Head Master: Robert MacDonald, M.Ed., B.A.
Telephone: (01242) 522086
Email: hm@richardpate.co
1st April, 2008
Dear Parents,
I am sending this newsletter by pupil post but we are also trialling the e-mail system for the first time. You should receive this newsletter electronically as well ~ please let me know if for any reason you do not receive it to an e-mail address.
Charity Day : When I last wrote to you we were in the final preparations for Charity Day. Once again the children rose to the challenge and produced a memorable day. The Prep children used their wonderful imaginations, and a little help from mum and dad, to produce some creative costumes in line with our theme of historical figures. The Juniors created their own stalls ranging from a “chocolate fountain” to “guess the teachers’ baby photo” to “find Mr. MacDonald’s roller blades”. The day was a great success from every point of view but the biggest winners were our 3 charities. In total the children raised £1,278.50 and the money was split equally between Barnardos, Sue Ryder Care and our school in Jaipur, India.
History Focus : The second half of this term has seen the busy schedule of events continue with our History focus. The Year 4, 5 and 6 children enjoyed a once in a lifetime experience visiting London to see the Tutankhamun exhibit at the O2 Arena. It was a great privilege to witness first hand the treasures which date back 3000 years and the children were fascinated. I was hugely gratified by the large number of people who stopped us to comment on the children’s excellent behaviour and desire to learn.
Other events have included visiting speakers, artefacts from the museum, a touring dramatic company and a number of fascinating assemblies by various members of staff. All the teachers should be commended for their work during this focus but a special thank you goes out to Mrs. Langley and Mrs. Charlton who as History Co-ordinators have overseen the events. Next term our focus switches to Personal, Social and Health Education.
High School Musical : After weeks of preparation our Year 6s staged a very ambitious production of High School Musical with the two performances playing to packed houses. The children must be commended for their excellent singing, dancing and acting talents. Special thanks must go to Mrs. Charlton who has spent weeks rehearsing and directing the children. Thanks also to Mrs. Wade, Mr. Edwards and Mr. Ingold for playing their part both during rehearsals and behind the scenes. Mrs. Helen Lewis must also be congratulated for choreographing the wonderful dance numbers ~ a great team effort for a superb production. There is a DVD available at a cost of £12 ~ please contact Mrs. Minett for an order form. My final vote of thanks goes to the PTA for supplying the interval drinks which raised £179.76 in aid of ‘Sue Ryder Care’. We now look forward to the Prep Department’s production of The Jungle Book.
Ski Trip : I’m actually composing most of this newsletter sitting in a hotel room in Austria. The children have enjoyed tremendous weather with new snow falling every day and their skiing has improved tremendously. The organisation of a trip of this nature takes many, many months and is a huge responsibility. In this day and age of risk assessments and Health and Safety expectations it would be very easy to forego such trips and Mrs. Miller-Howell has given up a huge amount of time to make all the arrangements and anticipate any eventuality. She must be commended for her wonderful organisation ensuring that everything went smoothly. I would also like to thank the rest of the team who kept the children safe and happy including Mrs. Hunte, Dr. Smith, Mr. Gilvear and Mr. Miller. It was a wonderful trip and did not involve the Headmaster visiting Accident and Emergency. The rest of the Year 5 and 6 children who were unable to join us on the trip had their own fun in the snow while we were away as they travelled to the Snow Dome in Tamworth on Friday for sledging and tubing.
Year 6 Leavers : We now have a much clearer picture of where our Year 6 children are off to in September. There are still a number of children for whom we are awaiting a final destination but they should know in the coming weeks. At the moment the list includes 8 to Pate’s Grammar School, 5 to Sir Thomas Rich, 3 to Denmark Road, 1 to The Crypt, 1 to Stroud High, 3 to Balcarras, 1 to Chosen Hill, 6 to St Edward’s, 4 to Cheltenham College, 4 to Dean Close, 2 to Cheltenham Ladies’ College, and 1 to King’s. We have also received 9 scholarships from Independent Senior Schools. The numbers have changed from last year but that was expected with the change to grammar school entrance rules. I will be running a series of information evenings in the beginning of the next academic year for parents to better understand the many options for choosing the right senior schools. I am very proud of all our Year 6s for the way they have handled the challenging process and feel very confident that each will enrich their new schools when September arrives.
School Uniform : As you know the uniform changes at the beginning of next term to the summer uniform. If you are uncertain of what that involves please get in touch with Mrs. Minett for a uniform list. I would like to draw your attention to the question of footwear. We have had a large number of children arriving at school with brightly coloured trainers. These are not in keeping with the uniform and I would ask that all children return in the Summer Term with white or school coloured (blue or black) trainers for PE and games. Sandals are allowed in the summer term (brown for boys and navy for girls), but can I please ask that these are not open-toed.
Unattended Children : We have had problems of late with younger children who have been collected by their parents being left unattended. Children waiting at the back of the school have been throwing stones onto the astro which damages and causes problems for the maintenance of the surface. While at the front of the building, unsupervised children have been running across the car park which, I am sure you will agree, is very dangerous. Please ensure that your children are kept with you and under your supervision at all times until you leave the school grounds.
Car Park : Following on from my comments in the previous paragraph, I continue to have worries about our car park and implore everyone to exercise great care when driving or walking at drop off or pick up time. There is a clearly defined one way system which must be adhered to at all times. We have recently had a near miss involving a parent and child from someone turning the wrong way to secure a space. I was also very concerned to hear of a parent driving into the car park while speaking on a mobile phone. This type of behaviour, which would be unacceptable in any car park, must particularly be avoided in a school car park. The results of an accident are unthinkable. It is far preferable to take an extra five minutes to find a space than to spend a lifetime regretting a rash decision. I must also remind parents to leave the disabled spaces free unless you have a genuine disability.
Yellow Pages : After the holiday we will be recycling ‘Yellow Pages’ and as the new edition is due out shortly, if you would like to hold on to your old copy until next term, you can recycle it in school. More details in the beginning of term newsletter.
It has been a wonderful term of great achievements. I am tremendously proud of all your children and the number of times we have been stopped and congratulated on their behaviour has been richly rewarding. They all deserve a well earned holiday and we look forward to returning for another exciting term at the end of April.
Robert MacDonald
Headmaster