Our assemblies this week have focused on our school value of kindness. In our whole school assembly on Monday we visited one our Lyfta Storyworlds to learn about the life of Erkan from Turkey. Erkan has few human friends but has found his calling through feeding stray cats and dogs in Ankara. We used Erkan's story to think about kindness, including what motivates people to be kind to one another. As always, the value of the week was then explored further in phase assemblies during the week. 

A number of our Values Certificate winners this week have been recognised for their kindness this week. Well done to Zoe, Ada, Safa, Celeste, Adhara, Rowan, Elodie and Matilda who were all "caught" showing one or more of our school values.

Year 6 SATs

Well done to our brilliant Year 6 children on completing SATs week. They have all worked incredibly hard to make sure they were ready for this challenge and were a credit to themselves in they way they went about doing the series of tests. We are very proud of them and our Year 6 teachers and TAs who have prepared and supported the children both before and during SATs week. 

Year 5 Residential Camp to Longtown

Our Year 5 campers returned to school today tired but happy after three days on their residential camp at Longtown. During that time, they have been caving, canoeing, orienteering and walking up mountains. The sun shined throughout and the children had an incredible few days. A special thank you to the VPPS team (Mr Marshall, Mrs Walker, Mrs Martin, Mrs Pearce and Mark) for organising the trip and accompanying the children on such an amazing adventure. 

Year 4 Ancient Egypt Day

This Wednesday was Year 4’s Ancient Egypt day. All the children had a great time learning about the significant people, beliefs and practices of the Ancient Egyptians. We welcomed an Egyptologist into who helped us to: 

• Identify and interpret Ancient Egyptian artifacts. 

• Counting and problem solving using the Ancient Egyptian maths system. 

• Create mythical creatures to guard the underworld based on Ancient Egyptian mythology. 

Well done to all of Year 4 for their hard work and also for some really fantastic outfits.

Food Festival and Bake-Off tomorrow, 12-2pm 

Tomorrow's Food Festival runs from 12-2pm featuring Josh Eggleton on the grill, Busy V Bakery, Globe Trotter Pork and a Fruit and Veg Tasting Stall. Sponsored by donations from Cask, Corks of North Street, and Riverside Garden Centre.

As part of our Food Festival, Asda have very kindly donated baking-related prizes for the 3rd Annual Bake Off competition! Get your little ones baking (even a small biscuit will count as an entry) and enter for free at the Food Festival tomorrow - you can bring your bakes between 9-11:30am tomorrow to the Art Room (via the Breakfast Club route) or to the St John's Lane Gate from 12-12:30pm. 

See you there! 

Thank You! Great Bristol Run for VPPS 

Thank you to our incredible team of PTFA runners who ran the Great Bristol Run on 11th May to raise money for our school! The team have raised over £2000 for the school through their efforts, which will make a massive contribution to paying for all the extra enrichment events our VPPS children receive. There is still time to donate to show your support for the team and the school by going to 

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/great-bristol-run-2025

Attendance and Punctuality

Congratulations to Beech class who had 100% attendance last week, that is a fantastic achievement.  Congratulations also to Hazel class who are proving hard to beat in being the class with the least number of children late to school.

Important Dates for Term 5

• Saturday 17th May 2025 PTFA Food Festival

• Tuesday 20th May 2025 PTFA Discos
• Thursday 22nd May 2025 PTFA Discos
• Friday 23rd May 2025 Last day of term

Important Dates for Term 6

• Monday 2nd June 2025 First day of Term 6
• Friday 27th June 2025 INSET DAY
• Tuesday 22nd July 2025 Last day of term

Remember that you can see all of the term dates and INSET days on the term dates page of this website. 

Support for families – from Bristol Parent Carers 

Do you need help with understanding how to support your child's health needs, or finding activities in the community? We’ve put together a leaflet full of useful information to make things easier for you.
Find the support that’s right for your family:

• Help with health needs (toileting, sleep, and more) https://bit.ly/bristolhelphealth

• Support with accessing the community – https://bit.ly/bristollocaloffer

• Free support & training for families – https://bit.ly/bristolhelp

Check it out and see what’s available for you! Contact Bristol Parent Carers if you need any more support or information. 

Volunteer at Lifeskills

Discover Lifeskills. A safety adventure like no other. Where young people don’t just learn about safety – they experience it.

Lifeskills is a much-loved Bristol charity that’s been part of the community for over 25 years. Based at the Create Centre in South Bristol, we welcome over 10,000 Year 6 pupils each year to our realistic, interactive safety village—where they learn how to handle everyday dangers with confidence, from road and railway safety to household hazards, basic first aid, and making emergency 999 calls.

We rely entirely on volunteers to keep the centre running, and right now we urgently need more help. Many schools are hoping to visit, but without enough volunteer guides, we simply can’t accommodate them all. That’s why we’re asking schools to share this opportunity. 

Volunteering at Lifeskills offers a unique opportunity to:

• Make a difference in children’s lives

• Connect with your community

• Give a little of your time to help children live safer, happier, and more independent lives

• Guide small groups through our engaging, hands-on safety centre

• Meet new people and enjoy a supportive, friendly environment

• Learn new skills, stay active—and help save lives

Volunteering is flexible, fun, and no prior experience is needed. Full training is provided.

You can find out more in our short video:

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I2WdW0mF1jaUn-ms-hBFzBDucnwwyP_u/view

If you’d like to arrange a visit or have a chat, they can contact us on 0117 922 4511 or email volunteer@lifeskills-bristol.org.uk.

All aboard water sports

Progressive Kids Holiday Club

Progressive Kids is running an action-packed Easter Holiday Club at Oasis Academy Marksbury Road this May Half Term. Spaces are filling up fast as families secure their Easter childcare with us.
What your child will experience:
- High-energy multi-sports and team games
- Easter-themed challenges and competitions
- Outdoor adventures (weather permitting)
- Special afternoon enrichment workshops
- Fun with friends in a safe, familiar environment
The Details:
- Ages: 4-13 years welcome
- Times: 8:30am-3:30pm daily
- Venue: Oasis Academy Marksbury Road
- Price: From £26 per day
- Childcare vouchers and tax-free childcare accepted
Book today using code MAY10 to receive 10% off your booking!
https://enrolmy.com/progressive-kids-bristol/activity/41-Progressive_Kids_May_Holiday_Club_at_Oasis_Academy_Marksbury_Road

See the attached flyer for all details, or contact Mitchell directly with any questions: office@progressivekidsbristol.com / 07946656332