The Courier

Dear Parents

I know that there will have been lots of butterflies in tummies last Sunday evening as everyone prepared for their return to school after the summer break. In my house, we used to call this the ‘Songs of Praise’ syndrome, as this was always family viewing on a Sunday evening. I’m quite sure that the butterflies were there for teachers as well as children, all of whom were nervously looking forward to that first day back after the summer holiday. Well, I’m delighted to report that the butterflies very soon fluttered off and that everybody came back with a smile on their face and we have enjoyed a very positive first week of term.

I based my first assembly around the idea of ‘saying hello’. We tried it in a few different languages and tried to guess where the children had been on their holidays.  The message was that a simple smile and a greeting is often enough just to break the ice and make other people feel at ease and welcome. I hope we made you welcome to the school this week, and I say this to both new and existing parents and families.

In particular, it was great to see the new Reception children coming in for their very first week and settling in so quickly. I know that Mrs Pullen and Mrs Noyce have been delighted with how the boys and girls have settled down and this augurs well for the terms ahead. Inevitably, they have tired a little as the week has gone on but they have all done really well. 

Elsewhere in this week’s newsletter you will find information about communications between the school and you as parents. I hope you find the time to read this and make contact with us if there is anything you aren’t sure of. I know how important it is to provide information at the right times and in an accessible format that enables you to balance busy work and home schedules. This is something we continue to refine and build on and in the rest of the year. 

I would also like to flag up for everyone the Crescent 70th celebrations that are coming up this term. Next Friday sees children and staff dressed in the style of one of the seven decades of the school, and on Saturday 29 September there is a double celebration with events on here at school and a ball in the evening. Please do look at Ms Lowe’s piece in the Courier, all the details you will need are in there.

I am pleased to report that the children have been delighted with the changes to the school, both in the changing area and the science lab. These two new much improved facilities will continue to provide great benefits to all of the children over the coming years and it is great to see them being embraced and enjoyed by the people who matter most.

Coming back after the holiday is not always the easiest thing for children and teachers, particularly after the wonderful summer we have enjoyed this year. I indulged myself a bit this week and told the children about my recent camping expedition in the Cairngorms with my two boys. The weather wasn’t so great up there mind you but this just added to the sense of challenge and remoteness.

It’s always good to set ourselves challenges and to approach them with resilience and good humour and these are the values that I am sure will stand us in good stead for another great year in school.

Best wishes

Joe Thackway

Dear Parents

In the last 12 months we have made it a priority to improve the way we communicate with you. As a parent with school age children myself I know how important it is that you have access to clear and consistent information to enable you to plan your busy schedules around the needs of your children.

There have been a number of developments in the way we communicate with you and this letter is an attempt to set out clearly how we will use the various different platforms available to us, so that you know how and where to find the information you need.

We will also use this means of communication if it is a personal message for you, often from a form teacher, or possibly one that is specific to a form or year group.

From January 2019, In terms of co-curricular clubs you will be able to select and sign up for your chosen clubs each term and you will also be notified of your child’s acceptance. The only exception to this is Bayleaf Cookery who will communicate directly with parents regarding their club.

In terms of sports fixtures, you will now receive all information regarding team selection, fixture time, date and location (including a link to Google Maps directions) though SOCS. In due course, on the SOCS website, you will also be able to view scores, match reports and upcoming fixture details. 

These types of platform do not lend themselves well to viewing large numbers of pictures of the children. For some events, such as residential visits, we like to make available pictures of the children taking part to parents and for these we would use our Flickr account. If we are planning to upload pictures of events that involve your children onto Flickr you will receive an email from the school that contains the link to the relevant pictures. It is not possible to access our Flickr account without this personalised link.

When you put it all in one letter, you realise just how varied our communications options are. Hopefully, this letter will clarify how and when each of them will be used this year but we are always looking to improve and refine this aspect of the running of the school as time goes by. If you have any queries in the meantime or would like more guidance on using the new systems I, or one of the front office staff, will be more than happy to help.

With all best wishes

For a two or three week period this year we will be focusing on one of the sayings in the new School Promise. We will talk about this in assembly and in form period. It would be great if you could discuss this with your children at home and support the messages we are emphasising in school.

This week’s promise is an excellent one to start the year with and is in the category of Good Friends:

‘We are kind to each other’