Autumn 1, 2011

The Carpenter’s Tale
Autumn 1, 2011

Welcome back to Autumn 1 half term. A very special welcome to all our new pupils and families who have joined the school. I would also like to welcome and introduce Miss Soliman who is working on Thursday and Friday in Class 4. I know you will see her around the playground and be ready to welcome her and I’m sure the children in her care will enjoy having a new teacher also.
As a school we look forward to meeting you and working with you and your child. I would like to say a big thank you to everyone for sending the children back looking so well kept and smart. Wearing the correct school uniform does make a difference to the school and helps maintain good standards. As many of you know failure to wear the correct uniform is a punishable offence in secondary schools so it is good practice to help the children form this habit from the start of their school life as it then becomes a normal habit and also saves any issues about what to wear that day!

Autumn 1 half term is always important in setting out class rules and ways of working. The teachers and teaching staff are working steadily on this at the moment and hopefully by the end of this week all children will feel comfortable with the weekly pattern of school life. If you or your child have a problem please speak to the class teacher or me about it and we will do all we can to help.

Building work
If you had seen the school site and building during the summer holidays you would not have believed it possible to reopen the school on September 1st. Thanks particularly to Mr Alford for his repeated efforts to keep the school clean amidst the chaos and all staff for putting in the time they did to set out attractive classrooms. The notion that teachers have a long summer holiday is certainly disproved in this school .

The school is running under very difficult circumstances for this half term at least, if not longer. We have no hall or spare rooms for group work. The lack of a hall means all dinners are being eaten in classrooms which adds to the cleaning and tidying up processes. It also means we cannot have PE or assembly at any time and on very rainy days , like those this week, there is no place for the children to play freely and let off steam. I continue to think that the children have been wonderful during the building project coping with noise, dust and unusual routines and hope we can continue safely in the next few weeks. If you are aware of problems developing please let me know. We do not yet have a finish date for the project and the more rain there is the more likely it is to delay the end date further.

Dates for your diary
Sept 6, 9,13, 16 cross country practice
Sept 14, 21, 28, Oct 5 cross country events
Sept 8, 15, 22 soccer practice
Sept 7,20, 27,Oct 4,11,18 chess club
Sept 9 site meeting
Sept 15 torch relay opening ceremony
Sept 30 crucial crew Class 5
Oct 5,12,19 Rosary prayer days in school
Oct 11 Open morning Nursery 9am -10.15am
Oct 11 Parents evening, letters to be sent later
Oct 12/13 Open morning Reception 9am-10.15am
Oct 13 Governors’ meeting 5pm in school
Oct 19 School closes for half term holiday
Nov 1 School reopens for children
Please note the change of date for closure to October 19. The staff will be in school on three Inset days around the holiday hopefully putting some of the school back to normal.If any parents are thinking of a holidayat this time it does give opportunity for a “cheaper” holiday by going a couple of days earlier.


Francis House goodies
Each September we raise money for Francis House by selling their novelty gifts for £1. These will be on sale next week. They are lovely items and this year consist of either a sparkly key ring, a sock purse or a talking camera keyring. They would make great stocking fillers and will be very attractive to the children. If you can manage £1 please send it in with your child next week to choose their own item. If you want to purchase one privately please call at the office. In previous years we have run out very quickly of all items so the start of the week may be the better time.

School dinners/sandwiches

Both hot dinners and sandwiches are on offer at school. However we do need two weeks notice in writing for a child to change from one to the other. This is because of the school dinner ordering system. It is possible to change your mind about meal choice but please give notice of this. School meals now cost £9.25 per week. This can be paid online through the Tameside website or in a named envelope on a Monday morning. The school dinner money is dealt with and banked on Monday so anyone paying later than this does cause a lot of extra work for the office staff. Please pay on Monday morning. Thank you.

The majority of school lunch boxes contain a healthy diet of food but we do have some children who are bringing in a lot of chocolate and bags of sweets. Sweets are against school policy and are not recommended by the health authorities. The result is such children leave their sandwich and fill up with the sweets and then cannot concentrate and are hungry again in the afternoon. Please think about what is packed. We do not accept glass bottles or flasks because of the damage breakages could cause and we ask that parents do not send canned drinks and fizzy drinks as these are not sufficiently thirst quenching.

We currently have some children in school with allergies to certain food stuffs. If your child has an allergy will you please ensure we know about it. It would be unfair for the children with nut allergies for example , to sit by someone who may have nut products in their packed lunch box. If possible can parents think about the possible side effects of some foods on other children as well as themselves so that everyone remains healthy.

After school clubs
Some after school clubs are operating for KS2 pupils only but these are limited in terms of time and venue. If your child wishes to stay behind for such a club we need written permission for them to do so and details of their going home arrangements. Please be aware that we cannot see parents at the top of the slope from school now so where possible please come down to the entrance doors. Filmclub starts Tuesday September 13th for KS2 pupils. Please return the form sent home.

PE kit

The children need a PE kit in school. Pumps, dark shorts and a white T-shirt in a draw string bag with labels on all items. It would also be useful for those with trainers to bring them in this half term as any PE lesson will be outdoors.
A number of children have pierced ears after the holidays. The school prospectus says NO JEWELLERY to be worn at school. Please remove earrings from children before the day starts. Staff will not touch earrings and children wearing them cannot participate in PE lessons or swimming. Also do not allow children to bring in other forms of jewellery or electrical items such as DS machines or mobile phones. Any such will be taken from the child and stored in the office until a parent comes to collect them.

Asthma

Does your child have asthma? Does your child have an inhaler? If so we need to have a form signed with respect to symptoms and treatment of asthma. We have a number of children who needed asthma inhalers last year and now say they don’t need them anymore. Could any parent whose child has had an inhaler please speak to the office so that we can correctly update records. We have noticed a few children coughing this week due to increased cold and damp and would like an inhaler in school for all of them as soon as possible.

Lastly….
We hear many strange and fascinating tales from your children and have to take most of them as unlikely or untrue. You similarly will hear strange and unusual things about school. They may just be as unlikely or untrue. If ever you are uncertain or in doubt about what is said, happening or happened we are glad to talk to you either in person or by phone and will always try to do it as soon as possible at your request. Please get in touch. Thank you.