July - Newsletter 29 (3rd July 2013)

Dear Parents/Carers,

Sports Days - Thank you very much for your support for our sports days. Weather-wise, we didn’t get the perfect summer days we may have wanted but I’m very pleased we were able to go ahead and we were very pleased with the children’ s attitude and sporting prowess – well done all. Both the Infant and Junior sports days were won by the Yellowhammers who are proving hard to beat; winning last year’s Junior Sports Day and both the Infant and Junior Sports Days the year before that as well.

Classes for Next Year - I’m pleased to be able to let you know the class information for next year. Each class will have chance to have a lesson with their new teacher and you will be able to speak to their current and new teacher at our Open Evening next week (Thursday 11^th July from 6-8pm).

Leave of Absence - There is a change in law around authorising absence which comes into effect from September 1^st 2013. This affects the ability of schools to authorise holiday absence during term time. Basically from September, schools are not allowed to authorise a holiday during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.  A leaflet from Stockport Council is attached which explains this change for parents. The vast majority of our parents don’t take holiday during term time anyway and we always advise against it as the children miss valuable work and sometimes large parts of a topic which are very hard to catch up on once they are back. To help you plan for this, the holiday dates (including INSET days) are shown below:

Thank you in anticipation of your help with this.

Junior Production – Pirates of the Curry Bean, 15^th July at 2pm (dress rehearsal) and 16^th and 17^th July at 6:30pm - Rehearsals are in full flow for our Junior Production and junior parents are receiving a letter this week about ordering tickets. We’re really looking forward to the show and hope that you can make it (me hearties!). On the nights of the show (Tuesday 15^th and Wednesday 16th) children in Years 3, 4 and 5 should arrive at school at 6:15pm (no earlier please) in their costume. Year 6 can arrive at 6pm and get changed once in school.

Parents Questionnaire – please compete on the VLE

Our parent questionnaire for 2012-2013 is now available on our VLE (in the ‘Parents and Whole School’ section). We would really like to get feedback from parents of every child in school as it helps us maintain what is working and further develop our plans and practice. Thank you to everyone who filled in a questionnaire last year, but many parents didn’t. So this year, in an attempt to encourage more of you, there is a slip below which you can fill in to say you have completed the questionnaire – please return this to school and in exchange we have a special ‘Lane End’ pencil for your child as a token of our appreciation! We will also send home log-in details to the VLE for each child again just in case anyone has lost these. The deadline for filling in the questionnaire is Friday 19^th July. Thank you!

PTA Picnic

The PTA picnic is on Friday 19^th July from 6:30 - 9pm. You don’t need a ticket as you can pay on the ‘door’ - £1for adults and it’s free for children. Children must be accompanied by an adult who will be responsible for them. Just bring a picnic with you to eat on the field. We will have bouncy castles and some games and stalls (including a couple of food stalls) to keep the children amused and maybe a few races too. The event is weather-permitting.

Open Evening – we will also have ‘nearly new’ uniforms available for a donation to the PTA.

Reminders:

Reception class assembly tomorrow (Thursday 4^th) at 10:10am, Reports out on 10^th July, Open Evening and Art Exhibition on 11^th July from 6-8pm, Guitar Assembly on Wednesday 10^th July at 10am(parents of guitarists welcome), Woodwind Assembly on Thursday 18^th July at 10am (parents of woodwind players invited), Year 5 band to play for their parents on Tuesday 23^rd July at 2:45pm, Choir ‘Tea Party’ at 3:45pm on Wednesday 24^th July (for parents of choir members), Characterz show for parents at 3:45pm on Thursday 25^th July, Year 6 Leavers Assembly at 9:15am on Friday 26^th July.

We aim to be approachable and work in partnership with parents, so if there is anything you wish to discuss, please do not hesitate to come and talk to us.

Yours sincerely,  

James Twigg

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PARENT QUESTIONNAIRE REPLY SLIP

Please return this slip to school to let us know that you have completed the parents’ questionnaire on the VLE.

Parent of:                                                        Class:

Signed:

Your child will receive a Lane End pencil as a token of our appreciation for taking the time to fill in the questionnaire – thank you!