Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
Goodbye – we said Goodbye and Good Luck today to Mrs Donnai (Hornbeam Teacher) and Mrs Aldridge (Curriculum Support Teacher). Both are off on Maternity Leave and expecting their babies next month. We wish them well and hope to meet the new arrivals soon. Miss Sarah Cunniapen has been appointed as Maternity Cover for Term 5 & Mrs Amy Fletcher will return to teach the class in Term 6.
Ash Class has been doing lots of problem solving in maths and we are delighted that one of our solutions has been published on the NRICH website. If you would like to read it, here is the link: http://nrich.maths.org/1044/solution
Multi-Activity mornings – Mrs Bodeker will be continuing with her morning training on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8am – 8.30am. However the sessions will now include a variety of athletics, skills and distance work using the school field. These sessions are open to all classes. The children should arrive by 8am and be signed in by their parents. Mrs Bodeker will supervise the children changing into their uniforms after training and ensure they go to their classes. If Mrs Bodeker is unexpectedly absent, a notice will be put up in the Foyer to alert parents.
The Craft Club is returning again after Easter for Yr 1-Yr 5 children (see attachment for more details).
Uniform – As from the summer term, until the October half term, girls may wear summer dresses, with white socks and navy or black closed toe sandals. Any hairbands worn should be plain and blue. Boys are welcome to wear grey shorts with either grey or black socks. During this term children are requested to bring in named sun hats, sun screen and water bottles. Any prescription medication for Hay Fever should be given to the appropriate staff members once a medicine form has been completed. These are available from the office. Please note, school is not able to give medication unless it has been prescribed by a Doctor.
Student Update Forms – if you have not yet returned your form, please let Mrs Mason know. Another copy can be printed out if necessary. All the amendments and updates will have been made by the start of Summer Term. New Emergency Contact Cards will be generated with information we hold for your children.
Elms Multi-Sports Camp – This will be taking place during the Easter Holidays at Woodcote Primary School. The Camp is open to all children aged between 4-12yrs. The dates are as follows: Monday 30th March – Thursday 2nd April and Tuesday 7th April – Friday 10th April. Leaflets are available in the Foyer or you can find out more information at their website: www.elmsholidayschemes.co.uk
Woodcote Holiday Club – The Cabin and Woodcote Pre-Schools are running a holiday club over Easter between: Monday 30th March –Thursday 2nd April and Tuesday 7th April – Friday 9th April for children aged between 21/2 & 7 years old. Leaflets available in the Foyer.
This morning at 9:20 all the staff and children and some parents, headed to the playground equipped with special Solar eclipse viewing glasses. It was a gloomy and overcast, grey day, so unfortunately we did not get to see the actual eclipse for ourselves. We did experience the darkening of the sky though and noticed that our school security lights came on because it reached the right level of darkness.
Here are some pictures of everyone in the playground, trying to get a glimpse!
End of Term: School finishes next Friday 27th March at 1pm for the Easter Holidays. School reopens for the summer term on Monday 13th April.
Dress Down– There will be a dress down day next Friday (27th March). If your child wishes to take part they should give £1 to their class teacher on the day. As always, all funds go towards supporting the school.
Uniform – As from the summer term, until the October half term, girls may wear summer dresses, with white socks and navy or black closed toe sandals. Any hairbands worn should be plain and blue. Boys are welcome to wear grey shorts with either grey or black socks. During this term children are requested to bring in named sun hats, sun screen and water bottles. Any prescription medication for Hay Fever should be given to the appropriate staff members once a medicine form has been completed. These are available from the office. Please note, school is not able to give medication unless it has been prescribed by a Doctor.
Student Update Forms –Key Stage 1 parents, please note that the Free School Meals, referred to on the form, is not the Universal Infant Free School Meals. It refers only to the entitlement of meals due to income support. Please check Doctors details and give permission, where appropriate, for us to contact the Doctor and administer first aid. Please return the completed and signed forms to the school office via the post box by 25th March 2015.
Elms Multi-Sports Camp – This will be taking place during the Easter Holidays at Woodcote Primary School. The Camp is open to all children aged between 4-12yrs. The dates are as follows: Monday 30th March – Thursday 2nd April and Tuesday 7th April – Friday 10th April. Leaflets are available in the Foyer or you can find out more information at their website: www.elmsholidayschemes.co.uk
Woodcote Holiday Club – The Cabin and Woodcote Pre-Schools are running a holiday club over Easter between: Monday 30th March –Thursday 2nd April and Tuesday 7th April – Friday 9th April for children aged between 21/2 & 7 years old. Leaflets available in the Foyer.
Dear Parents,
I am writing to you with regard to the partial solar eclipse that will occur this Friday 20th March. This event is quite rare, starting at 8.30 am and lasting until approx. 10.30 am, with the next major eclipse being in 2026. On Friday the moon will pass in front of the sun reaching a maximum by blocking out 90% of the disc at 9.30 am, causing a temporary darkness.
Nobody should ever under any circumstances look directly at the sun or look at the sun through any optical instruments such as telescopes or binoculars, even when the eclipse is at its greatest. The sun is so bright that just looking at it can blind you. Sunglasses do not provide adequate protection. The sun gives off infra-red and ultra-violet radiation that will cause blindness if it is looked at directly.
The event will occur during the first part of our school morning and, weather permitting, the whole school will be outside making observations. Of course we are keen for the children to experience the phenomenon first hand, which they will be able to do under strict supervision using one of the four methods below:
1. The simplest method to observe the eclipse is with a pinhole viewer which we will make on Friday. It is made with a small hole in a piece of card and, standing with your back against the sun, projecting the image onto another piece of card. Children will not look through the pinhole at the sun, but only at the projected image.
2. BBC Stargazing live will be broadcasting the event live on their website and TV.
3. Projecting the image onto a piece of white card through a lens such as a pair of binoculars. Again, children will not look at the sun directly.
4. Using Eclipse viewing glasses, however they must be CE certified and be checked for holes and scratches, as they must only be used if undamaged. Be sure to look away from the direction of the sun before putting eclipse shades on or taking them off. (The current edition of the BBC Sky at Night magazine has a free pair of the safety specs.)
The school has purchased enough pairs of Eclipse Viewing Glasses from Jodrell Bank so that all pupils will be able to see the eclipse safely. They will be supervised and instructed on their use throughout the event.
I hope that the weather is on our side and that we will all be able to enjoy and experience this rare spectacle safely together. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.
Further information can be found on the following websites:
http://www.jodrellbank.net/partial-solar-eclipse/
http://www.ras.org.uk/images/solar_eclipse_leaflet.pdf
http://www.solareclipse2015.org.uk
Kind regards,
Liz Hunt
Headteacher
Student Update Forms –Key Stage 1 parents, please note that the Free School Meals, referred to on the form, is not the Universal Infant Free School Meals. It refers only to the entitlement of meals due to income support. Please check Doctors details and give permission, where appropriate, for us to contact the Doctor and administer first aid. Please return the completed and signed forms to the school office via the post box by the 25th March 2015.
Elms Multi-Sports Camp – This will be taking place during the Easter Holidays at Woodcote Primary School. The Camp is open to all children aged between 4-12yrs. The dates are as follows: Monday 30th March – Thursday 2nd April and Tuesday 7th April – Friday 10th April. Leaflets are available in the Foyer or you can find out more information at their website: www.elmsholidayschemes.co.uk
Woodcote Holiday Club – The Cabin and Woodcote Pre-Schools are running a holiday club over Easter between: Monday 30th March –Thursday 2nd April and Tuesday 7th April – Friday 9th April for children aged between 21/2 & 7 years old. Leaflets available in the Foyer.
Aspens Dinners – please may parents check with their children, whether they have enjoyed the dinners ordered for them. This week many children, especially in the younger classes, have been reluctant to eat the meals that parents have ordered for them, therefore producing a large volume of waste and some very hungry children! Thank you.
World Book Week – thank you to all the children, parents, Grandparents and staff who have helped to make this a wonderfully successful and enjoyable Book Week. The Classes have produced some fantastic art work, including a huge Gruffalo, currently gracing our Foyer!
Student Update Forms – over the next week, your children will be bringing home an envelope containing a student update form. This details the current information that we have on our Pupil Data System. Please check the information and alter anything that is no longer valid and enter any extra details that would help us contact someone for your child, in the case of an emergency. Key Stage 1 parents, please note that the Free School Meals, referred to on the form, is not the Universal Infant Free School Meals. It refers only to the entitlement of meals due to income support. Please check Doctors details and give permission, where appropriate, for us to contact the Doctor and administer first aid. Please return the completed and signed forms to the school office via the post box by the 25th March 2015.
Water at Lunchtimes – there has been some concern raised about the availability of water for the children at lunchtime. The children have access to fresh water fountains by the school hall, in Beech Class, in Ash Class and in the playground. Aspen Packed Lunches no longer contain the small juice pot but children do bring their own named, resealable water bottles or access water from the water fountain by the hall during lunchtime. If parents have any further questions regarding water availability please contact the school office.
Red Nose Day – Friday 13th March – as part of this fund raising day, the children may come to school in home clothes and bring a £1 donation (or more) for the Red Nose Charity. The children will be designing their own Red Noses as part of a competition.
Help! Sainsbury’s Active Kids Vouchers – would anybody be willing to take on the responsibility of counting the vouchers that we are collecting again this year? If so, please speak to Mrs Mason in the office.
Elms Multi-Sports Camp – This will be taking place during the Easter Holidays at Woodcote Primary School. The Camp is open to all children aged between 4-12yrs. The dates are as follows: Monday 30th March – Thursday 2nd April and Tuesday 7th April – Friday 10th April. Leaflets are available in the Foyer or you can find out more information at their website: www.elmsholidayschemes.co.uk
Woodcote Holiday Club – The Cabin and Woodcote Pre-Schools are running a holiday club over Easter between: Monday 30th March –Thursday 2nd April and Tuesday 7th April – Friday 9th April for children aged between 21/2 & 7 years old. Leaflets available in the Foyer.
School Disco – Tonight with KS1 from 5.30pm until 6.30pm and KS2 from 6.45pm until 7.45pm.
Coffee Shop – Is being run by FOWPS tomorrow (Saturday 7th March). Please come along and enjoy a coffee and perhaps a slice of delicious homemade cake. The Coffee Shop is open from 10am – 12.30pm.
Mothers’ Day Gifts – Will be available to buy on the 12th and 13th March at the end of school. If you are able to help with running the stall, please contact a member of the committee.
Ladies Pub Walk – 15th May. More details will follow…
Email: fowps@woodcote-primary.co.uk