Keep up to date with all the news happening in school at the moment.

• The EFJS Choir 2011

  Mon 20 Jun 2011
  Recently our Choir and Orchestra performed at the Cliffs Pavilion along with several other schools in the annual School's Music Festival.
  The theme this year was 'The last ten years', taking the favourite songs that have been performed over the past ten years!
  
  The day before they performed so wonderfully at the Cliffs Pavilion they treated the school to a short performance of their personal favourite songs from this year's collection.
  
  Below are videos of the choir singing, they may take a while to load but believe me they are definitely worth the wait.

• Buddhism Day / Car Exclusion Day / DT Week

  Sun 29 May 2011
  There have been quite a few whole school events over the past couple of weeks and I have not been able to keep up with posting information / photographs from them, so have decided to combine them all on this one page!
  
  
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  On Tuesday 17th May, the whole school came off timetable to spend a day learning and thinking about the Buddhist faith.
  The day was organised by Mrs McKay and involved assemblies, meditation and learning through stories, artwork and discussion.
  Below are some photographs from the assemblies and of the resulting display.
  
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  On Wednesday 18th May, along with all the Infant / Junior / Primary schools within Hockley, Rayleigh and Hullbridge, we took part in a Car Exclusion Day.
  We were hoping that we would be able to keep Uplands Park Road as clear of traffic as possible to show how a clear road outside a school is a safe road. We had staff, school councillors and councillors from Rayleigh Town Council watching the road that day.
  The photographs below, taken at ten minute intervals from 8am, show that this was a great success.
  We would also like to thank the 85 signatories to the 'safety pledge' that was on the back of the leaflet distributed on Monday 16th May and displayed outside the school on the day.
  Even though these signatures correspond to just 95 children within the school (less than half) we are pleased so many of you agreed to the pledges and signed up.
  
  However as the note from the school council on the recent newsletter shows, the change was only fleeting as it was soon back to the dangers seen previously.
  
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  During the week beginning 23rd May, the whole school took part in a DT Week organised by Mr Keeler.
  Each year group was given a specific vehicle related task to complete within the week, starting from scratch with minimal help from adults.
  I think it is fair to say, form the feedback the children supplied, that the majority of them found this task challenging but rewarding.
  photographs from the week can be found on the individual Year Pages, under a link called DT WEEK 2011.
  
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• Digital Photograph Competition

  Fri 27 May 2011
   

  The Big Picture means just that – a competition and an opportunity to photograph and record images that demonstrate how important our green spaces are to plant life and the diverse range of animals and insects that depend on them.

  Young people in three different countries – the UK, Belgium and The Netherlands – will simultaneously take part in The Big Picture initiative, which ends in June. Each will be charged with creating a visual record of green spaces near to where they live.

  Launched by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council in partnership with the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), the Rotterdam Water Board and the Flemish Land Agency, it is expected that schools across the Continent will take part to provide a lasting record of our valuable green spaces.

   

  Grab an Entry Form

   

  All entries must be received by June 1st 2011 to be included and will later form an exhibition. 

   

  Grab an entry form to join the Big Picture from the website.

  
  After filling out your form submit your photos on disc to:

  The Big Picture,
  Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
  Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue
  Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS2 6ER

   

  Alternatively you can submit you photos on-line, http://bigpicture.cfanewmedia.co.uk/

   

  PRIZES

   

  Olympus are pleased to sponsor the “Big Picture” competition and are offering 10 of their top of the range digital cameras as prizes. Nine will go to the winning youngsters with a further camera being presented to the school with the pupil judged to have taken the best picture overall.

   

  TERMS & CONDITIONS

   

  1. The judge’s decision is final

  2. All entries received after June 1st will not be considered.

  3. The winners in each category will receive new SZ-20 Olympus cameras, runner-ups will receive alternative Olympus models. The school with the student judged to have the best picture overall, will also receive an Olympus SZ-20 camera

  4. Children aged 5-15 are eligible to enter via their schools or colleges or individually.

  5. All details of every picture supplied must accompany each image.

  6. The judges reserve the right to disqualify entrants who fail to abide by these terms and conditions.

  7. The organisers reserve the right to use any images that are entered for publicity or media services

  8. Neither Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, Rochford District Council or the organisers bear any responsibility for lost or damaged images

• Pre-Royal Wedding 'Red, White and Blue' Day Photographs

  Thu 28 Apr 2011

  Today at EFJS we got a bit patriotic in celebration of the Royal Wedding.
  
  We wore red, white and blue.
  Some of us made patriotic hats.
  We all had a picnic on the field (despite it being a little cold!) . . . and when I say 'all', I mean the teachers as well.
  Then at the end of our assembly today we sang the National Anthem.

  

• Swimming 2011

  Mon 25 Apr 2011
  Please note swimming is to start this year on Tuesday 26th April.
  
  The timetable for the 1st half term is as follows:
  
  Monday       - Year 3, am     Year 6, pm
  Tuesday      - Year 4, am     Year 6, pm
  Wednesday - Year 5, am     Catch up sessions, pm

• Painted egg competition 2011

  Fri 08 Apr 2011
  Well done to all those children who entered the painted egg competition!  Entries were of a very high standard and it was difficult to pick winners from each year group.  Winners were:
  
  Y3 - Jessica and Isabella 
  Y4 - Daniel and Chloe 
  Y5 - Hannah and Taylor 
  Y6 - Carys and Jamie

  

• EFJS Mill Hall & School Hall Art Exhibitions

  Wed 06 Apr 2011
  On Thursday 31st March and Friday 1st April we exhibited some art work, along with several other Rayleigh schools, at the Mill Hall along the theme of 'Where We Live'.
  Work from all year groups was taken and displayed. Also two groups of year 6 children were able to visit the Mill Hall and take part in various art activities whilst there.
  
  The following Monday (4th April) we held an exhibition in the school hall after school displaying a wider range of work from across the whole school.
  
  A big thank you to Mrs Dunt and Miss Canning for organising and putting together our art displays at the Mill Hall and all the teaching staff, support staff and children for their artistic efforts.
  
  If you were unable to attend either exhibition we hope you enjoy the photographs below showing both exhibitions.

  

• No Music Festival Rehearsal on 4th April

  Fri 01 Apr 2011
   Due to the In-School Art Exhibition on Monday after school, there will be no Music Festival rehearsal.

• Visit to School by Author - E R Reilly

  Tue 22 Mar 2011

  Today we had a visit from the published children's author E R Reilly.
  
  He talked to the children about the books he has written, gave them some 'top tips' on story writing and read parts of some of his stories as well.
  
  There were also lots of opportunities for the children to talk to each other about his stories and ideas they have for stories!
  
  He then took questions from the children, who asked him questions about the number of books he has written (13), what his favourite book is (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and where he got some of his ideas from.

  Your child will have bought a letter home today outlining the E R Reilly books that you are able to purchase form the school over the coming days. The books are priced between £5 and £6.
  
  Thank you to Mrs Humphreys for organising this visit.
  
  For more information about E R Reilly and his books visit his own website:http://www.er-reilly.co.uk/.

  

• Comic Relief 2011 - Photos added

  Fri 18 Mar 2011
  Today instead of the sea of blue we usually see in assembly and on the playground, we saw a sea of red. Red shirts, red hats, red shoes, red glasses, red hair & wigs and of course red noses.
  
  As a school we raised over £250 for Comic Relief today, so well done to all of you!
  
  A special mention goes to the children who made and sold bookmarks to boost our Comic Relief coffers.
  
  Uploaded below are some photos taken on the day and some scanned in pictures (which is why they don't show up on the page until you click them!) of some red nose designs the Year 6 children completed today.