School Newsletter

Autumn Term 2009
Newsletter No. 1 - 11th September

Dear Parents,

I hope you all had a great summer holiday and the children are refreshed and ready for another exciting term at Emscote Infant School. A particularly warm welcome goes to our new reception children and their families. I’ve lots of news to tell you so please read on…

Staffing news
I am delighted to welcome Miss Bobowicz as the new teacher in Chestnut class. She has already made a real impact to the team and the environment; we hope she will enjoy working with us and will soon feel at home.

Reading Meeting for new parents
I would like to invite new parents to the school to a short presentation on how we teach reading at Emscote. This will be on Thursday 24th September at 2pm. Come along and hear how you can support your child in learning this very important skill.

The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning
We are taking part in Macmillan Cancer Support’s annual fundraiser on Friday 25th September.  Please come along with friends and family between 9am – 10am so we can raise as much money as possible for the cause. The children will be making cakes in school but any donations of cakes to sell would be greatly appreciated.

Class Meetings
I would like to invite parents to class meetings at 9.15am on Tuesday 29th September, where you can meet your child’s class teacher and teaching assistant. The class staff will share with you the curriculum to be taught in the year group. If you have any specific issues you would like to discuss with the teachers please make an appointment to see them.

School Photographs
The photographer will be in school on Friday 2nd October. If you would like to have younger or older brothers and sisters photographed with your child, please see Miss Hart in the office to pre book a slot. Brothers and sisters in school will be photographed together during the morning.

Open Days
Our Open Days for prospective parents will be held on Tuesday 6th October from 1pm-2.30pm and Thursday 8th October from 9.30am- 10.30am and 11am- 11.55am. I would be grateful if you would display a flyer (which you have already received in your child’s book bag) in your window to draw attention to these sessions, and inform friends and neighbours with pre-school children. Also if you attend any clubs with your children could you ask them to display a leaflet or handout flyers. Please let me know if you need any extra Applications for children to start school in September 2010 must be returned to the Admissions Service by 23rd October 2009.

Friends of Emscote Infant School
The Friends were very active last year raising funds for the school and creating opportunities for parents to be involved in the school. The Family Afternoon raised £126, Autumn Disco £110, Christmas Fair £727, Easter Bingo £300, Easter Tombola and Tuck Shop £120, Gap Community Event £236, Spring Disco £179, Sponsored Bounce £500 and Summer Fete £600. The money raised helped purchase: blackout blinds for some of the classrooms; staging for the school hall; a bingo machine, tombola drum and barbecue for school events; play equipment for the new outside reception area; a maypole and potting shed. This was in addition to the usual donations for the Christmas panto and party and contributions to classroom supplies.

The association cannot continue to support you and the school without your help. Your PTA needs you; you do not have to have an official post but you can help in many other ways, such as shopping trips to the cash and carry, or helping on stalls at events. All are welcome to attend Friends meetings which take place once each half term. The next meeting is the AGM which takes place on Tuesday 6th October at 7.30pm.

Parents’ Coffee Afternoon
A reception parent has suggested that it would be nice if parents could meet (especially new parents) to discuss any concerns with each other about how their children are settling in school, such as is it normal that they don’t want to get up in the morning, are really tired, or are finding it difficult to separate in the morning. I have arranged the first meeting for Monday 12th October at 2.15pm in the staffroom. Any parent is welcome to pop in for a coffee as this time for a chat. I hope this will be useful. 

Family Afternoon for Reception Families and Wear It Pink Day
Family afternoon is on Thursday 22nd October. Reception children go home at lunchtime and return at 2pm. Please bring along family, grandparents and friends. The children can show their family the classroom. Meet the staff and have refreshments in the hall.

We will also be taking the opportunity to raise money for Breast Cancer Care. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so we will be turning the school pink on this day in support of the fight against breast cancer.  Wear anything pink and send a donation to help fund Breast Cancer Campaign’s vital research.

Admission Forms
If your child is due to start in reception or to move to junior school in September 2010 you must complete and return the appropriate admission forms to the Admissions Service by Friday 23rd October 2009. We have already given admissions forms to year 2 children. Pre-school children should be given forms by their nursery or pre-school. Please remember to attach a copy of a document to provide proof of address to your form.

It is vital if you would like your child to attend Emscote that you put the school as your first choice. All first choice children got a place this year but some second choice did not.

Admission forms can be completed by hand or on-line.  If you would like help completing the form we would like to offer you the opportunity to fill in the form at Emscote with the support of our staff. Please come to school on Tuesday 22nd September at 9.10am or Wednesday 23rd September at 1.15pm.

You can contact the Admissions Service on 01926 742047, or look at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/admissions.

Scallywags Kids Club
Breakfast Club 7.45 – 8.45 and Afterschool Club 3.00 – 5.30
Scallywags Holiday Club (Monday October 26th  to Friday October 30th)

Arts and crafts, cooking, board games, dressing up, pool, table tennis, playstation, face painting, trips and much, much more. For more information and a booking form call 07834 241414/07759 301115.

Targets for Learning
The children will all be coming home with targets for learning in the next few weeks. These are areas in literacy and Numeracy that they will be working on in class and could be supported with at home. We are involved in a Looking for Learning project in school. If you could talk to your child about what they have learnt in school not what have they been doing, this would support the work that is going on in the classroom.

PE Kit
Please remember your child needs a PE kit; please send in shorts, t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms as they will be doing outside PE all year as long as it is not raining.
 
School Dinners
The cost of a school meal is now £1.70 a day, £8.50 for the week.  To enable us to manage the school meal system more efficiently we would like to encourage you to purchase school meals on a weekly, half termly or termly basis, sending in the correct money on a Monday in a named sealed envelope. Cheques should be made payable to Warwickshire County Council.
If your child is entitled to Free School Meals and you have not informed the school, please contact Miss Hart in the office for further details and an application form.  Even if your child does not wish to take school meals we would be grateful if you would still register your entitlement, as the school receives much needed funding according to the number of children registered. The school will also buy milk for those children entitled to free school meals if required; please see Miss Hart to arrange this.

Packed Lunches
As a healthy school we would really like the children to be eating a healthy packed lunch. Try to make the lunch box as balanced as possible with no sweets or fizzy drinks. If your child brings a yogurt to school in their lunch box please make sure they also bring a spoon to eat it with. Also remember when they first start in reception do not give them too much. We also want them to have time to exercise and play with their friends at lunchtime.

Emscote Playground
Please remember children are only to use the playground equipment during school hours. We are not insured for before and after school when the children are still parents’ responsibility.

Parent Reps
Each class would like one or two parent representatives; the job involves encouraging parents to be involved in the classroom, on trips and asking any questions if parent have any concerns. Please see class staff if you would be able to do this job.

Water Bottles
Volunteers are required to fill the children’s water bottles in the mornings. Please see your class teacher if you can help. Thank you.

Book Club
We are also looking for two parents to run the weekly book club for the children. If you are interested please make yourself known.

Kerbsafe
We would like to run the road safety project in year 1. To be able to do this we need a number of volunteers who have one afternoon a week free for about six weeks. We successfully ran the project last year and the children gained a great deal of knowledge about road safety. Please let Miss Hudson know if you could help this term.

No Parking Please
I would like to remind parents that the service road directly in front of school should be kept clear to allow emergency vehicles access. It is permissible to drop children off but please do not park there.

Clubs

Recorders will start for year 2 during the school day with Mrs Harrison. Mr Queralt is going to start a Spanish club with the help of a parent, and after half term Miss Bobowiz will be starting a French club. Look out for the letters with details of the clubs and when they will be start.
 
Sharing Assemblies
This term sharing assemblies will be on a Thursday because we have been lucky to have ‘Feel the Buzz’ music sessions allocated to us on Friday mornings when the children will be learning choral skills.
Oak – Thursday 24th 9.15
Holly – Thursday 1st October 9.15
Curriculum Focus Eco/ ICT – Thursday 15th October 9.15
Cherry – Thursday 5th November 9.15
Sycamore – Thursday 12th November 9.15
Chestnut – Thursday 19th November 9.15

Parents Skills
If you have any skills or talents that you would be happy to share with the school such as building, carpentry, gardening, sewing and music, please let us know. We aim to broaden the children’s curriculum as much as possible and welcome parents to work with staff and children in school.

Polling Station
Emscote Infant School is used as a polling station for elections. A UK Parliamentary General election is expected in the next 9 months but as the government only needs to give 17 working days notice of an election I am warning you we may have to close the school at short notice.

CRB Checks
If you would like to help in school or on class trips you must undergo a CRB check. Disclosure application forms can be obtained from the school office.

Pre-school Job Vacancies
Lunch time assistant – 1.45 – 1.15 (7 ½ hours a week)
Part time assistant – 2 days a week (11 hours a week)

Yours sincerely,

Debi Cossins
Headteacher