Whole School Newsletter Autumn 2025 Week 3
EP Highlights
We were thrilled to see how many of you were able to come to our Meet the Teacher and Meet the Heads sessions this week and we hope you appreciated the opportunity to hear about your child’s year ahead and how we can best work together to help them thrive.
Some key messages from the event:
Top tips for communicating with your child’s teaching team:
● Keep it short and in person where possible – teaching isn’t a desk job, and teachers are busy planning great lessons before and after school. Avoid long emails or email back-and-forth; it’s so much better to talk.
● Arrange a time to talk – at pick up time, by phoning school, or if necessary, writing a short email saying what you’d like to discuss.
● Morning drop-off (8:45–9am) is settling time – teachers are settling the class, so please pass urgent messages (like a change in pick-up arrangements) to the school office.
Staying Organised
● Arbor – use Arbor to manage payments, club bookings and other school logistics.
● Text reminders and newsletters – keep an eye out for important reminders about trips and events.
Supporting Your Child at Home
● Reinforce our 3 school rules: Ready, Respectful, Safe.
● Help them be ready each day: weather-appropriate clothes, water bottle, healthy snack, good sleep, and breakfast.
● Encourage daily reading - quiet time with a book or sharing a bedtime story.
● Model respect - speak kindly to and about others. ● Ask positive questions - “What went well today?” or “What did you enjoy/learn?” ● Show resilience - share how everyone struggles sometimes, and how we problem-solve together
Belong to EP - Keep it EP!
Our PTA AGM is set for Thursday 16th October after drop-off at 9am. It’s always hard to find a time that works for everyone, but a number of families have expressed a preference for a morning meeting and we hope for another typically great EP turnout.
A key challenge remains the school’s financial position and to safeguard all that makes EP special, we must strengthen our fundraising efforts through the Eleanor Palmer School Association (EPSA), encompassing both the PTA and Development Committee.
We need people to step forward as a new PTA Chair or Chairs, Treasurer and Secretary to lead the events that bring our community together. In the past, the PTA has been chaired by individuals or likeminded co-chairs working as a team. All have found this a rewarding role that makes a meaningful, lasting difference to their children’s experience at school. We are fortunate to have such committed people already in these roles who have agreed to continue this year and to work with new volunteers to have a really smooth handover.
We’ll also need nominees for the Development Committee, who will drive forward bold, strategic fundraising ideas, grant applications, alumni events and more to secure EP’s future.
If you are interested in any of these roles ahead of the EPSA AGM on October 16th, the current PTA chairs - Andrea (Helena, Y5), Ben (Elsie, Y4) and Francis (Ariella, Y5 and Rose, Y3) are happy to help, as are we! Please do get in touch.
If you don’t yet make a regular donation to Keep it EP but are able to do so, please sign up — every contribution makes a real difference! We are incredibly grateful for those of you who already signed up this term, boosting our reliable income significantly. Thank you.
As always, today’s newsletter includes some key dates. For everything else, please continue to check the School Calendar
Warm regards, Natalie and Sally
Coming up Next Week
Monday
● 8-8:50 Year 5 & 6 Dodgeball Club
● 3:30-4:30 Junior Football Development Club
Tuesday
● 8-8:50 Y1 & 2 Multi-Sports Club
● Flu nasal vaccine 1-3pm Rec- Y6
● 3:30-4:30 Football Squad training Wednesday
● 8-8:50 Dawn Chorus Junior Choir
Thursday
● 3:30-4:30 Year 3 and 4 Dodgeball Club
Friday
● 8-8:50 Junior Girls’ Multi-Sports Club
● Stay and play rescheduled to next week, Friday 3rd October
● Junior Cross Country team leaving school at 9:20am.
● 3:30-4:30 Y2-6 Gymnastics
New Term Reminders:
Playtime snacks at EP have always been simple: a piece of fruit. We’ve decided to extend this to healthy rice cakes or breadsticks, but please absolutely no crisps, pastries or sugary bars. We also want to keep our playground tidy so minimal packaging please!
Arbor Launch
Every parent/carer should have received an email through Arbor so that you can access the Parent Portal and Arbor App. To finish setting up just head to Arbor Login and click Forgot your password? to finish setting up your account. 55% of you have signed up already - thank you for getting on board so quickly. We aim to have all newsletters, school news and comms shared though Arbor before half term, so please sign up so we are ready to fully make this change. We know that there are a few glitches for some of you, so please just let us know if you need help.
Trip Contributions
A reminder to families that we request a voluntary contribution to help fund the many wonderful trips and workshops your children enjoy at EP throughout the year. This contribution will appear on Arbor as Class Trips. While contributions are voluntary, we hope that many families will feel able to offer support. We also understand that parents of children in Years 5 and 6 may be paying for residential trips this term, and that spreading or part-paying contributions across the year may be more manageable for some.Thank you.
Nasal Flu Vaccine Tuesday 23rd September
The vaccination team visit us next Tuesday afternoon to offer the nasal flu vaccine to children in Reception to Year 6. This is only given to children with parental consent. It is quick and pain-free vaccination and protects children against the most common types of flu. Please consent on this link Flu Vaccine Consent. For children in Nursery, or those who miss the session on Tuesday, use this link to find local clinics that can provide the vaccine for your child.
Autumn Term Dates
● Monday 29th September - Friday 3rd October - Year 6 go to Wick Court
● Friday 3rd October - Stay & Play for Year 1-5 (rescheduled to avoid Junior Cross Country next week)
● Wednesday 15th - Friday 17th October - Year 5 go to Gilwell Park
● Thursday 23rd October - Disco
● 27th October - 31st October - Half Term
● Wednesday 5th November 4 - 7:30pm and Thursday 6th November, 4-6:30pm - Parent and Carer Progress Meetings
● Friday 5th December - Winter Fair (No Gym Club or Club EP)
● Friday 19th December - Winter Variety Show and last day of term.School ends at 3:30pm with no Club EP.
● Christmas Holidays - Monday 22nd December - Friday 2nd January inclusive (Monday 5th Jan is an INSET day - Children back Tuesday 6th January).
Snack Sales on Fridays
● 26th September - Year 5
● 3rd October - Year 4
● 10th October - Year 6
● 17th October - Year 3
● 7th November - Year 2
● 14th November - Year 1
● 21st November - Reception
● 28rd November - Nursery
