Saturday 17 December 2011
Friday 16 December 2011
Friday 16th December 2011
Dear Parents/Carers,
Today marks the end of my first term at Cookridge – and what a term it has been! I have made friends with 300 very impressive young people – your children are amazing and although I have much work to do on this in the New Year, I am really beginning to get to know each and every one of them. I have seen all of our children achieve incredible things and I really do end the term feeling very proud of the fact that I am Head teacher of this incredible school. Making every day a pleasure for your children makes mine the best job in the world... Thanks again for welcoming me so wholeheartedly into the Cookridge Community.
Time to Shine at Cookridge
I am extremely grateful for parental support for the new behaviour policy, particularly in dealing swiftly with negative behaviours.
A singing school
Walking Bus news
There has been much emphasis on the right way to behave across this term and I am pleased to say that our pupils are demonstrating beautifully that spotting – and rewarding –good behaviour leads to a dramatic increase in good behaviours. The new team points system has been very well received by all of our children, and I have awarded several hundred Head teachers stickers over the course of the 14 weeks. This week, I have had a pizza lunch with our first ‘Learnatics’ – those pupils nominated by their own classmates for being brilliant learners day after day and I must say what a delight it was to eat lunch and chat with 13 excellent ambassadors for our school. The Yellow team (The Dick King Smiths) won the Half Term reward for the highest number of Team points with a staggering 2269 team points accrued between them.. They will be duly rewarded on the afternoon of Friday 6th January as time caught up with us this week!
Christmas Fayre
Monday’s Fayre was a tremendous success, very well attended by many of our families. Few of you left empty handed and we managed to raise over one thousand pounds towards our playground project. My sincere thanks to the dedicated Friends team who made sure this event was such a success, and special thanks to Mrs Willets without whom our PTA would not be the thriving organisation that it is. Any parents who would like to join Friends in the New Year should call in and see us... It’s a great way to make friends and play a significant part in the life of the school.
A reminder that our choir will be performing this evening at Holy Trinity Church at 7pm. Tickets are available on the door – all welcome!
You may recall that in September several parents expressed an interest in establishing a ‘Walking Bus’. This involves a number of designated parents arranging a local meeting point and effectively taking it in turns to walk a group of pupils into school, thus alleviating the parking problems we face. The Walking Bus initiative is one that has helped several other Leeds schools to overcome the difficulties parents face in getting their children into school promptly and safely in the mornings and is one I am keen to explore. I have arranged a meeting on Thursday January 12th at 9.30am with Mark Sadler from Leeds City Council and would encourage any parents who are still interested in finding out more about – and possibly being part of - this initiative to come along to the meeting.
Icy weather
This week during a further cold spell, I noted yet again what a treacherous entry into school you have in these conditions. I witnessed first-hand a very near car crash as one parent pulled aside unexpectedly to drop off their child where road markings clearly indicate not to do so. The car behind struggled to stop on the icy road and skidded precariously to a halt just in time... For the safety of all of our children, it is even more important that parents respect the road markings and park with due care and attention during icy weather.
The public pathway into school also presents real challenge. I am currently liaising with Leeds City Council Highways Dept to try and establish a Council response to the problem we face. Mr Lucas does a fantastic job of clearing pathways throughout the school site and should be commended for this difficult job, but he is advised by his employers that he is NOT legally able to tackle a public pathway that is the responsibility of the Local Council. I myself am trying to alleviate the situation the best I can at present, gritting the pathway another part of my job... If any parents are able to lend a hand, perhaps we can work together as a community to ensure the safety of all members of our school. Meanwhile, I will keep trying to seek additional advice and keep you posted!
Wintry Weather Procedures
Please note the following procedures should a closure be deemed necessary.
· A decision will be taken as early as possible and communications sent to all parties.
· If school is to close, a TEXT message will be sent to all parents and carers registered on
Parentmail. Please supply your Parentmail details to office staff if you wish to be included in any such
urgent mailing.
· A message will also be posted on Mrs B's Blog via the school website. I will also post here a
statement which indicates our intention to OPEN as soon as I am able to confirm that to be the case.
· We will notify Radio Aire/Radio Leeds so that they are able to include our school in their updated
bulletins and on their website.
Please be assured that I would only take the decision to close our school in exceptional circumstances where your child's safety is the primary concern.
Attendance
Whole school attendance for this week is sadly 92.8%. My very grateful thanks to the number of parents who are reconsidering holiday requests in term time in response to our imperative to improve attendance. These small steps will have a significant impact.
Diary Dates:
Tuesday 3rd January Staff Training Day
Wednesday 4th January School reopens after Christmas holiday
Wednesday 18th January Coffee Morning
Have an absolutely wonderful holiday! See you in the New Year....
Mrs Bailey
Friday 9 December 2011
Friday 9th December 2011
Dear Parents/Carers,
Today has seen the first of our Christmas productions in school. Reception &Year 1 performed and it was truly magnificent to see so many parents enjoy the product of all their hard work – what a bunch of superstars! You can appreciate just how much effort goes into school productions behind the scenes and I am sure you would join with me in thanking the staff for their hard work in ensuring it is always spectacular. I look forward to meeting more of you in the coming week as Y2&3 and Y4,5&6 pupils get their chance to shine!
Wow!
Yet again, your generosity astounds me. The stage was cram packed with your toy donations on Wednesday as we collected toys for children across Leeds on behalf of the YMCA. Yesterday, we received huge amounts of donations for the Christmas Fayre.. Thank you! See you at the Fayre on Monday – to win it all back again!
A singing school
On Tuesday this week, 10 of our children performed at Leeds Town Hall at the annual Leeds School Music Associations Christmas Concert. They were part of a massed choir of 300 primary and secondary pupils who performed with the Leeds Youth Orchestra. Not only was their singing spectacular, our children’s behaviour and professional conduct on the night was exemplary and they were excellent ambassadors for our school. Mrs Thorpe is to be commended for her hard work and dedication to this aspect of our school – something this special does not happen by accident... Many hours of practice are invested and for that we are truly grateful. Our choir will next be performing at Holy Trinity Church at 7pm on Friday 16th December.
Blog news
The school blog has now received over 1,000 hits since its launch in September, with an average of 50 hits per day. Last week, Miss Golia launched the Class 1 blog http://cookridgeclassone.blogspot.com/ and has made a fantastic start sharing daily news from the heart of Class 1. This week, Mr Gamble has joined the fun and launches Class 4’s blog spot..www.cookridgeclass4.blogspot.com and Mrs McHugh and Mrs Fletcher are busy blogging the daily endeavours of Reception http://cookridgereception.blogspot.com/ . Well done to all our bloggers – another way to see the great learning taking place at Cookridge that we hope you will take advantage of.
Pupil Information and Consent Forms
Please return the pupil information and consent forms recently sent home with the relevant home-school agreement information. It is important that we have up to date information and a single central record of all consents we have in school – including a record of where consent for a particular aspect has not been granted – so that we can respect your wishes. Please help us to improve our organisation by returning your form by Friday 16th December. Further copies are available from the school office if you have mislaid yours.
Parking
During the past week, I have met with 5 different members of our community who have their concerns about parking both before and after school. Whilst I appreciate that parking in our vicinity is difficult, it is not acceptable that some parents risk the safety of all of our children by dropping off irresponsibly. Please respect the road markings and the needs of local residents as you find a suitable place to park. In the new year, I will be moving forward with discussion of the walking bus initiative and exploring options for parking in nearby carparks a short walking distance from school in the hope that this will help parents with what is a very difficult situation. In the meantime – please park with due care.
School Christmas Lunch
Those children who have school meals will be served a full Christmas Dinner on Tuesday of next week. Children who have packed lunch are welcome to join the festivities by packing something festive in their lunchboxes...
Wintry Weather Procedures
With our first brush with icy conditions this week, I recognise the difficult conditions on Tinshill Drive and have had several conversations to improve our response to snow and ice on behalf of our families. Whilst Leeds City Council do not require schools to clear public pathways beyond the school site, I am exploring ways in which we can reduce the risk to our pupils as they make their way to school. Rest assured I will do everything I can to ensure walking into school is as low risk as possible. During icy conditions please allow extra time and accompany your children into the school grounds to ensure their safety.
As the snowy season begins, I thought it prudent to share with you procedures for school closure notification. Whilst we endeavour to remain open during any period of wintry weather, it is the Head teacher’s responsibility to complete a risk assessment to inform any decision to remain open. This risk assessment is based on the condition of the school site and the availability of school based staff for work. Please note the following procedures should a closure be deemed necessary.
· A decision will be taken as early as possible and communications sent to all parties. Any delay in making a decision will often be as a result of awaiting news of the respective car journeys of school based staff. Please do not attempt to contact school during this time as it is essential that phone lines remain open.
· Is school is to close, a TEXT message will be sent to all parents and carers registered on Parentmail. Please supply you Parentmail details to office staff if you wish to be included in any such urgent mailing.
· A message will also be posted on Mrs B's Blog via the school website. I will also post here a statement which indicates our intention to OPEN as soon as I am able to confirm that to be the case.
· We will notify Radio Aire/Radio Leeds so that they are able to include our school in their updated bulletins and on their website.
Please be assured that I would only take the decision to close our school in exceptional circumstances where your child's safety is the primary concern.
Staffing
As 2011 draws to a close, we prepare to bid farewell to Mrs Rukin, Miss Stride and Mrs Smith. All three of our colleagues leave with our enormous appreciation for their contribution to Cookridge during the past year. Mrs Spiers and Mrs Morrison return from maternity leave in the New Year, and we are joined in Class 1 by Miss Hobson and in Class 6 by Mrs Caldecott. Mr Llewellyn will be taking on Class 7 in partnership with Mrs Morrison when she returns in February. Mrs Speak takes up her new role as Assistant Head in January and will be sharing Class 5 responsibility with Mrs Spiers.
Attendance
Whole school attendance for this week is 93.9% - another disappointing week that sees us fall below a satisfactory benchmark of 94%. 51 sessions were lost due to unauthorised holiday and 101 sessions were lost due to illness absence. On a more positive note our Mr Gamble achieved perfection with 100% attendance for his class – fantastic news and something that we will be celebrating in Monday’s assembly!
Next Weeks’ dates
Monday 12th December Friends Christmas Fayre - 3.05pm to 5pm
Tuesday 13th December Year 4, 5 & 6 Christmas Concert – 2pm and 7pm
Wednesday 14th December Year 2 & 3 Christmas Concert – 1.45pm ***NB EARLIER START***
Thursday 15th December Christmas parties – pm
Friday 16th December Christmas Carols around the tree – 2.30pm/Closes for Christmas holidays
Tuesday 3rd January Training Day - School Closed
Wednesday 4th January School reopens after Christmas holiday
Have a fabulous weekend... We hope to see many of you at the Christmas Fayre on Monday!
Mrs Bailey
Tuesday 6 December 2011
TRAINING DAY UPDATE
We have taken the decision to use Tuesday January 3rd as our third training day for the year. Children should therefore return to school after the Christmas holiday on Wednesday 4th January. The focus for the training day will be reading, and we hope to hold parent information meetings in this priority area in the new year which we hope you will be able to attend.
Remaining Training Days for the year are:
Friday 30th March 2012
Monday 23rd July 2012
Remaining Training Days for the year are:
Friday 30th March 2012
Monday 23rd July 2012
Friday 2 December 2011
Friday 2nd December 2011
Dear Parents/Carers,
A busy week in school as we approach the Christmas holidays... Our Christmas tree has arrived and taken pride of place in the school hall, which has given a whole new ambience to school lunchtimes! The children – and adults – had great fun decorating the tree and have plenty of time to enjoy it in the next few weeks! We hope that you will join us for a festive singalong on the final day of term. ‘Carols around the tree’ will take place from 2.30pm on Friday 16th December, and we hope that it will be standing room only. We are also rehearsing in earnest for what promise to be fantastic school performances – I genuinely cannot wait to see the finished products and look forward to seeing you there. These are wonderful times in any primary school and we are certainly no exception!
On Monday 5th December from 1.30pm, parents are invited to join their children in Class 1 to work together on a range of Christmas Crafts. This is a wonderful opportunity for parents to come into school, meet your child’s friends and teaching team and see just what it’s like in Class 1! On top of all that.. you just might make one or two decorations for your own homes! We hope to see you there. Please come into school via the main Reception.
As we go into the winter months, the gardening team are very busy preparing the land for Spring and gathering the last of the year’s crops. Mrs Hawkins and the team have many ideas for further developments in the area and would be grateful if you could donate any old guttering, flagstones, sand/ready mix cement and weed suppressant fabric. She is also very keen to hear from any green fingered members of the Community who may be able to give up a few hours of their time to work on the allotment in the New Year. We are very keen to ensure our young children continue to enjoy the pleasure of gardening alongside real members of our community. Please give us a ring if this might be for you – or a grandparent near you!
Good news – we were finally able to pack the shopping of ASDA shoppers on Saturday and had a great day chatting with the local community... Many of you saw us there! A huge thank you to Friends for organising this event, to Mrs Arnott for managing the day for us and to all our children who were able to give up a few hours of their Saturday to support our school. Staff were also very generous – I have never seen so many teachers simultaneously packing bags and must say a huge thank you to them all. The great news is we were able to raise £550 through 4 hours work. We will be saving funds raised by our Friends of Cookridge PTA this year towards a significant play piece for the playground. We will begin talking to the children about what this might be in the New Year, and aim to have it installed over the summer. Many smaller items have already been purchased for the playground - including our very popular scooters! – and are already significantly improving the quality of our lunchtime play. Our next big Friends event is the Christmas Bazaar – more details to follow shortly.
Over the summer, PC’s were installed in every classroom throughout school. These machines added to our laptops in school to give us a very comprehensive level of ICT. During this term, we have begun exploring a few other devices and have invested in a small number of DSi’s and Ipads, cameras and voice recording equipment. We have begun developing the school website to complement our work in class and my blog has been joined this week by our first class blog for Class 1 (http://cookridgeclassone.blogspot.com/) created by the very talented Miss Golia – I am certain others will be available soon. Miss Cowles leads ICT in school with great passion and enthusiasm and we can be certain that we are on the brink of some very exciting developments in ICT at Cookridge and we are very excited about it!
Ireland Wood Church Fayre at St Paul’s Church
Between 11-1 this Saturday, St Pauls Cubs, Rainbows and Brownies will be running stalls at this popular annual event. Please support them by popping in..
Between 10am-4pm this Saturday, you are welcome to get the festive season underway with a bang by coming along to this spectacular Fayre. Hand-made crafts and gifts, festive table linen, winter bulbs and wreaths, home-made preserves and farm produce are all on offer alongside refreshments and the chance to see Santa...
That’s Saturday taken care of... !
Football Club has now stopped due to the short nights and inclement weather. It will resume in late Feb/early March and a letter will be sent out nearer the time.
In order to assure a ‘satisfactory’ outcome in line with the 2009 Ofsted Framework for Inspections, an overall attendance figure of 94% is satisfactory. Our attendance figures continue to be a concern to us, and this week has seen us sadly drop below this benchmark to achieve an inadequate figure for the week. This is as a result of 146 sessions of illness absence and 18 sessions of unauthorised holiday absence. I am sure that you are beginning to appreciate how easy it is to fall into this category. Can I ask for your continued support in ensuring that your child is in school every day unless there is an absolute need for them to be at home. Thank you.
Whole school attendance Thursday 17th November - Wednesday 23rd November: 92.4%
Friday 9th December Reception & Class 1 Christmas Concert ‘We Three Kings’ – 2pm
Monday 12th December Friends Christmas Bazaar - 3.05pm to 5pm
Tuesday 13th December Year 4, 5 & 6 Christmas Concert – 2pm and 7pm
Wednesday 14th December Year 2 & 3 Christmas Concert – 2pm
Thursday 15th December Christmas parties – pm
Wednesday 7th December Christmas Toy Giving Assembly – 9am
Friday 16th December Christmas Carols around the tree – 2.30pm
School closes for Christmas holiday
Tuesday 3rd January School reopens after Christmas holiday
Have a great weekend.
Mrs Bailey
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