Dear Parents/Carers,
This week, it’s been all about the performances. I
have had the pleasure of watching each phase enjoy entertaining their mums,
dads, grandmas and grandads, and it has been wonderful to see the joy on the
children’s faces as they have played their part in some top quality
performances. The singing talent, loud and clear voices, the acting prowess and
confidence of all of our children is very clear to see – we hope you enjoyed
it. Y34 also debuted a brand new Cookridge talent – Bollywood dancing.
Brilliant to see the audience participation in this one too! We all learned
something new! Thank you to all staff, parents and of course the children who
have entertained us all week...
LGI SOS - Save our Surgery
Last week’s LGI SOS event raised £181.20 for this worthy cause. Thank you to all parents for their generosity for all our charities this term.
Choir bring Methodist
Church
Last Saturday, our choir had its debut at the
Christmas Dinner
Christmas Dinner was enjoyed by over 200 children
and adults on Thursday – that’s a lot of hot school meals to serve up in an
hour: even Gordon Ramsay would have felt the heat! The dinner, as every day,
was delicious and the festive atmosphere in the hall was tangible. The number
of children taking hot school meals is higher than ever, with those switching
to dinners enjoying it so much that our days of switching between school meals
and packed lunches are behind us. Enormous thanks to Diane Porter, Tracy Luke,
Carol Gibson, and Jackie Lawson who prepare our school meals, and to Mrs Hyde
in the school office who manages collection of the dinner money each week.
These ladies are unsung heroes, frankly, who work very hard on behalf of your
children every single day and do a wonderful job. Thank you!
Friends
The Friday Friends group gathered again today for
more preparations towards the Christmas Fayre. It’s good to see our community
come together and get stuck into a project, whilst making new friends along the
way. The Christmas Fayre is on Tuesday. Reception children can be collected to
go down to the Fayre from 2.30pm, with the Fayre underway and ready for
everyone else to join them straight after school. Thank you to all parents who
have supplied generous donations for the bottle tombola, chocolate tombola and
raffle. The Friends group will be meeting the School Council in the New Year to
talk ‘business’ with them, and ascertain precisely what we are raising funds
for this year. Remember, last year’s fundraising led to the installation of the
spiderweb in the playground. Every penny spent at the Fayre will go straight
back to your children through investments chosen by the children, for the
children. Make sure you come along!
Sports News
Basketball Club is cancelled next week due to the
Christmas Fair. Year 2 Active Club and Y4/5/6 Boxercise will run as normal. Y4 swimming is off next week, and for
the first week back after Christmas. With the closure of Holt Park Leisure
Centre, when swimming resumes on Monday 14th January we will be travelling by
bus to Bramley leisure centre to enjoy our lessons there for the remainder of
the school year.
Stamp Appeal
Mrs Russell appeals for your used postage stamps!
This is one that will cost you nothing - except for a few minutes - and yet our
collective efforts could be of great significance. If you collect up your used
stamps over the Christmas period and pass them to us in the school office, we
will pass them on to Mrs Russell so that she can put them to good use raising
money for Martin House Hospice.
Cubs
Pinfold Lane cub group has places available for new
members. The group meet each Tuesday from 6.45-8.15pm. If your child is
interested in joining, please contact Cheryl.land@sky.com
Miss Cowles returns!
Next week Miss Cowles returns to school after her
maternity leave. Miss Cowles has returned on a part time basis and will be
working across school, in the first instance. We’re looking forward to having
her back – wonder if she’s looking forward to coming back?! See you Monday,
Miss Cowles.
Wintry Weather Procedures
With our first brush
with icy conditions in the past few weeks, I hope that you are beginning to
notice safer conditions as you make your way into school down
As the snowy season
begins, I will recap for 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 delays 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.
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 haven't already 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 and on Twitter. 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 prime concern.
Attendance
Yikes! Attendance this week falls below
satisfactory levels for the first time this academic year. In the last three
weeks, the number of 100% attenders has fallen dramatically from 117 to just
short of 80 children. We’ve had winter vomiting virus, colds, coughs,
laryngitis and viruses – you name it, we’ve had it. I appreciate parents
efforts in getting their children back into school as soon as they are fit and
well, and understand that taking the decision to be off school is never an easy
one and as a parent myself I empathise with this. Parent Mr Hoyle directed us
towards this great source of medical advice regarding illness absence from
schools which may be of use http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Yourchildatschool/Pages/Illness.aspx. If in doubt, of course, your GP will be able to
advise you.
National Minimum ‘Good’ Expectation
|
Target
2012-13
|
Attendance this week
|
Year to date
|
||||||||
95%
|
96%
|
92.4%
|
95.8%
|
||||||||
Class attendance figures for this week are:-
|
|||||||||||
Rec
|
Class 1
|
Class 2
|
Class 3
|
Class 4
|
Class 5
|
Class 6
|
Class 7
|
Class 8
|
Class 9
|
||
A 96.1%
B 94.6%
|
90.8%
|
86.0%
|
96.8%
|
91.5%
|
85.5%
|
92.0%
|
94.9%
|
92.4%
|
97.0%
|
||
It’s party time. Reception and KS1 will party on Wednesday 19th December, and KS2 will party on Thursday 20th December. Children should bring their party clothes to change into, as sparkly, spangly tops and tights are not always compatible with a frosty lunchtime! Children will eat lunch as usual, with party food and games in the afternoon. Donations for party nibbles – crisps, biscuits, buns or savoury items – would be gratefully appreciated on the day.
Our final act of Christmas celebration will be our ‘Carols Around the Tree’ service. This is an opportunity to gather together to sing our favourite Christmas songs before we go home for the holiday, and I warmly invite parents to come along and sing up! The service begins at 2pm and I really hope you can make it.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Mrs Bailey
