Hillside Avenue Highlights

Dear Parents and Carers,

Happy New year! It seems incredible that we are in 2026 already and just 5 weeks from the mid-point of the school year. How time flies. As I mentioned in the newsletter before Christmas, we have been working on many things in school this year that are really starting to bear fruit in the form of higher levels of achievement and greater opportunities for children to discover their talents and passions in life. Thank you to staff in school and parents and families at home for supporting the children so well. 

At Hillside Avenue, we are committed to meeting individual needs for all of our school community. This takes many forms in the day-to-day provision in the classroom, the new sensory room and the reasonable adaptations that we make to help each child flourish at school. Another way that we look to help our children and families is through the parent workshops that are delivered by Norfolk County Council in school. Last term, Simon (the trainer) delivered some really helpful sessions on online safety. This term we have lots of sessions focused on writing and maths for parents of children in both key stage 1 and key stage 2. The maths-based ones last year were very popular, so please sign up using the link below. 

Thank you to everyone who responded to the parent survey last term. I am working through the results and will share a response soon.

Mr Hutchinson

 

 

From the School Log:

4th January 2011: A new year, a new decade and a time of change for Hillside. It ended with one of the coldest Decembers for over 100 years. It was hard to keep the school open. (It was hard to keep the country running!)...

This year (15 years on) we have moved from a mild December to a fairly chilly January and still faced the challenges of keeping the show on the road despite significant snowfall and it being -6 degrees celsius on Tuesday morning! Thank you to all of the staff who battled their way into school, the Merchants of Spice for allowing us to park staff cars in their carpark and to all of the parents for sending their children dressed as Arctic explorers so that they could stay warm and dry when playing in the snow. (Or with back up socks to help them warm up afterwards.)

 

Notifications/ Reminders:

 

New lunch menu from January - click here to see via our website

 

 

CASMA Choir - We will be taking part in the Casma singing event this year for Yrs 4,5,6 please see separate email with information and sign up via Arbor (under trips) if your child is interested.

 

 

Children’s Commissioner for England - has recently published a new guide for parents on managing digital lives. Please click here to take you to the article online. 

 

 

Start-Rite - please see the attached letter from Start-Rite, they are a local shoe manufacturer who would like to work with our school to do ‘wear trials’ as part of their new development process.  You can consent to your child taking part via Arbor Parent Portal/ APP. 

 

 

Norfolk County Council Free Workshops - NCC are offering free workshops to parents, there are 4 workshops for KS1 “English through Story Sacks” and 4 workshops for KS2 “I wasn’t taught like that - Maths”.  Please click on the links below for the flyer and more information.  This will be for parents/carers only but your child will join you for the last 30 minutes of each session.  You can consent to take part via your child’s Arbor Parent Portal/APP.

 

click here for information on Ks1 workshops

 

click here for information on Ks2 workshops

 

Dates for the Diary

 

Clubs available this half term

 

Monday:

KS2 Hillside Litter Picking Club 3:15-3:40 starting 12th January (spaces available)

 

 

Tuesday:

Art Club Yr1-3 only (cost) starting on 13th January book via: 

norwichsummerartclub@gmail.com

 

Minimoons Drama Club (cost) starting 6th January click here to book via Minimoons website

 

Casma Choir - rehearsal sessions 3:30-4:30 between 3rd Feb - 21st April 

 

Wednesday:

Hillside Basketball Club (Yrs 4,5,6) 3:15-4:30 awaiting start date for this term (there is a waiting list for new members)

 

KS2 Hillside Band 3:30-4:30 Starting on 14th January - please sign up via Arbor

 

 

Thursday:

PAV Yr5/6 Football 3:15-4:15 starting 8th January 

 

 

Friday:

Minimoons Fitness Stars (cost) starting 9th January click here to book via minmoons website

 

 

 

 

17th Norwich Scout group meet on a Wednesday between 4:30 and 5:30 -  click here for further details on their flyer

 

 

                   Please follow us on Facebook and on Instagram too.

        

                                                       #itshappeningathillside 

 

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