Thursday, September 19, 2019


During SEPTEMBER we are focusing on the core value of CO-OPERATION

 

Happy AUGUST Birthday to: Jude, Morgan and Connie

Happy SEPTEMBER Birthday to: George, Austin, Finlay and Harry

 

‘Learning never exhausts the mind’- Leonardo da Vinci


Building a Learning Community

 

This week we have been thinking about the importance of Learning. It may sound obvious since we are a school after all, however, we have been considering ways we can make learning more explicit to the children. One simple way is to use the term ‘learning’ as often as possible in our conversations with children. Many interactions happen in and around school where the children can tell you what they are working on or that they are busy doing something but we would like them to be using the language of learning.

Although this sounds like a simple thing, it is about changing a mindset. To this end, try asking your child what they have learned at school rather than what they did. Hopefully you may get a better response than the typical ‘I can’t remember’ or ‘Nothing’!

 

Guitar Lessons

The children enjoyed an assembly on Tuesday led by our guitar teacher, Mr Payne. If your child would like to play the guitar, he does have capacity for some new pupils. If your child is interested, please collect an enrolment form from the office. These should be returned directly to Mr Payne at the address on the form. Guitar lessons will resume on Friday 20th September.

 

Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone and Oboe Lessons

We are also able to offer the opportunity for children to learn flute, clarinet, saxophone or oboe. If your child is interested please contact Elizabeth Livsey at  elizabeth.livsey@oxfordshire.gov.uk for more information.

 

She will be running some ‘Give it a go’ taster sessions later in the term so watch this space!

 

Walking Home From School

Thank you for your patience as we embed this new arrangement. Just to confirm… children are allowed to leave the school premises if we have received the permission form signed by a parent. If we do not have a signed form, we assume your child will be collected from the playground.

 

 

Photographs

We are in the process of updating our school prospectus and school website and would love to include some photographs of the many things that happen in our school. If you would prefer your child not to feature in any publication that is accessible by people beyond the school community, please can you let the office know as soon as possible.

 

Photographer

Fishpole photography will be in school taking individual photographs on Friday 27 September. More information to follow.  

 

Wrap Around Care-Early Birds and Night Owls

A big thank you to Kerri Jones, Anita Rowberry, Vicky Venner and Troy Manzie for all their hard work in launching our wrap around care. The sessions have got off to a flying start. There are spaces available for all sessions both before and after school, so if you are looking for additional child care please do make use of the facilities at school. Contact either Kerri (stadwraparoundcare@gmail.com or 07970 975065) or the school office for further information or a booking form.

 

Silent Auction

As part of our extensive sort out in school we have unearthed this lovely hat/coat stand that we no longer need. A number of people have expressed an interest in it so we have decided to hold a silent auction. If you would like to bid for it, please put your name and the amount you would be willing to pay, into a sealed envelope by 9.00am on Friday 20th September. All proceeds will go to school funds.

 
Swimming
This term Class 2 are swimming on a Monday afternoon. Please can you provide your child with a swimming hat and if your child requires goggles, please collect a permission form from Mrs Shortman.
 
Class 2 & 3 Spellings
If you/your pupil needs reminding of their weekly spellings, this can now be located on our website
 
 

Teams
 During the year there are various times when we group children in different ways. To this end, we would like to begin a house team system. Each child has been allocated a coloured team and we will shortly be introducing a house points system whereby children can earn team points for exceptional learning, teamwork, behaviour or attitudes to school. It will also be the team they are in for sports events. This will hopefully be yet another opportunity for the children to work cooperatively and interact with others from different classes.
 
Forest School
As you know, we are very fortunate to be able to offer Forest School sessions to all children throughout the school.
 
For the sessions to continue, we do, as ever, need volunteer helpers.  If you are able to help at any Forest School session, either on a regular or ad-hoc basis, then please speak to your child’s class teacher or to our Forest School Leader, Melanie Gravett. 
 
Forest School sessions take place for Reception and Year 1 children on a Tuesday morning and for Year 2 children on a Tuesday afternoon.  All other year groups have Forest School sessions on a Thursday morning in rotation as per the timetable sent before the summer holidays (which is also on the website).  We are particularly in need of helpers for the Year 2 sessions on a Tuesday afternoon.
 
September 2019
 
 
Monday
 
 
Tuesday
 
Wednesday
 
Thursday
 
Friday
16
Swimming for Class 2 Pupils
 
17
Reception & Year 1 Forest School – morning
 
Year 2 Forest School  - afternoon
 
18
19
Year 6 Forest School – morning
 
Afterschool Multisports
 
20
23
Swimming for Class 2 Pupils
 
24
Open Morning – 9.15-11.15am
 
Reception & Year 1 Forest School – morning
 
Year 2 Forest School  - afternoon
 
25
26
Year 6 Forest School – morning
 
Afterschool Multisports
 
27
Fishpole photography – individual photographs
 
 
September/October 2019
 
 
Monday
 
 
Tuesday
 
Wednesday
 
Thursday
 
Friday
30
Swimming for Class 2 Pupils
 
1
Reception & Year 1 Forest School – morning
 
Year 2 Forest School  - afternoon
 
2
Science Day
3
Year 5 Forest School – morning
 
Afterschool Multisports
 
4
7
Swimming for Class 2 Pupils
 
8
Reception & Year 1 Forest School – morning
 
Year 2 Forest School  - afternoon
 
9
Open Morning – 9.15-11.15am
 
10
Year 5 Forest School – morning
 
Afterschool Multisports
 
11
 
 

Community 
 
What's going on in and around Stadhampton? 
Are you receiving the Stadham Newsletter; a brief weekly email keeping you informed of local news and events in, and around Stadhampton, Chiselhampton and Newington over the next coming week or so?  If not, and would like to, email your name and connection to the village (live here, attend village school, family, other, etc.) to: newsletter@stadhampton.org
 
New Play Area Consultation
Over recent months the Parish Council Play Area Working Group has been reviewing options for replacing the existing play area on the Village Green – we are now seeking your views on the proposals which can be found at  http://www.stadhampton.org/community/stadhampton-parish-council-15080/play-area-consultation/ and where you can also respond to the survey which will close on Tuesday 1st October 2019.
 

 

Thursday, July 18, 2019


During July we are focusing on the core value of Freedom

End of Year /Year 6 Leavers Assembly
A reminder that our annual End of Year and Year 6 Leavers Assembly takes place tomorrow morning at 09:00am. All Welcome! We said our farewells to members of staff who are leaving in our assembly yesterday and our focus tomorrow will be on Year 6.

A message from Mrs Turner
I would like to convey a huge ‘Thank you’ to everyone at and connected to Stadhampton School for all your warm comments, messages and cards and your very generous gifts! I will enjoy spending time in John Lewis choosing something special as a memento of my time here. I am proud of all the achievements of pupils and staff over the years and know that there is a strong staff team to continue the success of the school under the leadership of Emma Charnock. I wish you all well in the future and a very happy Summer Holiday!

Staff Changes
We wish Mrs Turner, Mrs Garrard and Mrs Manzie a long and happy retirement as they leave Stadhampton School on Friday. We are also saying ‘Goodbye’ to Mrs Kerbey, Madame Church and Mrs Wilkin. They will be missed by us all – staff, pupils and parents alike – but we suspect that we shall still see them from time to time!

We would like to say a big thank you to Mrs James and Mrs Bartlett – we really appreciate how well you have fitted into teaching in our school and your commitment to us will be missed by us all.

We are pleased to announce that Mrs Mason-Cook has been appointed as our new School Administrator from the start of the new academic year which begins on Wednesday 5 September. We are also delighted to have Mrs Wahid back in school and wish her well teaching in Class 2 next year.

Thank You
A huge thank you to the parents and grandparents who have volunteered this year in school especially by hearing children read and helping with Forest School sessions. We really appreciate your help.

Thank you to Mr and Mrs Burnell and Mrs Green for running a very popular gardening club for us again this year.

Thank you to Melanie Gravett and everyone on the PTA committee who have worked so hard to continue to fundraise to provide additional resources and treats for our pupils.

 And finally, thank you  to all of our wonderfully supportive parents. You continually rise to the challenge of providing costumes for various events, pay for after school clubs, educational visits and transport to sporting events and work collaboratively with us to ensure that we provide our pupils with the best possible education we can during their time at primary school. Thank you to you all.

Year 6 Leavers
We say a fond farewell to our Year 6 pupils as they leave Stadhampton School on Friday. We are very proud of you all; you have contributed to the life of Stadhampton School and have achieved so many things, academic and non-academic, during your time with us. We will miss you all but know that you are ready for the next stage of your learning journey and wish you every success at your secondary schools, which this year are Icknield Community College, The Dragon School, Didcot Girls and St Birinus. We hope you will all keep in touch.

We also say goodbye to Noah, Grace and Rosa and wish them every success in their new schools.

Sports Evening
Congratulations to everyone on a very successful Sports Evening! Thank you to Mrs Manzie and other school staff for organising the races so well and to Mr Manzie and Mr Jones for helping on the bar. Thank you to the BBQ team of Mr Rayner, Mrs Bradford, Mrs Batemen and to Mr Holmes for organising the loan of the BBQ. Thank you to the PTA for purchasing the burgers and hot dogs and the drinks and for all the clearing up at the end of the evening. Thank you to past pupils and to Mr Gravett for their help with the scoreboard and giving out stickers. A great team effort!

 School Lunches
Could we please respectfully remind parents that payments for school lunches are required in advance of the meal being provided, ideally on Monday morning for the week ahead. Please be advised that pupils school meals will increase to £2.30 from September. Please make any cheques to school payable to: Stadhampton Primary – Acer Trust. Thank you.

PTA THANK YOU!
As we near the end of the school year, we wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who has volunteered, donated, baked, tidied up and supported our PTA events and activities this school year. Sports Night last week raised over £500 and with the end of term disco still to come, we will have raised over £4,000 this year with that money going back into school to buy resources and experiences for the benefit of all children.

As we’re sure you know, school funding and falling budgets are hot topics at the moment. Every last penny the PTA raises goes directly back to school to help ease that squeeze. There are many ways you can offer your support and talents to help with PTA activities and raise as much money as we can for the children - if anyone would like to get involved in any way, shape or form, please do come along to our AGM on 2nd October.

We hope everyone has a great summer! 
The PTA Committee

Cake Club
Congratulations to this week’s winner Amaya, Elizabeth and Erika who have all won cakes kindly provided by Ewa. 
 
Wraparound Care 
Hopefully, you will have all received the letter regarding wraparound care facilities, commencing in September. We need to understand numbers now if you're considering the option of using this service, so we can manage logistics for the autumn term (staff, catering, etc.). If you would like to find out more, or request a booking form, could we please ask that you contact school governors Anita Rowberry on 07776 202162 or Kerri Jones on 07970 975065, who are helping us with this new facility. Thank you. 

 
September 2019
 

 
Monday
 
 
Tuesday
 
Wednesday
 
Thursday
 
Friday
2
INSET Day
3
INSET Day
4
Pupils return to school 8.45am
5
6
9
Swimming for Class 2 Pupils
 
10
Reception & Year 1 Forest School – morning
 
Year 2 Forest School  - afternoon
 
11
12
Year 6 Forest School – morning
 
Afterschool Multisports
 
 
13
16
Swimming for Class 2 Pupils
 
17
Reception & Year 1 Forest School – morning
 
Year 2 Forest School  - afternoon
 
18
19
Year 6 Forest School – morning
 
Afterschool Multisports
 
20

Community News

Michael Hopkins Sport course
A final reminder that Michael Hopkins is running his popular Sport course in school on 12th, 13th and 14th August. Further details are on the attached flyer.
 
Thames Valley Police Open Day
This year’s Thames Valley Police Open Day will be taking place between 10am and 4pm on Saturday 10 August and will be hosted at the force’s training centre in Sulhamstead.

We have over 50 exhibitors attending to showcase their work and contribution to policing, these include our Roads Policing Unit, Forensic Investigations Unit, Contact Management team and Specialist Operations teams. The force museum will also be celebrating its return to the Sulhamstead, and will be open all day for you to discover the force’s history and stop by the shop.

We have displays from our dogs section, our local search and rescue dogs and our public order team who have a new twist in store this year. The force helicopter will be dropping by with an opportunity for you to meet the pilots and grab a photo.

 If you want to learn more about the force and some of the roles we undertake visit one of our exciting talks taking place throughout the day.

The fancy dress competition will be returning for its third year, and children can come dressed in their best police themed costume to be in a chance of winning a fantastic prize.

This year, we also have a scavenger hunt for you to get involved in, which will see you take a trip round our stalls to follow the clues and bring out your inner detective.

 Key information to note
 
-       Car parking is available of first come, first served basis.
-       Assistance dogs are permitted to the event, other visitors with dogs will be turned away and dogs must not be left in vehicles.
-       Bag searches will be taking place upon entrance to the event.
-       Entrance to the site is free and last entry will be 3.30pm for a 4pm close.
-       Seating on site is limited, so please feel free to bring picnic blankets with you.
-       Venue Address: Thames Valley Police Training Centre, Sulhamstead, near Reading, RG7 4DX.

 We look forward to welcoming you to the event.

Stadhampton Christmas Tree Lights, Carols and Christmas Fayre - Friday 29 November
The lighting of the village Christmas tree lights on the small green will take place again this year on Friday 29 November. All the school children and their families and carers are invited to attend. There will be carol-singing in the church hall followed by a warm drink and we're hoping that Santa might make an appearance too. 

Please make a note on your calendars. More details will follow when we resume school in September. 

Stadhampton Parish Council declares a Climate Emergency
Parish councillors voted unanimously to pass a motion to declare a climate emergency at their meeting on 2 July. After hearing from Oxford-based climate change scientist Rachael Treharne about the compelling scientific evidence for urgent action at every level of society, the Parish Council has decided to follow the lead set by SODC, Oxfordshire County Council and the UK Parliament to declare an emergency. The council will now set up a working group to look at ways in which that declaration might be translated into meaningful action at a local level, and would warmly welcome the involvement of anyone who would like to join this group. For more information, please email Catherine Odell: cllrcatherineodell@stadhampton.org

 AGC Gym Open Days
Saturday 7th September 5-6:30pm
Come and join the AGC squad girls having fun
Try out our gymnastics equipment at this fun play session
Swing on the bars – balance on the beam - jump into the foam pit

The Oxfordshire Museum
The Festival of Archaeology activity taking place at The Oxfordshire Museum on 20/21st July being organised by Cherwell Archaeology

https://festival.archaeologyuk.org/events/archaeology-oxfordshire-museum-woodstock-1553094463

Wicked Wednesdays - Summer Programme of Family Activities for children aged 7+ at the Oxfordshire Museum Woodstock:

Wednesday 31 July    
Ivar the Boneless and friends
Join our amazing interactive story session. Discover Ivar the Boneless and his Viking buddies as they rampage across England fighting dragons, tricking kings and riddling their way out of all sorts of trouble. Discover what it's like to be a Viking in these stories about Viking Age England.
Set workshops 11am – 12noon and 2pm – 3pm
Free
Family activity for children aged 7+
Tickets from Museum reception

Wednesday 7 August
Iron Age Mystery and Magic
Help animate our story about the Didcot Mirror; make clay characters and bring them to life with stop motion software.  The end result will be a short film for everyone to enjoy.
Drop-in 11am – 3.30pm every 30 minutes on the hour and half hour.
Family activity for children aged 7+
£2 per child or £5 per family up to 3 children
Tickets from Museum reception

 Wednesday 14 August
Teeth Detectives
Get hands on with animal and human teeth, jaws and skulls. Discover the science of teeth and make your own cast of human teeth to take home.
Workshops 11am – 12.15pm   1pm – 2.15pm   – 4.15pm
Family activity for children aged 7+
£2 per child £5 per family up to 3 children3pm
Tickets from Museum reception

Wednesday 21 August
Experiment
Have you wondered how things used to work; try writing in hieroglyphics, spinning wool, making a sun compass and other simple experiments.
Drop-in 11am – 3.30pm
Family activity for children aged 7+
£2 per child £5 per family up to 3 children
Tickets from Museum reception

Wednesday 28 August
Poo from the Past
Experience excavation, recording and analyzing the contents of fake poos (coprolites) from the past.
Workshops 11am – 12 noon   2pm - 3pm
Family activity for children aged 7+
£2 per child £5 per family up to 3 children
Tickets from Museum reception

 
 

We hope everyone has a wonderful summer break and look forward to seeing everyone who is returning again on Wednesday 4th September.