Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
Scholastic Book Fair – We would like to thank everyone for their support of the Book Fair held in the school.
The Book Fair enables us to claim 50% of the sales taken as commission so we have been able to claim a marvellous £382 to use on buying new books for the school.
Open Evening – We hope parents enjoyed the KS2 Parents Evening this week. We had a wonderful display of work from years 3-6 pupils from the whole school topic ‘War and Peace’ and some fantastic interactive displays for parents. It was great to see so many parents attend. A big thank you to all the staff and the children for their preparation for this evening, and to FOWPS for providing refreshments.
Book Week – On the back of this newsletter is our programme for Book Week next week which shows that the children will be taking part in numerous activities during the week. This has also been put on our website.
Parents Evenings – These will be held during week commencing 11th March as follows. Please sign up on the lists which will be in the school hall from Monday next week. Please allow time between appointments if you have more than one child.
Willow, Maple, Hornbeam, Beech and Oak classes – Monday 11th and Wednesday 13th March starting at 3.30pm except for Maple class which will start at 3.50pm on Wednesday due to a school trip.
Rowan and Ash classes – Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th March starting at 3.30pm
Ofsted Interim Assessment – We have received a letter from Ofsted informing us that our interim assessment shows that the school’s performance has been sustained and that the next full inspection will not take place any earlier than the summer term 2014. The letter has been put onto our school website if you wish to read it or alternatively we have copies available in the school office.
Lunchtime Supervisor – The school has a vacancy for a lunchtime supervisor. If you, or someone you know, would like to apply for this position please ask in the school office for more details and an application form.
Nestlé Box Tops – If you have any of these tokens could you please bring them into school soon as these need to be sent off by the end of March.
Extra Activities – Could all parents please note that if your child is booked into After School Club, Music lessons, French lessons or any other activity and will not be there for a session or will be late back due to school trips etc. you must inform the activity organiser of this. It is not the responsibility of the school office to do this.
Here is some more information on Book Week.
Monday 4th March
All pupils will listen to stories from different religions, told by visiting storytellers, and take part in an assembly introducing all of the exciting activities. Also, please start to bring in any books that we can use on Thursday’s book stall for Book Aid International.
Tuesday 5th March
Everyone can bring in a book from home to share in team meetings and we will begin our voting to find Woodcote Primary School’s favourite book. Oak will visit Woodcote Library for a treasure hunt. In addition, classes will have a chance to visit an African story tent filled with stories from different cultures.
Wednesday 6th March
Classes will continue to visit the story tent, reading stories and using artefacts. The children of Oak, Hornbeam and Beech Classes are invited to come back to school at 6pm for cookies, cocoa and a bedtime story, read by teachers. The children are welcome to come, ready for bed, in their pyjamas! FOWPS will be selling drinks in Maple Class for parents. Stories will finish at 6:45.
World Book Day, Thursday 7th March
Please join us before school at our special cafe (8:20am – 8:50am). Bring along a picture book, novel or newspaper to read whilst enjoying a cup of tea, coffee or squash. We will be selling drinks, have places to sit, read and share books and have a stall selling all of the books that we have collected this week. (There will be books for children and adults.) All proceeds will go towards Book Aid International.
Also, on World Book Day, we will be running a morning workshop for Oak Class parents, from 9:15 to 11:30. It is aimed at parents who wish to find out how to support their children, in a fun way, with reading, writing and phonics at home and will look at how early literacy skills are taught at school. If you would like to come along, please see Mrs Farrant as soon as possible.
The afternoon should be fun with the school taking part in an ‘edition’ of Eggheads based around children’s literature. Beech, Ash, Maple and Willow will be going on a hunt around the village library and the last round of voting for the school’s favourite book will take place.
Friday 8th March
We will announce the results of our vote for Woodcote Primary School’s favourite book and the prize winner of our favourite book hunt. This is a competition for all children to take part in, at break and lunchtimes, where they have to find out different people’s favourite books. Rowan and Hornbeam will end the week with a hunt for things in Woodcote Library.
PC 5504 DIX
School Liaison Officer,
Safer Schools Partnership,
Abingdon Police Station.
Colwell Drive Abingdon,
OX14 1AU
Tel. 101
Date
Dear Parents & Guardians
No doubt there were a number of lucky young people that received some fabulous and expensive presents over the Christmas period including bicycles, games consoles and laptops etc. As such I want to give you some important advice and info on security, marking and registering your valuables.
Laptops are of course becoming a common gift for older pupils and are often used to store very important coursework by many students. Laptops are also a common target for thieves and are one of the most commonly stolen items in burglaries etc. While it may be possible to replace these, the course work, which could be two years or more work, and other data, may be lost forever. Please consider saving any important data on a separate memory stick or similar device, so if the laptop is stolen, a copy of your important work or data will still be in your possession.
Please see the below information that may help you and your family protect your items more securely. There are also direct links to the Thames Valley Police website and others that will give further information on each topic.
Bicycle Security
About 50% of people do not lock their bike correctly!
Property marking
There are various ways to mark your personal property to protect it against theft and help police to return it to you if it is stolen and recovered.
You can mark your property yourself, quickly and at very little cost by using the following techniques:
We recommend that you mark all of your valuable and personal items. Take a photograph of them too. It may then be possible to return the items to you if they are recovered after being stolen.
What details should I include in the marking?
The postcode of the premises where the property is located, house number, and your name or part of your name.
There is also a nationwide website where you can register your valuables, which is www.immobilise.com
What is Smartwater?
Smartwater is a brand of forensic marking fluid containing millions of microscopic particles that make up an individual property identification code. The liquid is invisible to the naked eye, but glows green under UV light. It can be painted onto valuable items (e.g. laptops, MP3 players, televisions, antiques) so that if the items are stolen and later seized by the police, the markings can be checked and items linked with their owners.
A person who has been arrested for any offence and brought to a custody suite equipped with Smartwater detection facilities will be screened to see whether they may have been stained by Smartwater or any other ultra violet taggant. All prisoners brought into Abingdon custody are screened.
The South and Vale Community Safety Partnership has recently provided funding for the provision of large Ultra violet lanterns to detect items that have been marked with smartwater, ultra violet pens or other forensic marking products. These lanterns are being used across the area by neighbourhood policing teams and priority crime teams not only on stop checks but also when carrying out warrants and also on our regular checks on local scrap yards.
We will be stocking a limited number of smartwater marking kits suitable for homes which mark up to 50 items at a heavily discounted rate of £15 per kit – if you would like to pre-book a kit for collection at your local police station then please contact Alison Smith Crime Reduction Advisor on 01235 776007 or via e-mail alison.smith4@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
Road Safety
Lastly and perhaps most importantly young people aged 11 to 15 are more likely to be killed or seriously injured as a pedestrian or cyclist than any other age group. Whether your child has a new bicycle or not, please ensure it is well maintained and road worthy. Remember it's an offence to ride at night without a front white light, back red light and back red reflector. It may well be dark during winter months when your child comes out of school or during their journey home and as such they will need adequate lighting and brakes etc for their own safety and in order to abide by the law.
Please see the following link for further cycle safety guidance and lots more general road safety
advice. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Yourchildshealthandsafety/Roadandtravelsafety/DG_4002995
Thank you for taking the time in reading the above and I hope you find it practical and useful. Please also visit the Thames Valley Police Website www.thamesvalley.police.uk for lots more Police related information and Crime Reduction advice.
Regards,
Mike Dix
Dear Parents and Carers,
World Book Day is on Thursday 7th March and Woodcote Primary School will be celebrating it by organising a Book Week, starting on Monday 4th March. This letter contains important information about the many exciting activities leading up to and during the week.
Scholastic Book Fair, Tuesday 19th February
We are hosting the Scholastic Book Fair from tomorrow until Monday 25th February. Attached to this letter is a leaflet from Scholastic and your child’s World Book Day token. The children can use this token at the book fair to get £1 off books costing £2.99 or more. (Alternatively, they can swap the token for one of the free World Book Day books in participating bookshops, from Monday 25th February.)
Book Aid International
Book Aid International is a charity that increases access to books and supports literacy, education and development in sub-Saharan Africa. During Book Week, we would like to increase the children’s awareness of their work and also raise some money for them. Therefore, please send in any unwanted children’s or adults’ books (in good condition) on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Book Week. These books will be sold for 50p each in our Family Reading Cafe on World Book Day to raise money for Book Aid International.
Classes will also hear stories from different religions, told by visiting storytellers, and will have a chance to visit an African story tent filled with stories from different cultures.
Bedtime Story, Wednesday 6th March
The children of Oak, Hornbeam and Beech Classes are invited to come back to school at 6pm for cookies, cocoa and a bedtime story, read by teachers. The children are welcome to come, ready for bed, in their pyjamas! This year FOWPS will be selling drinks in Maple Class for parents. Stories will finish at 6:45.
Family Reading Cafe and Book Stall, Thursday 7th March
Please join us before school at our special cafe (8:20am – 8:50am). Bring along a picture book, novel or newspaper to read whilst enjoying a cup of tea, coffee or squash. We will be selling drinks, have places to sit, read and share books and have a stall selling all of the books that we have collected this week. (There will be books for children and adults.) All proceeds will go towards Book Aid International.
Family Literacy Morning, Thursday 7th March (9:15am – 11:30am)
We will be running a morning workshop for Oak Class parents. It is aimed at parents who wish to find out how to support their children, in a fun way, with reading, writing and phonics at home and will look at how early literacy skills are taught at school. If you would like to come along, please see Mrs Farrant as soon as possible.
There will be other special events in classes, assemblies and team meetings, including a vote to find Woodcote Primary School’s favourite book and school doors becoming book covers!
Thank you for all of your support.
Amy Burrell,
Literacy Coordinator
LIST OF CURRENT GOVERNORS (February 2013)
The Governors listed above have taken on the responsibility to work with the school on planning, developing policies and keeping the school under review. Their responsibilities and powers are exercised in partnership with the headteacher and the staff.
Community Members Dr Tim Mason – Chair of Governors (parent of Peter)
Mrs Diana Hadaway (Member of the Parish Council)
L.E.A. Appointed Mr Simon Palmer (parent of Joshua and Joseph)
Mr. John Carr (parent of Andrew and David)
Parent Governors Mr David Warren – Finance Governor (parent of Maddy and Theo)
Mr Paul Clifford – Health & Safety Governor (parent of Zak and Lara)
Mr Tom McAuslin – Buildings and Premises Governor (parent of Finlay and Anya)
Mrs Sarah Bentley – Special Needs Governor (parent of Ellen and Elizabeth)
Mrs Helena McBride – Community Outreach Governor (parent of Adam and Toby-Joe)
Staff Representatives Mrs Pippa Bodeker (Teacher)
Miss Kelly Gould – Teaching assistant (parent of Holly and Jacob)
Headteacher Chris Field
Clerk Mrs Alison Mason (School Secretary)
The Governors listed above have taken on the responsibility to work with the school on planning, developing policies and keeping the school under review. Their responsibilities and powers are exercised in partnership with the headteacher and the staff.
Parents wishing to contact Governors regarding school matters may do so via the school office.
Woodcote Primary School
School Term and Holiday Dates for 2013 – 2014
Term 4 – Monday 18th February – Thursday 28th March 2013.
April holiday – Friday 29th March – Friday 12th April 2013.
Term 5 – Tuesday 16th April – Friday 24th May 2013.
Inset Day – Monday 15th April 2012
Spring Bank holiday – Monday 6th May 2013.
Late Spring holiday – Monday 27th May – Friday 31st May 2013.
Term 6 – Monday 3rd June –Tuesday 23rd July 2013
Summer holidays – Wednesday 24th July – Tuesday 3rd September 2013
Term 1 – Wednesday 4th September – Friday 25th October 2013.
Inset Day – Monday 2nd September 2013.
Inset Day – Tuesday 3rd September 2013.
October holiday – Monday 28th October – Friday 1st November 2013.
Term 2 – Monday 4th November– Friday 20th December 2013.
Christmas holiday – Monday 23rd December 2013 – Friday 3rd January 2014.
Term 3 – Monday 6th January – Friday 14th February 2014.
February holiday – Monday 17th February – Friday 21st February 2014.
Term 4 – Monday 24th February – Friday 4th April 2014.
April holiday – Monday 7th April – Monday 21st April 2014..
Term 5 – Tuesday 22nd April – Friday 23rd May 2014.
Spring Bank holiday – Monday 5th May 2014.
Late Spring holiday – Monday 26th May – Friday 30th May 2014.
Term 6 – Monday 2nd June –Tuesday 22nd July 2014.
Please note that all the INSET Days from October 2013 have not yet been identified. An updated list of dates will be sent out once they are confirmed.
Sainsbury’s Vouchers – These Active Kids vouchers are now available in the shops. Please collect them and bring them into school so that we can claim free equipment for the school.
Music Lessons – There will be no music lessons on Tuesday 19th February, these will start again on Tuesday 26th February.
Scholastic Book Fair – This will be in school from Tuesday 19th until Monday 25th February. Leaflets will be given out on the Monday we return after half term.
Term Dates – On a separate sheet with this newsletter there is a list of term dates for the rest of this year and also for the next academic year for you to keep for future reference.
School Governors – On the back of the term dates you will find a list of all school governors. This again for you to keep for future reference.
HOST – is a charity, founded 25 years ago by the British Council, which encourages international friendship and understanding by arranging for adult international students at universities in the UK to spend 1 – 3 days in a British home. Many international students at UK universities would love to experience this holiday. Inviting a student to stay will make them feel welcome here. Teach your children about other cultures, meet new people and make the world a little friendlier!
To learn more about volunteer hosting at Easter or any weekend of the year, see www.hostuk.org
or contact Rosemary on 01235 868 047.
Community Centre Bookings – We have been asked to help publicise that bookings can be made by phone/text to 07581 337032 or by email to mail@enquirieswoodcotecc.org.uk Booking forms can still be collected from Woodcote Garden Centre or requested from the above email or phone number. The keys can be collected/returned from/to Woodcote Garden Centre during business hours.
Half Term – I hope you have a good half term next week and we look forward to seeing you all again on Monday 18th February.