FODs and CHRISTMAS

Preparations are going well for all our Christmas activities.  My thanks to all involved with FODs for all the fantastic work you are doing to ensure that the children have a lovely time as well as raising much needed money to help the school. If you are able to help in any way, please give your name to any member of the FODs committee or alternatively tell Mrs Jones in the office.

Please return permission slips and money for the pantomime.

Also please send in costumes for the Nativity as detailed in the letters that went out last week.

Make sure that you buy your raffle tickets – the hampers are on display in the school and they look wonderful.

QUESTIONNAIRES

Thank you to everyone who completed a school questionnaire recently.  If you have not done one, there are some spares outside the office.

Today we are sending home another questionnaire, on behalf of all Heathfield Schools.  This is about extended services, which means childcare before and after school and activities during the holidays.  Please take a few minutes to fill this in and return to the school office.

MAKING GOOD PROGRESS PILOT

We are in the second year of this pilot and a few children in years 4 and 5 will take some Single Level Tests during the first week of December.  This will be very low key and still a test of the tests and not the children.

‘SENDACOW’

We will be talking with the children this week about this charity and how we can help.  I have asked for some catalogues to be sent to us; these will be outside the school office if you want to know more. I am grateful to FODs for suggesting that part of the proceeds for ‘Bags 2 Schools’ can go to this worthwhile cause.

DECORATION MAKING MORNING

This will take place next Tuesday 2^nd December from 9:45 until 10:45.  All the children in the school will be involved with making decorations for the hallway or their classrooms.  If you are able to come along to help, please see your child’s class teacher.  This is also where we invite pre-school pupils, who are due to start school in September 2009, along to share this event with us. If you know of anyone who has a child due to start school next year, please let them know about this event.

MATT DUNKLEY

We are to have a visit from Matt Dunkley, the Director of Children’s Services, this Thursday.  I am hoping to be able to reiterate how important having new classrooms built here will be to us, as well as giving him the opportunity to meet with some of our delightful children.

SHARING OF LEARNING

We are pleased to invite all parents (and grandparents) in to our second Sharing of Learning session.  This will be at from 2:45 until 3:30 on Wednesday December 3^rd.  Please feel free to visit any classroom.

CLUBS

This is the last week for after school clubs.  My thanks to all who have given up their time to run these valuable and enjoyable activities for the children. 

WINTER WEATHER

The cold weather now seems to be upon us.  Can I remind parents to make sure their children are wearing coats to school everyday.  We go outside at all breaktimes, unless it is raining, and it can get very bitter out on our playground.  Also classes do go outside for certain subjects such as art and science.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY                                       

Academic Year 08/09 Dates

                                                            Break Up                       Return

Autumn Term 2008                                                                     Thurs 4^th Sep 08            

Autumn Holiday 2008                              Fri 24^th Oct 08                Mon 3^rd Nov 08

Christmas 2008/2009                              Fri 19^th Dec 08              Mon 5^th Jan 09

Spring Holiday 2009                                Fri 13^th Feb 09              Mon 23^rd Feb 09

Easter 2009                                           Fri 3^rd Apr 09                 Mon 20^th Apr 09

Bank Holiday - May Day                          Fri 1^st May 09                Tues 5^th May 09

Summer Holiday 2009                             Fri 22^nd May 09             Mon 1^st June 09

Summer 2009                                         Wed 22^nd July 09

Dates for the Academic Year 08/09 and 09/10 are also available on the East Sussex Website (www.eastsussex.gov..uk)

26 Nov       Drumming performance for KS1 2:45pm

27 Nov       Drumming performance for KS2 2:45 pm

28 Nov      Woods Corner Sharing Assembly  9am

 1  Dec      Year 5 & 6 Carol Concert at Tunbridge Wells

 2  Dec      Christmas Decoration Making Morning

 3  Dec      ‘Sharing of Learning’ for parents 2.45pm

 5  Dec      After School clubs finish – no clubs 8-19 Dec

 6  Dec      FODs Christmas Fair

 9  Dec      Nativity at St Giles Church  2pm

10 Dec      Nativity at St Giles Church 6pm

12 Dec      FODs Disco  6-8pm

16 Dec      Christmas Fun Afternoon

17 Dec      Christmas lunch  (date changed)

18 Dec      Panto at Devonshire Park , Eastbourne

19 Dec       2pm carol service in Church

19 Dec      Term 2 ends – NO SCHOOL (22 Dec – 2 Jan)

  5 Jan       INSET Day – no school

 6  Jan       Term 3 begins

14  Jan       Prospective Parents’ meeting  10am

PARENT/TEACHER MEETINGS

Our parent/teacher meetings will be held tonight, Tuesday 11^th and tomorrow Wednesday 12^th November.  If you have not already signed up for a time please see Mrs Jones.  Mrs Smith, SEN Co-ordinator, will also be available for consultations on Wednesday evening – please see Mrs Jones for an appointment if you wish to see her.  Please note that I will be requesting that you fill in a questionnaire during your visit and that FODs cook books will also be on sale - £5 each – great value.  Due to these meetings there will be no after school clubs.

YEAR 3 AND 4 RESIDENTIAL TRIP TO CANTERBURY

It seems a long time ago now, but I would like to thank everyone who made this trip such a success.  The children had a great time and also learned a lot, not only about the animals and The Cathedral but about themselves and getting on with others.  These trips cannot happen without people giving their own time; my thanks to Mrs Pratt, Miss Lusted and Miss Waymont who were the staff that went and also to Mrs Tingley, Mr Thompson and Mr Pitts who were the parents who helped us.

FOOTBALL & NETBALL TOURNAMENT

Well done to all the children in KS2 who played for the school last Friday at the Heathfield Area School Tournament at Heathfield Community College .  They all played really well and represented the school with a true sports professional attitude, which we have come to expect from our children.  The girls’ football team will be playing in a tournament tomorrow and we wish them all the best of luck.

INSET DAY

Please note that we have an Inset Day planned for after the Christmas Holiday - Monday 5^th January 2009.  Therefore children do not return to school until Tuesday 6^th January 2009 when our part-time reception children will be staying all day.

CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES

We are now heading for a very busy time of year with Christmas fast approaching.  Please look in book-bags and ask older children for letters every Tuesday as there will be information about the Nativities, etc. coming home over the next few weeks.

MISSED CERTAIN LETTERS HOME?

As you will all be aware, most letters are sent home every Tuesday with the children.  However, if your child is away or you think you may have missed something please see the noticeboard outside the school office.  This has copies of all current letters – please take anything you may have missed.

DECORATION MAKING MORNING

This will take place on Tuesday 2^nd December from 9:45 until 10:45.  All the children in the school will be involved with making decorations for the hallway or their classrooms.  If you are able to come along to help, please see your child’s class teacher.  This is also where we invite pre-school pupils, who are due to start school in September 2009, along to share this event with us. If you know of anyone who has a child due to start school next year, please let them know about this event.

CHURCH

We are grateful when parents are able to come to church with us on Tuesday mornings.  If you are able to help us in this way, please do.  Without some parental support we do not always have enough adult supervision for this activity.

CHRISTMAS CARDS AND TREE

The Christmas cards that were sent home last week looked lovely and we hope that you will be able to support FODs and therefore the school by purchasing some of them,  If you are placing your order through the school your order needs to be back with us by 18^th November; you can of course order on-line,

Does anyone have a ‘contact’ from whom we can obtain a large Christmas tree for the Hall? If you know of any good local (reasonable) supplier, please tell Mrs Jones or myself.

CHARITIES

We are asked by many organisations to support their charity work, especially at this time of year. We do feel that it is appropriate for our children to be thinking of others less fortunate than themselves.  We have decided that we’d like to support ‘Send a cow’ which is a Christian organisation that provides animals to families in Africa . This organisation has been running for 20 years and we think it is particularly relevant for us in this rural community.  Over the next few weeks we will be talking to the children about the charity and how they can help.

ANTI-BULLYING WEEK

Next week is National Anti-bullying week and we will be talking with the children about this issue.  This may be during assemblies but also in PSHE lessons too.  You may find that your child wants to discuss this with you at home too. 

And finally ………. HEALTHY LIVING WEEK UPDATE

We were delighted with the response, as we said in the last newsletter.   Many children, over 51%, (and parents) made the effort to walk to school, which we appreciate is not always easy here.  The skipping workshop raised over £300 with £100 being raised by Honor in year 6; which was an amazing effort.

My thanks to everyone who contributed to making this a successful week.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY                                       

Academic Year 08/09 Dates

                                                            Break Up                       Return

Autumn Term 2008                                                                     Thurs 4^th Sep 08            

Autumn Holiday 2008                              Fri 24^th Oct 08                Mon 3^rd Nov 08

Christmas 2008/2009                              Fri 19^th Dec 08              Mon 5^th Jan 09

Spring Holiday 2009                                Fri 13^th Feb 09              Mon 23^rd Feb 09

Easter 2009                                           Fri 3^rd Apr 09                 Mon 20^th Apr 09

Bank Holiday - May Day                          Fri 1^st May 09                Tues 5^th May 09

Summer Holiday 2009                             Fri 22^nd May 09             Mon 1^st June 09

Summer 2009                                         Wed 22^nd July 09

Dates for the Academic Year 08/09 and 09/10 are also available on the East Sussex Website (www.eastsussex.gov..uk)

12 Nov      Parents’ Consultations

27 Nov      Anti-bullying week

21 Nov      Dallington Sharing Assembly 9am

28 Nov      Woods Corner Sharing Assembly  9am

 1  Dec      Year 5 & 6 Carol Concert at Tunbridge Wells

 2  Dec      Christmas Decoration Making Morning

 3  Dec      ‘Sharing of Learning’ for parents 2.45pm

 5  Dec      After School clubs finish – no clubs 8-19 Dec

 6  Dec      FODs Christmas Fair

 9  Dec      Nativity at St Giles Church  2pm

10 Dec      Nativity at St Giles Church 6pm

12 Dec      FODs Disco  6-8pm

16 Dec      Christmas Fun Afternoon

17 Dec      Christmas lunch  (date changed)

18 Dec      Panto at Devonshire Park , Eastbourne

19 Dec      Term 2 ends – NO SCHOOL (22 Dec – 2 Jan)

  5 Jan       INSET Day – no school

 6  Jan       Term 3 begins

14  Jan       Prospective Parents’ meeting  10am