Newsletter No 1 Autumn Term 2009
Newsletter 1 Autumn Term 2009
Tuesday 8th September
Dear Parents,
Welcome to the start of another new school year! We are pleased to see everyone again and extend a warm welcome to all our new families. We also welcome Mrs Donna Bailey, who is working in the Nursery with Miss Anderson and Mrs Townsend.
Meet the teacher – F2, Yr 1 and Yr 2 classes
It was good to see so many parents at these meetings and we hope that it was useful. If you missed the meeting please log on to our school website (address above) to find out information on your child’s year group page. Parents of new children will be given log ins once we have received their completed e-safety agreements.
School dinners (for Infant school children)
School dinners now cost £1.90 per day. School dinners must be ordered on a Monday for that school week. If you would like a copy of the menu or order form, please contact the school office, or find the forms on our website.
Classroom Help in Nursery and school
We are always glad of any help from parents, be it helping in class with hearing readers, with class activities or just helping out with the many jobs to do around school! Please contact your child’s class teacher. If you are interested, we have at times run a school crèche for helpers with preschool children.
Tissues
Please could each child bring in a box of tissues for their class, as we need a lot at this time of year with colds and runny noses!
PE kits, coats and water bottles
All children need to bring their PE kit – t-shirts and shorts, plus plimsolls or trainers - on Monday for the week ahead. Coats are needed for playtimes – if it is cold your child may not be allowed to play outside without a coat, so please make sure they bring one to school every day. Each child should bring a water bottle to school every day, filled with fresh plain still water (not flavoured or fizzy).
Attendance
Please remember to phone the school office as soon as possible to let us know if your child is ill and will not be at school. The school may call you if you have not contacted us, because we need to check that they are safe.
Holidays
Please try not to take your child on holiday in school term time, because they will miss too much of their valuable education. If a child has two weeks holiday in term time every year that they are in this school, then by the time they have left us they will have missed half a term of school. The time lost at this early stage cannot easily be made up. It is Local Authority policy not to authorise absence for holidays except in exceptional circumstances such as a family wedding. If you wish to take your child out of school in term time it is necessary to fill in a leave of absence form (available from the school office or our website) and make an appointment to see the Headteacher to discuss this.
Waiting in the playground before and after school
Children must be supervised by a parent or responsible adult in the playground in the morning until the doors open at 9.00, and collected by them from the classroom door at 3.20pm. For safety reasons, please do not allow your children to climb under or over gates and fences or play football in the playground.
On wet mornings, parents can wait inside in the corridors with their children until the bell goes.
Please encourage your Year 1 or Year 2 child to start coming in the door by themselves if they are not already doing so, as this helps them to become more independent and also eases the congestion in the corridors, which are very crowded in the mornings!
Nursery gates
Please can parents who use these support us in ensuring that children do not open any of the Nursery gates leading to the Nursery and F2 classes. This is for the safety of all the children and we think that one rule is easier for young children to understand. Thank you for your cooperation with this.
School Office hours
The school office is open at 8.45am and closes at 3.20pm. If you need to speak to a member of the office staff please call in between these times. There is an answerphone that is checked regularly during the day. Messages can also be left on it before or after school for office staff to pick up when they are in.
Cake Sales
Each class will be holding a cake sale this term, to raise funds for classroom games and educational toys. The dates are on the diary dates attached. The first one is Mrs Belas’ class cake sale next Friday 11th September at 3.00pm, so we hope you can support them!
School Photographs
Individual and family photographs will be taken at school on Tuesday 6th October. A letter and reply form will be sent to you nearer the time.
Friends of Shinfield PTA meeting – 23rd September 7.00pm at Infant School
Shinfield St Mary’s CE Junior School PTA and Friends of Shinfield Infant and Nursery School (PTA) have joined forces and will be holding their next meeting together on the 23rd September at 7.00 in the Infant School Dining Room. There will be parking on the playground. We would love to see as many people as possible to discuss future fund raising and projects. All parents are welcome.
New Term dates and staff/governor list
Attached to this letter are some diary dates for this term. The current list of staff and governors is also attached for your reference.
We look forward to a happy and successful term working with you and your child. Please do come in and see your child’s class teacher or myself if you have any questions or concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs