Newsletter for week ending 21st September 2012

Harvest Gifts
Our annual Harvest Festival will take place in the Hall at 9.05am on Friday 5th October and families are most welcome to join us. Once again we will be supporting Stepping Stones, an organisation for homeless people in Oxford, with our Harvest Gifts. We hope that each child will be able to bring a small contribution into school before our service. All Harvest gifts bought into school will be taken to the village church and put on display for the Harvest Service there on Sunday 9th October, before being taken on to Stepping Stones. Stepping Stones prefer to receive non-perishable items such as packets of pasta, tins of beans, bars of chocolate, packets of biscuits, tins of tomatoes, tins of spaghetti, etc rather than fresh produce. This year they are also intending to make chutney, as an enterprise, so gifts of vinegar and sugar would also be greatly appreciated. However, ‘traditional’ Harvest Gifts are also welcome. Thank you.

Advance Notice of other Key Events and Dates
Please make a note of key dates taking place in the autumn term:

Our annual Parents and Carers Consultation Evening with teachers will take place in November as follows:

Monday 19th November: 3.30 – 4.30pm and 5.00-7.00pm Class 1
4.00 - 7.00pm – Reception, Class 2 and Class 3

Wednesday 21st November: 4.00 – 6.00pm – all classes

We hope that by giving advanced notice of these arrangements that parents and carers will be able to arrange to attend one or other of these dates.

Our annual Christmas productions (yet to revealed!) will take place as follows:

KS2 (Classes 2 & 3) Tuesday 11th December, both matinee and evening performances (times to be confirmed)

FS/KS1 (Reception & Class 1) Wednesday 12 December, matinee performance only (time to be confirmed).

Our annual Nativity Service is expected to take place in the village church during the last week of
Term 2. We will circulate details of this event once we have confirmed arrangements with the new
vicar, Rev Caroline King.


Starting School
Parents with a child born between 1st September 2008 and 31st August 2009 must apply for a school place for entry in the academic year beginning September 2013. The closing date for applications is 15th January 2013. You may apply on-line at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/admissions or by completing a paper CAP form which should be available shortly from the school office, if you have not already received one from the Local Authority.

Year 6 Secondary School Applications
Families of Year 6 pupils should have received a letter from the Admissions Team at Oxfordshire County Council explaining the process for applying for a place at their chosen secondary school. You can apply on-line at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/admissions. A limited number of application booklets containing an application form for completion are available from the school office if you are unable to apply on line. The closing date for on-time applications is 31st October 2012.

PTA News
Thanks to everyone who came to our first meeting of the school year on Tuesday. There were lots of good ideas for raising funds, and these will be communicated via the school website shortly.

Friday Cake Club – This starts on 21st September, and costs 20p per child per week if they would like to enter the raffle, to be drawn in Assembly. If you would prefer to pay up front for the rest of the half term, or even the term, you are very welcome to do so. We will then ensure your child’s name is entered each week. Rowena, Diana & Lucy will be outside Class 1 on Friday morning with the tickets. Thank you to everyone who has offered to donate cakes so far – these are on a rota which Rowena has. If you would like to add your name, please contact Rowena.

Clothes Recycling 23 October – Bags and a letter provided by Bag2School will be put into bookbags shortly, but you can also use black bin bags. Donations of clothes, shoes, bedding (not pillows and duvets), cuddly toys are all very welcome. The collection will take place by 9am on Tuesday 23rd October.

Plant Orders – Order forms and information regarding plant orders should be in bookbags on Friday. All order forms and payment should be returned to the School Office by Monday 1st October, and the plants will be delivered on Monday 22 October.


Little Bears News
Next week we are looking at our bones and we will be reading ‘Funny Bones’ and learning the song "Those Bones". We will also be making collage skeletons and drawing around each other.

DIARY DATES:
Tuesday 25th September Meeting about parking/car park/congestion at 2.45pm in the Hall.
Thursday 27th September All pupils have their photographs taken in school uniform. Each child is photographed individually and also with any siblings in school. Families are welcome to come into the Hall before school at 8.30am to have family groups photographed together.

Icknield Community College Open Evening for new students – 6pm

Friday 5th October Harvest Festival School Service at 9.05am. All welcome.
Wednesday 17th October Open Morning at Stadhampton School and Little Bears 9.00-11.30am.