Dear Parents/Friends/Guardians 10^th February 2006

It is half-term next week and I hope the children all enjoy a relaxing and well-deserved break. We look forward to seeing you all again on Monday 20th February.

After-School Club Update

We are aware that a number of parents are keen to see the After-School Club up and running, as indeed we are. Ofsted have informed the club that it is now likely to be April before they will have completed their checks, so we hope to start at the beginning of the Summer term.

Supervision of Children

Some of our staff who drive into the staff car park between 8.45am and 9am have noticed recently that children are running out of the playground into the road unsupervised. Please could we ask you to ensure that your children remain in the playground area, for their own safety, before and after school. Thank you.

Parking in School Lane

Although the majority of parents avoid driving up and parking in School Lane, as we request in our School Travel Plan (thank you for your cooperation), there still remain some who continue to do so. Could we ask the latter, therefore, if you feel you must use School Lane, to park sensibly in a parking space, ie, not directly next to Rectory Gardens (impeding residents’ ability to get in or out of their drive), on marked areas or the pathway. Poor parking recently blocked School Lane and a number of drivers had to wait 10 minutes for the parents concerned to leave.

Premier Sports After-School Club

Children taking part in the Premier Sports After School Club will be doing Basketball outside after half-term.

Wycombe Wanderers After School Club (Years 1 and 2)

If you completed the Wycombe Wanderers After-School Club application recently, your child will have a place in the club which starts on Tuesday 21^st February. There are a few places left.

PTA Lottery

If you are taking part in the Lottery and haven’t paid yet, the PTA would be grateful to receive your payment as soon as possible.

School Tables and Chairs

We are very grateful to the PTA and the Buckinghamshire Building Society for funding new tables and chairs for the school. We were delighted to be able to recycle the old ones, which were collected by a charity to send to three schools in the Bahamas to replace those they lost in a hurricane.

‘Evaluate’ questionnaire

A big thank you to everyone for taking the time this week to complete the school questionnaire. This means we should have close to 100% response which will give us hard data on ways to improve as a school. We will let you have the results as soon as they are returned to us, which will probably be about 2 weeks. Thank you also to members of the PTA who gave up a lot of time manning the ICT Suite – it was much appreciated!

Absences

There is now a stock of absence forms available at the office window. Please make sure you come to the office to complete one of these forms on your child’s return to school (unless you have informed us by email). If the absence is for holiday within term time, you need to complete a permission form a month in advance please. Thank you.

Coin Collection

We are holding a coin collection again after half-term when each class is invited to bring in 1p and 2p coins in a competition to see which class can raise the most. The money raised will enable us to purchase digital cameras for each classroom. The cameras will be used by the children and staff for recording work. The class which raises the most will receive a surprise! Please bring in your coins starting Monday 20^th February.

Road Safety Training for all Year 1 pupils

This Summer we would like to train all Year 1 pupils in the basics of road safety. A County Council sponsored training programme called “Footsteps” has been run successfully in the school for the past two years. It involves volunteer parents taking children out in pairs for two training sessions during school hours. More information will come out to all parents in the Summer term, but at the moment we are looking for volunteers.

If you are prepared to give 4-6 hours of your time spread over a few weeks in the Summer term you could become a Footsteps trainer. You will be given full training and information and have the satisfaction of helping to give children vital and possibly life-saving skills.

If you are interested please speak to your class mum who has more information. Any trainers from previous years who would like to volunteer again would also be very welcome – please catch me in the playground.

School Travel Survey

Thanks to everyone who has completed this survey. I will analyse the results and report back next half term. Please give any late returns to the office by Monday 20^th at the latest.

Donna Westall, School Travel Plan Co-ordinator, donnawestall@hotmail.com

The Cottage

Work on the cottage is progressing well and we hope we will be able to use it again shortly. The money for the cottage works is part of our Budget from County, but it is ring-fenced purely for building work and we are not allowed to spend it on anything else. If we do not use it we lose it! Please do not feel your child is suffering educationally because of money being spent in this way.

Dates for your Diary (amendments/additions in bold)

20^th February School re-opens

24^th February Emerald Assembly in Memorial Hall

2^nd March World Book Day – children can dress up as their favourite book character

3^rd March Diamond Assembly in Memorial Hall

7^th March Year 2 School Trip to Tower of London

8^th March Public Open Day

9^th March Nursery open day for existing parents

10^th March No guitar lesson

15^th March ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Ballet at the ROH for Y2 children – All day

16^th March Induction for new Reception children in April – 9.30am

17^th March Amethyst Assembly in Memorial Hall

23^rd March Nursery Consultation Day for parents of children about to start Reception in April

Year 1 School Trip to Kew Gardens

24^th March Foundation Stage Assembly (Pearl and Nursery AM)

22^nd March Foundation Stage Assembly (Sapphire and Nursery PM)

28^th March Easter Service at St Giles Church – 9.15am

29^th March Last day of term for Nursery

30^th March Reception School Trip to The Hawk & Owl Trust, Chiltern Open Air Museum

30^th/31^st March Nursery visits to new parents

31^st March Term finishes - 2.00pm

18^th April Term starts (except Nursery)

New Nursery children visit

19^th April Nursery start

26^th April Perform workshops for Infants

5^th May Ruby Assembly in Memorial Hall

12^th May Emerald Assembly in Memorial Hall

18^th May Year 1 trip to National Gallery

22^nd May Arts Week

26^th May Foundation Stage Assembly (Pearl Class)

School closes for half-term 3.15pm

5^th June Training Day

6^th June School re-opens

16^th June Foundation Stage Assembly (Sapphire Class)

24^th June Strawberry Fayre

29^th June Nursery open day for existing parents

30^th June Foundation Stage Assembly (Nursery AM)

Infant Sports Day – 10.30am (not 29^th June)

4^th July Induction day for Y2 to Juniors and new Reception children/all children visit new classes

5^th July Foundation Stage Assembly (Nursery PM)

Infant parents evening – 5.30pm – 8.00pm

7^th July Reserve Infant Sports Day – 10.30am

Reports out

10^th July Nursery Consultation Day for parents of children about to start Reception in September

13^th July Leavers Assembly for Y2 parents – 9.30am

14^th July Nursery Sports day – 10.30am

17^th July Year 2 School Trip to Mop End

20^th July Flower Festival at St Giles Church – 9.15am (not 18^th)

19^th July Last day of term for Nursery

20^th/21^st July Nursery visits to new parents

21^st July End of term - 2.00pm

Term dates 2006/07

6^th September School starts (except Nursery) (4^th/5^th Training Days)

New Nursery children visit

20^th October School closes for half-term 3.15pm

30^th October School re-opens

20^th December End of term 2pm

4^th January School starts (except Nursery) (3^rd Training Day)

New Nursery children visit

9^th February School closes for half-term 3.15pm

19^th February School re-opens

30^th March End of term 2pm

17^th April School starts (except Nursery) (16^th Training Day)

New Nursery children visit

25^th May School closes for half-term 3.15pm

5^th June School re-opens (4^th Training Day)

20^th July End of term 2pm

Yours Sincerely

Mrs K. Whittington

Headteacher

A copy of this letter is available on our website 'www.csg-school.co.uk'

Please remember to walk to school if possible, and not to park in School Lane or Staff car park.

'Our school is a happy, caring place where we work together to learn and succeed by doing our best'