Weekly Blog Friday 5th December 2025
Date: 3rd Dec 2025 @ 12:24pm
Attendance
Every week in our Celebration Assembly, we celebrate the class who has achieved the highest attendance for that week. This week Mrs Ward & Mrs Walker's class had the highest attendance with 99.03%. Well done Year 2!
Please see below for the attendance figures for this week. The target attendance for all children is currently set at 97%.
Nursery - 85.71%
Reception - 95.34%
Year 1 Mrs Davies - 95.93%
Year 2 Mrs Ward & Mrs Walker - 99.03%
Year 3 Mrs Ronan & Mrs Wood - 98.81%
Year 4 Mrs Parkes - 97.92%
Year 5 Mrs Pickersgill - 96.17%
Year 6 Miss Dunn - 97.58%
We were very excited to see that during our HERO week last week, the attendance was the highest it has been since half term exceeding our school target of 97%. Well done everyone!
Celebrating fantastic attendance!
Each week, each class with 100% attendance on a particular day will receive one letter from the word MAYFLOWER to put on their classroom door. Once a class has spelt out the word MAYFLOWER, a member of the class will bring all their letters down to the office to claim their prize from our box of Awesome Attendance Activities!
Please see below where each class stands at the end of today:
Nursery - M A Y F L O W E R M A Y F L O W E R M A Y F L
Reception - M A Y F L O W E R M A Y F L O W E R M
Year 1 - M A Y F L O W E R M A Y F L O W E
Year 2 - M A Y F L O W E R M A Y F L O W E R M A Y F L O W E R M A
Year 3 - M A Y F L O W E R M A Y F L O W E R M A Y F L O W E R M A
Year 4 - M A Y F L O W E R M A Y F L O W E R M A Y
Year 5 - M A Y F L O W E R M A Y F L O
Year 6 - M A Y F L O W E R M A Y F L O W E R M A Y F L O W E R M A Y F
This week, Year 2 and Year 3 completed MAYFLOWER for the third time. These classes will be choosing their rewards to enjoy next week. Well done!
Stars of the week
Each week in our Friday Celebration Assembly, we celebrate our stars of the week. Each class teacher chooses 2 children from their class each week who have really impressed them. Here are the children who have been chosen this week.
Nursery
Charlie has been chosen as star of the week this week as he has been doing some really good sharing in the playdough area. He has been sharing out the dough and ensuring that everybody has enough. He is becoming a lot more confident and sharing his ideas and thoughts with others more than he was doing.
Sophie is always kind and thoughtful towards the other children, she helps others with tasks such as putting on their coats. She is good at identifying if someone needs help and will fetch an adult to help them if she can’t help them herself.
Reception
Our first star of the week is always thinking of others in everything that she does. She always shares resources and gives other children a turn with activities before herself and without being asked to. She helps her friends making sure to return their lost belongings or to find the owner of something that is lost. Her thoughtful actions make such a big difference in our class. Well done for being such a kind hearted superstar Tiana 🙂
Our second star is such a kind hearted person that always looks out for others. He is a quieter member of the class but his kind actions don't go unnoticed by everyone. He always thinks about how his actions make others feel and makes gentle, kind choices everyday. Thank you for helping to make our classroom a caring and happy place, well done Hughie 🙂
Year 1
This week we have been thinking about advent and what it is like to be thoughtful and think of others in our actions.
Riley is proving himself to be a thoughtful and kind young man. He is the first to offer comfort if someone is hurt or upset. His smile, hugs, thoughtful actions and kind words always make others feel better. Thank you, Riley.
Ronnie has been trying really hard to ensure that he remembers to use kind words and actions towards others. He helps to tidy the classroom, offers to play with other children and always has a kind word for the adults in the class. Keep up the good work, Ronnie.
Year 2
This week's Stars of the Week are for children who are thoughtful and think of others in their actions.
Cole always shows kindness and consideration towards his peers. He helps others achieve their best, often offering his own resources or equipment when they can't find theirs. He even gave up his seat for a child in Reception who didn't have one. He steps up to help both adults and children in the classroom, whether by tidying, sharing equipment or giving things out. Cole's thoughtful actions make our classroom a better place, and we are incredibly proud of the caring and supportive attitude he shows. Well done, Cole!
David always thinks of others in both his actions and the words he chooses. He speaks with kindness and respect, carefully considering the feelings of others before he acts. He takes time to truly listen to those around him and supports them to achieve their best. His thoughtful choices help everyone feel respected, valued and understood. During Pupil Voice this week, we talked about a new Advent Year, he was especially eager to explore all the ways he could help improve other people's day and year. We are so proud of the kindness and thoughtfulness David shows us every day. Well done, David!
Year 3
This week, all adults in Year 3 have noticed how thoughtful Jacob has been this week. He always works hard in class but on top of that he has supported other children and organised resources without asking. Jacob has noticed when other children could not do a job and he has stepped in to do it for them. He has been incredibly thoughtful, using his initiative to make sure the classroom areas are tidy and ready for other people to learn. Thank you, Jacob!
David has shown over the last few weeks how kind and caring he is. This week, the adults particularly noticed how he is looking out for one of his friends. He helps as much as he can and always volunteers to be his partner or show him where to go. David has also been an incredible help to the adults in class around the classroom by handing out work and making sure everyone has everything they need. Thank you, David!
Year 4
This week we have been thinking about advent and what it is like to be thoughtful and think of others in our actions.
Libby - This week, Libby has shown high levels of empathy towards others all week. She often puts others first - showing patience and support when it is needed. I have witnessed Libby offering guidance to peers that has enabled them to succeed. Libby is a kind and caring child, who is a fantastic friend to others. She often comes to me if she feels there is something that needs addressing to ensure that her friends are looked after, always putting their feelings first.
Sadie - This week, Sadie has impressed me with her ability to put others first. She can offer support and guidance to her peers in a calm and respectful way, enabling others to succeed. Her determination in maths has particularly impressed me this week, pushing herself to multiply numbers using a formal written method. Keep it up Sadie.
Year 5
People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But, people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou
Evelyn is kind and thoughtful; she always celebrates the achievements of others and supports her peers on their learning journeys. She will always try to boost her friends' confidence with encouragement, particularly when they encounter challenges. Thank you for always being everyone's cheerleader!!
Oscar is thoughtful and considerate; he always looks out for other people and often puts others before himself. He is a friend to all; demonstrating kindness all the time through the things he does and the things he says. He always treats others the way he would like to be treated. Thank you for always being you!!
Year 6
The theme across school this week has been focussed on advent and the idea of giving. Children have been encouraged to think of others and to think about what they could give - in terms of time, kindness and small acts - to help others and to just make them smile. This weeks Stars of the Week in Year 6 have been chosen with this in mind:
Rory - Rory took part in the Year 5/6 football tournament at The Keepmoat Stadium last week and was exceptional; he played as part of a team, motivated others and despite setbacks and the weather working against the team, didn't once show defeat or let his focus slip from the end goal. Mrs Pickersgill was so impressed with you, Rory, and we are very proud of you.
Hermione - Hermione is always thinking of others and putting them before herself. She is a kind, compassionate and thoughtful friend who goes above and beyond for the people she cares about, checking in with them and doing what she can to cheer them up when they feel down, offering kind words of reassurance and trying to make them laugh. Your friends are very lucky to have you, Hermione.
Headteacher Award & Shout Outs
Each week in our Celebration Assembly, Mrs Powell chooses someone who has really impressed her during the week and presents them with her Headteacher Award. My superstar award this week goes to someone who always puts others first. When it comes to helping others and having a completely selfless attitude to all that they do, Lucy does this. She is kind and will always try to help in whatever way she can. Well done Lucy, you really do embrace and live out our ‘thinking of others’ theme for this week.
My ‘shout-outs’ for giving 100% to the MAYFLOWER WAY this week go to Hugo (Y1), Daniel (Y2) and our Bawtry Hall choir. Well done!
Makaton Sign Of The Week
The children are continuing to learn Makaton's 'Sign of the week' each week. Each Monday, the children learn the new sign for that week. We thought it would be useful to share the following week's sign with parents/carers on our Friday blog so you can get involved too if you wish.
During Advent, there will be a sign each day on the Makaton website as part of their 'Countdown to Christmas'. Please click on the link below to visit the Makaton website - the Countdown to Christmas is on the right, about halfway down that page.
Flu vaccinations
If your child hasn't had their flu vaccination recently and you would like them to have it, the health bus will be at the following locations:
Saturday 13th December 2025 – Lakeside Village – 09:00-15:30
Saturday 16th January 2026 – Lakeside Village – 09:00-15:30
You will need to complete a consent form prior to attending one of these sessions. Please contact the vaccination team by calling 03000211840 or 03000211841 and they will be able to send you our school's individual consent link.
No parking in school car parks please
Despite our previous reminders, there are still parents/carers parking in the school car park, particularly during drop off and collection for the breakfast and after school club. The school car parks are for staff and school visitors only, so please ensure that you are parking in the streets around school if you need to drive to drop off or collect your child.
Christmas church service Wednesday 17th December
Our Christmas Service for children from Year 1 to Year 6 will take place on the morning of Wednesday 17th December (this is a change of date from the date that was originally on the school blog and Year 1 will now also be joining us). We will be leaving school to walk to St Nicholas' church straight after morning registration. If you would like to walk to and from church with us to enjoy the service, please let your child's class teacher or the school office know that you will be joining us.
On the day of our visit to Church, if you will be joining us please come to the school office after dropping your child off to class on that morning.
We are usually back at school around 11am.
School office closed on Tuesday afternoons
Quick reminder that the school office is closed every Tuesday afternoon from 3.10pm. On a Tuesday, as the phone lines also close at 3.10pm emails are checked prior to the office staff leaving, so if there is anything urgent that needs passing on to your child's class teacher this will be passed on before school starts on a Wednesday morning.
Christmas Chocolate Raffle
Tickets for our annual Christmas chocolate raffle are now on sale, priced at £1 per strip of 5 tickets. Thank you to those who have donated items to help us to create three deluxe chocolate hampers for this raffle. If you haven't yet donated and would like to, please bring your items in over the next couple of weeks.
Tickets for the chocolate raffle will be sold at all our upcoming events in the lead up to Christmas.
The raffle will be drawn on the last day of term.
Christmas Postbox
Our Christmas postbox is now in the main entrance near the school office. If your child would like to send Christmas cards to their friends, they can pop their cards in the postbox and they will be delivered to class as soon as possible.
Please make sure the name of the child the card is for is on the envelope, together with their year group. It would also be really helpful if the cards could have an elastic band round them or be in a small bag if they are all for the same class please, to help speed up delivery.
PTA Christmas Events
Christmas Jumper Shop
Our fabulous PTA have some exciting events planned in the lead up to Christmas. Next week, they will be opening a pop up Christmas jumper shop. If you have any Christmas jumpers that your child has grown out of and would like to donate them to our PTA, please bring them to the school office on Monday. All items will be reasonably priced and proceeds from the shop will benefit all Mayflower pupils.
Name The Reindeer
Can you help choose a name for our reindeer? Look out for the name the reindeer game at events this month. Just £1-a-square to be in with a chance to win a cute Christmas hamper or one of our Santa goodie mugs. Lots of names to choose from - pick your favourite! Winners to be drawn in the final week of term.
Christmas Shop
Next Friday, 12th December our PTA will be holding their annual Christmas shop. For those new to school, the PTA have a wide range of gifts available for the children to buy for their loved ones (and maybe a little something for themselves!). Please see their poster below for further details.
If you would like your child to visit the shop, please make sure they bring their money with them next Friday. Mrs Walker and Miss Argo can't guarantee that any money brought in after the start of the school day will reach your child before they visit the shop. The office also doesn't have any cash now, so isn't able to provide any change for the shop. Please therefore ensure that if you have more than one child, they have their own money for the shop.
Spreading Christmas Cheer!
This week, some of our children were invited to sing at the annual Bawtry Residents Christmas Lunch at Bawtry Hall. This has become an annual tradition for us and we felt very privileged to be able to take part again. The children loved practising the songs and actions and sharing their joy for singing with the residents and we hope it helped to spread some extra Christmas joy in our local community.
Health Support
Christmas activity
Lunch Menu for week commencing 8th December 2025
Please see the menu below for next week. Mrs Stanfield, our School Cook, will continue to monitor the children's likes and dislikes and there may be changes to these menus in light of these.
Diary Dates
Please see below our current diary dates. It may be that there are dates on here that involve your child that you haven't had any information for yet. Please don't worry, information will come out in plenty of time prior to the date concerned. Dates that have been added since the last blog are shown in bold.
2025-2026 School Year
2025
Monday 8th December - Key Stage 1 nativity dress rehearsal 10.30am
Tuesday 9th December - Foundation Stage nativity dress rehearsal 10am
Tuesday 9th December - Key Stage 1 nativity performance 2pm
Wednesday 10th December - Foundation Stage nativity performance 10.30am
Wednesday 10th December - Key Stage 1 nativity performance 2pm
Thursday 11th December - Foundation Stage nativity performance 10.30am
Friday 12th December - PTA Christmas Shop during the school day
Monday 15th December - some KS2 children visiting the Nourish session at the church hall - further details to follow to parents of those children involved
Tuesday 16th December - Nursery & Reception Christmas craft morning straight after morning drop off
Tuesday 16th December - Christmas Dinner Day
Tuesday 16th December - Christmas Jumper Day
Wednesday 17th December - ***CHANGE OF DATE*** Christmas church service St Nicholas' church for Year 1 to Year 6 - walking to church straight after morning registration. All welcome to walk to church and back with us. ***CHANGE OF DATE***
Wednesday 17th December - Inclusion Open Morning - places to be pre-booked ***CANCELLED*** If you would still like to speak to our inclusion team, please contact the school office to make a separate appointment
Wednesday 17th December - panto in school PM
Wednesday 17th December - Carols round the tree and Christmas Market
Thursday 18th December - Christmas Party clothes/non-uniform for our last day at school
Thursday 18th December - Christmas Party Day including party food for lunch
Thursday 18th December - last day at school before Christmas holidays
Thursday 18th December - Christmas Chocolate raffle being drawn during the school day
Friday 19th December - Training Day - school closed to pupils
Monday 22nd December to Friday 2nd January - Christmas holidays
2026
Monday 5th January - Training Day - school closed to pupils
Tuesday 6th January - first day back after Christmas holidays
Thursday 15th January - closing date for applications for Reception for September 2026
Monday 19th January - Year 1 Road Safety presentation
Tuesday 27th January - Inclusion Open Morning - places to be pre-booked
Tuesday 10th February - Choir perform at Young Voices concert at Sheffield Utilita Arena - further details to follow
Wednesday 11th February - non-uniform day - no donations requested
Wednesday 11th February - PTA discos - Nursery, Reception, Year 1 & Year 2 3.10pm to 3.50pm (Nursery & Reception parents to stay at the disco with their children). Years 3 to 6 4pm to 4.45pm
Friday 13th February - last day at school before half term
Monday 16th February to Friday 20th February - half term
Monday 23rd February - first day back after half term
Tuesday 24th February - Inclusion Open Morning - places to be pre-booked
Wednesday 11th March - Reception visit to Boston Park Farm - parents to drop off and collect from Boston Park Farm
Friday 13th March - PTA Gifts for a loved one shop during the school day
Wednesday 18th March - Rocksteady concert 2pm - for those taking part in Rocksteady sessions
Monday 23rd March - Year 6 visit to Crucial Crew
Tuesday 24th March - Inclusion Open Morning - places to be pre-booked
Wednesday 25th March - PTA Easter Egg Hunt during the school day
Friday 27th March - last day at school before Easter holidays
Monday 30th March to Friday 10th April - Easter holidays
Monday 13th April - first day back after Easter holidays
Wednesday 15th April to Friday 17th April - Year 5 residential to Dearne Valley PGL
Tuesday 28th April - Inclusion Open Morning - places to be pre-booked
Monday 4th May - bank holiday - school closed
Monday 11th May to Thursday 14th May - Year 6 SATs
Wednesday 13th May - non-uniform day - no donations requested
Wednesday 13th May - PTA discos - Nursery, Reception, Year 1 & Year 2 3.10pm to 3.50pm (Nursery & Reception parents to stay at the disco with their children). Years 3 to 6 4pm to 4.45pm
Monday 18th May - Year 1 visit to Austerfield Study Centre
Tuesday 19th May - Inclusion Open Morning - places to be pre-booked
Tuesday 19th May - Year 3 parents meeting for Austerfield residential
Wednesday 20th May to Friday 22nd May - Year 6 London residential
Friday 22nd May - last day at school before half term
Monday 25th May to Friday 29th May - half term
Monday 1st June - Training Day - school closed
Tuesday 2nd June - first day back after half term
Tuesday 2nd June to Friday 12th June - Year 4 multiplication checks
Wednesday 3rd June - class photos
Monday 8th June to Friday 12th June - Key Stage 1 Phonics screening week
Tuesday 9th June to Wednesday 10th June - Year 3 residential to Austerfield Study Centre
Friday 12th June - Reception visit to Boston Park Farm - parents to drop off and collect from Boston Park Farm
Monday 15th June to Sunday 26th June - Bawtry Festival
Wednesday 17th June - choir taking part in Sing Out concert
Thursday 18th June - Sports Day - times to be confirmed
Friday 19th June - PTA Gifts for a loved one shop during the school day
Wednesday 24th June - Rocksteady & Guitar/Woodwind/Brass concert 2pm - for those taking part in Rocksteady sessions and/or music lessons with Doncaster Music Service
Wednesday 24th June - PTA Summer Fair
Monday 29th June to Wednesday 1st July - Year 4 Hollowford residential
Tuesday 30th June - Inclusion Open Morning - places to be pre-booked
Monday 6th July - Year 6 transition evening at The Hayfield School for parents and children
Tuesday 7th July to Wednesday 8th July - The Hayfield School transition days
Tuesday 7th July to Wednesday 8th July - Queen Elizabeth's High School Gainsborough transition days
Tuesday 7th July to Thursday 9th July - XP Secondary School transition days
Wednesday 8th July - New Parents Evening at Queen Elizabeth's High School Gainsborough
Wednesday 15th July - PTA Colour Run
Friday 17th July - last day at school before Summer holidays
Monday 20th July - Training Day - school closed to pupils
2026-2027 School Year
2026
Wednesday 30th September - individual/sibling photos
2027
Wednesday 2nd June 2027 - class photos
