Newsletter 12th March 2021

  

Dear Parents and Carers

   

All parents and carers are required to wear a face covering on the school site (both outside and inside).  If you have a specific exemption, please email headteacher@uplandsmanor.sandwell.sch.uk before Monday 8th March. 

You will not be permitted onto the school site without a mask unless we have been told that you are exempt.    

    

Letters sent home this week

Below is a list of letters sent to you by text and email this week.  If you haven't received them, please click on the links below:

  • Welcome back letter

   

Secondary School places for September 2021

If your child is in Year 6, you should have received an email or a letter from Sandwell Local Authority telling you which secondary school they have been offered for September. 

You must follow the instructions in the email or letter to accept the place or appeal.  If you need any support, please email psw@uplandsmanor.sandwell.sch.uk 

     

Free School Meal Vouchers during Easter

If your child is entitled to Free School Meals, Sandwell Council has agreed to provide FSM vouchers over the Easter break.  If you have any queries, please email freeschoolmeals@uplandsmanor.sandwell.sch.uk

   

Safe driving and parking around school

Please be careful when you are driving and parking around school and think about other car users and pedestrians.

 

  • Thompson Road and Addenbrooke Road are one-way roads
  • Do not park on the pavement or on the yellow double yellow lines
  • Do not park on the zig zag lines outside school
  • Turn your engine off when you park

   

    

School dinners - action required now!

You now need to pre-book your child's school dinners on the School Gateway app in order to ensure that they receive a school dinner.  If you do not pre-book your child's meal, they will only be able to have a sandwich option from the kitchen that day.

To book a meal you need to:

 

  • Log into your School Gateway account select your child's name
  • Select 'lunch money'
  • Click on the blue box that says 'Make or View Meal Bookings'

Please note that dinners must be paid for at the point of booking (unless you get free school meals).  

If you have an outstanding dinner debt, you will not be able to book a dinner online until the debt is paid.  You must contact the office to discuss clearing this and send a packed lunch into school with your child.  If your child arrives to school without a packed lunch, you will be contacted to bring one in for them.

Please check that you are able to book meals in advance of returning to school and email any issues regarding logging in or any other dinner related queries to schooldinners@uplandsmanor.sandwell.sch.uk

 

  

School Gateway App - the best way to receive communication from Uplands Manor

We send all communication to parents through the School Gateway App.  If you have a smart phone, we encourage you to download the app and set it to receive notifications. 

This will mean that you receive all the important messages and communication from school.

If you need to set up a new account, download the school gateway app on your phone or use the following link online https://login.schoolgateway.com/0/auth/register. You can also reset forgotten passwords from this link if you click on 'existing user'.

    

    

CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENT

    

We believe that it is important to celebrate achievements.  Each week, children may be given a gold letter from a member of staff or a certificate from Mr Dickinson, Miss Copestake or Miss James.

If your child has done something special outside school - maybe they have helped someone or done something special.  Tell us so that the Uplands community can share in their celebration. Email headteacher@uplandsmanor.sandwell.sch.uk 

   

Headteacher & Deputy Headteacher Awards

Some children are sent to the Headteacher or Deputy Headteacher for a special award.  Congratulations to:

  • London C for excellent presentation and demonstration of his understanding whilst learning about the Water Cycle
  • Harkirat S for having a considerate and respectful mindset in looking about the classroom and everything and everybody in it
  • Bilal I for always working hard in lessons
  • Kesi B for such an impressive shift in confidence in maths
  • Sukhraj L for being brave and offering his thoughts and opinions and helping conversation start to flow within class
  • Rehan M for his positive start to the term after lockdown - keep it up!
  • Elma F for amazing effort with all her schoolwork at home. Mrs Stevenson is very proud of you!
  • Dean S for an excellent independent model of a dinosaur

   

Remote Learning Raffle Winners week beginning 1st March

The children who have submitted at least 2 pieces of work every day were entered into a class raffle draw to receive a £5 voucher.  One child from each class was chosen and the winners for the week beginning 1st March were:

  • Nursery - Sylva-Jayne
  • Reception - Oszka'r K, Daniel Z, Rasdeek S, Hope M
  • Year 1 - Dennis B, Daniel B, Jake H, Connor M
  • Year 2 - Prabhdeep C, Arman J, Samarpreet S, Uzilla Z
  • Year 3 - Zaid J, Amelia-Rose A, Meya A, Danielle H
  • Year 4 - Harry B, Amie A, Tarnvir S, Supriya T
  • Year 5 - Raajveer D, Jayden H, Santino P, Traivon M
  • Year 6 -Layla M, Helan H, Dilpreet K, Matthew B

    

   

NEWS AND EVENTS

    

    

Attendance Extravaganza!

   

Red Nose Day 2021

This year at Uplands Manor we will be raising money for Comic Relief in two different ways:

Wear Something Funny for Money - pay £1 to come in non-uniform or fancy dress (the redder the better!)

Say Something Funny for Money - pay £1 to tell your best joke on camera for a chance to be included in our massive Joke-a-thon compilation video! Children must have social-media permission to take part in this activity.

Comic Relief Red Nose Day will be on Friday 19th March 2021, so get your clothes and your jokes ready for the big day!

    

Nursery

2 year old Nursery places at Tiny Steps Nursery

Tiny Steps Nursery have places available for children who are 2 years old.  For more information, please contact the school office who will transfer your call.

   

3 and 4 Year Old Nursery places at Uplands Nursery for September 2021

We have places available for children who will be aged 3 years old by 31st August 2021.  For more information and an application form, please contact the school office on 0121 558 1602.

    

COMMUNITY NEWS AND EVENTS

    

Sandwell Good To Know Newsletter for families

The Good to Know newsletter has lots of information for families.  Have a look by clicking on the link below.

   

Rapid Covid-19 testing for adults who live with school age children

Adults with school aged children (or you are in a bubble with a household with children) you can now get free rapid Covid-19 tests to use at home.  Sandwell Council ar asking adults with children to test themselves every three or four days from next week.

You can pick up boxes of these tests from testing sites in Smethwick, Tipton and West Bromwich now - no need to book, just collect them between 1.30pm and 7pm any day.

Collect your tests from:

  • Car park, St Paul’s Road, Smethwick, B66 1EG
  • Car park in Jubilee Park, Powis Avenue, Tipton, DY4 0RL
  • Car park, Temple Street, West Bromwich, B70 9AF

More details - www.sandwell.gov.uk/rapidhometests

We asked Lisa McNally, Director of Public Health Sandwell about the accuracy of the tests and concerns about false positive results and unnecessary isolation.  Here's what she said:

'Regular testing is a way that parents can help prevent outbreaks in schools.  A positive result on an LFT will be confirmed by a PCR (full test) test, so unnecessary isolation is unlikely.  LFT can catch infection early and prevent the virus spreading further.'

This would be an excellent extra safety measure for us at school if you were to take these tests. 

    

Letter from Vicky Ford MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families

The letter below is aimed at families with children with Special Educational Needs and those who care for them, but we think it contains some useful information for everyone.

   

Calling all budding bakers!

Love Productions, the company behind The Great British Bake Off, The Great British Sewing Bee and The Great Pottery Throw Down are delighted to say, that we have recently opened applications for the 7th series of Junior Bake Off; a Channel 4 programme that celebrates the culinary talent and ambition of the younger generation in Britain.

We are looking for young budding bakers between 9 -15 years old.

Filming would take place from July 2021, but our applications close on Sunday 28th March 2021.

Interested bakers can apply online at - WWW.APPLYFORJUNIORBAKEOFF.CO.UK.

    

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