Newsletter for week ending 12 December 2014

This will be the last newsletter for 2014!

Christmas Productions
Congratulations to all pupils on their fantastic performances in the KS1 and KS2 Christmas productions this week. We received many compliments about each performance and pupils should be very proud of themselves. Thank you to school staff for preparing pupils for the performances, creating the scenery, making props and organising the music and the lighting; thank you to parents for helping with costumes, learning of lines and buying tickets to come along and watch. Special thanks also to Mrs Bowerman, Miss Moss-Black and Mrs Wilkin for helping with the face painting, Mrs White for helping with rehearsals and to the PTA for serving refreshments on Tuesday evening. The total raised from ticket sales was an amazing £460 which, this year, will be donated to MacMillan Cancer Support.

School Meals Menu
Food with Thought have written to us about the menu which was introduced just over three weeks ago and report that it has met with mixed reviews. There were two or three dishes which attracted particular comment. As a result of this review, a number of changes have been made and families should have received a paper copy of the revised menu this week in book bags. The menu is also available for download on the Primary School page of the Food with Thought website http://www.foodwiththought.org.uk/primary/ or on our school website.

Forest School during Terms 3 and 4
As you will know from the school newsletter dated 7 November, Mr Short is leaving Stadhampton School at the end of term as he and his family are relocating to Cambridgeshire. We wish Mr Short well in the future and will be saying ‘goodbye’ to him during our End of Term Assembly next Friday. Mr Short has been instrumental in establishing our Forest School sessions and we are indebted to him. We are delighted to have secured staffing to enable Forest School sessions to continue for all pupils at Stadhampton School. We are grateful for the continued commitment of Mrs Poppy Elliott and Mrs Mel Gravett who will be organising the sessions and to Mr Montgomery who will be the dedicated member of school staff accompanying the sessions. Poppy Elliott is fully qualified as a Forest School leader (Level 3) and Mrs Gravett has completed a Level 1 course. During the school year Mrs Gravett and Mr Montgomery are aiming to undertake further appropriate training. Forest School sessions will continue to take place on Thursday mornings for pupils in Years 1 to 6, and for next term are as follows:

15 January Year 1 22 January Year 2
29 January Year 3 5 February Year 3
12 February Year 4 26 February Year 4
5 March Year 5 12 March Year 5
19 March Year 6 26 March Year 6

Dates for pupils in Reception will be agreed and circulated in the new year.
Forest School sessions are expected to take place in all weathers, unless the conditions are considered a Health and Safety risk. Please ensure your child has appropriate clothing for their session – i.e. warm clothes, including a warm coat, hat or hood and gloves, wellies or boots with thick socks and water proofs. Thank you.

School Vision Screening for Foundation Stage Pupils
We are still waiting to be advised of the new date for the vision testing and will let you know as soon as we receive notification of it.

Swimming at Berinsfield Pool
Swimming lessons at the Abbey Sports Centre will begin on Monday 12th January for Class 2 pupils. They will have 5 sessions in total on Monday 12th, 19th, 26th January and 2nd, 9th February. As always, we are very grateful to receive a ‘voluntary contribution’ from parents/carers of £2 per week towards the cost of the transport to Berinsfield. Cheques for swimming contributions should be made payable to Stadhampton Primary School please. Thank you.

Christmas Forest School Disco
Tickets for the School Disco on Thursday 18th December (6pm start) are on sale priced at £3 each. Pupils may like to bring 50p or more to buy raffle tickets which will be drawn on the night. There are at least 25 prizes! The disco will finish promptly at 7.15pm. Please could parents note the new finishing time and ensure that pupils are collected promptly at 7.15pm so that Zumba can start as normal afterwards. Thank you.

Class Postboxes
As usual, class postboxes for Christmas cards to school pupils/staff will be set up in the Hall and these will be available from Monday 15 December.

PTA NEWS:
Wreath evening Tuesday 16th December 7.30-10 - sold out! Thank you to everyone who has bought tickets.

Cake club- Are you willing to make a cake for the cake club? If you are please speak to Rowena Dobson about putting your name on the rota. A list of names and dates are on the noticeboard in the waiting area.

Winter Fair- A huge thank you to everyone for supporting this very popular evening, where we raised over £1100 on the night.

Would you like to join the PTA committee? We are always looking for new volunteers to help plan events and fundraising ideas or maybe you would be willing to help at the events? If this is something that interests you, please speak to a PTA committee member.

Our next PTA meeting is Tuesday 13th January 8pm at The Crown, Stadhampton.

Thank you for your continued support of the PTA this year

Friday Cake Club
Congratulations to Sam Sundberg, the lucky winner of last week’s cake, kindly donated by Mrs Hutchence. A reminder to Mrs Burnell that she is on the rota for 19 December, the last day of term.

After School Clubs for Term 3
Letters were given out this week to pupils in Classes 1, 2 and 3 about the After School Clubs beginning in January 2015 (Term 3). The dates, times and costs of these clubs have also been uploaded to the ‘Parents Section’ of the school website as a reference point.


DIARY DATES:
Tuesday 16 December Nativity Performance at St John’s Church from 2pm (2.15pm start). Everyone is welcome to join us for this special service.
PTA Wreath Making Evening. Tickets are £15 each.
Wednesday 17 December School Christmas Party at 1.30pm. School/packed lunch required as normal. School & PTA will supply party food, drink & prizes. Children may bring party clothes to change into after lunch if they wish.
Thursday 18 December Whole-school Christmas Lunch. £2.10 and free for pupils in Reception, Class 1 and for those who are able to claim a Free School Meal. We hope all pupils will join in this very special lunch and are happy to accommodate requests such as ‘no gravy’ or sprouts! Please see Mrs Hopkins, who is in charge of the special requests!!
Forest School disco – 6.00-7.15pm. Tickets on sale now as well as raffle tickets @50p each
Friday 19 December End of term assembly. Everyone is welcome to join us for this event.
School finishes at 1.30pm.
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.
Monday 5 January INSET Day – teaching staff and Mrs Hopkins only
Tuesday 6 January Pupils return to school for the start of Term 3


LITTLE BEARS NEWS:
The Little Bears are busy preparing for their Christmas nativity which will take place at Stadhampton Church on Saturday from 11am. The Little Bears are all welcome to come to our Christmas party on Tuesday 16th December from 1pm where a special someone will be taking time out of his busy schedule to visit us!
The last day of term is Friday 19th December at 3pm and we return on Tuesday 6th January 2015!
Wishing you a wonderful Christmas break and New Year. May your Christmas be Happy and Bright!!

Community News:
• Please find attached 4 flyers from the Chalgrove and Watlington Children’s Centre.

We wish you all a very Happy Christmas and fulfilling New Year! We look forward to seeing everyone on 6th January.

Newsletter for week ending 5 December 2014

Happy DECEMBER Birthday to: Ruby Clark, Arun Davies, Thomas Dover, Emily Hackett
and Elizabeth Marshall.

During DECEMBER we are focusing on the core value of CARING

Annual Questionnaire for Parents/Carers from the Governing Body
Thank you to everyone who has completed and returned the recent questionnaire from the Governing Body. The responses will be summarised by the Governing Body, who will provide an evaluation of the findings for parents in a school newsletter, after the Christmas Holiday.

Registering your child for Free School Meals
Did you know that registering your child for Free School Meals, even if they would receive them anyway or don’t take them up, means that our school gets extra money from the Government? You can register your child if you get any of these benefits: Income Support, Income-based Job Seekers Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Child Tax Credit (provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit), Working Tax Credit ‘run-on’, the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit , Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and Universal Credit. Please talk to Mrs Hopkins in confidence if you are not sure. For every child registered, the school receives £1300 of extra funding which will benefit all pupils.

E-Safety Information
We recently distributed e-safety information to parents and carers. If you have not received a copy of this, please contact your child’s class teacher. Thank you.

Pupils from 1974
Last week we had the pleasure of welcoming two former pupils of Stadhampton Primary School ‘back to school’ after 40 years! They were given a guided tour of the school, were entertained by the children singing a selection of songs from the Christmas productions and were treated to tea and cakes. Pupils were given an opportunity to ask our guests about the school 40 years ago and our guests asked current pupils about the school now. It was fascinating to discover which things had changed and which were largely similar – some items of furniture were recognised as being ‘original’! We were able to build up a good picture of school life in 1974 and are grateful to our guests, Mr Stuart Green and Mrs Rachel Mannering (nee Walker), for finding the time to join us.

School Vision Screening for Foundation Stage Pupils
We are still waiting to be advised of the new date for the vision testing and will let you know as soon as we receive notification of it.


Christmas Productions
KS2 pupils should arrive at 6pm to be ready for the evening performance on Tuesday 9th December to start promptly at 6.30pm. A reminder that tickets for all performances of the school plays are on sale from the school office. Profits from ticket sales are being donated to MacMillan Cancer Support this year. The netball court will be opened up to provide additional parking for the evening performance and the PTA will be serving refreshments afterwards.

Christmas Forest School Disco
Ooops! We have realised that there is also a Zumba class scheduled for the evening of Thursday 18th December. The school disco can still go ahead, but we must finish at 7.15pm (instead of 7.30pm). Please could parents note the new finishing time and ensure that pupils are collected promptly so that Zumba can start as normal at 7.30pm. Thank you.

Class Postboxes
As usual, class postboxes for Christmas cards to school pupils/staff will be set up in the Hall and these will be available from Monday 15 December.

PTA NEWS:
A huge thank you to everyone who supported the Winter Fair last Friday – whether you came along, donated items, helped on one of the stalls or stayed to clear up, it was very much appreciated. A big thank you to all PTA committee members who did a great job organising everything and in particular to Sue Bowerman, Melanie Gravett and Anna Harries for overseeing things.

Watch this space for details of how much we raised!

Wreath Evening – Tuesday 16th December – 7.30pm – if you would like to come along to the Wreath Evening please see a PTA committee member as soon as possible. Tickets are £15 each.

Our next PTA meeting will be Tuesday 13th January, 8pm, The Crown.

Friday Cake Club
Congratulations to Mrs Hopkins, the lucky winner of last week’s cake, kindly donated by Harriet Fletcher. A reminder to Melanie Saunders that she is on the rota for Friday 12 December.


DIARY DATES:
Sunday 7 December Christingle Service at 9.30am at St John the Baptist Church, Stadhampton
Tuesday 9 December KS2 Christmas Play performances at 1.45pm & 6.30pm – tickets now on sale.
Wednesday 10 December KS1 & FS Christmas Play performance at 2.15pm – tickets on sale.
Mobile Library
Tuesday 16 December Nativity Performance at St John’s Church from 2pm (2.15pm start). Everyone is welcome to join us for this special service.
PTA Wreath Making Evening. Tickets are £15 each.
Wednesday 17 December School Christmas Party at 1.30pm. School/packed lunch required as normal. School & PTA will supply party food, drink & prizes. Children may bring party clothes to change into after lunch if they wish.
Thursday 18 December Whole-school Christmas Lunch. £2.10 and free for pupils in Reception, Class 1 and for those who are able to claim a Free School Meal. We hope all pupils will join in this very special lunch.
Forest School disco – 6.00-7.15pm. Tickets on sale now as well as raffle tickets @50p each
Friday 19 December End of term assembly. Everyone is welcome to join us for this event.
School finishes at 1.30pm.
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.
Monday 5 January INSET Day – teaching staff and Mrs Hopkins only
Tuesday 6 January Pupils return to school for the start of Term 3


LITTLE BEARS NEWS:
The Little Bears are busy practising their preschool play which will take place in the Church on Saturday 13th December. With the children’ current interest in maps, we will be looking where Santa lives and how different countries celebrate Christmas.

Community News:
• Flyer attached about the Opening Party of the new Youth Club

Newsletter for week ending 28 November 2014

Annual Questionnaire for Parents/Carers from the Governing Body
Thank you to those families who have already completed and returned the Annual Questionnaire from the Governing Body. We hope that as many families as possible will take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire and return it to school by the deadline of Friday 5th December. Thank you.

Staff Appointments
Following interviews this week, we are very pleased to announce that Mrs Lucy Ellis and Mrs Sarah Singleton will be joining our staff team in January, as new part-time teaching assistants.

School Vision Screening for Foundation Stage Pupils
Letters were sent home earlier this week to families of Reception pupils from the Oxfordshire Orthoptic Service to let them know about a routine screening eye test which was scheduled to take place at school on Friday 12th December 2014. Since the letters were distributed, we have received notification that this will now take place on a different day. We hope to receive confirmation of the new date shortly and apologise for any confusion.

Christmas Productions
A reminder that tickets for all performances of the school plays are now on sale from the school office. The netball court will be opened up to provide additional parking for the evening performance on Tuesday 9th December.

Activities/events for week commencing Monday 15 December

Thursday 18 December at 12 noon


Whole-school Christmas lunch

(Payment for the Christmas Lunch may be made at any time before the 18 December)


With crackers and napkins. Cost is £2.10. Children will make their place mat in the morning and be served by staff. We hope that all children will have a school meal instead of a packed lunch please! The Christmas lunch menu is:
Cranberry Roasted Turkey or Creamy Vegetable Kiev served with a chipolata or vegetarian sausage and a Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, glazed carrots, brussel sprouts and peas with vegetarian gravy. Dessert is Santa Claus Ice Cream and a cherry shortbread biscuit.
Christmas Disco to raise funds for the continuance of Forest Schools from 6pm to 7.30pm Mr & Mrs Bowerman & Mrs Hopkins Tickets are now on sale for £3 each which includes snacks and drinks. Raffle tickets are also on sale in advance or on the door, to win prizes which will be drawn at the event, priced at 50p each.

Knitted Nativity Characters travelling round the village
If anyone is interested in having the knitted nativity scene visit their home for a night during December please email Sara Wright direct with your details. You do not have to be religious to have them, its just a Christmas tradition for villagers. They start on the 1st December and end up at the 5pm Christmas Eve service in the Church. If interested please email sarawright300@btinternet.com before 1st December. Thank you.

PTA NEWS:
Winter Fair - THIS FRIDAY - 6-8pm in the school hall - there will be a lucky dip, jingle jars, chocolate and toy tombolas, nail painting, tattoos, games, crafts, books, refreshments, cakes and......Father Christmas! All profits go to the PTA, so please come along and show your support. The netball court will be opened up to provide additional parking for the Winter Fair. Please show consideration to the residents of Cratlands Close when parking this evening by not obstructing access to their properties. Thank you.

We still need volunteers for the night and for helping to clear up afterwards, so please see Sue Bowerman or Anna Harries if you are able to help.

Wreath Evening - Tuesday 16th December - 7.30pm in the school hall - only a few spaces are left for this event, so please see a committee member if you would like to come along.

We are on Facebook so for up to date info and reminders; please search for Stadhampton Primary School PTA group. It is a closed group but we will add you if you send a request. It's a great way to keep up to speed with everything that's going on.

Our next PTA meeting is Tuesday 13th January, 8pm, The Crown.

Thank you for your continued support of the PTA.

Friday Cake Club
Congratulations to Phoebe Hindmarch, the lucky winner of last week’s cake, kindly donated by Mrs Freeman. A reminder to Mrs Hutchence that she is on the rota for Friday 5 December.

DIARY DATES:
Tuesday 9 December KS2 Christmas Play performances at 1.45pm & 6.30pm – tickets now on sale with profits going to MacMillan Cancer Support
Wednesday 10 December KS1 & FS Christmas Play performance at 2.15pm – tickets now on sale with profits going to MacMillan Cancer Support
Mobile Library
Tuesday 16 December Nativity Performance at St John’s Church from 2pm (2.15pm start). Everyone is welcome to join us for this special service.
PTA Wreath Making Evening. Tickets £15 each.
Wednesday 17 December School Christmas Party at 1.30pm. School/packed lunch required as normal. School & PTA will supply party food, drink & prizes. Children may bring party clothes to change into after lunch if they wish.
Thursday 18 December Forest School disco – 6.00-7.30pm. Tickets on sale now as well as raffle tickets @50p each
Friday 19 December End of term assembly. Everyone is welcome to join us for this.
School finishes at 1.30pm.
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.
Monday 5 January INSET Day – teaching staff and Mrs Hopkins only
Tuesday 6 January Pupils return to school for the start of Term 3


LITTLE BEARS NEWS:
The Little Bears team would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped and donated towards our Gruffalo Winter Walk.
We are starting to get ready for our Christmas play with lots of practice this week. We will also continue to explore our topic of light and dark and will be investigating colours and colour mixing.

Community News:
Natural Christmas at the Earth Trust on Sunday 7th December, 10am-2pm
Re-use, recycle, make and bake this Christmas! Pop along to the Earth Trust Centre (OX14 4QZ) on Sunday 7th December and learn how to make traditional, natural decorations. We’ve got a range of activities to suit all ages, including: popcorn garlands (£1), willow and wool starts (£1), stick Christmas tree table decorations (£1), log reindeers (£5), and festive wreaths (£12). There’ll be stalls selling local gifts, a present hunt, guided walk and the opportunity to meet Father Christmas; plus Poem Tree Cafe will open for light refreshments. Earth Trust Christmas Trees will also be on sale. Free entry and parking; activities start at £1. There is more information about this and other events on our website: www.earthtrust.org.uk.

Discover and Play: Forest School for All on Sunday 4th January, 10am-12pm
Drop in for a FREE morning of Forest School fun with the Earth Trust (OX14 4QZ)! Forest School offers hands-on learning in a natural environment, so come and enjoy playing and discovering in our woodland. Free thanks to funding from Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment. No need to book. There is more information about this and other events on our website: www.earthtrust.org.uk.

Reading of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – family event at The Story Museum on Sunday 30th November
Hear C.S. Lewis’s classic The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe read aloud for free in one day. There will be breaks for refreshments, and themed food will be available. Please see http://www.storymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/?date=11/30/2014 for further information.

Newsletter for week ending 21 November 2014

Annual Questionnaire for Parents/Carers from the Governing Body
We regularly ask all of our parents and carers to complete a questionnaire and these have gone home today in book bags. The results from the questionnaire are used by the Governing Body to help to; inform its strategy, ensure the sustainability of the school and improve achievement. We would be grateful if you could return completed forms to the school office by Friday the 5th of December.
Thank you.

Children in Need Day – Friday 14th November
Thank you to everyone who paid £1 to wear ‘something spotty’ for Children in Need day. We were pleased to collect £103 which has already been sent to the charity.


Parents’ Evenings
Thank you to parents and carers for the usual very high turn out to our parents’ evenings this week. These occasions offer important opportunities for us to work closely together in the best interests of each pupil.
Appointments with Mrs Garrard and Mrs Turner, which were postponed from Monday evening, will now take place on Monday 24th November at the same time as allocated on Monday 17th November. If this time is not convenient, please contact Mrs Garrard to reschedule the appointment. Thank you.

New Play Equipment
We hope everyone likes the new addition to our play equipment, which was installed this week!

Coats and Wellies
Please could all pupils have coats and wellies in school every day now that the weather has turned colder and wetter.

Emergency Closure Procedures
If the weather is particularly bad or there are power cuts in the village and the decision is made to close the school, the information is given to parents through BBC Radio Oxford, Jack FM and Heart FM. Parents are advised to tune into these local radio stations and also check their websites if there is a possibility that the school could be closed. We will also do our best to put a message onto the school website if there is power!

Christmas Productions
Outline details of this year’s Christmas Productions have been in the Diary Dates section of the newsletter for some weeks. Please find further details below:

Monday 8 December
at 10am KS2 Dress Rehearsal Little Bears, Reception and Class 1 pupils will watch this performance
Tuesday 9 December
at 10am

Tuesday 9 December
at 1.45pm

Tuesday 9 December
6.30pm KS1/Reception Dress Rehearsal

KS2 Matinee Performance

KS2 Evening Performance (PTA serving refreshments afterwards) Classes 2 and 3 will watch this performance


Parents/carers/younger siblings – tickets required £2 each (limit is 2 per family)

Parents/carers (no pre-school aged children please) – tickets required £2 each (limit is 2 per family)
Wednesday 10 December
at 2.15pm KS1 /Reception Performance Parents/carers/younger siblings – tickets required £2 each (limit is 2 per family, with a limited amount of spare tickets)

Tickets are required for all performances of the KS1 and KS2 school plays. They will be on sale from the school office priced at £2 each from Tuesday 25 November. All profits from the sale of tickets this year will be donated to MacMillan Cancer Support. We are very grateful to the PTA who will be supplying refreshments at the end of the KS2 evening performance.

Activities/events for week commencing Monday 15 December

Tuesday 16 December from 2pm (2.15pm start)

Tuesday 16 December at 7.30pm Nativity Service in Church

PTA wreath making evening Everyone is welcome to join us for this special service

£15 a ticket
Wednesday 17 December
at 1.30pm School Christmas Party School & PTA will supply food, drink and prizes
Children may bring in party clothes to change into after lunch if they wish. Normal school lunch or a packed lunch will still be required.
Thursday 18 December at 12 noon


Christmas Disco to raise funds for the continuance of Forest Schools from 6pm to 7.30pm Whole-school Christmas lunch


Mr & Mrs Bowerman & Mrs Hopkins With crackers and napkins. Cost is £2.10. Children will make their place mat in the morning and be served by staff. We hope that all children will have a school meal instead of a packed lunch please!

Tickets are £3 each which will include snacks and drinks. Raffle tickets are also on sale to win prizes which will be drawn at the event - 50p each.
Friday 19 December at 9.05am
Friday 19 December at 1.30pm End of term assembly

School finishes at 1.30pm Everyone welcome to join us

PTA NEWS:
Disco Night - thank you to everyone who came along on Saturday night. It was a fantastic night and raised over £300!
Lots of people are keen to do it again, so if anyone has an idea for a themed night, please let us know as we are always open to new ideas.

Wreath Evening - Tuesday 16th December, School Hall, 7.30pm - a returning favourite! Spaces are still available but be quick as tickets are limited. Please see Georgina Wiggins or any PTA committee member. Tickets are £15 each.

Winter Fair - Friday 28th November 6-8pm – with only a week to go, we are looking forward to the Winter Fair. To help us make this the best one yet, we still need more donations. Please search through your cupboards or think about us when you are shopping this weekend.

Donations wanted are:
Chocolate, sweets, tins, bottle bags, gift sets, nearly new toys, party bag leftovers. We desperately need more bottles of any kind – soft drinks, bubble bath, alcohol, squash, ketchup, sauces, water…

Also:
• Every year we have a cake stall at the Winter Fair so please if you can make some cakes for next Friday then we would be very grateful. All cake donations to be left in the hall after 2pm or if you prefer at morning drop off.
• Please note there is not a white elephant stall but toys in a very good condition will be ok for the toy tombola.
• Volunteers for clearing up afterwards are needed. The more volunteers we have the less time it will take, so please, if you can spare an hour see Sue Bowerman.
• Raffle tickets for the Winter Fair need to be returned to the school office no later then Wednesday 26th November, so we can sell all unwanted tickets on the night.
Our next meeting is Tuesday 13th January, 8pm, The Crown.

Thank you for your continued support of the PTA.

Friday Cake Club
Congratulations to Betsy Elliott, the lucky winner of last week’s cake, kindly donated by Anna Harries. A reminder to Harriet Fletcher that she is on the rota for Friday 28 November.


DIARY DATES:
Tuesday 9 December KS2 Christmas Play performances at 1.45pm & 6.30pm – see detail above
Wednesday 10 December KS1 & FS Christmas Play performance at 2.15pm – see detail above
Mobile Library
Tuesday 16 December Nativity Performance at St John’s Church from 2pm
Thursday 18 December Forest School disco – 6.00-7.30pm. Tickets on sale from Tuesday
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.
Monday 5 January INSET Day – teaching staff and Mrs Hopkins only
Tuesday 6 January Pupils return to school for the start of Term 3


LITTLE BEARS NEWS:
Next week Little Bears will continue to look at their experiment of using light sources and plants. We are also hoping to get our ‘dark den’ out and children may like to bring in a light source this week for show and tell; please ensure all items are named. We are also looking forward to our Gruffalo Winter Walk on Friday 28th November. There may be a few surprises on the way!

Community News:
• Flyer from the Chalgrove and Watlington Children’s Centre about a job vacancy.

Newsletter for week ending 14 November 2014

School Newsletter
A reminder to parents/carers that the school produces a weekly school newsletter in order to keep parents and families informed about what is happening in school. We aim to provide timely reminders about important dates and events, celebrate student achievements, and help parents understand elements of teaching and learning. We try to make the newsletter interesting to read as well as being a useful source of information. We are happy to publicise community events and welcome suggestions to improve ways of communication with parents and carers. The newsletter is e-mailed out to all parents, uploaded onto the school website and a hard copy is also displayed outside the school office, alongside the weekly newsletter from Icknield Community College. We know that many families rely on this information but we are also aware that some families do not always read the newsletter and therefore are unaware of important information. Please do try to ensure that you read it each week so that you and your children are aware of the times when they need equipment such as swimming kits, are asked to bring in change for the UNICEF Day for Change, pay £1 to come to school in non uniform for Children in Need, etc. Thank you.

Parent Governor Appointment
The Governing Body is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs Leanne Kenny as a new parent governor with effect from 10th November 2014.


Children in Need Day – Friday 14th November
Non-uniform day: A reminder that pupils (and staff!) are invited to take part in our non-uniform day tomorrow by coming to school wearing ‘something spotty’ and contributing £1 to raise funds for Children in Need.


Remembrance Day
Each year, on the 11th November, we have a Remembrance Assembly during which we have a two minutes’ silence at 11 o’clock. This year, inspired by the poppies at the Tower of London, all pupils made their own sculptured poppy and these formed a poignant focal point during our assembly. We will be keeping the poppy display up in the hall until the end of next week so that parents and carers are able to have a chance to see the display before the children take their poppies home.

Watlington Partnership of Schools Netball and Tag Rugby Tournaments
Pupils in Year 6 and Year 4 represented Stadhampton at this week’s tournaments, doing their best in very wet and windy conditions. Here are the match reports:


Netball Tournament by Emily and Cora
“As we arrived at Icknield, some of the Year 10’s came over and led us to the netball court, where we played against 5 schools.
In the first game we played against Watlington but unfortunately we lost. We were pretty disappointed to have lost in our first game but we put that behind us and won the next two games.
After a drink and a snack, kindly provided by Miss Raval, we were ready to play again and played against Lewknor, but unfortunately lost. Lastly, when we were almost asleep, as we were so tired, we played against Chalgrove, but unfortunately lost again, but we were still in good spirits as we had fun.
Then we gathered round to hear the scores – Last place…. RAF Benson! Joint 3rd was Chalgrove and Stadhampton! Joint 4th was Lewknor and Ewleme and that left Watlington in 1st place. We all clapped and cheered, then got onto the coach to head back to school.”

Rugby Report by Year 4
“We really enjoyed the rugby tournament despite the ground being so muddy! We still had lots of fun! We managed to win two games, lost two games and drew one game. Congratulations to Ewelme School who came first.”

PTA NEWS:
Disco Night this Saturday, School Hall, 8pm - there's still time to grab a disco ticket or just simply turn up on the night. DJ and a fully stocked bar, a fab night, so please support.

Wreath Evening - Tuesday 16th December, School Hall, 7.30pm - a returning favourite! Spaces are still available but be quick as tickets are limited. Please see Georgina Wiggins or any PTA committee member. Tickets are £15 each.

Winter Fair - Friday 28th November 6-8pm - to help us make this the best Winter Fair yet, we need more donations. We do rely on donations to help make the Winter Fair a success, as without them we wouldn't be able to hold this event. Please search through your cupboards or think about us when you are shopping this weekend.

Donations wanted this week are:
Chocolate, bottles, sweets, things to go in jars eg- any leftover party bag toys or sweets.

(Please note there is not a white elephant stall but toys in a very good condition will be ok for the toy tombola)

Volunteers for clearing up after the Winter Fair are desperately needed. The more volunteers we have the less time it will take, so please, if you can spare an hour see Sue Bowerman.

Raffle tickets for the Winter Fair are in book bags, so please return with your money to the office by Wednesday 26th November.

Our next meeting is Tuesday 13th January, 8pm, The Crown.

Thank you for your continued support of the PTA.

Friday Cake Club
Congratulations to Nat Watkins, the lucky winner of last week’s cake, kindly donated by Mrs Gravett. A reminder to Mrs Freeman that she is on the rota for Friday 21 November.

DIARY DATES:
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:
The Little Bears will be looking at light sources & taking part in a Gruffalo Winter Walk (Friday 28th November). They will also be conducting a science experiment using light sources and plants, making a shadow puppet theatre and making black and white print pictures.
Children may like to bring in a light source this week for show and tell; please ensure all items are named. Thank you.

Community News:

Flyers from Children’s Centre about Webster Stratton Parenting Course starting in January and also the Panto which is taking place in December.

A Youth Club for Stadhampton – Update!
We’re moving forward! Further meetings have been arranged and a date has been set for an Opening Party in the New Year!!! The party will be open to all; youngsters, parents & carers – come along and let us know what you’d like from your local youth club.
Of course we need more volunteers; both adults and older youngsters, from the local community to facilitate this new venue. Please come along to the meetings and/or register your interest at stadhamptonyouthclub@gmail.com
Wednesday, 19th November, 20.30pm at 10 Newells Close, Stadhampton, OX44 7XS
Wednesday, 3rd December, 20.00pm at Village Hall at St John's, Stadhampton

Christmas Market
The Market will take place in the Village Hall (at St Johns) from 3 – 6pm on Friday 5th Dec. All sorts of nice things for Christmas will be on sale as well as refreshments being available and music provided by the choir. Entrance is free.

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.

Newsletter for week ending 24 October 2014

Parent Governor Vacancy
Unfortunately we did not receive any applications from parents/carers for the parent governor vacancy by the deadline of Monday 20th October. We have, therefore, decided to extend the closing date for applications to Monday 3rd November at 3.15pm and warmly encourage interested parents to put their names forward.

Food With Thought
Food with Thought have asked us to let parents know that after the October Holiday we will continue on Week 3 of the current menu. The new menu is apparently held up at the printers and should be in place to start from week commencing 10th November 2014.

Cloakroom Renovations
Please could parents and students ensure that everything is removed from the classroom cloakrooms at the end of today as work is taking place during half-term to replace toilets and flooring. Any items not collected will be put into the lost property box in the school hall in the short term. Thank you.

Swimming at Berinsfield Pool
Swimming lessons at the Abbey Sports Centre will begin on Monday 3rd November for Class 3 pupils. They will have 7 sessions in total on Monday 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th November and Monday 1st, 8th, 15th December. As always, we are very grateful to receive a ‘voluntary contribution’ from parents/carers of £2 per week towards the cost of the transport to Berinsfield. Cheques for swimming contributions should be made payable to Stadhampton Primary School please.

Recorder Lessons
A reminder that recorder lessons for all pupils in Years 3-6 take place on Mondays in terms 2, 4 and 6. Lessons will start on Monday 3rd November and, 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 and Recorder Book 1 and 2 are also available priced at £4.50 each.

Year 5 visit to Icknield Community College – 28.11.14
For a number of years Year 5 pupils have had the opportunity to have a series of ‘taster lessons’, spreading over the school year, at Icknield Community College. This year the arrangements have changed and Year 5 pupils will have a whole day visit to ICC on Friday 28th November.
Further details will be made available from ICC after half term and this information will be circulated when we receive it. We understand that pupils will be travelling (free of charge) between Stadhampton and ICC on the current school bus, accompanied by a member of staff from Stadhampton School. The pickup/drop off point is on the green at the entrance to School Lane and pick up time is 08.00am. Pupils will be expected to wear Stadhampton School uniform and take a packed lunch and their P.E. kit.


PTA NEWS:
AGM - thank you to everyone who attended our AGM on Tuesday evening. The committee reappointed Georgina Wiggins (chair), Melanie Gravett (secretary) and Charlotte Hector (treasurer). We have had a great fundraising year and details of funds raised and the items on which these funds were spent will be circulated to parents after half term.

Disco Night - Saturday 15th November, 8pm until midnight - the PTA are extremely excited to be hosting this event - a chance for all of us to let our hair down and have some fun! A night of 70/80/90/00 club classics, fancy dress optional, but high heels (not stilettoes as this will damage the hall floor) and big hair is essential, with a fantastic DJ, fully licensed bar, nibbles and prizes for best dressed. We are hoping for a fantastic fun filled evening. This is an-open-to-everyone event, so please invite your friends and family members over the age of 18. Tickets are limited and are on sale from Georgina Wiggins, priced at £5 each.

Winter Fair - Friday 28th November 6-8pm - each week we will be asking for different donations so we can avoid a rush for everyone nearer the time.

WINTER FAIR COUNTDOWN 5 WEEKS! THIS WEEK' S WANTED DONATIONS ARE EMPTY JAM JARS, TINS AND GOOD CONDITION TOYS!
(PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL NOT BE A WHITE ELEPHANT STALL THIS YEAR, SO PLEASE ONLY DONATE THOSE ITEMS REQUESTED).

We are looking for volunteers to help out at the Winter Fair so please see a PTA member if you are able to help.

Christmas Cards - As in previous years, the PTA has registered with Cauliflower Cards so that parents will have the opportunity to buy Christmas cards printed using artwork created by their children. We are hoping the children will be able to start their artwork this week at school and have the chance to add to it or finish it off during half term. Please look out for your child¹s artwork and forms in book bags! Orders and payments should be returned to school by Monday 10th November at the latest.
Thank you.

Our next meeting is on Tuesday 11th November at The Crown 8pm.

Friday Cake Club
Congratulations to Emily Drake, the lucky winner of last week’s cakes, kindly donated by Mrs Manzie. A reminder to Anna Harries that she is on the rota for 14 November.

DIARY DATES:
31 October 2014 Halloween event in Church from 2-5pm. £3. Tickets available from Sue Bowerman.
3 November 2014 Pupils and staff return to school for the start of Term 2
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
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:
Everyone one at Little Bears hopes you have a restful half term break. We return on Monday 3rd November to the topic ‘Light and Dark’ and look forward to celebrating bonfire night and Diwali.
Please come along to our cake sale on Friday from 3.15pm on the patio.