Clarence Road,Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B74 4LD Telephone: 0121 308 5392 Fax: 0121 308 5061
Friday 7th September 2012 DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES Wed 12th Sep Thur 13th Sep Tue 18th Sep Thur 20th Sep Fri 21st Sep Sat 22nd Mon 24th Sep Wed 26th Sep Mon 1st Oct Tue 2nd Oct Wed 3rd Oct Thur 4th Oct Fri 5th Oct Mon 8th Oct
Fri 12th Oct Mon 15th Oct
Tue 16h Oct Wed 17th Oct Fri 19th Oct
Mon 29th Oct Tue 30th Oct
9am Reception Parents Coffee Morning in Woodpeckers KS1 Parents Meeting – Reading and Phonics PTFA Curry Night at Mango Spice – all welcome PTFA AGM – 7.30 pm International Day of Peace Community Fayre at The Arthur Terry School 10.00 am – 1.00 pm ROBINS INSPIRE WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS – 9.00 am -11.00 pm WRENS INSPIRE WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS – 1.15 pm-3.15 pm European Day of Languages Year Six Parents’ Meeting – Learning Expectations – 6.45 pm – KS1 hall Children’s Book Week Parent Council meeting - 2.00pm Reception Parent Meeting - Letters and Sounds, 6.45pm in KS1 Cross Country at Hill West for Yrs 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 Harvest – Year 6 Assembly – 2.30 pm Barnardo & Gandhi – KS1 hall and Mandela & Pankhurst – KS2 hall SWIFTS INSPIRE WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS – 9.00 am to 11.00 am SWALLOWS INSPIRE WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS – 1.15 pm to 3.15 pm PTFA Meeting – 7.30 pm PTFA Quiz Night—all welcome LIMITED AFTERSCHOOL CLUBS THIS WEEK OWLS INSPIRE WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS – 9.00 am to 11.00 am KINGFISHERS INSPIRE WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS – 1.15 pm to 3.15 pm Parent Consultations KS1 3.30 – 5.00 and KS2 6.00 – 8.00pm Cross Country at Mere Green for Yrs 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 Parent Consultations KS2 3.30 – 5.00 and KS1 6.00 – 8.00pm 2.30pm Eid Celebration – Year 3 Assembly – 2.30pm Barnardo and Gandhi – KS1 hall and Mandela and Pankhurst – KS2 hall BREAK UP Staff Training Day CHILDREN RETURN TO SCHOOL
WELCOME BACK I would like to extend to you all a very warm welcome back to school. I hope that you all had a very good summer and I look forward to working in partnership with you this year. A special welcome to all of our new Reception children and parents and also to the new families who have joined us in other parts of the school. We also extend a very warm welcome to Miss Rowe who has joined us this September as Hares’ Class Teacher, Miss Hyde as Hedgehogs’ Class teacher and Miss Shirley as Swifts’ Class Teacher. Also we would like to welcome Katie Pegg to Woodpeckers.
PARENT HELPERS
PTFA AGM
At school we welcome parent helpers/ volunteers to work in class and support our children’s development. If you have some free time and would like to help out for a short time each week please come and see the School Office.
The PTFA AGM will be held on Thursday 20th September at 7.30 pm in KS1 hall. If you have an interest in finding out more about the PTFA or in standing for office, and raising much-needed funds for our school, I would urge you to come along and join us.
INSPIRE PARENTS’ WORKSHOPS Robins Wrens Swifts Swallows Owls Kingfishers Hedgehogs Rabbits Moles Squirrels Foxes Otters Hares Badgers
Monday 24th September - 9.00am-11.00am Monday 24th September - 1.15pm-3.15pm Monday 8th October - 9.00am-11.00am Monday 8th October - 1.15pm-3.15pm Monday 15th October - 9.00am-11.00am Monday 15th October - 1.15pm-3.15pm Monday 12th November - 9.00am-11.00am Monday 12th November - 1.15pm-3.15pm Monday 19th November - 9.00am-11.00am Monday 19th November - 1.15pm-3.15pm Monday 21st January - 9.00am.11.00am Monday 21st January - 1.15pm-3.15pm Monday 4th February - 9.00am-11.00am Monday 4th February - 1.15pm-3.15pm
HEALTHY SNACKS AND LUNCHES In line with our Healthy Eating Policy and for the benefit of our new parents please may we remind you that children should only bring into school healthy snacks - eg fruit or cheese snacks - and lunches. We would be grateful if you could ensure that children do not bring crisps, chocolate biscuits or sweets of any kind. Water bottles should contain flavoured or plain water
European Day of Languages
IF YOU HAVE A CONCERN
On Wednesday 26th September it will be the European Day of Languages. Could children please dress in the colours of the flag for the country allotted to their year group. Reception - France Year 1 - Austria Year 2 - Greece Year 3 - Italy Year 4 - Spain Year 5 - Germany Year 6 - France (as well) We would also like you to make a hat based on a European landmark, such as The Eiffel Tower, The Colloseum, The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Big Ben etc… A prize will be given for the best entry in each keystage and housepoints for every entry.
In the first instance you should speak to your child’s Class Teacher. If he or she is unavailable please leave a message with the School Office and they will ask the teacher to telephone you as soon as possible. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of this discussion then you should seek further support from: Mrs Joy Hull, Assistant Head; Mrs Nichola Leeson, Assistant Head, Miss Fiona Marsh, Deputy Head; or Miss Beth Clarke, Head Teacher Appointments to see any of the above can be arranged via the main School Office.
NEW GATES To limit the traffic on school site and enhance our security I am afraid that parents are no longer able to drive into school after 8.30am in the morning.
END OF DAY ARRANGEMENTS If your child is in KS2 and you wish them to walk home unaccompanied we would kindly ask you to send a letter to that effect to your child’s class teacher. Children without a letter of consent will not be permitted to walk home unaccompanied.
WALK TO SCHOOL ON WEDNESDAYS Our Walk to School on Wednesdays campaign will begin again this week. Meet us either at Wild Wood Florist on Clarence Road or at the bottom of Four Oaks Common Road at Razor’s Edge Hairdressers at 8.30 am and we’ll walk to school together, alleviating the congestion on Clarence Road and reducing the number of car journeys made.
BIRTHDAY ASSEMBLIES Birthday Assemblies will be on Wednesday afternoons at 2.50 pm in KS1 and 3.10 pm in KS2. If you are around and would like to pop in for your child’s birthday please do, we would love to see you.
SENIOR STUDENTS We are now appointing our new Senior Students in Year 6. Our Senior Students are those who demonstrate a mature and responsible attitude and as such have specific duties assigned to them. All our Senior Students wear a Senior Student badge and you’ll be sure to meet them during forthcoming events.
KS2 TUCK SHOP PRICES Toast (1 slice)
15p
Crumpets (1) 20p available Monday, Wednesday and Friday Bacon sandwich 55p available Tuesday and Wednesday Fruit flakes
35p
Fresh fruit
25p
Milk shake
35p
Fruit juice
.
20p
Wagtails and Woodpeckers If you need child care before or after school it is essential that you book you child in well in advance. Wagtails - 308 8656 Woodpeckers - 07919 321652
CYCLING TO SCHOOL To increase pupil fitness and reduce air pollution we are actively encouraging our most responsible students in Years 5 and 6 to cycle to school. Please send a letter of consent to your child’s Class Teacher beforehand. Please note ALL pupils cycling to school MUST wear a helmet. Bikes can be stored AT YOUR OWN RISK in our bike shed and should be securely locked.
HOMEWORK Children will receive homework on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. One of these pieces of homework will be set via Moodle our Virtual Learning Environment and children will need to complete this on-line. If your child doesn’t have access to the internet at home, please let your child’s Class Teacher know so we can make alternative arrangements. A copy of our Homework Policy is available at the School Office or on our website. On occasions children may also receive homework on one of the days unspecified e.g. if they have not completed an activity in school within the given time frame or if the teacher feels that reinforcement of a particular skill is necessary. All homework tasks will be included in your child’s homework diary
HARVEST HARVEST for Free the Children This year all proceeds from Harvest will go to Free The Children. Free the Children believes in a world where all young people are free to achieve their fullest potential as agents of change. The charity empowers young people to remove barriers that prevent them from being active local and global citizens. Their international project have led to over 650 schools and school rooms and provided clean water, health care and sanitation to one million people around the world, freeing children and their families from the cycle of poverty. This year we will be asking children to bring their donations into school in a decorated recyclable container. Something re-used from home e.g. a yoghurt pot
WET MORNINGS - PLEASE NOTE Children in KS1 should enter school through the YEAR ONE fire exit door (not the main entrance) which is accessed via the KS1playground. The children can then wait under teacher supervision in the KS1 hall until school starts. We would kindly ask parents not to accompany their children inside. Children in KS2 should enter school through the FRONT DOORS and wait under supervision in the KS2 hall.
MEDICINES IN SCHOOL We can only administer prescribed medicines which need to be taken four times a day in school. Please obtain a form from the School Office and complete it to show details of the medicine and dosage. All medicines should be handed to the School Office by the parent or carer.
PPA STAFF
(Planning, Preparation and Assessment) Our PPA teachers this year include, Mrs Sharp, Mrs Munro and Mrs Everton. Mrs Sharp will specialise in the teaching of French and Mrs Munro in the teaching of Art. Mrs Everton will release our Senior Leaders and lead on Health and Well Being. If you want to know more about PPA please speak to your child’s Class Teacher.
MONIES COMING INTO SCHOOL All the administration of dinner money, clubs, trips, book clubs etc is done by the admin staff in the School Office, Therefore, to ease the congestion in the entrance please do not bring any payments directly to the office. EVERYTHING should go with your child to their Class Teacher who will then forward the items to the Office. There are a wide range of activities and events that we collect money for ranging from trips, to dinner money, to uniform payments, to after school clubs, to name just a few. Therefore it is essential that all monies that come in are clearly labelled with your child’s name and class and state what the money is for. Many of you already do this and it is greatly appreciated. We don’t expect you to go out and buy lots of new envelopes, old ones you have received at home are perfectly alright so long as you have room on them to write the necessary information. Thank you to everyone who has already paid dinner money this term. For anyone who hasn’t yet paid the amount due is £70. Congratulations to our PTFA who have won a GOLD award from PTA UK. PTA UK is the national charity representing over 13,750 PTAs across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Gold Award celebrates our PTFA’s good practice. Well done everyone - keep up the good work.
CELEBRATING SUCCESS At the end of the Summer Term we were thrilled with the progress made by our pupils in KS2 SATs. Our provisional results were: 92% of children achieved level 4+ in Maths - 43% achieved Level 5/6 94% of children achieved Level 4+ in Reading - 60% achieved Level 5 92% of children achieved Level 4+ in Writing - 34% achieved Level 5
WORK CARRIED OUT AT SCHOOL OVER THE SUMMER You will already know that there has been a lot of refurbishment taking place at school during the summer break. This has included: Installing security gates Extending the parking area Re-surfacing the KS2 playground and the installation of play equipment (thanks to the generous donation from the PTFA) Refurbishing the Head Teacher’s office Extending the area for the chicken run Re-carpeting some areas of school.
ABSENCES FROM SCHOOL If your child is absent from school you must telephone us on the first morning of absence so we can accurately complete our registers. On return to school it is essential that you send a written note giving the reason for the absence. Thank you.
HOUSE SYSTEM As you know we operate a house system at school and the children are allocated to a house for the duration of their time at Hill West. Again this year we will be holding our celebration assemblies (eg Eid, Divali, Harvest, Nativity, Easter etc) in house groups.
Sadly, Mrs Griffiths in the School Office will be leaving us at the end of September. We wish her good luck with her future plans. Look out for further details about this vacancy on our website.
Do you know which house your child is in? If not don’t worry we shall shortly be sending you this information.
SCHOOL UNIFORM School uniform bearing our school logo is available to purchase from the School Office any time after 9.30 am each day. If you are unable to come into school please do not worry order forms are available from the School Office or from our website. These should be returned enclosing the required amount and your order will then be given directly to your child when the items are available.
Four Oaks Training Cluster Choir and Orchestra The Training Choir
This choir is open to Years 2, 3 and 4 across the Cluster. It is an exciting opportunity to train up younger children in the Cluster for the main choir, which is open to people in Year 5 upwards. We have had quite a bit of interest so far, but still need more people. If you haven't had a chance to read the letter sent home yet, and would like to enrol your child, please contact Richard Jeffries. I know there are lots of keen and talented singers in many schools don't miss out! Fridays at The Arthur Terry School 5.15 - 6.15pm The Orchestra This re-launched in January on Fridays at The Arthur terry School from 4pm-5.15pm. This is a great opportunity for anyone learning an instrument to get to grips with ensemble playing. You will find that their skills will massively improve over the weeks and months! Please contact me if your child used to be in the orchestra, or would like to start for the first time. Pupils must have been playing for at least one year. Richard Jeffries 07736 318 340 or Helen 07981 957 061 Email: richmjeffries@googlemail.com or www.fouroaksclusterchoir.weebly.com
PARENT MEETINGS We have various evening parent workshops taking place this half term. For parents in KS1 The first meeting on Thursday 13th September is for ALL KS1 parents and will explain our approach to the teaching of reading and spelling. The second is for the parents of children in our new Reception classes and it will take place on Wednesday 3rd October. This meeting will look at helping your children to learn to use letter sounds and names. For parents in KS2 We will be holding a meeting for parents of children in Year 6 and this will take place on Wednesday 26th September. This meeting will talk you through what will be expected of the children this year. We look forward to welcoming you.
AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS We will be running the following clubs this term MONDAY Samba Drumming for KS2 Dodgeball for KS2 Cross Country Training for Yrs 4,5 & 6 Football for Years 5 & 6 Outdoor Explorers for KS1 TUESDAY Hill West Singers for KS2 children German for Yrs 4,5 & 6 Creative Club for KS1 Football for Years 1 & 2 WEDNESDAY Cheerleading for KS1 THURSDAY Football for Year 3 FRIDAY Football for Year 4 Watch out for the return of Computer Xplorers again this term. If you have any queries about clubs please speak to Mrs Pardo or the School Office. Please do not approach club instructors directly as they will be busy supervising activities.
Receptionist / Clerical Vacancy We have a vacancy for the above position working 37.5 hours per week from 9.00am to 5.00pm each day ideally starting from 1st October. The successful candidate will join our hard working team and will provide support to pupils, staff, parents and visitors. Duties will include collating registers, maintaining pupil records, general clerical work and collection of monies. Excellent organisational and communication skills are essential. Closing date 24th September. Interviews on 27th September. Please see our website for an application form.
Dear Parents, Just a few words of thanks for the cards and gifts that you kindly gave me at the end of last term. They were much appreciated..
From John, The Crossing Warden
We have now been using Parentmail for four years and we have found it has greatly improved communication with parents. However, we still have over 100 children whose families have not signed up to Parentmail. The service is free to parents and we can send emails to up to three email addresses so you can receive information on your work computer as well as at home. We are also able to send out texts to nominated mobile numbers, although we will reserve the use of texts for emergency situations where we don’t have time to communicate through normal means. If you have not yet signed up to Parentmail please do so, it will save you time having to search through school bags. It will also go some way to reducing the amount of paperwork sent home, thus helping the environment. Just send your email and mobile phone details to the school office.
BEHAVIOUR Miss Fiona Marsh, the Deputy Head Teacher, is the whole school lead for behaviour. Her role is far-reaching but her main responsibilities are outlined below: Ensure that policies and procedures in relation to behaviour are reviewed and evaluated To oversee all rewards and sanctions To be the first point of contact for parents who would like to discuss behaviour related issues To contact parents to inform them of behaviour related incidents To identify with class teachers those children who would benefit from additional support to make the right decisions To hold regular meetings with parents, teachers and children to draw up Individual Behaviour Plans and review these To support lunchtime supervisors with the management of behaviour at lunchtime. When Miss Marsh is unavailable, Mrs Hull will be only too happy to help.
Inclusion All children are unique and if your child has a special need do tell us about it so that we can give them the very best support possible. If you, as parents or carers, have a special need, again, let us know if we can help in any way. Our Parent Council works very hard and we are always looking for new members particularly from those members of our school community who can add an extra perspective to the Council - perhaps someone with an additional need themselves. If you would be interested in joining our Parent Council please call the school office and join us at our first meeting this term on Tuesday 2nd October
FOUR OAKS COMMUNITY FAIR “A Local Event for Local People” At Arthur Terry School, Kittoe Road, Sutton Coldfield, B74 4RZ Saturday 22nd September 2012 10.00am – 1.00pm This is an opportunity for local residents to find out what is going on in the community:Childcare, Sports clubs, Charities, Volunteering opportunities, Local schools, Local trades people and businesses….and much more….! We look forward to seeing you there! If you would like a stall at this event please contact Amanda Lansdown alansdown@arthurterry.bham.sch.uk Tel: 0121 323 1121
HILL WEST PRIMARY SCHOOL TERM DATES 2012-2013 OPEN
CLOSE
AUTUMN TERM 2012 Monday 3rd September 2012 Monday 29th October 2012
Friday 19th October 2012 Friday 21st December 2012
SPRING TERM 2013 Monday 7th January 2013 Monday 25th February 2013
Friday 15th February 2013 Thursday 28th March 2013
SUMMER TERM 2013 Monday 15th April 2013 Monday 3rd June 2013
Friday 24th May 2013 Tuesday 23rd July 2013
Training Days Monday 29th October 2012 Monday 7th January 2013 Thursday 28th March 2013 Monday 22nd July 2013 Tuesday 23rd July 2013
Extra Holidays Thursday 15th November (provisional Local Election date) Thursday 2nd May 2013 (provisional Local Election date) Monday 6th May 2013 (Bank Holiday)