ARCHIVE - Newsletter

26th November 2004

Dear Parents

PTA Christmas Fair TONIGHT 5-8pm

CHRISTMAS 2004

Christmas Plays 7th, 8th and 9th December 2004

This year, classes R, 1 and 2 will be performing (The Hoity Toity Angel) on Tuesday 7th December at 1.15pm and on Wednesday 8th December at 7pm. Classes 3 and 4 will be performing (The Selfish Giant) and classes 5 and 6 (Last Year's Toys) on Tuesday 7th and again on Thursday 9th at 7.00pm.

Please complete and return the attached slip by Friday 3rd December. As we can only seat 120, we will have to limit the number of seats for any performance to a total of two per family. Additional seats may be allocated when we know how many wish to attend. We will, as usual, do our best to meet your requirements. We would ask you not to bring very young children to the performances. When not on stage, the children will be looked after in the classrooms.

Could you please arrange for the children to arrive no earlier than 6.35pm on the evenings of the performances. If you have any problems regarding transport for your children on any evening, please contact the school office and we will try to help.

Admission is by programme. These will be free of charge. Donations to the collecting plate will be used towards the cost of the productions. Coffee and other refreshments will be served either between, or following, the performances, by members of the PTA, who will also be running a raffle.
You will be contacted by class teachers regarding help required with costumes.

Last year I spoke to all parents regarding concerns over the taking of still and video images of performances. To this end I would be grateful if you would contact me if you do not want your child photographed as part of a group performance. No individual photographs will be taken.

PTA Christmas Disco 7-9pm Friday 10th December.
£1.50 per child

Year 6 Carol Singing
On Tuesday 14th December, Year 6 pupils are invited to join together to sing carols in Yetminster to raise money for their favourite charity. Parents of the pupils are also warmly invited and we look forward to a great evening. Further details to follow.

Christmas Party Lunch
The school party takes the form of a party lunch followed by entertainment in the afternoon. All the staff and children have lunch together and the school provides the food so there is no need to send your child with a packed meal. Reception children, who are normally mornings only are also invited to stay for the party lunch and for the rest of the afternoon- please let Mrs Payne know your wishes and make arrangements for their journey home at 3.15 p.m. We would appreciate a donation of £1.50 per child towards the cost of the lunch and entertainment. Don't forget Party clothes so that you can change after the Church Service.

Reception Lunches
We will be delighted to welcome our Reception children at Lunch on Tuesday 7th and Friday 17th December. We have made arrangements for the children to sit together on these occasions. Those travelling to school by bus could catch the bus home on these dates, but parents must confirm with Mrs McVeigh if they wish them to do so.

Post Box 6th December
Children will be able to post Christmas cards to friends from Monday 6th December. These will be delivered during the last week of term.

LIFE EDUCATION DORSET IS VISITING OUR SCHOOL

The Life Education Mobile classroom is at school Tuesday 30th November through to Thursday 2nd December. Our children and those of the Wriggle Pre School will have an opportunity to visit the classroom and take part in health Education related activities. A donation of £1 per child is requested to help pay for this valuable resource.
The organiser Vicki Knowles would like to offer the parents the chance to see examples of this work and to have a brief meeting to find out more. I invite you to join her in the Mobile Classroom at 2.35pm on Tuesday 30th November.

EMERGENCY ARRANGEMENTS

Closing the school on the 16th November brought to light the need for an early warning phone tree system. The phone tree would work in this way: -
The school would phone a few nominated key parents who would then be asked to phone a number of other parents living in their area. This would mean that as many parents as possible can be informed in the unlikely event of any school closure. To set up the phone tree it will be necessary to allow these nominated parents to have selected home phone numbers of others. I would be pleased if you would contact me if you prefer this not to happen.

Bus Children. The policy of the Education Transport Department is that if buses do not run in the morning, they will not run in the afternoons even if the weather improves. If I am notified by one of the bus companies that their buses are not running in the morning, I will be available from about 8 am to answer queries.
If parents choose bring children to school in the morning they must also collect them in the afternoon. When road and weather conditions are marginalit is up to individual bus drivers to decide whether or not to operate as it is felt that each driver is the best judge of what conditions are likely to be on his particular route.

If it is necessary to send the bus children and those who walk home early due to bad weather, we will telephone our normal village contactswho have agreed to look after pupils until their parents' return. The list for this winter is attached. It would be helpful if you could ensure that the contact for your child has your telephone number. Please check to make sure your child's travel details are correct, and notify Sandra McVeigh if they are not.

All Children. Bearing in mind that the teaching staff will also experience problems travelling to school during bad weather conditions, no child should be left at, or sent to, school on a Bad Weather morning without first checking that there is a member of the teaching staff on the premises. In the event that we have to close the school, the school will notify Orchard FM. The radio station has requested parent not to phone in but listen to broadcasts on 102.6 FM.

NEW SCHOOL WEBSITE

After a number of weeks preparation, the new web site for St Andrew's CE Primary School, is ready for launch.
You will find our new site at www.standrewsyetminster.org.uk and I would be pleased to receive comment about its content and usefulness. Of course, we fully intend to see the site develop over the coming months and years, but feel we have added another way of communicating with parents and the wider community and displaying the excellent work of the school.
Please do visit the site and put it in your favorites list.

PASSPORTS

I am always pleased to sign passport application on behalf of pupils and their parents but would ask you to consider a small donation for school funds in recognition of this service. Many thanks.

CAROL WATKINSON

Many thanks for the donation for Carol's leaving gift. Please send any other contributions direct to the Office in an envelope marked CW.

OUR END OF TERM SERVICE

Will be held at St. Andrew's Church at 9.30 am on Friday 17th December. You are most welcome to attend.

Date back in the New Year on Wednesday 5th January.

Yours sincerely,

Mr. Stephen Williams
Headteacher