PTA NEWS
Bingo Night – the event due this Friday has been cancelled due to low demand. This is very disappointing as it is a lost opportunity to raise funds for PTA, however we tried and learnt. Anyone who donated prizes will have them returned or can donate them to the spring raffle if they prefer.
Clothes Recycling – the next date for clothes recycling is 30 April so please start to dig out those unwanted clothes ready for the school collection.
Easter Chocolate Raffle – 1 April. Raffle tickets will be sent out in the next couple of weeks to parents. Whilst out shopping please would you look out for those buy one get one free offers as we will need plenty of chocolate related goodies for the raffle.
Next PTA Meeting – Tuesday 16th March @ 8pm at School. All welcome again.
New Waiting Area
Welcome to our new on-site waiting and collecting area! We are very pleased to be able to provide a waiting area within the school grounds. This area has been designed and developed to improve pupil safety. Parents and carers of pupils in Classes 1, 2 and 3 are requested to wait inside the waiting area to collect pupils at the end of the school day. Parents and carers of pupils in our Foundation Stage class should continue to collect their children directly from the portacabin. We are awaiting delivery of a tree seat which should further enhance this area.
“World Book Day”
A reminder that we shall be holding a Book Fair in school next week in association with “World Book Day”.
Each child will have be given today a £1 World Book Day token which may be spent at the Book Fair towards the purchase of a book priced at £2.99 or more, or for the purchase of one of six specially produced books priced at £1. The voucher is attached to an explanatory letter from Children’s Laureate Anthony Browne.
Next Friday, 5th March, we will be celebrating “World Book Day” in school. Children are invited to bring a favourite book to school, and come dressed as one of the characters. There will be an opportunity for older children to read an extract from their chosen book to their class, and for younger children to tell their class about their character/story. There will be lots of fun activities on the day, based around books the children have chosen to bring in. if any parents would like to join in by reading a story to a class or small group of children, you would be very welcome. Please contact the class teacher to arrange a convenient time.
Sainsburys and Tesco Vouchers
Please collect these vouchers again and send them into school. We are able to improve the school’s resources significantly by collecting these vouchers each year.
Jian-Zi Competition 2010
This year we held our annual jian-zi (Chinese “keepy-uppy”) competition on Friday 12th February, just before Chinese New Year. The competition was keenly contested, especially by pupils in Class 3, and our ultimate winner was Robbie Scragg (Year 6) with a score of 28. Winners in the other year groups were Benedict Diment (Y5) 21, Ella Mae White (Y4) 5, Hannah Tombling (Y3) 3, Owen Cove (Y2) 3, Oliver Lowman (Y1) 2, and Ollie Stewart (R) 2. Congratulations to all!
Once again, we held the competition in conjunction with our partner school in Hazlach, Poland. Last year we drew with them, but this year they were clear international winners with Dominik Mendrok’s score of 101 and Szymon Szajter their runner-up with 38. We look forward to challenging them again next year and hopefully regaining the trophy!
Uncollected plates and tins
Following your generous support of the School Council’s recent cake sale to raise money for UNICEF’s Haiti Earthquake Appeal, we still have a number of unclaimed plates and tins! Please reclaim them – they are usually accessible from the Hall or the Library. Thank you.
Little Bears News
Well, we hoped Spring would be in the air on our return from the half term break.
It may not be outside, but the Little Bears are “willing on” spring indoors by making beautiful paintings of daffodils and crafting other spring flowers. We are looking forward to another singing session with FS pupils on Thursday morning. All who attend have a very positive approach to this session, and are very keen to take a turn choosing songs on the interactive white board.
DIARY DATES:
Wednesday 3rd March Maths Master Class at ICC for participating pupils
Thursday 4th March BOOK FAIR in school in association with World Book Day.
Friday 5th March Parents receive Mid-Year Summary Reports
World Book Day activities
Monday 8th March School Governors’ Meeting at 7pm
Monday 15th March Work viewing evening 3.30 – 6pm
Tuesday 16th March PTA Meeting at 8pm at school. All welcome.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Newsletter No 5 / 12th February 2010
UNICEF Charity Day – Friday 5th February
Many thanks for your generous contributions to and support of our two charity events held in school last Friday. In the morning we raised £169.77 for UNICEF’s Day for Change appeal, which this year focuses on developing education and health facilities for children in Mozambique. The School Council’s after-school cake sale was very popular, with a huge selection of cakes and many enthusiastic buyers! As a result of the cake sale, and the sale of books and dolls, we raised a total of £197.40 for the people of Haiti. In total that comes to the magnificent sum of £367.17 for UNICEF. Thank you all.
PTA Message – BINGO NIGHT 26th February.
We are running this hugely popular and great fun event on Feb 26th at the school in the evening. There will be an optional fish and chip supper and a PTA bar so please pass the word around to friends and neighbours as this promises to be an entertaining evening. If you have never taken part in Bingo before then this is the opportunity to have a go in the safety of a village event; so why not get a group of friends together and have a good laugh as you try to spot the numbers. Tickets are on sale from the school office or Sarah Madry. If you have any unwanted Christmas presents going spare, or the odd bottle of wine, we would appreciate a few donations as prizes for the evening.
Date of next PTA Meeting – March 16th @ 8pm at school – all welcome.
Administration of medicines to pupils in school
The school staff and governing body have recently reviewed the school Medicine Policy. In compliance with this policy, and in the best interests of your children, parents wishing to request that school staff administer essential medicine during school time to their child/ren now need to complete an “Administration of Medicine at Stadhampton School” parent request form. This form now replaces the need for parents to write a letter and ensures school staff receive all the necessary information regarding dosage, timings, etc. Forms are available from each class teacher. A reference copy of the Medicine Policy is available, upon request, in the school office.
Cyberbullying and Internet “grooming”You may have been aware of recent media attention highlighting the risk of children’s vulnerability to the misuse/abuse of the internet by adults. The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), a government organisation, focused public attention with a Safer Internet Day on 9th February. They have developed a cartoon to raise awareness, and help children protect themselves from, internet abuse. This can be accessed on www.ceop.gov.uk. At school our internet system is filtered by OCC and pupils do not have unsupervised access to the Internet.
Unnamed Lost Property
There is a variety of unnamed small size school sweatshirts and cardigans in the lost property box. Please have a look through the box if you have lost any school uniform items recently.
Storytelling Workshops with the Creation Theatre Company
On Tuesday 9th February all pupils took part in a series of dramatised story-telling activities and workshops led by Richard Kidd (actor) and Helen Morley (education assistant) from the Creation Theatre Company. Foundation Stage pupils were treated to animated re-telling of some of Grimm’s Fairy Tales; pupils in Years 1-3 took part in workshops dramatising a story from the Arabian Nights culminating in a presentation to other pupils; pupils in
Years 4 -6 took park in workshops dramatising the Ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, also culminating in a presentation to other pupils. We were very lucky to be allowed to use the head of ‘the beast’, from the Creation Theatre Company’s most recent production of Beauty and the Beast, as the head of the Minotaur.
It was a very successful day; pupils participated enthusiastically and both Richard and Helen praised the behaviour and attitude of our pupils – they clearly enjoyed their day too. This day, whilst fun, also helps develop pupils speaking and listening skills which are fundamental to developing good literacy skills.
Key Stage 1 Drama Workshops by the Creation Theatre Company
The series of after-school drama workshops for pupils in Year 1 and 2, run by the Creation Theatre Company, have now, sadly, finished. The children presented a performance of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves to their families as a ‘grand finale’. This was much enjoyed by everyone present – thank you to all who were able to attend. This opportunity was made possible through the financial support of Extended Services.
Haiti Singing
On Saturday, 30th January over 100 singers, including Mrs Wilkin, came together to learn and record the Haitian folk song Fey-O – a Creole song about suffering and relief. The choir, consisting of students and members of local choirs, came together on the day under the directorship of David Crown, and the solo was provided by the baritone, Christopher Purves. The local media have been supportive in covering this endeavour and now the song is available for download. If you would like to make a donation to the Haiti Appeal – please visit the following site which will allow you to download the track www.haitisinging.com
Book Fair – 4 March 2010
We are looking forward to holding a Book Fair in the school hall from Thursday 4th March until Wednesday 10th March, both before and after school, in association with World Book Day. The commission from the fair allows us to buy books for each classroom and the non-fiction library, so every purchase helps us to get new books for school. This Book Fair is from a new company which we are trialling and we are assured there will be hundreds of exciting books to choose from. We would be interested to receive feedback from parents and pupils on the quality of this Book Fair.
Little Bears News
"Love is in the air this week at Little Bears" - we have made decorative hearts using salt dough to represent St. Valentine’s Day. The children made them for the people they love. We have also made Tiger masks to support Chinese New Year. We really enjoyed assembly with FS1& Class 1 on Monday afternoon. The Little Bears were impeccably behaved, joined in beautifully with the singing and made Little Bears staff very proud!
We hope you have a very relaxing half term & look forward to seeing you on our return.
DIARY DATES:
Monday 22nd February Return to school after the February Holiday
Swimming sessions begin for Class 3 pupils (6 sessions in total)
After-school Hockey club
Tuesday 23rd February First “Little Cooks” session for participating pupils
Wednesday 24th February Year 5 pupils visit ICC for an English lesson
Mobile Library
After school Netball and Multisports clubs
Thursday 25th February After-school football club
Friday 26th February PTA – Bingo Event – evening
Wednesday 3rd March Maths Master Class at ICC for participating pupils
Thursday 4th March BOOK FAIR in school in association with World Book Day. New company being trialled.
Friday 5th March Parents receive Mid-Year Summary Reports
Monday 15th March Work viewing evening 3.30 – 6pm
Many thanks for your generous contributions to and support of our two charity events held in school last Friday. In the morning we raised £169.77 for UNICEF’s Day for Change appeal, which this year focuses on developing education and health facilities for children in Mozambique. The School Council’s after-school cake sale was very popular, with a huge selection of cakes and many enthusiastic buyers! As a result of the cake sale, and the sale of books and dolls, we raised a total of £197.40 for the people of Haiti. In total that comes to the magnificent sum of £367.17 for UNICEF. Thank you all.
PTA Message – BINGO NIGHT 26th February.
We are running this hugely popular and great fun event on Feb 26th at the school in the evening. There will be an optional fish and chip supper and a PTA bar so please pass the word around to friends and neighbours as this promises to be an entertaining evening. If you have never taken part in Bingo before then this is the opportunity to have a go in the safety of a village event; so why not get a group of friends together and have a good laugh as you try to spot the numbers. Tickets are on sale from the school office or Sarah Madry. If you have any unwanted Christmas presents going spare, or the odd bottle of wine, we would appreciate a few donations as prizes for the evening.
Date of next PTA Meeting – March 16th @ 8pm at school – all welcome.
Administration of medicines to pupils in school
The school staff and governing body have recently reviewed the school Medicine Policy. In compliance with this policy, and in the best interests of your children, parents wishing to request that school staff administer essential medicine during school time to their child/ren now need to complete an “Administration of Medicine at Stadhampton School” parent request form. This form now replaces the need for parents to write a letter and ensures school staff receive all the necessary information regarding dosage, timings, etc. Forms are available from each class teacher. A reference copy of the Medicine Policy is available, upon request, in the school office.
Cyberbullying and Internet “grooming”You may have been aware of recent media attention highlighting the risk of children’s vulnerability to the misuse/abuse of the internet by adults. The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), a government organisation, focused public attention with a Safer Internet Day on 9th February. They have developed a cartoon to raise awareness, and help children protect themselves from, internet abuse. This can be accessed on www.ceop.gov.uk. At school our internet system is filtered by OCC and pupils do not have unsupervised access to the Internet.
Unnamed Lost Property
There is a variety of unnamed small size school sweatshirts and cardigans in the lost property box. Please have a look through the box if you have lost any school uniform items recently.
Storytelling Workshops with the Creation Theatre Company
On Tuesday 9th February all pupils took part in a series of dramatised story-telling activities and workshops led by Richard Kidd (actor) and Helen Morley (education assistant) from the Creation Theatre Company. Foundation Stage pupils were treated to animated re-telling of some of Grimm’s Fairy Tales; pupils in Years 1-3 took part in workshops dramatising a story from the Arabian Nights culminating in a presentation to other pupils; pupils in
Years 4 -6 took park in workshops dramatising the Ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, also culminating in a presentation to other pupils. We were very lucky to be allowed to use the head of ‘the beast’, from the Creation Theatre Company’s most recent production of Beauty and the Beast, as the head of the Minotaur.
It was a very successful day; pupils participated enthusiastically and both Richard and Helen praised the behaviour and attitude of our pupils – they clearly enjoyed their day too. This day, whilst fun, also helps develop pupils speaking and listening skills which are fundamental to developing good literacy skills.
Key Stage 1 Drama Workshops by the Creation Theatre Company
The series of after-school drama workshops for pupils in Year 1 and 2, run by the Creation Theatre Company, have now, sadly, finished. The children presented a performance of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves to their families as a ‘grand finale’. This was much enjoyed by everyone present – thank you to all who were able to attend. This opportunity was made possible through the financial support of Extended Services.
Haiti Singing
On Saturday, 30th January over 100 singers, including Mrs Wilkin, came together to learn and record the Haitian folk song Fey-O – a Creole song about suffering and relief. The choir, consisting of students and members of local choirs, came together on the day under the directorship of David Crown, and the solo was provided by the baritone, Christopher Purves. The local media have been supportive in covering this endeavour and now the song is available for download. If you would like to make a donation to the Haiti Appeal – please visit the following site which will allow you to download the track www.haitisinging.com
Book Fair – 4 March 2010
We are looking forward to holding a Book Fair in the school hall from Thursday 4th March until Wednesday 10th March, both before and after school, in association with World Book Day. The commission from the fair allows us to buy books for each classroom and the non-fiction library, so every purchase helps us to get new books for school. This Book Fair is from a new company which we are trialling and we are assured there will be hundreds of exciting books to choose from. We would be interested to receive feedback from parents and pupils on the quality of this Book Fair.
Little Bears News
"Love is in the air this week at Little Bears" - we have made decorative hearts using salt dough to represent St. Valentine’s Day. The children made them for the people they love. We have also made Tiger masks to support Chinese New Year. We really enjoyed assembly with FS1& Class 1 on Monday afternoon. The Little Bears were impeccably behaved, joined in beautifully with the singing and made Little Bears staff very proud!
We hope you have a very relaxing half term & look forward to seeing you on our return.
DIARY DATES:
Monday 22nd February Return to school after the February Holiday
Swimming sessions begin for Class 3 pupils (6 sessions in total)
After-school Hockey club
Tuesday 23rd February First “Little Cooks” session for participating pupils
Wednesday 24th February Year 5 pupils visit ICC for an English lesson
Mobile Library
After school Netball and Multisports clubs
Thursday 25th February After-school football club
Friday 26th February PTA – Bingo Event – evening
Wednesday 3rd March Maths Master Class at ICC for participating pupils
Thursday 4th March BOOK FAIR in school in association with World Book Day. New company being trialled.
Friday 5th March Parents receive Mid-Year Summary Reports
Monday 15th March Work viewing evening 3.30 – 6pm
Friday, February 5, 2010
Newsletter No 4 / 5th February 2010
School Term & Holiday Dates for 2010 - 2011
All families should have received a colour-printed A4 sheet with the school term and holiday dates for the next school year via pupils’ book bags, earlier this week.
Family Holidays during term time
It is an appropriate time to clarify the situation regarding holidays in term time.
Families are reminded that holidays should be avoided during term time and we thank the majority of families who arrange their holidays accordingly. The Education Social Work Service have provided a document entitled ‘Taking Holidays during School Terms’ which clarifies the situation regarding the law and school attendance. A reference copy of this documentation is available to parents in the school office. The document points out that if a child is absent from school for two weeks every year, the child will miss more than six months education during the time they are of statutory school age. There is clear evidence that pupils who have significant periods of absence progress less well than their peers. In essence the law says:-
• That parents/carers do not have a right to take a child out of school for holiday leave during term time.
• Schools have discretionary powers in exceptional circumstances, to grant up to 10 days holidays during term time.
Where holidays during term time are unavoidable, a Holiday Report Form should be obtained from, and returned to, the school office with details of the reason(s) for the exceptional circumstance, so that the Headteacher can carefully consider the application. Absence statistics are monitored by our Local Authority Education Officers and by OFSTED. Indeed, absence figures are one of the key factors that are considered by OFSTED when making their inspection judgments (i.e. a school cannot be judged ‘good’ overall if their absence data is not categorised as ‘good’.)
Mid-Year Summary Reports and Pupil Work Viewing Evening for Parents
Following our well-received introduction of Mid-Year Summary Reports and a mid-year Pupil Work Viewing Evening last year, we now intend to make these annual events. This year Mid-Year Summary Reports for each pupil, including the Foundation Stage, will be issued on Friday 5th March. These identify pupil progress towards key objectives in Literacy, Maths and Science.
The Pupil Work Viewing Evening for Parents will take place from 3.30 to 6pm on Monday 15th March. During this time parents are invited to view the work their child/ren have carried out during this school year. Pupils are welcome to accompany their parents and look through their own work together – pupils are often proud to do this! Although there will be no formal appointment system, teachers will be available in their classrooms for parents to consult with, briefly. In addition, during the evening, tea and coffee will be available in the Hall, served by some of our School Governors. This provides an opportunity for parents to meet and chat with governors on an informal basis.
UNICEF Day for Change
Thank you to everyone who brought in loose change today for this annual fundraising event. We shall let you know how much money was collected for this cause in next week’s newsletter.
Haiti Appeal
Thank you to everyone who made cakes and bought cakes today for the Haiti Appeal. We shall let you know in next week’s newsletter how much money we raised for this appeal. Thank you also to everyone who bought a china doll (kindly donated by Mrs Hopkins’ daughter, Clare). The sale of dolls raised £60 to help the people of Haiti.
National Storytelling Week
To link with National Storytelling Week, this week, we have been reading additional stories in each class. We have posted some information about National Storytelling Week onto the Learning Platform. If you are unable to access the Learning Platform, please let Mrs Hopkins know. Storytelling, of course, is not confined only to a specific week; it forms an integral part of our Literacy Curriculum and on Tuesday next week we will be working with educational staff from the Creation Theatre Company dramatising well-known myths and legends.
Watlington Partnership Spring 2010 Information Sheet
A copy of this valuable information sheet was sent home earlier this week to each family via book bags. Details are provided of our after school clubs, as well as information about local childcare, community clubs and activities, and events for children and their families this term.
Little Bears News
The Little Bears have had another busy week. We have made binoculars and bird feeders to support our bird watching week. We went into the Foundation Stage class with Miss Mould again on Thursday for a singing session using the interactive whiteboard. We went last Thursday too, and the children really enjoyed this and we hope to be able to do this every week. We say a sad goodbye and a huge thank you to Lisa Scragg for all the support she has given during the many years she has been associated with Stadhampton Pre-School and Little Bears.
DIARY DATES:
Sunday 7th February Christingle Service at St John the Baptist Church, Stadhampton at 4.00pm
Tuesday 9th February Drama Workshop for Class 1 pupils 3.15-4.15pm with Creation Theatre Company with parent participation
Friday 12th February “Jian-zi” competition
Break up for February Holiday at 3.15pm
Monday 22nd February Return to school after the February Holiday
Swimming sessions begin for Class 3 pupils (6 sessions in total)
Tuesday 23rd February First “Little Cooks” session for participating pupils
Wednesday 24th February Year 5 pupils visit ICC for an English lesson
Mobile Library
All families should have received a colour-printed A4 sheet with the school term and holiday dates for the next school year via pupils’ book bags, earlier this week.
Family Holidays during term time
It is an appropriate time to clarify the situation regarding holidays in term time.
Families are reminded that holidays should be avoided during term time and we thank the majority of families who arrange their holidays accordingly. The Education Social Work Service have provided a document entitled ‘Taking Holidays during School Terms’ which clarifies the situation regarding the law and school attendance. A reference copy of this documentation is available to parents in the school office. The document points out that if a child is absent from school for two weeks every year, the child will miss more than six months education during the time they are of statutory school age. There is clear evidence that pupils who have significant periods of absence progress less well than their peers. In essence the law says:-
• That parents/carers do not have a right to take a child out of school for holiday leave during term time.
• Schools have discretionary powers in exceptional circumstances, to grant up to 10 days holidays during term time.
Where holidays during term time are unavoidable, a Holiday Report Form should be obtained from, and returned to, the school office with details of the reason(s) for the exceptional circumstance, so that the Headteacher can carefully consider the application. Absence statistics are monitored by our Local Authority Education Officers and by OFSTED. Indeed, absence figures are one of the key factors that are considered by OFSTED when making their inspection judgments (i.e. a school cannot be judged ‘good’ overall if their absence data is not categorised as ‘good’.)
Mid-Year Summary Reports and Pupil Work Viewing Evening for Parents
Following our well-received introduction of Mid-Year Summary Reports and a mid-year Pupil Work Viewing Evening last year, we now intend to make these annual events. This year Mid-Year Summary Reports for each pupil, including the Foundation Stage, will be issued on Friday 5th March. These identify pupil progress towards key objectives in Literacy, Maths and Science.
The Pupil Work Viewing Evening for Parents will take place from 3.30 to 6pm on Monday 15th March. During this time parents are invited to view the work their child/ren have carried out during this school year. Pupils are welcome to accompany their parents and look through their own work together – pupils are often proud to do this! Although there will be no formal appointment system, teachers will be available in their classrooms for parents to consult with, briefly. In addition, during the evening, tea and coffee will be available in the Hall, served by some of our School Governors. This provides an opportunity for parents to meet and chat with governors on an informal basis.
UNICEF Day for Change
Thank you to everyone who brought in loose change today for this annual fundraising event. We shall let you know how much money was collected for this cause in next week’s newsletter.
Haiti Appeal
Thank you to everyone who made cakes and bought cakes today for the Haiti Appeal. We shall let you know in next week’s newsletter how much money we raised for this appeal. Thank you also to everyone who bought a china doll (kindly donated by Mrs Hopkins’ daughter, Clare). The sale of dolls raised £60 to help the people of Haiti.
National Storytelling Week
To link with National Storytelling Week, this week, we have been reading additional stories in each class. We have posted some information about National Storytelling Week onto the Learning Platform. If you are unable to access the Learning Platform, please let Mrs Hopkins know. Storytelling, of course, is not confined only to a specific week; it forms an integral part of our Literacy Curriculum and on Tuesday next week we will be working with educational staff from the Creation Theatre Company dramatising well-known myths and legends.
Watlington Partnership Spring 2010 Information Sheet
A copy of this valuable information sheet was sent home earlier this week to each family via book bags. Details are provided of our after school clubs, as well as information about local childcare, community clubs and activities, and events for children and their families this term.
Little Bears News
The Little Bears have had another busy week. We have made binoculars and bird feeders to support our bird watching week. We went into the Foundation Stage class with Miss Mould again on Thursday for a singing session using the interactive whiteboard. We went last Thursday too, and the children really enjoyed this and we hope to be able to do this every week. We say a sad goodbye and a huge thank you to Lisa Scragg for all the support she has given during the many years she has been associated with Stadhampton Pre-School and Little Bears.
DIARY DATES:
Sunday 7th February Christingle Service at St John the Baptist Church, Stadhampton at 4.00pm
Tuesday 9th February Drama Workshop for Class 1 pupils 3.15-4.15pm with Creation Theatre Company with parent participation
Friday 12th February “Jian-zi” competition
Break up for February Holiday at 3.15pm
Monday 22nd February Return to school after the February Holiday
Swimming sessions begin for Class 3 pupils (6 sessions in total)
Tuesday 23rd February First “Little Cooks” session for participating pupils
Wednesday 24th February Year 5 pupils visit ICC for an English lesson
Mobile Library
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