Newsletter for week ending 3 October 2014

Happy OCTOBER Birthday to: Wyatt Bullock, Laila Burnell, Ella Fulker, Mia Gravett, Sophie Hector, Jake Jones, Oliver Lowman, Lewis Payne, Harvey Saunders and Ellie Walker.

During OCTOBER we are focusing on the core value of APPRECIATION

Vacancy for a Parent Governor at Stadhampton Primary School
We have had a vacancy on the Governing body for a Community Governor for a number of months which we have been unable to fill. At the Governing Body meeting held at school on Monday 22nd September, it was agreed that Mrs Sara Wright would transfer from being a Parent Governor to a Community Governor. This means that we now have a vacancy for a parent governor and we warmly encourage parents to put their names forward. Lord Nash says that “The significance of governing bodies’ role has in the past been under-valued. Governing bodies are the key strategic decision makers and vision setters in every school and academy. They are also a key part of the overall system for school accountability. Governing bodies have a vital role to play in driving up school and pupil performance and ensuring that resources are used well to give every child the best possible education. People who become school governors make a positive contribution by giving time and bringing their experience to help with school improvement.”

There are a number of regulations which prevent persons from applying to be a parent governor such as someone who is subject to a bankruptcy restriction order, is already a governor at another school, has been given a prison sentence of five years or more, etc. Please check with Mrs Hopkins if you need clarification about whether you could apply to be a parent governor.

In the event of more than one parent putting their name forward, nominees will be asked to write a short description (75-100 words) of themselves for inclusion with a Ballot Paper.
A Ballot Paper will be sent to all parents and others with parental responsibility for registered pupils. One vote per parent is allowed regardless of how many children they have in school. Candidates cannot withdraw from election after ballot papers have been circulated.
Please do think about taking on the role and begin by writing a few words about yourself and why you would like to be a governor at Stadhampton School. The closing date for applications is the end of business on Monday 20 October 2014.

40th Anniversary Celebration
As part of our ongoing celebration of the school being on this site for 40 years, we all stood outside in the shape of a ‘40’ on Tuesday and had an aerial photograph taken. We look forward to sharing this with you when it arrives!


Harvest Festival in school tomorrow
A reminder that we shall be having our Harvest Service in school tomorrow morning at 9.05am. Parents/carers are most welcome to join us for this service. We hope that each child will be able to bring a small ‘Harvest Gift’ into school which, after our service, will be taken to the village church and put on display for the Harvest Service there on Sunday 5th October. After the village service, the gifts will be taken to Stepping Stones, a centre in Oxford for homeless people. 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. Thank you.

PTA NEWS:

Official Notice of the PTA's Annual General Meeting (AGM) - Tuesday 21st October, 8pm in the School Hall
The PTA plays a vital part in the school community and all parents, as members of the PTA, are invited to support the AGM. This is your chance to hear and see how the funds you helped to raise last year have been used for the benefit of the children at our school.

The AGM is also an opportunity for you to elect the PTA Committee (Chair, Treasurer, Secretary), to represent the association throughout the forthcoming academic year. If you are interested in taking on one of these roles or joining the committee, please speak to Georgina Wiggins or Melanie Gravett. Or if you just want to come to the meeting to find out a bit more, everyone is welcome.

School Spruce Up Day - Saturday 11th October from 10am – we only have a week until the day so please recruit as many helpers as you can for painting, weeding, planting and doing general maintenance of the school grounds. Tea, coffee and bacon butties will be provided!

Clothes Recycling - Tuesday 14th October – you should have received your clothes recycling bag in book bags last week, so please get sorting through your wardrobes for your unwanted adult and/or children’s clothes, paired shoes, cuddly toys, bags, scarves, hats. If you need additional bags, please see Claire Walker or you can use a normal black bin bag.

Bag2School is a free fundraising scheme that works in partnership with schools and businesses to help us raise money from your donations. It specialises in collecting unwanted textiles in good condition which are then sold to export markets worldwide where they are sorted and then sold to the general public. The PTA receives funds for every kilo of clothes collected, so please have a good clear out ready for collection day!

‘Old School’ Disco Night - Saturday 15th November - 8pm
One for the adults - more details to come.

Winter Fair - Friday 28th November
Each week we will be counting down to the Winter Fair and will be asking for different donations, so it's not such a big rush for everyone nearer the time. Please put all donations in the PTA box in the hall.

WINTER FAIR COUNTDOWN 8 WEEKS - WANTED THIS WEEK ARE:
SWEETS, EMPTY JARS, BOTTLE BAGS

Did you know the PTA has a Facebook page?
It is a closed group in which only parents of the school can access. If you would like to join, please search Stadhampton Primary School PTA and we can add you as a member. Any problems please see Georgina Wiggins.


Friday Cake Club
Congratulations to Benjamin Walker, the lucky winner of last week’s cake, kindly donated by Mrs Fulker. A reminder to Mr Holmes that he is on the rota for Friday 10th October.

DIARY DATES:
8 October2014 Mobile Library
15 October 2015 Open Morning from 9.00 to 11.30am. Please come and see the school at work
20 October 2014 Book Fair arrives in school
12 November 2014 Mobile Library
17 November 2014 & 19 November Parents’ Consultation Evening from 4-7pm on 17 November and 4-6pm on 19 November (more details to follow nearer the time, but advance warning of the dates available for meeting with teachers)
Tuesday 9 December KS2 Christmas Play performances at 1.45pm & 6.30pm (times to be confirmed)
Wednesday 10 December KS1 & FS Christmas Play performance at 2.15pm (times to be confirmed)
Mobile Library
Monday 22 December & Tuesday 23 December Two day Christmas Sports Course at Stadhampton School led by Michael Hopkins and supported by Jordan Piper. Please see attached flyer for details.


LITTLE BEARS NEWS:
Continuing with our theme of ‘All about Me’ we will be talking about the five senses and enjoying some taste tests. We are also going to talk about our bones and make some ‘funny bones’ pictures.