Dear Parents and Carers, 

Year 6 had a wonderful, albeit wet, trip to RHS Wisley Gardens today, where they explored how plants adapt to different biomes. The children had the opportunity to take cuttings from a plant, which they potted and brought home. They also studied succulents, learning how these plants have adapted to store water and examined various species from rainforest environments. Today some lucky Year 3 and 4 children had the chance to visit West Horsley Place to enjoy an interactive outdoor theatre performance, bringing messages about ecology and conservation to life through the words of Shakespeare. Despite the weather, the children had a fantastic time and we're looking forward to hearing some of them tell us all about it in next week's Friday assembly. Next week, Year 6 will be visiting Holy Trinity Church for the Judiciary Service. This is a fantastic opportunity for the children to take part in this important community event and learn about the structure of The Judiciary in our town.  

Our assembly series is well underway for the term. Each week we will be introducing one of a collection of HTPD heroes. These famous people each demonstrate a particular characteristic and will hopefully inspire us all to make a difference in the world. We’ll also be looking at Bible heroes from the Old Testament and learning that God has always used people to build his kingdom on Earth. We’re sure to spend a lot of time thinking about one of our school values, “To imagine the journey in another’s footsteps; nurturing understanding, respecting all.” We have already considered how each of us is unique and treasured – we’ve challenged ourselves to be the very best that we can be. Florence Nightingale made an appearance at both sites to talk about how we treat others and to care as God cares for you; and this week, Emmeline Pankhurst showed her determination to stand up for the rights of others, as Moses stood up to Pharaoh. As the weeks go by, the children will have the opportunity to choose their favourite HTPD hero…I wonder who will come out on top in the vote at the end of term?   

We are pleased to say that the parking situation at Holy Trinity has improved in the past couple of weeks.  Thank you to everyone who is keeping the area immediately outside school clear of cars at drop off and pick up in line with the parking restrictions which apply at schools and the Highway Code. Residents on Semaphore Road have been in touch and sent photos of vehicles parked partially on the pavement. We ask that you keep pavements safe for families walking and the roads clear enough for passing traffic.   

We are grateful to all who have made constructive suggestions about ways in which the overall situation could be improved. Unfortunately, parking has been a longstanding problem; a range of solutions were also explored under Clare's leadership.  In practice, it is not possible for the school to implement many of the suggestions we've received either because we have no jurisdiction over the local roads or because we have no additional resources to staff initiatives such as walking buses. 

However, we are committed to working collaboratively with parents to ensure we leave no stone unturned in finding workable solutions.  We are working alongside other agencies to discuss parking and traffic options and are hoping to arrange a meeting with various agencies and a small group of parent representatives.  Whilst we wait to confirm a date, it would be incredibly useful if there were one or two parents who could act as a representative for each year group and collate ideas to bring to this meeting. If you are happy to do this, please contact the school office infants@htpd.surrey.sch.uk  or juniors@htpd.surrey.sch.uk     

Thought of the week 

Following this week’s assembly theme, ‘For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.’ 

E-Safety 

Thanks to all those who replied to the form registering an interest in taking part in our first E-safety focus group this year. We've had a look at responses and the most convenient date is Tuesday 1st October at 7pm at Holy Trinity. We'll be using this session to set some objectives for the year ahead and work out how best to share these messages with the wider parent body. Please do let Tom know (tome@htpd.surrey.sch.uk) if you would like to attend this meeting, or if you have a specific area you would like the group to discuss and provide some guidance on. We'd love to see as many people there as possible to have your say on the future direction of how we help families navigate this hugely important element of modern parenting.  

In other news, Smartphone Free Childhood is continuing to gain traction all over the country. You may have seen this article on the BBC News website this week, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg2r4rxjd9o 

If you would like to sign the pact and help parents come together to create a better future for our children, please sign up using the link below. The form takes a minute to fill in and is anonymous. Could we see HTPD at the top of the leaderboard when it is published?parentpact.smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk

Infants 

The beginning of the day is very busy around the door where Reception and Year 1 enter; some children are finding this a little overwhelming. We ask that you say goodbye to your child on the playground. There will always be an adult at the bottom of the small ramp to greet them with a smile, and a team of teachers and teaching assistants at the door to help your child put their belongings in the correct place. The message books are always outside to pass on messages to class teachers.  One additional plea, the children can find it distracting and upsetting to have parents and grandparents peering into the windows in the mornings and afternoons before and after school. Could we please ask that you stand a bit further back and try not to look in at your child so that other children don’t feel left out and unsettled. Many thanks for your support. 

Harvest Donations 

We are asking children to bring in items for a collection to be sent to North Guildford Food Bank on the day of our Harvest assemblies, Tuesday 8th October at Pewley and Wednesday 9th October at Holy Trinity. Please send any donations in with your child on the morning of the assembly. At Pewley, a table will be set up in the main entrance for donations and children at Holy Trinity can take their donations straight to the chapel.  

Whilst all donations will be gratefully received, we have been given the following list of items that the Food Bank has a real need for:  

• Long Life Puddings 
• Fruit squash 
• Tea bags 
• Tinned Fish 
• Dried Flavoured Noodles 
• Tinned Meat 
• Deodorant 
• Shower / bath gel 
• Laundry Detergent 

The school council have also voted to raise money for a local charity called Home Start Guildford. This organisation supports parents in our local area who have at least one child under 5 years and who are dealing with issues such as isolation, poor mental health, sickness, disability, domestic abuse and difficult relationships. If you would like to donate to this worthy cause, this can be done via Parentpay. Further details about the organisation can be found on their website: https://hsguildford.org.uk/ 

Thank you in advance! 

Dates for the Diary

• Wednesday 23 October – Early Finish PD pick-up at 1.15pm, HT pick-up at 1.30pm
• Thursday 24 and Friday 25 October – INSET days
• Monday 28 October – Friday 1 November – Half term holidays
• Monday 4 November– Children back to school