19 Jan 2007 - newsletter
Newsletter No. 17
Friday 19th January 2007
Dear Parents, Carers and Governors,
Our Fallen Tree
We were all shocked and saddened by the fall of our beautiful walnut tree yesterday during the terrible gales. My overwhelming response, however, was one of relief that everyone on site was safe, particularly our friends and family in Happy Hours.
During any unusual circumstances, safety is our top priority, so we always assess any risks and take appropriate action. On this occasion, as the wind became quite fierce, we had decided to keep the children safely inside during playtime, which meant no one was hurt. We informed the Forestry Department immediately. They have been onsite today and made it safe. We will decide, at a later date, what to do with the remaining wood.
Please ensure all children are kept away from the area completely until further notice.
Thank you for assisting with the change of arrangements at home-time. It was important that everyone left the site calmly and quickly.
Closing Date for Admissions 2007/08
For anyone with a child due to start next year, either here or at the Junior school, please remember that the closing date is February 9th. All application forms received by that date will be considered together. Those received after that date will be looked at after everyone who got their form in on time, so please be aware of this important deadline. We are happy to collect forms for the junior school up until Friday 2nd February. After that, you will need to post them directly to the Local Authority.
Year Two Parents Meeting - End of Key Stage One Assessments
This meeting will take place at 7pm on Monday 29th January in Green Class. The meeting is to give parents an understanding of the assessment arrangements which take place nationally for all children in Year Two. It is quite important for parents to be aware how and why these assessments take place and what they mean for your child.
The meeting will be the same as last year, as there have been no changes to the arrangements.
Curriculum Information for this term
Today, every child will be bringing home this term's outline for class activities. Do take a look and see what the learning objectives are for this term.
This information is also posted on the web-site so you can always access this at another time - http://www.polehamptoninfant.ik.org/
The broad themes for this term are:-
- Year Two - Vehicles
- Year One - Toys and Rainforests
- Foundation Stage - New Life
Twyford Advertiser - Cash for Schools Scheme
The Advertiser writes "The Louis Baylis (Maidenhead Advertiser) Charitable Trust is giving away £20,000 to LEA primary and secondary schools in the whole area covered by the Maidenhead Advertiser series.
Cash For Schools is a simple -token collect scheme. Special tokens will be printed each week in the Advertiser for eight weeks from January 25 to March 15.
There are three categories in the scheme, secondary school, small primary school (under 150 pupils) and large primary (150 pupils and over) and the school in each category which collects the most tokens during the eight-week period will win £3,000.
This money can be used for any capital expenditure the school wants, such as new computers, sports equipment, books or put towards a bigger long-term project.
The remaining £11,000 of prize money will be divided among the rest of the schools taking part in the Cash For Schools scheme which collect a minimum of 200 tokens. Again, this money can be used for any capital expenditure the school wishes. The final sum will depend on the number of schools taking part."
So do start collecting those tokens and make sure we can go over the 200!!
Parents Volunteers
If anyone has any time, don't forget we always welcome parent volunteers in school. We would particularly appreciate anyone who could stay for the first half hour when we do group reading in every class. If you have got any free time, do speak to your child's class teacher to chat about when would suit you.
Are You Eligible for Free School Meals?
There may be families that haven't thought about claiming free meals as their child normally has packed lunches. We would be very grateful if you could simply let us know that you are entitled to claim. This helps with data for our school profile.
PLEASE could any family that is entitled to claim free school lunch get in touch, even if your child has a packed lunch and never has a school dinner.
You are eligible to free school meals if:
- you are in receipt of Income Support or Income Based Job Seeker?s Allowance
- if you are entitled to Child Tax Credit, but not entitled to a Working Tax Credit and your annual taxable income (as assessed by Inland Revenue) does not exceed £14,155.
All you need to do is bring in proof of your eligibility e.g. Income Support/Pension book, Tax Credit Award Notice or provide the school with a letter from the Benefits Agency confirming your current entitlement. Photocopies are required by the school and any information we receive is completely confidential and not shared with any other agency.
Please note: Those families already receiving this benefit will need to supply up-to-date proof of eligibility for the Spring term. Thank you for your support.
Places Available
There are a few places available for Fit 'n' Funky, please see Mrs Martin for a form. Spanish class has a few places available, on Thursday. You are invited to come along for a free session next week to see what is involved.
School Web-site News
Come and look at our web-site in our Computer suite. During parents evening on Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th February, Kathy Peck and Amanda Harper will be available in the computer room (silver room) to show the web-site and to chat through any ideas you have.
Welcome to our message board for families and friends of Polehampton Infant School
Do you have any second-hand items to buy or sell such as school uniform, toys or books? Are you looking for a childminder, a car-share or perhaps you have information to share about a community event? We also welcome any positive comments you may have regarding our school (however we would ask you to call or visit the school office to discuss any more serious issues or concerns). We are trialling this message board for a term to see how successful it is, so if you would like it to stay then leave a message, go on - give it a go!
How to leave a message
When you click on the "Add Comment" button you will see a form asking you for your:
Name : first names are fine
e-mail address : optional (can be left blank) e-mail addresses entered here will appear as links above your message allowing people to contact you directly, this may be useful for buyers or sellers but is not necessary if your message does not require a response.
Comment: enter the text as you would like it to appear
Then click "Submit My Comment"
This is a moderated message board so please allow a little time before your entry will be posted.
Please note that Polehampton Infant School accepts no responsibility for any issues arising from these private transactions.
http://www.polehamptoninfant.ik.org/
Thanks to Mrs Kathy Peck and Mrs Amanda Harper for all their work with our web-site. We're really keen to develop this and make it a useful site for parents and friends.
So if you have any feedback (positive or otherwise!) or thoughts for future developments, do fill in the slip at the bottom of today's newsletter and return it to the office. We'll see what we can do.
P.S. Do we get bravery points for having staff photos on there?
Newletters by E-mail
If you would like to receive this newsletter by e-mail, pop into the office and Mrs Martin can put you on our list. E-mail addresses are not used for any other purpose.
Diary Dates
Here are some dates for the next two terms. Dates for the next week are in bold.
Date Event Time and Place
Mon 29th Jan Meeting for Yr2 parents to discuss end of KS1 assessments 7.00pm - Green Class
Thurs 1st Feb New Blue Class Parents Open morning 9.00 - 10.15am
Weds 24th Jan Orange Class assembly 10.15am
Weds 31st Jan Purple Class assembly 10.15am
Fri 2nd Feb Final date for Yr2 admissions forms being accepted at our school office
Mon 5th Feb Parents Evening - plus web-site demo 3.30-6.00pm
Tues 6th Feb Parents Evening - plus web-site demo 6.00-8.00pm
Weds 7th Feb Yellow Class assembly 10.15am
Fri 9th February Closing date for Admissions 07/08 - for our school and the Juniors
12th-16th Feb Half term School closed
19th Feb Staff training day School closed
Sat 24th Feb Volunteers Day 10am-4pm
Weds 28th Feb Green Class assembly 10.15am
Weds 7th March Blue Class assembly 10.15am
Thurs 15th March Mother's Day assembly 9.15am
Fri 16th March Red Nose Day
Thurs 29th March Church Service at St. Mary's 9.30am
Fri 30th March Last day of term School closes at 1.50pm
Tues 17th April First day of the Summer term
28th May-1st June Half term School closed
Thurs 12th July Sports Day Afternoon (weather dependent!!)
Tues 17th July Church Service at St. Mary's 9.30am
Weds 18th July Year Two Leavers? Assembly 9.15am
Frid 20th July Last day of the academic year School closes at 1.50pm
Web-site Feedback Slip
Please leave your name if you are happy for us to contact you for further discussion.
Name: ___________________________________________
Local Weather Forecast
Saturday possible rain in the morning, clearing in the afternoon and Sunday forecast to be sunny but much much colder, so wrap up warm.
Have a great weekend.
Helen Ball
Headteacher
Friday 19th January 2007
Dear Parents, Carers and Governors,
Our Fallen Tree
We were all shocked and saddened by the fall of our beautiful walnut tree yesterday during the terrible gales. My overwhelming response, however, was one of relief that everyone on site was safe, particularly our friends and family in Happy Hours.
During any unusual circumstances, safety is our top priority, so we always assess any risks and take appropriate action. On this occasion, as the wind became quite fierce, we had decided to keep the children safely inside during playtime, which meant no one was hurt. We informed the Forestry Department immediately. They have been onsite today and made it safe. We will decide, at a later date, what to do with the remaining wood.
Please ensure all children are kept away from the area completely until further notice.
Thank you for assisting with the change of arrangements at home-time. It was important that everyone left the site calmly and quickly.
Closing Date for Admissions 2007/08
For anyone with a child due to start next year, either here or at the Junior school, please remember that the closing date is February 9th. All application forms received by that date will be considered together. Those received after that date will be looked at after everyone who got their form in on time, so please be aware of this important deadline. We are happy to collect forms for the junior school up until Friday 2nd February. After that, you will need to post them directly to the Local Authority.
Year Two Parents Meeting - End of Key Stage One Assessments
This meeting will take place at 7pm on Monday 29th January in Green Class. The meeting is to give parents an understanding of the assessment arrangements which take place nationally for all children in Year Two. It is quite important for parents to be aware how and why these assessments take place and what they mean for your child.
The meeting will be the same as last year, as there have been no changes to the arrangements.
Curriculum Information for this term
Today, every child will be bringing home this term's outline for class activities. Do take a look and see what the learning objectives are for this term.
This information is also posted on the web-site so you can always access this at another time - http://www.polehamptoninfant.ik.org/
The broad themes for this term are:-
- Year Two - Vehicles
- Year One - Toys and Rainforests
- Foundation Stage - New Life
Twyford Advertiser - Cash for Schools Scheme
The Advertiser writes "The Louis Baylis (Maidenhead Advertiser) Charitable Trust is giving away £20,000 to LEA primary and secondary schools in the whole area covered by the Maidenhead Advertiser series.
Cash For Schools is a simple -token collect scheme. Special tokens will be printed each week in the Advertiser for eight weeks from January 25 to March 15.
There are three categories in the scheme, secondary school, small primary school (under 150 pupils) and large primary (150 pupils and over) and the school in each category which collects the most tokens during the eight-week period will win £3,000.
This money can be used for any capital expenditure the school wants, such as new computers, sports equipment, books or put towards a bigger long-term project.
The remaining £11,000 of prize money will be divided among the rest of the schools taking part in the Cash For Schools scheme which collect a minimum of 200 tokens. Again, this money can be used for any capital expenditure the school wishes. The final sum will depend on the number of schools taking part."
So do start collecting those tokens and make sure we can go over the 200!!
Parents Volunteers
If anyone has any time, don't forget we always welcome parent volunteers in school. We would particularly appreciate anyone who could stay for the first half hour when we do group reading in every class. If you have got any free time, do speak to your child's class teacher to chat about when would suit you.
Are You Eligible for Free School Meals?
There may be families that haven't thought about claiming free meals as their child normally has packed lunches. We would be very grateful if you could simply let us know that you are entitled to claim. This helps with data for our school profile.
PLEASE could any family that is entitled to claim free school lunch get in touch, even if your child has a packed lunch and never has a school dinner.
You are eligible to free school meals if:
- you are in receipt of Income Support or Income Based Job Seeker?s Allowance
- if you are entitled to Child Tax Credit, but not entitled to a Working Tax Credit and your annual taxable income (as assessed by Inland Revenue) does not exceed £14,155.
All you need to do is bring in proof of your eligibility e.g. Income Support/Pension book, Tax Credit Award Notice or provide the school with a letter from the Benefits Agency confirming your current entitlement. Photocopies are required by the school and any information we receive is completely confidential and not shared with any other agency.
Please note: Those families already receiving this benefit will need to supply up-to-date proof of eligibility for the Spring term. Thank you for your support.
Places Available
There are a few places available for Fit 'n' Funky, please see Mrs Martin for a form. Spanish class has a few places available, on Thursday. You are invited to come along for a free session next week to see what is involved.
School Web-site News
Come and look at our web-site in our Computer suite. During parents evening on Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th February, Kathy Peck and Amanda Harper will be available in the computer room (silver room) to show the web-site and to chat through any ideas you have.
Welcome to our message board for families and friends of Polehampton Infant School
Do you have any second-hand items to buy or sell such as school uniform, toys or books? Are you looking for a childminder, a car-share or perhaps you have information to share about a community event? We also welcome any positive comments you may have regarding our school (however we would ask you to call or visit the school office to discuss any more serious issues or concerns). We are trialling this message board for a term to see how successful it is, so if you would like it to stay then leave a message, go on - give it a go!
How to leave a message
When you click on the "Add Comment" button you will see a form asking you for your:
Name : first names are fine
e-mail address : optional (can be left blank) e-mail addresses entered here will appear as links above your message allowing people to contact you directly, this may be useful for buyers or sellers but is not necessary if your message does not require a response.
Comment: enter the text as you would like it to appear
Then click "Submit My Comment"
This is a moderated message board so please allow a little time before your entry will be posted.
Please note that Polehampton Infant School accepts no responsibility for any issues arising from these private transactions.
http://www.polehamptoninfant.ik.org/
Thanks to Mrs Kathy Peck and Mrs Amanda Harper for all their work with our web-site. We're really keen to develop this and make it a useful site for parents and friends.
So if you have any feedback (positive or otherwise!) or thoughts for future developments, do fill in the slip at the bottom of today's newsletter and return it to the office. We'll see what we can do.
P.S. Do we get bravery points for having staff photos on there?
Newletters by E-mail
If you would like to receive this newsletter by e-mail, pop into the office and Mrs Martin can put you on our list. E-mail addresses are not used for any other purpose.
Diary Dates
Here are some dates for the next two terms. Dates for the next week are in bold.
Date Event Time and Place
Mon 29th Jan Meeting for Yr2 parents to discuss end of KS1 assessments 7.00pm - Green Class
Thurs 1st Feb New Blue Class Parents Open morning 9.00 - 10.15am
Weds 24th Jan Orange Class assembly 10.15am
Weds 31st Jan Purple Class assembly 10.15am
Fri 2nd Feb Final date for Yr2 admissions forms being accepted at our school office
Mon 5th Feb Parents Evening - plus web-site demo 3.30-6.00pm
Tues 6th Feb Parents Evening - plus web-site demo 6.00-8.00pm
Weds 7th Feb Yellow Class assembly 10.15am
Fri 9th February Closing date for Admissions 07/08 - for our school and the Juniors
12th-16th Feb Half term School closed
19th Feb Staff training day School closed
Sat 24th Feb Volunteers Day 10am-4pm
Weds 28th Feb Green Class assembly 10.15am
Weds 7th March Blue Class assembly 10.15am
Thurs 15th March Mother's Day assembly 9.15am
Fri 16th March Red Nose Day
Thurs 29th March Church Service at St. Mary's 9.30am
Fri 30th March Last day of term School closes at 1.50pm
Tues 17th April First day of the Summer term
28th May-1st June Half term School closed
Thurs 12th July Sports Day Afternoon (weather dependent!!)
Tues 17th July Church Service at St. Mary's 9.30am
Weds 18th July Year Two Leavers? Assembly 9.15am
Frid 20th July Last day of the academic year School closes at 1.50pm
Web-site Feedback Slip
Please leave your name if you are happy for us to contact you for further discussion.
Name: ___________________________________________
Local Weather Forecast
Saturday possible rain in the morning, clearing in the afternoon and Sunday forecast to be sunny but much much colder, so wrap up warm.
Have a great weekend.
Helen Ball
Headteacher