Wednesday 25 September 2013

Newsletter 5


PERSONAL AND EMERGENCY DETAILS FOR PUPILS
1 week deadline - please return by TUESDAY 1 OCTOBER
It is essential that we maintain accurate up-to-date pupil data, especially for emergency contacts and medical details.  With this letter please find a copy of the latest pupil data we have for your child/ren.  Please check the details and write on any necessary amendments, then SIGN THE SHEET at the bottom and then return it to the school office. 
Emergency Contacts: It has been noted that some children have only 1 contact number – obviously if there is an emergency with your child and that number is unanswered it means we have no alternative contact.  Wherever possible can you please provide more than 1 contact person / number.
Other Information: The system will only allow us to enter 1 selection for Travel Arrangements - if your child uses the school bus even if occasionally, please tick ‘School Bus’; otherwise tick the mode of transport that is used most frequently.
Keeping these details up to date at all times is very important and if any information should change during the year, please let us know.  Thank you.
Please return the signed data sheet to us by Tuesday 1 October.
Each pupil data sheet MUST have a parental signature at the bottom of the page.

REMINDER:  PARENT COUNCIL LAUNCH – Meeting for all parents
WEDNESDAY 25 SEPTEMBER at 8.45am – Please come along
The parent council would like to remind all parents that they would like you to join them in the hall tomorrow between 8.45 and 9.15am where there will be a brief introduction by Mrs Picton, and members of the parent council.  This will be an opportunity to meet the parent council representatives and understand what role the Parent Council plays in the school.

HARVEST FESTIVAL CONFIRMED DATES: THURSDAY 3 & FRIDAY 4 OCTOBER
Our services will take place on Thursday 3 October in St Michael’s church for classes KM, CA, LC & JC at 9:30am and Key Stage 2 at 10:30am. Then on FRIDAY at 9.30am for Nursery & class CH. All parents are welcome to attend either service.
The Harvest services will include singing and prayers.  These are Thanksgiving services in which classes have chosen items such as poems or songs to be presented by some of the children.  Each child may bring in 1 or 2 small items to present for our Harvest collection.  Please no glass jars or bottles as the pupils have to carry them to church.
Any food donations will be passed on to the West Villa Homeless Families Unit in Ipswich and any money raised will go to the Soup Kitchen in Ipswich.

BACK PLAYGROUND - REMINDER “NO PARKING”
Due to a number of large cracks on the back playground, we are afraid that parents CANNOT PARK THERE, for the foreseeable future, when collecting from after school clubs.  Parents will have to park offsite and walk to pick up their child/ren. 
We apologise for the inconvenience.

READING CLUB
Mrs Akerman still has a few spaces for her reading club, it is open to pupils in Year 2 & Year 3, please let Mrs Akerman / the office know if you are interested in your child joining, places will be allocated on a first come / first served basis

COMMUNITY GARDEN PICNIC – MONDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 3.05-4pm
The Gardening Club would like to invite all families to join them at the Community Garden (Pigs Meadow) for a picnic straight after school on Monday 30 September.  It will be an opportunity to see the garden and to celebrate the end of the Suffolk 30 mile food challenge. Please bring your own food and drink (local ingredients if possible!) and something to sit on.  Parents of children in Gardening club should collect their children from school at 3.05pm to walk to the picnic together.
In the event of bad weather this event will be cancelled.

FRIENDS WINTER HAT, GLOVE & SCARF SALE – FRIDAY 4 OCTOBER
The Friends will be holding a sale in the pavilion on the back playground on Friday 4 October where they will be selling an assortment of hats gloves and scarves, do remember your purse that day, and come along for a browse and a bargain.

CYCLE TRAINING HELPERS STILL NEEDED
If any parents are able to offer help on a Thursday afternoon (until 24 October – but not on 3 October) with cycle training, then please do let the office know.  Even if you are only able to help with one or two dates that would really help to ensure we have the right number of adults to support the children.  Thank you.

READING WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS AND VOLUNTEER HELPERS
We would like to clarify that the date of this event had to be moved from the date indicated on the diary dates, the correct date is THURSDAY 3 OCTOBER as indicated on the flyer sent out last week.

NEW PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN AFTERNOON GROUP
A brand new group for under 5s has started at Sir Robert Hitcham's on Tuesday afternoons. The new ‘Make Do and Share’ group will be held during term time from 1.45-2.45pm in our Nursery and is open to all pre-school children in the area. The sessions will be led by the Saxmundham Meadow Children's Centre and will provide children and their parents/carers with the opportunity to share a story and have fun getting crafty and messy. 
For more information please contact the Meadow Children's Centre: 01728 652110 www.suffolkchildrenscentres.com or visit the their Facebook page. 

PARENT COUNCIL INFORMATION GATHERING – SECURITY STUDY
One of the first tasks the parent council will undertake is to talk to the parents of their class to gather your views on the school security – for example: what we have currently; what you feel about it; and what ideas you have.  The information they gather will be handed to the Governing Body to review and assess, and then outcomes will be fed back to parents through the parent council.  The reps will aim to approach the parents in the playground to do this, but if you would like to submit your comments please do so in writing via your parent council representative (indicating the class/es your child/ren are in).  Thank you.
e-mails
Although we now have emails up & running we have not been able to recover any emails sent to us between Sunday 8  September to Saturday 21 September.  If you have sent an email to us in that time window, please can you re-send it.