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05.03.10
How lovely to see the sun shining this week, it certainly makes all the difference to how we feel! I shall start with some good news; Mrs Ransley is recovered enough to return to school. We are really pleased about this as both the staff and children have missed her. We are, however, really grateful to Miss Grimes who has become a member of the 'Greatstone Team' and has worked tirelessly to ensure class 6 have enjoyed the best possible learning opportunities. Miss Grimes will take over the cover for class 3 until Mrs Milbourn is able to return to school.
A small group of parents and I had a successful meeting to discuss the possibility of re-establishing the PTFA. The chocolate biscuits went down a treat and it was decided to 'give it a go'. I am really grateful to those parents who attended and warmly invite any other interested parents to our next meeting on Tuesday 9th March at 9.15am (with coffee and biscuits!)
We have had several visitors in school over the past couple of weeks and all have been so complimentary about the standard of work and behaviour they have seen throughout. It makes me a very proud Headteacher.
I know some of our year six children have been very disappointed not to have been offered a place at their first choice secondary school. As a school we will do all we can to support you in pursuing a placement which best suits your child. Please contact me if I can be of any help. Miss Stanton, one of our parent governors, has kindly agreed to meet with those parents intending to appeal for a grammar school place in order to outline her experience of the process. A date for this has yet to be arranged.
On Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th March we shall be holding our open evenings which are an opportunity for all parents to meet with their child's class teacher to discuss progress. On this occasion parents are offered a 10 minute appointment which is coordinated so that those parents with more than one child in school are given times that follow on from each other. All parents are invited to come to the school hall first where your child's books will be available for you to enjoy. We shall be sending a letter home next week with more details.
I have been given some information about a government drive to help low-income families who currently lack access to a computer and/or internet to get online at home. The programme is aimed at those that need it most. If you are a low-income family in receipt of certain benefits you could qualify for a grant to buy a computer and/or a minimum of one year's internet access. Further details are available on www.homeaccess.org.uk or telephone 0333 200 1004
As always if you have any comments about our school, good or bad, that you wish to share with me I can be contacted direct on headteacher@greatstoneschool.co.uk
Best wishes,
Nicola Wood.
05.02.10
We are well into term 3 and there is such an industrious atmosphere in our school at the moment. The children are not only working very hard to achieve class reading and maths targets they are also becoming very determined writers with our celebration assembly emphasis on 'Writers of the Week'.
We currently have three student teachers in school who are working under the close supervision of our experienced staff. They are providing teaching and learning of a very good standard, offering our children a range of exciting learning opportunities.
Sadly Mrs Milbourn has broken her arm. If you have a child in class 3 and have any concerns at all about any aspect of their school life during her absence please make an appointment to see me. Mrs Ransley is still suffering with a damaged disc in her spine and we are grateful to Miss Grimes for providing consistency for class six.
Unfortunately I have only had five replies from parents who wanted to find out more about how and what their children are learning. I will therefore rethink ways in which we can communicate this important information to parents and carers and get back to you.
There will be a meeting to discuss the possibility of setting up a PTFA on Tuesday 23rd February at 9.30am. Anyone with an interest is welcome to attend….I shall provide coffee and cakes!
If you are wondering what the building project is currently going on near the parents waiting area, we are replacing the old workshop with a workshop and storage space. This is contrary to popular belief that we are building a swimming pool!!
I have been given a 'Local Children's Partnership Childcare Directory' which signposts every type of child care facility available locally. This document will be kept in the school entrance hall for your reference.
There will be free family play events locally during half term week, our nearest will be St. Peter's Church Hall and will be held on Wednesday 17th February. Further details are on the notice board in the entrance hall.
As always if you have any comments about our school, good or bad, that you wish to share with me I can be contacted direct on headteacher@greatstoneschool.co.uk
Best wishes,
Nicola Wood.
13.01.10
Well what a snowy start to the year! Well done everyone for your efforts in getting the children to school. Let's hope that warmer weather will soon be coming our way…and by that I mean temperatures above freezing!...and we can all get back to normal. If we do have to close the school for any reason then the information will be on the three local radio stations; Radio Kent, Heart and KMFM and there will be a message on the home page of the website. Sadly it is not possible for us to telephone parents who leave answerphone messages requesting a return call.
As you will have seen from the latest newsletter the only club running this term will be the parent/child ICT club on Wednesdays. Do come along, there are no set tasks just the opportunity to work with your child, or by yourself, on whatever you wish. A full set of clubs will be running again after the February half term.
The children are working very hard to achieve class reading and maths targets. Throughout the school our focus in reading is on gaining information from fiction texts, particularly to do with characters. In maths all children are working on subtraction. Your child should know their targets and what they need to do to achieve it. We are also working hard to improve standards of writing throughout the school, hence our celebration assembly theme of writing this term. Each week the whole school works on writing linked to a particular key word, last week's was Christmas and New Year, this week the word is 'Weather'. Children write in a range of forms e.g. diaries, stories, poems, discussions, instructions and two writers of the week from each class are given an award in Friday's assembly. Photographs of recipients are put on the web and their names entered into the Golden Book.
If you are interested in hearing more about how children learn and what our policies are please complete the tear off strip on the bottom of the newsletter and return to the school office
I have an invitation to all parents/carers to attend the next meeting of the Shepway Rural Parent Forum which will be held on Monday 25th January 2010 at Haguelands Farm, Burmarsh from 10am to 12 noon. Details are on the notice board in the entrance hall.
A reminder about the free parent support programme which is running from Thursday 7th January for 12 weeks from 9.15am until 12 noon at the Family Centre St Nicholas School. Further details are on the notice board in the school entrance hall.
As always if you have any comments about our school, good or bad, that you wish to share with me I can be contacted direct on headteacher@greatstoneschool.co.uk
Best wishes and keep warm!
Nicola Wood.
14.12.09
Well the excitement in school is tangible! We are doing our very best to ensure the children are ready to 'burst' home on Friday!
This week sees the culmination of all the hard work that has gone into the preparation for the Christmas Shows. Sheep, kings and carol singers are a regular feature of the school corridors! The shows will be on Tuesday and Wednesday at 2pm for infants and 6pm for juniors. The nursery performance will be on Wednesday at 11am.
We are inviting parents to complete questionnaires regarding extended schools provision prior to Wednesday's performances. By completing a questionnaire you will automatically be entered into a prize draw with the opportunity to win a range of family games including Jenga, Monopoly, Indiana Jones DVD Game and Hungry Hippos.
I have been asked by a parent if as a school we are interested in establishing a PTFA. The answer is a very definite YES. We used to have a very active parent association, unfortunately lack of time and various other commitments meant the committee had to fold. However, with renewed interest we may be able to re-establish this valuable element of school life. If you are interested in this venture please do contact me on the email address below.
I have been given some information regarding a free parent support programme. This will run from Thursday 7th January for 12 weeks from 9.15am until 12 noon at the Family Centre St Nicholas School. Further details are on the notice board in the school entrance hall.
A reminder for anyone who feels their child needs homework over the holidays!! As a school we have subscribed to a site called Mymaths.co.uk. The children will need a login and password to access this site which is suitable for children aged 7 and above. Obviously I cannot publish details of the login etc here but your child should know or failing that, speak with the teachers or myself.
And finally, some information regarding local dental services….why not??!!
Are you looking after your children's teeth? need to find an NHS Dentist, need an emergency appointment or just need advice, then ring the East Kent NHS Dental Help line 0808 238 97 97 or text 07943 091958
As always if you have any comments about our school, good or bad, that you want share with me I can be contacted direct on headteacher@greatstoneschool.co.uk.
With best wishes for a very Happy Christmas,
Nicola Wood.
03.12.09
I don't think there is an area of Greatstone School that isn't covered in glitter! Come to that I don't think there is an adult or child that isn't either! The build up to Christmas is certainly underway and it is a pleasure to sit in my office and listen to the singing rehearsals going on in the hall. We are certainly in for a treat on the 15th and 16th December.
I have been given some information about a Shepway Rural Parent Forum which will be held at Haguelands Farm on Monday 7th December between 10am and 12 Noon. The idea of the meeting is to find out more about services for children, young people and families in the area and the future of these services. If you are interested then do go along, or if you want more details there is a flyer on the school noticeboard by the office.
As a school we have subscribed to a site called Mymaths.co.uk. The children will need a login and password to access this site which is suitable for children aged 7 and above. Obviously I cannot publish details of the login etc here but your child should know, or failing that speak with the teachers or myself.
Just a couple of reminders: Christmas dinner day will be on Thursday 17th December and on that day children are invitied to wear home clothes, maybe with a festive theme, in return for a donation to Starfish Malawi our charity which sponsors our link school in Malawi. Also, next week, if your child wishes they may buy a raffle ticket for a teddy. Tickets are 10p each and any money raised will go to the Children's Hospice.
As always if you have any comments about our school, good or bad, that you want share with me I can be contacted direct on headteacher@greatstoneschool.co.uk
Only two weeks until the Christmas holidays!
With best wishes
Nicola Wood
23.11.09
Last week culminated in our very successful efforts to fundraise for Children in Need. I don't think I have ever seen so many cakes in one building! The children certainly enjoyed making and selling them although no doubt not quite as much as they did eating them! Thank you for your generosity. In total I am proud to say we raised £360. Our next fundraising event will be a donation to wear festive clothes for our Christmas dinner day which is on Thursday 17th December.
Classes 11 and 12 had a super day at the Museum of Kent Life where they experienced life as a Victorian. Photos will no doubt be on the website soon. Thanks to all parents and carers who did a fantastic job of dressing the children in authentic costume.
We had two children from the school council represent us at the extended schools forum. This is an initiative which aims to help young people on the Marsh work together and develop community cohesion. Watch this space for more details of the project.
Thank you to all parents who have voted in the parent governor elections. We have had a very strong response so far.
A reminder that Wednesday 25th November is an Open Day for parents of prospective reception pupils.
Last week's celebration assembly rewarded 'tidy people'. Children were nominated for a range of tidy qualities such as keeping their tray tidy, picking up coats, looking smart or having neat work. Enjoy seeing the winners in the Hall of Fame section on the website. This week we are looking for good team players.
Let's hope the weather calms down a bit for the next week, children and windy weather are not a good mix!
As always if you have any comments about our school, good or bad, that you want share with me I can be contacted direct on headteacher@greatstoneschool.co.uk
Only four weeks until the Christmas holidays!
With best wishes
Nicola Wood.
12.11.09.
This week we celebrate the success of our 'Futsal' team. Futsal is a 5-a-side indoor football game. It has similar rules to ordinary football but is played with a weighted ball which reduces bounce thus requiring players to be even more skilful with their footwork. In futsal there are no 'throw ins' but the ball is kicked on and the team must consist of both boys and girls. Our team played in a two part competition arranged via the sports partnership. The competition was held at the Harvey Grammar School and our team successfully won all their matches on the second day of the event. This placed them fourth overall. I was very proud to hear such positive comments about our children, not just about their individual football skills but also how their teamwork shone through. Well done and a special thank you to Mr Morgan-John and Mr Sullivan for all their help.
We had two parents attend our afterschool ICT club this week. I hope they found it worthwhile and it would be good to see more uptakes over the coming weeks.
As promised Mr Jamin, Mr Morgan-John and I will be holding a meeting for those parents of Year 5 children who are interested in information regarding the secondary school selection tests. This will be held on Tuesday 1st December at 5pm in the school hall.
Several parents attended our teacher/parent consultation evening on Tuesday and I have been asked whether this is something new that I have introduced. I have to say it isn't and that we have held them termly for about five years. The concept came about in response to a parent questionnaire where it was highlighted that parents felt they weren't kept well enough informed about their child's progress. Despite the fact that the consultation evenings have not always been well attended we have maintained the opportunity for parents to come and discuss progress or concerns with teachers. The dates of the consultations are published in the newsletter and appointments are made via the school office. The format varies from our formal parent evenings which are held in March where all parents are invited to come and see their child's work and then attend a ten minute interview with the class teacher. Of course these are not the only opportunities to speak with class teachers and appointments can be made whenever necessary via the office.
I have also been approached about the possibility of having a 'clip on tie'. We have contacted our uniform supplier and this is a line that they are in the process of launching. As yet they cannot give us a costing but watch this space!
In assembly this week we will be celebrating effort with reading, see the web site for the award winners.
Finally, some information for anyone who has a child who will be 5 between 1st September 2010 and 31st August 2011. We are having an Open Day on Wednesday 25th November at 9.30am and 1.30pm. This will give you the opportunity to see our reception classes in operation and to tour the rest of the school. There is no need to book just come along and enjoy!
With best wishes
Nicola Wood.
03.11.09
Well I'm always up for trying something new so here goes…the launch of the Headteacher's blog!
As we move more and more into a technological age I thought we should make further use of our already impressive website, very many thanks to Miss Booth who works tirelessly on this for us. So many things go on day to day in school and, as you will see from the November newsletter, there's not always room to tell you everything!
This term I am particularly excited by the launch of our parent/carer and child 'Together We Learn' ICT club. Working together with parents and carers is something I feel very strongly about and our computer suite is an excellent facility begging to be used. Further details about the club are on the November newsletter (which if 'pupil post' fails you is also available on the website!). Below are the terms of use:
- All children to be accompanied by a responsible adult
- No personal USB storage devices to be used. Saving work for home use can only be done using a disc which can be
- purchased from school at a cost of 50p
- Login will be through 'parent' username only
- Printing is permitted at a cost of 5p per sheet
- The school's e-safety policy applies to any parent/carer/child using the after school facility
- Pushchairs/prams are not permitted in the ICT suite
- No food or drink to be consumed in the ICT suite
We had some pleasing Kent Test results and I would like to congratulate all pupils who took part. Their results show that they all tried their hardest, well done! Feedback from Mr Jamin and Mr Morgan-John from our recent 'Meet the Teacher' evening highlights some anxiety from current year 5 parents regarding the procedure for entry into secondary education for 2011. During the coming term we plan to have an afterschool meeting where we can address any concerns. Watch this space for further details.
Our celebration assemblies are proving to be a great success with the children. At the beginning of each week the children are told a specific theme that their class teachers are looking out for. This could be behaviour based e.g. 'being a good friend' or academic e.g. 'brilliant maths'. On Fridays awards are given to two children from each class whose teachers feel have been exceptional in the chosen area. This week we are looking for children who are ICT whizzes! Check the website on Fridays to see the award winners.
Don't forget Mrs Ransley is holding a book fair on the 16th, 17th and 18th November after school in the hall. An ideal time for some Christmas shopping. Unfortunately as a result of the Book Fair we will be unable to have dance club on the 16th.
Absences: May I remind you that if your child is unwell could you notify the school office 01797 363916 on the first day of absence.
Finally (for now!), I have thoroughly enjoyed my first term as Headteacher of Greatstone Primary and very much look forward to our future together. I would welcome any comments about our school from you and can be contacted direct on headteacher@greatstoneschool.co.uk
With best wishes
Nicola Wood.