Super First Week Back, St Matthew’s!:

What a wonderful start to the half term it has been at St Matthew's! I wanted to take a moment to celebrate some of the brilliant things that have been happening across our school and to express my gratitude to those who go the extra mile to make our community such a special place.

Our Year 5 and Year 3 children have had another fabulous week in the swimming pool. It's truly inspiring to see them continue to let their light shine as they progress with their swimming skills and confidence in the water. The dedication and enthusiasm they show week after week is a testament to their wonderful attitudes towards learning and trying new things.

Behind the scenes, we have someone who deserves a very special mention. Mr T, our fantastic cover site manager, has been absolutely tireless during the half term break. He has cleaned every single school carpet and jet washed our paths and outdoor school equipment, transforming the appearance of our grounds. But that's not all – Mr T also kindly decorated the EYFS play house at home, and it now looks absolutely fantastic in the Woodlands classroom. His continuous hard work and commitment to maintaining our school environment is truly invaluable, and I cannot thank him enough for everything he does for St Matthew's.

I would also like to extend a huge thank you to Lois and Robin's dad, who has generously brought us some fantastic furniture for our Rainbow Room. It's through the kindness and generosity of our families that we are able to create such welcoming and nurturing spaces for our children. Donations like these make a real difference to the learning environments we provide.

Star of the Week

As always, we look forward to hearing all about the special achievements of our children in our Star of the Week Assembly. Listening to each of our wonderful teachers speak so highly of a child in their class, who has let their light shine so brightly it has impacted on everyone’s week, is why this assembly is the best way to end the week! Please see the attached table to see which children have been awarded this special recognition this week.

Home Achievements

We had another remarkable child who have shared her achievements with us this morning. Jorgie-Mai from Year 5 brought in her medal and certificate for gymnastic to share with us. Jorgie-Mai is an absolute inspiration to us all demonstrating exactly what it means to work hard, believe in yourself, and keep striving for excellence. We can see she is letting her light shine so brightly with her talents and we cannot wait to see what the future holds for her.

House Points

Malala

3130

Mandela

3687

Pankhurst

3427

Turing

3620

 Another huge congratulations to Mandela House for winning this week's house points! We were all amazed that you have managed to win for a few weeks in a row now! The team spirit across the school is absolutely amazing. You never know, we may have another house win next week as it is still a very close competition. It looks like Turing are thinking more ‘team’ is the dream and are getting increasingly close! Amazing work, everyone.

Attendance

We celebrated our highest attending class in assembly this week, which was Year 3 again this week! As you all know, the goal is to get our classes to 97% - 100%, as you can see, we are getting so close now, with four classes on target! Well done, everyone! Come on St Matthew’s, let’s see if we can get all classes to 97%, that would be just amazing!

We are still classed as a cause for concern with our attendance. Looking at this week's attendance you can see why. Our Persistent Absences continues to be such a big worry for us. Please support us by having your child in every day. One or two days absence can really knock the children's confidence. Let's keep letting our children's light shine brightly together! 

Special News 

As we look ahead, I'm delighted to remind our school community about an exciting celebration coming up on Thursday 5th March – World Book Day! Throughout the day, we will be exploring how stories help us learn about important values. Each class will focus on a different book that highlights one of our school values:

• Respect - characters who learn empathy or fairness
• Kindness - helpers, friends or caring heroes
• Aspiration - dreamers, inventors and explorers
• Perseverance - characters who never give up

This is such a special occasion in our school calendar, and we look forward to sharing the magic of stories and reading with all our children. It's a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the power of books and imagination, and I hope our families will get involved in making it a memorable day. 

Health and Safety

Before I finish our weekly news, I do need to remind parents about our car park. We have received a number of concerns about parking on the school carpark during drop off times, and I would be grateful if families could refrain from parking there. This helps us to keep our school grounds safe and accessible for everyone, and we really appreciate your cooperation and understanding on this matter.

Have a great weekend everyone,

Miss Lynton

We are excited to celebrate World Book Day next Thursday on 5th March.

This year, our theme will be 'Books that Build Character'.

Throughout the day, we will be exploring how stories help us learn about important values. Each class will focus on a different book that highlights one of our school values:

• Respect - characters who learn empathy or fairness
• Kindness - helpers, friends or caring heroes
• Aspiration - dreamers, inventors and explorers
• Perseverance - characters who never give up

Please see the attached letter for further details.

Kind regards,

Miss Tyrer

Please find attached our St Matthew's Family News for Spring 1 and our Celebration Slides from this morning! 

Have a fantastic half term everyone, stay safe and enjoy the rest! 

See you on the gates at 8:40am on the 23rd February 2026 

Best wishes,

Miss Lynton

Dear Parents and Carers,

Safer Internet Day 2026 – Exploring the safe and responsible use of AI

Yesterday, our school joined others nationwide to celebrate Safer Internet Day 2026, the largest global online safety campaign. This year's theme, ‘Smart tech, safe choices – Exploring the safe and responsible use of AI,’ focuses on teaching children and young people the skills to use AI technology safely and responsibly, and highlights available support.

From voice assistants, to chatbots, to algorithms, AI technology is playing an increasingly large role in all our lives. It is important that we find time to discuss these tools and the impact they can have on our own and our families’ online experiences, including:

• the news and content we see,

• the way we work, including using AI for homework or studies,

• and the risk of misuse of AI, for example to create realistic scams or non-consensual nude images.

We encourage you to join us in celebrating by continuing the conversation about AI technology at home. Here are some helpful resources:

• You can complete the UK Safer Internet Centre’s interactive quizzes with your child.

• Read the UK Safer Internet Centre’s tops tips for parents and carers here.

• You can share the UK Safer Internet Centre’s top tips for children and young people with your child.

You may also like to use one of these prompts to start a conversation with your child:

• What’s your favourite thing to do online?

• Have you ever used an AI tool? How did it make you feel?

• What do you like about AI technology?

• Do you have any worries about AI technology? 

• What advice would you give to your friends about using AI?

• Who would you talk to if you saw something worrying online?

• What more can I do to help you feel safe online?

A key part of protecting children and young people from online harms is through preventative education. By talking about this in school and at home, we can all work towards keeping children safe when they are online. Celebrating Safer Internet Day is a great opportunity for you to re-emphasise the online safety messages we deliver throughout the year. 

If you have any concerns or questions about keeping your child safe online, please do get in touch with your child’s class teacher or myself and Miss Tyrer, as our Designated Safeguarding Leads,

Many thanks as always, 

Miss Lynton

I am delighted to share some wonderful moments from our recent school activities that showcase the incredible spirit and resilience of our children.

Our Mellow Yellow Day was a powerful celebration of mental health and well-being. Children came together, dressed in bright yellow, to explore the importance of emotional strength and self-care. Through engaging yoga sessions and thoughtful discussions, we reinforced a crucial message: it's absolutely okay to share our feelings and seek support when we need it. We want our children to understand that mental well-being is just as important as physical health, and creating a supportive environment where everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves is paramount.

Our Year 5 and Year 3 children have begun an exciting swimming journey at Sale Leisure Centre. This marks the start of their 18-week swimming programme, and I am immensely proud of how they have approached these sessions. The centre staff were full of praise for our children's efforts and enthusiasm in the pool. Swimming is not just about physical skill, but also about building confidence, teamwork, and personal challenge.

We also celebrated the NSPCC Number Day with great creativity and mathematical excitement. Children arrived dressed as numbers, transforming our school into a vibrant, numerical landscape. Throughout the day, they engaged in various mathematical challenges that tested knowledge, problem-solving skills, and numerical thinking in fun and innovative ways.

These activities reflect our commitment to providing a holistic education that nurtures not just academic skills, but also emotional intelligence, physical well-being, and creative thinking.

School Streets

Today is the last day to voice how important it is for us to become a School Street. Please click on the link below as your vote really matters. https://trafford.citizenspace.com/public-health/school-street-at-st-matthews-primary-school/

Home Achievements

I'm also bursting with pride to celebrate two of our remarkable children who have recently shared their incredible achievements. Lillie-Mai from Year 4 brought in her certificate for gymnastic of the week! This is not the first time she has brought a special award in. We are so proud of her; she is most definitely an inspiration to us all.

Osian in Willow shared his Sports Trophy. He joined us at the front of the hall, dressed as calculator and told us all of the thing he had to do to get this award, such a little star!  Keep letting your light shine!

House Points

Congratulations to Mandela House for winning this week's house points - well done to everyone who contributed to this achievement! We were all amazed that you have managed to win for a few weeks in a row now! The team spirit across the school is absolutely amazing. You never know, we may have another house win next week as it is still a very close competition. It looks like Turing are thinking more ‘team’ is the dream and are getting increasingly close! Amazing work, everyone.

Malala

2967

Mandela

3492

Pankhurst

3261

Turing

3446

Attendance

We celebrated our highest attending class in assembly this week, which was Year 3 again this week! A huge well done goes to them as they achieved 100% last week too! As you all know, the goal is to get our classes to 97% - 100%, as you can see, we are getting so close now, with four classes on target! Well done, everyone! Come on St Matthew’s lets see if we can get all classes to 97%, that would be just amazing!

Special News 

Next week we have an extra special event to look forward: 

Friday 13^th February

As we embrace the vibrant celebrations of Chinese New Year, our school has been alive with creativity, cultural learning, and wonderful experiences. This year, we're marking the Year of the Horse. Our children will be immersed in Chinese New Year arts and crafts, exploring the rich traditions and artistic expressions after school at 3pm. 

I'm particularly excited about our upcoming Chinese New Year Meal on 13th February, this event will not only offer a taste of traditional cuisine but also provide an opportunity for our children to understand and appreciate cultural diversity.

These experiences are more than just activities; they are opportunities for our children to develop global awareness, respect for different cultures as a part of our Peace Mala work, and develop a sense of curiosity about the world around them.

I hope you will join us in celebrating these enriching experiences and continue to support our school's commitment to holistic education.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone,

Miss Lynton

The Y6 children will find out if they have their secondary school of choice.

Preparation meeting for our Y4 children as we meet with their families and look at ways in which we can support them.

Come to school dressed as your favourite character from a book

Join us in the hall for a book sale - 2.30pm - 4pm.