25 Apr 2008 - Newsletter 10
Dear Parents,
Returning staff
We have welcomed back Mrs Wootten from maternity leave and Miss Millar from her adventure in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. On Wednesday the school enjoyed a special assembly led by Miss Millar telling of all the fascinating projects she was involved in during her time abroad including building a school and creating a fresh water supply for a village. The specialist equipment was fascinating and Miss Millar looks very healthy having lived almost exclusively on a diet of rice and beans for three months!
Every Child Matters
ENJOY AND ACHIEVE
Assessment
The KS2 national SATs will take place during the week commencing 12th May and last for one week. Yrs 3,4 and 5 annual assessments will take place the following week in all classes. Please make every effort to send your child to school during this important period and ensure they are here promptly in the morning.
School allotment project
We have made further progress with the joint infant/junior allotment project thanks to parental support. Children have now spread compost on the soil and have started to plant some produce in pots prior to planting out. Groups from both schools are working together with older pupils assisting younger pupils.
The school Eisteddfod winners concert was an enjoyable and successful evening with a large audience enjoying the talented performers and a glass of wine served by FOCJS. Images of the Eistedfodd can be viewed on the school website at www.crossways-jun.ik.org.
Many improvements to the school environment can now be seen - year 6 have beautiful new furniture and the entrance area has been refurbished and is available for small meetings and groupwork.
SEAL/Assembly theme
This term the school SEAL theme will be ‘relationships’. This theme covers some difficult issues including losing someone you are close to. In assembly we will also be looking at the value ‘compassion’.
Thornbury FM-Mrs Elmore has been working with a club to put together a two hour school slot in the May Thornbury FM radio broadcast. Our broadcast slot will be 3-5pm on Sunday 18th May
St Mary’s Church will be putting on a performance of ‘Joseph and the amazing technicolour dreamcoat’ on 12th July. Any interested actors/ singers are invited to participate in the workshops from 1.30pm on the afternoon and a performance is planned for the evening at 5.30pm. Further information is available from the school or St Mary’s Church office.
BE HEALTHY/STAY SAFE
Absence- please notify the school early on the morning of an absence as to the reason for absence. The school telephones all parents of pupils for whom we do not have an explanation.
Clubs
The following clubs are running this term
Mrs Westcott Choir All year groups Monday 3.30-4.30pm
Miss Millar Ultimate Frizbee Y3/4 Monday 3.30-4.30pm
Mrs Elmore Portal Y5/6 Tuesday Lunch
Mrs Morgan IQ Challenge Y3/4 Tuesday or Wednesday Lunch
Mr Booker Rounders Y3 Tuesday 3.30-4.30pm
Mrs Elmore Thornbury FM All Wednesday (Term 5) Lunch
Mrs Bess Gardening Y3/4/5 Thursday Lunch
Miss Morris Dance Y5/6 Thursday 3.30-4.30pm
Mr Carrick Cricket Y6 Thursday 3.30-4.30pm
Three days a week at the end of assembly the whole school does ‘wake and shake’. This is an aerobic type dance and is the final part of our school package to ensure that all children meet the target of two hours of PE every week.
A joint infant/ junior school meeting for parents was held last night. It was led by Michael Follett the local authority play manager and was attended by parents from both schools. We are now looking to collect scrap items for a ‘play pod’ and would be grateful for donations of the following items –
Boxes, card, pipes, tubes, buckets, reels, wheels, tyres, bins, ropes, dressing up clothes-[ accessories, nice dresses, hats etc], sheets, telephones, microphones, shopping trolleys [the kind people go shopping with!] and any other interesting items that would stimulate imaginative play!