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 Friday 16th January 2026

Dear Families,

Next week is #ShoutOutForGermanWeek!

We’re excited to be celebrating the value and enjoyment of learning German across the school. All classes will begin the week with a special assembly exploring why we learn German and the many benefits that come with learning another language.
Did you know, for example, that learning a new language can boost brain power, support mental wellbeing, and even help reduce stress? Watch here to find out more.

Classes will also add in additional sessions, exploring and celebrating areas of German culture, whilst trying to integrate more 'daily German' into their routines during the day. 

At the end of the week, alongside our assemblies, the Friends of JKPS will bring the German tradition of Kaffee und Kuchen to school (see further details below). We’d love you to join us!

Schönes Wochenende!

Patrick 

Key messages:

Racial Awareness Parent/Carer workshops

Who's it for? All parents and carers.

What will the sessions cover? During the 90minute workshop, we will be exploring how racial identities have developed in our society, engaging in self-reflection and group sharing exercises to explore our own perspectives around racial identity, and learning how to become more racially conscious around identity.

How do I register? For the first session at 7pm 29th January, register your interest here. This session will be in person.

For the second session, at 7pm on 5th February - there is no need to register, just save the date. This session will be online. We will share the link nearer the time. 

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Coming up: Parent workshop by Southwark Nest - Emotional Based School Avoidance  - 9.15-10.00am Friday, 30th January

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Reception 2026 Admissions

If you have applied for a sibling place for Reception 2026 please let us know by filling in the form here 

Nursery 2026 Admissions:

If you wish to apply for a sibling Nursery place for September 2026 please fill in the application form sent on 9th January and send it back to admissions@judithkerr.anthemtrust.uk We are organising Nursery tours and will inform you off the dates asap.

Parent and carer volunteers for trips

We are incredibly grateful to the many parents and carers who support school trips throughout the year. Without your help, these valuable curriculum enrichment opportunities would not be possible.

To ensure the smooth organisation of volunteers, the school is asking class representatives to manage parent volunteers directly. Parents will no longer be asked to email their interest to the school admin address. Instead, the trip leader will liaise directly with the class representative to confirm the number of volunteers required and final arrangements.

This process has already been used successfully in the lower year groups, and we are now extending it to the upper year groups. Most class representatives manage volunteer sign-ups using SignUpZone.

If you are a class representative and are unsure how to manage volunteer sign-ups, please contact the school. We will be happy to connect you with another class representative who can offer support.

Mary Murray

Office Manager

What's happening in and around school 

On Tuesday, Year 3 had an amazing time at an immersive Pompeii Experience! 

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Reception learnt all about their local environment this week and made a wonderful map of the surrounding streets. Can you spot the school building? 

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Attendance

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School attendance is mandatory for all students of compulsory school age. Whilst we understand that it isn't always possible to reach 100% attendance, we are fully committed to ensuring the highest levels of attendance to ensure we enable every student to meet their potential.  

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Friends Corner

We hope everyone is settling back into school well, and looking forward to a fun term. With fewer events planned this term, the Friends team is working hard behind the scenes to finish some projects. 

Kaffee & Kuchen Pop-up 23rd Jan - this year the Shout Out for German week is next week. To celebrate the German language, we will be taking part in the German tradition of "Kaffee und Kuchen" after school on Friday 23rd Jan. 3:20-5:30. We hope this will be outside, but if wet we will have a viennese cafe in the downstairs hall.

“Kaffee und Kuchen” is a classic German tradition that goes beyond simply having coffee and cake. It describes a relaxed afternoon gathering—usually between 3 and 5 p.m.—where people enjoy coffee, homemade cake or pastries, and good conversation. Especially popular on Sundays, it represents German Gemütlichkeit: warmth, comfort, and taking time to slow down and connect with others.

Come and enjoy sweet and savoury snacks and sample some german/austrian/swiss beer and wine.

Please sign up to bake a cake or do a shift here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QYryzZMEB0QySnp-xNvcyNdj9m3NsMRQkIW93fV6Y2A/edit?usp=sharing

We will be raising money for the bilingual signage, and Judith Kerr's story - the current signage is starting to look a little old.

Pre-loved Ski Clothes & Uniform Sale 23rd Jan

We are holding a second hand ski clothes sale alongside the usual uniform sale on 23rd Jan. Please donate any pre-loved ski items that are in a saleable condition, please leave with Jodie and Jess in the office.

Big Bird Watch and Gardening

The first Gardening day of the year is on the RSPB Big Bird Watch Weekend - while we do see amazing birds in our lovely garden, we will probably be a bit too loud that day to spot many birds. Instead we are planning on making some bird feeders for children to take home instead. Please put it in your diary.

Note on Sign Ups

The Sign Up Zone option that we have previously used for Sign Ups has unfortunately ceased. We're currently trialling different options - to see what works best. We are looking for something that is quick and doesn't require yet another account! But please bear with us while we look at the various options and try them out.

Forward Look:

🇩🇪 19-24th January - Shout Out for German Week: celebrating the German language

🏂 23rd January - Secondhand Ski Clothes and Pre-Loved Uniform Sale - alongside Kaffee and Kuchen

🇦🇹 23rd January - Kaffee and Kuchen Pop-up - please bake a cake

🪾 25th January - Gardening Day & Big Bird Watch Activities

🌰 8th February - Gardening Day

🌳 28th February - Gardening Day

🌷 22nd March - Bumper Community Gardening Day

⛺ TBD - Year 6 camping

⛺ 20th/21st June - Years 1, 2, 3 & 5 camping

⛺ 3rd/4th/5th July - Year 4 camping

⛺ 4th/5th July - Reception camping

REMINDER: Stepping into Stories Kids' Lit Fest 2026!

Dear Parents & Carers,

We are thrilled that your school will participate in the Stepping into Stories Kids' Lit Fest 2026! The Paper Cat Children's Bookshop is providing parents & carers with the chance to pre-order books from the authors attending the event. These books can be signed and personalised for your child on the day of the festival, all at a special festival discount.

To find out which author your child is meeting 

and to order please follow this LINK

DEADLINE FOR ORDERS - FRIDAY 23rd JAN 2026 All books ordered will be delivered directly to the school or Station Hall ready for collection once they have been signed. 

There is also a wonderful program of public author events running on Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th in Herne Hill and tickets for those can be found HERE. 

If you have any questions please email schools@papercatbookshop.co.uk or ring the bookshop on 0204 568 1309

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Key Dates

Key dates coming up:

#ShoutOutForGermanWeek                                                              w/c 19th January

Year 1 Trip to the Tate Modern                                                    Tuesday 20th January

Eco Council Trip to the Recycling Centre                                   Tuesday 27th January

Racial Awareness session for Parents/Carers (In person)    7pm 29th January

Parent workshop by Southwark Nest - Emotional Based School Avoidance  - 9.15-10.00am Friday, 30th January

Southwark Parenting Team

Race Equality Week                                                                              w/c 2nd February

Stepping into Stories workshops                                                       w/c 2nd February

Year 1 Stepping into Stories session (in school)                      Thursday 5th February

Racial Awareness session for Parents/Carers (Online)         7pm 5th February

Stepping into Stories (Nursery and Reception)                           Friday 6th February

Reception to Y2 Drama Perform workshops (in school)        Tuesday 10th February

KS2 African Drumming Workshops                                     Wednesday 11th February

SPRING HALF-TERM                                                    16th February - 20th February

Y5 Bloom Workshops                                                            Thursday 26th February

Spring Term RockSteady Concerts      Wednesday 25th/ Thursday 26th March 

More term dates are on our website, including dates for 2026-27.

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