We’re excited to launch 2023’s Cycle to School Week, taking place from Monday 25 - Friday 29 September.

Do you want to save money, get healthier and protect the environment? As well as have lots of fun on the journey to school?

Then get involved with Cycle to School Week!

This year, Cycle to School Week will take place between Monday 25 – Friday 29 September 2023.

With support from our friends at Sustrans, we are celebrating the fun and freedom of an eco-friendly cycle commute, and  encourage all families, pupils and teachers to get involved. 

Make a pledge – and win!

This year we are asking pupils, parents, schools and teachers to make a cycling pledge. Simply fill in the form on the link below, choose your pledge, and be entered into the prize draw to win a brand new Frog children’s bike!

https://www.bikeability.org.uk/cycletoschoolweek/?utm_campaign=194679_Family%20Enews%20Cycle%20to%20School%20Week%202023&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Sustrans&dm_i=7CK6,467R,CMJBK,GJDH,1

You could pledge to

· Swap one car journey for cycling

· Cycle to school everyday

· Discover somewhere new to cycle

· Go on a cycle ride with your family

There are lots of opportunities to get involved, win prizes, and learn valuable skills for all ages.

Cycling, walking or scooting to school is a great way to change things up and reduce your carbon footprint. 

We've put together a list of 9 reasons why your family should ditch the car and enjoy a school run in the fresh air .

1.  Build activity into the whole family’s routine

2. It's a boost for mental health and wellbeing

3. It's the best way to start the day

4. It will help ease congestion outside the school gate

5. It's good for the environment

6. It increases children’s road safety awareness

7. It lets you connect with the world around you

8. You’ll save money

9. Think of all the fresh air, freedom and fun you’ll have along the way

There are more details on the link below:

sustrans.org.uk/our-blog/get-active/2019/everyday-walking-and-cycling/9-reasons-to-cycle-scoot-or-walk-the-school-run/?utm_campaign=194679_Family%20Enews%20Cycle%20to%20School%20Week%202023&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Sustrans&dm_i=7CK6,467R,CMJBK,GJ3W,1

My Journey: We are Clean Air Scooter Challenge  - Flags of the World Runners Up!

Schools were invited to enter the Clean Air Scooter Challenge competition by submitting a photo of the 'Flags of the World' scooters and sharing three or more benefits of scooting the children identified during the challenge week.

All the entries showed lots of wonderful ‘Flags of the World’ scooters and pupils had clearly found out lots of reasons scooting and active travel is beneficial.

Clean Air Scooter Challenge winners announced for Hampshire schools!!

Congratulations to:

Our winning school: Brockenhurst Primary School & Pre-School!

Our runners-up: Park Gate Primary School & Fairfield Infant School!

Participating schools encouraged scooting and other active travel, and children were asked to decorate their scooters with ‘Flags of the World’.

We had some fantastic entries with scooters adorned with lots of bright, colourful flags!

For more information about the competition and prizes visit: https://myjourneyhampshire.com/scooterchallenge

Park Gate Primary School and Fairfield Infant School

We will receive a Scooter and helmet as our prize for this competition... Congratulations Fairfield Infant School

Hampshire Libraries Summer Reading Challenge

The Summer Reading Challenge, encourages children aged 4 to 11 to set themselves a reading challenge to help prevent the summer reading 'dip'.

This year, The Reading Agency is partnering with children's charity, the Youth Sport Trust, for 'Ready, Set, Read!', a Summer Reading Challenge focused on reading, sport and play.

Find out more about Ready, Set, Read!

https://readingagency.org.uk/.../the-summer-reading...

The Challenge will launch in libraries across Hampshire on Saturday 15 July.

Children will need to read six books between 15 July and 16 September.

They will collect stickers along the way with a special collectors wallet.

They will be awarded with a certificate and medal (this year to be more eco-friendly they are made of wood).

Signing-up will be either online (Hampshire Libraries Kids Zone) or in the library.

Children can read whatever Library Books they like in their chosen format - fiction, fact books, poetry, joke books, picture books, graphic novels, audio books and eBooks can all be used to complete the Challenge.

Here are the winners of the "Reading in Unusual Places" competition

A Big Congratulations to....

Overall Winner

Primrose (Rabbits)

Primrose has been presented with £10 worth of book  vouchers.

Year  Group Winners

Year R— Leo  (Squirrels)

Year 1— Penny  ( Hedgehogs)

Year 2— Harnoor (Woodpeckers)

They have all been presented with a £5 book voucher.

School Book Fair & Reading Competition - November 2022

The Scholastic Book Fair will be in school on Wednesday 23rd, Thursday 24th and Monday 28th November and will be open after school in the hall for you to come and  purchase the books on offer. All books purchased contribute towards free books for our school so it is a great place to start looking for early Christmas presents!  . 

To celebrate the Book Fair, Scholastic has provided us with some vouchers to give out as prizes. We are  running a reading photo competition.

To enter, children can bring to school a photo of  themselves reading in an unusual place. For example they could be reading in the garden on a trampoline, sat in the washing basket or whilst out and about. The more unusual the better!

There will be an overall winner, who will win £10 worth of book vouchers. There will also be 3 runners up, 1 from each year group, who will win a £5 voucher each. 

If your child wishes to enter, they should bring a copy of their photo into school by Wednesday 23rd November. You can also send a copy of their photo to the admin inbox at adminoffice@fairfield-infant.co.uk 

Winners will be announced on Thursday 24th November.  Good Luck!

Year 2 Choir Songs:  Showcasing Portsmouth!

Please can current choir members practise the following songs in preparation for our forthcoming performance at The Guildhall in Portsmouth.

WORLD BOOK DAY: Thursday 3rd March

We will be running some in-school and out of school competitions in conjunction with World Book Day as below:

On the day, the children will take part in a range of activities, including:
 

• Class lantern decorating competition, in which children will work as a class team to decorate a lantern around a chosen book theme. A team of judges will pick a winner and the winning class will be given an exciting prize (including signed children’s books by well-known authors)
• Story walk in the meadow
• Craft activities
• Collaborative story writing

Competitions

We have organised 2 competitions for children to take part in at home, bringing their creations into school on Thursday 3^rd March for judging!

• Wooden spoon puppets. We are challenging the children to turn an ordinary wooden spoon into a book character puppet! Before half term, we will send each child home with a wooden spoon to decorate and the children can do so using any materials that they like. There are some ideas shown in pictures at the end of this letter. There will be a winner chosen from each year group and each winner will be awarded a certificate and a prize. This competition is free to enter and we hope that as many children as possible can take part. We are looking forward to seeing and displaying their creations at school!
   
• Book cover design. In order to support fundraising efforts for our school PTA, we will be providing the opportunity for the children to take part in a book cover design competition. Before half term, we will send each child home with an envelope containing a competition entry form. If your child wishes to take part, they should complete their design on the sheet provided and return it along with £1 in the envelope to their class teacher by Thursday 3^rd March as judging will take place on World Book Day. The winner’s will receive a certificate and a prize, which will include signed books from some famous children’s authors. This is an optional competition. We are very grateful to the PTA for sourcing the prizes for this.

If you have any questions regarding World Book Day, please do not hesitate to speak to your child’s class teacher who will be happy to help. Alternatively, you can speak to me on the playground or via the school office.

Many thanks for your support,

Miss S Merrell
Reading Leader

Be Bright, Be Seen Day on Friday 3rd December

Friday 3rd December is Be Bright, Be Seen Day and we are asking our children to wear their brightest clothes and/or accessories into school, the brighter the better to make themselves more visible when walking, scooting and cycling near the road...

We will be giving out reflective wrist bands and bike spoke reflectors for the “Brightest Dressed Child in each class” along with reflective items for every child who participates in this event and we will feature winners on our Newsletter, Website and  Facebook page!

What the Dickens!:  Year 2 Choir Songs

Please click on the links to practise your What the Dickens! choir songs