Latest Letters

Reminders

On Monday 14th November at 7.30 pm we are holding a Parents Information Evening on ICT. We will be explaining the new ICT Curriculum and there will also be a talk and practical information on Internet Safety in the home. We do hope you are able to attend.

Just a few other reminders for you

• Please return your After School Club / Breakfast Club Questionnaires tomorrow (even if you are not interested in using either of the clubs your feedback is very useful)
• Parents Target Setting Meetings are tomorrow for children in Foundation Stage, Years 3 and 5 - it is not too late to sign up for an appointment if you haven't already done so
• If your child would like to take part in our Star Gazing Sleep Over on Friday 18th November please return the form and payment by Thursday 10th November
• The Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are being collected on Friday 18th November, please send yours in as soon as possible, many thanks

Notices

• Also on Friday 18th November it is Children in Need Day - the children have organised a non-uniform day (just £1 contribution needed to Show your Spots for Pudsey) and a sweet stall after school - please see their flyer coming home today
• Next week we will be sending home letters about the Christmas Performances and also about our child care day so that you can go Christmas shopping without your children!

Many thanks for your ongoing support
Staff at Great Wilbraham Primary School

Nativity Trail at Ely Cathedral – Pegasus and Dragon class

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As part of our forthcoming work about Christmas we have arranged a trip to Ely Cathedral on Thursday 8th December. We will be taking part in a Nativity trail. This will also be will be a wonderful opportunity for the children to see the beautiful Christmas tree in the Cathedral.
The children will need to wear school uniform and comfortable shoes as they will be walking around the Cathedral. They will also need to bring a packed lunch (which they will have to carry) and a drink of water or squash in a screw top water bottle with them.
The cost to parents of the trip is £8. This is made up of the cost of the coach (£250) and admission to the event (£4.00 per child), so the actual total cost per child is £12.06. The difference is being subsidised through a donation from the PTFA towards transport costs. This is a voluntary contribution and no child will be excluded from the trip because their parents are unwilling or unable to pay. However, if insufficient contributions are received the trip may be cancelled. Please complete and return the attached slip, together with your voluntary contribution, as soon as possible and by Thursday 1st December at the latest please. (Cheques should be made payable to ‘Great Wilbraham Primary School’).
Thank you.

Miss Lydia Newington and Mrs Lucy Walker

Star Gazing Sleep Over

Parents – would you like a night out AND a lie in?

Children – would you like a big sleepover with all your friends?

Then the Star Gazing Sleep Over is what you’ve been looking for!

Great Wilbraham Primary School staff will be holding a Sleep Over on Friday 18th November at the school for children in Year 2 or above.

The Sleep Over will run from 6.30 pm on Friday 18th November until 9.00 am on Saturday 19th November. We will provide a bedtime drink and snack and breakfast. The plan is to have some fun activities before bedtime on an astronomical theme followed by a story or DVD.

Your child will need to bring a sleeping bag and pillow, pyjamas, toothbrush and paste and clothes for the next day. Appropriate sleeping arrangements will be determined once we know the numbers and ages of the children coming. We will also inform the parents of those coming the exact supervision details.

We very much hope that you will permit your child to participate in this exciting fundraising event. Please complete and return the enclosed consent form and payment of £25 for the first child plus an extra £5 for other children in the same family, to their class teacher by Thursday 10th November to book your child’s place.

We very much hope that this will be an enjoyable event for all children taking part, and that you will be able to have an evening out or quiet night in!

Great Wilbraham School Staff

Phoenix Trading

DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL THE END OF THIS WEEK (SUNDAY 6TH NOVEMBER) - DON'T FORGET YOUR ADVENT CALENDARS AND CARDS - FROM £1.75 EACH!!!

Phoenix Trading

Phoenix Trading sell high-quality Christmas and everyday greeting cards, stationery, gifts and accessories at up to 50% less than high street prices.

To help the school with fundraising, Lesley Jenkinson will be donating to the school 25% of the value of Christmas products and 10% of everyday products ordered by 6th November. 

To help the school raise money in this way, please visit www.phoenix-trading.co.uk/web/lesleyjenkinson and place your order online, putting (GtWilb) after your name so that Lesley knows that it's an order from the school.  Please note that the online ordering system automatically charges £2.50 for P&P which will be deducted from your order as Lesley will deliver it to you at school and payment will be due on delivery.  If you would prefer to look through a brochure these are available from Lesley or the school office.

Please send this link to friends and family asking them to take a look - just make sure they put (Gt Wilb) so that the school can raise lots of money.  If each pupil generates an order for Christmas products at £15 then this will raise approximately £300 for the school.

Calling All Creative People

 Dear Parents/Guardians,

Do you have a creative streak? Do you know anyone who is creatively minded? Would you like to share your talent with the children at Great Wilbraham Primary School?

If the answer is yes to any of the questions above then please read carefully.

I am looking for anyone who uses Art and Design, Dance, Music, Drama or Creative Writing as part of their job or enjoys these as a hobby.

Great Wilbraham are working towards achieving the Artsmark award, which is all about creativity across the sub headings above. I am looking for anyone who would be willing to give up an hour or two or an afternoon to talk to the children about their creative activity and if possible hold workshops for children to have a go at that skill.

Please could you email me if you are interested or let me know contact details of anyone that you know would be interested; I would much appreciate it.

Dates for your diary are 18th June – 21st June, when we will be holding a whole school Arts Week which is where we would like to show off the children’s new skills and talents. I would also be looking for helpers to assist with different creativity sessions that week as well.

Thank you for your support.

Miss Lydia Newington
The Arts Coordinator
lnewington@greatwilbraham.cambs.sch.uk

Operation Christmas Child

This year we are once again getting involved in Operation Christmas Child the UK’s largest children’s Christmas appeal. The idea is simple: You fill empty shoeboxes with little gifts and the charity sends them out to children in need overseas for Christmas.
To do your own shoebox, simply go to www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk/how-to-pack-your-shoebox and follow the step-by-step instructions.
We will be distributing leaflets with further information before half term and will be collecting the shoe boxes at school in November.

Target Setting Parents Evening Years 1, 2, 4 and 6

Please note that sheets are now available in school for you to sign up for parents evening on Wednesday 12th October. These meetings will be Target Setting meetings and your children, in particular those in KS2, are encouraged to attend with you.

Maths in the Real World

Dear Parents,

Do you use maths in your working life? Would you be willing to share your expertise?

Maths is an integral part of everyday life! It is very important for children to see how the skills they learn in school are applied in real life and how without maths our society would fall apart... Children really need to see the 'big picture' when it comes to maths because its importance is not always visible.

I am looking for parents, friends or family to come in to school and talk to children about how maths helps them do their job effectively. It may be that you are a nurse, doctor or midwife who has to administer medicines accurately; you might be a builder, carpenter or joiner who has to make accurate measurements; you might work in banking or finance; you might be a researcher who collects data; an architect or engineer; you might work in a shop or run your own business; a chef or restaurant manager; you might work with cars, tractors, trains; you might work in computing or you might run the household finances.

I would be grateful if you could think about coming in to school to talk to different classes about how you need to use maths in the 'real world'! This could be a very informal chat, a presentation etc - whatever you would prefer.

Please could you email with the following details: your name; your occupation; when you would be available to come into school and how long you would be prepared to stay.

Depending on response, I will either organise individual visits or we could combine visits into a whole school maths week which would be very exciting!

Many thanks for your help,

Laura Latham
Maths Subject Leader

llatham@greatwilbraham.cambs.sch.uk

Fun and food – Friday 7th October

On Friday 7th October the school council are planning a fun and food after school event from 3.30pm until 5.30pm.  All children from all of the classes in the school are welcome to attend.  The fun and food activity will be great fun with team games, a treasure hunt, quiz rounds and trying to build the tallest tower out of spaghetti and marshmallows.  The children will also get a high tea included in the price with sandwiches, crisps, nibbles, cakes and drinks.
The cost of the activity will be £5.  All the money raised from this event will go towards buying things that the children would like for the school including new basketballs, toys for the younger children and a visualiser to use with the smart boards in the classrooms.  If you would like your child to attend then please fill in the form below along with payment to office by Wednesday 5th October.
Yours sincerely

Julie Myles and the school council.                                            

I give permission for --------------------------------------------------------- to take part in the fun and food after school event from 3.30pm until 5.30pm on Friday 7th October

I enclose £5 to cover the cost of the event

Signed -------------------------------------------------------------------

Please reply by Wednesday 5th October.

Individual and Family Photos

We will be having individual and family photographs taken on the morning of Wednesday 28th Sept.
If you have pre-school children that you would like included in the family photograph, please inform the office as soon as possible.

Please either pop in or email: office@greatwilbraham.cambs.sch.uk

100 Club Update

Final chance to join our 100 Club for the September Draw. Please see link below regarding our recently launched 100 Club. The first draw will take place on Friday 30th September at the Auction of Promises. If you would like to join in please complete the attached form or pop in and see Mrs Crisp in the school office before Friday 16th September.

Great Wilbraham Primary School needs YOU – introducing the 100 Club

School News Letter September 2011

Dear Parents and Carers
Welcome back after the summer holidays, I hope you all had a good time. We welcome our new Reception pupils, Alfie in Griffin Class and also Mrs Jackie Crisp who will
be sharing the teaching of Griffin Class with Mrs Myles. Mrs Crisp will be teaching on a Monday and Tuesday and Mrs Myles Wednesday to Friday. You will see on the last page of this newsletter that we have set a number of dates for this year. Please make a note of these dates on your calendar—we will let you know if there are any additions or changes as soon as possible. In particular please note that we have set the Class Assembly dates and also you will see that both Phoenix Class and Griffin Class will be doing a school play. We have decided that this year the Christmas Production will be based on the Nativity and the main parts will be played by the children in Key Stage 1 with the Key Stage 2 children involved in the singing and with a class contribution as well as the year 6 pupils playing the bells. These 2 classes will then be performing their own class plays later in the year— Griffin Class will be putting on an Egyptian Extravaganza just before Easter and Phoenix Class will perform a Shakespeare production towards the end of term. Please also note that we are going to have our Sports Morning earlier in the year.

On to a few reminders:
The school grounds are open at 8.40 am and children, on arrival, should stay on the playground until 8.50am when the doors will be opened. There will be a teacher on duty from 8.40 am. The bell will then be rung at 8.50 am when they can then go into their classrooms. Dragon class will be walked through to their classroom with Mrs Walker. At the end of the day the children in Phoenix and Griffin Classes will come out to the playground to meet you when they finish at 3.20 pm. Pegasus and Dragon finish at 3.15pm and will be brought out to the playground by their class teacher.
Please remember that the large play equipment outside must not be climbed on by younger brothers and sisters or school children before and after school as we are not insured for any accidents that may occur at these times of the day. As always if you do have any questions or queries do please speak to your child’s class teacher in the first instance, I am also here to answer any queries you may have.

Helen Darrell
(Acting Headteacher)

We thought it might be useful to provide all parents with a few notices and reminders for the beginning of the new school year, so the next couple of pages aim to give you some general information that will help you in your day-to-day dealings with the school. The school office is usually manned daily from 8.10 am - 3.30 pm if you have any queries.

Visitors

We have a security lock on the front door. If you call at the school and find the door locked, please ring the bell and someone will open the door for you. If you are going to be in school for more than a few minutes we do ask you to sign the visitors book and sometimes to wear a badge. This is primarily for security reasons and also ensures that we know who is in the building to comply with fire regulations. Please remember to sign out when you leave.

Absence from School

If your child will not be in school due to illness or other reasons, please telephone or email the office as early as possible on the first day so that we can inform the class teacher (01223 880408, office@greatwilbraham.cambs.sch.uk). On your child’s return to school they should bring a note from you explaining the absence. Although we acknowledge the many factors behind parental requests for authorised leave, we have a specific responsibility to ensure regular attendance and therefore ensure full access to opportunities which will support their learning and levels of attainment. To help us ensure consistency of approach we have agreed to fully adhere to County Policy, which means that requests for leave of absence will only be approved in very exceptional circumstances, e.g.:
• a parent, grandparent or other close relative is seriously/terminally ill and the holiday proposed is likely to be the last such holiday;
• there has recently been a death or significant other trauma in the family and it is felt that an immediate holiday might help the child concerned better deal with the situation;
• the holiday is a unique, one-off, never-to-be-repeated occasion which can only take place at the time requested. Please note that neither parents’ working circumstances nor the financial factors of holidays will normally be taken as constituting an “exceptional circumstance.” If you would need to request any holiday during term time please complete a Holiday Form, obtainable from the office or downloadable from our website. All absences for visits to the doctor, dentist etc. should be supported by a note from a parent or guardian explaining the absence.

Dinner Money

A midday meal is available in school at the cost of £2.00 per child, per day. If your child is opting to have school dinners the Dinner Money should be handed in to the Class Teacher on a Monday morning for that week, in a yellow payment envelope (your child will be given a supply to bring home shortly and further supplies are available from the school office). If you prefer to pay by cheque, which is welcomed, this may be done weekly or half-termly. The cheques should be made payable to‘Great Wilbraham Primary School’ and have your cheque card number on the back. If you do pay for the half-term and your child is absent at all, you will be credited with those payments for the next half term or refunded as appropriate. Your child will need to have a fixed meal pattern for the half term, however this can be a combination of school meals and packed lunches e.g. School meals on a M, W and F and Packed lunches on a T and Th. Please remember that we are not obliged to provide school meals for those who have not paid in advance. If we have not received payment for a while, we will normally send a reminder home.

Free School Meals

If you think your child is eligible to receive Free School Meals please see Mrs Crisp in the office, as soon as possible, to complete the appropriate form (applications can also be made online and we can provide you with the details). This is naturally treated in the strictest confidence.

Uniform

We do have a uniform policy and expect all pupils to wear school uniform including appropriate school shoes. They also do need a change of footwear for PE. Fleeces should not be worn in school during lessons; these are outdoor wear, to be worn outside at playtime / lunchtime. Our school uniform policy is summarised here for your information: Great Wilbraham supports a school uniform that helps develop the idea of all pupils belonging to the school on an equal basis. School colours are maroon sweatshirt, jumper or cardigan with yellow polo shirt and navy trousers, skirt or tailored knee length shorts, (black or charcoal grey are also acceptable). Shoes should be appropriate for school, plain black or navy and not have heels. Summer shoes should not have open toes and must have a back. No fashion boots (including Ugg style boots) are permitted. Above all, clothing should be comfortable, appropriate and named. For physical education, it is essential that the children should be correctly dressed. This should include a tee-shirt and a pair of shorts, in school colours of yellow and black or navy. Pupils will also need plimsolls or trainers (preferably trainers for outdoor PE as these provide more support). PE kits need to remain at school during the week in a small bag marked with the child’s name. All children involved in outdoor games will require a track-suit or similar garment for the winter months plus appropriate footwear . Jewellery may not be worn in school. The only exceptions are watches and studs for pierced ears. These must be removed during lessons involving physical exercise and will be retained by the class teacher for collection after the lesson. It is also very useful to provide your child with an overall to protect clothing during art and craft lessons. A discarded adult shirt, adapted to fit, is quite suitable. All clothing and other personal items brought to school by children should be clearly marked with their name.

Emergency Closures

In the event of a school closure for snow or other circumstances we will communicate this information by the following means:
• Notice on the school website—www.greatwilbraham.cambs.sch.uk
• ParentMail E-mail message
• ParentMail Text Alert
• Local Radio

Computer Data - Personal Information

You will be requested to update your child’s data form shortly. Please can you amend the form, as necessary and return it to school as soon as possible. The forms are extremely important as they provide us with parent / guardian contact numbers, up to date medical information etc. We also ask that you provide additional emergency contact numbers, such as a neighbour, childminder or grandparents who would be willing to take your child home during the day if they are feeling unwell and we are unable to contact you for any reason. Once again this information is Strictly Confidential. and our office practices comply with the Data Protection Act. Please ensure you keep your contact details up to date both with School and with ParentMail, should they change during the year. If you are not signed up to receive e-mails and emergency texts from ParentMail, please contact the School Office for a form.

Communication

We aim to send as much home via the email messaging service, ParentMail, as possible. Please ensure your details are kept up to date with both Parentmail and ourselves to ensure you receive all relevant communications. If you think you have missed something or you stop receiving Parentmail communications please let us know as soon as possible and we can put this right for you. Newsletters will continue in paper format and will also be put on our website. Children will occasionally be asked to bring home other letters, notes and leaflets particularly those from outside agencies and clubs. Copies of all letters etc., that are sent home are kept in a file in the Reception area - please feel free to come and check if you think you have not received something - we will happily copy any missing letters for you. We also usually have a few spare copies of any leaflets, if yours goes astray!

Teaching staff can be contacted direct via their school email:

llatham@greatwilbraham.cambs.sch.uk
jmyles@greatwilbraham.cambs.sch.uk
jcrisp@greatwilbraham.cambs.sch.uk
lwalker@greatwilbraham.cambs.sch.uk
lnewington@greatwilbraham.cambs.sch.uk

Finally, if you have any general questions or queries or need any further information, please email the school office office@greatwilbraham.cambs.sch.uk or pop in.

Mrs Kim Crisp
School Administrator

School Applications 2012

Information for parents of children due to move to secondary school or to start primary school in September 2012.

Secondary School (Year 7) Applications will open online from 12th September 2011. The closing date for Year 7 applications for September 2012 will be 31 October 2011. We will shortly be receiving UID letters for Year 6 children, which we will distribute to parents on Monday 12th September. The UID letter will advise parents how to apply for a school place using the online facility. If you would prefer not to apply on-line there will be a supply of booklets and application forms available in school from next week.

Primary School (Reception Year) Applications for September 2012 will open online from 1st November. The closing date for Reception applications for September 2012 will be 15 January 2012. Towards the end of October we will receive a supply of booklets and application forms for any parents who prefer not to use the online facility. Parents will be entitled to express a preference for up to 3 primary schools. All relevant information will be available from the Cambridgeshire County Council website. www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/education/parents/admission/

Class Information Evening

Monday 12th September
Pegasus / Phoenix 6.30 pm
Dragon / Griffin 7.00 pm

This is your chance to come along to your child’s class and find out about what they are learning, as well as routines for their class. It is also an opportunity to meet your child’s teacher, ask questions and to see how the classroom will be set up. We look forward to seeing you there.

Clubs

There will be several after school clubs running this term—details of which will be distributed separately. A summary of these is shown below:
Monday Karate (KS2)
Tuesday Cookery (Yr 1/2)
Wednesday Premier Sports
Thursday Mad Science
Thursday Sports Club (KS1)
Thursday Hockey (KS2)
Friday Multi-Sports (Yr1-3)
Friday Homework (Yr2-6)

Fulbourn Library

Summer Reading Challenge Ends! For all of you who are completing your reading challenge, please return your books read to the library by the deadline in order to receive your medals and certificates at the assembly on Thursday 15th September.

100 Club

It is not too late to join our 100 Club. If you would like to join for the September draw, please send in £10 plus your completed standing order mandate for the remaining 9 months (further forms available from the school office). Alternatively you can pay £90 up front for all 10 draws. Cheques payable to Great Wilbraham Primary School, please. The last applications for the September draw need to be in the school office by Friday 16th September. The first monthly draw will be held on Friday 30th September at the Auction of Promises! Don’t forget you can win a monthly prize of up to £100 or up to £500 at Christmas and in the summer!

Auction of Promises

We hope you can come along on the 30th September for a fun filled evening—you may go home with a bargain or two! Please bring your own picnic and drinks. The list of ‘promises’ and further details will be available shortly. In the meantime if you are able to offer a ‘promise’ please get in touch as soon as possible.