Newsletter 9 - 18 March 2010

18 March 2010
Newsletter No: 9

Dear Parents/Carers,

Last week ended with a fantastic turnout for the PTA meeting when we were able to plan the Easter Event. Earlier this week you will have received a letter outlining the details for 29th March 3.30-5pm, when we have arranged for 2 entertainers to provide a fun magic/disco type session for 200 children in the main hall (Reception, Yr 1&2), and 100 pupils in the small hall (Yrs 3-6).

As indicated in the letter, for £5, children will be able to come to school in non-uniform, have their face painted, enjoy the entertainer and have a snack and drink! However, as spaces are limited due to health and safety reasons, places will have to be booked on a first come first served basis by Friday 19th March. If children are too late to attend, they can still pay £1 to come to school in non-uniform and have their face painted.

The money raised will go towards developing the playground to make it an exciting place for children’s use at playtimes. We have already raised over £2000 towards this project!

PTA Meeting On Friday 19th March at 9.30am there will be another PTA meeting to select a chair, vice chair, treasurer, secretary and committee members for the PTA. All parents are invited to attend. The meeting will take place in the staffroom, and you are welcome to come along and have a cup of coffee before the meeting starts.

After School Clubs Cancelled 29th March In order to allow all children to participate in the Easter Event, all clubs have been cancelled for 29th March. We will endeavour to provide an alternative session for the club, so that children get the number of sessions they have paid for. However, if this is not possible, money for the missing session will be reimbursed.

Dinner Arrears I am disappointed to learn that in spite of regular reminders via letters and phone calls, some parents have not been forthcoming in clearing their dinner money arrears. This means their children have had lunches that have not been paid for!

Whilst I have written to these parents to invite them in to meet with me and discuss any difficulties they may be experiencing, I am very concerned that there has been no effort made by them to address the issue or to attend the meetings. I would therefore make the situation absolutely clear – Public money is not given to the school to feed your children! Please ensure you clear your debt. You know who you are!

Yr 6 Residential Trip Meeting Year 6 parents, please remember that a meeting has been arranged for 3.30pm tomorrow to provide you with information on the provisional booking we have made for Glasbury, an outdoor pursuits centre. The trip is booked to take place after SATS when children in Year 6 will have the opportunity to go away for 1 whole week! Please make every effort to attend. Children can also come along to the meeting.

Attendance/Punctuality and Leave of Absence Requests I continue to be concerned with the low attendance for the school and the great number of parents, who think it is acceptable to turn up late for school every day! I would emphasise to these parents that their lack of effort in getting their child/ren to school on time is having a negative impact on not only their own child’s progress, but also that of others, as the teacher keeps having to stop to work with the late arrivals.

Please also note that even if you write a long letter explaining why you want a long holiday abroad or want to visit family, I will not be authorising your child’s absence from school and you do risk his/her place at school. As the school is now full, with few families leaving the school, it is unlikely that a child who loses their place, will be re-allocated. There are 13 weeks of the school year when holidays can be taken when the school is closed. These should be used for such occasions.

Arts Week During the last week of this term Safiyyah Ikram, our Art coordinator, has organised a number of activities to celebrate the children’s artistic skills and to put them to good use in creating pieces for art that can be displayed across the school. We will be organising an exhibition early next term to invite parents to come and view the outcomes. More to follow in next week’s letter…………….

Parent Volunteers Please note, we have been inundated with the number of requests from parents. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate everyone because of the sheer magnitude of numbers. Please don’t be offended if we cannot help on this occasion.

Parking Please do not park on the yellow lines or enter through the no entry sign in the car park, as this is illegal and you are likely get a penalty notice of £40. I would also clarify that the vehicle from the Redbridge Traffic Department that regularly visits this site, is not taking photographs of people, but of number plates. If you break the law, you will get fined. So, don’t do it!

Finally………….I would like to finish by thanking the large majority of parents, who take their child’s safety seriously and show support for the school’s policies and practices, because they acknowledge that they are for the benefit of their child. Remember, together we can achieve more!

Dates for your diary:
Last day of this term 1st April
Easter holiday 2nd-18th April
School re-opens for the summer term 19th April
Bank holiday 3rd May
Staff training day 28th May
Half term break 29th-6th June
School re-opens 7th June
Last day of the school year 23rd July
Staff training days 2nd & 3rd September
School re-opens for pupils 6th September