27th September 2007 - Happy Harvest Festival! Harvest produce has been sent in abundance, and there are some really beautifully assembled and decorated boxes and baskets. Many envelopes containing money for the Goodwill Village were also sent in. We were overwhelmed at School by your generosity. Thanks to you all, regardless of the amount or size of your contribution… I can assure you that your gesture is greatly appreciated by those in our local and world wide community who will benefit from your giving.
- This morning’s School Assembly was led by Rev Smith who spoke to the children about the importance of sharing, by helping them consider the advantages we all have compared to people in some other parts of the world. This evening’s PTAFA Harvest Supper promises to be a lively event too. My thanks are conveyed to parents and pupils who are supporting this event, and particularly to Mr Fountain, who is donating his time to help with the catering.
- Thanks to those parents who have baked and/or sent in cakes today ready for tomorrow’s Macmillan Coffee Morning, which takes place in Sunnylands Hall from 8.45 to 10am. If you would still like to send in cakes there is time to do so. This will also be a great opportunity for a bit of an informal ‘social’ for parents. Above all though, we want to raise funds for this charity. I hope that many of you will drop in, enjoy a drink, some cake and good conversation, all naturally with the aim of sweetening you up so that you make a donation. Better still, if you sign the ‘gift aid’ sheet, 28p extra to every £1 of your donation will also go to the Macmillan Cancer Support. Your friends and family are also welcome to join us, regardless of whether they have children at the School. If you are not able to attend the Coffee Morning you can still join in by sending in a donation towards Macmillan Cancer Support in an envelope to the School Office. A ‘gift aid’ form will be on hand, in the hope that you can sign it to ensure that your donation is even more valuable to the charity. Please note that if cakes are left over they will be sold after School tomorrow in the School Office, with proceeds also then donated to Macmillan Cancer Care.
- Advanced notice is given that pupils in 6PP will present a class assembly to the School, on Thursday 4th October. Parents of pupils in this class are warmly welcome to join us. Please arrive at School for 10.20am and wait in the School Office, from where I will walk up with you when the children are ready. The assembly is due to start at 10.30am. Please note that pupils in 6LD present their class assembly on Thursday 11th October.
- Next week is Assessment Week when pupils in Year 1 through to Year 6 will complete tasks aimed to give teachers a current standardised score in Maths and English which can be compared to the previous year’s score. This informs the targets and strategies employed by teachers in bringing about increased progress during the course of the year. Rate of progress also rests upon each student’s commitment to taking on the advice of their teacher.
- Please note these changes to the school calendar: the Year 5 & 6 Residential takes place a week later than originally listed. Pupils will depart on 1st July and return on 4th July. This is because of a change to availability in the accommodation provider. As a result of this change, another must also take place- Sports Day will now take place on Wednesday 25th June.
- It is Open Week at the School during the week beginning 8th October. Parents are asked to convey this amongst family, friends and work colleagues who might be interested in enrolling a child at St Peter’s School.
- An assortment of colourful costumes arrived at the Nursery on Tuesday morning with the second of our Nursery Theme Days: Scarecrow Day. Nursery staff and children entered into a day of Harvest related fun. The children learnt new songs and rhymes, and recited and sang old favourites such as Oats and Beans and Barley Grow and Dingle Dangle Scarecrow. The story of ‘The Lazy Scarecrow’ proved most popular too. Numeracy was reinforced by looking at Autumn colours and then sorting produce into fruit or vegetables, and counting different Autumn fruit. The children also took part in themed creative work and play activities.
- Still with sport, and to amend recent details sent out to you, ALL of the Jump Rope For Heart proceeds will go to the British Heart Foundation. Pupils took home a letter this week explaining this sports initiative. It ties in with the element of skipping that features in the Key Stage Two PE programme of study for this term, but with so many younger pupils enjoying a reveal of skipping in the Infant playground, we hope boys and girls in Year One and Two will also get skipping!
- Pupils are training for the Cross Country Event which takes place on Saturday 6th October. Once again, St Peter’s School will be represented by a determined team. Mrs Van Rensburg has been putting everyone through their paces in Running Club in preparation.
- Following a meeting with other schools involved in the High 5s Netball League, Mrs Marshall and Mrs Van Rensburg will shortly be assembling a team for the first match. Further details of this will follow.
- Following the cessation of the Floodlit Football League, a new structure has been set up and I am delighted that our soccer keen pupils will soon have some games to which they can look forward. The first game of the season is with Havelock, on Thursday 4th October. As this is a home match, I hope that we will have plenty of support for all of the youngsters.
- It is not always that one’s wishes are granted almost immediately upon request, but that is indeed the fairytale that came true at the recent PTAFA Annual General Meeting, from which minutes are attached with this bulletin! After all of the hard work last year from PTAFA organisers and the support from parents who attended the events, the PTAFA was able to fund the following Wish List requests
Chess board permanent marking for KS2 playground (approx £400) Tables for KS1 playground area (approx £600) Digital cameras for KS2 project work (approx £600)
Activities for each class for wet breaks (£500) A shed for storage of outdoor playtime equipment for KS1 (£300) - So for all of this, a HUGE THANK YOU from St Peter’s School! The PTAFA are already considering what the next fundraiser will be, once the canopy project is completed, and at present the idea of long term fundraising for a new school mini bus seems to be one idea.
- Before we move onto the new academic year of events for PTAFA, I would like to thank last year’s committee, led by Mrs Fiona Kilsby, administered by Mrs Pip Walshaw and accounted for by Mr Graham Flatman, as well as all those who attended meetings, helped out in all sorts of ways, and/or attended events. The new Chair of the PTAFA is Mr Steve Bowers, Mrs Fiona Kilsby is vice Chair and Mrs Vicki Ager is Secretary. From the energy, enthusiasm and good humour shown at the AGM, it looks to be another lively year. Please remember that the PTAFA is YOU. Decisions regarding social events and fundraising have to be taken at the meetings on your behalf, but you really can contribute to that process by coming along. There is no register taken, no expectation that you have to attend every meeting, and you do not need to have a bagful of ideas or any experience of PTAFA. The next meeting is on Tuesday 30th October. Come along!
- The next bulletin will be distributed on 11th October when there will be a report about National Poetry Day.
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