Newsletter for week ending 13th January 2012

Newsletter for week ending 13th January 2012

A Message from the Governors
Dear Parents and Carers,

At the end of last year we asked you all to fill out our annual Parent Questionnaire. The Questionnaire is used to help the teaching staff and governing body ensure that the school is continuing to provide high standards of teaching and support to pupils and measure how well the school is meeting your expectations. In total we received 42 responses (an increase from 31) in 2010), thank you for taking the time to fill the form out.

You were asked to say whether you Strongly Agreed, Agreed, Disagreed or Strongly Disagreed with 13 statements. The overall average response across all returned questionnaires and all questions was exactly midway between Strongly Agree and Agree (as it was in 2010) which we believe reflects both the continued high standards achieved at Stadhampton Primary School, and you and your children's experience. However, unlike 2010, several statements attracted a Disagree from a small number of parents and this is, of course, a concern. The teaching staff have already incorporated some of the findings of the questionnaire into the INSET day held on the 3rd of January this year.
As a Governing Body we will be further analysing the responses at the next Governors Meeting and creating an action plan to address the leading areas identified as needing some improvement.
Best Regards
Jason Hector (Chair of Governors)

School Council
The New Year brings a number of changes and a new School Council has been elected. Many thanks to our previous School Council who achieved so much. Our Spring 2012 School Council consists of Ella Mae and Joe (Year 6), Molly and Benjamin (Year 5), Lola and Max (Year 4), Emily and Greg (Year 3) and Darcy and Max (Year 2).

Class Topics/Areas of Study
An outline of the topics/areas of study for each class for Terms 3 and 4 should be in book bags today.

Swimming Gala – by Matthew Ellis, Matt Green and Ella Mae White
“On Monday 9th January, six nervous swimmers (Matt Green, Matthew Ellis, Benjamin Duke, Maisie Matthews, Rhiannon Amery and Ella Mae White) competed in the Watlington Partnership Swimming Gala. Almost every race was extremely close; in the whole gala we only came 4th once! Although 6 schools were meant to compete, only 4 came so we only had one heat and a final but were still really tired afterwards. After all the swimming we got the results. We came first with 122 points! Matt Green, 10, said “It feels good to bring the cup back to our school again!”
All the swimmers did their very best and we all returned home triumphant, but very tired!

Storytelling Workshops – 16.01.2012
We are very excited that all pupils will be participating in a series of age-related storytelling workshops next Monday. Mr Adam Guillain, a local author and professional storyteller who works for The Story Museum in Oxford, will spend the day with us including providing after-school follow-up INSET for staff. Storytelling is not only fun but many Literacy–based skills are developed through the process including; listening skills, acting and speaking skills and an understanding of the structure of stories, which all ultimately support key generic writing skills. We look forward to an exciting and educational day!

School Collections
Thank you for collecting your plastic bottle tops and bringing them to school. Our collection has reached its goal of helping to provide funds for a replacement wheelchair for a pupil at our link school in Hazlach, Poland, and they are very grateful for everyone’s contributions.

As the bottle top collecting has been so successful we would like to continue with this facility but we will now collect them for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance. We hope you will continue to support our collection.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind familes that we also collect foreign coins and used stamps for Marie Curie Cancer Care. All collection containers are in the Hall, usually on top of the piano. Thank you for your contributions.

The gardening club continue to collect clean, empty, clear 2–litre drinks bottles to make their “green” greenhouse. Further details about their progress will follow shortly. Please continue to bring in any suitable bottles into the Hall. Thank you.

PTA
Happy New Year from the PTA. The final fundraising events of 2011 did very well. Fiona raised a fantastic £298.82 from the Wreath-Making Evening – thanks to Fiona for running it, and for everyone who attended or ordered a wreath. The Waitrose tokens raised £260 – again thanks to all who collected them. We also now have enough CDs and DVDs to send to Music Magpie to get the free football kit in addition to money for the CDs etc. We will let you know the exact amount raised as soon as we have it.

This year we can look forward to a TV and Film Quiz in February, and Kids Bingo night in March, plus the usual Clothes Recycling and Plant Orders. If you have any other fundraising ideas please let a member of the PTA know. Or better still, come along to the next PTA Meeting, at 8pm on Tuesday 24th January in the School Hall.


Little Bears News
Next week we are continuing with our theme “Under the Sea” and making starfish and continuing with our crabs- reminder that we will need 2ltr bottles for week 4 and if anyone has any sand paper they would like to donate it would be much appreciated.
Happy Belated Birthday to Thomas West who turned 4 last Tuesday.


DIARY DATES:


Tuesday 17th January After-school cookery course begins for participating Year 4 pupils
Wednesday 18th January Year 5 pupils visit ICC for a technology lesson
Friday 20th January Class 3 visit to ICC for Sports Hall Activities
Wednesday 25th January After school Netball & Multisports start for 9 weeks for participating pupils. Multisports Club is now full.
Monday 30th January After school Hockey Club starts for 8 weeks for participating pupils
Friday 3rd February UNICEF Day for Change – please start collecting your small change to bring change to the lives of Ugandan children
Friday 10th February Term 3 finishes at 3.15pm
Monday 20th February Pupils return to school for the start of Term 4
Monday 12th March Work-viewing evening