MAPS admissions: please note that the admissions criteria for entry to MAPS have been slightly altered for the Year 2020/21. This is primarily to give a higher weighting to siblings at both schools (MAA/ MAPS). This coincides with MAA reviewing theirs to ensure that MAPS pupils will get a priority place if requested. We have emailed out a full version to you all. Please do come back to me should you need it all clarified for you.
Dear parent/carers, We appreciate that it is short notice and that many people have commitments during the school day, but we would nevertheless like to invite you to our Remembrance service on Monday between 10.30 and 11.15am.
This will be an outdoor service (on the tennis courts) and we will be joining forces with MAA and have a guest from DRET coming to help us lay the wreath.
Any staff who are in the services are invited to wear their uniform, that also applies to our local community, we would be delighted to meet you and share this poignant service with you.
We have the MAA academy band practising hymns to play as we file outside to the service on the tennis courts (we are asking students to wrap up very warm and would recommend the same to you) where we will have some MAA students reciting the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ and a service, before the last post is sounded and we hold our 2 minute silence.
We would love for you to join us, and please feel free to bring anyone from our community with you who you feel would enjoy sharing this special moment with our pupils, altogether as one.
Times Tables Rocks Stars ! To celebrate the first Maths Week England EVER, we’re running our biggest online competition yet!
This November, we’re on a mission to find the most dedicated TTRS schools, classes and pupils across England! All schools in England are invited to compete and show the rest of the country what they are made of.
From November 11th until November 16th your school can participate in a competition competing against schools across England to answer the most questions you can on TTRS! What’s the prize you ask? A TTRS Pizza Party Special, of course!
Only answers given between the hours of 07:30 (GMT) to 19:30 (GMT) each day within the Competition Period will count towards the competition. Answers given before 07:30 (GMT) or after 19:30 (GMT) will NOT count towards the competition.
Karen Stevenson: It is with sadness that I write to tell you that Karen has decided to move on from MAPS and take a position with the County Council working within special educational needs. This will start in January 2020, so this next half of term will be her final one with us. Clearly, Karen has been an integral part of the school since its foundation and will be sorely missed, but we of course wish her well in her new venture.
One of the advantages of being part of a multi academy trust is that we can share staff, and in this way we will be welcoming an experienced staff member from another school to work alongside Karen this term. They have already had experience of working as a Deputy, so this will add to our capacity going forwards. This will also give us time to go out to advertise for a replacement.
I'm sure you will join me in wishing Karen all the best for the future, she will be sorely missed. (Pictured here with all our Special Pebble winners from last term)
Helpers: The Friends of MAPS are always looking for parents to help with events. We have loads coming up - so if you feel you can help (even for an hour of so) it would be really helpful. If we don't get enough helpers we may have to stop running the events.
Save the date - Friends Of MAPS Christmas Movies, Wednesday December 4th, 3:30pm. More details to follow soon.
Christmas Tree: Last year we were very luckily gifted a Christmas Tree that we decorated in school. Many of our children never get to experience a real Christmas Tree. If anyone or any company are able to gift the school one this year we would be very grateful. Thank you. Please let the office know if you can.
Music at MAPS continues to be a great success: we currently have over 60 piano players, a violin ensemble of 14 (as well as all of Year 3 are currently playing the violin), a cello ensemble, a brass section , a band of of 14 players, a woodwind section, two choirs (and great representation in the All Stars Choir), whole school singing - where everyone sings with real quality, precision and tone, and of course we performed our very own opera last year and are hoping to do it again this year. It is no wonder we were awarded DRET Primary Music School of the Year beating 24 other primaries to this title. The benefits are massive, socially, emotionally, academically and also new research has linked a persons good health to music making.
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ― Plato
New Website: we have been working on a new website that is more reflective of the positive atmosphere in the school. We hope you like it? http://www.malcolmarnoldprep.co.uk/
We will be trying to keep it fresh and upto date - so please do save it to your favourites!
Credits:
Created with images by corina ardeleanu - "Red poppies under morning sun" • Jason Leung - "untitled image"