | End of Term 4 |
| Monday 20th April | Start of Term 5 |
| W/C 20th April | Toy donations to the office for Summer Fair please |
| W/C 27th April | Bottle donations to the office for Summer Fair please |
| W/C 5th May | Hamper donations to the office for Summer Fair please |
| Monday 11th May | Y6 SATs week |
| Friday 15th May | Own clothes day in exchange for a bag of sweets |
| Monday 18th - Friday 22nd May | Y6 Residential - PGL Windmill Hill |
| Friday 22nd May | Year 1 Class Assembly @ 9:00am |
| Friday 22nd May | End of Term 5 |
| Monday 1st June | Start of Term 6 |
| Monday 1st June | Year 4 Multiplication Check week |
| Monday 8th June | Phonics Screening week |
| Friday 19th June | Marvellous Males Event 2:15pm to 3:00pm |
| Wednesday 24th June | Sports Day KS1 @ 9.15am, KS2 @ 1.15pm |
| Friday 3rd July | LAT Cricket Tournament - selected KS2 children |
| Tuesday 7th July | LAT Sports Day - selected KS2 children |
| Thursday 9th July | Year 6 Production @ 2:00pm and 5.00pm |
| Monday 13th July | Whole school transition morning |
| Friday 17th July | Y6 Leavers’ Assembly @ 2:15pm |
| Friday 17th July | End of Term 6 |