January 2016

Issue 13

08.01.16

St John’s Primary School

Wallingford

Newsletter

Dear Parents,

Happy New Year and welcome back! I hope you all had an enjoyable and happy Christmas break. The staff have enjoyed a well-earned rest and have come back ready to get going on exciting new topics. Our topics this term are Dinosaurs, The Circus, In a Galaxy far away and Spring into Science. There has been a lovely buzz around school as classes have launched their learning for the term. We will be shar-ing our learning with you at our open morning on 10th February, so do put this date in your diary.

Thank you to Mr Parkinson and Mr Beckett for giving up their time to help launch the Year 5 and 6 Sci-ence topic this week, teaching the children about DNA. Year 5 and 6 have also been learning all about how their brain works and how this influences their behaviour. Do ask them about their amygdala!

Our teachers were inspired by their training on the INSET day on Monday. Half attended a day led by Tim Rylands all about using ICT to inspire their teaching and have come back downloading apps and accessing exciting websites to use in the classroom. The other half attended a day led by Betsy de Thierry, a psychotherapist, all about the impact of trauma on children and supporting children who have experienced trauma. We have shared our learning with each other in our staff meeting this week.

Thank you to those of you who managed to attend our Phonics Workshop on Tuesday evening, and to Mrs Ball and Mrs Burgess for running the session. Parents commented on how helpful it was to learn more about phonics teaching and how to support their child at home. If you were unable to come but would like to know more about phonics, do go to www.oxfordowl.co.uk and watch Ruth Miskin’s short videos in the section ‘Phonics made easy’.

We are also running a Maths Speed Learning event for all parents on 19th January at 7pm, to give you more information about how we teach maths in school. Our teachers will host different tables on a range of maths topics and you will have an opportunity to visit 5 or 6 throughout the session.

Emails have been sent out to the relevant year groups regarding clubs which are continuing this term, rather than one letter listing them all. We have however included the list in this newsletter and are in the process of arranging some other clubs for this term so do keep an eye on your email for those. I would also be interested in knowing if parents would be willing to pay a small amount to enable us to put on some more sports clubs; for example multi-skills for key stage 1 and hockey for key stage 2. We could run the sessions at a cost of £2.50 per session if there were 16 children in each group. If you would be keen for us to arrange this, please email the office so that we can gauge interest.

We are still looking for someone who may be able to run a mixed Year 3 and 4 football club and we would also be interested in running a rugby club either this term or next term. Please let us know if you are able to help with a club or know of anyone who may be able to help. We are very grateful to our par-ents who already help run clubs or have done so in the past.

On Saturday afternoon we will be clearing the sheds in the junior playground in preparation for removing the sheds later in the Spring. We will be here from 12.30pm onwards, for an hour or so, and would be grateful for some muscle power to help us empty the sheds and move the large items of furniture into the skip. Please do come along if you can spare an hour!

We have been learning more this week about all of the jobs Carol Wood, our cleaner in charge, used to do for us! My apologies that on a couple of mornings the front gate was not open in time for JACs chil-dren to come into school. We now know that this is one of our jobs to do first thing in the morning! We are still advertising for a caretaker, if you know of anyone who may be interested please direct them to our website or school office.

Our School and Eco council meetings will resume next Thursday morning; the dates for the term have been sent out to all parents of councilors and are included in this newsletter. Class letters are also com-ing out to you with information about this term’s learning.

Kind regards,

Nicky Hughes

Issue 13 Page 2

Important dates for your diaries…

Tues 12th Jan—PTFA meeting 7pm

Thurs 14th Jan - School and Eco council mtg

Tues 19th Jan - Maths Speed Learning 7pm

Thurs 28th Jan - School and Eco council mtg

Friday 5th Feb - Year 4 Eats4Treats 3pm

Tues 9th Feb - Safer Internet Day—talk for parents

Wed 10th Feb—Open morning

Thurs 11th Feb - School and Eco council mtg

Thurs 3rd March - School and Eco council mtg

Thurs 17th March - School and Eco council mtg

Friday 18th March - Year 3 Eats4Treats 3pm

Friday 27th May - FS Eats4Treats

Friday 17th June - Year 2 Eats4Treats 3pm

Friday 8th July - Year 1 Eats4Treats 3pm

2015/16 Remaining Term Dates

Term 3 04/01/16 to 12/02/16,

Term 4 22/02/16 to 24/03/16,

Term 5 11/04/16 to 27/05/16,

Term 6 06/06/16 to 20/07/16

2015/16 Remaining Inset Days

Monday 04/01/16

Mon day 11/04/16

Term Dates 2016-2017 Term 1 05/09/2016 to Friday 21/10/16, Term 2 01/11/16 to 16/12/16, Term 3 04/01/17 to 10/02/17, Term 4 21/02/17 to 07/04/17, Term 5 4/04/17 to 26/05/17, Term 6 05/06/17 to 21/07/17

Inset Days 2016-2017

Thursday 01/09/2016

Friday 02/09/2016

Monday 31/10/2016

Tuesday 03/01/2017

Monday 20/02/2017

School Clubs running this term Monday - Dance Club Tuesday - Homework Club Thursday - Netball Club Friday - Pet Club Friday - Code Club Friday - Funky Fridays (look out for additions!) School and Eco-Council Thursday 8:15 - 8:45 14th January 28th January 11th February 3rd March 17th March

Job Vacancy at JACs

We have a vacancy for a playworker at

JACs— 6 hours a week; 2.45—5.45pm on

Tuesday and Thursday and occasional

sickness cover.

If you would interested in applying,

please contact the school office.

Caretaker

We are also advertising for a caretaker,

10 hours a week, if you know anyone

who might be interested please direct

them to our website or ask them to con-

tact the office.

Page 3 Issue 13

Calling Year 6 Parents

Normally Year 6 have a yearbook at the end of

the year which has always been coordinated by

Year 6 parents. So far this year we are not

aware of anyone leading on this so wanted to

mention this to Year 6 parents.

Skip Day to clear sheds - Sat 9th Jan

If anyone has a sledgehammer to

smash up our concrete planter in KS1 please can they bring it along on Saturday to break up the concrete to go in the skip with the furniture from the sheds please. Come along from 12.30 to lend a hand!

Volunteers to hear children read We are looking for parents or grandpar-ents who may be able to come along to school and hear our Key Stage 1 children read. This could even be coming into school at 2.30pm before picking up your children at hometime. Please let us know if you could help.

Parent Information Events Maths Speed Learning Tuesday 19th January 7pm Come along and learn more about how we teach maths in school and how to support your child.

Our value of the fortnight is …

Determination

Ollie D extracting DNA from straw-

berries and pineapples

Page 4 Issue 13

South Oxfordshire Music Centre

SOMC is a friendly, fun morning of music-making for beginners to grade 5+

run by fully qualified Music Teachers from Oxfordshire County Music Service.

We run small ensembles, choirs and orchestras of varying standards, playing a wide range of musi-

cal genres from Bach to the Beatles and Folk music to Film themes!

Groups run on term-time Saturdays, from 9.30am – 12pm at Wallingford School.

We welcome beginners; YES - even children who only started learning in the Autumn term! YES – these

groups are FREE for children in their first year of learning with OCMS

Contact Oxfordshire County Music Service for more information on 01865 816990,

Email Lorna Waters at lorna.waters@oxfordshire.gov.uk

or come along for a free trial; our first session back is Saturday 9th January,

but we welcome newcomers throughout the term.

www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/musicservice

Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra - FUNomusica family concerts at Oxford Town Hall

The Oxford Philharmonic Orchsetra would like to invite pupils and their families to the next FUNomusica

family concerts.

From Hamelin to Hogwarts Sunday 31 January, 3pm

Most suitbale for ages 8-12

Bugs! Sunday 13 March, 3pm

Modst suitable for ages 4-8

Craft activities from 2pm

Fancy Something New for Yourself for the New Year?

No Two Things in Didcot have just released their adult workshop pro-

gramme. For more information contact:

No Two Things Ltd, 01235 511550

www.notwothings.co.uk

120 Broadway Didcot