Headteacher Newsletter: Issue 6
FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER: ISSUE 6
Thank you to all the parents who were able to attend our Tray Day yesterday. We hope you found it informative and enjoyed looking at the work that has been completed so far this term.
Sainsburys School Games Kitemark
On Wednesday 27th November Clavering School was moderated by the Sainsbury’s School Sports Partnership for their participation in sports for the year 2012-13. The assessors were very impressed with the way the children participate in games and sports in our school. They awarded us a Silver Kitemark which you can see at the bottom of every newsletter. We would like to Mrs Langan for all her hard work.
Choir singing at Saffron Walden Market Square
Well done to the children in the school choir that represented the school and sang in Saffron Walden Market Square. They sang beautifully and accompanied other local schools adding music to the Saffron Walden Christmas Fayre where the Christmas lights were turned on. Thank you to Mrs Ford for organising this event and leading the choir.
Their next event is a very special one being the Spirit of Christmas at St Marys Church in Saffron Walden on December 7th at 2pm. The school choir will join local schools and choirs celebrating Christmas. Tickets will be available from the office from after school today. Prices are a family ticket £12.00, adult £6.00 and child £1.00.
Key Stage Two classes Christmas Carol Competition with Sue Whykes
As part of the music curriculum, Mrs Whykes organised a carol competition with Classes 4,5 & 6. The children worked in groups to compose, rehearse and perform their songs. Mrs Whykes had a difficult decision to make, but chose as winners from each class, carols composed by the following groups, each being awarded an impressive 19/20 points.
Year 6 – Freddie, Zak, Maya, Millie, Ella
Year 5 – (joint winners)
Elliot, George, Joseph, Max
Jessica, Daisy, Maddie
Year 4 – (joint winners)
Beth, Fransiska, Rafaella, Thomas
Lizzie, Charlotte Green, Megan, Martha, Tabitha
Cross Country
On Wednesday 20th November a group of 43 children were selected to compete in the next round of cross country at Newport Free Grammar School. The competition was really tough against the schools in Saffron Walden. All the children ran incredibly well, and were a real credit to Clavering School. A special mention to Elliott (Class 5) Thomas (Class 4) and Freddie (Class 3) for all coming 4th in their races.
Raising money for the Philippines
On Thursday 21st November the children, organised by the School Council and working with Mrs Macfadyen and Mrs Chalk, completed a coin trail. The aim was to make a mile of coins!! The children had a fun and interesting morning and they managed to make a trail of coins which was 200m long. It wasn’t quite a mile but they managed to raise over £760 and are still counting. Donations from the village of Arkesden were included.
The funds that have been raised will be donated to the Philippine Red Cross or DEC and funds are still being collected.
Thank you to Mrs Macfadyen and Mrs Chalk, as well as the School Council, for organising this. Thank you for all the donations that have been brought into school.
Egyptian Day
Years 3 and 4 – and several of their parents – enjoyed a wonderful day last Friday dressed as Ancient Egyptians and taking part in craft and role-play scenarios in preparation for the celebrations of the Festival of the Nile. The children were able to make a range of items, from canopic jars and scented wax cones to making their own ink and writing hieroglyphs with reed pens. Thanks to everyone who came along to help on the day – this was a real treat and a day for us all to remember.
Saffron County High School working with year 6
Year 6 have very much enjoyed the opportunity this term to work on a new Computer Science project developed by the ICT department at SWCHS and some primary schools in our area. The project is focussed on computer programming, control and simulation and is very much in line with the forthcoming new curriculum for Computer Science. We are very grateful to Katie Vandepere-Brown from SWCHS for her time in coming in to work alongside Mrs Lipscomb and the children on the project.
Friends of Clavering
The Christmas Fair is being held after school next Friday, 6th December. The Christmas shopping morning will be on Monday 16th December – details of this to follow.
Urgent reminder – Swimming monies for Classes 3 and 4
Please could owed swimming monies be paid as soon as possible! At the moment we only have £1,930 towards the £2,644 swimming teaching and travel costs! As you are aware the school does not receive any external funding to cover these costs.
Thank you to the parents that have already paid and are up to date. The total cost per child, to cover the swimming costs for the term is £52.
The governing body continues to support activities of this type and would encourage all parents to consider swimming lessons as an important part of their child’s education. Not only is this a vitally important life skill but school swimming also affords the children the opportunity of learning to swim with their friends.
Lost Property
A large amount of lost property is collecting. If your child has lost any clothing please could you have a look through the collection to see if any of it belongs to you. It will be displayed in the main entrance Monday to Wednesday of next week (2nd – 4th December). After this time it will need to be re-cycled.
Bad weather
In the event of severe weather conditions and possible school closure a notice will be placed on the school website. BBC Essex and Heart FM will also publish the names of CLOSED schools on their websites at www.bbc.co.uk/essex and www.heartessex.co.uk. Please take a look at the websites or listen to the radio stations if there is a likelihood of closure due to bad weather. A path will be cleared to enable you to gain access to the school but care does still need to be taken.
ACHIEVEMENTS
STAR OF THE WEEK
Week ending November 15th
Reception: Thomas Harris – a fabulous divali lamp – very imaginative work.
Year One: Hannah Smith – for her thoughtful work about why she likes her day
Year Two: Caitlin MacKenzie – for making links in her learning and her brilliant practical ideas for the class
Year Three: Ella Rixon – for working really hard to step up her spellings
Year Four: Beth Parker – for her poem ‘Ten things found in a Musicians Magicians Pocket’.
Year Five: George Oakes – for his excellent description of watching ‘Tour de France’
Year Six: Maya Joseph – for recording her work like a real scientist
Week ending November 22nd
Reception: Scarlett Hilton-Keech – for explaining the use of capital letters at the beginning of names
Year One: Maya Parker – for an excellent attitude towards school and homework.
Year Two: Georgie Collett – for her natural and general support of others.
Year Three: Alexander Baker – for his enthusiasm and contributions to our class learning about making graphs
Year Four: Hannah Moloney – for her wonderful role-play on our Egyptian Day
Year Five: Sophie Eldrett – for her excellent poetry
Year Six: Ella La Roche – for her excellent writing in the role of ‘Street Child’.
Didn’t Go Unnoticed Award:
Orla Russell – Helping to put play equipment away on several occasions. Well done for getting four post it notes!!
The Tidiest Classroom of the Week!
Our cleaners are judging the tidiest classroom each week. The winners are announced in assembly on a Friday. The class that has won the most times at the end of a term will be awarded an afternoon with an activity of their choice or an extra playtime.
Winners:
Week beginning –
9.9.13: Class Reception
16.9.13: Class Four
23.9.13: Class Five
30.9.13: Class Six
7.10.13: Class One
14.10.13: Class Six
8.11.13: Class Three
15.11.13: Class Two
22.11.13: Class Four
Ooo000ooO
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
December 6th Christmas Fayre
December 7th School choir singing at the Spirit of Christmas
December 10th KS2 dress rehearsal am
December 10th KS1 dress rehearsal pm
December 11th KS1 performance pm
December 11th KS2 performance eve
December 12th Reception Nativity play
December 16th Christmas shopping morning
December 18th Christmas lunch
December 20th Term ends for Christmas – 3.15 pm
January 6th Spring term starts
If you have any questions at any time then please feel free to make an appointment.
Have a good weekend.
Rosalind Allsop
Headteacher
