Macmillan Coffee Morning Raises Over £400!

Well done to Mandy and the team of hard working parents who raised £414.94 during the Macmillan coffee morning last week. After dropping off their children, parents went to the small hall to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, choose from the wonderful display of delicious cakes and chat with friends. Later, children queued up at break time to purchase an energy boosting treat before they played on the field. Thank you to everyone who donated cakes or helped run the very successful coffee morning - you raised an impressive sum of money for a very worthy cause.

Year 2 Visit the Florence Nightingale Museum

Last week, Year 2 visited the Florence Nightingale Museum. They discussed their trip in class and, with the help of Miss Hornsby, wrote this report:

On Tuesday and Wednesday we went to The Florence Nightingale Museum. We went on the train and it was a LONG journey. On our way to the museum we saw the London Eye and Big Ben – we even posed for a class photo! The museum was very interesting and we got to meet a pretend Florence Nightingale. Some of us got to dress up like Florence and a soldier. We had a brilliant time!

By Year 2

School Lunch Menu: October Treat

Havering Catering Services are offering a special 'October Treat' menu on Thursday 2nd October. For Reception and Key Stage 1 pupils, schools dinners are now free - even on special menu days. For Years 3-6, school lunch tickets are £2.10 (drinks 30p) and can be purchased in the usual way:

• From the Dining Hall on Monday and Wednesday 8.45-9.15 am
• Via Debit or Credit Card through the Parent Pay line on 01708 433119

New Maths Curriculum: Using Compasses in Year 4

Children in Year 4 have been busy getting to grips with the new Maths curriculum. Many skills that were previously introduced in Year 5 are now being taught in Year 4. Learning how to use a pair of compasses was a challenge but one which they all enjoyed.

Governor Visit: Delivering the English Curriculum

Chris Chapman, our Literacy Governor, visited school to look at current developments in the teaching of English.

"I visited the school on Wednesday to meet with Miss Morris and discuss the priorities for English in this Autumn Term. The main subject for discussion was the introduction of ‘Project X’ which is published by the Oxford University Press and provides an effective approach to teaching reading, comprehension and grammar that will inspire our children and improve and enhance their individual skills. Project X is a complete reading and writing tool with everything we need for the new curriculum. Having looked at some of the new superhero themed books it will not be too long before the children are talking about heroes to rival Batman and Superman!

"I also met with Mrs Mason (Year 6 English co-ordinator), whose class were avidly discussing the circumstances surrounding the ‘Blitz’, and Mrs Burks (Year1 English co-ordinator), whose class were excitedly preparing for the ‘Bear Hunt’.

"Exciting times as always at Hacton with teachers and pupils totally committed to excellence."

E for Effort

Every week, teachers recognise pupils in their class who have made an extra effort. These pupils are awarded the E for Effort cup in front of the whole school during our Friday morning assembly. Listen to the reasons why pupils have been given the award:

listen to ‘E for Effort winners 19th September 2014’ on audioBoom

Congratulations to the wonderful children who have made an extra effort this week.

Nursery Stay and Play

This week, the Nursery team welcomed new children and their parents to our school with Stay and Play sessions. The children had fun taking part in a range of activities, exploring our exciting outdoor area and making new friends. Parents had the opportunity to talk with staff and each other over a cup of tea. Thank you to everyone who came along to these enjoyable, confidence building sessions. We look forward to seeing the children when they start Nursery next week.

School Dinners for Reception

Our new reception children were keen to use their brand new lunch boxes or try the (now free!) delicious school dinners. After a busy morning of energetic activities, they were all hungry and eager to eat in the dining hall like the 'big' children. They chose from options including vegetables and salad and a range of tasty desserts. Independence was gently encouraged and the children clearly enjoyed their very first school lunch experience before having a well earned run around in the playground. Well done Reception, we are proud of you!

New House Captains

Cheers erupted during Friday's E for Effort assembly, as Mr Emes shared the names of our new house captains and vice house captains. Bravely, many children put themselves forward to be considered for the role during our election assemblies held earlier in the week. With captivating campaigns, wise words and persuasive presentations, our Year 6 hopefuls spoke clearly and confidently to their audience. All children should feel incredibly proud of the presenations they created and the motivating words they shared with their individual houses. However, as with all elections, there had to be winners. It is our pleasure to congratulate the new house captains and vice house captains who have the honour of leading their houses for the year and wearing shiny badges!

E for Effort

Every week, teachers recognise pupils in their class who have made an extra effort. These pupils are awarded the E for Effort cup in front of the whole school during our Friday morning assembly. Listen to the reasons why pupils have been given the award:

listen to ‘E for Effort winners 12th September 2014’ on Audioboo

Congratulations to the wonderful children who have made an extra effort this week.

Reception Stay and Play

Reception staff welcomed new pupils to our school with Stay and Play sessions designed to build confidence and make the transition into their new year group easier. The children enjoyed many different activities: zooming around on the big bikes, whizzing down the slide, clambering over the climbing equipment and following a recipe to make sweet smelling play dough. Teachers introduced themselves to the children and read them a story, giving parents an opportunity to chat with staff about the exciting year ahead in Reception. Sunshine and happy children made for very enjoyable sessions. We're looking forward to welcoming our new Reception pupils into Lions and Zebras classes next week.

Welcome Back

We hope you had an enjoyable summer and that your children's batteries have been recharged ready for the jam-packed calendar of events that we have planned for the autumn term. Today has been an exciting day at school as pupils caught up with their friends and settled into their new classes. It was a pleasure to see the children looking so smart and full of enthusiasm for the year ahead.

We would like to warmly welcome our new members of staff. These include Miss Riley (Nursery), Miss Horn (Reception), Miss Robinson (Year 1), Miss Vlasic (Year 3), Ms Munday (Year 5) and Miss Samuels (Year 6) - all of whom report that they had a fantastic first day teaching at Hacton.

We hope you have an easy time settling back into the school routine and enjoy the start of another fun-filled school year.