Here are a few items from the September 2011 Newsletter that you may find helpful

Attendance & Punctuality
Please try to get your child to school, unless there is a valid reason for absence. Our attendance target is 95%. At the time of the inspection we were at 93.7% and our best week in July was 94.9%!

Any requests for holidays in term-time will continue to be considered on an individual basis and will not be authorised during the SATs week for year 6 pupils.

Please also try to get to school on time. Doors open at 8:45am and close 5 minutes later. Tasks are set for the children during the registration period, which is an essential part of the curriculum. If your child is consistently late, this will be investigated by Mrs Hoy, Mrs Thomas and myself. The registration period is also a time when key information and messages are given by the teacher to the children. If you are struggling to get the children to school on time, why not consider out Breakfast Club, which opens its doors at 8:00am. Further details from the school office or Mrs Ellerington.

Gold Book Assembly
Our Gold Book Assembly is held on Fridays. Children are either in the Gold Book in recognition of a good piece of work or they receive the Headteacher’s Certificate, which recognises kindness, manners or good citizenship. From this term onwards, parents will be joining us for this celebratory assembly. If your child is receiving recognition on the Friday, you will receive a letter from the office on the preceding Tuesday. Hopefully you will be able to join us. If you are unable to join us due to work or other commitments, a member of your extended family may wish to come along in your behalf. Refreshments will be served afterwards. If your child does not have a family member present, he/she will join a member of the senior leadership team or myself for post-assembly refreshments.

Breakfast Club
You may have read my recent letter about our Breakfast Club. Some schools are discontinuing this facility, others are considering charging. At the moment, we are not charging, but this could be reviewed at any point this year. What we are requesting is that, if your child(ren) attend the Breakfast Club on a regular basis, please could you make a voluntary donation of at least 50p per week? This goes towards its funding and towards toys and games for the children to play with when they have eaten their breakfast.

School Uniform/PE Kit/Indoor Shoes
Is your child ‘kitted out’ ready for the new term?

As you know, our school uniform is red. Some parents buy plain jumpers and cardigans, others buy those with our logo on from the school office. TESCO recently provided the school with a samply jumper, which they were going to offer as an online purchase. Mrs Silburn decided that, although the wuality was on a par with the merchandise we stock, the overall cost came to more than we charge at school. Obviously if their costs come down we will reconsider their garments.

Please make sure your child has indoor shoes, particularly as the weather will worsen soon. Black plimsolls are fine, as are sensible slippers. Our school is then free of mud and your children’s feet are then ‘comfy and cosy’.

All that we request for PE is a plain, white T-shirt and navy or black shorts. This stops boys turning up in the latest soccer or rugby strips and the girls wearing fashion tops, both of which can be saved for the weekend. There may still be some outdoor PE sessions, weather permitting. If this is happening, you may of course provide your child with joggin bottoms and a tracksuit top, if required. Phase leaders will be sending you an overview of the curriculum this term and on what day your child will do PE.

The School Grounds
Please discourage your child from using the Adventure Playgrounds before and after school. The children have plenty of time to access them during playtimes and lunchtimes. The bars could be slippery on early autumnal mornings and the ground below is muddy.

You may have noticed our new benches and planters, which we hope to fill gradually. The Foundation Stage has also acquired a super new playhouse for the children. We hope the children have endless hours of role-play fun in there.

Our hall has been repainted and brightened up along with other maintenance work which has taken place throughout the Summer holiday. Years 5/6 children have brand new tables and seating. Mrs Haseldine’s classroom has been fitted out with a new Smartboard and other computer hardware, complete with accompanying animation software, which the whole school can access.

Mrs A Hird,
Headteacher