Blandford St Mary Primary School Newsletter Headteacher: Mr Paul Lavis Deputy Headteacher (on secondment): Mrs Lauren Houlston
October 2011 Volume 4, Issue 14
Contents: Parking
Dear Parents 2
fortunately, this doesn’t seem to have the effect we would like— School Nurse Drop - in 2 First of all a huge thank you to those parents who took part in the Meet The which is to encourage people to Medicines in school 2 Teacher evening last week. As the picwalk to and from school or at least ture below shows, it was very well atpark at the bottom of Birch Avenue Lunch boxes 2 tended. All the materials we used will be and walk up the hill. You may reon the school website soon (we’re just member how we campaigned for National Heroes Day 3 recording the narration!). the crossing patrol 3 years ago. It Great South Run 3 would help the congestion problem enormously if parents could park in Local Job Vacancy 4 the car-parks in Homebase or Tesco and then use the crossing-patrol. Diary Dates 4
Celebration Assembly Dates 14th October ~ Yr 4
21st October ~ Yr 3
4th November ~ Yr 2
Every year I receive a report from the local authority that summarises how our children travel to and from school. The report ‘rates’ us using a traffic light system of red, amber and green. For a long time we have been rated ‘green’ which means that most children who are able to walk into school do so. However, the most recent report has us as ‘amber’ - suggesting an increase in children coming to school by car when they live very close to school. It will not have escaped your notice just how busy it is outside of school in the mornings and afternoons. We regularly have to make requests regarding not-parking on zig-zags or blocking the road. Un-
The report I mentioned is accompanied by a map that shows where families are driving from and walking from to get to school. Some of the distances that families are walking are very impressive! But, some of the driving distances are less so. We really need to move back into the green zone and we have some initiatives planned for the near future but the suggestions above are things that we can do immediately to improve the situation.
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Volume 4, Issue 14
Blandford St Mary Primary School Newsletter
Notice Board
Parking
Drop--In School Nurse Drop
Can we please ask that you are very careful in considering where you park in the mornings and after school. We have had a number of complaints from residents in Southover Close where the road and driveways have been blocked. We really need to be fair to our neighbours.
The next School Nurse drop in is on Monday 19th September at 8.45am. Please let the office or one of the class teachers know if you would like to make an appointment to see Sarah. You can also just pop in on the day.
Medicines in School
The policy adopted within school is that ‘no medicines are to be sent into school except those taken on a regular basis’ If your child has to receive medication throughout the school day, which has been prescribed by a doctor, a permission form is available from the office. We cannot administer any other “over the counter” medicines such as cough medicines and pain killers e.g calpol.
Lunchboxes
Can we please remind you that there should not be any cakes or food of any kind containing nuts in your child’s lunch box. We also request that sweets don’t form part of the meal. We are a Healthy school and actively encourage healthy eating so we ask for your help with promoting this .
Volume 4, Issue 14
Blandford St Mary Primary School Newsletter
Page 3
National Heroes Day We are very proud to be taking part in the National Heroes day on Friday 21st October. Please read the quotation below to give you an insight into the charity. We will be requesting a donation of £1 for this event. “Heroes Day is a simple idea, so simple that it is brilliant – I only wish I could claim the credit. That, however, has to go to a friend of Richard’s, a young teacher, called Danny Glavin, who has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for Help for Heroes in memory of my son Marine Richard Hollington. Rather than just ask people to sponsor him, he invited schools to allow their pupils to honour their heroes (whoever that is – mother, father, Buzz Lightyear, George Best, Winston Churchill, Christopher Columbus, Yuri Gagarin, their class teacher), by coming to school dressed as their hero one day in lieu of school uniform.” If you would like more information regarding this event, then please visit www.herosday.org.uk
The Great South Run On the weekend of 29th, 30th October, one of our pupils, Emma Wright and her mum Diana, are running in the Junior and 10miles, respectively, Great South Run in Portsmouth. Diana Wright is running for the Ward at Southampton that has been looking after Emma’s little sister, Lucy, following her neuroblastoma last year. If you would like to sponsor Diana. The website link is: http://www.justgiving.com/Diana-Wright2 Thank you
Talent Show We will be having a talent show on 24th November from 6.30pm-7.30pm. Auditions for this will take place during the week after half term. Two of the acts from key stage 2 will be chosen to take part in a Blandford Schools Network talent show on 16th January. A letter regarding this was sent home this week, please return the slip indicating what your childs act is, to the office.
Blandford St Mary Primary School Newsletter Blandford St Mary Primary School Birch Avenue Blandford St Mary, Dorset DT11 9QD Phone: 01258-453331 Fax: 01258-455865
Website : www.blandfordstmary.dorset.sch.uk
Local Job Vacancy
Driver Wanted Local Food Links, Blandford
Local Food Links Ltd is looking to recruit a Driver to deliver freshly made meals to schools in the Blandford area. The Driver will be required to work 2Âź hours a day (from 1045 am to 1pm) Monday to Friday, term time only. A clean driving licence is required. CRB checks will be carried out on all successful applicants. Salary available on request. Closing date for applications: Date of Interviews:
Thursday 20 October 2011 Monday 31 October 2011
For further details and an application form, please contact Jayne Fry, Kitchen Manager on 01308 458326 or email: jayne.fry@localfoodlinks.org.uk. Job Description and Application Form available on request.
School Diary Dates: Monday 17th October Friday 21st October Monday 24th October - Friday 28th October Tuesday 1st - Tuesday 15th November Thursday 10th & Friday 11th November Saturday 19th November Friday 2nd December Sunday 4th December Friday 16th December
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School closed (teacher training) National Heros Day Half term Samaritans Purse Shoe Box Appeal Life Education van at school Ashley Wood Studios Family portraits (FOS) Christmas Tree Festival Christingle Children break up from school for Christmas