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
