Newsletter No. 2 Oct 2009

Dear Parents and Carers,

So far, we have had a brilliant start to the school year! The children have all settled in and the staff are as hard working as ever! Now that the weather is getting colder please remember that all children require a warm coat or jacket (named) to wear to school after half-term. Lots of our learning takes place outside and playtimes and lunchtimes are much more comfortable inside a warm coat!

Gardening

Some of you may be aware that we were recently awarded 1st Place in the Kingston in Bloom competition in the category of Best Educational Establishment Display. This is due to all the hard work that went in to planting and maintaining our class flower beds and Children’s’ Garden throughout last year. Next year we are going to have a tree planted to replace the Maple tree that had to be removed in the summer holidays. We will locate it on the grassy area by the St. James Road exit and will chose a tree that is both beautiful and in keeping with our environment. Any parents who are able to help their classes with a spot of gardening, please talk to your child’s class teacher. We need to maintain the flower beds and garden throughout the winter, plant some spring bulbs and generally tidy up. I’m thinking of creating some vegetable hanging baskets and wall mounted planters next year and would very much appreciate your ideas, suggestions and help.

Maple Road removable barriers

Now that the removable barriers outside the school gates have been extended, it is so much better at the beginning and end of each day with much less congestion. Many of you have commented about the improvement and we have waited quite a long time for this to be in place. I am due to meet some members of the council shortly to assess and discuss the road safety issue outside the St. James Road exit with a view to improving the current situation.

Canopies

We are having canopies installed outside Silver Birch and Copper Beech classes this term to provide shade and shelter for parents and pupils. The present canopies will be dismantled as they are rapidly becoming unfit for purpose and the new canopies will enable the children to enter the building from the additional classrooms when the weather is wet. I also have plans in place to install a soft surface on the area between the 2 additional classes for Cedar class to utilize. Hopefully the work will take place before Christmas.

Harvest Festival

I do hope you all have a pleasant half-term break and thank you for coming to the Harvest Festival performances last week. Your donations raised a total of £342.47 which is very nearly the amount we were aiming for. Any last minute donations could just edge us towards our goal!

Liz Robinson
Head Teacher