20th September 2019
Dear Parents and Carers,
What a busy and enjoyable start to the new school year! The children are all very settled, working hard and happy. Apologies for the change in date for the Harvest Festival, I am attending a meeting on the original date and really wanted to be here for the Harvest Festival. Just a reminder that the new date is Wednesday 9th October at 2:15pm. The donations of fruit, vegetables and produce will be sold at the end of the school day.
SATS
It really is important that all pupils are present to sit their SATS Exams. Holidays cannot be authorised during SATS. The tests are throughout the month of May and absence can cause problems for the administration of the tests and may even prevent the children from sitting the Exams.
RE Survey
Thank you so much for the many positive responses to the RE Survey we sent out last week. We were delighted with the outcomes and we were really pleased with the comments that were written. Thank you! Cooked Dinners Please can I ask that all orders for cooked dinners are handed into school on the date highlighted. This makes the collation of orders a lot easier for our office staff and catering providers.
Snacks
It is highly advisable that children in KS2 bring a fruit or vegetable snack to school to enjoy at break time. The children do not have their lunch until 1pm due to KS1 having their meals first.
Lost Uniform
Please can I ask all parents and carers to regularly check uniform that comes home and to check through bags to make sure that other jumpers have not been mistakenly taken home by accident. It is very frustrating when labelled uniform ends up lost and not found.
Open Door Policy
St George’s is such a caring and loving school. Please remember that we have an open-door policy and it is crucial that communication is strong between home and school. It is always advised that you speak to class teachers if ever you need to make us aware of something. After school is always best but if it is an emergency we will always listen and support.
Sickness
If your child has a sickness bug or tummy bug, it is school policy for your child to be kept off school for 48 hours from the last time they were sick. Attendance The school has an attendance officer that visits every half term to assess attendance at the school. If your child is off school due to illness, please contact the school as soon as possible. I cannot authorise holidays in school time unless it is for exceptional circumstances.
Helping at home
We really appreciate support from home with: Reading Spellings Mental Maths Discussing what your child has been doing in school Speaking and Listening Playing board games If ever you need ideas about further support at home, do pop in and the staff will be able to advise. We do ask that the children have opportunities to read to a parent or carer on a daily basis. The children are given reading logs for parents to complete every time they read. Children also love being read to. Do please try and find the time to enjoy a story with your child. I have just finished reading Wonder to my daughter in Year 5 and the Mo Salah story to my son in Year 1 and would highly recommend both books.
We Are a Reading School!
We wish to support all of our families to encourage a love of reading at home. As part of this support we have put a family bookcase in the entrance hall and we encourage you to borrow any of these books to share at home. This will run independently of the school library, we just ask you to take a book and return it after you have shared it at home. Even when your child is in Key Stage 2 and appears to be a confident reader, please continue to read books together and discuss them. All recent studies show that reading and sharing books is supremely beneficial for your child’s academic achievement – and just as importantly – for their mental health and for developing empathy and other essential “soft skills”. Let’s all work together to continue our reading and learning journey. As always, if you have any questions, or need any advice about reading, please talk to your child’s class teacher.
Website
Do keep checking the website for news and updates. We also have a brilliant Twitter account which is used often by the staff at the school.
Fundraising Team
We are very lucky to have a small group of parents who have been instrumental these past months in organising events to raise much needed funds for the school. If you are interested in supporting the Fundraising Team or any event, please come and see Mrs Gordge and Mrs Bradshaw at the School Office and they will put you in contact with the team.
Swimming Fees
Please can I politely remind parents and carers that we have started asking for a voluntary contribution of £10 a term per pupil for swimming. This is a decision that was made by the Governing Body recently due to the rising costs of maintaining our pool. Whilst we are aware we are asking for a voluntary contribution, we very much appreciate this payment as it has helped us greatly in paying for repairs to the pool.
Amenities
One other area of responsibility I would like to make clear to parents is the financial responsibility of Governors of Voluntary Aided schools such as our own. While all schools may receive Capital Grants for building works, Voluntary Aided schools receive only 90% of these grants and for the grant to be spent the Governors of the school have to raise the other 10%. We do this by building up a ‘Governors Fund’. The Governors raise the money for this fund in two ways. One is profits made from lettings and hire of school facilities and the other is through parent contributions, which has historically gone by the name of the ‘Amenities Fund’. Whilst this is a voluntary contribution of £10 per family per term, we strongly ask parents to give to the school. The Governors Fund also contributes to many of the ‘little extras’ we like to provide for the children, such as school outings, educational visits, WOW assembly’s etc.
Parking
Mr Davies and I really enjoy being outside in the morning before school and after school as it gives us a chance to see the whole school community. It also gives us an opportunity to monitor the drop off in the morning and pick up at the end of the school day. Our one way system is working really well (there are occasional blips.) Your support and patience with this is very much appreciated. Here is a reminder of the five steps to collecting children at the end of the day:
1) Use the one-way system. Do not turn around in the church or Nunsfield Court.
2) Wait in your car until you are safely on the playground. The staff will stay with your child/children.
3) Please pick up as quick as possible to allow other parents to park on the playground.
4) Drive sensibly and slowly when near and on the school premises.
5) Be considerate to all driver, pedestrians and our lovely caretaker, Mr Davies.
Please can I ask that drivers turn off their engines while parked on the playground or waiting in the queue to come on to the premises. Can I also ask that everybody stays vigilant. I have heard reports of drivers on phones. Can I also ask that the children are safely buckled into their seat belts before you drive off.
Best wishes, Mark Braund
Key Dates Autumn 1
Tuesday 1st October – Friday 4th October - Year 6 trip to Pinkery O.E.C.
Sunday 6th October – Harvest Mass at Church, 9.30 am
Wednesday 9th October – Harvest Festival Service in School, 2:15 pm
Friday 18th October – School photographs and Flu Immunisation
Monday 21st October – Parents’ Evening 5.30 pm – 7.30 pm
Tuesday 22nd October – Parents’ Evening 3.30 pm – 5.30 pm
Friday 25th October – School INSET Day
Saturday 26th October – Sunday 3rd November – SCHOOL CLOSED (Half term)
AUTUMN 2
Monday 4th November – SCHOOL OPEN (Autumn Term 2)
Wednesday 6th November – All Saints Day
Friday 22nd November – Mufti day
Friday 29th November – Christmas Bazaar, 2.30 pm onwards
Tuesday 10th December – KS2 Penitential Service in Church 10.15 am (Years 4, 5, 6)
Tuesday 10th December – Nativity Play (matinee performance)
Wednesday December 11th & Thursday 12th – Nativity Play (6pm performance)
Tuesday 17th December – Christmas Dinner Day and Christmas Jumper Day
Wednesday 18th December – Carol Concert, 9.15 am at St George’s Church
Friday 20th December – End of Term Mass in School Saturday 21st December – Monday 6th Jan – SCHOOL CLOSED (Christmas holidays)
