22nd May 2008

• This week’s bulletin begins with a reminder:  The Swimming Gala for Key Stage Two takes place tomorrow at Kettering Swimming Pool from 10.00am until 12noon approximately. Your child should come to school in their blue polo shirt and tracksuits as usual and the contents of their swimming bag should include: a costume, two towels, house swimming hat and a house t-shirt.  Please ensure that the house t-shirt is NOT worn to school.  I know that pupils are looking forward to the Swimming Gala, having worked hard throughout the year in their weekly swimming lessons.  We aim to provide a range of races so that children of different swimming abilities can participate with confidence! 
   
• Key Stage Two Assessment Week is now complete and pupils are to be commended on the excellent conduct shown throughout.  Teachers are busy marking and in some cases papers are also being sent off for external marking, in order to keep our standard of marking rigorous. Year Six are now preparing for Key Stage Three curriculum, so that upon entry to secondary school they are well prepared and are staggering their new teachers with their ability, their application and their excellent manners!
   
• Please note that we are still in our Assessment Schedule, with pupils in Reception Class currently completing their Progress in Primary Schools assessments, and Key Stage One completing their assessments during the weeks beginning 2nd and 9th June. Therefore, I respectfully ask that children return to School after half term well rested, with a ‘school bedtime’ routine still firmly in place.  Thank you.
   
• Author Linda Chapman visited pupils at St Peter’s School today to lead them in a series of workshops linked to reading and writing.  She was able to share the different ways in which she originated ideas for her novels, including the early planning stages as well as the actual process of drafting.  Pupils learnt how improvised drama can be a way towards coming up with a good idea for a story.  Linda Chapman writes the popular My Secret Unicorn series under her own name, as well as The Stardust Series.  She has also written the Super Powers series under the pseudonym of Alex Cliff.  It is important that pupils are given different and exciting ways into writing.  Meeting this real author served to remind our boys and girls that writing is not just about examinations.  It is a vital life skill which should also be an enjoyable, exciting and rewarding lifelong experience.
   
• Pupils in 1KS and 2SW recently enjoyed an outing to Top Lodge at Fineshade Wood. They took part in a “Red Kite Discovery” session led by the resident RSPB Field Teachers. This followed on and extended the work on birds completed during Science Week.  The children took part in a variety of activities including a very popular ‘hands-on’ nest building and chick feeding drama. This outdoor activity saw the children working together to build a nest one stick at a time and gave them some understanding of how difficult this task is when you only have a beak and claws!  All the children used binoculars to get a closer view of the birds feeding near the centre. They also looked at the web cam images of local red kite chicks being fed by their parent. Mini beast hunting in the woods completed this full and exciting educational day. It is gratifying to see pupils developing a further active interest in the natural world around them locally.
   
• This term has seen the Nursery children investigate their senses in topic work.  “Feely” pictures and different textures have been created and touched.  The popular story of ‘Handa’s Surprise’ gave the opportunity to taste different exotic fruit. Camembert, garlic and basil have been used to encourage children to smell foods and to find words to describe the experience too!
   
• The Uniform Shop will reopen after half term on Tuesdays from 3pm to 4pm.  It is also possible to place orders with payment at the School Office.  The running of the Uniform Shop is now in the hands of our new Finance Manager Mrs Gillian Williams.
   
• Chairman of PTAFA Steve Bowers writes “A big thank you to all those parents, teachers and friends who gave up their valuable time last Saturday to commence the major project of restoring the pond to its' former glory. The first step was to take environmental advice from Mr Sant. Then we made significant progress in dredging the pond, weeding and taking up the existing footpath for renewal.  A number of children joined their parents for a picnic after the work was done on Saturday and were excited to discover the flora and fauna of this area of the School’s grounds.  With your help the pond can once again be a major asset to the children’s education in years to come.  The next major work on the pond will be on Saturday May 24 at 9.00 am. If you are able to offer practical support on either date then we would be delighted to see you. We are particularly keen to be assisted by any trades people as there is a significant amount of work to be done around re-laying the footpath and restoring the stone wall.
   
• The next PTAFA meeting will be on Monday 30th June.
   
• Tickets for the PTAFA Barn Dance are now on sale at the School Office, and a letter accompanies this bulletin giving further details.  Please come and support this event….the children love it, and even the most reluctant grown ups end up having a good time too!  School Governor Mr John Hilsdon hosts the event at his farm.  The barn is big so we want it filled; this is an opportunity to invite friends and family along too.  The PTAFA has tried to make the ticket prices reasonable, with family tickets available too.  The band is led by Andrew Loake, both a former pupil and a parent of former pupils. The standard of musicianship is both excellent and highly entertaining.  Not to be missed!
   
• By now you will have also received information about the Fathers Day Card Making that the PTAFA is running after the success of the Mothers Day Stall earlier in the year.  If you would like your child to take part in this, please return reply slips with £2 to the School Office as soon as possible so that preparations can be made.  Please note that, as with most chocolate, that which is used for the Fathers Day Chocolate Delight may have been made in the presence of nuts.
   
• When we return after the break it will be time for Readathon.  Readathon is essentially a ‘sponsored read’ with collected proceeds being donated to Sargent Cancer Care for Children and the Roald Dahl Foundation.  These organisations spend their funds caring for children and young people in the U.K. suffering from cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, leukaemia, epilepsy, blood disorders or head injury.  Pupils will bring their forms home at the end of this week, so that they can use half term to gather sponsors and list the books they intend to read.  Pupils have been reminded to only approach family and friends when seeking sponsors. Some parents also like to take the sponsor card to work on behalf of their child.  Pupils are being encouraged to use this as an opportunity to visit their local library, to read non fiction as well as fiction and to reread any old favourites they have. There is no need to always go out and buy books....reuse and recycle books too!  Homework time for the first two weeks after half term will be devoted to reading for Readathon.
   
• There is no chance of a quieter second half of Trinity Term.  There are curriculum schedules for pupils and teachers to complete, sports events, Readathon, Founders’ Day and its ‘share your work’ opportunity, as well as Parent Teacher consultations, leading on to end of term report writing.   I hope that pupils will rest over the break so that they are ready for all of this…and more.