Head Master: Robert MacDonald, M.Ed., B.A.
Telephone: (01242) 522086
Email: hm@richardpate.co.uk
14th February, 2008
Dear Parents,
We find ourselves once again looking back at a very busy half term and expectantly looking forward to a busy one in prospect. I have included with this newsletter some important news about tomorrow’s Charity Day as well as a number of other important events. Please take the time to read through the newsletter as it is one of the most important forms of communication between home and school. If you have any comments about what you read here or about any aspect of your child’s education please let me know through e-mail at hm@richardpate.co.uk.
Charity Day : As you will know by now our annual Charity Day takes place this Friday. The children in the Prep Department will be coming dressed as someone from history to coincide with our History focus. Parents in the Prep Department should have received a letter from Mrs Langley detailing the particulars of the day from Reception to Year 2. The Junior Department will come dressed in their home clothes and will be running their own stalls in the afternoon. We ask all children to bring £1 for non-uniform day and invite them to bring a little money from home to spend on the day. We do remind all children that they are not to wear make up for Charity Day. Our three charities this year are Barnardos, Sue Ryder Care and our school in Jaipur, India which one of our parents, Mr Casey, has been supporting through his work at Bupa. It promises to be a wonderful day and should lead us very positively into the half term holiday.
Selective Testing : On Wednesday 5th March we will be hosting our Year 2 selective tests for children wishing to join us in Year 3 in September. While the prep department is completely full with waiting lists for next year we do have a few places for next year’s Year 3 and 4. If you know of anyone who might be interested in joining our school in September please ask them to call the school office on 01242 522086.
Homework : Homework forms a very important link between home and school but can also be a source of some frustration of an evening. We try to ensure that homework assignments are appropriate for each child and build on the topics covered here at school. It is vitally important that your children have a quiet, conducive work environment and that they focus productively on the work that is set for them. We expect that Year 3 children have approximately 15 to 20 minutes of homework per night and Year 6 are working between 30 and 45 minutes per night. If your child is genuinely applying themselves and still working beyond these guidelines then they should stop and you should put a note in the homework diary indicating that they were unable to complete the assignment. The classroom teacher may want to discuss with you what the difficulty is and collectively work through the challenge. As always we will achieve so much more if we work together.
Mrs Smith out at Inspection : The week after half term we will be without Mrs Smith who will be going on her first inspection as an ISI inspector. She will be at the school she is inspecting from Monday to Friday. We will inevitably benefit from all Mrs Smith learns from this process and we wish her well on her inaugural inspection. In her absence Miss Laura Langley will be covering Mrs Smith’s teaching responsibilities.
PTA Events : This evening the Junior children are invited to the Junior disco which will be staged in the hall from 6.30pm to 8.00pm. The cost is £1 on the door and it promises to be great fun for all in attendance. Last week the PTA staged its first Ladies’ Night which was well attended. The money raised by the PTA at such events continues to provide support to your children and most recently funded two additional digital cameras for the school. We are very appreciative of those members of the PTA who continue to plan, organise and support these events.
Disabled Car Parking : As you know we have two parking spaces which are designated as disabled car parking spaces. These have been set aside for those with genuine need and should be respected as such. I am aware of the pressure on our car park at drop off and pick up times but these two spaces should be used only by those with the appropriate badge.
Mad Science : Our Mad Science clubs have been a great success in the first half of this term. The Junior children have enjoyed a wide variety of activities for the past five weeks. After half term we will be running a second course for the Prep children. It will take place on Thursday after school from 3.45 / 4.45 p.m. We are running three groups and there are still a few spaces available.
School Uniform : As every newsletter tends to remind us could I please ask everyone to check school uniform over the half term holiday to ensure that everything is clearly named. This is an excellent opportunity to check that name tags are secure and that uniform fits properly. The second hand uniform shop will be open again on Monday 3rd March should any uniform need replacing.
History Focus : Our focus this term is on history and I have been very encouraged to see the many activities which your children have been enjoying. We have had a number of guest speakers come to the school to speak on a range of topics. Year 4, 5 and 6 will be going to London to see the Tutankhamun exhibit later this term and a letter providing details will arrive to you shortly after half term. Reception to Year 3 have a travelling theatre company coming after half term as well. Mr Richard Wright, our Chairman of the Trustees, is coming to speak to our Year 6s on Richard Pate, our namesake.
Photos from the Website : I had a recent visit from a parent who suggested we made our website photos available as a means of fund-raising. The cost implications of processing photos made it an unrealistic venture but I was keen to make these wonderful photos available to you. After discussions with Duncan Hooper, our Network Manager, we have introduced a new innovation through the Gallery on our website. When you click on any of the most recent photos you are asked for a username and password, which can be found on the printed version of this newsletter. Once you enter the username and password the website uploads a high resolution photo on to your computer. You can then save or print the photo in question. As always we are very careful not to display names with the photographs and where parents have asked that their children not be included in the website we have ensured their photographs do not appear. If at any time you decide you would prefer your children not to appear on our website then simply send me an e-mail and we will ensure their images are removed. The Gallery has some lovely new photos from the fire department’s visit to the Nursery and the Year 3s Design your Own Sandwich. Keep your eyes open for some shots from Charity Day which are guaranteed to make you smile.
French Trip : After half term we will be hosting a meeting for the French trip. I would like to alert all Year 6 parents to the fact that the children will be travelling in their school track suits. Please make sure over half term that they have the proper school track suit top and black joggers. These should be clearly named and fit properly as the children will be wearing them for much of the trip.
In conclusion I would like to wish everyone a relaxing half term. The second half of this Spring Term promises to be a busy one and we look forward to everyone coming back rested and ready to take on the many challenges that lie ahead.
Yours sincerely,
R. MacDonald
Headmaster