queens` federation newsletter october 2012 no. 7

QUEENS’ FEDERATION
NEWSLETTER
OCTOBER 2012
NO. 7
It is with sadness we say farewell to Mrs Matthews who has been a dinner lady for 51 years,
49 of those at Queen Edith.
When interviewed by three Year 6 journalists she explained that she had greatly enjoyed her
time with us, first at the Queen Edith Junior School, then the Primary School and finally
ending up working at Queen Emma with our oldest children.
She described her memorable moments as being when she had worked here for 40 years
and received a lovely bouquet of flowers. Another memorable time was on her 80th
birthday, on entering the Hall all the children sang Happy Birthday to her.
She leaves with our sincere good wishes for a long, happy and healthy retirement and
grateful thanks for her wonderful contribution to Queen Edith. She has been an inspiration
come rain or shine.
www.queenedithschool.org.uk
Dear Parents and Friends of the school,
Children at Queen Edith are now all happily settled in their refurbished classrooms with
fresh paintwork, windows, heaters and new furniture making them look very smart.
However, I feel extremely grateful that we were able to move eight classes to Queen Emma.
It means classes have been able to continue working normally as the upheaval of working
around the builders would have been very disruptive for the children and staff. Thank you
again to parents who are managing the complication of having children on both sites,
although challenging, it is definitely the best option to have the children in the beautiful
Queen Emma classrooms enjoying being guests in this lovely new school. Some children are
very keen to return to Queen Edith as soon as possible, but many of them are very happy in
their new classroom and keen to stay!
The visit from Headteacher Jane Lahai has been a real highlight of the term and given our
children a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the difference between education here and in
Africa. In our assemblies this week I think we all agreed we are very quick to forget how
fortunate we are as we so often take our school building, equipment and teachers for
granted. We were delighted that together the school community collected just under £1,000
to send back with Mrs Lahai so she could do some refurbishments at her school! Thank you
so much for your contribution. We hope the partnership with the school will continue in the
future and look forward to listening to the children’s ideas about ways in which they might
like to support the school.
It is the time of year when once again we are showing prospective reception parents for next
year around the schools. The split site arrangement is causing further complications and so
we are having a new parents’ morning on November 23rd, please call the School Office to
book a place. Please do let friends and neighbours know about the date so we can ensure as
many parents as possible get the chance to see both schools in action.
The half term holiday has been a long time coming this term and I do hope everyone has a
restful and enjoyable holiday so we can come back for a healthy and fun-filled second half of
the autumn term. We look forward to seeing the children back in school on MONDAY 5 th
NOVEMBER – Please remember there is no training day at Queen Edith.
Caroline Peet
www.queenedithschool.org.uk
Dates for your diary ......
November 2012
December 2012
F 9 PSFA Discos
5 pm; 7 pm
M 12 PSFA Meeting
7.30 pm
T 13 KS1 Parent Afternoon
2.45 pm
W 14 KS2 Parent Afternoon
2:45 pm
Parent Consultations
F 16 Reception
1.30-4 pm
M 19 All classes
4 -7 pm
Tu 20 Later Years – Yr 5/6
1.30-4 pm
W 21 Middle Years
Yr 3/4 1.30-4 pm
Th 22 KS1 Yr 1/2
1.30-4 pm
M 26 Governors Cttee Meetings 5.30 pm
W 28 Management Cttee
9.30 am
F
T
W
M
M
Tu
Tu
W
W
W
Th
F
F
7
11
12
17
17
18
18
19
19
19
20
21
21
PSFA Wine Tasting
Community Christmas Event
Nursery Celebration
Governing Body Meeting
KS1 Production
KS1 Production
Nursery Parties
Reception Christmas Songs
School Christmas Lunch
KS1 Production
Christmas Parties (N-Y6)
Santa’s Grotto
TERM ENDS
6- 7 pm
11am, 2:45pm
6 pm
2.30 pm
10 am
am
9.30 am
12 noon
2.30 pm
pm
Please note the extra date for the Parent Open Afternoons on Wednesday 14th
November for KS2 parents at Queen Emma
Year 4 Art Exhibition
As a finale to Year 4’s Andy Goldsworthy art topic, the
children put on an exhibition for friends and family to visit.
Our visitors enjoyed doing leaf rubbings and sketches. We
had also collected lots of natural materials so that we could
make our own sculptures in the classroom. Just like Andy
Goldsworthy, we took photographs of our temporary designs.
The exhibition guides we wrote included an introduction to the
exhibition, a biography of Andy Goldsworthy, some autumninspired poetry and a feedback form. The feedback we
received was amazing – both we and our visitors had a great
time. There are more pictures in the Year 4 area of the school
website.”
Queen Edith School Council
Congratulations to this term’s elected School Council Representatives:
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
3.1:
4.1:
5.1:
6.1:
Autumn Term School Council Reps
Katie Frost
Jesse Goodley
3.2: Hilary Hawthorne Zack Norman
Charlotte Wilson Hassan Blower
4.2: Ella Sparkes
Oliver Mavaddat-Rhys
Nina Koulman
Dan Frost
5.2: Alice Zanatta
Kaan Yavuz
Sahana Kalyaan Aidan Harrity
6.2: Emily Boyd
Andrew Milner
www.queenedithschool.org.uk
Football Update
On Saturday 13th October, Queen Edith footballers competed in the annual
Perse Tournament. With a young team, containing mainly year 5 players, we
knew it would be a tough challenge to repeat our final appearance last year,
and so it proved. All three games in our group were very tight, as we drew 00 with the Perse, were unfortunate to lose our second game with King’s Ely
1-0 and could only manage a 0-0 draw in our final game against South Lee.
Unfortunately, those results weren’t quite good enough to see us through to the next round, but
there was some consolation in the fact that the two teams who finished above us went on to contest
the final. We managed to score a goal in our last match, against Newnham Croft, who had finished
third in their group, but conceded two goals to lose 2-1.
Unfortunately, the ESFA Cup, in which we were due to be competing on Tuesday 23rd October, was
postponed due to bad weather.
Goldie Sayers Visit
As one of only three primary schools in Cambridge to be awarded the Bronze School Games Kitemark
last year, Year 5 and 6 children were invited to a special assembly at Netherhall on Friday 19th
October. Goldie Sayers, the British javelin record holder, gave an excellent speech about her
experiences in three successive Olympics, as well as describing her formative years (including her
somewhat unorthodox training methods) and the dedication needed to become an elite athlete.
It was great for the children to hear from someone who grew up locally and has reached the top in
her chosen discipline and to have the message of the importance of perseverance reinforced! At the
end of the assembly, some lucky children were able to secure her autograph.
“I was really inspired, because when she hurt her arm before the Olympics, she still competed” –
Elena
“I thought it was great how she said she was just a normal child like us, so one day some of us might
grow up to be Olympians, too” – Justine
“I think it was really great to see an Olympian up close, having seen them competing this summer” –
Rocco
“I thought it was amazing that we got to meet someone who actually competed in the Olympics” –
Rosa
www.queenedithschool.org.uk
Year 5 recently attended a Tudor day in school and also a Puzzle
morning at Netherhall. Here are a few of the children’s comments:
Tudor Day
" Tudor day was a very good experience, because we got to see what the Tudors used for
medicine and how they made ink" Zaydene
"Tudor day was the best day, because we got to try new things like candle making" Minahil
"Tudor day was great; I loved the story because it was exciting and a bit scary! Nina
"I liked making soap balls, and they smelt really great" Ellis
Puzzles morning at Netherhall
"The puzzles were really hard and I liked the challenge" Noah
"The third challenge was the hardest and the best. I liked working in my team" Poyraz
"Puzzle day was a real mind twister!" Zaydene
Dear Parents, Carers and Staff
I would like to thank you all very much for your kind contribution to my retirement
gift. I was able to send just over £300 to Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.
Your continued support means we are able to fund vital research into blood
cancers that is delivering improved treatments and cures for patients.
30,000 people of all ages, from children and teenagers to adults, are diagnosed
with a blood cancer in the UK every year. Our research is helping to give everyone
of them the best possible chance of survival.
Many thanks once again,
Angela Loughnane
www.queenedithschool.org.uk
Greek Day
Year 3 thoroughly enjoyed dressing up as Ancient Greeks for their recent Greek Day. Thank
you very much to the many parent helpers who made the day possible and enjoyable for the
children by dressing up and entering into the spirit of things and becoming experts in their
crafts to help the children. Here are some of the children's comments:
“I loved the feast! My favourite part was seeing all the fantastic actors and dancers!” - Bryony
“I enjoyed making the medicine because we got to crush it all up” - Sophia
“ I enjoyed the show. My favourite part was the dances and actors” - Anitta
“I really enjoyed making patterns with tablets but my favourite part was when I was an actor
as a mouse” - Musaab
“I enjoyed making the fresco because it was colourful” - Yekta
“My favourite part of Greek day was the soldier training because I like to battle” - Kyle
“I really enjoyed drawing a fish on the wax tablet because it was lots of fun” - Charlie
“The poetry was fun when I did the actions and said, "I surrender, let me go!" - Mekhi
“I liked it when they pretended to chop a slave's toe off because he kept on trying to
escape” - William
“It was fascinating when we made medicine for headaches because I didn't know they used
lavender” - Hilary
“I thought it was fun when Alicia and I had to bash olives to make olive oil. We put a piece of
string in the oil and lit it” - Amelie
“It was really challenging to paint the fresco because we were only allowed to use three
colours” - Esme
“I made a Greek mosaic of a boat. I put some glue on a piece of cardboard and then I stuck
some tiny tiles on to make a picture” - Asha
Attendance and Punctuality
We are really pleased that fewer children are coming into school late. It really does make a
difference!
 Good attendance = good progress
 Good attendance = maximum amount of teaching and learning time
 Missed lessons = holes in learning
 The greater the attendance, the greater the achievement
Maximizing attendance is vital to children’s future life chances
www.queenedithschool.org.uk
SCHOOL MEALS
School meal prices are:
£2.00 per day
£10.00 per week
Cost for 2nd half of term (35 days) = £ 70.00
Cheques should be made payable to:
“QUEENS’ FEDERATION”
All meals should be paid for in advance.
We are very lucky that our school meal price will remain at £2.00 per meal
which offers exceptional value for money.
On the first day back after half term you will receive a new meal selection form. Please
return this immediately as it will advise us of your child/children’s meal selection for the
second half of the Autumn term. There is a section at the bottom of the form for
children not needing dinners so everyone should complete and return the form.
Current menus are available from the School Office.
If your child is not in at the beginning of the school day (because of
appointments, etc) but will require a school meal, it is important that you ring in
and advise us before 10 am, otherwise the numbers catered for are incorrect and
the last children may not receive the advertised meal.
We believe there are pupils who are eligible for
FREE SCHOOL MEALS
who are not yet claiming them.
Applications can be done online and the process is extremely simple. If you need help doing
this please come to the office. If you are receiving the following benefits you are probably
entitled to free school meals:
 Income Support
 Employment Support Allowance
 Child Tax Credit and parents whose annual income does not exceed £16,190 and
who are not in receipt of Working Tax Credit
If you are at all unsure whether you qualify please come to the office and talk to Miss Perry.
PACKED LUNCHES
Please can we remind parents that children are not allowed sweets
or bars of chocolate in their lunchboxes. Please do not send any nuts or nut products as we
have children in school with severe nut allergies.
Children should also only have water in their water bottles.
(Juice cartons can be bought in for lunch).
Many thanks.
www.queenedithschool.org.uk
Apple Day at Rock Road Library
Saturday 27th October, 11am-1pm in the Library Garden (or inside the Library if wet)
Plenty of apple activities for the whole family including the community apple press
(bring your own clean apples and juice containers), apple bobbing, storytelling, cake
and biscuit stall, apple crafts, apple and spoon races, a William Tell shooting gallery
and more!
Come dressed as an apple or a character from an apple story to get a prize!
All this fun is free, but donations to the fundraising cake stall would be very welcome.
Organised by the Friends of Rock Road Library.
This year's event is sponsored by Microsoft Research, ARM and The Mathworks
This Saturday (27th October) the Cambridge Science Centre will be taking over the
Guildhall in Cambridge with a fun science and engineering event for families.
Admission is free, and as well as a range of hands-on science experiments, a science-art
gallery and a coffee shop, at 15:30 our amazing Chain Reaction will be set off and will
run around the room to trigger the grand finale.
For £8 contribution per family/group towards materials, you can even join in and build
your own section of the Chain Reaction!
What:
When:
Where:
Fun family science event
Saturday 27th October, 11:00-16:00
The Guildhall, Market Square, Cambridge, CB2 3QJ
How much: Free admission, £8 to help build the Chain Reaction
For more information see http://www.cambridgesciencecentre.org/sciencexchange-2012/
www.queenedithschool.org.uk
Year 2 recently visit Duxford, here is Vishrut’s account of the day to Mrs Peet,
www.queenedithschool.org.uk
Mrs Lahai’s visit from Sierra Leone
Thank you to everyone who made Mrs Lahai so welcome during her
time with us at Queen Edith. She really enjoyed meeting you all and
spending time with us in school. Thank you to those governors and
parents who took her out and about or welcomed her into their homes.
Snowflake had a great time with Snowy and had a lot of fun in your
classes. Here are some photos of the visit. More are going up on the
school website soon.
www.queenedithschool.org.uk
PSFA NEWS OCTOBER 2012
Once again the PSFA (Parents Staff and Friends Association) have big plans for fundraising
and social events this academic year, and the events have already got off to a fantastic start.
INTERNATIONAL FOOD EVENING
For the first time in recent years the hugely popular
International Food Evening was held in the Autumn
Term. We were absolutely delighted with the support
we received from so many parents; 22 different
countries were represented and over 150 people
attended. We were also delighted to welcome
special guest Jane Lahai, the Headteacher from
June Hartranft Memorial Primary School for Girls in
Moyamba, Sierra Leone. The evening made over
£600 and everyone had a really lovely evening, so
thank you to everyone who took part.
BAG2SCHOOL
You may have noticed the posters advertising "Bag2School". Thank you to everyone who
has filled a bag - the deadline was Friday 26th October. We're aiming to let you know before
Christmas how much was raised. And should you find a pile of things that you'd forgotten to
bag up and drop off - fear not! Another Bag2School event will be held in the Spring.
SWIMMING EVENING
We are working hard to confirm a new date for this event in 2013.
THANK YOU
Everyone on the PSFA committee would like to say a huge thank you to Alison Maguire who
is stepping down as Treasurer after 4 years, to concentrate on her new role as a Queen’s
Federation School Governor. Alison has worked tirelessly to provide us with accounts, floats
and profit sums and kept us all on track, we will miss her. However, we are very grateful to
Monika Golinska for taking over the Treasurer’s position and very much looking forward to
working with her in the future.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
SCHOOL DISCOS
The next school discos are on Friday 9th November and will be held in the QUEEN EMMA
SCHOOL HALL, not at Queen Edith School as is usually the case.
Early Years Disco (Nursery, Reception, Years 1 and 2)
5.00 – 6.30 pm
Later Years Disco (Years 3, 4, 5 and 6)
7.00 – 8.30 pm
If you would like your child(ren) to attend, please complete the consent form on the letter
which was sent home with your children this week and return it together with the correct
cash/cheque in a sealed envelope addressed to the PSFA c/o the School Office. Cheques
should be made payable to ‘Queen Edith CP School PSFA’. Admission is £2.50 per person:
see letter for details.
www.queenedithschool.org.uk
WINE TASTING EVENING
Friday 7th December, Queen Emma School Hall. Book the babysitter now, leave the children
and the car at home and come to enjoy a Wine Tasting Evening with friends and family! Paul
Bowes from Bacchanalia Wine Merchants in Cambridge will be coming along to educate you
in all you need to know before buying those Christmas wines. It promises to be a fun
evening.
SANTA’S GROTTO
Once again Santa will be visiting Early Years and Foundation Stage children at Queen Edith
School on the last day of term before Christmas - Friday 21st December. Look out for a letter
telling you how you can obtain tickets.
WHERE THE MONEY GOES
Last year we raised over £8000 towards the school funds and made several key donations to
the school including £2000 for books, £2000 towards refurbishing the library and £4000 on
play equipment for the Reception playground.
GET IN TOUCH, GET INVOLVED!
Interested in the PFSA or keen to be involved in fundraising for the school? Check out the
PFSA page on the school website for more information on who we are and how to get
involved, or even come to the next PSFA Meeting, which will be held on Monday, 12
November 2012 at 7.30pm in the Staff Room.
Le Club Français and El Club Español provide a grounding in foreign language
learning. We aim to get children enthusiastic about the subject by making the club
sessions as interesting and as much fun as possible. We use songs, stories, games
and activities to stimulate interest in languages, and provide a solid foundation for
future formal language study.
The French clubs for KS1 and KS2 meet on Thursday lunchtimes and the cost for the next half term
will be £39.50 for new members. The Spanish clubs at Queen Edith are currently on hold, but we
hope to launch them again after Christmas. For more information, please contact Tim Morley on
01223 911575, or enrol directly at http://westcambs.com/queensfed
www.queenedithschool.org.uk
Footballers who represented the school in the
Perse Tournament:
Nat Baxter
Owen Birkin-Flory
Aidan Harrity
Andrew Milner
Kyle Moran
Jonny Risdon
Jaeheon Shim
Safi Terywall
Saif Terywall
Theo Vassiliou
Benjamin Wilson
www.queenedithschool.org.uk