Dear parents,

Welcome back!
It has been so lovely to see our children back in school. We are all back together at last and with many of our old school routines back. How lovely!

Thank you so much for your patience and understanding as we fine tune the drop off and collection arrangements. Your support in following the procedures is very much appreciated.

We have had a great start to the new term with everyone settling so well into their new classes. A special welcome to our Nursery and Reception children who are starting school this week and their families. We hope you will all enjoy your time at WP!

New staff
I would like to welcome four new members of the staff team who have joined us this year:

• Jane, who is our new front of house Receptionist.
• Frankie, working in Year 1 as a Teaching Assistant
• Ollie, working in Year 6 as a Teaching Assistant
• Elaine, our new music teacher, who works on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays

Curriculum information
Yesterday we sent home information about the work your children will be covering this term in all subject areas. We also included the class timetable and PE, homework and spelling test days. We hope you found it useful. Parents will have the opportunity to meet their child’s classteacher during Parents’ Evenings on Tuesday 9th, Thursday 11th and Tuesday 16th November. More details on how to book will be sent nearer the time, but the meetings will be in person as we did in the summer term.

PTFA appeal for Chair (or Co-Chairs) and Secretary
HELP! WE NEED YOU!
The PTFA have already sent out an appeal for a new Chair and Secretary, as Marghanita and Sophie stepped down in the summer term. We are very fortunate to have such a fabulous PTFA who raise very significant amounts of money for the school, at the same time providing wonderful events such as the Winter and Summer Fairs, Halloween party and the Polar Express!

The Chair provides leadership and coordination to the PTFA and it can be a single role or people can share the role. The Chair works alongside the PTFA committee, which includes a Treasurer, and a Secretary, and the Head teacher. The Secretary helps coordinate communication to all parents about meetings, news and events.

If the roles are vacant, then we will be unable to run events and therefore unable to raise money for the school.

If you think you might be interested, but have further questions, please email the school at admin@williampatten.hackney.sch.uk and we can put you in contact with Marghanita and Sophie who are happy to provide more information.

Hackney Foodbank Appeal
We have started our annual Harvest appeal for Hackney Foodbank. Since opening, they have provided the ingredients for more than 100,000 meals to local people in financial crisis. They are a voluntary organisation and rely on the dedication of the local community to keep going! They work with over 200 local partners and are supported by countless more community organisations through food donations and other means of support. They have been running for 6 years in Hackney and due to an increasing number of people relying on foodbanks are running low on supplies. The collection boxes will be at Dynevor Road and Lancell Street in the mornings. All donations are very welcome, but they urgently need:
• Long life fruit juice
• UHT milk
• Tinned custard
• Tinned fruit
• Biscuits
• Tinned cornbeef
• Tinned fish (salmon/mackerel/sardines)
• Deodorant
• Washing up liquid
• Shampoo
• Bars of soap
• Toothbrushes

Many thanks indeed.

Best wishes

Karen