Newsletter No 3 - 19th September 2008

Teaching Assistant Developments / Changes
We welcome Mrs Rosanna Thorp on our team as a Teaching Assistant. Mrs Thorp will be working mainly in Class 1. Mrs Wells and Mrs Hargrave will be mainly in Class 2. We are in the process of recruiting a new Teaching Assistant to work in Class 3. In the interim, Clare Hopkins continues to work as a Teaching Assistant supporting Class 3 over the next three weeks.

Reading Information Evening for Parents and Favourite Story Fortnight 29th September – 10th October
A reminder that we are holding a Reading Information Evening for parents, 6.00-7.30pm on Wednesday 24th September to which you are all welcome. Nilifer Khan, a Literacy Consultant for Oxfordshire, will outline how reading is taught in school and will provide parents with information and advice on how to best support reading with children at home. To give us an idea of numbers it would be most helpful if you could complete and return the attached reply slip.

In addition parents, grandparents and governors are invited to come and read their favourite children’s story (or an extract from) during the fortnight of Monday 29th September to Friday 10th October. This coincides with Children’s Book week which is 6th –10th October. Please contact class teachers to book an appropriate time. Thank you.

Linking with Children’s Book week and our own Favourite Story Fortnight, you may like to know that Mostly Books in Abingdon are shortly to hold a series of after-school story time sessions. The first one, which is David Melling reading his new book “The Star Faced Crocodile” is at 4pm on Thursday 25th September. Further details are available from Mostly Books on 01235 525880 or www.mostlybooks.co.uk

“My” Art Project
A reminder that our “My” art project is currently on display as part of the “My” Oxfordshire Schools’ Art Exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Oxford until 29th September. Free admission.

Visit by Fire Officer Theresa Orchard 17.09.08Theresa Orchard, Schools Liaison Officer for Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, visited school on Wednesday and gave safety talks to specific year groups. Pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 had a talk based on “Get Out, Get the Fire Service Out, and Stay Out” and “Stop, Drop and Roll”. For pupils in Years 5 and 6 the focus was “Fire Safety in the Home”. Videos were shown to demonstrate how quickly fires can take hold of a room if care is not taken with candles and matches in particular. Class discussions lead to the main point of the talk, which was to stress the importance of having a fire alarm in your house.

Watlington Partnership Information Sheet
Please find a copy of the latest information sheet attached to this newsletter.

Message from the PTA Committee
Music Quiz Night 7pm, 3rd Oct - Tickets still on sale, please buy now from Mrs Hopkins, Sara Wright or Catherine Roe to ensure you get your fish & chips order!

Cookery Book - we still need lots more recipes for the book!! They do not have to be complicated or fancy, often the simple recipes work the best. Contact your neighbours and family to get those recipes in to Sarah Madry by 30th September. More details on the required format are available on the school website. For those people with no access to a computer Rowena Dobson has kindly offered to type them for you - please give them to her at the school gates.

Little Bears News
This week Little Bears picked some cooking apples from our garden and then made apple crumble with them. We also enjoyed making some junk model tractors and talked about farming- “what animals you see on a farm” and “where food comes from”. Donations of shiny paper, junk model materials and newspapers would be appreciated.

DIARY DATES:

Monday 22nd September Governors’ Meeting at 7.30pm
Wednesday 24th September Year 6 (and their parents) assembly at 2.45pm with Richard Hudson
Reading Information Evening for Parents from 6.00-7.30pm
Monday 29th September Classes 2&3 visit MOMA
Wednesday 1st October Y4, Y5, Y6 visit to Science Oxford
Friday 3rd October School Harvest Service in Church at 9.30am. All welcome
PTA Music Quiz
Monday 6th October Children’s Book week and start of Favourite Story Fortnight
Wednesday 8th October Mobile Library
Y5 pupils go to ICC for Science lesson
Wednesday 15th October School and Little Bears Open Morning from 9.00am until 11.30am. All welcome
Monday 20th – Thursday 23rd October PGL Residential visit for Class 3 pupils Break up at 3.15pm
Friday 24th October INSET DAY – School closed for pupils
27th – 31st October October Holiday
Monday 3rd November Pupils return to school