Great Waltham C of E (VC) Primary School Parent Portal - Newsletter - Wednesday 4th March 2026

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Wednesday 4th March 2026 - Spring Term Issue 4

Headteacher Message

It was wonderful to welcome so many of you into school for ERIC (Everyone Reading in Class) last week. Thank you to those who were able to attend, and please keep an eye on the school calendar for the next date.

I absolutely love our school grounds at this time of year — the mud is finally beginning to dry up, and the daffodils are starting to bloom, bringing a real sense of spring to our site.

A reminder that on Saturday 14th March we have another School Gardening Morning. This time, our aim is to paint the fence in the Early Years garden. If you have any spare paintbrushes you would be happy to bring along, they would be greatly appreciated. Please express your interest using the link below:

School Grounds Morning – Saturday 14th March, 10:00–12:00

We are also having a wonderful week celebrating books as part of Book Week. Thank you to all of you that have supported our book fair. We hope you’ve enjoyed the excitement around reading in school!

With the recent news about the Middle East, we would like to share a useful document created by Picture News. We use many of their resources and themes in our collective worship. You may find this resource helpful when talking to your children about the current situation.

Picture News - Middle East

I have also attached a letter from Mrs Boyle below, who is collecting donations of old wellies for our OPAL provision. Any pairs you can spare will make a big difference to the children’s play opportunities.

Finally, I’m very much looking forward to seeing all the children’s Book Day costumes tomorrow!

Best wishes,

Mrs Justine Brooks

Old Wellington Boots Needed for OPAL Outdoor Play

Dear Parents and Carers, 1,100+ Wellies Puddle Stock Illustrations, Royalty-Free Vector Graphics & Clip Art - iStock

As part of our exciting OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) programme, we are continuing to develop our outdoor play provision to give children even more opportunities to explore, create, and learn outside in all weathers.

Outdoor play is a vital part of children’s development. Through OPAL, we encourage imaginative play, problem-solving, teamwork, and resilience — and sometimes that means getting a little muddy!

To help us make the most of our outdoor spaces, we are asking if you have any old pairs of wellington boots that your child has grown out of and would be willing to donate. Having spare wellies in school will allow all children to fully access outdoor play, even if they occasionally forget their own pair. Our aim is that we will then have a bank of wellies for the children to borrow as they wish.

If you are able to donate, please send clean wellington boots into school with your child. All sizes are welcome.

Thank you for your continued support in helping us enrich your child’s play experiences.

Kind Regards,

Liz Boyle

Deputy Head

Awards

Platinum

Congratulations to the Platinum award winners for last half term that were awarded on the last day.

	13.2.26
Australia	Bobby S & Arabella T
Antarctica	Shriyash C & Amelie C
Africa	Ellie B & Ava G
Europe	Seren S & Fenley P
Asia	George W & Georgia S
South America	Belle M & Summer S
North America	Yaseen G & Shrimath C

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Aspire

Well done to our ASPIRE award winners for the last 2 weeks.

13.2.26	27.2.26
Elsie H	Bella F-B
George H-G	Harriet F
Ralph W

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Hot Chocolate Friday

Well done to all of the 'Hot Chocolate Friday' winners for the last 2 weeks.

Class	13.2.26	27.2.26
Australia	Alfred W	Hettie S
Antarctica	Harry W	Ralphie-Joe J
Africa	Olive W	Dottie L
Europe	Joanne-Lucy J	Oliver S
Asia	Harry C	Ameen G
South America	Penelope S	Stanley G
North America	Evelyn P	Jake C

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News

27 Feb 2026

Class South America Assembly

Well done to Miss Ellis and Class South America for a wonderful, interactive assembly about their work with The Wilderness Foundation.

26 Feb 2026

ERIC - Everyone Reading in Class

Thank you to everyone that attended our ERIC event. It was wonderful to see so many of you coming in to share books.

23 Feb 2026

Young Voices

On Monday 23rd February pupils from year 5 and 6 attended the Young Voices concert at the O2. Young Voices hosts the largest children's choir concerts in the world. We had the most wonderful time singing along with other primary schools in a choir made up of 8276 children...

Notices

School Lottery - Thank you to all of you that support our lottery.

Did you know that by taking part, not only do you support the school but you could win a local prize or even the main £25,000 pot!

Lottery tickets can be purchased here - School Lottery - Please do let family members and friends know that they too can purchase Lottery tickets and help support the school. Each ticket costs £1 and 40p of this comes directly to the school.

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Online Safety & Mental Health

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about WhatsApp

With its end-to-end encryption and huge popularity, WhatsApp is often seen as a private and secure way to stay in touch; however, that same privacy can make it harder for trusted adults to see when things go wrong. This guide explains how features like group chats, disappearing messages, ‘Channels’ and location sharing can expose young users to pressure, unwanted contact and inappropriate content.

It also looks at emerging concerns such as scams, advertising and the in-app AI assistant, helping adults understand how these elements may affect children and young people. Alongside the risks, the guide offers practical advice to support meaningful conversations, encourage safer settings and build young users’ confidence in navigating WhatsApp responsibly.

Guide to - Whatsapp

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