St Hugh of Lincoln Catholic Primary School Five Oaks Close, St John’s, Woking, Surrey GU21 8TU Telephone: 01483 480441 2014-2015, issue 9 7 November 2014 Website: www.sthugh-of-lincoln.surrey.sch.uk Twitter: @StHughSchool Dear Parents, Welcome back to school after the half-term holiday. As usual during the school holidays school was a busy place. Apart from members of staff who were in and out I must thank Mr and Mrs Rushton and Mrs Balls who came in to do some gardening, including our sensory garden and our planting boxes. They look so much better—thank you so much! We had a number of workmen in working very hard during the half-term week and continuing this week, taking out the toilet block used by children in Years 1-4 and replacing it with brand new facilities. It is looking like such a big improvement. I am expecting that all the work will be finished and ready for use next week. The washroom workmen will be back during the February half-term and just after to replace the facilities in the cloakrooms used by Years 5 and 6—this will really transform these areas. This is a capital project—a grant from the Department for Education, through the diocese, covers 90% of the cost with the governors, through the governors’ maintenance fund to which parents are asked to contribute annually, being responsible for the remaining 10% of the cost. Today is a day I always look forward to—the first class assembly of the year. Year 6 have the responsibility of leading the first class assembly. They have had a busy week, having enjoyed a great trip to Milestones Museum, Basingstoke, on Tuesday. Thank you to Mrs Grace, Mrs Power and Mr O’Donovan, our Chair of Governors, for accompanying the children. We had two football matches on Tuesday afternoon, played in pouring rain at Pirbright Village. Although it was very wet the pitch conditions were fine to play. Our Year 5 boys tried their very hardest against strong opposition. Callum and George both scored good goals, but Pirbright scored a number of times more to emerge winners. Our girls also played very well. Caitlin scored a brilliant goal, running with the ball from inside her own half before shooting high into the net. Pirbright, recently crowned district champions, showed a lot of good play too and scored four goals of their own to win 4-1. Our girls should be proud of how they played though—they had as many good chances as their opponents, but just could not quite finish them off! Friday 14 November and Friday 21 November will be ‘mufti days’ in exchange for items that will help the school to raise money at the forthcoming Christmas Fayre (on 29 November). On 14 November we would be grateful for wrapping paper, packs of Christmas cards or similar, that can be used on the Christmas goods tombola at the Fayre. On 21 November we would be grateful for bottles for the bottle tombola. The week 17-21 November is anti-bullying week. While wearing ‘mufti’ on 21 November we would like all children to wear something green—the colour of Kelso. On the subject of the Christmas Fayre we will have some kind parents on behalf of the Friends working with children in school next Thursday and Friday to make some Christmas crafts. Enjoy the weekend! God bless, Mr George This issue includes: Dear Parents 1 Forthcoming dates 2 Crossing patrol 3 School develop- 4 ment plan At St Hugh of Lincoln School we are fully committed to safeguarding. Mr George and Mrs Ashby the school’s Child Protection Liaison Officers: any concerns regarding safeguarding should be raised with either of them. Remember that Mass is celebrated in the hall at 8.30am each Wednesday of termtime. Football It was a little too wet for photographs at Tuesday’s football matches but here is our boys’ team from the district 7-a-side tournament played at Woking Park before half-term. Thank you to Mrs Patter for the photograph! Dates: 7 November—Year 6 class assembly 10 November (week beginning) - Year 6 Bikeability Group 1 14 November—Mufti day (Christmas cards / wrapping paper please for the bazaar) 17 November—St Hugh of Lincoln feast day Mass (9.05am) 17 November (week beginning) - Year 6 Bikeability Group 2 17-21 November—Anti-bullying week 19 November—Year 6 to SJB to watch drama production 19 November—Parents Forum (2.15pm) 20 November—Open Morning for 2015 admission 21 November—Mission Together Advent collection boxes sent home 21 November—Mufti day (Bottles please for the bazaar tombola) 21 November—Year 6 football match v Sythwood (away) - note change of year 22 November—Friends Disco 24 November (week beginning) - Year 6 Bikeability Group 3 27 November—Netball match v Brookwood 29 November—Christmas Bazaar (Church hall) 10 December—Key Stage 2 Advent Reflection (Church) (evening) 11 & 16 December—Pantomime at New Victoria Theatre (Friends event) St John’s Knaphill Children’s Centre news On Tuesday 11th November Sarah Crabb from Surrey Family Information Service will be at the Centre from 9.00 until 12.30 to give advice and information about the schools admission process. She will advise on both Primary and Secondary so if you have any questions - please drop in – no appointments are needed. We are trying to find ways of ensuring everyone knows what is available from the centre and are putting events on our Facebook page – St John’s Knaphill Children’s Centre. If you could have a look there, and share this with friends – it will help to spread information about the Centre. For more information see our website www.stjohnsknaphillchildrenscentre.co.uk or call the centre on 01483 476450 – 4 Chris, Dawn, Gemma and Kirsty. School Crossing Patrol We are advised that Surrey County Council had no response to a recent advertisement for the position of Crossing Patrol Officer to support children at our school. Please draw the following to the attention of anyone who you think may be interested: Job title: School Crossing Patrol Employer: Surrey County Council Day-to-day management: St Hugh of Lincoln Catholic Primary School Headteacher Pay: Surrey County Council pay scale 1 (38 weeks spread over 52 weeks) Job share a possibility: All permutations would be considered—eg. am/pm split; 3 day/2 day split Uniform: Provided by Surrey County Council Training: Provided by Surrey County Council Further information: Sarah Akerman, Surrey County Council Community Engagement Officer (01483 517560) Pupil Premium I will be sending out a further letter about Pupil Premium shortly. Please read it carefully and please do speak with Mrs Griffin in the school office if you think the school may be entitled to claim this grant for your child. Knaphill service of remembrance I will be accompanying a group of Year 6 children who will represent the school at the Knaphill service of remembrance to be held at 10.45am on Tuesday 11 November, outside Knaphill library. We will have assembly in school earlier on Tuesday morning and all those in school will observe a minute’s silence at 11.00am. The Knaphill service of remembrance is a public event—any parents would be most welcome to join. Mrs Pamela Crosbie For many years (more years than I have been at St Hugh’s) we have been very fortunate to have enjoyed the talents and the friendship of Mrs Crosbie as our Surrey Arts piano and flute teacher. A large number of children over the years have benefitted from her calm, supportive manner and her own great musical ability. Just a few weeks ago Mrs Crosbie summoned me with great excitement to listen to one of her pupils, showing some amazing talent! Sadly for the school Mrs Crosbie moved on at half term to a new adventure, working for the church to which she belongs. We will miss her at school and wish her every happiness in the future. Parents need not worry—peripatetic music teaching at the school continues in an uninterrupted fashion—a new teacher is already in place and enjoyed his first visit to our school this week. A few years ago a pupil in my Year 5 class brought me a DVD to watch of her tumbling. I knew she was a very talented and highly committed gymnast, but what was on the DVD was absolutely awe-inspiring—I could not believe that a little girl in my class could be so absolutely amazingly talented. I showed the DVD to the whole school and the whole school was in absolute awe. I’m really thrilled to know that that former pupil, Megan Kealy, has recently been crowned British Champion in Tumbling in her age group, and will on Sunday be flying out to Daytona Beach, Florida, to represent Great Britain in the World Age-Group Championships for Tumbling. Good luck Megan!!! I enjoyed visiting Reception, Years 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 on Wednesday morning to join in some Maths in each class. I enjoyed teaching Year 6 on Wednesday afternoon, reflecting on the children’s learning about ordination in their Come and See work. I also enjoyed Reception Class’ ‘Show and Tell’! Golden Assembly We will celebrate a Golden Assembly on Wednesday next week. Children are welcome to bring in any recently awarded certificates, badges, medals, trophies etc. so that the whole school can celebrate achievements outside of school, as well as within it. School Development Plan Every school has a School Development Plan (SDP). The SDP helps us to reflect on our achievements as a school, and to identify ways in which we would like to develop. Although every school will have an SDP, schools are free to develop a plan in a format and structure of their own. Our SDP is structured in five parts: Strategic Intent 1: All teaching will reflect high expectations for all within a stimulating and challenging curriculum. Strategic Intent 2: All children enjoy learning and achieve and attain to the best of their ability. Strategic Intent 3: The well-being and development of the whole community is actively promoted. Strategic Intent 4: The leadership and management of the school enables the school to meet its objectives. Strategic Intent 5: The school lives and celebrates its Catholic ethos. I will write about some of the objectives and actions within each of the strategic intents over the coming weeks. Parent Governor Thank you to Mr Stephen Hubbard, whose term of office as Parent Governor expires this month. Mr Hubbard has been a member of the school’s Resources Committee throughout his term of office and has in recent years co-ordinated parental contributions to the governors’ maintenance fund. I am very grateful to him for his service to the school throughout his time as a governor. All parents should have received a letter from me on Monday regarding arrangements for the election of a new Parent Governor. If you have not seen this letter please do ask for a copy in the school office. Feast Day Mass Monday 17 November is the feast of our patron, St Hugh of Lincoln. Fr Alexander will be celebrating a school Mass, in the hall, at 9.05am. Parents will be very welcome to join the children and staff on this special occasion. Please ensure all children have a coat with them in school each day. Children are expected to go outside when it is cold, and when there is light rain. Please can parents check coats, hats, scarves etc. to see that they have the child’s name in/on them. Thank you.