Newsletter 15: 9th January 2015

Dear Parents/ Carers,

Welcome back and Happy New Year! I hope that you and your children had a restful break and weren’t affected by all the winter bugs going round.

New School Website

Next month, we will be launching our brand new school website. Please let us know if you do not wish your child to be featured in any of the photos on the website. We will not include children’s names with the photographs.

Computer Games and Internet Safety

Your children may have mentioned that we talked about internet safety in assembly this week. I was disturbed to hear how many children are using the internet unsupervised. As you know, even with parental controls, children are able to view inappropriate and sometimes frightening images (for example through ‘Google Images’). Please talk to your children about this and ensure that they are supervised. There are very useful links to websites about e-safety on our school website.

I was also surprised to hear that some parents are allowing their children to play age inappropriate computer games. They are then coming in and discussing these games with friends at school. The age certificates on games and films are there for a reason. Please think about the legal and moral implications of allowing your child to play games or watch films with adult and often violent content.

Appointments During School Time

As you know, we as a school are working hard to improve our attendance, which last year was in the bottom 20% in the country. We understand that children are sometimes ill, but would encourage you wherever possible, to arrange doctor’s and dentist’s appointments outside the school day. It is very disappointing when parents take their children out of school for a whole day for a short doctor’s appointment. This means they have lost a fifth of their learning time for that week. Hospital and specialist appointments, of course, need to be attended whenever they are given.

Clubs

Clubs start again on Monday. You will receive your acceptance slips early next week if you have not done so already. Clubs run from 3pm-3.50pm. Please collect your children promptly afterwards. Please note that each child may attend up to 2 clubs per week.

I will be running an English club on Monday nights, to support and challenge year 6 pupils in the run up to SATs, so please encourage your children to come along. If any year 5 pupils would like to come along too, please let myself or Mrs Hood know.

Dinner Tickets

Just a reminder that we will keep dinner tickets in the office should you so wish: this should prevent them from going missing.

Lost Property

We have lots and lots of school jumpers and other items (many unnamed) in the tub outside Mrs McCormack’s room. Please could you look through and take home any which belong to your child. Thank you.

Stubbers Payment

The balance for Stubbers needs to be paid by April. If you wish to spread the payments, you may pay amounts of your choice at any time before that. Just come to the office with the money and your payment card.

School Council Fundraising

After consultation with the children, the school council have decided to purchase football goals with the money they raised last term. Well done for all the hard work they put in.

Commendations

Commendations go to: Fibian McKenzie, Spencer Murrell, Archie Jerrett, Kaci Peart, Poppy Whitcombe, Neli Higgins, Harry Newman, Aaron Hick. Faye Newman, Erin Coxall, Zachary Teshola.

Well done, everyone!

Headteacher’s Award

This week’s award goes to Kerys Walton for her excellent contribution to school life.

Attendance

A big ‘thumbs up’ to Class 4 (Reception) for having 100% attendance again this week. Well done to Class 2 for exceeding the target of 96%.

Let’s see if the rest of the school can live up to your fantastic example next week.

Dates for the diary:

·         Monday 12^th January 2015- Clubs start

·         Tuesday 10^th February 2015- Parent consultation evening 2pm-6.30pm

·         Monday 23^rd February 2015- INSET day: School closed to children