St Luke's C of E Primary School, Glossop

Newsletter
27.6.13
Dear Parents,

School is buzzing at the moment, quite literally with the younger children as they are learning about mini beasts. When I walk around school I see children excited about their learning, wanting to challenge themselves to find out just that little bit more. I also see children excited about all the events we have coming up. The summer term is one of the busiest and buzziest in the school calendar.

The PTA Summer Event is on Saturday 4-7. It should be a good do. This is the first time we have planned an event like this but we hope everyone will enjoy it. The afternoon will be full of things to do such as Pony Rides, Crazy Golf, Bouncy Slide, Family Games and Challenges and things to eat such as a BBQ, Slushies, Ice cream, Popcorn, Chocolate Fruit Kebabs. The weather forecast is looking good so everything is set up for great day.

On Wednesday next week the children in Kites, Eagles and Merlins are off to see Joseph with H from steps in the title role. The children have made me feel a little old when they say “Who is H? Who are Steps?” but for those of us who can still sing every word of ‘Reach for the Stars’ this is an added bonus. The children don’t need anything special for this trip but they do need to have brought back their permission slip. Without this slip we cannot take them. Remember the children will be back late, about 5.30 we think.

Miss Byron has organised special leavers hoodies for the Year 6 pupils that want them. Remember if your child is in Year 6 and would like a hoody they need to bring their order in by Friday (tomorrow).

You should be receiving a questionnaire today. We really want to know what you feel is going well at school and any way we can improve so please fill it in if you can. Your views of school are shared with OFSTED and the Local Authority and so they not only influence what we do they also influence how others see the school. In other words they matter. One of the new questions is about Maths. As you know the school has been working hard to improve our teaching and the children’s learning of Maths. We feel the children are more confident about Maths, are talking about it in a positive way and are tackling more complex questions. We would like to know if you have seen an impact of the work we have done

Swimming has changed, just for this week, from Thursday to Friday. This is to help St James’ School who are celebrating their centenary on Friday. Congratulations to them.

Osprey’s are leading our assembly on Friday 5th July and Kestrels on Thursday 11th July.

Remember we have an INSET day on Friday 12th July when the school will be closed to the children.

Another date reminder is Sports Day which is the afternoon of Tuesday 9th July, reserve day Thursday 11th July

Alice Littlehailes

Newsletter
20.6.13
Dear Parents,

The Sri Lanka project is going well with the committee organising lots of pictures of a normal day for a pupil at St Luke’s. We have had pictures at clubs, eating breakfast, having a story in bed, cleaning teeth and the wonderful views we all enjoy. Thank you to all the committee members who are doing such a good job.

We had a wonderful and unexpected treat on Monday. A lady who had been evacuated from Lowestoft to St Luke’s during the Second World War called in. She was wondering if we had the school logbooks from that time. I hunted them out and we found some entries referring to her and her school mates joining the St Luke’s pupils. She agreed to talk to the Year 6 pupils and tell them all about her experiences. It was such a delight to have history being brought to life in this way.

Kestrels and Peregrines are all off to the theatre in Buxton tomorrow. The coach leaves at 9am so please be here in time. We would hate anyone to miss the bus. They need to be in school uniform and have their packed lunch.

Eagles Class are leading the assembly on Friday. Please join us if you can.

The children starting reception with us in September are beginning to come for visits next week and the Year 6 Induction Days at their new schools are starting. We hope they all enjoy their first visits and finding out more about next year.
This weekend Joe and Phoebe Friday, Andrew Smitham, Erin Hilton, Jack and Amy Robertson and William McCollough are doing a sponsored walk for the Winnie Mabaso charity. They are trying to raise money to support orphaned children in a township in South Africa and many are suffering from HIV and AIDs. If anyone wishes to sponsor the children please send a donation into the school office. If you want more information on the charity and what the children are doing Rebecca Friday is happy to answer questions.
The next Messy Church falls on the same date as the Key Stage 2 trip to Joseph so it has been cancelled. Messy Church will start up again on Wednesday 2nd October.

‘The Glossopdale Fairtrade Group would be pleased if any children could come to their Stall at Glossop Carnival, in Manor Park on Saturday 6th July, to help collage some giant Fairtrade logos’.

The grand Summer Event is almost here. A week on Saturday (29th June) we are holding our first PTA Summer Event. It will be running 4-7 and we hope lots of you will be able to come along and enjoy some fun in the sun – yes I have booked a dry preferably sunny afternoon!

There will be no Key Stage One Club next Thursday, 27th June, as Mrs Hillier is going on the Osprey Trip to Birmingham.

If you have heard about possible school strike action next week it does not apply to us. It is strike action in the North West and Derbyshire counts as the East Midlands – bizarre I know.

I am sending home leaflets from ATE to the Year 5&6s tonight. These are fabulous residential holidays my own children went on them and my daughter still works on them. So if you are looking for something a little different for the summer this might be it.

Alice Littlehailes

Newsletter

13.6.13

Dear Parents,

School feels like a very busy place at the moment with preparations for Joseph, summer sporting events and the children hard at work. It has been a week when I have felt very proud of the school as a number of people have commented favourably on the children. At the Primary Maths Challenge on Monday the cooperative and collaborative way our children work was praised. At Girls Cricket and during the Premier Sports Day the excellent behaviour of our children was commented on. An external examiner for Manchester University was in school on Monday, looking at the students we have been working with. She took me on one side to tell me what a happy school it was with children enjoying their learning. Not only that Janice Gullan, a local authority consultant, wanted to let me know how keen the children are to do well. I wanted to pass these comments on to you not to show off but because these are lovely things said about your children.

Over the next few weeks lots of exciting things are planned. Eagles class are starting rehearsals for a sing together project organised through Glossopdale School.

We are starting work with some of the students from Glossopdale who are visiting Sri Lanka. They will take some of our school’s work with them to the school they link with and bring back something for us. We are putting together a Day in The Life of a St Luke’s School Pupil in words and pictures so do not be surprised if odd moments in the day are photographed.

Friday 21st June Kestrels and Peregrines are going to the Theatre in Buxton and then spending time in the Park. If you haven’t yet sent back permission for your child to go on this trip please do so.

Theatre trips must be like busses because I was told by an eagle eyed parent that Joseph was being performed at Stockport Plaza. I managed to secure enough tickets for all of Key Stage Two (Kites, Eagles and Merlins) to attend on the afternoon of Wednesday 3rd July. The PTA very kindly offered to pay for the transport so keeping the cost down to £8.50 a head.

Eagles class are leading the assembly on Friday 21st June, please join us if you can.

Mrs Smitham, one of our parents who is an Ofsted rated Outstanding Child minders, has one space available on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and two spaces available before school Monday – Thursday. If you are interested in any of these places either speak to Mrs Smitham in the playground or come in to get her phone number.

Alice Littlehailes

Newsletter

6.6.13

Dear Parents,

I hope you all had a good week when the children were off, summer having arrived has made a real difference. If you want to send in sun cream for your child that is fine. They need to be able to apply the cream themselves. Please send it in in a labelled bottle. If you could remind them not to give the cream to others that would be a help. A named sunhat can also be a help.

Both the Rugby team and the girls cricket teams were a credit to the school on that wet and wild Friday. The children reported enjoying the events.

The children today have been enjoying sports. The younger children have been doing multi-sports and the older ones fencing. If your child has enjoyed fencing and wants to take it up I know a fencing club meets in Whaley Bridge Tel: 01298 812206.

Kites will be leading our assembly tomorrow do join us if you can.

On Monday some of our Year 5 & 6 children will be going to Glossopdale for a Maths Team Challenge. We hope they all enjoy this.

The PTA is meeting at Glossop Cricket Club on Wednesday 12th June at 7.30. It would be great if as many people as possible were able to come along to this meeting. One of the things we will be discussing is the Summer Event on Saturday 29th June 4-7. This is going to be an afternoon of games and activities with a BBQ. It is the first time we have run an event like this so if you have any great ideas do let us know.

We have changed the date of Osprey’s Assembly from 28th June to 5th July. This is because some of the class will be getting back very late on the 27th and may not be up to then running an assembly.

I know I keep reminding people but there was another near miss in the car park this week. Please use the paths and side gates to come in and out of school and also please do not bring vehicles into the car park at drop off and pick up time. If you see the main gates open it would be a great help if you could close them.

Alice Littlehailes