Newsletter Wednesday 2nd April 2008

Spring Break

Friday 4th April

Sponsored Maths Quiz

Early Morning Booster Sessions

Music Evening Wednesday 26th March

Swimming Gala

Staffing

‘Friends’ Spring Disco - Friday 28th March

Tesco and Sainsbury’s Vouchers

Clubs

Chess Congress Sunday 16th March

Update on Mr Jones

Consultation Evenings

School Car Park

Netball

Cycling Proficiency

Reading

Holiday

Headlice

Spring Break

We break up for the end of Term 4 on Friday 4^th April and return on Monday 21^st . There is no Inservice Day so we want to see all children back in on the first day of term. Next year the Easter weekend is in April so we will not be able to enjoy having  two four-day weeks prior to our two week Spring break!  What a shame!

 

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Friday 4th April

Please remember that it is ‘Free Dress Day’ on our last day so no uniforms please.  All donations will be going to ‘Clic’, the charity we support.

 

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Sponsored Maths Quiz

The children responded well to this sponsored event and raised £872.48. This is a wonderful achievement. We have to applaud you, the parents, for being so supportive – without your backing this event would not be the successful fundraiser that it has become.  So from all of us at school, ‘Thank you very much.  We do appreciate your help’.  If you are still collecting sponsorship money, please send this in as soon as you can. This money will improve our Maths resources.  Certificates will be issued to children who:

 

·        Achieved full marks

 

·        Were highly commended because they did exceptionally well

 

Well done to everyone who took part!

 

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Early Morning Booster Sessions

I need to say a big ‘Thank you’ to our Year 6 parents and the children themselves.  The children have been arriving early at school, ready to improve both their Mathematical and Literacy skills.   They have shown great commitment and hopefully, they are feeling that it has been worthwhile.  These sessions will start again on Tuesday 22^nd April.

 

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Music Evening Wednesday 26th March

Thanks must go to all the children who allowed us to witness their musical talent last Wednesday. It is very important that we acknowledge the effort that our children put into mastering a musical instrument. All those in the audience last week were able to recognise the degree of difficulty at which the performers were playing. This comes from dedication and many many hours of practise. Well done to the choir, who treated us to a dazzling performance with their singing skills.

 

We are indeed very fortunate to have such talented children and to have a very talented member of staff, who is able to direct and coordinate our musical activities. Musicians, singers and Miss Schofield –thank you very much.

 

We must also acknowledge how impressed we all were with Charlie Hawkins [accompanied by her brother Luc on the drums and Joe Palmer on the guitar] with her rendition of ‘Radio Gaga’ and ‘500 Miles’.  What a star!

 

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Swimming Gala

Not to be outdone by the footballers, netballers and the chess players, the swimmers have come up trumps in the water!  Last week Miss Stocken and Mrs Wilmot took 37 children to GL1 to participate in the small schools Swimming Gala.  The team did exceptionally well and finished in second place, so this is a remarkable achievement.  Well done to everyone involved and to both Miss Stocken and Mrs Wilmot for ensuring that we had a team to enter.  Miss Stocken was so proud that she insisted I put an extra picture on our ‘Tree of Recognition’.  Quite rightly so!

 

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Staffing

Before finishing the term, we, the staff and governors, want to reassure you that despite the financial review, which is currently going on, it is still ‘business as normal’ at Innsworth Junior. It has been a stressful situation for all involved but I do hope we have managed to retain our normal care and support throughout this time.

 

Please rest assured that any staff changes that may need to happen, will not take place in this academic year. This means that in line with our usual practice, children will stay with their present class/group teachers until they finish in July.

 

As many of you may know, redundancy situations are very complex and are not resolved overnight. We also need to make sure that whatever action we take, we are still able to meet the needs of the school. Your messages of support remind us of why we are here. Thank you. Back to top

‘Friends’ Spring Disco - Friday 28th March

This term’s disco which took place last Friday evening was another success.  Thank you to those parents, who helped at the beginning, supervised during the evening or turned up to clear away the evening’s debris.  Pitching in together makes it easier on everyone.  Apologies for my absence – I had to travel down to Devon for a wedding.

 

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Tesco and Sainsbury’s Vouchers

We are still collecting Tesco and Sainsbury vouchers for schools. All vouchers can be sent into the school office via the children.

 

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Clubs

Please see the Summer Term Clubs sheet attached below.  Clubs will start the week beginning Monday 21^st April, unless otherwise stated.  

 

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Chess Congress Sunday 16th March

Since my last newsletter many of our chess players took part in the Chess Congress and did the school proud. Two children did exceedingly well and made it into the Gloucester team. Well done  - Jack Trethewey and Tom McCallum. Congratulations also go to Jack for finishing the congress on 16 points [maximum 18]. This earned him the title of joint Gloucester Primary Schools’ Chess Champion, together with two other children. As Chess co-ordinator I am delighted that one of our players has brought the honours to Innsworth Junior.

 

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Update on Mr Jones

Unfortunately for Mr Jones contracting cellulitis has caused him to be incapacitated for much longer than originally expected. He is still very far from being ‘up and about’. Fortunately for us, we have been able to retain the services of a very good supply teacher so that disruption to the children has been kept to the minimum.

 

Once the new term begins and we know that Mr Jones is back to full strength, we will rearrange the Consultation Evening for those parents who are still waiting for this to happen.

 

 

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Consultation Evenings

Thank you to all our parents who came along to this term’s two Consultation Evenings. Obviously, there may be good reasons as to why some parents were unable to attend. However, our duty of care to all children means that we must do everything in our power to make liaison between home and school happen. If you were not able to make Consultation Evening, please make contact with the teacher.

 

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School Car Park

Following last week’s Governing Body meeting, orders have been given for the school gates to be closed between 8.30 a.m. and 3.15 p.m. every day.

 

This is a matter of Health and Safety as we have concerns that an accident could be waiting to happen.

 

We also have to reiterate our message that parents should not bring their cars into the school car park, especially before school begins, as congestion will invoke safety issues. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and we do not want to go down this road. Your children are precious.

 

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Netball

Not to be outdone by our footballers, the netball team have taken the top honours for this season. They too have won their league.

 

Following yesterday’s success in the netball tournament, they returned with another trophy to round off a very successful season. Do we need to buy a bigger trophy cabinet?

 

Thank you to Mrs Rogers [a netball player herself], who has given great commitment to developing the skills of this talented team. Thanks must also go to Miss Mackie, who has been tasked with co-ordinating and organising sport within the school. What a good job she has done this year!

 

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Cycling Proficiency

A reminder to all the Year 6 children in Group 1 of the cycling proficiency programme.  Please remember to bring your bicycle to school on Monday 21^st April!

 

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Reading

This week I have been involved with pupil target setting with the Local Authority and with midyear teacher reviews. One teacher, quite rightly, was very upset that despite ‘repeated reminders’ some parents are still reticent about listening to their children read. Too frequently, I see the effect that limited reading skills have on children’s overall performance and their self-esteem. Again, our duty of care means that I have to be writing paragraphs like this throughout the year. Ten to fifteen minutes spent discussing the text on four occasions each week from Year 3 pays off. The reward is – achieving children, who flourish and want to do well. When you look back, it will have been a small price to pay!

 

Do you listen to your child read?

 

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Holiday

Have a very enjoyable Spring Holiday.  I am off to visit my daughter in Ohio .  She is running a half marathon – unheard of several years ago.  Determination …… we all need it!

 

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Headlice

One of our parents has kindly sent in the following tips from “Spirit and Destiny” magazine regarding the troublesome headlice.

 

 

It advised in the magazine to invest in a good metal nit comb, available from most chemists, as the cheap ones tend to allow nits and eggs to go through the teeth of the combs.  Combing will need to be carried out at least 2-3 times a day for at least 14 days.

 

 

Here are several topical application tips which you may wish to try:-

 

 

Aniseed Oil: applied to the scalp will kill the adult and eggs

 

Or:- Mix 100 ml Almond Oil, 10 ml Eucalyptus, 10ml Lavender and 10ml Bergamot oils. 

 

 

Apply either of the above to the scalp and cover with a shower cap overnight.  Wash out in the morning and continue the combing for 2 weeks.

 

Or: make a home made spray.  You will need a plastic bottle with a spray top.  Add 5 drops each of these essential oils:

 

            Tea tree, Eucalyptus, Geranium and Rosemary, followed by 20 drops of alcohol e.g. Vodka mixed with      50mls of water.

 

Spray onto scalp, cover with shower cap and leave overnight.  Wash out thoroughly in the morning.

 

Again follow the combing routine, as this really is the only effective method to get rid of head lice.

 

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