Meadows School Newsletter 04

December 2014

Each Christmas brings its own special highlights – and this year’s memorable moments are all very positive, thanks to the hard work and dedication of all the children, staff, PTFA and parents. This year’s charity fund-raising has been especially generous, both for Children in Need and also for Macmillan Cancer Support, which has been our particular charity this autumn term. We will be able to send around £800 to Macmillan following the concert ticket donations and the sale of mulled wine and mince pies (thanks to Sandi Bairstow and PTFA helpers). This is in addition to £260 raised from the staff and PTFA coffee mornings held earlier in the term.

The PTFA Christmas Fair was most enjoyable, as usual, thanks to the hard work of Rachel Jerram and her team of helpers. The Meadows staff & parents choir, who made their debut at the Fair, are keen to continue – so if you feel inspired to join them, do come forward. It’s fun and therapeutic too!

Don’t forget to check out the new school website. Changes are still appearing as we continue to refine the design and content. Staff photos and pen portraits have all been taken and will appear shortly, but in the meantime some parents have asked me for a list of all the teachers and their roles and availability. So here is an overview of who’s who and the days they are unavailable for contact (i.e. their weekly planning and assessment time – known as PPA):

Mrs Pat James Robins Early Years & Key Stage 1 Leader Friday pm

Mrs Debbie Oakley Wrens Y1 Anti-Bullying Co-ordinator Tuesday pm

Ms Rhian Bromage Sparrows Y1 Art Co-ordinator (part-time, unavailable Mondays & Tues am)

Mrs Katie Collins Ravens Y2 Religious Education (part-time, unavailable Weds pm & Thurs/Fri)

Mrs Kathy Riches Ravens Y2 History (part-time, unavailable Mon/Tues & Weds am)

Mrs Jenny Clegg Blackbirds Y3 Geography & French Weds pm

Singers welcome

Miss Katie Pegram Magpies Y4 Design Tech & PSHE Weds pm

Ms Jessica Gibson Owls Y4/5 P.E. Thurs am

Mrs Janie Smith Kestrels Y5 Key Stage 2 Leader, English Weds pm

Dr Will Dawson Eagles Y6 ICT Weds am

Miss Faye Lemmings Kingfishers Y6 Assistant Head, Maths, Health & Safety unavailable Thursday am

N.B. after February half term, Dr Dawson & Mrs Smith swap Weds am/pm and Miss Lemmings and Ms Gibson swap Thursday am/pm

Mrs Laura Romans (Science co-ordinator) teaches Kingfishers all day every Tuesday and provides cover for Owls/Kestrels/Eagles/Kingfishers for teachers’ PPA time half a day each week as described above

Miss Vanessa Stokes is our other Assistant Head, music and assessment co-ordinator. She is currently on secondment as Acting Headteacher at another Derbyshire primary school. I can now confirm that this will continue until at least the end of the spring term. Ms Gibson will continue as Owls class teacher for the remainder of this academic year.

Extreme Reading Challenge – I hope as many as possible will join in with this fun activity over the Christmas holiday. Have a look at the Y6 examples on the website for inspiration – but no copying!! As stated in the recent letter from Mrs Smith, entries (one per child only) can be emailed to meadowsreading@gmail.com with the child’s name and class included in the subject of the message. The deadline is Monday 5th January 2015 and the watchword is safety; ‘extreme’ doesn’t mean dangerous!

School resumes on Monday 5th

January and until then I wish you

all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

C. Watkins

December 2014