12SPR2016 - St John`s Primary School

St John’s Primary School
Mrs J Steel BEd (Hons)
Headteacher
Pendleton Road
Redhill
Surrey RH1 6QG
Tel: 01737 763804
Fax: 01737 770301
www.stjohns-redhill.surrey.sch.uk
12 – SPRING TERM 2016
World Book Day 3rd March 2016
The children looked fantastic in their book costumes
yesterday! They showed off their costumes in a
whole school assembly and later in the day enjoyed
hearing part of a story chosen by a teacher.
Stories included ‘Paddington’s London Treasury’
by Michael Bond, ‘The Twits’ and ‘The Enormous
Crocodile’ by Roald Dahl, ‘Faraway Tree Stories’ by Enid
Blyton, and ‘The Smartest Giant in Town’ by Julia Donaldson. Each
child was given a World Book Day Book Token which can be
exchanged for a £1 World Book Day book, or used as part payment
towards a book worth £2.99 or more at participating bookshops. Tokens must be used by 27th March.
Parent Volunteer Meeting
The next Parent Volunteer meeting will be held on Thursday 17th March at 9.00am – venue tbc depending on
numbers. Please remember that you need to attend this session annually (with 1 term’s grace) in order to
continue helping in school. We also ask that you attend this session before requesting a DBS check.
How do I respond to a
child in my group not
following my
instructions?
If a child says something
I am think is strange,
what do I do?
What exactly is my
role on a trip out of
school?
We really value parent help in school and do hope that these sessions will help to clarify your role and
answer any questions you may have. If you wish to attend, please notify the school office by email
[email protected] or call 01737 763804.
Parents Evening - New Sign Up System
We are trialling a new Parents Evening sign up system with Parentmail in time for
Reception Consultations (21st & 22nd March). This should make booking
appointments so much easier, especially if you have to book more than one class.
We anticipate that the sign up system will be available for Reception parents from
the 8th March. Will keep you posted!
Motorists – Traffic incident
Please make sure you are aware of other drivers and pedestrians if you have to bring
your vehicle near the school.
We had an incident recently where a parent got struck on the back by the wing
mirror of a car driving past her.
Please ensure you drive and park safely.
St John’s Primary – Record Breakers!
On Monday 22nd February pupils in Years 1 to 6 took part in a book quiz at the same time as other children in
other schools, in an attempt to help break the Guinness World Record for the ‘most people participating in
simultaneous literature quizzes in multiple venues’. There was a lot of ‘red tape’ involved to validate the
attempt, including the submission of witness and steward statements, plus video and photographic evidence,
but I’m delighted to report that our attempt has been validated and that we are a record breaking school!
Thanks to all pupils and staff, plus governors and parents involved on the day.
Mrs Lynch
Run to Rio
Can our school run the distance to Rio (5,700
miles…or at least part of it!) to mark the 2016
Olympic Games this summer?
The programme will start week commencing
11th April 2016 and will last until Friday 8th July
2016.
In line with our Healthy Schools status, we are
taking part in this Surrey wide event and will be
‘clocking up’ miles run and walked in PE
lessons, walking to swimming and PE lessons at
Dunottar and Reigate Schools and on circuits
around the playground at lunchtimes!
All miles will be logged on the ‘Golden Miles ‘
website and at the end of the 12 weeks, all
schools that cover the full 5700 miles will be
entered to win great prizes including Golden Mile
membership for a year and a fitness baseline
test for pupils.
In addition, there will be a special prize of a
sporting champion visit to the school with the
most per pupil miles.
YMCA Fun Run
Sunday 1st May Priory Park 10.30-3pm
 5 mile Adult Road race
1 mile Adult and Junior fun race
Details www.ymcaeasysurrey.org.uk
Year 3 and 4 Sports
Swimming
We have been informed by Dunottar School that their pool will be closed for refurbishment works next half term
(April to May) so there will be no swimming during this time.
PE / Games at Dunottar
This initiative has begun and seems to be very successful, giving our pupils the use of amazing facilities and
being supported by Dunottar’s Young Leaders. Look out for a press release soon! Two classes at a time walk
to Dunottar while the third class does PE at St John’s. Just so you know, dates are as follows:
Dates
3L
3S
4S
th
rd
Dunottar
Dunottar
Tues 26 Jan – Tues 23 Feb
St John’s
Dunottar
Dunottar
Tues 1st March – Tues 12th April
St John’s
Dunottar
Dunottar
Tues 19th April – Tues 24th May
St John’s
Please make sure your child is in school by 8.45am and has full PE kit with track suit trousers and
wellington boots when walking to Dunottar.
High Ashurst & French Residential (Years 3, 4 & 5)
Thank you to all the parents who
have paid their deposit for the
above 2016 & 2017 residential
trips.
We are now in the process of finalising
numbers for accommodation.
More Success !!! - Cross-Country Running Competition Results
A MASSIVE ….Well Done to every child who took part in the Reigate and Redhill schools Cross Country
Competition at Priory Park this week. I'm delighted to announce that the following children achieved a top 3
finishing place in their chosen race and was awarded a medal as a result:
Olivia Smith (Yr 4) - 2nd Place
Daisy O'Brien (Yr 3) - 3rd Place
Samuel Stapley (Yr 4) - 2nd Place
Sam Rolaston (Yr 4) - 3rd Place
Millie O'Brien (Yr 6) - 3rd Place
Freddie Fowler (Yr 6) - 2nd Place
A special mention must also go to the boys who collectively finished in 2nd place overall - an
outstanding achievement considering the size of the schools competing against us.
Unfortunately we are coming to the end of our cross country season. However I'd just like to
say that the teams’ hard work and enthusiasm in training has been brilliant and the
improvement in the team from the start of the school year to now has been incredible. Every
child that has had an involvement in cross country this year should be extremely proud of
themselves......WELL DONE ST. JOHNS!!
We look forward to beginning our ‘Development Squad’ of Cross Country Runners in next
term’s clubs listings.
Mr B Cassin
Sport Relief
School Council chosen charity
Wear any sports kit to school on Friday 18th March, take part in
different sports and help support Sport Relief. Bring a donation of
just £1 and the money you raise will help to fund various projects
transforming people’s lives across the UK and in the world’s
poorest communities.
The School’s Council are holding a cake sale after school to
support this worthwhile charity so please bake some cakes for
them to sell.
Rotakids
The Rotakids Club has been running at St John’s School for 9 months very
successfully and I thought that it was time to give you all an update on what the
children have done and are doing in the Club.
Last Summer term it was decided that we would do a fund raising project by
running a stall at the Summer Fair selling a variety of items including bracelets and
necklaces.
The children’s efforts raised £45. The Reigate Rotary Club decided to add a
further £45 in recognition of the pupils’ efforts. The Rotakids voted to send the money to the Wateraid Charity
to help those young children in Africa who have to walk miles to find water every day and carry heavy
buckets and jugs back to their villages. We discovered that the British Government were supporting this
International venture by adding a matching amount donated to this charity. This resulted in the Rotakids first
event raising £180 to help the children in Africa.
In the Autumn Term, the children voted to run a stall at the School Christmas Fair. They put in a good deal of
effort devising ideas as to how to raise money on the stall. This culminated in various games such as, “Find
Santa’s missing sack” using a London Underground map,” Treasure Island” and “Lucky Numbers”. All their
work resulted in raising £34 which they voted to send to the
ShelterBox Charity. ShelterBox is a charity founded by Rotary
which sends large boxes to disaster areas. You will have seen
on the news this week that the RAF have flown out relief boxes
to the islands of Vanuatu where Cyclone Pam has caused
devastation. The Rotakids money has gone into providing this
urgent humanitarian assistance. For more information see
http://www.shelterbox.org
Not everything that Rotakids is doing is about fundraising. It is also about doing things to help improve and
support work of agencies in our local communities – which links in so well with our Community Driver.
The Rotakids are organizing three events this term to raise money for their chosen charities -The Surrey Air
Ambulance and The Children's Trust. These are:
 Charity collection bags. Rotakids will distribute bags to classes and ask that they
are filled with toys, books and other saleable items which are no longer required.
These can be brought into school after the Easter holiday (by Tuesday 12th
April) for collection. If your child does not bring home a bag please use any other
large plastic bag.
 "Decorated Springtime Cap or Hat" competition. Children wishing to enter this need
to create a Springtime themed hat at home and bring it to school (stage in upper
hall) on Friday 18th March for judging by the Rotakids panel. Please make sure
your name and class are clearly displayed and your 20p entrance fee is attached.
 "Float your Boat" competition. This is open to Years 3-6 and entrants are required to
make a paper boat from 3 sheets of A4 paper, decorate it and then decorate an egg
to sit in the boat. The boats and eggs will be tested to see which boat floats for the
longest. Please bring your boat to the garden area on Thursday 17th March at
12.15pm your 20p entrance fee.
Buz Shrewsbury - Governor and Rotakids
Covering Classes
For those of you who are newer to the school, I thought I should remind you how we cover classes here at St
John’s when teachers are not able to teach. As you know, at St John’s we are passionate about our quality of
teaching and are continually striving to improve teaching and learning opportunities for our pupils. This
occasionally means teachers need to be out of the classroom for their own professional development
attending training courses or working directly with other staff. Also, there are occasions where a teacher may
be off sick and the class needs cover. We are incredibly fortunate that many of our Teaching Assistants are
very skilled (some are actually trained teachers) and are more than capable of covering classes to deliver
planned lessons. We feel that they give the pupils far better continuity of learning as they have been in class
previously and also they are familiar with the children, rather than rely on a supply teacher. Should a longer
term solution ever be needed we would obviously re-evaluate the situation and share with you any decisions
in writing.
Fund Raising update , so far……..
INSET Days 2016
School is closed to pupils
Diary Dates
March
th
Wed 9
th
Wed 9
th
Thurs 10
Mon 14th
th
Tues 15
th
Tues 15
th
Wed 16
th
Wed 16
th
Wed 16
th
Wed 16
th
Thur 17
th
Fri 18
th
Fri 18
st
Mon 21
st
Mon 21
st
w/c 21
nd
Tues 22
nd
Tues 22
rd
Wed 23
rd
Wed 23
th
Thurs 24
Monday 14th March
Friday 8th July
3S Assembly & Cake Sale
Netball Match v St. Matthews away at St. Matthews A Team 3.45 p.m. start
Football Match vs Furzefield
INSET
KS2 Gym Competition – St Bedes
Netball Match v Furzefield away at Furzefield A Team 3.45 p.m. start
1F Assembly & Cake Sale
Yr 5 Easter Experience - Sparkfish
Reports to Parents (Yrs 1-6)
Football Match vs RAA
Parent Volunteer Meeting
Sports Relief Sports Gear Mufti
Football Match vs Meath Green
Reception Parents Consultations 5.00 – 8.00pm
Yrs 1-6 Open Classrooms – opportunity to see your child’s work 3.30-5pm Appointments
available to discuss reports 3.30-5pm
Last week of clubs
Reception Parents Consultations 3.30-6pm
Netball Tournament at Reigate Priory 2 p.m. start A Team
4S Assembly & Cake Sale
Year 5 /6 Football Tournament (at Sandcross for 1.30pm )
End of Term - Infants 1.20, Years 3 & 4 1.25, Years 5 & 6 1.30pm