✨ This Week at Morningside ✨

🌟 Welcome Back to Morningside!

It has been so lovely to welcome everyone back to Morningside this week and to see the school full of children again. There have been lots of smiling faces, excited conversations and stories about summer adventures, alongside the inevitable slightly sleepy faces as we all get used to school mornings again!

Malcolm

A particularly warm welcome goes to all the children and families who are new to Morningside this September. We hope you are already beginning to feel at home and part of our community. We are also delighted to welcome Malcolm, who is working as part of our pastoral team and will be supporting children and families across the school. Dilek is currently absent from school, but our pastoral team continues to be available to support children and families. If you need any help or support, please do speak to us.

We began the year together with our Welcome Back assembly, thinking about what it means to be part of the Morningside story. Every September is the beginning of a new chapter. Some children have been part of our story for many years, while for others this week has been their very first experience of Morningside. We talked about how every child and adult who joins our school adds something of their own, and how the things we learn, the friendships we make, the challenges we overcome and the choices we make all become part of our shared story.

We shared the book The Dictionary Story by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston and used it to think about the part each of us can play in making Morningside the kind of school we want it to be. Our school values help us to do that: they aren’t simply words that we display around school, but things we try to show through what we do every day. Next week we will begin our first value focus of the year, Valuing Others, thinking particularly about how our words and actions can show other people that you matter.

Children have also been getting to know our new Ready to Learn strategies and spaces. These are designed to help children understand what helps them to learn at their best. Sometimes we might need movement, a quieter space, something to help us focus or a short opportunity to reset before returning to learning. Classes have been exploring the different strategies available and learning how to choose and use them purposefully. You may hear children talking about Ready to Learn at home as these new routines become part of everyday life at Morningside.

The first few days of a new school year are always about settling back in, getting to know new teachers and classmates and re-establishing the routines that help school feel calm, predictable and welcoming. We have been really impressed by how quickly the children have settled. It has been a very positive start to our new chapter.

A few reminders as we get back into the school routine:

• Please check that all of your child’s details on Arbor are up to date, particularly medical information, allergies and emergency contacts.
• The gates open at 8:45am and children should arrive between 8:45am and 8:55am, ready for the school day.
• Please check your child’s PE days and make sure they come to school in the correct PE kit.
• Break-time snacks should be fruit or vegetables only.
• Please make sure everything your child brings to school, particularly coats, jumpers and water bottles, is clearly named.

There is lots to look forward to over the coming weeks and we are excited to see how this year’s Morningside story unfolds. Thank you, as always, for working with us to make our school such a welcoming, friendly and supportive place for all our children and families.

Welcome back everyone. Here’s to a great year ahead!

Jo and Rachel

Next week at Morningside:

Mon 7th Sep 8:45am Nursery and Reception starts for returning pupils

Tue 8th Sep Nursery and Reception starts for new pupils – information in letter

Wed 9th Sep 8:45-9:15am What’s in my Book Bag? How to support your child with reading at home

Community Events Autumn 1 2026

As part of our OPaL (Outdoor Play and Learning) programme, we are continuing to develop our playground to give children richer, more creative and more adventurous play opportunities.

We have created an Amazon Wishlist with items that would really enhance our play offer. If you would like to support, you can do so by purchasing an item from the list and having it sent directly to school.

There is absolutely no expectation to contribute, but we are very grateful for any support. These small additions make a big difference to children’s play experiences every day.

https://amzn.eu/03Ls5B1g