Ofsted Report

1st December 2011

Dear Parents/Carers,

As you know, the school received an Ofsted inspection on 10th and 11th November of this year. The report has now been published and will soon be up on the Ofsted

website. I am delighted to attach a copy of this report for your family.

The children were just fantastic and a real credit to the school.

We would like to thank all of you for your much appreciated continued support.

Huge thanks also to Kaci’s Mum and to Harrison’s Mum for organising such a

wonderful afternoon of fun and fundraising at the Christmas Fayre for the children. So many parents were involved in helping out with stalls and the children had a

wonderful time.

Can I also remind you that the Carol Service for KS2 children will be held at Corpus Christi Church, Lowshoe Lane, Collier Row Lane on:

Thursday, 8th December 2011 at 2.00pm

Parents/Carers are warmly invited to attend and you are welcome to take your child/ren home after the service. A coach has been booked to take the children to and from the church.

Yours sincerely,

V. A. Morris (Headteacher)

21st November 2011

Dear Parents/Carers,

You will probably have heard on the news that there is a proposed national strike

potentially involving a large number of public sector employees on

Wednesday 30th November 2011

This proposed strike is in response to the government’s proposed changes to the public sector pension schemes.

Whilst we are aware that a number of school based trade unions have already voted to take strike action on this day, we are still waiting for the outcome of the ballots taken by members of the GMB and NASUWT trade unions.  It will not be until the results of these ballots are known that many schools will be able to fully assess the impact of this action on their school.

However this letter is simply providing you with the information that it will not be necessary to close the school on that day to either some or all year groups. 

Therefore, it will not be necessary for you make alternative arrangements for your child/children for that day as the need does not arise.

Yours sincerely,

V. A. Morris (Headteacher)

Children in Need

14th November 2011

Dear Parents/Carers,

Friday, 18th November

For this year’s BBC Children in Need event the nation is being encouraged to show their spots.  At Dame Tipping C. E. Primary School, we are going to have a spotty non-uniform day.  On Friday, children can wear spotty clothes  in order to ‘show their spots’.  If your child would like to take part, simply allow them to come to school in a spotty outfit and make a donation on the day. All monies collected will be donated to BBC Children in Need.

During the morning of this day, we also have the Pantomime “Cinderella”
being performed for the children.

May I also take this opportunity to thank you so much for the high return rate of the Parent/Carer questionnaire during our recent Ofsted Inspection and your continued support. It is very much appreciated! 

Yours sincerely,

V. Morris

Christmas Fayre Meeting

2nd November 2011

Dear Parents/Carers,

Next week on

Wednesday, 9th November at 2.30 pm

The “Friends of Dame Tipping” will be holding a meeting in the school hall to discuss ideas for this year’s Christmas Fayre.

It will be an informal meeting with refreshments provided, and a chance to meet other parents, especially - we hope - those of the new Reception children.

We are always very grateful for the money raised by “The Friends” and even more so in these days of financial cutbacks. Please come along and support them.

If you cannot attend the meeting but may be able to help at the Christmas Fayre in any capacity, then please let me know. Your support is
always appreciated.

Yours sincerely,

C. A. Carline

18th October 2011

We would like to invite you to our School Harvest Festival, which will be held at

St. John’s Church on the Havering Village Green

on Thursday 20th October at 9.00 am.

If you could spare some food for distribution to the elderly residents of the village, it would be so much appreciated.

Please would you bring your children (and any Harvest Gifts!) TO the church on that day at the usual morning start time (8.55 am). Staff will be there to welcome the children and guide them to their classes. The service should take no longer than 40 minutes and the children will then be accompanied back to school by the staff to
begin their school day.

School Photographs!

Photographs will be coming home with your child/ren this afternoon. Please make your orders and return them to school by Tuesday 8th November 2011.

On Friday morning - 21st October -  Mrs. Bimpong will be running her African Dance Workshop and school will end for the half term break. Teachers’ Training Day is on 31st October and the children will be back in school on Tuesday 1st November.

We wish you all a very pleasant half term week.

14th October 2011

Dear Parents/Carers,

Just a quick reminder that the school photographer will be in next Monday afternoon (17th October). If you wish younger brothers and sisters to be included in your child’s photos, then please bring them along at 1.30 pm. After the photos have been taken you are welcome to take your child/ren home.

After talking to several concerned parents, we have decided to trial named bottles of water for the children to keep on their desk during lesson times. After half term, the children may bring these bottles (of water only please) so they have constant access to a drink during the school day.

The children return to school on Tuesday 1st November. Parental Interviews will be held during this week.

Next week, the appointment times sheets for these interviews will be out in the covered way as usual for you to sign.

Invitation to the Opera!

11th October 2011

Dear Parents/Carers,

Invitation to the Opera!

As part of the “Culture Vulture” scheme for the schools in our locality group, a series of short opera concerts has been arranged and all Years 1 - 6 pupils at our school have been invited to attend one of these sessions.

The concert will be hosted by Hilldene Primary School next Monday morning (17th October) and will begin at 10 o’clock and run for approximately 45 minutes. We have coach transport arranged to and from Hilldene, but would be grateful if you could please complete and return the slip below to give permission for your child/ren to attend.

Please note! Tomorrow is National Roast Dinner Day and Havering are involved in “breaking the world for the most roast dinners served in one day!” However, this means that tomorrow will be the roast chicken meal for this week and on Thursday the cook will serve the Wednesday menu! (Sorry for any confusion here!!!)

29th September 2011

Dear Parents/Carers,

School clubs will begin next week - thank you all for your patience! If the children have not got all their hoped for clubs, then we have made a waiting list for each club and they will get a place after Christmas.

If you are parking at the rear of the school, can we please ask that you keep your car’s speed to a minimum as you drive through this area. Often, children are walking and running around the cars and it is very easy to not see them. A near miss was reported this morning.

When your child has school meals and is sent “dinner tickets” home, please would you ensure that their name is written on each ticket. Drinks are available from the school kitchen at a cost of 30 pence. These should be bought when you purchase a meal ticket. However, until half term, children may purchase a drink for 30 pence directly from the kitchen. Children bringing a packed lunch may pay our cook directly if they wish to purchase a drink.

Could the Reception children’s parents please use the menu sheet and discuss the meal for the next day with your child and write the colour - red, blue or green - of the meal option they would prefer. As you can imagine, this is proving to be a lengthy process each morning for the teacher and teaching assistant as the children decide exactly what they would like to have! (Thank you!!!!)

The African Dance Workshop has moved dates from Tuesday, 18th October to
Friday, 21st October. On Friday, October 7th, Years 3/4 will be participating in a Hindu workshop as part of their R.E. Studies.

September 23rd 2011

Dear Parents/Carers,

We have been overwhelmed by the number of applications for places for the after school clubs this term!

In order to give as many children as possible the clubs that they have chosen, we will need to juggle the times and adults running these clubs. Please bear with us for a
little while longer and we will send out the allocated places early next week,
hopefully with as many satisfied “customers” as possible!

Also, you may have noticed that the last official day of this school year - July 23rd 2012 - is a Monday. With the governing body’s permission, we intend to use this day as one of our allocated teacher training days, so that the children’s last day of term will be Friday July 20th 2012.

In case you miss any of our school letters, from now on we will be posting the
general school news letters on our blog and you will be able to read them online at:

http://www.dametipping.blogspot.com

September 20th 2011

Dear Parents/Carers,

Gadzooks! Thank you so much for sending in such a motley crew of medieval mayhem for last Wednesday and Thursday’s special “Here be Dragons” sessions. The children had a great time and so much super work was produced. We would like to thank Mr. Stanley for helping every pupil to make a wooden shield, Mrs. Buckley and Mrs. Allen for assisting with the sewing of the medieval pomanders and Mrs. Marshall for
working with the children making dragon cakes!

On Friday, it was so nice to see so many of you visiting to look at the children’s work from these two days and also the work produced by the children during the last two weeks of term when we had Naomi - our “artist in residence”.

Some dates coming up this term:

Monday 26th September a.m. “Rainforest Adventure” by Zoolab:
“Rainforest Adventure

Where are the rainforests? How can we get there? What will it be like when we arrive? Hear tales of what it’s actually like in these very important, disappearing parts of the world. For children aged 5 - 11
(Please see attached letter)
Monday 17th October p.m. - Individual Photos (lovely gifts for Christmas!)

Tuesday 18th October a.m. - African Dance Workshop led by Mrs. Bimpong

Thursday 20th October a.m. - Harvest Festival at St. John’s Church

Tuesday 1st November to Thursday 3rd November p.m. - Parental Interviews(Interview times will be available in the covered way nearer the time.)

Thank you for your continued support!

Yours sincerely,

 V. A. Morris (Headteacher)

September 6th 2011

Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome to the new school year!  We hope you all had a very pleasant holiday.

From the beginning of this term, school meals will be charged at £1.95 per day. Drinks are also available at a cost of 30p.

Children do not have to “stay to dinners” for a complete week.

SCHOOL MEALS ORDER LINE - 01708 433119 - 9am-5pm daily. 

School dates for the coming three terms are:

Autumn term 2011	5 September to 16 December 2011
First half	5 September to 21 October	35 days
Half Term	24 to 28 October
Second half	31 October* to 16 December	35 days

Spring term 2012	3 January to 30 March 2012
First half	3 January to 10 February	29 days
Half Term	13 to 17 February
Second half	20 February* to 30 March	30 days

Summer term 2012	16 April to 23 July 2012
First half	16 April to 1 June	23 days
May Day	7 May
Half Term	4 to 8 June
Second half	11 June* to 23 July	30 days

In addition, the following days have been agreed for Staff Training:

* Monday, 31st October 2011

* Monday, 20th February 2012

* Monday, 11th June 2012

SPORTS DAY CANCELLED

The school field is waterlogged with more rain anticipated this afternoon. Therefore - with apologies - we will sadly have to cancel Sports Day today.