Newsletter for week ending 21st December 2012

Footsteps Foundation Assembly
On Tuesday 18th December we presented Ms Claire Morley, a representative of Footsteps Foundation, with a cheque for the magnificent sum of £420.00, the total collected from the sale of tickets for our Christmas productions this year. Ms Morley was delighted to receive our donation and thanked the pupils for this significant contribution. She gave talks to all pupils about the work of the Foundation, illustrated by a Powerpoint presentation showing the Footsteps Centre in action, giving the pupils opportunities to ask questions about their work and to handle some examples of the equipment used. Our pupils were fascinated to find out more about the work of the Footsteps Foundation and were very pleased to realise that our donation will help enable other children to have an opportunity to develop their mobility, independence and confidence.

Here is a viewpoint from two of our pupils:- “Ms Morley gave a fantastic presentation about the Footsteps Foundation in Dorchester. She told us about ‘the spider’ which helps the kids strengthen their leg and arm muscles which can help them to walk.” Benjamin Duke and Owen Cove

Thank you
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to parents and carers, the PTA, our Governing Body and all other members of the local community who have given us so much support in so many different ways over the last term. The lead-up to Christmas is always a particularly busy time of year and we would like to thank everyone involved for their support in helping to make all our Christmas events so successful.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all pupils and staff for their hard work and commitment to all our events. The Christmas season may be a very busy time of year for us but it is also a very special one!

School Nativity Service
Thank you to all families who were able to join us for this service. It is always a special occasion and this year we received many comments on how wonderful the singing was – not to mention how angelic Reception pupils looked! Thank you to Mr Manzie for organising the sound system.

Transatlantic Thoughts
No-one can have escaped the tragic news of the horrific events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, USA, last Friday. As a close-knit school community, out thoughts are with the families, friends and colleagues of those who were so brutally killed.
On Monday we held a short period of reflection during which I shared the following prayer:-

This is our school,
Let peace dwell here.
Let the rooms be full of contentment,
Let love abide here.
Love of one another,
Love of mankind,
Love of life itself
and love of God.
Let us remember
That many hands build a house,
So many hearts make a school!


Swimming at Berinsfield
Swimming will begin for Class 2 pupils on Monday 14th January. They will have 3 more sessions on January 21st (not 28th as it is the Swimming Gala) followed by the 4th and 18th February. As always, we hope that parents will be willing to help with the transport costs to Berinsfield with a contribution of £2 per swimming session. Thank you to the parents/carers of pupils in Class 3, who made a contribution last term. Cheques for swimming contributions should be made payable to Stadhampton Primary School, please.

After School Sports Clubs
Please see the School Website for reminders of the after-school clubs available in Term 3. Letters went home in book bags at the end of last week. Archery after-school club is now full.

School Meals
A reminder that school meals cost £2 per day. Cheques for school meals should be made payable to Oxfordshire County Council please with Stadhampton Primary School written on the back of the cheque. In order to reduce administration time spent on school meals we appreciate receiving orders and payments for school meals on the first morning of each school week. Thank you.

LITTLE BEARS NEWS:
We would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas; enjoy the rest and festivities. Thank you to everyone who has donated equipment and time to Little Bears over the year. It is very much appreciated by all of the team and the Little Bears.
We return on Tuesday the 8th January to the topic Elmer the Elephant.


DIARY DATES:
Friday 21st December End of year assembly at 9.05am. All parents/carers welcome.
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
Monday 14th January First swimming session for Class 2 pupils
Monday 28th January Swimming Gala for selected pupils


Happy Christmas from everyone at Stadhampton School!