18th November 2016
The Grove Primary School Newsletter No. 5, Friday, 18th November 2016
Respect Friendship Courage Cooperation Quality Happiness Our value for this half-term is Respect Dear Parents and Carers, The autumn term is progressing quickly and the school is now surrounded in magnificent autumn colours. It is so rewarding to see our classes outside enjoying the autumnal glory whilst taking part in their weekly outdoor lessons. May I remind those of you who have not already done so, to send your child into school with a warm, waterproof coat, gloves, a hat and a set of wellies/waterproofs for outdoor learning. This will enable all our children to benefit from the full curriculum that we offer at The Grove. Today is a very special day for us in school – it is Children In Need ‘Spotty Day’ to support the BBC’s campaign for Children in Need. We ask that each child contributes £1 for Children in Need. Today we are also recording our whole school Christmas Collection CD – this is the first time that we have recorded a CD which we will then offer for sale to raise funds for our children’s equipment. The price will be £7.99 each with £1.00 from every sale going to the school. Each year group, separate key stages and the whole school will perform festive songs together. The CD cover Competition was a great success – the winning cover was designed by Naomi Mackenzie-Jones in Year 6; this design truly captures the essence of our school. The cover design is shown below and we will send out order letters once the CDs are ready.
We are entering that time of year when our children take part in their seasonal plays and performances. We are looking forward to welcoming many of you into school hall and/or to St. Peter’s Church for the performances next month. The updated Enrichment Calendar will follow on Monday – please make a note of those important Christmas performance dates!
Best regards,
Leslie Semper Leslie Semper Head Teacher
-1-|Page
The Year 6 Teaching Team Our Year 6 Teaching Team – From left to right, Mrs L. Tregunna Y6 Teacher, Mrs M. Trendall Y6 LSA, Mrs M. Butler Y6 LSA, Miss R. Deb Y6 Teacher, Mrs C. Wilcox Y6 Teacher and Mrs L. Byrne Y6 Teacher.
Year 6 Enrichment Week – Hindleap Warren Residential Trip and Local Activities Over 40 of our Year 6 pupils took part in the highly successful Hindleap Warren residential trip last week together with five members of staff. The children were given the opportunity to work in teams all week and to undertake a vast range of team-building, outdoor activities, including: canoeing, archery, the leap of faith, crate stacking, shelter building, obstacle courses, wall climbing, forest adventure, map reading and orienteering, team challenges, night walk, blindfold partner trails and zip-lines! I joined the children for part of the week and was so impressed with their confidence, enthusiasm and teamwork. They were all a credit to the school and their families.
Aiming high at Archery
Shelter building to keep warm
The wellbeing and learning of all our pupils are at the heart of all we do! -2-|Page
Getting ready for crate stacking!
Smiling our way through the muddy obstacle We would like to thank all the lovely staff at Hindleap Warren and all the Teachers for a fun and eventful week! A massive thank you to our Year 6 team from all our pupils for a superb enrichment week! Miss Deb, Miss Weatherley, Mrs Brown, Miss Menzies and Mrs Chitty accompanied our pupils to Hindleap Warren.
The wellbeing and learning of all our pupils are at the heart of all we do! -3-|Page
Year 6 Local Studies from the Grove Some Year 6 pupils spent the week at school and enjoyed a range of activities including nature trails, campfire building, art (a giant 3D poppy for our Remembrance Assembly), DT, car building/racing plus many other pursuits. I was thrilled to be invited to lunch by the pupils who had cooked their own threecourse lunch – what a delicious treat!! Well done to all our Year 6 pupils! I know that they all benefited enormously from such a positive enrichment week and that team partnerships will be stronger.
Outdoor Learning: Leaf art
Campfire building and toasting marshmallows
Orienteering!
The wellbeing and learning of all our pupils are at the heart of all we do! -4-|Page
Year 1 Pupils in Indoor P. E. – We Love Challenges! Our Year 1 children have been enjoying their P. E. gymnastics lessons, learning the skills of balancing, travelling and climbing. Here they are in the hall with the apparatus, learning to work together and facing some tricky challenges. Well done Year 1!
Cookery Fun!!
Our Reception children have settled into school and are making a big impact. Here they are enjoying bread baking.
The wellbeing and learning of all our pupils are at the heart of all we do! -5-|Page
Sports Update This year our school has participated in more sports than ever before Years 4 and 5 Camberley Rugby Club members have joined our school to deliver high quality coaching. The mission is to allow the children to access a sport with the hope of increasing numbers at the local club. The feedback from the children is extremely positive. The coaching team are very impressed with the children and their full engagement. Years 5 and 6 Since the beginning of September, our Football and Netball teams have competed weekly against schools in the local area. The teamwork showed throughout was outstanding and when we suffered a defeat we still left the field or court happy with the effort we put in. We have had a good season so far with some wins and some losses, however now we have settled into our teams we are now looking forward to a great start in January 2017. Years 3 - 6 On Wednesday 16th November our pupils competed in a Cross Country event at Lightwater Leisure Centre. The interest in the event was outstanding, with over 100 children signing up for a trial. Later that day the children were put through their paces on the field to see who could withstand the lengthy run. We selected a team of children ready to compete. All of the children crossed the finish line and showed true perseverance. The last event of this year will be the Year 5 Girls’ Football Festival which will take place on Wednesday 30th November 2016. More details will follow soon. Thank you to the parents for taking time to transport your children to all of the above fixtures and events. We have been so proud of all of the children who have represented our school and we wish them all luck with their future games. Looking towards 2017 The Grove will participate in some new events. Miss H. Stillman P.E. Co45768ordinator
-6-|Page
Mr A. Beckett /Mr L. Craven P.E. Coaches
The wellbeing and learning of all our pupils are at the heart of all we do! The Kite Academy Trust News On Thursday, 1st December 2016, Holly Lodge Primary School in Mytchett will join the KITE. The six schools have been working together closely for some months now and we are all delighted to welcome Holly Lodge. Four Year 6 members of the Grove School Council will meet pupils from the other school councils at Holly Lodge on 1st December to celebrate and after school all KITE staff are invited to a tea party at Holly Lodge. SCHOOL CLOSURE FOR YOUR DIARY: POLLING DAY, THURSDAY, 4TH MAY 2017 We have today received written notification that the school will be closed for a Polling Day on Thursday, 4th May 2017; for safeguarding reasons, no pupils will be allowed in school that day. Attendance and Absence We are visited every half-term by the EWO (Education Welfare Officer), Rachel Scarborough. Rachel’s job is to monitor every child’s attendance to ensure they are being supported to achieve well in school. We are proud of the children’s attendance at The Grove – year to date it stands at 96.50% which compares with 96.60% at this time last year. Ofsted state that in an outstanding school, “children rarely miss a day of school” – this is where we aim to be. Children need to be in school learning every day whenever possible, unless they are ill. I try to support families as much as I can with the various requests for time out of school. I cannot authorise family holidays in term time and would absolutely encourage you to take holidays in school holiday time. However, if something extraordinary comes up I am able to discuss the opportunity/need; simply call the office to make an appointment for us to talk through your request. We encourage you to make medical and dentist appointments outside of school hours; if your child misses the register at 9.00am or at 1pm/1:20pm that session is recorded as absent. I can authorise these appointments if the forms from the office are completed. I do however recommend you try to book appointments towards the end of the school day, if they have to be in school time. Your child’s attendance will always be recorded on their school report at the end of the summer and we will indicate to you if their attendance has fallen below the school average. For your information: attendance which raises concern, or reflects a pattern, will trigger a letter or an appointment with the EWO. Please do everything to ensure your child does no miss school. Thank you for your support.
Outdoor Learning All our pupils are now completing regular learning outdoors as part of our curriculum in each year group, in addition to their P.E. lessons. Having joined several classes outdoors, I can confirm that it is getting quite cold. Can I remind those parents, who have not yet sent in waterproof jackets and wellie boots for their child, to do so as soon as possible to ensure your child has access to the full curriculum? We do not have spare boots and coats in school. Thank you.
Parking There is always considerable congestion at school drop-off and pick up times. We would ask, please, that you park and drive considerately in the area and with due regard for the safety of other drivers, pedestrians and our local residents by not blocking driveways. There are yellow lines and zig-zag lines identifying areas where you should not park. You may need to park further away from school and walk with your child into school, this will improve the safety of all.
The wellbeing and learning of all our pupils are at the heart of all we do! -7-|Page
Future Class Name Assemblies Our class name assemblies have been taking place regularly throughout the term and have been very well attended by parents, carers and grandparents. Future class assemblies at 2.45pm: Class Assemblies: Beatrix Potter (Year 3) David Attenborough (Year 5)
Friday, 25th November Friday, 2nd December
A Polite Request – Social Media We would ask you to refrain from discussing school operations or staff on any on-line media, including Facebook. Should any parent wish to discuss ideas or issues about their child’s learning, please contact the Class Teacher, followed by the Phase Leader in the first instance. Senior Leaders are always available thereafter.
Friday 2nd December 2016 - 15:15- 17:00 - Tombola ticketing/Christmas Fayre preparations, at school (room to be confirmed) Thursday 8th December Christmas Fayre The meetings are social, relaxed and friendly; the team discuss upcoming events and fundraising ideas. Please come along and join us and find out about the work we do, how this benefits the school and how you might be able to help. We are a very small committee who desperately need some help to run the events, even offering an hour of your time for an event is greatly appreciated. If you would like more information or would be willing to go on our helper’s list then please email us at: [email protected] or find and like us on Facebook - FOG Pta
The wellbeing and learning of our pupils are at the heart of all we do! -8-|Page
Respect Friendship Courage Cooperation Quality Happiness Our value for this half-term is Respect Dear Parents and Carers, The autumn term is progressing quickly and the school is now surrounded in magnificent autumn colours. It is so rewarding to see our classes outside enjoying the autumnal glory whilst taking part in their weekly outdoor lessons. May I remind those of you who have not already done so, to send your child into school with a warm, waterproof coat, gloves, a hat and a set of wellies/waterproofs for outdoor learning. This will enable all our children to benefit from the full curriculum that we offer at The Grove. Today is a very special day for us in school – it is Children In Need ‘Spotty Day’ to support the BBC’s campaign for Children in Need. We ask that each child contributes £1 for Children in Need. Today we are also recording our whole school Christmas Collection CD – this is the first time that we have recorded a CD which we will then offer for sale to raise funds for our children’s equipment. The price will be £7.99 each with £1.00 from every sale going to the school. Each year group, separate key stages and the whole school will perform festive songs together. The CD cover Competition was a great success – the winning cover was designed by Naomi Mackenzie-Jones in Year 6; this design truly captures the essence of our school. The cover design is shown below and we will send out order letters once the CDs are ready.
We are entering that time of year when our children take part in their seasonal plays and performances. We are looking forward to welcoming many of you into school hall and/or to St. Peter’s Church for the performances next month. The updated Enrichment Calendar will follow on Monday – please make a note of those important Christmas performance dates!
Best regards,
Leslie Semper Leslie Semper Head Teacher
-1-|Page
The Year 6 Teaching Team Our Year 6 Teaching Team – From left to right, Mrs L. Tregunna Y6 Teacher, Mrs M. Trendall Y6 LSA, Mrs M. Butler Y6 LSA, Miss R. Deb Y6 Teacher, Mrs C. Wilcox Y6 Teacher and Mrs L. Byrne Y6 Teacher.
Year 6 Enrichment Week – Hindleap Warren Residential Trip and Local Activities Over 40 of our Year 6 pupils took part in the highly successful Hindleap Warren residential trip last week together with five members of staff. The children were given the opportunity to work in teams all week and to undertake a vast range of team-building, outdoor activities, including: canoeing, archery, the leap of faith, crate stacking, shelter building, obstacle courses, wall climbing, forest adventure, map reading and orienteering, team challenges, night walk, blindfold partner trails and zip-lines! I joined the children for part of the week and was so impressed with their confidence, enthusiasm and teamwork. They were all a credit to the school and their families.
Aiming high at Archery
Shelter building to keep warm
The wellbeing and learning of all our pupils are at the heart of all we do! -2-|Page
Getting ready for crate stacking!
Smiling our way through the muddy obstacle We would like to thank all the lovely staff at Hindleap Warren and all the Teachers for a fun and eventful week! A massive thank you to our Year 6 team from all our pupils for a superb enrichment week! Miss Deb, Miss Weatherley, Mrs Brown, Miss Menzies and Mrs Chitty accompanied our pupils to Hindleap Warren.
The wellbeing and learning of all our pupils are at the heart of all we do! -3-|Page
Year 6 Local Studies from the Grove Some Year 6 pupils spent the week at school and enjoyed a range of activities including nature trails, campfire building, art (a giant 3D poppy for our Remembrance Assembly), DT, car building/racing plus many other pursuits. I was thrilled to be invited to lunch by the pupils who had cooked their own threecourse lunch – what a delicious treat!! Well done to all our Year 6 pupils! I know that they all benefited enormously from such a positive enrichment week and that team partnerships will be stronger.
Outdoor Learning: Leaf art
Campfire building and toasting marshmallows
Orienteering!
The wellbeing and learning of all our pupils are at the heart of all we do! -4-|Page
Year 1 Pupils in Indoor P. E. – We Love Challenges! Our Year 1 children have been enjoying their P. E. gymnastics lessons, learning the skills of balancing, travelling and climbing. Here they are in the hall with the apparatus, learning to work together and facing some tricky challenges. Well done Year 1!
Cookery Fun!!
Our Reception children have settled into school and are making a big impact. Here they are enjoying bread baking.
The wellbeing and learning of all our pupils are at the heart of all we do! -5-|Page
Sports Update This year our school has participated in more sports than ever before Years 4 and 5 Camberley Rugby Club members have joined our school to deliver high quality coaching. The mission is to allow the children to access a sport with the hope of increasing numbers at the local club. The feedback from the children is extremely positive. The coaching team are very impressed with the children and their full engagement. Years 5 and 6 Since the beginning of September, our Football and Netball teams have competed weekly against schools in the local area. The teamwork showed throughout was outstanding and when we suffered a defeat we still left the field or court happy with the effort we put in. We have had a good season so far with some wins and some losses, however now we have settled into our teams we are now looking forward to a great start in January 2017. Years 3 - 6 On Wednesday 16th November our pupils competed in a Cross Country event at Lightwater Leisure Centre. The interest in the event was outstanding, with over 100 children signing up for a trial. Later that day the children were put through their paces on the field to see who could withstand the lengthy run. We selected a team of children ready to compete. All of the children crossed the finish line and showed true perseverance. The last event of this year will be the Year 5 Girls’ Football Festival which will take place on Wednesday 30th November 2016. More details will follow soon. Thank you to the parents for taking time to transport your children to all of the above fixtures and events. We have been so proud of all of the children who have represented our school and we wish them all luck with their future games. Looking towards 2017 The Grove will participate in some new events. Miss H. Stillman P.E. Co45768ordinator
-6-|Page
Mr A. Beckett /Mr L. Craven P.E. Coaches
The wellbeing and learning of all our pupils are at the heart of all we do! The Kite Academy Trust News On Thursday, 1st December 2016, Holly Lodge Primary School in Mytchett will join the KITE. The six schools have been working together closely for some months now and we are all delighted to welcome Holly Lodge. Four Year 6 members of the Grove School Council will meet pupils from the other school councils at Holly Lodge on 1st December to celebrate and after school all KITE staff are invited to a tea party at Holly Lodge. SCHOOL CLOSURE FOR YOUR DIARY: POLLING DAY, THURSDAY, 4TH MAY 2017 We have today received written notification that the school will be closed for a Polling Day on Thursday, 4th May 2017; for safeguarding reasons, no pupils will be allowed in school that day. Attendance and Absence We are visited every half-term by the EWO (Education Welfare Officer), Rachel Scarborough. Rachel’s job is to monitor every child’s attendance to ensure they are being supported to achieve well in school. We are proud of the children’s attendance at The Grove – year to date it stands at 96.50% which compares with 96.60% at this time last year. Ofsted state that in an outstanding school, “children rarely miss a day of school” – this is where we aim to be. Children need to be in school learning every day whenever possible, unless they are ill. I try to support families as much as I can with the various requests for time out of school. I cannot authorise family holidays in term time and would absolutely encourage you to take holidays in school holiday time. However, if something extraordinary comes up I am able to discuss the opportunity/need; simply call the office to make an appointment for us to talk through your request. We encourage you to make medical and dentist appointments outside of school hours; if your child misses the register at 9.00am or at 1pm/1:20pm that session is recorded as absent. I can authorise these appointments if the forms from the office are completed. I do however recommend you try to book appointments towards the end of the school day, if they have to be in school time. Your child’s attendance will always be recorded on their school report at the end of the summer and we will indicate to you if their attendance has fallen below the school average. For your information: attendance which raises concern, or reflects a pattern, will trigger a letter or an appointment with the EWO. Please do everything to ensure your child does no miss school. Thank you for your support.
Outdoor Learning All our pupils are now completing regular learning outdoors as part of our curriculum in each year group, in addition to their P.E. lessons. Having joined several classes outdoors, I can confirm that it is getting quite cold. Can I remind those parents, who have not yet sent in waterproof jackets and wellie boots for their child, to do so as soon as possible to ensure your child has access to the full curriculum? We do not have spare boots and coats in school. Thank you.
Parking There is always considerable congestion at school drop-off and pick up times. We would ask, please, that you park and drive considerately in the area and with due regard for the safety of other drivers, pedestrians and our local residents by not blocking driveways. There are yellow lines and zig-zag lines identifying areas where you should not park. You may need to park further away from school and walk with your child into school, this will improve the safety of all.
The wellbeing and learning of all our pupils are at the heart of all we do! -7-|Page
Future Class Name Assemblies Our class name assemblies have been taking place regularly throughout the term and have been very well attended by parents, carers and grandparents. Future class assemblies at 2.45pm: Class Assemblies: Beatrix Potter (Year 3) David Attenborough (Year 5)
Friday, 25th November Friday, 2nd December
A Polite Request – Social Media We would ask you to refrain from discussing school operations or staff on any on-line media, including Facebook. Should any parent wish to discuss ideas or issues about their child’s learning, please contact the Class Teacher, followed by the Phase Leader in the first instance. Senior Leaders are always available thereafter.
Friday 2nd December 2016 - 15:15- 17:00 - Tombola ticketing/Christmas Fayre preparations, at school (room to be confirmed) Thursday 8th December Christmas Fayre The meetings are social, relaxed and friendly; the team discuss upcoming events and fundraising ideas. Please come along and join us and find out about the work we do, how this benefits the school and how you might be able to help. We are a very small committee who desperately need some help to run the events, even offering an hour of your time for an event is greatly appreciated. If you would like more information or would be willing to go on our helper’s list then please email us at: [email protected] or find and like us on Facebook - FOG Pta
The wellbeing and learning of our pupils are at the heart of all we do! -8-|Page
