Newsletter for week ending 7 November 2014

Happy NOVEMBER Birthday to: Juliana Browning, Beau Burnell, Amy Freeman, Bella Jones and Max Jones.

During NOVEMBER we are focusing on the core value of PEACE

Parent Governor Vacancy
Although the closing date for applications for a parent governor vacancy was extended until Monday 3rd November, no applications were received by the deadline date. However, we have now received one expression of interest from a parent about this role. If anyone else would like to put their name forward for this vacancy, please contact Mrs Hopkins by the end of the school day on Monday 10th November. Thank you.

Mr Short
We regret to announce that sadly Mr Short will be leaving us when the school breaks up for Christmas as he and his family are moving to another part of the country. We thank Mr Short for the significant contribution he has made during his time at Stadhampton School working with individual pupils and small groups, leading Maths groups (Mr Short is a qualified teacher) and Forest School sessions. We will miss him greatly.

Food With Thought
The new school meals menu, distributed this week via book bags, begins on Monday 10th November 2014. A copy of the new menu has also been uploaded to the school website as a reference point for parents.

Cloakroom Renovations
We hope that pupils, parents and staff are pleased with the new toilets, taps and flooring fitted in all classroom cloakrooms and the ladies toilet off the school hall during the October Holiday.

Swimming at Berinsfield Pool
Swimming lessons at the Abbey Sports Centre began on Monday 3rd November for Class 3 pupils. We ask parents/carers to contribute £2 per week towards the cost of the transport to Berinsfield if possible. Cheques for swimming contributions should be made payable to Stadhampton Primary School please. Thank you to the families who have already made ‘voluntary contributions’ for this term. It is very much appreciated.

Swimming update:
We have received notification this week that, due to essential maintenance at the Abbey Sports Centre, the pool will be unavailable for school swimming lessons on 24th November and 1st and 8th December. A refund of £6 has been made to each family who had already paid £14 for the 7 sessions.

Poppies – Remembrance Day
This year, as well as traditional poppies, we also have wristbands in a variety of colours, poppy ‘bugs’, hairslides, erasers, pencils, rulers and other ‘poppy’ items available to purchase from the school office priced at 50p and £1.

Children in Need Day – Friday 14th November
Pupils (and staff!) may pay £1 to come to school on Friday 14th November wearing ‘something spotty’ to raise funds for Children in Need.


Recorder Lessons
A reminder that recorder lessons for all pupils in Years 3-6 take place on Mondays this term. For hygiene reasons, pupils are expected to provide their own recorder. Pupils also need their own recorder book. Recorders are on sale from the school office priced at £6.50, Recorder Book 1 is available for £4.95 (new stock – price increase) and Book 2 for £4.50.

Book Fair
Thank you to everyone who made a purchase at the Book Fair before half term. We are pleased to announce that the school was able to take books to the value of £207 by way of commission from the sales. Teachers chose new books for each class and Mrs Shortman selected some new non-fiction books for the library bus.

Science and Engineering Club Taster Session
Confirmation for those pupils who have signed up for the above taster session that this will take place on Tuesday 11th November from 3.15 to 4.15pm.

Flu Vaccinations- Information for parents
Please be aware that your child could be applicable for a free flu vaccination if they fall into one of the below at risk groups. This is because flu (Influenza) can severely affect children in these at risk groups. It is possible to suffer from complications such as ear infections, bronchitis and even pneumonia, which could result in going to hospital for treatment.
The flu vaccine can help protect children and adults against infection. The risk groups include children with:
• Chronic respiratory disease including asthma treated with steroid inhalers or tablets
• Children admitted to hospital with serious chest or breathing problems
• Chronic heart disease including congenital heart disease
• Chronic kidney disease
• Diabetes, including diet-controlled
• Chronic neurological disease, e.g. cerebral palsy or neuromuscular disease
• Chronic liver disease
• Immunosuppression due to disease or treatment
If your child is in one of these at risk groups, please consider taking them to visit your GP to get them vaccinated against flu. There is now a vaccine for children under 18's, given as a nasal spray rather than injection and is available at your GP Surgery.
Public Health England (PHE), in conjunction with the Department for Education, has produced advice for schools, colleges, childcare and residential settings to ensure people are properly informed about the Ebola virus.


Parents/guardians should not be unduly worried about the possibility of their children catching the Ebola Virus. You may wish to use the following key points from the Public Health England advice to reassure them:
• The risk of Ebola arriving in the UK is low and to date there have been no cases of Ebola Virus Disease being contracted in the UK.
• Any person arriving in the UK having travelled from any Ebola affected countries will be screened. If they are free of symptoms they are not infectious so there should be no restrictions on their school attendance or normal activities.
• It is not possible to catch Ebola from a person who is not showing signs of being infected. It can only be caught by direct contact with the blood or body fluids of a person who is ill with the disease.
• There is no reason why your children should not continue to attend school or their early years setting as normal.

PTA NEWS:
DISCO NIGHT SATURDAY 15th NOVEMBER 8pm-midnight - we are looking forward to bringing this exciting nights to parents, a fab night promised with a DJ and bar. Please support this event. Tickets are £5 each and are available from Georgina Wiggins every morning and afternoon at drop off / pick up. Don't leave it to the last minute!

WINTER FAIR- FRIDAY 28th NOVEMBER 6-8pm - we need volunteers for the evening, so please seek out a PTA member if you are able to help.

DONATIONS WANTED THIS WEEK- TINS-CHOCOLATE- BOTTLES

Not long to go now, so please put any donations in the PTA box as soon as possible. The box is usually located in the hall.

(PLEASE NOTE THERE IS NOT A WHITE ELEPHANT STALL THIS YEAR).

WREATH MAKING EVENING - TUESDAY 16th DECEMBER, SCHOOL HALL 7.30pm - we are excited to carry on this popular evening just before Christmas. Tickets are £15 each, which includes mulled wine and mince pies. Places are limited, so please see a PTA member if you would like to come.

Our next PTA meeting will be on Tuesday 11th November at 8pm at school. Everyone welcome!

Thank you for your continued support of the PTA.

Friday Cake Club
Congratulations to Jude Bradley, the lucky winner of Halloween-themed cakes, kindly donated by Mrs Hector. A reminder to Mrs Freeman that she is on the rota for 21 November.


DIARY DATES:
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
Tuesday 9 December KS2 Christmas Play performances at 1.45pm & 6.30pm
Wednesday 10 December KS1 & FS Christmas Play performance at 2.15pm
Mobile Library
Tuesday 16 December Nativity Performance at St John’s Church from 2pm
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:
Welcome back to Term 2! The Little Bears enjoyed the first week’s topic of ‘Bonfire night’; we talked about Fireworks night safety as well as exploring music and movement with firework dancing!
The children also experimented with patterns and colour. In Week 2 we will be talking about ‘day and night animals’ and we will be having group discussions about animals that come out in the day and nocturnal animals, making nocturnal animal masks and looking at the book Peace at Last.
On Wednesday 12th November, preschool photos - more details on Little Bears white board.

Community News
• Thank you to everyone who attended the Halloween Party in the church organised by Mr and Mrs Bowerman. They were delighted to raise £170 for Church funds.
• See posters around the school about a premier rugby match on Sunday 23rd November at 3.15pm between London Welsh and Leicester Tigers at the Kassam Stadium.