Along with your letters for Parent’s Evening next week there will be a copy of the Parent’s Survey. We do try to keep these to a minimum for you as it does take time to fill them in. It is two year’s since we did the last one and we need to gather as much valuable opinion as possible to inform the actions we take over the next two years. The aim is for us to receive these back by the Parent’s Evening at the latest. Please could you find the time to return it to us as it makes a huge difference when we are taking actions to improve the school for everyone if we have a large percentage of opinion on which to base them on. Best wishes for a super week. David Forrester
Book Fair
Thank you to parents, carers and even Grandparents for the massive support you gave to the Book fair this year. We sold a huge amount of books that were being enjoyed even as children left the building! Even more importantly the sales have provided us with £800 that we can spend to refresh collections in the classrooms and around school for themes that children are studying. It makes an enormous difference to the learning children can do when we are able to provide them with extra material so a big thank you once again.
How Fairtrade Are You?
Chloe, Matthew, Jake, Ross, Benjamin and Jack, along with Mrs Storey and Mrs Woods, had a grand day out at Mangotsfield Secondary today. We learnt all about Fairtrade and how it works. We had a visit from an African lady (from Mozambique) called Isabel Antoneo who spoke Portuguese so she had a translator with her. She told us how Fairtrade works and that she works in a peanut factory sorting the good peanuts from the bad ones. The money that comes from the Fairtrade products changes lives. The money they make is three times the amount they received when ther was no Fairtrade. That means they can now afford to have doors, roofs, and new beds and also proper food. We had to take Fairtrade packed lunches, which still isn’t as easy as you might think. All in all it was a great day and we learnt loads.
World Book Day
Today’s World Book Day has been a great success in focussing children on their love of books. It has been really wonderful talking to them about their favourite book, what they got from the exchange and which storytelling they went to. Thankyou also to Mrs Trueman who shared some great facts about The Bible: ‘The Greatest Book ever’.
It was amazing to hear the huge range of books that children are reading as well as where and when they do it. It is a real reminder that the stereotype of children preferring ‘Playstation’ activities to sitting down and reading or listening to a good story is clearly not true. The enjoyment, excitement and absorption we saw today is testament to that.
Notice Board
Please ensure that if your child is playing on the grass at lunchtimes they have a full set of outdoor clothes but NO STUDDED BOOTS. Trainers will be fine.
We are on the verge of clearing out all of the lost property in school. If you are missing particular items now is the time come in and sift through the boxes for them!
After- School Club
The After School Club meets in the Acorn Building from 3.15 – 6.00pm on Mondays to Thursdays. It is designed to support parents with After School care and focuses on giving the children time to relax, play and do the things they want to. Children meet in the hall and are taken straight over to the club by the staff, who are mostly the TA’s that children see and work with during their school day. There are currently spaces available. The hours and days that you need it for are negotiable If you feel the club could be an answer to your needs then please contact George Wynter for details.
Values
This week two certificates have been awarded for Creativity. Owen for exciting and interesting ideas in drama and Cameron for brilliant ideas in DT.
Jack has also been awarded a certificate for Compassion demonstrated by showing consideration to a classmate in Assembly.
Class of the Week
Well done Nightingales. You succeeded in knocking the Falcons from their perch.Apologies to Falcons as the picture in last week’s newsletter showed Blackbirds even though Falcons won.
PSA News
Disco Fever – Saturday, 13th March 2010
WE ARE SORRY TO ADVISE THAT THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. PLEASE CALL INTO THE OFFICE TO GET YOUR REFUND ON TICKETS PURCHASED.
Meal at The Star
Sarah Frankcom is arranging a meal at The Star on 25th March – if you are interested in attending a fun filled night please speak to Sarah.
Bag2School
Please bring your bags to school on the morning of Thursday, 11th March and leave them just inside the school gate. They will be collected by 9.15 am.
If you need more bags they are available from the school office or you can use any bags as long as they can be sealed in the event of rain!
Now you know what your plans are for the weekend!!
Community News
SCARECROW COMPETITION Dear Parents and carers, Everyone will be receiving a scarecrow letter giving details of how to enter etc. in the next couple of weeks. These will be posted through your door! The event will be the same bank holiday weekend as last year – 2nd and 3rd May and the theme this year is Fairytale characters. There will be details of who to contact on the info sheet. We are also really looking, this year, for people who are interested in helping. We really want to open the event up to parents as well as people at St Thomas a Becket. If you would like to help, whether running a stall, getting involved or helping in a small way then please contact Rachel Goodchild (Co coordinator) ON 01173039190. If you are ready to enrol your ‘fairytale’ scarecrow then please feel free to phone me on the number above. Kind regards Rachel Goodchild
“St Thomas a Becket Church welcomes everyone to all services and activities.
Special Events/Festivals: Lent Course (For adults and older teenagers who would like to find out more about the Christian faith: Lent is the Church season of 40 days in the run up to Easter. Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days to decide what sort of a ministry He would lead. Christians use His example of a 40 day period to reflect on what sort of lives we lead now and how Jesus’ example can inspire our lives today. The course this year, run by Stuart, will be based on Gordon Giles's book on food associated with the Bible. (For example, Jesus is described as the “Bread of Life” – what does this mean for us today?). It is to be held on the following dates, all at 7.30 pm in the vicarage (near Hero’s hairdressers on Westerleigh Road).
Wednesday 24th February Thursday 4th March Wednesday 17th March Thursday 1st April
