Thank you – to Tori Van Heerden and Holly Bassett for organising a colouring competition for Sports Relief. The winner will be announced in the Celebration Assembly on Friday.
Jonah – A Fishy Tail – Ash and Rowan class Production – Wednesday 2nd April 7pm. Tickets have been sent out today along with a programme which you will need to bring to the production. Please be reminded this is a ticket only event and there are no spare tickets left.
The dress rehearsal for this production is on Monday 31st March at 2pm. The full production is on Wednesday 2nd April from 7pm. Please ensure your Yr3/Yr4 children are in school for preparations between 6pm-6.15pm. Parents are invited to enjoy a drink in Maple class from 6.15pm.
Football Tournament – Last week two teams from Year 4 and Year 5 went to the Oratory School for a
7-a-side football tournament. They all played really well, showed great sportsmanship and represented the school very well. They also all enjoyed themselves, especially the refreshments provided by the Oratory School. Well done to Charlotte Cubberley, Oliver Maloney, Tom Gordon, Toby-Joe McBride, Christopher Lobb, Samuel Butler-James, Joseph Palmer, Archie Clark, Guy Furlonger, Archie Jones, Archie Kennedy, Ben Dowman, Ben Holland, Gemma Botham, Cameron Cox, Tommy Edwards and Joshua Lyons.
Bright Sparks Science – will be running another Science Club after Easter. The sessions will be on Wednesday afternoons from 3.20pm – 4.20pm at a cost of £39.00 for 6 weeks. Please collect a registration form from the office and return it completed with the payment as soon as possible. Spaces are limited.
Guitar Lessons – Following the guitar demonstration in assembly this week, if any children in Year 2 and above are interested in lessons please ask in the school office for a leaflet. Further information can be obtained by emailing goguitarmail@yahoo.co.uk
End of Term – This term ends next Friday 4th April at the earlier time of 1pm.
New Term – The new term starts on Wednesday 23rd April (there is an Inset Day on Tuesday 22nd April).
Year 3 and Year 4 Production – Wednesday 2nd April 7pm. A separate letter has been sent out regarding tickets for this production. Please return the slip at the end of the letter by Monday next week if you require tickets so that we can allocate any spare tickets for those who need extra.
Guitar Lessons – After Easter guitar lessons will be available in school. During assembly on Wednesday 26th March the guitar teacher will give a demonstration. Further information can be obtained from the school office or by emailing goguitarmail@yahoo.co.uk
Possible Teachers Strike – A strike is being organised by the Unions for next Wednesday 26thMarch but we do not anticipate any of our teachers taking part in this so the school will be open and all pupils are expected in as usual.
Mothers Afternoon Tea – Oak class are pleased to invite mothers of their pupils to Afternoon Tea on Wednesday 26th March at 2.30pm. We hope you will all come along to join us.
Oak Class – If you have any old CD’S or newspapers, Oak class would be glad to receive these for use in their class.
Nestlé Box Tops – Please check your cereal cupboards and if you find any Nestlé tokens bring them in to school quickly. The last day for sending tokens in to claim free books is Wednesday 26th March. Thank you to everyone who has donated tokens to help our classes benefit from the Nestlé free books scheme.
Breakfast Club – will be offering a new Morning Rush session from next term. The morning rush session will be from 8.15am until school drop off and will be £3.00 per child. This session does not include breakfast, however drinks will be available. Spaces are limited, therefore if you are interested in either the morning rush session or the full session (7.15 – school drop off) then please get in touch with Charlotte on 01491 682792 or e-mail charlotte@woodcotebreakfastclub.co.uk
The Breakfast club are Ofsted registered and therefore can accept childcare vouchers as a form of payment. For further information please visit the website at www.woodcotebreakfastclub.co.uk
End of Term – This term ends on Friday 4th April at the earlier time of 1pm.
New Term – The new term starts on Wednesday 23rd April (there is an Inset Day on Tuesday 22nd April).
Art Week –The children had an exciting time during Art Week, last week. They created some wonderful pieces of artwork which we hope you came to view on the Thursday and Friday. World Book Day was busy but rewarding for all involved. Well done to Lara and her family who won our Family Book Quiz.
All of our staff worked hard to make all the events successful. I would like to say particular thanks to Mrs Farrant for organising Art Week and Mrs Lecorgne and Mr Morris for creating and running the book quiz.
The Little Adventure Shop – (www.littleadventureshop.co.uk) will be holding a clearance sale on 19th March from midday to 7pm at Unit 6, Church Farm, Reading Road, Woodcote. They sell outdoor clothing for children so this opportunity could be perfect for Year 6 children, going on the residential trip, to pick up bargains for their residential trip. The shop will give 10% of any sales that they make from Woodcote parents to the school.
Year 3 and Year 4 Production – A separate letter is being sent out regarding tickets for this production.
Guitar Lessons – After Easter guitar lessons will be available in school. During assembly on Wednesday 26th March the guitar teacher will give a demonstration. Further information can be obtained from the school office or by emailing goguitarmail@yahoo.co.uk
Early Morning Sports Sessions – After Easter the KS2 Fencing sessions will continue but unfortunately the
KS1 Multi-Sports sessions will not due to there being insufficient children wanting to take part.
Wildlife Area – We are near to completion!! The last working party session at the Wildlife Area will take place on Sunday 16th March where we will need some heavy digging but also this is where the fun really starts. We will be doing the planting in the pond, sowing the seeds for the ‘wild meadow’ and the ‘woodland’ area and finishing off the natural, handmade fencing. All ready for spring and ready for the wildlife to take over from here.
Please, please, please do come along, we will be there from 10am until 4pm (approx) but if you could give us an hour or two of your time, it would be really appreciated. We desperately need wheelbarrows and spades, wellies a must and gloves that you don’t mind getting covered in soil are recommended. Please call or email Helena at helena.adams07@gmail.com or call 07798 702041 to let us know if you can give up an hour or two.
Nestlé Box Tops – Please can you bring in any box tops you have next week as this scheme will be finishing soon and we would like to obtain as many books as possible before it ends.
LANGTREE LECTURES – Flying into the Eye of the Storm
Dr John Methven will be talking about the science of high impact weather, a very topical subject following our winter of unprecedented storms, at Langtree School on Tuesday 25th March 2014 from 7:00 to 8:30pm. The lecture is free. and is aimed at all members of the School Community and also any friends and family who are interested.
If you would like to book seats for this Lecture, please email community@langtreeschool.com by Thursday 20th March 2014 at the latest. No tickets will be issued; your seats will be booked automatically.
Breakfast Club – will be offering a new Morning Rush session from next term. The morning rush session will be from 8.15am until school drop off and will be £3.00 per child. This session does not include breakfast, however drinks will be available. Spaces are limited, therefore if you are interested in either the morning rush session or the full session (7.15 – school drop off) then please get in touch with Charlotte on 01491 682792 or e-mail charlotte@woodcotebreakfastclub.co.uk
The Breakfast club are Ofsted registered and therefore can accept childcare vouchers as a form of payment. For further information please visit the website at www.woodcotebreakfastclub.co.uk
It looks as though Spring has finally sprung, we have started to see the sun peering through the clouds, bringing with it another frantic month on the school calendar.
We start with pupils from years 1 and 2 who competed in a football tournament at Cranford House, Moulsford. The whole team played extremely well and came third (out of twelve teams). Despite their age they all displayed great sportsmanship and manners, both on and off the pitch. Well done to all who participated, we are very proud of you.
Then along came Art Week, which sandwiched World Book Day and so the focus for this was illustrators of children’s book. It started with an assembly where the children learnt to draw the character ‘Claude’ from the Alex T Smith series of books.
Each class studied pictures by a different artist, then created their own illustrations which were shown in our art gallery on the Thursday evening and Friday morning. All the work was fantastic and showed a huge range of skills and different techniques, including an impressive display of potatoes dressed up as book characters!
World Book Day on Thursday 6th March, started early with a Family Reading Café for both parents and children. They had a chance to buy books, read the papers or magazines, wander round the ‘art gallery’ whilst drinking tea or squash. Both staff and pupils dressed up as book characters, including the Acting Headteacher who dressed up as Violet Beauregarde with a purple face all day! Many families came back to school in the evening to take part in our first Family Book Quiz, run magnificently by our quiz masters Mr Morris and Mrs Lecorgne. Well done to Lara Clifford-Zyms and her family who won!
Our Year 5s have been studying flight this term and we couldn’t resist another school trip to RAF Hendon. The children had great fun making and firing rockets, learning all about the Wright Brothers and the history of flight and then, back in class, making hot air balloons which now adorn the classroom ceiling. We’ll hear all about their antics in the year 5 assembly later this month.
Our years 3, 4, 5 and 6 all competed in the County Cross Country championship which was held on and around Rotherfield Peppard football ground. The competitors were presented with a very muddy, very challenging course especially made worse by the heavy rain that morning. Everyone had to work really hard and we were rewarded with several finalists in the top ten. Good effort and well done to all participated.
Finally we ended the month with the final working party session of the season in our Wildlife Area. We dug (again) but this time we got to enjoy the planting, the sowing of seeds and the making of the hazel fence by hand. Now all that is left is for the wildlife to take over from here, and to let the fun begin!
Sincere thanks go out to all those parents and children who have helped with all the hard work, the delivering and shifting of 9 tonnes of soil and donations from around the village of hardcore, rubble, slabs and stones. Special thanks go to the Woodcote Conservation Group who have regularly and generously given of their time and muscle power.
Welcome – This week we were pleased to welcome Ashton Allsworth who has joined Beech class.
Year 3 and Year 4 Production – The production of ‘Jonah and the Whale’ by Ash class and Rowan class will be held on Wednesday 2nd April at 7pm. Further details will follow nearer the time.
Piano Lessons – If you are interested in piano lessons for your child, please ask in the office as there are spaces available. Any pupil signing up for lessons over the next few terms will get free books for the first year plus one free lesson per term for the first two terms. The cost per lesson is £16. To find out more information and to obtain a form please contact Michael Davies at MJmusicservices@aol.com
Wildlife Area – We are near to completion!! The last working party session at the Wildlife Area will take place on Sunday 16th March where we will need some heavy digging but also this is where the fun really starts. We will be doing the planting in the pond, sowing the seeds for the ‘wild meadow’ and the ‘woodland’ area and finishing off the natural, handmade fencing. All ready for spring and ready for the wildlife to take over from here.
Please, please please do come along, we will be there from 10am until 4pm (approx) but if you could give us an hour or two of your time, it would be really appreciated. We desperately need wheelbarrows and spades, wellies a must and gloves that you don’t mind getting covered in soil are recommended. Please call or email Helena at helena.adams07@gmail.com or call 07798 702041 to let us know if you can give up an hour or two.
Sainsbury’s Active Kids – We are again collecting these vouchers and would be very grateful if you could send them in so that we can claim free resources for the school.
Goring Tennis Club – will be holding Tennis Camps from 7th – 18th April. For more information on costs and times etc. please go to www.juniors.goring-tennis.co.uk
World Book Day is on Thursday 6th March and Woodcote Primary School will be celebrating it by organising an Art Week, focusing on book illustrations, starting on Monday 3rd March. This letter contains important information about the many exciting activities leading up to and during the week.
Whole School Homework
All classes are taking part in a homework competition over this week. Each child should redesign the front cover of one of their favourite books. Your child should have brought home a sheet on which to do this. The homework should be handed back in on World Book Day. There will prizes given out in the assembly on Friday 7th March.
Book Token
Your child should have brought home a £1 book token today. This token is valid from Monday 3rd March to Sunday 30th March. They can swap the token for one of the brilliant £1 books or get £1 off any book (or audio book) worth £2.99 or more.
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 World Book Day, we hope to 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.
World Book Day, Thursday 6th March
Dress up and donate to change lives
Children can help to raise money for Book Aid International by paying £1 to dress up as a book character for the day. (If you’re stuck for inspiration, go to the website http://www.bookaid.org/get-involved/fundraise/schools/world-book-day-2014/dress_up_resources/ for 10 book character costume ideas.)
Family Reading Cafe and Book Stall
After last year’s successful event, 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. All proceeds will go towards Book Aid International.
Family Book Quiz (6:45-7:45)
The staff have organised what promises to be a fun book quiz for all ages. There will be many exciting rounds and families will join together on the night to form a team. It will cost 50p per person (child or adult) and children must be accompanied by a paying adult. Tickets can be purchased through the school office, from tomorrow. Please send the money in an envelope marked with ‘Family Book Quiz’, your child’s (or children’s) name and how many tickets you would like. As we only have limited space in our hall, we will be selling the tickets on a first come, first served basis. Light refreshments will be available on the night.
There will be many other special events in classes, assemblies and team meetings!