Welcome to Innsworth Junior School web site.

Newsletter 12th September 2002

We are now in the middle of our first full week back at school and I have to say I am delighted with how everyone has settled into the term. We have welcomed new pupils into all our year groups as well as the children who have joined us from Larkfield. If you have any problems, no matter how trivial you may feel them to be, please do not hesitate to speak to the class teacher or myself.
At Innsworth, we pride ourselves on putting people first and the staff are always ready to give time to those who need it.
I have to commend the pupils on the wearing of school uniform. When I took assembly on Friday, every child in the school looked so smart as they sat in front of me. Last Wednesday morning I was met by so many Year 6 boys showing me their new shoes! I sincerely hope we can retain this pride throughout the year. No trainers in sight! Back to top

September 11th - one year on

Yesterday we replaced our class assembly with a whole school assembly so that we could all observe the one-minute silence. Back to top

Summer Reading Project

Thank you very much for supporting your child's reading throughout the summer holiday. The books read were very varied and by a range of authors. Don't forget to have a look at the corridor displays when you are next in school. Back to top

Behaviour Policy

The behaviour policy is now ready to be implemented but as stated last term, we would like a few parents to scrutinise it first. If you are interested, please return the slip at the end of this newsletter. Ideally we would like to have one parent from each year group spend a few hours with two governors and myself. This will probably take place at the end of the school day.

A summary of this policy will then be sent to all parents and the expectation is that all parents will endorse it. All pupils have an entitlement to the best possible education that we can provide. We need very clear rules so that this can happen. Back to top

Bullying

Bullying will not be tolerated at our school. We will not accept name-calling or physical violence of any description.
Our important rule is:
"NO TOUCHING WITHOUT PERMISSION"
The pupils are encouraged to tell an adult whenever they feel someone has done something wrong to them e.g. hit, name calling etc. Our motto is:
"Do not retaliate but tell an adult". This stops the bully from putting the blame on the second person. Back to top

New Staff

Mrs Evans has settled into Class 3 and her experience is already proving invaluable.

Mrs Barton's Numeracy and Literacy groups are up and running in Year 6.

Mrs J Kemmett has been taken on as Admin. Support, assisting Mrs Hamblett in the afternoons.
[Relative of Mrs W Kemmett in Class 8!] Back to top

Extra curricular activities

All start next week. Please take it that if your child requested a particular club they will have been given a place. The exception to this is Computer Club where Mr Jones will send a letter informing you of the dates of your child's sessions. Taking part in Computer Club will not exclude children from joining other clubs when not attending their set sessions.
The French Club will be taking place on Tuesdays and Spanish Club on Fridays. The language clubs are run by an outside agency so you do need to pay to attend these two clubs. As the letters went out last term to see if there was enough interest, Year 3 will not have had access to this information. If you are interested in the language sessions, please see Mrs Hamblett for further information.

EXTRA Peer mediation for Year 6 will be on Tuesdays from 3.15 - 4 p.m. Information will be sent out shortly.
EXTRA We hope to be able to offer a tennis club which will be taking place on Mondays from 3.15 - 4.15 p.m. Information on this will be out shortly.
EXTRA As in past years Mr Andy Tucker will be offering football coaching for all ages at a cost of approximately £1 per session [10 weeks in total]. This will be on Tuesdays and will commence on Tuesday 24th September. Leaflets will be distributed shortly.

CHANGE OF DAY Due to the hall needing to be used for the language sessions, the following changes have had to be made:
Choir Now Wednesday instead of Tuesday
String Orchestra Tuesday instead of Wednesday
Please discuss the commitment needed as teachers put a great deal of time and effort into organising extra curricular activities.
With so many activities on offer it has been impossible to stop clubs conflicting with each other. Many schools offer limited extra curricular activities because of the demands of school and curriculum development. We are fortunate at Innsworth that our staff place the children first and try to combine both. Back to top

Bad Hair Day - Thursday 18th July

Do have a look at the photographs outside my room; they will make you smile! Back to top

Advance Warning

Year 5 and 6 Residential Visit to Isle of Wight
Mon 23rd to Friday 27th June 2003 - 5 Days.
Letter to follow soon. Back to top

Swimming

You should have all received a letter about this year's swimming arrangements. If this is not the case please ask the class teacher. This term only Years 5 and 6 children will be swimming.

Parents of children in Years 3 and 4 do not need to send any money in yet. A letter will be sent at the beginning of the Spring Term requesting payment. Back to top

Headlice

Please remember to check your child's hair on a regular basis. No one is immune from headlice and repeated attacks do make parents very upset. A 'once a week check' seems a very sensible solution BUT we need everyone to participate. Last term one parent did invest in a badge that deterred headlice. It is not obvious why this badge works but it has done the trick for her child. The cost is about £16 but if it works, it has to be good value. We would all like to see the end of headlice in the school. If you wish to know more about this badge please get in contact with me. Even in Canada, the dreaded problem was being talked about. Back to top

Innsworth Out of School Club / Hometime

At the end of each day children going to either 'Innsworth Out of School Club' or 'Larkfield After School Club' are sent to the library area by their class teacher. This is where the leaders collect them. Should any child forget and go out to the gate they will be brought back into the library by one of the teachers. This will also be the case for all children awaiting a late parent. Back to top

Parent Helpers

If you feel you have a few hours to spare, mornings or afternoons, for one session or more, we can certainly put this time to good use. Please contact us if you are interested. In the light of recent events, we will need to have police checks made on all adults that we invite into school. This is no reflection on you, but an inevitable action in this day and age - unfortunately. Back to top

Attendance

It is important that all children arrive on time so that they can settle down before the first lesson of the day. Obviously, there may be the odd occasion when the car will not start and you have no control over matters. Similarly, it is important that absences are kept to a minimum. Again there will be occasions where illness or a family holiday necessitates an unforeseen absence.

Any absence which is not deemed to be in the best interest of your child's education will be recorded as 'unauthorised' and followed up. Obviously, dental or medical appointments are authorised, although keeping them to a minimum is ideal. The Governors do monitor all absences and concern is shown when the same names frequently appear. A telephone call to school, notifying us of your child's absence, allows us to keep a tight hold on pupil security. If you are unable to do this, we must have a letter following the absence. Most of our parents already follow this procedure.
Lateness is also monitored and this will be followed up if it happens with regularity. Children need all the support they can get and concentration comes from being ready to listen to the teacher. Back to top

Midday Supervisor Vacancy: 12 - 1 p.m. each day

We still have a vacancy for a midday supervisor. If you are interested please contact Mrs Hamblett in the office. Back to top

P.E. Kit at School all Week Please

It is greatly appreciated if P.E. kit can be at school on Mondays and kept here for the whole week. This ensures that it is always available for children. Children will naturally be excused P.E. and games on medical grounds. Please send a note to the teacher if this is necessary.
Remember: Black shorts and white top for P.E. Plimsolls or bare feet for gymnastics, trainers only for outdoor games. Back to top

Riding Bicycles to School

Owing to the limited space available, children may only bring bicycles to school if they live outside the Innsworth Parish. Bicycles must be brought with locks and children hopefully, will be wearing helmets. Back to top

Clothing

The P.E. items that we were unable to locate last term [last newsletter] finally turned up at the beginning of the school holiday. We do try our best to make sure items of clothing are 'reunited' with the owners.
PLEASE NAME YOUR CHILD'S CLOTHING.
A simple name or initials in biro would be quite adequate [you will need to repeat this action when you wash the clothing]. Back to top

Secondary Transfer (Year 6 parents only)

Please take the opportunity to visit the secondary schools during these coming weeks. I am available for those parents who may need a little advice about how to proceed. The important date for parents living outside of Gloucester City i.e. you live in Churchdown, Sandhurst, Longford or Innsworth is 29th September. If you are considering a selective school, you must apply for the correct form. Parents living within the city i.e. Longlevens or Abbeydale automatically have the right to place a selective school on their list. Back to top

Return of 'Milk Slips'

A few parents returned the slips at the end of last term's newsletter about pupils having milk. I now have to find out whether this is a viable proposition in terms of numbers of pupils and organisation. If Year 3 parents would like their child to have milk each morning, please could you contact Mrs Hamblett and have your child's name added to the list. No promises that it will happen at this stage. Back to top

Year 3 and 4 Toilets

The children may have already told you about the trial we are conducting. We have taken the awful boys' toilets out of operation and split the girls' toilets into two sections - boys and girls. We are evaluating whether this is a sufficient number for the pupils in the Lower school. If the answer results in a "Yes", we will be including the former boys' toilets in our plans to convert the area to an SEN teaching space. My legs are crossed! Back to top

Harvest Festival: Wednesday 9th October 10.00 a.m.

This year's Harvest Festival will be taken by Reverend Katy Morgan from St John's the Evangelist Church, Churchdown. All parents are welcome.

We would value offers of help with the 'bagging' of produce after the service and with the Year 3 delivery of this produce in the afternoon. Please contact Mrs Pendlebury if you are available. Back to top

Calendar of Events for the Year and School Terms and Holidays

This should be with you by the middle of next week.
A copy of the School Terms and Holidays for the Academic Year 2002/2003 is attached. Back to top

Homework Schedule

You should be receiving this schedule with this newsletter. I do hope that you will endorse the school's view that homework complements the work done at school and that it prepares the pupils for their secondary education.
We try not to overburden the pupils, as I believe learning does not just happen in school. It should be happening naturally throughout our whole lives. Back to top

Staff Thanks

On behalf of the whole staff I have to say a huge "Thank you" for the many gifts that were brought into school at the end of the summer term. They were greatly appreciated - although we did rather overindulge ourselves with the chocolates!

We would also like to say "thank you" to those parents who have brought in homemade cakes for the staff. You are certainly spoiling us!

Finally, I hope you are all feeling refreshed after the summer break. Let's hope the autumnal days do not put in too early an appearance! Back to top

Return to Newsletters