On a personal note, many of you have asked about my skydive, and I’m delighted to share that I completed it last weekend! It was an absolutely phenomenal experience, and I can confidently say it won’t be my last dive. The contrast between the exhilarating 30 seconds of free fall and then gliding peacefully through the air was incredible. I even had the chance to steer the parachute! Some parents have asked to see the video, so I’ve attached a link where you can watch it—please don’t judge my wobbly cheeks; I was traveling at 125 miles an hour! https://youtu.be/r0kDhO6fftE

I’d also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who sponsored me—I’m thrilled to share that I raised over £3000 for The Pink Place cancer charity. Your generosity and support mean so much.

A special moment this week was when our Year 6 pupils met their Year R buddies. This is a wonderful tradition at Bentley, where the oldest children in the school partner with the youngest, helping to guide and support them throughout their first year. Today, the Year 6 children accompanied their buddies on their first off-site outing to go apple picking. It was a fantastic experience for all, and both the Year 6 and Year R pupils thoroughly enjoyed the trip and the opportunity to bond with one another. Two year 6 children have written about it.

On Thursday afternoon, we read to them in the sunshine and got to know them. This morning, we went on an adventure together to a local orchard and picked hundreds and hundreds of them! We held down the high branches for them to help them pick the biggest and juiciest of apples and the orchard was filled with giggles and joy as we worked together. We can’t wait to introduce them to the rest of the Bentley family and spend time with them again.

A parking grumble… I have had several reports of people parking inconsiderately, and even illegally outside of our school. Please do not park or stop your car to drop off or pick children up on the yellow zigzag lines or the double yellow lines surrounding the school.  These lines are in place to keep our children and families safe as they start and finish school and road visibility is significantly reduced if cars are parked there.  Recently, it has also been difficult for the school minibus to exit the school car park safely.  Please, let us all work together to ensure the safety of all.

As a quick reminder, there is always a member of staff on the playground each morning with a clipboard, ready to take any messages. If you need to speak to your child’s teacher, please contact the office to arrange an appointment, and they’ll be happy to help. Likewise, my door is always open—feel free to grab me on the playground or send me an email to arrange a time to chat if you have any questions or comments.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and I look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday!

Mrs Hallett

Vicky Hallett

Headteacher

 

APPLE PICKING

For the past 10 years, Bentley School has been collecting apples each autumn. Families and local residents kindly donate their surplus apples and windfalls. We organise apple picks with parent volunteers and all the children experience walking up to a local orchard and collecting the juicy harvest. It is an important part of their education to learn where the food we eat and drink comes from.

We are lucky to have a longstanding arrangement with Mr Whiteheads Cider Press who clean, press, pasteurise and bottle our juice.  Each bottle keeps for 3 months at room temperature, and once opened for 4 days in the fridge. With every bottle you get the unique taste of our local Bentley landscape and season. There are no added flavours or sweeteners. The PTFA are so proud to support our production of local, sustainable and natural apple juice. You could not get apple juice with a lower carbon footprint. 

We love that so many families enjoy the product we produce and support us with your purchases. Every penny we raise from the juice sales goes to the PTFA to fund projects that directly benefit all children at the school. We will be selling apple juice after school throughout the season so keep an eye out for notifications. £2 a bottle or 3 bottles for £5. If you can spare any time to help, ask your PTFA Rep for more information. We hugely appreciate the support of all those giving up their time to make this possible.

 

Class dates are as follows:-

Yr 4 – Wednesday 25^th September at 9am.

 

 

 

 

CHRISTMAS CARDS

We are already thinking about Christmas! The children have been sent home with their Christmas card artwork. If you are placing an order you must send the artwork back into school by next Friday, 27^th September please.

 

EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES – 26^th SEPTEMBER

At Bentley we have been celebrating European Day of Languages for several years. Although a week early, the children in Years 1-6 celebrated this annual event on Wednesday with a special assembly exploring this year’s theme of ‘Languages for Peace’ and a lesson in which the children were given the opportunity to learn some minority languages.  In KS1 this was Welsh and in KS2 the children learnt some Welsh, Scots and Cornish.  For more information, please click here where you can also find details of the ‘Languages for Peace’ poster competition I have invited KS2 to participate in. 

 

ECO UPDATE

Eco Council 2024-25

Our Eco Council is now complete with 12 pupils from Year 1 to Year 6 in place, led by the brilliant Lexi D and Flora-Rose in Year 6 who have already been busy weighing food waste, sorting out pens for recycling and checking that classes have switched off their lights.  This year we will launch our year of action by participating in Hampshire’s Climate Unity Virtual Conference on Wednesday morning. This will be followed up with a meeting to discuss our action plan – more details to follow. 

Blue Peter Green Badge

For those children who participated in any eco activities last year such as Eco Council or Nature Club, why not apply for a Green Blue Peter badge? Several of our children already have this badge and if you are a fan of Blue Peter, you will know that it enables free access into many tourist attractions!  To apply for the badge, please click here.

Blue Peter Earthshot Competition

Two years ago, the children in KS2 participated in an activity called Generation Earthshot inspired by HRH Prince William’s Earthshot Prize.  In short, they were asked to suggested solutions to a range of environmental problems in school.  This resulted in the design and realisation of our Nature Reserve.  Now it is the turn of Blue Peter to launch its own Earthshot competition. For more details, click here – Good Luck!

GARDENING TEAM – VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Each Friday afternoon, the Gardening Team help the Year 1s look after the Courtyard Garden. They learn how to plant bulbs and grow seeds along with activities inspired by nature and the seasons. The children love the opportunity to learn outside the classroom in a very hands-on way. 

We would love some more volunteers to join our small team so this important experience can continue. You don't have to commit to every week and no gardening experience is needed, just enthusiasm. If you would like to know more, contact the Office who will put you in touch with the Gardening Team. 

 

STARTING SCHOOL AND MOVING TO SECONDARY SCHOOL – SEPTEMBER 2025

It is already time to be looking ahead to next September! If your child is in Year 6, please look at our community pages for information about open events for our local secondary schools, Eggars and Amery Hill. Applications are already open.

If you have a younger child who turns 4 between 1^st September 2024 and 31^st August 2025 (or know someone locally who does) we are already advertising our open events for prospective parents. Click here to find out more.

 

 

 

PTFA

 

Our annual AGM is on Tuesday 24th September, everyone is invited. It’ll be in the evening via Zoom. Please join us to find out what is happening this year, our targets and what last year’s fundraising has been spent on.

Apple season is upon us! Drop off area is the normal place in the staff carpark, sacks will be on hand for anyone to grab and use. 

Please ask your neighbours/friends if they have any surplus they are willing to donate! We are happy to organise pickers to go to their properties to collect them if it’s easier or even collect bags from their driveways. 

We need your help picking apples! If you’re available to help, please ask your reps to pass your details to Sarah C to be added. 

We also need help transporting the apples to the press in Froxfield on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays. Let us know if this is something you can do between 9-4. 

Year 4 are picking on Wednesday 25^th September and extra hands are always appreciated. 

Our uniform shed is now open! Parents can access the shed to buy uniform at any time. You can collect the key from the office, all the information and how to pay is on a poster on the left wall as you walk in. Please keep it neat and tidy!

 

 

Bentley PTFA (Parents, Teachers & Friends association)

Visit the PTFA website by clicking here

 

click here to get more information about what’s going on in the local area