Newsletter for week ending 23rd November 2012

Annual Questionnaire for Parents and Carers
The annual questionnaire for parents and carers, compiled and analysed by the Governing Body, along with a covering letter, has been sent home via book bags today. In response to feedback from parents and carers last year, we have provided a form for each child rather than each family and an envelope for the return of each form.

Class 3 Woodlands Outdoor Education Centre Residential Visit
It was good to see so many parents at the presentations about the Woodlands Residential visit, to hear questions from pupils and parents and to be able to provide everyone with an opportunity to meet Mr Chris Pearce, Head of Centre. A leaflet summarising much of this information has been sent home via bookbags today – please see Miss Shah if you haven’t received one. Further information will be sent to families in the near future.

School Admission Appeal Panels
When the Local Authority has refused a child a place at the parents’ preferred school, the parents have a right of appeal to an independent appeal panel. In accordance with Regulations, OCC must make arrangements for parents to appeal and part of that duty is to ensure that there are sufficient numbers of people to serve on these appeal panels. If anyone is interested in being on an appeal panel please contact Mrs Sheila Sturgeon Education Appeals Officer on 01865 810180 or
e -mail schoolappeals@oxfordshire.gov.uk by Monday 10th December 2012.

Detoxing Childhood books available to parents and carers
Earlier this week Mrs Turner attended a training session entitled ‘21st Century Children: Language, Literacy and Learning Across the Curriculum’. The session, which was both fascinating and constructive, was led by Sue Palmer. Sue Palmer is well known to teachers as a writer, broadcaster and consultant on child education, particularly literacy, and is an independent advisor to the Department of Education and the BBC. She may be known to some parents as the author of the book ‘Toxic Childhood’. More recently she has written another book ‘Detoxing Childhood’ in which she provides a guide on how parents can help today’s children grow up healthy, happy and resilient, despite the pressures of the ‘toxic’ world. We have bought two copies of this book for school and if any parents/carers are interested in borrowing a copy you would be most welcome to do so – please see either Mrs Turner or Mrs Hopkins.

Children in Need
It was wonderful to see so many children and school staff wearing ‘something spotty’ last Friday. Thank you to all parents and carers for helping their children by creating a range of spotty outfits and supporting this cause. We managed to raise an amazing £100 for this worthy cause. Thank you.

Seasonal Illness and School Absence
The colder, damper weather seems to have brought with it the usual seasonal illnesses with pupils, parents and staff succumbing to a range of conditions. In assembly we have reminded pupils about the NHS ‘Catch It, Bin It, Kill It’ campaign and to help offer guidance to parents we have distributed a leaflet from Oxfordshire County Council about sickness absence which we hope you will find useful. This leaflet has also been uploaded onto the school website (Links section).

Bottle Tops Collection
Thank you for continuing to collect these for us. Mrs Leiper will be taking a huge parcel of them to the collection point in Swindon at the weekend to support the Thames Valley Air Ambulance collection. We have been advised that milk bottle tops, Robinsons and Innocent tops and anything with a triangle inside the top may be recycled but tops off fizzy drinks bottles cannot be recycled.

The Oxford Owl – www.oxfordowl.co.uk
Parents may already be aware of this useful website but, if not, this website is free and has been designed by teachers and parents specifically to help parents support their children’s reading and maths at home. We will also put a link to it on our own website.

Winter Fair – Friday 30th November
A reminder (for anyone who missed it!) that the PTA Winter Fair is in school next Friday, 30th November, from 6.00-8.00pm. This is a popular and major fund-raising event and we look forward to seeing you there!

PTA News

Raffle Tickets
Please return your raffle tickets (with your name on the back) and payment by next Thursday to be included in the raffle draw at the Winter Fair next Friday. Remember to keep the duplicate set of tickets for Friday.

Winter Fair
It's one week to the Winter Fair - and we would love any donations of good quality items that you can give us - how about you "Phil a bag" over the weekend with any of the following: chocolates, sweets, biscuits, cakes, mince pies, books, CDs & DVDs, beauty products, toys or bottles, unwanted gifts or any other items that may be suitable for the raffle - and put it in our red box in the hall on Monday.

Friday Cake Club
Well done Thomas Cove on winning the cake last Friday, donated by Mrs Duke. A reminder to Mrs Hursey who is on the rota for the 30th November.


LITTLE BEARS NEWS
Next week we are looking at colours light and dark. We will also be looking at a colour wheel and talking about colour mixing.

DIARY DATES:
Friday 30 November Winter Fair 6-8pm
Sunday 2 December Christingle Service at St John’s Church, Stadhampton at 9.30am
Wednesday 5 December Mobile Library
Tuesday 11 December Matinee and evening performances of KS2 Christmas Production
Wednesday 12 December Matinee performance of FS/KS1 Christmas Production at 2.15pm. The Oxford Mail may take a photograph of this performance for their Christmas feature. Please let us know if you have any objections.
Monday 17th December Wreath-making evening
Tuesday 18th December School Christmas Party pm
Wednesday 19th December Nativity Service in Church at 2.15pm. All welcome to join us.
Thursday 20th December Whole-school Christmas lunch
Friday 21st December
End of term assembly at 9.05am. All welcome to join us.
School finishes at 1.30pm.
Monday 7th January Staff INSET Day – no pupils!
Tuesday 8th January Pupils return to school for the start of Term 3