Year 1 Poetry performance

Year 1 will be doing a poetry performance next Friday at 3pm for the parents. We will be sharing the hard work they have put in during our poetry topic.

Year 3 Tea Party

We have had to make a slight change to the arrangements for the Year 3 tea party. Fern Class will be now be having their tea party the following day, on Thursday 25th May. Heather Class will still have theirs on Wednesday 24th May as originally planned

Pedal Bikes Needed

In the Early Years, we want to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn to ride a pedal bike. Cycling is a great way to keep children active while supporting their physical development and mental health and can also lead to longer-term benefits for the environment! ​If your child has recently grown out of their pedal bike, we would appreciate it if you would consider donating it to our reception and nursery classes. We are looking for size 14", 16" and 18" bikes which are reasonably light weight and in good condition. All bikes donated will be inspected and serviced to ensure that they are safe for the children to ride. Please email s.quested@brookfield.camden.sch.uk if you are able to help. Thank you!

Attendance and Punctuality

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Clothing requests

If you are having a sort out of clothes, we would appreciate any donations of the following items:

• Trousers, joggers and leggings from ages 5 - 12 years
• t-shirts and jumpers from ages 5-12 years

If your child has had a change of clothes, we would really appreciate if you are able to wash and return them to us (not underwear) so that they can be used again.

AUCTION – Thursday 15th June

We have had some amazing responses to our call out for prizes & help for the Auction. Thank you so much to all of you who have got in touch.

We still need your support & Auction prizes. All the money raised is critical to creating the amazing Brookfield Forest Garden Project.

We need people to help with:

* Asking bigger companies for donations

* Organising the bids

* Serving food

* Providing entertainment

* Setting up for the event

* Clearing up after the event

We would also love for you to get in touch with any item or service you could donate to
auction off, or if you have any contacts with people or companies that would be willing to
donate something.
To give you a few ideas previous auction lots include: Sports tickets - Holiday homes - Cookery courses - Photography sessions
- Dog walking - Jewellery - Website building - Home tidying.
Please email us: brookfieldschoolpta@gmail.com

If you are unable to help with the Auction there are also other ways you can support us in making the Forest Garden a reality: Don’t forget we also have the crowdfunding campaign!

Thank you to everyone who has donated and shared the forest garden crowdfunding page so far. We ask that you carry on sharing with friends and family. Perhaps you know a local business that would like to donate, or you have contacts that could too.

To donate directly towards the new forest garden area visit: https://gofund.me/fcc81626

We will continue to keep you informed via our dedicated page on the website, with pictures, updates and information about the progress of the garden

https://www.brookfield.camden.sch.uk/pta-home/brookfield-forest-garden/

PTA - Help Needed

We appreciate that some of you want to help out without the responsibility of being a PTA Co-Chair.

We are wondering if any of you would be willing to take on a more limited role, such as the planning of one of the events, e.g. a Fair, Disco, Quiz Night, etc.

If we break down what the PTA does into smaller pieces, then we can share responsibilities and taking on a Co-Chair role may not seem so daunting. Co-Chairs are still needed to keep the charity status of the PTA, but if elements of the roles can be delegated it might feel like a more manageable job for some of you.

If you want to find out more, please email us at brookfieldschoolpta@gmail.com we are
very happy to meet and have a chat. Thank you.

Host Family needed

A family from Brookfield: mother and daughter, are looking for a host family to stay with as they seek refuge from the Ukraine. If you are in a position to host this family, would like to find out more or you know someone who can, please contact Faye: f.winslade@brookfield.camden.sch.uk

I will then pass on your details to the family

Early Years 'Boosting Brain Development' parent workshop

On Friday 26th May, we will be repeating our Early Years parent workshop on 'Boosting Brain Development' at the later time slot of 2.15 - 3.15pm. We hope that those of you who expressed an interest in this workshop, but were unable to attend the earlier time slot back in March, will be able to join us. The main focus of the session is on metacognition and the feedback we received from parents who attended back in March was really positive - comments included 'Great workshop, really helpful!' and 'Really useful to think about what you're doing as a parent without really thinking about it.' The workshop is for children from Blossom Class through to Reception classes, and will take place in the main school building and we will be providing creches in both Blossom and Catkin classes. Please email s.quested@brookfield.camden.sch.uk if you plan to attend so that we can ensure we have enough staff to run the creches.

We hope to see you there!

The Early Years Team

Child Mental Health

Here are some top tips about how best to support your child to develop their emotional literacy. ​

https://parents.actionforchildren.org.uk/stages-development/social-emotional-development/emotional-literacy-child/​

Lillie Rosenblatt, Mental Health & PSHE Lead

A Final Camping weekend invite

If you'd like to come camping with the year 6 group on the weekend of 24th/25th June its not too late! You can come for 1 or 2 nights, you can borrow a tent if you don't have the kit - and you can travel by car or train. There is a big group of families coming, and it should be a fun weekend (weather permitting!). Just message Rachel Jupp and she will send you all the details – 07890 323 467.

Parenting Event

To mark May's Mental Health Week, on both 24th and 25th May, there will be a 1-hour session on supporting our mental health as parents, using Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT or Tapping). It'll be between 9.45am to 10.45am at Moon, 63 Chetwynd Road, NW5 1BX. Booking is by donation, with proceeds going to the Brookfield Forest Garden Project. If you'd like more info or want to book, here's the link - https://www.mwhealth.co.uk/destressing-parenthood-with-eft/

Foster Care Fortnight

This week and next, is Foster Care fortnight. Please see the attached poster FCA Recruitment Poster

Camden Early Help

Everyone needs a little help sometimes. If you're feeling worried about your child, or you want to make a change in your life, Camden Early Help is here for you, your children and your whole family.

What we offer

• Free support service for families with children aged 0 to 19 in Camden
• Practical and emotional support with a range of life issues
• Working with you and your family to help make changes
• Helping you and your family to feel connected in your community. ​

Please click here for further information

Managing Debt

If you owe money and you’re struggling to pay your bills:

• get in touch with an organisation like Debtline for free and confidential advice
• speak to the organisation you owe money to – for Council Tax arrears, call 020 7974 6414
• ask your energy supplier for temporary credit if you cannot top-up a pre-payment meter
• use Citizens Advice's budgeting tool to set out your income and expenditure
• do not ignore letters or bills about money you owe. Contact a local organisation in the Camden Advice Network or call a national advice organisation such as StepChange

Energy suppliers might be able to let you pay in smaller amounts or take a break from payments. You might also be able to apply for a grant to pay off energy debts.

If you need to take out a loan, do not approach a loan shark or take out a payday loan. Consider credit unions or other ethical loan providers. Find out more at credit-union.coop, call 020 7561 1786 or email info@credit-union.coop.

If you owe a loan shark money, or if you’re being threatened, get confidential help from Stop Loan Sharks.

If you don’t know where to turn, call us on 020 7974 4444 (option 9) or contact Citizens Advice Camden.

Cost of living Crisis Fund

If you're struggling to afford essentials such as food, energy bills or housing, you may be eligible for a £500 payment through our Cost of Living Crisis Fund.

How to apply:

There are several ways to apply for support from our Cost of Living Crisis Fund. you can

• call Citizens Advice Camden on 0808 278 7835
• if you're a council tenant, you can also speak to your neighbourhood housing officer 
• if you're a private renter, you can also email us COLprivaterenter@camden.gov.uk or contact Camden Federation of Private Tenants on 020 7383 0151
• Contact one of the organisations in Camden Advice Network

Please see : https://www.camden.gov.uk/financial-support-for-residents1​ for further information.

Climate Action update

First clothes swaps arranged through the new WhatsApp chats took place at the infants' playground this week! Very exciting to see some lovely summer items finding their new home.

Do join and tell your friends!

For juniors, join here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Hyy4fJN0PPREtLLNO25CWO

For infants, join here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HgnPDcbwbKAI2crMhjs6zK

International Day for Biodiversity

On May 22, we celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity. Biodiversity is essential for the stability of the planet, not to mention that ecosystems provide us with fresh water, food, and even medicine. For this environmental day, why not take a hike and appreciate your local biodiversity? Or head to your local library and pick up a book about nature, plants, animals, ecosystems, and more!

Fun fact: butterflies have been around for at least 50 million years! Their fragility makes them quick to react to change so their struggle to survive is a serious warning about our environment.

Growing Green Open Garden

On Sunday 21st May, 11am-3pm at 35 Langbourne Avenue. Come for cake and tea and a wander around, perhaps getting inspired for some wild corners in your own garden. There will also be a raffle with some great wellness prizes and pre-owned clothes sale. See https://www.growinggreen.org.uk/fundraising for more information. This event will support the forest garden fundraiser.

And finally, here are some ECO TIPS from the eco committee that the kids wanted to share with everyone:

-          Always recycle (Edie, Heather)

-          Take part in walk to school week and walk to school as much as possible (Flora, Ash)

-          Trees are important because they turn carbon dioxide into oxygen (Hushiar, Bramble)

-          Try to plant some bee-friendly plants in your playground (Kiana, Ash and Cecily, Fern)

-          Plant plants in your garden, windowsills, community gardens and balconies – as many places as you can! (Edie, Heather)

-          Recycle materials with eco-friendly crafts (Kiana, Ash)

Cycling for the Planet

Both Camden and Islington councils are offering free cycle training courses for kids aged 5 and up over the half term (Camden prioritises those over 8). Check the following links for times and locations: Camden https://www.camden.gov.uk/cycle-skills-and-bike-maintenance-courses#lyyy