Friday, January 30, 2009

Newsletter No 4 / 30th January 2009

We are pleased to welcome Precious Mehche as a new Foundation Stage pupil in Class 1.

Parent Governor Election
Thank you to everyone who voted for a candidate in the recent Parent Governor Election. The voting between both candidates was extremely close with less than 10 votes separating them. The person with the most votes and therefore appointed to the Governing Body with immediate effect, was Mr Jason Hector.

Parking in the School Car Park
We encourage parents to walk with their children to/from school whenever possible but realise that this is not an option for some families. Increased use of the car park has led to an increase in potential hazards and we ask all parents to be especially vigilant when using the car park. Please could parents who do us the car park only use the designated parking bays and NOT PARK in front of the large gate which leads onto the netball court. Not only is this the access point for grounds maintenance and emergency vehicles but it is also causing a significant problem for pedestrians with pushchairs entering and exiting Little Bears. It would be acceptable for one car to park briefly on the left hand side nearest to the school but the main problem arises when two cars park in that area as parents with pushchairs are being forced onto the muddy grassed area rather than being able to use the path and dropped- kerb access point. We would be grateful for all parents’ assistance in this matter and thank you, in advance, for your co-operation.

UNICEF Day for Change
We are taking part once again this year in the UNICEF Day for Change on Friday 6th February which, this year is focusing on improving children’s lives in Papua New Guinea. It would be wonderful if all pupils could bring in some 1p and 2p coins so that they can participate in this charity event. Every penny really does make a difference. £2 buys a watering can, £92 buys a set of health supplies for a health centre and £184 would buy a standing water tap.

PTA News from the PTA Chair
The ‘official’ AGM was held this week to sign off the accounts for the school year ending 2008 and confirm the continuation of the Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and other key members of the PTA. We managed to raise over £5000 last year and have a healthy bank balance of £4000. However we did discuss that it may become increasingly difficult to raise funds in the current economic climate, hence the importance of the banked cash and to think of creative ways of raising funds this year. Your support as parents is therefore even more important and I
would like to thank you for your continued efforts.

Message from the School Council
On Friday 13th February we will be holding a “Monarch Dressing-Up Day.” Pupils can dress up as a real or imaginary monarch and it can be full costume or just a crown. Any pupil can enter by paying £1 on the day. All money raised will go towards buying frames for our 4 Monarch Painting Competition winners.
We will also be holding a cake sale on 31.03.2009 and an Easter puzzle too. More information will be provided nearer the time.

Little Bears News
This week Little Bears have enjoyed celebrating Chinese New Year by making a Chinese dragon for our display, making Chinese lanterns and a Chinese ring. We have also had great fun eating our fruit with chopsticks! Thank you to everyone who came to the Foundation Stage meeting this week and for letting us know that you found it informative. If anyone has a good condition, upright fridge that they no longer need, we would be grateful if you would consider donating it to Little Bears.

DIARY DATES:

Sunday 1st February Christingle Service at 4.30pm St John the Baptist Church Stadhampton
Tuesday 3rd February Year 5 Writer’s Workshop 1.15-3pm for participating pupils

Friday 6th February UNICEF - DAY FOR CHANGE
Friday 13th February School finishes at 3.15pm for the February Holiday
Monday 23rd February Return to school
Tuesday 17th March Maths Evening for Parents 6.30-8pm
Thursday 4th June School closed for Parliamentary and County Council Elections

Friday, January 23, 2009

Newsletter No 3 / 23rd January 2009

We are pleased to welcome Eric Babu, who has joined Class 1 as a new Reception pupil this week.

School Closure – Thursday 4th June 2009
We have received notification this week that the school will be required as a polling station for European and County Council elections on Thursday 4th June and therefore will be closed to pupils on that day.

Homework Policy Review
Staff, governors and pupils have all been consulted in the process of reviewing our existing Homework Policy. To enable parents/carers to access and comment on this policy, prior to final approval, a reference copy of the draft policy will be available for parents to read (but not remove) in the school office during school hours from Monday 24th January to Friday 6th February. It has also been posted as a blog on: http://stadhamptonprimaryschool.blogspot.com/ Any comments should be submitted in writing by Friday 13th February.

Reminder about Recorders
A reminder that recorders are required in school on Mondays by all pupils in Years 3-6. Recorder lessons for pupils in these year groups is an integral part of our music curriculum. Although we do have a few “communal” recorders in school, in terms of personal hygiene it is clearly in the interest of each pupil to have their own recorder. These are available from school at a cost of £6.50.

Maths Evenings for Parents
Thank you to the parents (and staff) who came along to the first LEA led Maths Evening. We hope that you found it both useful and informative. The second meeting which focuses on multiplication and division is scheduled for Tuesday 17th March between 6.30 and 8pm. If any parents were unable to attend this week, they are, of course, still very welcome to attend the second meeting.

PTA News
Unwanted Christmas Presents – did you receive any gifts that you didn’t want, or gifts that you already have one of? If you do have any unwanted gits that are in perfect condition and still in their packaging why not either keep them in a safe place and donate them to the Summer or Christmas raffle this year, or give them to Sara Wright for safekeeping (via Mrs Hopkins at School). We are always looking for decent prizes so maybe your unwanted gift may be someone’s dream prize.
Get Fit in 2009 – It’s that time of year again and as the weight may have piled on over Christmas why not spend 2009 losing those extra pounds and getting fit and healthy. Give yourself a goal of completing the Chiltern Chase 10k race this year and still being in one piece at the end, and along the way get your friends and family to sponsor you for PTA funds. The race will be on Sunday 7th June and is held at Ewelme; it’s a beautiful course and lots of people from the village run so loads of support along the way. Start your training now to ensure you are ready for the race in June.
Clothes Recycling – for those of you who had a sort out over Christmas remember there will soon be another opportunity to donate your unwanted, decent condition, clothes. Exact date to be confirmed.

Little Bears News
This week Little Bears enjoyed making fresh fruit salad. They have also been watching their bird feeders as it is Bird Watching Week. Little Bears have also been busy thinking about “winter words” like “snowman” and “snowflake” and have enjoyed creating pictures of these. A variety of packets of flower and vegetable seeds are on sale at Little Bears for £1 a packet.

DIARY DATES:

Tuesday 27th January Year 5 Writer’s Workshop 1.15-3pm for participating pupils
PTA meeting in school at 8pm. All parents welcome.

Wednesday 28th January Mobile Library visit

Tuesday 3rd February Year 5 Writer’s Workshop 1.15-3pm for participating pupils

Friday 6th February UNICEF - DAY FOR CHANGE

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

HOMEWORK POLICY (Draft)

We value the partnership with parents that this school already enjoys. Although we have always set homework for pupils, we appreciate the benefits that a written, realistic and well understood policy offers to parents, pupils and school. This policy has been revised following consultation with parents and pupils and DCSF guidelines issued to all schools.

What is homework?
We believe that homework includes a range of tasks and activities, including:
• reading alone or with a parent –we hope parents will regularly comment in the home-school reading diary
• carrying out an activity set by the class teacher or completing work started at school
• reinforcing and consolidating skills learned in class, including number facts, times tables and spellings
• undertaking individual research for a project at the local library, in books or by using a computer
• regular consolidation and extension tasks for older pupils as they progress through KS2

Why do homework?

Regular, well planned homework can:
• help children develop good work habits and self discipline
• develop a positive approach towards books and reading
• provide opportunities for individualised work
• help parents to gain insight into their child’s schoolwork
• broaden the scope of access to resources not found in school eg, public libraries, museums, etc
• assist preparation for future class work.

At the same time, we strongly believe that our pupils work hard during the school day, and need to be given time after school to relax, watch TV, play with friends, be able to pursue other interests, join clubs, etc. We would not wish out-of-school activities to be curtailed because of homework demands. Therefore, we generally set a time limit on homework activities. If parents find their child is regularly spending much longer than specified on homework please speak to the class teacher.

At the beginning of each double term (i.e. Terms 1, 3 and 5) parents receive a letter outlining the work that will be covered in their child’s class. This letter also outlines a regular schedule for each class. For younger children homework mainly consists of reading every evening. The extent and frequency of other homework gradually increases as pupils progress through the school with, for example, the addition of spellings, writing spellings in context, times tables and recorder practice. By the time pupils reach Years 5 and 6 they also receive regular maths and science homework and are provided with a homework timetable. Additional information relating to specific homework is normally attached to the homework.

When teachers set homework they will try to ensure that:

• the task is made clear to children and, whenever possible, it is matched to their abilities
• work is marked as promptly as possible
• regular completion of homework of a high standard is recognised and celebrated within the class.

Practical advice for parents:
Before starting please check that your child is clear about the task and has the relevant materials, space and
resources
• agree a time frame and a place to work and try to work within it.
• sometimes gentle persuasion will be needed to get the session underway.
• do encourage good standards of presentation and ensure the work is given in on time.
• it is tempting to do the work for your child if he / she is finding it difficult–please resist the temptation.
• if your child regularly runs out of time or finds the work too hard, please let your class teacher know.
• if your child regularly finishes in less time again you may need to let the class teacher know but do
• encourage your child to check their own work to ascertain if they are completing the task properly.
• please stop if your child becomes distressed but, again, do let the class teacher know.
• please don’t let homework get in the way of clubs, activities and your child’s other interests.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Newsletter No 2 / 16th January 2009

Parent Governor Election
We are delighted that two parents nominated themselves for election as a parent governor – David Cove and Jason Hector. Ballot papers were sent out to parents earlier this week to ask for a vote for one candidate. A reminder that the deadline for voting is 3pm on Friday 23rd January. Ballot papers received after this time will not be counted. The count will take place at 3.05pm on that day and the result initially made known to the candidates by the Chair of Governors, and then to parents in the next newsletter.


Maths Evenings for Parents 20.01.2009 and 17.03.2009
A reminder that the first of these evening meetings will be held next Tuesday, 20.01.2009, 6.30-8pm. The meeting will be held in Class 3 and will be led by Jane Liddle, an LEA Maths consultant. This meeting will cover progression in calculation with the focus on addition and subtraction. Parents will be given a brief overview of current teaching methods and will receive ideas on how to help and support pupils at home. When we surveyed parents prior to arranging these meetings there was a strong interest, so we hope a significant number of parents will attend. We look forward to seeing you.


Out of School Hours Childcare Survey Analysis
Many thanks to those of you who completed and returned our second out of school hours childcare survey at the end of last year. The LEA officers have now carried out their analysis and advised us of their decision. As we thought, there was a greater interest in such provision than was indicated in the first survey but, as far as the LEA is concerned, numbers were not sustainable and we are unable to access “start up” funding. However, we recognize that there is a need for such provision and are exploring alternative ways to offer some after-school childcare beginning after the Easter Holiday. We hope to write again shortly with further information.


Medicines
A reminder to parents that essential medicines only may be held in school and administered by staff at the written request of parents.


Children’s Concerts at the Jacqueline du Pre Music Building
As part of our Comenius Project, “Notes of Harmony” we are developing our awareness of music and musical links both within the school curriculum and beyond. Parents may be interested in a series of children’s concerts, on Sundays, at the Jacqueline du Pre Music Building in Oxford. Further details are attached to this newsletter.

PTA News
Everyone is welcome to attend the first PTA meeting of 2009 on Tuesday 27th January at 8pm in the school hall.

Little Bears News
We have settled back well into Little Bears this week following our flood last week. We have really enjoyed a week of “messy play” using cornflour and water, playdough and cooked pasta. We would like to welcome Tende Amery and Mikka Hall to Little Bears.

DIARY DATES:

Tuesday 20th January Maths Evening for Parents 6.30-8pm
Year 5 Writer’s Workshop 1.15-3pm for participating pupils

Wednesday 21st January Technology lesson for Y5 pupils at ICC

Friday 23rd January Athletics Event at ICC for Year 5 and 6 pupils

Tuesday 27th January PTA meeting in school at 8pm. All parents welcome.
Year 5 Writer’s Workshop 1.15-3pm for participating pupils

Wednesday 28th January Mobile Library visit

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Newsletter No 1 / 9th January 2009

Happy New Year!

We are pleased to welcome 8 new pupils into Class 1: Hannah Bradford, Emily Drake, Betsy Elliott, Jamie Lavene, Greg Madry, Rosalind Mannering, Cora White and Charlotte Wiblin.

Happy JANUARY Birthday to: Owen Cove, Matthew Ellis, Kezia Lawson and Issy Matthews

During JANUARY we are focusing on the core vale of FRIENDSHIP

Class Topics/Areas of Study
Please find attached to this newsletter a letter from the class teacher/s outlining the topics/areas of study that pupils will be covering in Terms 3 and 4.

Books for Schools
We are collecting Books for Schools tokens which appear in The Times and The Sunday Times from 11th January to 4th April 2009.

Swimming at Berinsfield
Swimming will begin for Class 2 pupils on Monday 12th January. They will have 5 sessions up to the February Holiday. As always, we are very grateful to receive a “voluntary contribution” of £1 per pupil, per session towards the transport costs.

Pupil Property
Please ensure clothing, book bags etc are clearly labeled with your child/ren’s name. Details of “easy2name”, a company who supply a variety of labels are on the PTA noticeboard outside the school office or on www.easy2name.com The code “Stadhampton Primary School OX44” is needed on orders. The school recently received a cheque for £18.19 by way of commission on orders placed during 2008.

Information from Thames Valley Police
Neighbourhood Officers will be available to security code valuable items on Sunday 8th February. They will be at the Parish Council office in Watlington between 12 and 2pm, and at The John Hampden Hall in Chalgrove between 3 and 5pm.

PTA News
Everyone is welcome to attend the first PTA meeting of 2009 on Tuesday 27th January at 8pm in the school hall.

Little Bears News
Unfortunately due to a burst pipe, the start of 2009 was not quite as expected! Thank you to all parents for being so accommodating when, due to the water damage, we were unable to open. Thank you also to the members of staff in school (and their husbands!) and the committee for coming to our aid in this emergency!
We are hopeful that normal service will be resumed from Monday 12th January.

DIARY DATES:

Monday 12th January Swimming begins for Class 2 pupils
Hockey club begins for participating pupils (Some places still available)
Wednesday 14th January Netball & Multisports clubs begin for participating pupils. (Some places still available)

Tuesday 20th January Maths Evening for Parents 6.30-8pm

Wednesday 21st January Technology lesson for Y5 pupils at ICC

Tuesday 27th January PTA meeting in school at 8pm. All parents welcome.

Wednesday 28th January Mobile Library visit