Monster Project:

This month, we are excited to be launching The Monster Project in partnership with West Nottinghamshire College. Pupils will have the opportunity to design and create their own unique monsters, which will then be shared with Digital Arts students at the college. Using the pupils' artwork as inspiration, the students will create short animated films, bringing the monster creations to life.

To take part, pupils will be designing their monsters in school on Friday morning next week. Children are welcome to come to school wearing monster-themed clothing, T-shirts or accessories if they would like to join in the fun. Once completed, all designs will be sent to the college, with the finished animations returning to school for a special film premiere in May.

We can't wait to see the children's imaginations at work and look forward to sharing the finished animations with families later in the year!

Parents Consultations - Wednesday 14th October:

Our Autumn 1 Parent Consultation Meetings will take place on Wednesday 14th October between 2:00pm and 5:00pm. Your child's class teacher will be in touch to arrange an appointment. Meetings can take place in person, over the telephone or via Microsoft Teams, allowing families to choose the option that works best for them.

EMSA Nurture Swimming Sessions:

We are delighted to share that the EMSA Nurture swimming sessions at Fountaindale started this week, with some of our pupils already taking part. It was fantastic to see the sessions in action and hear such positive feedback from those who attended.

EMSA Nurture, led by Joe Ward, provides specialist SEN swimming sessions at Fountaindale outside of school hours. These sessions run independently of the school and do not affect the swimming opportunities available to our pupils during the school day.

If you are interested in finding out more or booking a place for your child, please contact EMSA Nurture directly via their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564836647078

Transition Arrangements for July 2027:

Following reflection, we have made a change to our end-of-year arrangements for next year. Our Year 13 pupils will finish on Friday 16th July 2027, while all other pupils will remain in school until Tuesday 27th July 2027.

This change will allow all us to provide remaining pupils with an extended Transition Week from Monday 19th July to Friday 23rd July, giving them the opportunity to spend time in their new class groups, become familiar with staff, routines and learning environments, and build confidence ahead of September.

We hope these arrangements will help pupils feel well prepared for the new academic year while allowing us to make both transition and our Year 13 celebrations even more meaningful.

Upcoming Festive Events at Fountaindale:

We're delighted to be hosting two festive events for our school community this December!

• Wreath Making Event: Tuesday 1st December

Join us for a festive wreath-making session and create your own beautiful Christmas wreath. Tickets are £15 per person, and refreshments will be available to purchase throughout the event.

We are offering three sessions:

• 1:30pm - 3:30pm: Families and members of the public
• 4:00pm - 5:00pm: Fountaindale staff
• 5:30pm - 7:30pm: Families and members of the public

Further details on how to book will be shared nearer the time.

• Christmas Fair at Fountaindale: Saturday 5th December

Save the date for our annual Christmas Fair! There will be a range of festive stalls, activities and seasonal treats for the whole family to enjoy.

More information about both events will be shared in the coming weeks. We look forward to welcoming you and celebrating the festive season together!

Health Team Update:

All outstanding health forms will be reissued this week. If you have not yet completed and returned these forms, please do so as soon as possible.

The information provided is essential in helping our Health Team and school staff understand and safely meet your child's medical needs while they are in school. It is vital that we have accurate and up-to-date information to ensure appropriate care and support can be put in place.

Please note that if the required health information is not received, we may be unable to safely meet your child's medical needs, which could result in them being unable to attend school until the necessary information has been provided.

Rights Respecting School Council Collaboration:

On Monday 21st September, members of our Rights Respecting School Council will take part in a special online meeting with councillors from Lydgate Junior School, Sheffield. Both schools have achieved the UNICEF Gold Rights Respecting Schools Award, and this provides a fantastic opportunity for pupils to work together and share ideas.

During the meeting, pupils will discuss ways to support the Global Goal of "Life on Land", as well as explore and compare playtime policies. We are proud to be giving our pupils opportunities to collaborate with children from other schools, develop their leadership skills and have their voices heard.

National Teaching Assistants' Day - We'd Still Love to Hear From You!

A quick reminder that National Teaching Assistants' Day takes place on Friday 25th September, and we're looking forward to celebrating the incredible contribution our Teaching Assistants (TAs) and Personal Care Assistants (PCAs) make every day at Fountaindale.

If a member of our support staff team has made a positive impact on your child or family, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please take a few moments to share a message of thanks, appreciation or recognition using the form below. Your comments will help us celebrate our amazing team and acknowledge the difference they make every day.

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/7fLMJENh6P

Weekly Safeguarding Update: Useful Links

NSPCC Parent Hub offers a wide range of free advice and guidance to help parents keep children safe, healthy and supported. Topics include online safety, mental health, friendships, bullying, gaming, social media and talking to children about difficult issues.

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/support-for-parents/

Have a great weekend!

Headteacher

bnorman@nexusmat.org