✨ This Week at Morningside ✨

Welcome back after the half term break. It has been lovely to see everyone back in school, settled quickly and ready for the weeks ahead.

You will have noticed the scaffolding around the building as work begins on our window replacement project. Further details were shared in the email sent on Monday. Thank you for your patience while this important improvement work takes place.

Year 3 thoroughly enjoyed their first workshops as part of the Akram Khan Dance Project, exploring different areas of the wider curriculum through dance. The sessions were energetic and inspiring, and staff also benefited from working alongside the team during their staff meeting.

Year 2 and Year 5 took part in Fire Safety Workshops delivered by the London Fire Brigade. The children learned about how to stay safe at home, what to do in an emergency and the importance of smoke alarms. They engaged thoughtfully and asked some excellent questions.

We were pleased to welcome a team from Chefs in Schools into our kitchen and dining room. They will be working with us and our Sustainability Squad to encourage children to try a wider range of foods and to help reduce food waste. Look out for updates as this exciting project develops.

On Wednesday, Irene and Jo visited the North London Waste Authority to explore ways of strengthening our teaching around sustainability and the circular economy. The Sustainability Squad will be visiting the site later in the year to build on this work.

Our new school value this half term is Understanding. We introduced this in assembly on Monday through the story Moon’s Ramadan, reflecting on empathy, respect and learning about the experiences of others.

Finally, a reminder that World Book Day is next Thursday. We are looking forward to celebrating reading together.

Please see below for further updates and key dates.

Rachel and Jo

What’s on in the week beginning 2nd March 2026:

Tuesday 3rd March Workshop A Guide to Zones of Regulation for Families with Magdalena 9:00am

Tuesday 3rd March BBC Classical Music workshops in school Year 5 

Wednesday 4th March  Family OPAL Morning: Come and help make our playground even better! 9:00am-12:00pm

Thursday 5th March World Book Day: Come to school dressed as a traditional tale character

Thursday 5th March Book Party – Bottom hall. Come with your family to choose your own book bag book  All welcome 8:45-9:15am and 3:30-3:45pm

 OPAL Build Morning – Can You Help?

As part of our OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) programme, we’re continuing to develop our outdoor play spaces so that children have richer, more creative and more adventurous play opportunities every day.

We’re inviting families to join us for an OPAL Build Morning on Wednesday 4th March, 9:00–12:00, where we’ll be working together to build, create and improve play areas across the school grounds. There will be a range of jobs on the day, and no experience is needed — just a willingness to get involved.

We have no volunteers yet – so we’d love you to sign up!

We’re also looking for donations of OPAL materials, including:

• pallets
• tyres
• bags of gravel
• trucks and diggers
• guttering and pipes
• chalk paint and outdoor paint
• cable reels
• prams and buggies
• small boats and other interesting loose parts

You might be surprised what works for play — if you’re getting rid of a bath, a caravan or even a boat, let us know.

If you’re able to volunteer your time, donate materials, or simply want to find out more, please sign up using the link below:

 https://forms.gle/SykAGmLA9PXcZEP18

Thank you, as always, for your support in helping us create brilliant play experiences for all our children.

The Family Coach Service March 2026

Home Fire Safety Checker

Following the great workshops Year 2 and Year 5 had with the London Fire Brigade this week, we have been asked to share this link to their Home Fire Safety Checker service.

You can use the London Fire Brigade’s Home Fire Safety Checker here:
https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/the-home/home-fire-safety/home-fire-safety-checker-hfsc/

If the checker recommends a Home Fire Safety Visit, you can book this directly. The visit will be carried out by firefighters from your local fire station or by Community Safety Officers from London Fire Brigade. They will provide fire safety advice for you and your children and fit smoke alarms where needed.

The visit and any smoke alarms fitted are completely free of charge. We encourage all families to take advantage of this valuable service.

Chess Tournament Opportunity for Morningside Families

We’re excited to share a fantastic opportunity for your children to showcase their chess skills!

Chess in Schools is hosting a tournament on Saturday 14 March 2026 – the first of six tournaments taking place throughout the year. Our pupils at Morningside Primary have shown excellent aptitude for chess, and we’d love to see as many of our children taking part as possible.

Free Entry for Morningside Families

Parents and carers from Morningside can enter their children completely free of charge by using this link:
CSC Grand Prix Saturday 14th March 2026 CSC pupils — Chess in Schools and Communities

What You Need to Know

• The tournament takes place on Saturday 14 March 2026
• Parents/carers will need to accompany their child to the tournament venue
• This is a wonderful chance for your child to develop their chess skills and meet other young players

Why Chess?

Taking part in chess tournaments can help children develop:

• Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
• Concentration and patience
• Confidence and resilience
• Sportsmanship and respect for others

If you have any questions about the tournament or would like more information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Chess in Schools using the link above.

We look forward to seeing our Morningside chess players in action!

Attendance Classes of The Week 

This week, we want to celebrate 3M who have 98% attendance. A HUGE congratulations and keep up the excellent work; it has a great impact on learning and progress. You can help your child’s class win the weekly fruit platter by making sure they are at school everyday.

Whole School attendance this week: 93.5%

Our school target is 97% attendance this year.

Class attendance this week