Newsletter
Tuesday 5th May 2009
Hello and Farewell
I would like to start this newsletter by giving a warm welcome to three new members of the school team. I am happy to report that our interview process last term was successful and that we were able to appoint a super school secretary and a top teacher for our expanding Year 1. Mrs Duckers will join the school office team along side Mrs King and Mrs Hare today as our new school secretary and Miss Mummery will join the teaching staff in September as our new Year 1 teacher. Our third new member of the school family joins our lunchtime team while our Cook’s Assistant, Ms Furey, undergoes extended medical treatment. Ms Furey has been diagnosed with a rare condition that has resulted in a complete loss of sight. She is well but is undergoing cyclic treatment at present and it is unknown at this time if her sight will be restored. Our thoughts and best wishes are of course with Ms Furey and her family but her treatment and therefore absence from school could extend into the summer holidays. Mrs Ridge has therefore stepped into the kitchen breach from her lunchtime supervision role and we welcome Mrs Butler who has agreed to join the lunchtime supervision team for the duration of Ms Fureys absence. I also have to share with you the sad news of Mrs Mallinson’s departure from school. She has done an outstanding job in establishing the school learning resource centre/school library but her husband’s work commitments are taking the whole family to Hong Kong almost immediately! The quick timeframe involved means that at least for the rest of this term the library will not be open after school while we are reviewing library staffing. I am sure that you will all join with me to give our new members of staff a warm welcome and to wish Mrs Mallison and her family the best of luck on their far eastern adventure.
Well Done To One And All
I am very happy to share with you the news that the school has achieved the National Healthy Schools Award. This award recognises all the activities that the school community engages in to promote healthy lifestyles, healthy eating and healthy attitudes – WELL DONE TO EVERYONE, it is a fantastic achievement considering we are only 8 months old! We are now working towards achieving the first level of the Eco-Schools Award, anyone interested in getting involved is most welcome to attend Environment Club from 15:30 to 16:30 here at school on Tuesdays.
Spoon Amnesty!
This item is rather odd. At the start of the year we purchased 150 tea spoons to be available at lunchtimes as part of our hot meals service……we now have 34! Up to now we have allowed these spoons to be used by children who bring packed lunches to school but who have forgotten a spoon for deserts and yoghurts. It is evident that these spoons have been going home in lunchboxes but are not being returned. Please could everyone have a look at home in cutlery draws and return our spoons as soon as possible – if the spoons do not make their way back into school we will obviously have to replace them but will then not allow children to borrow spoons at lunchtime when parents have not provided suitable cutlery for desserts and yoghurts. Thank you for your cooperation in this rather bizarre matter.Summer Safety
As the weather continues to improve (we hope!) could parents please ensure that their children have appropriate sun hats and sun protection for school. Sun protection cream should be applied at home before the start of the day (names on bottles in school please). Staff will not apply cream in school but will assist children to apply it themselves where necessary. Children will also need to have their P.E. kit in school every day as they will be practising dances for the Summer Fair and training for the Town Sports days later in the term. You may also wish your child to wear summer uniform – black shorts with plain white polo shirts and girls may also wear white/green checked summer dresses. Open toed shoes are permitted as long as children wear socks to reduce the risk of damage to toes while playing. All children should also have their hair tied back for school. We will be checking that all children have their names in their clothes next week so please check uniform as it is impossible to distinguish between school jumpers!
Oakley Vale ‘Ground Force’ Saturday
Appeal for help… on Saturday 13th June we need your help to transform the outside areas for both Reception and Year 1. We have secured additional funding to enable us to purchase the materials needed so only need willing volunteers to get the job done. We need a team of volunteers with shovels, spades, wheel barrows, powertools and general building kit to help make paths, planters and other exciting ‘stuff’ for the children to explore and enjoy. If any parents are able to give up some time on the 13th to help please fill in and return the reply slip attached to this letter, let Mrs MacDonald or myself know or just turn up on the day. We will be at school from around 09:00 on Saturday morning and can promise endless tea, coffee, biscuits and some hard work – please come and help if you can - many hands make light work. Children are welcome to come along with their parents but should not come on their own.
Friends of Oakley Vale Events.
The Friends continue to work hard to support the school and have even more exciting plans for the remaining weeks of this our first school year.
- Friday 15th May – Call My ‘Hic’ Wine Bluff – 19:30 at school.
- Saturday 6th June – Pamper day and Car Boot Sale.
- Friday 12th June – Race night.
- Saturday 20th June – Great Camp Out.
- Saturday 4th July – Summer Fair.
- Saturday 11th June – Car Boot Sale.
Transition
With our new September intake for Reception all but confirmed we are now finalising arrangements for transition across the school. We are planning for three internal transition days where all of the children will ‘move up’ to their next class. I do not intend to move any of the teachers for September so the children will know who their next teacher will be but our transition plans depend upon Miss Mummery being available to work with her new class next term. As we grow in numbers over the coming years we intend to review each year group in terms of class groups at the end of each academic year. This only affects our Reception year group this year but will be part of our normal annual review across the school. We hope to have the following days confirmed soon and final arrangements will be shared with all parents at the start of next term (term 6).
Transition Days:
- Friday 19th June
- Friday 26th June
- Friday 10th July
Term Time Holiday Requests
Having honoured all of the pre-arranged term time holidays authorised by headteachers at previous schools I will now be adopting the following procedure when receiving requests for term-time leave for family holidays. Holiday requests will be appraised on an individual basis, will be informed by the particular circumstances of the family making the request and will only be considered for approval if the child’s attendance is over 90%. I would remind all parents that holidays during term time are to be avoided due to the negative impact they have on pupil progress and attainment and that headteachers are empowered to authorise, at their own discretion, up to 10 days annually but are under no obligation to do so. If you have any questions regarding any of the above please do not hesitate to contact me in school.
Sports
Next term the juniors will be participating in the town wide Corby Sports Day on the 8th July. We are planning to hold our own annual sports day during the autumn term each year. Therefore our first school sports day will take place for children across the school at the start of the new academic year in late September or early October. This fits well with our curriculum planning and will allow the playing field longer to establish before we really start to use it in the autumn. Further details of the town sports for the juniors will be sent home from school closer to the event.
Toddler Group & Baby Massage
Our Monday afternoon parent-toddler group continues to grow and we hope to be including a baby massage session starting next term (Monday 8th June 2009 – t.b.c.) having forged links with Penn Green Children’s Centre across town. All local parents and toddlers are welcome to attend the sessions which run in the school Studio between 13:45 and 15:15. Look out for more information on the baby massage sessions coming home from school later this term.
Environment Club wish list:
The Environment Club meets on Tuesdays from 15:30 to 16:30 here at school (gather in the library dome) – if you have an interest or expertise in any of the following areas please come along and lend your support: wildlife habitats; growing fruit and vegetables; creating living sculptures, herb and sensory gardens; recycling/composting, playground games & fixed sports equipment/markings and Eco-schools. Wish list: off cuts of wood (decking etc.) and wood that we can build things with, garden canes, plastic milk and juice bottle tops. Next term we will be asking for offers of help to dig beds for fruit and veg and to help to stock the growing areas with seeds and cuttings. Look out for more information coming home from school. So far we have gained support from Kier Street Services, Wilkinsons, Asda and Focus – if you have any links which could be explored please let Mrs Street know via the school office.
Recent Events
- Forest Tales –The infants really enjoyed their special story sessions out in the woods (we are still trying to arrange a session for the Year 2s).
- Friends quiz night – the Friends held a very enjoyable quiz night here at school on Friday 24th April.
- Drumming lessons – last week our new drum teacher starting lessons in key stage 2.
- Year 5 field trip – on Friday 27th April Miss Colver took the Year 5 Wolves to Newton Field Centre for an environmental field trip. The children were brilliant and really enjoyed learning about the local environment.
- Year 1 Church visit – on Friday 1st May Miss Cockshoot took the Squirrels to visit the parish church in Corby Old Village.
- Friend’s Car Boot Sale – another successful event for the Friends and one which we hope will continue to grow and develop.
Dates for your diary.
- Strings Recital – the county strings group will be visiting school on Tuesday 5th May to play and share their instruments and talents with the children across the school (no Forest for Y1 today).
- Year 2 Church visit – on Friday 8th May Mrs Wells will be taking the Owls in Year 2 to visit the parish church in Corby Old Village.
- Year 6 test week – tests all week for Year 6 starting on Monday 11th May.
- Year 3 library visit – on Monday 11th May Mr Reed will be taking the Otters in Year 3 to visit the town library.
- 1st Aid training – on Tuesday 12th May St. John Ambulance will be in school to training the Year 6 children in their level 1 ‘Young First Aider’ award.
- Friends Event – the Friends will be holding a ‘Call my ‘Hic’ wine bluff evening on Friday 15th May here at school.
- Year 6 Residential – our Year 6’s are away from 18th May to 22nd May 2009 for a week of challenge and fun with Miss Mills, Mr Mannion and myself at Caythorpe Court in Lincolnshire.
- Rockingham Castle Visit – on Thursday 21st May Miss Cockshoot and Mrs Wells will be taking the Squirrels and Owls to visit Rockingham Castle as part of their Castles topic.
- End of Term 5 – School closes on Friday 22nd May 15:30 for the mid-term break.
And Finally…
Next week see the Year 6 children undertaking their end of key stage national tests. Year 6 children across the country will be sitting their tests in English, Maths and Science and I would like to wish all of our Year 6 children good luck for their test week. On the back of this page you will find the school’s term dates for the remainder of the current academic year and dates for the start of the 2009-2010 academic year.
Please note the training day at the start of Term 6 - Monday 1st June 2009.
M.Deane-Hall - Headteacher
