Category News

MEET AND GREET

Need a slightly earlier drop off at school each morning?

Why not use our Meet and Greet option?

For just £2.00 per session, you can drop your child at school between

8.20 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. each day.

No need to book.

Drive into the car park or walk your child into school, Mrs Street or another member staff will be there to Meet and Greet your child and hand them over to the Drop & Stop team.

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TOILET TWINNING

Today we launched our project to support the Toilet Twinning charity.

Our donations will be used to provide clean water, basic sanitation, and hygiene education. This vital combination works together to prevent the spread of disease. Every toilet twin celebrates a new toilet for a family living in a poorer country, and the average size of a household is six people, for every £60 donation represents help for one family, six people.

However, once a family has the knowledge about the link between sanitation and health, they will go on to tell other family members, or people in neighbouring villages, about the importance of building a toilet – so the multiplication effect of our donation will be far greater than help for a household. It will, over the years, represent transformation for many more people without a doubt.

Also, the impact over generations to come is immeasurable, as the sustainable programmes are aimed at behaviour change and cultural change that will last beyond our immediate lifetime as knowledge is passed down from generation to generation.

At The Queen Anne, each class will choose their own fund-raising activity to complete during the summer term. More information will be shared via Tapestry soon.

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Emotion Coaching with the Emotional Wellbeing Champions

This term, our Year 4 Emotional Wellbeing Champions have been learning about Emotion Coaching, which links well to the learning about the Zones of Regulation that has been happening around the school. 

As Wellbeing Champions, they have been finding out how best to support those who need help on the playground through these four steps:

Connect

Tune into the person’s feelings and your own.

Acknowledge 

Label and validate feelings.

Assess

Separate emotion from the behaviour.

Make a plan

Problem solve and find solutions together.

MARCH NEWS

YEAR 4 ETON CHOCOLATE WORKSHOP   In geography, the Year Four geography lessons were about Mexico. We wanted to know about the importance of the chocolate bean to this country. However, when we went to Eton College and spoke to the chocolatiers the children and I were surprised to hear that 70 percent of the world’s cocoa bean came from four West African countries- the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon.   With 50 percent of the worlds cocoa bean coming from two countries -the Ivory Coast and Ghana. While, South American countries like Brazil and Ecuador and still relevant produces of the chocolate bean, Mexico (central America) less so.   We also, discovered that cocoa has long been considered a valuable and holy commodity since its discovery by ancient Mesoamerican civilizations. Cocoa beverages, for instance, were exclusively consumed by warriors, priests, and the nobility thought to give them strength.   At Eton College we looked inside a cocoa pod and were surprised to see how moist and slimy it was inside. It also, smelt slightly like a pumpkin once open. The children got to sample; white, milk and dark chocolate and we sampled a dark chocolate mousse and chili hot chocolate drink and they were simply delicious.   Mexico does produce and export many wonderful products including coffee, sugarcane, corn, wheat and avocadoes (we did make guacamole in class).   It was a wonderful opportunity to find out more about the importance of the chocolate bean around the world.

GETTING EXCITED ABOUT BOOKS   This term, we have fostered the children’s love of reading through visits from authors Sam Copeland and Petr Horacek. The children were thrilled to hear about the authors’ lives and the process of making books. I am certain that we have quite a few of our own budding authors and illustrators.   Thanks to QAPAFA, each class enjoyed their termly Book Burst with Jeanette Kemp. A great selection of the latest children’s books for each year group was shared with all of the children, further inspiring the children to read.   Year 3 had an extended opportunity to explore books with a visit to Windsor Library. There the children found out about the Dewey Decimal System and became familiar with the layout and range of resources available in the library. A visit to the library is a great way to spend time during the Easter holidays.

Y2 WINDSOR FIRE SERVICE   The Year 2 children have been fire detectives this year. They studied the Great Fire of London, found out about the fire at Windsor Castle and this week they received a visit from the Windsor Fire Service. The Year 2 children found out how to stay safe, saw the wide range of equipment on the fire-engine and helped the fire-fighters use the very powerful hose. Thank you to Windsor Fire Service for helping to develop the children’s learning.

HISTORY ON OUR DOORSTEP   Historical understanding of children in Y1- 4, and their walking skills,  have been developed through visits to Windsor castle this year.   Year 1: not only did the children find out about the castle as a home, but they were lucy enough to see King Charles III arrival at Windsor Castle. The children saw the Royal Standard being raised and waved to the King as he arrived.Year 2: Found out about the Great Fire at Windsor Castle, discovering how the fire started, how it was tackled, the damage and the repair.Year 3: explored St George’s Chapel and found out about the Knights of the Garter and chivalry.Year 4: heard about the changes to Windsor Castle over time. Discovering what the castle was like in 1066 and how the building and role of the castle has developed over time.

Y1 DANCE FESTIVAL   We are very proud of our Year 1 children who participated in the Dance Festival on Tuesday. The children performed a dance to ‘Under the Sea’ based on the theme of sustainability. They thoroughly enjoyed performing to a large audience and seeing the range of performances from other school. Thanks go to the children and Year 1 team for all of their hard work.

BUNNY BINGO   Great fun was had by all on Friday evening at the very first Queen Anne Bunny Bingo. Thank you to all of the QAPAFA team for putting on this event and congratulations to the Bunny Bingo winners.

EASTER SERVICE   Thank to Reverend Sally for welcoming us to the church for our Easter Service. It was lovely to see so many of our families in attendance. The children had worked hard to learn their lines and songs. It was lovely to see their growing confidence when performing to a large audience. Each class wrote prayers for Easter and hung them on a special Easter tree in the church. You will be able to see the children’s Easter Prayers on the tree in the church during the Easter period.

Emotional Wellbeing Champions

This half term, the Emotional Wellbeing Champions have been thinking about how they can make themselves more well-known around the school.  They have decided that a display somewhere in school would be a good idea and have looked at possible places so that all pupils can see it!  They have also been thinking about the playground and are keen to improve this area.  So far, they have thought about tidying it up by picking up litter, having more bins, and having some different playground equipment.  There’s lots to organise next month!

Don’t forget to remind your children that the Emotional Wellbeing Champions are available to help them at break time and lunch time.  They have been trained to look out for anyone that might need help and have some great strategies to use. 

Well done for all your brilliant work so far!

SCHOOL TRAVEL PLAN

Thank you very much to everyone who was able to complete the school’s travel survey. All feedback has been shared with The School Travel Plan Working Party.

The School Travel Working Party consists of representatives from the school, parent body, Governing body and local residents. All parties agreed that the safety of the children is paramount and recognised the challenges faced by the whole community regarding safe travel and parking at the start and end of the school day.

We are in the process of reviewing the next steps that the school and local community could take to improve the situation for all concerned.

We will keep everyone updated as things progress.

LOOKING AHEAD TO MARCH….

February may have been a quieter month in school, but March looks set to be a very busy month indeed.

Details about the exciting events ahead can be found on the monthly update email and the school website in the EVENTS Section.

You may be interested in the Earth Hour Event organized by the World Wildlife Fund. Join in creating the Biggest Hour for Earth on Saturday 25th March – switch off your lights and spend 60 minutes doing something positive for our planet! More information can be found here…https://www.wwf.org.uk/earth-hour

Small actions can make a big difference.

JANUARY 

Attachment Aware School

Over the past couple of years, The Queen Anne First School has proudly been awarded the bronze and silver awards for being an Attachment Aware School.  This year we are going for gold!

As an Attachment Aware School, we have learnt about the emotional challenges our pupils can experience, in particular children with anxiety, attachment and trauma difficulties.  We have been working with the Local Authority and Educational Psychologists to improve and embed our practices, which has included increased training and support for our staff and pupils.  As part of the gold award, we have already implemented the Zones of Regulation and trained six of our Year 4 pupils to be Emotional Wellbeing Champions.

Please follow the link below to find out more about Attachment Aware schools and look out for more information to come over the next couple of terms.

Travel Survey

On Monday, we will launch our School Travel Survey. The survey gathers information about how children travel to school and views on how to make everyone’s journey to school easier and safer. All of the responses are anonymous and the feedback will be reviewed by the School Travel Plan Working Party. We hope to identify ways in which the school and families can work together for the benefit of all. You will receive an email on Monday with a link to the survey. Please do take this opportunity to share your views.

Eco Awareness

You may be interested to know that our new cleaning company use Tersano i Clean which turns tap water into an environmentally friendly cleaner, sanitiser and deodoriser.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Before the term ends and we all wish each other a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, it is time to pause for a moment and reflect on the children’s development over the past term.

I am sure that for many of you the start of school in September seems like a distant memory. It is hard to remember just how nervous the children felt at the start of the year, whether they were moving to a new class or starting school for the very first time. Now, it is wonderful to see all of our children arriving at school each morning full of energy and smiles, looking forward to the day ahead. They have all settled into their new routines and are engaged fully in school life. We are all very proud of The Queen Anne children.

The school has been full of Christmas joy over the past few weeks. The children have thought about the modern traditions of Christmas and, of course, the meaning of Christmas for Christians. It is a privilege to have an opportunity to see Christmas through the children’s eyes and to share their excitement and joy.

Although a joyous time for many, Christmas can bring its own stresses and strains to family life. If you feel that you would benefit from a chance to share your feelings with others, you’ll find free confidential and friendly support using the links below.  

Mind: Bucks & East Berks https://www.bucksmind.org.uk/guide/bucks-mind-friends-in-need/ Call us on: 01494 463364 (Monday to Friday: 8:30 – 16:00)Email us at: info@bucksmind.org.uk

Men’s Advice Line 0808 801 0327    mensadviceline.org.uk
Confidential advice and support for men who have experienced domestic violence and abuse by a current or ex-partner or family member. The Men’s Advice Line is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm.

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)  0800 58 58 5 thecalmzone.net Provides listening services, information and support for anyone who needs to talk, including a web chat. CALM’s helpline and webchat are open from 5pm to midnight, every day of the year. CALM’s advice on coping with feeling anxious at Christmas.

Quite a lot has happened in our busy, little school during the month of December. You’ll find just a few of our December highlights below. Thanks, as always, go to The Queen Anne staff who work so hard to make The Queen Anne such a wonderful school for all.

Thank you from all of the staff for your lovely Christmas wishes, cards and gifts. Your thoughtfulness and kindness are appreciated by all. Thank you!

Wishing you all a peaceful Christmas and New Year.

Mrs Street

December began with our amazingly festive Christmas Fair. Thank you to all of the Committee and to all staff, pupils and parents, who worked together to make this event magical and great fun for all of the children.

Of course, QAPAFA have supported the school in many other ways this term, including the cost of coach travel, the reindeer visit, cake sales, Green Team ground work, attending the school Open Evening, resources for the classrooms, Father Christmas gifts and so much more.

Thank you to all of the committee for your continued hard work. Your support makes a huge difference to all aspects of school life. Thank you !

Theatre Visit

The children visited the Watermill Theatre and watched an amazing performance of The Wizard of Oz.

Not only did this provide an opportunity for all of our children to experience  a high-quality children’s production, but also, an opportunity to experience travelling by coach, which was a new experience for some.

Thank you to QAPAFA for funding the cost of coach travel for this special event.

The Nativity

The whole school Nativity provided  an opportunity for the whole school  to celebrate the birth of Jesus and perform to a large audience.

The Nativity is one of many school  occasions when we can clearly see our school vision of Enjoy, Include and Achieve in action.

It was an absolute delight to see the children all shining in their own way.

Thank you to all staff and children for working so hard to make the Nativity such a success.

Father Christmas

We were lucky enough to be joined by Father Christmas , who took time out of his busy Christmas schedule to join us. Father Christmas shared festive joy with all and gave each class some rather special gifts to share

Christmas Lunch

Our visit from Father Christmas was followed by our whole school Christmas lunch.

 Every year, I am impressed by the delicious food and efficient service. I cannot begin to imagine cooking Christmas lunch for over 150 people.

 Huge thanks to all of the kitchen and school staff involved not only in today’s feast, but in the provision of lunch each and every school day. Thank you!

Christmas Service

We offered Reverend Sally and all of our parents a warm welcome to our Christmas Service in school.

We celebrated the birth of Jesus and gave thanks through song.

Our younger children sang about some of the Christmas traditions which continue today, whilst our Year 3 and Year 4 pupils reflected on the birth of Jesus many years ago.

Our Year 2 pupils told us about the meaning of the Christingle.

It was lovely to have an opportunity to gather together at this special time of the year in the Christian calendar.

Vision Celebration

We end our Christmas term this afternoon with our traditional school Vision Celebration.  Pupils will be celebrated for demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit and school vision through their words and actions. It is always a wonderful example of pupils knowing and showing the values in their everyday lives.

BOOK BURST

Last week, our first Book Burst Sessions, led by Jeanette Kemp, provided a tempting taster of a wide range of wonderful reading books.

Jeanette shared a selection of new book titles suitable for each year group.

We are fortunate that QAPAFA fund termly Book Burst Sessions for each class.

At The Queen Anne, we aim to inspire pupils and engage them in reading widely.

We value and support reading for pleasure through:

• adults reading aloud daily in class
• inviting book areas in each classroom.
• providing time to read in class and develop a sociable reading environment where children enjoy reading together and sharing books
• planning opportunities for the children to engage in a range of genres each year.
• providing a range of cross-curricular books
• regular use of the school  library
• engaging and exciting termly Book Burst sessions.

Through provision of a wide and varied reading diet, we foster a love of familiar books and a keen appetite for new titles.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

Thank you to Mrs Morris for organising the Operation Christmas Child project and to everyone who was able to make a contribution.

We were able to deliver a total of 56 boxes to the organization. It is wonderful to know that 56 children around the world will experience the delight of receiving a gift this year.

Sending gifts to others develops our Fruit of The Spirit. A focus on sharing love and joy around the world helps the children at The Queen Anne to understand that they are able to make a difference to the lives of others around the world and see themselves as agents of change.

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”

― Mother Teresa

REMEMBRANCE SERVICE

The school gathered together in the hall for our Remembrance Service on Friday 10^TH November

.  The children thought about the significance of the poppy as a symbol and gave their thoughts to the service and sacrifice given by people in the past and today.

 Thank you to Mrs Warburton for leading the service of Remembrance and to all the children and staff who created our outdoor poppy display.

NATIONAL ANTI-BULLING WEEK

As part of National Anti-Bullying Week, the children discussed behaviour and relationships in school.

Each class thought about what behaviour is expected, what bullying is and what we can do if we are worried about bullying. Everyone thought about The Queen Anne expectations of Ready, Respectful and Safe.

We were fortunate to have two visitors to school to support our learning this week.

PC Bullock joined our Y3 and Y4 children to share his PC Ben books which have a central theme of inclusion. The children reflected on and discussed the events in the book and the impact of events on the characters in the stories.

Mr Jackson, a semi-professional footballer, led a games session with the children and talked about the behaviour required to be a sportsperson.

Thank you to both Mr Jackson and PC Bullock for taking the time to support the children’s understanding of appropriate behaviour and inclusion of all.

REINDEERS

Thanks to QAPAFA, we had some very special visitors to school this week.

The children were delighted to meet the reindeers and to discover lots of facts about how reindeers live, grow and survive.

It was a wonderful for the children to have to meet and to feed the reindeers.

 Certainly, many life-long memories were made and the visit provided a magical start to the Christmas season in school.

AUTHOR VISIT

Earlier in the month, the FS and Y1 children met with local author Rhian Lynette.

She shared her book ‘Goose and Bear’ with the children, which is a tale about friendship, kindness and bravery.

The children had an opportunity to ask lots of question about the theme of the book and about the life of an author.

It was an engaging and exciting way to develop the children’s love of reading and writing and develop an appreciation that they, too, could be an author one day.

As the first half term of the school year draws to a close, it is time for us to take a moment to think just how far the children have come in such a short amount of time. Children new to the school are already coming in through the gate with confidence and know the routines of school life. Hopefully, all of our new families now feel part of the Queen Anne school family too. Our long-standing pupils are now familiar with their new classrooms and have formed good relationships with their class teaching team. All of which is a great achievement for young children.

HARVEST SERVICE:

Our Harvest Service provided an opportunity for the whole school to show gratitude for what we have and to think of others who may not be so fortunate. For some children, it was their first Queen Anne Harvest Festival and for others their final opportunity to give Harvest thanks as a Queen Anne pupil. The children thoroughly enjoyed sharing their Harvest thanks in church with everyone.

The generous donations to Windsor Foodshare will make a positive difference to other people’s lives.

TAG RUGBY

Our Year 3 and 4 class participated in a Tag Rugby tournament. They played with enthusiasm and showed good team spirit. There were several children who were noted for their outstanding attitude to sport. Congratulations to Year 3 and Year 4!

POND EXPLORATIONS

 Thanks to Sam Gesell, Debby Batchelor and QAPAFA, we’ve been able to make the most of the lovely weather and explore life in and around the school pond. Through a variety of activities, each class has developed their scientific observational and classification skills. Without the hard work and support of Sam, Debby and QAPAFA, this wonderful learning would not have been possible. We even have our own resident heron courtesy of Mrs McDougall. Thank you all!

Last week The Queen Anne welcomed tree surgeons to ensure our trees are in tip-top condition for the coming winter.  With the hustle and bustle of the new term, it is a moment to stop, pause and reflect on everything these ancient trees will have witnessed, long before the woods became the school’s home.  We are incredibly lucky to have an outstanding and unusual collection of trees on site.  Read on to learn more!

The most striking tree at the Queen Anne is undoubtedly the Giant Redwood.  Not only is the Redwood magnificent to look at, but it is a fantastic tool for learning.  Seed dispersal is far more memorable when fire is essential for the cones to give up the seeds to the wind!

The Giant Redwood can live for 3000 years, but due to logging and fire management practices it is now endangered, which makes our very own all the more important.  Just the mention of an endangered tree sparks curiosity in our children:  “Why is it endangered?”, “How can we change that?”, “What happens to the animals that rely on the tree?”.  We are extremely proud of their inquisitive and eco-conscious minds!

Native to South America, and named after the native American Catawba tribe, the Indian Bean tree is a firm favourite with the children.  With enormous heart-shaped leaves, beautifully scented flowers, and runner bean-like seed pods, it is the focus of much imaginative play! 

When the seed pods are this cool, who wouldn’t be engaged in learning their parts of a plant?!  Do look out for the Indian Bean Tree situated outside the Hall.

A final tree of note for now, is the native Wild Service Tree.  We have walked by these trees so many times, possibly without realising just how rare and special they are.  A little research changed that, when we learnt that they are an indicator species for Ancient Woodland. The Wild Service Tree bears fruit, which until 100 years ago, was sold in markets as a cure for colic and an ingredient of jams and drinks!

We are extremely proud of our little patch of ancient woodland and the habitat it provides,  as well as the Queen Anne children, who respect and look after it.  We hope they will have many fond memories of playing and learning surrounded by nature.

The Autumn term brings lots of new things: new classrooms, teachers, friends, uniform and new, shiny school schools.

Over the past few  weeks, the children have settled well into their new classrooms  and I am sure that they are already wearing out their new school shoes. I hope that all of our new families are beginning to feel part of The Queen Anne community too. There’s a wonderful feeling of learning across the school and we are all looking forward to a great year ahead.

We are fortunate to have support in our pond area this year from Sam Gesell and  & Debby Batchelor, who have already worked hard to transform the pond area. Our school grounds provide habitats for a wide variety of trees, plants and animals. The children will have an opportunity to explore  the pond area over the coming year. So far, newts, larvae and pond slaters ( not skaters) have been spotted in our pond.