Newsletter for week ending 13 October 2017

 

Apologies that we missed Harvey Saunders out of the list of birthdays in last week’s Newsletter. Happy Belated Birthday to Harvey who was 9 on 1^st October.

 

Collection for The Porch and for ‘Send a Cow’

A huge thank you to everyone for supporting The Porch, (http://www.theporch.org.uk/)

an organisation which provides a stepping stone for homeless people in Oxford, by sending your child into school with a Harvest Gift last Friday. Thank you also to Kerri Jones for transporting the donations to the Church so that they were able to form part of the Harvest Service there.

 

Thank you also to everyone who supported the charity ‘Send a Cow’ https://www.sendacow.org/about-us by paying for tea/coffee and cake after our Harvest Service and after-school. Thank you also to staff for donating cakes! We were very pleased to raise just over £92 for this charity.

 

Head Lice

We are grateful that a parent has let us know that she has treated her children for head lice in this last week. Please could all parents check their children’s hair for head lice and treat if necessary. If everyone does this hopefully they will be cleared up very quickly. Please remember that it is necessary to treat the whole family! Thank you.

 

Appointment of a new Sports Coach

We are pleased to announce the appointment of a new sports coach for PE on Thursday afternoons and for Multisports after school club supplied to us by a new company. Mr Berry, an experienced coach, will begin working with us on Thursday afternoons from Thursday 19 October.

 

Payments for School Meals

A reminder that we should receive payments for school meals please in advance of your child having the lunch and are grateful to the majority of parents who pay for school meals on Monday morning each week or who choose to pay in advance for more than one week of lunches. Pupils in Reception and Class 1 can have a Universal Infant Free School Meal as many days as they would like each week for free. For other pupils the cost is currently £2.20 a day with cheques made payable please to Oxfordshire County Council. Thank you.

 

Meerkat Champion of the week

Reception: Dominic W

Class 1: Aisulu G

Class 2: Morgan D

Class 3: Olivia K

Congratulations to you all.

 

 

Quantum Theatre ‘The Writing on the Wall’ Production

On Wednesday we had a live theatre visit the school. It was Harry Potter inspired and the show included things about Literacy – similes, adverbs, adjectives, verbs, nouns and pronouns and it was wonderfully funny! There was a boy called Taylor B who sat next to a girl called Taylor C. The actors were adults but dressed up as school-children and they were amazing. They invited us to become involved and some children even joined in with the acting!

One of our favourite parts was when they were on the bus to the Harry Potter studio and they pretended to be on the ‘night bus’ in the Harry Potter films. Taylor B accidentally lost a special story that Taylor C had written for a competition – it had actually been stolen by another boy, Malcom, so that he could win the competition and go to Orlando, Florida!  Fortunately it was all sorted out at the end. It was amazingly fantastic!

Report by Archie D and Isabel H

 

Forest School Sessions

Please could all children come to their Forest School sessions with the following:

 

• long trousers
• a long sleeved top
• a long sleeved jumper
• Wellies or walking boots (some children have wellies in school which are too small or have holes in )
• Hats, gloves and scarves will also be needed as the weather gets colder
• Long hair tied back

 

Thank you.

 

PTA News:

 

Christmas Cards by Cauliflower Cards

The children have been very busy this week designing Christmas cards, which have now been sent home in bookbags.   If families would like the designs made into Christmas cards, then please return your child’s artwork, order form and payment to the office no later than Monday 16  October.  

 

It is very important we stick to this deadline - we can’t accept any orders after this date.

 

All details about ordering are included with the artwork sent home.  The PTA will receive proceeds for every pack ordered.

 

Bags2School Clothes Recycling – Tuesday 14 November


Don’t forget our next Bags2School recycling date on Tuesday 14 November. Collection bags will be in bookbags next week.

 

Winter Fair – Friday 1 December

Our annual Winter Fair will take place on Friday 1^st December at 6pm in the school hall.  Please watch this space over the coming weeks as we will need your help to make this event a success.

 

Our next PTA meeting is on Wednesday 8 November at The Crown, 8pm.  Everyone welcome.

 

Cake Club

Well done to Maggie Woodwards for winning last week's cake and thank you to Angela for providing it! This week's cake is courtesy of Charlotte Monahan. Thank you again to all of you very kind parents for your support. 

Diary Dates:

 

 

 

Tuesday 17 October	Year 3 Forest School session Reception Forest School session
Wednesday 18 October	EYFS Parents Evening - 3.30pm – 5pm
Thursday 19 October	EYFS Parents Evening - 5pm – 7pm
Friday 20 October	Break up at 3.15pm for the October Holiday
Monday 30 October	Pupils and staff return to school for the second half of term
November (advanced warning of key dates)
Wednesday 1 November	Class 2 Chedworth Roman Villa trip
Monday 13 November	KS1 & KS2 Parents Evening – 3.45-7pm (more details to follow)
Wednesday 15 November	KS1 & KS2 Parents Evening – 3.45-5pm (more details to follow)
Friday 17 November	Children in Need (more details to follow)
Friday 24 November	Year 5 pupils visit Icknield Community College (more details to follow)

 

December (advanced warning of key dates)
Friday 1 December	PTA Winter/Christmas Fair – evening
Tuesday 12 December	KS2 matinee performance – pm (more details to follow) KS2 evening performance – (more details to follow)
Wednesday 13 December	KS1 matinee performance – pm (more details to follow)
Monday 18 December	Nativity in Church – pm (more details to follow)
Tuesday 19 December	End of Term Assembly Break up at 1.30pm for the Christmas Holiday

 

 

Advance Notice of a Christmas Sports Club:

Michael Hopkins, who is well-known to the school as a PE teacher will be leading a Christmas Sports Course on Wednesday 20 December and Thursday 21 December at Stadhampton Primary School. The course runs from 9-3pm each day and is open to all pupils (not necessarily just Stadhampton School) aged 4-11. The cost is £10 for the day and bookings can be made directly by e-mailing m.hopkins07@hotmail.com or via Mrs Hopkins in the school office.

 

LITTLE BEARS NEWS:

The Little Bears have been learning and discovering all about Autumn. We've been collecting falling leaves and making leaf rubbing pictures as well as talking about weather changes. 

We are continuing to enjoy the book ‘Handas Surprise’ and the Little Bears will be visiting an allotment to look at all the different fruit and vegetables which are been harvested. 

 

Community News:

 

Oxfordshire Dyslexia Association Conference for parents, teachers, students and everyone with an interest in dyslexia – Saturday 14 October at Oxford Spires Academy – see attached flyer

 

Teaching Assistant (Term Time Only) Grade 4 (£15,807 – £16,491 pro rata)

(Annual Salary based on 27½ hours per week, 5 days per week, term time only - £9,785 pa)

Icknield Community College has a vacancy for Teaching Assistant to work 27½ hours per week, term time only. The hours of work will be 8.30am to 3.00pm Monday to Friday (allowing for an hour unpaid break daily)

The successful candidate will be a committed team player, assisting colleagues, students and parents, and be able to work on their own initiative.

We will offer our successful candidate a school which:

• Exists to serve its students and both support and challenge its staff
• Enjoys positive relationships between staff and students
• Is on an upward trajectory and excited about its future

Full details, together with job description and application form can be found on our website, http://www.icknield.oxon.sch.uk/contact-us/vacancies

Please send completed applications to Sam Walkley, Head of Student Services – sam.walkley@icknield.oxon.sch.uk (applications can be sent by email over the October half term)

Icknield Community College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. All staff must have a full DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) Enhanced Certificate before commencing employment which the school will process on appointment.

Applications close on Monday 30 October - 9am. Interviews are scheduled for Friday 3 November 2017.