Si Ri Panya News | 2026–27 Issue 8
15 October 2026
Half-Term: The Value of Slowing Down
And just like that, we have reached the end of our first half-term!
It has been a wonderful few weeks at Si Ri Panya, and this week's newsletter gives you a glimpse of just how varied school life can be. From Year 1 launching rockets into the sky and Year 5 investigating friction, to mindfulness, creativity and plenty of discoveries along the way, there has certainly been no shortage of activity!
But now it's time for a change of pace.
I sometimes think that, as adults, we feel the need to fill every moment of a child's day with something productive. Lessons, activities, clubs, experiences, opportunities. All wonderful things, of course, but there is also something to be said for simply doing nothing.
Children need time to play without instructions, explore without a particular goal, get a little bored, use their imaginations and discover things for themselves.
Not every moment needs to be productive to be valuable.
I hope this half-term gives our students the opportunity to enjoy some of those simple pleasures, whether that means adventures with friends, time with family, reading a good book or simply having a few days without the usual routines.
To our students, well done on a fantastic first half-term. To our staff, thank you for your hard work and dedication. And to our parents, thank you for your continued support.
Have a wonderful half-term break. I look forward to welcoming everyone back for the second half of Term 1.
Warm wishes,
On behalf of the Senior Leadership Team
Student Council Has Spoken… We Want Guinea Pigs!
Our Primary Student Council has made one wish particularly clear (with one student leading the campaign!) — they would love to have guinea pigs at school!
We've had guinea pigs at Si Ri Panya before, and we'd be delighted to welcome them back. We already have a lovely enclosure and are happy to purchase the guinea pigs, provided we can ensure suitable conditions and responsible care throughout the year.
But we need some help from our parents!
Guinea pigs need care every day, including weekends and school holidays. We're looking for parent volunteers willing to take them home and care for them on a rota, particularly during our longer Christmas and summer holidays.
Could you help us make this student wish a reality?
If you could volunteer for an occasional weekend or holiday, please contact headprimary@siripanya.com.
With a little help from our school community, we could soon have some furry new additions to Si Ri Panya!
Slippery Science! Year 5 Put Friction to the Test
This week in Science, Year 5 explored the fascinating world of friction, investigating how different surfaces affect the way objects move.
The children put balls, hockey pucks, plastic trays with ice, and smooth and scrunched-up tin foil to the test, even recreating their own mini ice hockey rink! They also tested bike wheels on gravel, grass and the bike track to see how different surfaces affected their movement.
Their discoveries? Smooth surfaces, such as plastic trays and flat tin foil, created less friction, allowing objects to slide and roll more easily. Rougher surfaces created greater friction, slowing objects down or bringing them to a stop.
A fun, hands-on investigation that brought Science to life!
Christmas Performance – Save the Date 🎄
Our Primary Christmas performances will take place on Tuesday 8 December. Pupils are already busy practising their songs in school, and families are very welcome to practise them at home too! 🎶
Year 1: We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Year 2: We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Year 3: Last Christmas
Year 4: Village Green Preservation Society
Year 5: Hey Jude
Year 6: Working 9 to 5
Further details about performance times will follow nearer the date.
🚀 3, 2, 1… Blast Off! Year 1 Reach for the Stars!
Year 1 brought their Power of Reading lessons to life this week with a rocket launch inspired by their latest book, Look Up! by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola.
The story follows a young girl with big dreams of becoming an astronaut, inspired by Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space. She dreams of exploring the universe and even having a meteor shower named after her one day!
It's a wonderful story that encourages children to dream big, overcome challenges and believe in what they can achieve through determination and hard work.
But Year 1 didn't stop at reading about space… they decided to launch their very own rocket!
Using a plastic bottle, baking soda and vinegar, our young scientists created a chemical reaction that sent their rocket blasting into the sky from the grounds of Si Ri Panya!
Who knows? We may have a future astronaut or two among us! 🚀
The Year 7 Hand-Eye Coordination Challenge!
Year 7 have been developing their hand-eye coordination, focus and reaction times through fun tennis ball reaction games in Physical Education!
Did you know? Tennis ball reaction games train your brain to process information quickly, improve hand-eye coordination, sharpen focus and react faster!
Learning through play at its best! Watch our Year 7 students in action and see if you can rise to the challenge yourself! 🎾
Year 5 RE Day: Exploring Peace Through Mindfulness and Art
As part of our RE Day exploring the theme of Peace, Year 5 visited Orion, where pupils experienced a guided meditation and sound heali
ng session.
The visit encouraged pupils to reflect on what peace means, both within themselves and in their relationships with others. Back at school, they continued exploring the theme through Art, creating mandalas and symbols of peace.
A special thank you to Daliah and Sage at Orion for their warm welcome, thoughtful activities and refreshments.
Staying Safe and Confident Online: Secondary Digital Literacy
At Si Ri Panya, we believe one of the most important things we can do as a school is help our students stay safe and feel confident exploring the world around them.
With so much of modern life taking place online, our Digital Literacy lessons play an important role in preparing students to make informed, responsible choices when using online tools, apps and platforms.
This half term, Year 9 have been researching how people can engage positively in online communities while keeping themselves safe. They then shared their findings with their classmates.
Meanwhile, Year 7 have been creating their own Digital Identity Cards, each including two pieces of advice for their peers and one personal promise to help themselves stay safe online.
Important life skills for an increasingly digital world!
🌼 Reminder: Year 1 Admissions – September 2027
Year 1 admissions are now open for children who will be five years old by 31 August 2027.
Current Si Ri Panya families: Register now for our November sibling-priority pre-assessments. Sibling priority applies to November only.
New families: Expressions of interest are welcome, with school tours available now and group pre-assessments taking place in January 2027.
📧 To register your interest or book a tour, contact admissions@siripanya.com.
Leaps & Beats October Holiday Camp⭐
Leaps & Beats Kids Camp returns this half-term for five days of active, creative and outdoor activities for children aged 5–11.
📅 19–23 October
🤸 Daily or weekly bookings available
Children can enjoy a varied programme including multi-sports, cooking, arts and crafts, outdoor adventures, STEM activities and more.
Spaces are limited.👉 Register here
For further information, contact kimberley.f@siripanya.com.
Key Dates at a Glance
Parent & Friends Committee Meeting 13-Oct
Bottle Cap Challenge Deadlien 15-Oct
Halloween Costume Celebration 30-Oct
Bugsy Malone - Secondary Drama Performance 29 & 30 April
View all important school dates and events for 2026–27 on our homepage.
🌟 Weekly Reminders
🚗 Drop-off & Pick-up
Drop-off: from 8:30 a.m.
Primary pick-up: 2:50 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. for ASA
Secondary pick-up: 4:00 p.m.
Please be punctual.
🤒 Absence
Please inform your child’s class teacher (Primary) or form tutor (Secondary) if they are absent or unwell.
👕 Uniform
Please ensure your child wears the correct uniform each day.Primary Order Form | Secondary Order Form
🍎 Healthy Routines
Please send healthy snacks only, check regularly for head lice, and keep long hair tied back.
📖 Library Books
Please return any school library books to the Primary or Secondary library.
🎂 Birthdays
Primary birthdays (Years 1–6) are celebrated on Fridays at 2:00 p.m. during Enrichment Time. Secondary birthdays (Years 7–11) are celebrated during tutor time.
♻️ Bottle Caps
We continue to collect bottle caps for our Precious Plastic Project. Collection point: outside the Primary gate.Find out more about the Precious Plastic Project
🌬️ No Idling
Please switch off engines while waiting outside school.
📘 Family Handbook
For full school guidance, routines and expectations, please refer to our Primary and Secondary Family Handbooks.
Si Ri Panya News — Previous Issues
Explore earlier issues of Si Ri Panya News via our school blog archive.
