Newsletter for week ending 5 September 2014

This is an unusually long newsletter – plenty to read!

We are pleased to welcome Miss Palvi Raval as our new Class 3 teacher and Miss Sophie Peet who returns to us for two weeks as part of her teacher training.

We are pleased to welcome the following new pupils into Stadhampton School this term: Jude Bradley, Cianna Browning, Laila Burnell, Wyatt Bullock, Bobby Byrne, Ruby Clark, Morgan Denton, Thomas Dover, Dexter Elliott, Alice Hindmarch, Zac Holmes, Miriam Hutchence, Jake Jones, Oliver Lemon, Alana Malley, Ivy Odell, Jack Smith, Harry Ventham, Honor White and Freddie Woodward-Watts.

Happy SEPTEMBER Birthday to: Charlie Austin, Isabella Dickens, Dexter Elliott, George Evelyn, Phobe Hindmarch, Alfie Howard, Phoebe Watkins and Lawrence Wright.

During September we will be focusing on the core value of RESPECT

What are core values? As a school community we focus on a core value each month, on a rolling two-year cycle. These core values are based on key principles and fundamental convictions which act as general guides to behaviour, enduring beliefs as to what is worthwhile, ideas for which one strives, standards by which particular beliefs and actions are judged to be good or desirable. Examples are respect, co-operation, caring, love, peace, friendship, honesty and freedom.
Our approach to values education is a holistic one and underpins our school ethos. Monthly values are integrated into our curriculum through assemblies, classwork and informal discussions and notable pupil engagement is often acknowledged in our weekly ‘Well-Done’ assemblies.

National Curriculum Update
As many of you will be aware through reports in the Press, a revised National Curriculum comes into effect, for the majority of year-groups from September 2014. We have updated our school curriculum accordingly and, as there is already much to digest in this week’s newsletter, we will give further details of the changes in next week’s newsletter.

School Meal Price Increase
A reminder that the cost of a school meal increased on 1st September 2014 to £2.10 a day or £10.50 per week. Cheques for school meals should be made payable to OCC, with Stadhampton School written on the back of the cheque please and sent into school on the first morning of the school week. Thank you.

All pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are now entitled to a free school meal if they would like to have one.

Swimming at Berinsfield
Swimming will begin for Class 2 pupils on Monday 8th September. They will have a total of 7 sessions. The cost of the swimming transport to Berinsfield has increased to £65 per visit, so we are particularly grateful to receive contributions of £2 per swimming session from parents towards this cost. Cheques for swimming contributions should be made payable to Stadhampton Primary School please (£14 for this term’s sessions).
For families new to school swimming at Berinsfield, pupils in Classes 2 and 3 attend swimming lessons at the Abbey Pool, Berinsfield on Monday afternoons with each class going in turn for a block of approximately 6-7 weeks. Pupils are taught by swimming coaches employed by the Local Authority. Transport is by coach and pupils are accompanied by two adults from Stadhampton School – currently this is normally Mrs Shortman and Mrs Turner.
Swimming forms a compulsory part of the PE curriculum and is not an option. However, if any pupil is unable to go swimming as a result of a medical, or other, condition parents and carers are requested to inform Mrs Turner in writing. Such pupils will still travel with the class to Berinsfield and do some other curriculum-related work under supervision.
Boys need to take with them tight-fitting swimming trunks (not long baggy trunks), girls need a one-piece swimming costume, and everyone needs a towel and a swimming hat (any colour). Pupils shower before and after swimming, however shower gel, shampoo, talc, etc are not required.
Goggles are allowed to be worn, if necessary, but parents and carers must complete the appropriate form which is available from Mrs Turner. Thank you.

PE Kit Reminder
From Monday, could all pupils ensure that they have their PE kit available in school each day please.

Gardening Club – Friday lunchtimes
We are grateful to Mr and Mrs Burnell for continuing to run a gardening club on Friday lunchtimes. Please could any pupils from Classes 2 and 3 who would like to attend the club give their names to Mrs Hopkins. The club will start on Friday 12th September. If any other parents would like to offer their help at this club, it would be very much appreciated!

After School Clubs this term
We have uploaded the dates and times of the after school clubs running in Term 1 to the school website. There are still several spaces available for Multisports (Years 1-6) and Animation/Cinematography workshops (now open to Years 2-6) and just one space for after school Archery club (over 8’s only). The costs are £14 for Multisports for 7 weeks (cheques made payable to OCC), £24 for Animation/Cinematography for 6 weeks (cheques made payable to Stadhampton Primary School), £15 for Archery for 5 weeks (cheques made payable to Stadhampton Primary School please). Please ask Mrs Hopkins for a form if you would like to participate in any after school clubs.
N.B. We have received notification today from Mr Chrisp, the archery instructor, that he is unable to start the archery club now until 22nd September. Families who had already paid £18 for the 6 weeks will have £3 refunded as the club will now only run for 5 weeks.

Forest Schools
We are pleased to be able to continue forest school sessions for all the children at Stadhampton Primary School. The sessions will be on Thursday mornings and one year group at a time will go with Mr Short, Poppy Elliott and Mel Gravett. One of the key ideas of forest schools is to allow children to experience how the environment around them changes over time. To achieve this, we have timetabled staggered two week blocks for each class. Although this is more complicated than doing a six-week block for each year group, it has the advantage of each year group getting a range of weather and woodland conditions – autumn, winter, spring and summer.

If any parents would be interested in volunteering to help at sessions, please let us know. You would not be agreeing to an ongoing commitment; the aim is to develop a rosta of volunteers who can help when required, or when particular activities are planned that require higher adult:child ratios, such as having camp fires or tool use.

Furthermore, if anyone has old wellies, waterproofs or warm jumpers that they could donate to the school as standby or extra resources for the colder months, we would very much appreciate them.

This is the proposed timetable:
11 September Year 2 (SS on training)
18 September Year 1
25 September Year 2
2 October Year 1
9 October Year 3 (SS on training)
16 October Year 4
23 October Year 3
6 November Year 4
13 November Year 5
20 November Year 6
27 November Year 5
4 December Year 6
11 December Year 1
18 December Year 2

School Photographs
The School Photography Company will be in school on Thursday 25 September and all pupils will have their photographs taken during the morning wearing their school uniform. Each child will be 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 if they so wish.

Within a week or two, proof photographs will arrive at school and parents will decide whether or not they wish to purchase them. If you do not wish to purchase the photographs you do not need to return the proof pack back to school. If you do wish to purchase photographs please follow the instructions on the proof pack. The school simply collects the orders ready for the School Photography Company to collect from the School Office on a given date (this will be advised in the newsletter when known).

Piano Tuition
Mrs Trudy Drake will be offering piano lessons during the school day on Wednesday or Thursday afternoons for any child in Class 2 or 3. (You may be aware that Mrs Drake already provides piano tuition in school and the local area). If you are interested in your child/ren learning to play the piano in school, please contact Mrs Drake directly (mob. 07918188519) for more details. There are several places available at the moment.

Guitar Tuition
Guitar lessons begin for participating pupils on Friday 19 September. A new beginners group will be set up and Mr Payne will attend a school assembly one day next week to demonstrate the guitar and also explain the procedure for having guitar lessons for any interested pupils.

PTA NEWS:
Welcome back everyone, and a warm welcome to all new families from the PTA. As usual we will keep you informed of any PTA news via the newsletter, so please keep a look out for dates and information on how you can support us.

Coffee Morning – Wednesday 10th September, from 9.15am The Crown, Stadhampton
Please join PTA members for coffee at The Crown in Stadhampton on Wednesday 10th September from 9.15am. This is a chance for parents and carers to meet members of the PTA, find out a bit more about what we do and how you can support us and the events we organise. In particular, we would like to welcome parents of any children new to the school, but also extend the invitation to parents who have been around a bit longer and would like to get involved or provide (constructive!) feedback on PTA events run during the last year. It's a chance for everyone to catch up after the holidays - we hope lots of you can make it and hope to see you there.

PTA Meeting - Tuesday 16th September, 8pm, The Crown, Stadhampton
An invitation to come along to our first meeting of the year and help us plan our year of fundraising activities. We would love to welcome any new people to our small and friendly team, so please come and join us.

Friday Cake Club
Congratulations to Leo Burnell, the lucky winner of the last cake before the summer, kindly donated by Mrs Sarah Green. She also donated 5 ‘bonus’ cakes, which were won by Naomi Woodwards, Edison Buckner, Georgia Day, Max Jones & Daniel Ellis.

Cake Club will start again on Friday 12 September. A reminder to Mrs Bowerman that she is on the rota for the first cake.

DIARY DATES:
Sunday 7 September Parish Praise – 9.30am short family service in Church followed by refreshments
Monday 22nd September Governing Body meeting at 7pm
Thursday 25th September School Photographs

LITTLE BEARS NEWS:
Welcome back to Term 1. We hope you had a restful summer. This term our topic is "All About Me" and over the first few weeks we will be welcoming and getting to know our new Little Bears.
Over the summer we were lucky enough to have a new summer house which is going to be used as an outdoor classroom. We would like to say a huge thank you for supporting us with our fundraising efforts which enabled us to buy this.

Community News:
Village Show
Saturday 13th September 2014
Village Hall at St John’s
Exhibits to be set up between 10.00 -11.30 a.m.
OPEN FOR PUBLIC VIEWING
2.00 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.
Entry 50p Exhibitors free
DELICIOUS TEAS
RAFFLE
EVERYONE WELCOME!
There is still time to enter! You will find a copy of the Show Schedule in the centre of the September Village Voice if you have mislaid the original. Please take your entry form, together with the fees to Cheryl Wilson at the White House, Thame Road, Stadhampton as soon as possible and NO later than 7.00 p.m. on Wednesday 10th September 2014. Please ‘phone 890 880 if you need further details.

• Flyer attached from Chalgrove Children’s Centre