Dear
Parents/Carers,
Only five school days
until the next holiday and I think the children are feeling it as much as the
staff! It’s been a long, dark, cold, wet January and we are all yearning for
some daylight and dry days! Keep on coming for five more days and then we can all
have a few lie-ins!
A
friendly warning!
This week, after a
gruelling Monday on the chalk face, I arrived at my car in to find a parking
ticket firmly attached to my windscreen. My offence was to park adjacent to a
dropped kerb on Tinshill Drive – a mistake that was to cost me £35.00! I’m
flagging this not because I am proud of my ignorance (I genuinely had no idea
that parking adjacent to a dropped kerb which doesn’t block entrance to a drive
WAS an offence) but to make all parents and carers aware of this. This
particular dropped kerb is not marked in any way, rests between two dropped
kerbs which allow access to driveways and is easy to overlook. I am aware I’m not the only person who has
secured themselves a fine this week, so be careful out there!
Mrs
Hawkins
Mrs Hawkins has been
our ‘Community Queen’ and guardian of the allotment for many a year, working
with children on arts projects, community projects and gardening. She has
scaled heights and tunnelled low in caving expeditions and zip wires accompanying
residential visits on many occasions, and was one of the team who flew over to
Ireland on our first ever International residential in 2012. All children involved have loved their time
with Mrs Hawkins and have even won prizes for the fruits and vegetables they
have managed to nurture up there on our allotment. Mrs Hawkins will, sadly, be
leaving us next Friday. We wish her all the very best in her future and we
heartily thank her for everything she has given to the children at Cookridge.
Better
Leeds Community
Andy
Brown has been in touch to highlight the work being done in the area to create
a better community in our area. Andy has been working for Leeds City Council’s
Better Leeds project since mid-November as a neighbourhood community organiser
and is out and about, door to door, listening to local residents' views on
what's good about the area ,along with learning of any issues, concerns
and ideas for improvement, including to services. The aim is to bring more
people together in conversation to find a voice to influence and contribute
positively to their area. He aims to connect people and help groups
of local people with setting up and developing any projects, events and
campaigns that arise from the listening research. Andy will be at Monday’s
coffee morning to introduce himself or can be contacted via andyb@betterleeds.org.uk if you wish to share your thoughts.
Sports News
We’ve chalked up two
wins this week as our pupils have represented us in both Dodgeball and
Football! Wednesday’s Dodgeball match against Horsforth St Margaret’s was
quickly followed by the Year 5/6 football team’s performance, continuing their impressive start to the league
campaign with a hard fought 4-3 win over Adel St John yesterday. It was hard
work in the mud but Cookridge put in a great team effort, determination and
wanted the win more than the other team. The goals came from Liam Jones (1),
Mackenzie Turner (1) and Cobie Hey (2). A special mention to Sam Appleyard who
played his first game for the team and did incredibly well but the man of the
match was Cobie Hey for his two goals which won us the game. Well done to all
you boys, we are currently top of the league!
Attendance
Another solid week, attendance
wise, is brilliant news overall. It is plain to see the children are flagging
and I am sure they are all looking forward to the lie ins that are inevitable
during the impending holiday – keep encouraging them to keep it going for five
more days before we can all re-charge!
Class 1 have surpassed
the rest this week, securing 98% attendance and bagging Bourbon for the week
ahead – congratulations Class 1!
|
National Minimum ‘Good’ Expectation
|
Target
2013-2014
|
Attendance this week
30/01/2014-05/02/2014
|
Year to date
04/09/2013- 05/02/2014
|
|||||||||
|
95%
|
96%
|
95.8%
|
95.7%
|
|||||||||
|
Class attendance figures for the W/E
7/02/2014
|
||||||||||||
|
Rec A
|
Rec B
|
Class 1
|
Class 2
|
Class 3
|
Class 4
|
Class 5
|
Class 6
|
Class 7
|
Class 8
|
Class 9
|
||
|
94.6%
|
89.6%
|
98.0%
|
97.0%
|
97.6%
|
97.6%
|
96.3%
|
96.3%
|
95.5%
|
94.1%
|
95.2%
|
||
Punctuality
Parents
who, from time to time, have arrived at school after 8.55am will be aware that
pupils must then enter school via the main office and are asked to sign their
children in via the signing in system. This is obviously crucial from a pupil
safeguarding point of view, as registers have been completed and returned to
the office by this time each day and the signing in system records your child’s
presence in the building. It is a concern that there is such a high volume of
late entrants into school. I fully appreciate that there are occasions in all
our lives when late arrival at school is a fact of life - however it is a worry
if a pupil is late more often. Given school timetabling and routines, please be
mindful that a pupil who is late may well miss the same session on all
occasions they are late – an acute issue as that session is likely to be a core
area. There is a direct correlation between persistent lateness and lower
levels of achievement in those areas and that learning missed will never be
repeated. Lessons start promptly at 8.45am in order to meet statutory learning
times expected by the government and to give your child their best chance of
success – please be on time.
Next week
Remember there are NO
after school clubs running next week as it is the final week of term. All clubs
will be back from Monday 24th February, including football which
makes its return after the winter break.
Friends
Don’t forget it’s
Friends Movie Night next Wednesday 12th February at 5.00pm. Pupils must be accompanied
by an adult and should enter school via the hall or the Class 5 entrance at
5.30pm. Pupils should enter school via the hall. Remember to bring your pocket
money for the Tuck Shop! I’ve got mine…
Next Friday its Valentine’s Day BUT I’m not expecting any cards! It is, however, non-uniform day. All pupils who come in their own clothes and make a voluntary contribution to our Friends pot will be entered into a special prize draw which will be drawn in assembly that day. It is also our themed lunch day so if you have booked a one-off school meal, don’t forget you won’t need a pack-up that day…
Coffee morning
I’ve got the kettle on
and tea will be brewed and coffee poured on Monday 10th February
from 9-10. Come along to the Beehive if you have any thoughts, ideas, good news
or concerns you would like to share. See you then!
Have a wonderful
weekend,
Mrs Bailey
