Another great week where we let our lights shine at St Matthews!:

It has been an incredible at St Matthew’s CE!  Our children have been incredibly busy this week, diving into some fantastic Design and Technology (DT) lessons across the school. It's been wonderful to see their creativity and enthusiasm as they explore, design, and learn through hands-on experiences. The classrooms have been buzzing with energy and innovation as our children engaged in these inspiring learning opportunities. It has been really lovely to witness the engaging energies all around the school.

Alongside the children's exciting learning, we also welcomed parents to three important meetings this week. School Streets, SATs Preparation and SENDCO coffee morning.

School Streets

On Wednesday, we had the meeting for School Streets outside of the hall. A few parents joined us and also added their views to the consultation. There is just under a week now to share you view point, so please make sure you click on the link below to support our application.

https://trafford.citizenspace.com/public-health/school-street-at-st-matthews-primary-school/

SENDCO Coffee Morning

Many thanks to Mrs Bradbury for her SENDCo Coffee morning for parents and carers this week. It was good to hear so many parents attended and had some much needed time together talking about support and interventions at St Matthew’s. Thank you to all the parents who attended too.

SATS Meeting

On Wednesday, we meet to discuss SATs as we begin our preparation with Year 6 for the National Tests. Where does the time go? A huge thank you to Miss Charles for her meeting this week on everything the children experience during testing week. Also the expectations and formal procedures that the children will have to face on that usually hot summer’s week in May. Our SATS test are important as they help the high school prepare for our children before they leave, we need as many of our children possible to be Year 7 ready when they leave us, so focusing on any misconceptions has never been more important to us!

These gatherings are crucial for building our strong school community and keeping everyone connected and informed about the wonderful work happening at St Matthew's.

Our commitment to letting our lights shine continues to be at the heart of everything we do. We believe in nurturing not just academic skills, but also the unique talents and potential of each child in our care.

Home Achievements

I'm also bursting with pride to celebrate two of our remarkable children who have recently shared their incredible achievements. Ivy from Year 4 brought in her cheer competition medal and showed us her special badge she had won. She achieved FIRST PLACE! Which is just wonderful and one thing we do know about Ivy is her love of sport. She is amazing and always cheers others on, so that they feel amazing too. She most definitely lets her light shine and shares it with all who are lucky enough to play sports with her.

Nate in Woodlands shared his wonderful certificate for Sports Star of the Day Award. We just could see the pride shining on his so brightly on his face, he also shared his achievement in front of the whole school. What a little star!  You have to be really brave to stand and talk at the front in assembly. Nate, you are an inspiration to us all. Well done!

Finally, we have some extra special news from Nancy in Year One. Nancy entered a competition on Milkshake, Channel 5 and won second place for her artwork. How amazing is that! Her work will be show live on air on Saturday 31^st January (tomorrow) between 8-9am. We are absolutely blown away by this achievement. Imagine shining your light so brightly that your work is shared across the country on TV!  Well done, Nancy, we are so proud of you!

These moments capture the heart of what makes St Matthew's CE so special - a community that supports, celebrates, and believes in every child's potential. Keep letting your light shine, everyone!

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

2768

Mandela

3293

Pankhurst

3083

Turing

3224

 

Attendance

We celebrated our highest attending class in assembly this week, which was Year 3 this week! A huge well done goes to them as they achieved 100% and this is not their first time of doing this! The goal is to get our classes to 97% - 100%, as you can see we are getting so close now, with three classes on target! Well done, everyone! Come on St Matthew’s let’s have a few more classes in the target area on our last few weeks of Spring One!

Class	%
Nursery	94
Reception	93
Year 1	96
Year 2	98
Year 3	100
Year 4	95
Year 5	93
Year 6	95

 

Special News 

We've welcomed two very special new family members - Blossom and Brownie, our adorable guinea pigs who have already become an integral part of our school life.

Having these gentle creatures with us offers so much more than just a cute addition to our classrooms. These little friends provide our children with an incredible opportunity to learn responsibility, compassion, and care. Our children are absolutely thrilled to be taking care of Blossom and Brownie, rotating through different classes and ensuring they receive the most loving attention.

The presence of our guinea pig friends teaches our children so much beyond traditional classroom learning. They're learning about nurturing, about the importance of gentle handling, and understanding the needs of another living being. It's a beautiful way to develop empathy and practical life skills that go far beyond academic knowledge.

I'm particularly proud of how our children have embraced this responsibility. They're not just observing these animals; they're actively participating in their daily care, feeding, and wellbeing. This hands-on experience is invaluable in helping our children grow into caring, responsible individuals.

Next week we have two special events to look forward: 

Monday 2^nd February - Mellow Yellow Day, where we wear Yellow and think of our Mental Health and Wellbeing together as one.

Friday 6^th February – NSPCC Number Day -  We are inviting the children to come to school dressed in number theme. Pupils are asked to wear, if possible, an item of clothing with a number on it (football shirt, cap, netball shirt or even a onesie!).

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

Miss Lynton

Year 3 and Year 5 Swimming Lessons - Starting Tuesday 3rd Feb:

Dear Parents and Carers of Year 3 and Year 5,

Please be aware that two letters have been sent home with your child this evening regarding Year 3 and Year 5 swimming lessons, which will begin on Tuesday 3rd February in the afternoons.

The first letter provides further information for parents and carers about the swimming lessons.
The second document is child-friendly and has been designed to be shared with your child to help prepare them for what to expect when they start swimming lessons.

Please take time to read both letters carefully. If you have not seen them, please check your child’s bag.

Thank you for your continued support.

Kind regards.

I am thrilled to share some wonderful news that truly demonstrates the power of community spirit. Our school has been incredibly fortunate to receive brand new football kits, generously sponsored by the kind residents of the Trees Estate.  These fantastic new kits are something special to celebrate. Our children will undoubtedly look like the smartest footballers in Stretford, representing our school with pride and enthusiasm. It's a moment that fills me with immense joy to see our community coming together to support our young athletes. This gesture from our local residents is a perfect example of the magic that happens when a community unites. It shows how local support can make a real difference to our children's experiences, providing them with not just new equipment, but a sense of belonging and pride. The new kits are more than just a piece of sporting equipment - they're a symbol of community connection, generosity, and support for our school. When local residents step forward to help, it reinforces the strong bonds we share and the collective investment we all have in our children's development and happiness. I'm incredibly proud of how this wonderful opportunity has come about, and I know our children will wear these kits with tremendous excitement and gratitude. Mr Glinka cannot wait to take you out into the community for your next match. It is time to let your lights shine! 

Children's Mental Health Awareness Week :

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