Welcome to The Courier, Crescent School's electronic newsletter.

This is a mini edition and there are some great photos showing what children have been up to over the holidays.  Do keep the photos coming in - we love seeing them.

Our cover photos is of Everly in Reception Class Easter wreath which she made. Her Mum said that they took hand prints and cut them up to make the base.  We think it looks great - well done Everly!

Click here to contact the Courier Team

Preview

Headmaster's Message

Headmaster's Message

Dear Parents

Welcome to this week’s mini-edition of the Courier. I hope you enjoy finding out about what some of the children have been up to during the holiday as well as reading some important messages from members of the Crescent staff.

There are some key communications that have gone out this week that I would like to briefly flag up. Yesterday we sent round details about how we intend to deliver the home learning curriculum next term, using Seesaw and Teams. Many thanks to everyone here for all their hard work preparing for this and in particular to Bryony Forth, our Head of Curriculum and to Andy Compton, who is the Foundation Head of Digital Strategy.

We do hope you find Seesaw an engaging platform for curriculum delivery and significantly that it takes some of the pressure off you as parents. We know just how busy you are, many of you working from home, and we want to do all we can to support you. There will, no doubt, be a bedding in period but let’s all plan for success.

I mentioned at the end of this letter that we will be sending round a parental questionnaire after the first week of using Seesaw. Please do use this as an opportunity to provide feedback as we attempt to refine and finesse our delivery, making it work for all involved and ensuring pupil progress.

With today’s Courier you will also receive an important message from Liz Griffin, our Foundation Chair of Trustees. Please click here to view this message. Many of you will have seen Liz at school events in the past, she has been a friendly face at many concerts and services and offers great support to everyone here. The letter talks about the Foundation strategy for meeting the challenges of lockdown and dealing with the coronavirus. A large part of this of course is the issue of fees and discounts. We have listened hard to feedback from parents, both here at Crescent and in the other foundation schools, and as you will see there has been a revision to the discounts that positively affects us as a prep school. I do hope that this comes as some good news to you.

Weekends don’t seem quite the same in lockdown as they did before, do they? However, I hope you are able to get away from the stresses and strains of working from home and find some relaxation time over the next two days.

With my best wishes to you all.

Joe Thackway
Headmaster

 

News

Radio 2 500 Words Congratulations To Zac

A huge congratulations goes to Zac in Class 1E for getting through the first round of Radio 2 500 words 2020, a great achievement.  He was very proud to receive this certificate.

Well done Zac!

Mrs Webb
Assistant Head

Bilton Silver Band Entertain Us

We just had to share this joyful video rendition of Do-Re-Mi from the Sound of Music by the fab Bilton Silver (Rugby) Band, put together by Princethorpe and Crackley peripatetic brass teacher and Old Princethorpian Jodie Fisher.

With social distancing putting paid to their normal rehearsals they came up with this imaginative way of bringing them all together to make their fantastic music and make everyone smile.

The video also features Jodie’s mum and fellow brass teacher Di Fisher, who teaches at the Crescent. You might be able to spot a few more familiar Foundation faces too.

We think you’ll have to agree they are brilliant and make a cracking sound!! Click here to view the video

Also getting in on the amazing musical video act is Bilton's Silver Training Band, with their fun rendition of 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' from Mary Poppins. Lots of familiar Crescent faces here, well done everyone for keeping spirits up. Just don't ask us to spell the tune's title!!! 

Click here to view the video.
 

 

View Gallery

Year 3-6 Holiday Reads

We hope that all the children have enjoyed their holiday reads in Classes 3S, 4M, 5F, 6Y and 6W.

These children will be starting work on the books as we begin term. Year 5 and 6 are using their books from next week, so if they have not read them they will find the work a little more challenging next week!

Mrs Webb
Assistant Head

Mrs Webb's Philosophy Tips

I get many of my ideas from The Philosophy Man, and each week he is releasing new ideas to try at home.

Take a look here, there is a wide variety to keep your brains thinking.

Mrs Webb
Assistant Head

 

Young Artists' Summer Show

The Royal Academy of arts are running a summer exhibition called the Young Artists’ Summer Show for young artists aged 5-19 years to exhibit their work online and on-site at the Royal Academy.

Mrs Byrne has registered the school if any children would like to submit their work. The deadline is 24 April 2020 so all entries would need to be either submitted by parents before that date or sent with a permission form to Mrs Byrne by Wednesday 22 April.

Please look at the link to the website below if your child is interested. 

Young Artists

Mrs Byrne
Head of Art

Key Worker Provision At Crescent School

Crescent School will reopen next week for Key Worker provision. This is aimed at parents who work in critical roles as outlined in government guidance (such as in the NHS or social care), who are not able to access alternative childcare.

A letter was sent out earlier in the week to those parents who had previously expressed an interest in this service.

We are proud to support Crescent School's key workers. If you have any questions regarding this provision, or think you might qualify for it, please contact the office for further information.

Crescent School

First News

We receive First News in school every week for the children to peruse. Due to this being unable to be delivered they are sharing the newspaper as a PDF.

Please enjoy this paper with your children, there are some great stories.

3 - 9 April 2020

10 - 16 April 2020

Mrs Webb
Assistant Head

Top Tips For Navigating The Courier On Your Phone

To help families new to the school, and as a reminder for all, we thought we would share some tips for navigating The Courier on your phone.

Each weekly edition of The Courier will have a general overview message followed by an index list of the news and information, split into categories, as clickable title links.

Top Tip - Save the link below into your bookmarks so you can view the Courier in your browser whenever is convenient each week:

The Courier

Here are some more tips for navigating The Courier on your phone:

  • Click the title link of the article or event you are interested in (this will open the newsletter in your browser with the article you have selected)
  • From here you can scroll through all the articles in this category
  • To get back to the top of a category quickly, use the green arrow in the bottom right of your browser. Click this and you will jump to the top of the page, the category index
  • The category index will list all the articles in that category that week
  • Select ‘Newsletter Index’, to return you to the main newsletter index listing all the categories and articles
  • To move between different editions of The Courier use the green button with three white lines at the top of the newsletter. Click this and you can choose which weekly edition of The Courier you would like to browse.
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Awards

Virtual Accelerated Reading Board

Well done to all the children who have been reading over the Easter break. Here are our high achievers from the past few weeks.

Word Wizards of the holidays:

  • Matthew T
  • Harry B
  • Orla 
  • Liana 
  • Zahra 

The children who have read the most books over the holiday are:

  • Daniel 
  • Keshav 
  • Orla 
  • Katherine 
  • Zahra 

Accelerated Reader millionaires so far this year:

  • Over 6 Million: Daniel 
  • Over 3 Million: Matthew T
  • Over 2 Million: Chloe W, Drew, Alyssa, Harry B
  • Over 1 million: Jay, Zahra, Rania, George B, Izzy, Ellie G, Orla, Freya S, Rohan, Liana, Keshav, Katherine 

We will keep recognising new millionaires every week.  Keep up the excellent reading work.

Mrs Webb
Assistant Head

Times Table Rockstars

Results for Battle 26 March - 2 April

Boys 12,038 V Girls 8,834 - well done to the Boys.

Harry 6Y and Eve 5F contributed the most points to their teams.

Each class can have the speediest TT Rock Star and that gets you up the status board on the poster below. To get on this board you have to tackle the single player games - Garage, Studio & Soundcheck, multi-player do not count for these. These also earn more coins than the multiplayer games too.

In the last two weeks, the speediest in each class are:

  • 1E - No one on the board yet
  • 2W- Alex G - Wannabe!
  • 3S- Charlie M - Headliner!
  • 4M- Aryan S - Rock Star!
  • 5F- Isla B - Rock Star!
  • 6W- Sienna M - Rock Star!
  • 6Y - Harry B - Rock Legend!

I have also set up a 'Battle' Thursday 16 to Thursday 23 April, 'Girls Vs Boys' for the whole school. Battles add up any points at all as you play! I will let you know who wins in the nextedition of the Courier.

Stay Calm and Keep Rocking!

 

Art Frizzmeister aka Ms Forth
Deputy Head

Wellbeing

Pastoral Message From Mr Webb

Dear Parents and Children

I hope you are all well and feeling as positive as possible in these strange and unusual times.

It's easy to focus on the things that we are missing at the moment - perhaps the freedom to go where we want whenever we want to, seeing family and friends, not being able to pursue our leisure time hobbies and interests...I know that the staff at school have all felt this keenly and that we've all developed our own strategies to cope with it.  I'm sure you have at home too. 

One of mine has perhaps been to take more time to notice the simple things in life, perhaps those that we normally take for granted, that can bring small pleasures which raise a smile.  It may be a beautiful birdsong in the garden or the view as you take allowed exercise.  The news makes for difficult watching but the many acts of human kindness have filled our hearts and given us hope. Thank you to all of you who have shared some of these with us from your own families over the Easter break.

As we prepare for a return to home learning next week, it is this positivity, kindness of actions and calmness of approach which will steer us through the anxieties and difficulties which will no doubt creep up on us all.

As a new term begins, of course, a priority for us in school is to remind the children of keeping themselves safe, of recognising their Early Warning signs and renewing their network hand of adults they can talk to in times of danger or worry.  Of course, staff continue to be available to support this through Seesaw messages or emails, but we are very aware that the staff face to face networks have been removed from the children all be it temporarily. 

As such the Warwickshire Safeguarding Children board have produced guidance to support children through this (click here to read). We fully endorse this approach and encourage you to have proactive and open conversations with your children to ensure their ongoing protection. 

Please do be in touch if I can be of any support in this.

With all best wishes to you all.

Mr Webb
Crescent Safeguarding Lead
Head of Pastoral Care

CLANG Of The Week

Well, it’s been an Easter of two halves for me!  The beginning was jam-packed with INSET training on the new learning platforms we are going to introduce and checking in with our teaching and support teams. The latter part of the break has been shared between painting walls, painting in my sketch book and getting time to read a book and spend time in the garden.

How has your Easter been? Did you think about your wellbeing and how we need to be mindful as our routine is so different?  Here’s my CLANG of the week – I’d love to hear via email if you are able to identify your CLANG too!

CONNECT 
We have worked out how to play dice games and quizzes via Zoom which means we can still see and chat to our friends;
 
LEARN
I have learned how to use new software so we can teach you and you can share your work more effectively and even how to have a staff meeting online!
 
Be ACTIVE
As well as going out on my bike, I am following a Pilates course online and decorating has been keeping me moving;
 
Take NOTICE
I’m amazed at how many birds we actually have in our garden! And how beautiful their singing is during the day;
 
GIVE
I ordered my mum a surprise bouquet of flowers as she is recovering from an operation and it made her day.

So... What could you do this week that will look after your own wellbeing?

CONNECT
Maybe set up a friend’s chat via video link or start an online word game with a friend (I’m challenging Mrs Webb to games of ‘Words with friends’!)
 
LEARN
There are so many art classes to follow online if you like drawing or perhaps just draw copying your favourite illustrations from your reading book;
 
Be ACTIVE
Try the toilet roll ‘keepy-uppy’ challenge (but don’t break anything!)
 
Take NOTICE
Stand in your garden and listen for the birds – can you tell which song belongs to who?
 
GIVE
Remember to join in the clap for the NHS at 8pm every Thursday to show your appreciation of all they are doing for our family, our friends and our communities.

Stay safe, stay home and look after each other, both physically and emotionally.

Until next time....

Mrs Stapleton
Head of Wellbeing

Around The Classes

Holiday Round Up

In my end of term assembly, I talked about my five top tips (reading, drawing, baking, gardenng and writing a diary) for the holiday period and thanks to those of you who have already sent in examples. 

Please read on to find out what children have been up to: 

  • Roisin and Annalise have been busy sowing seeds... the children love looking at their little pots each day to see how much progress they’ve made overnight. It’s amazing the time we can now give to the little things!
  • Aryaan M has started his own diary, he made it from card and paper and decorated the front cover. He is planning on doing a family tree, a dinner menu for a week and writing a story of going for a play date to his friend's house. Great ideas to keep his days occupied.
  • Fred has been using his holiday time to increase his knowledge of space.
  • Edward W has enjoyed a walk in Cawston spinney; helped to re-lay the path in front garden and made a cardboard crocodile. He has also been inspired by Indiana Jones to hunt for fossils and dinosaur bones in the gardens.
  • Charlie and Alfie have had a lovely relaxing Easter. They have been on lots of walks, and found a local nature reserve and have managed to find a few frogs and fish and secret hidden dens. We baked Easter biscuits and made Easter cards to post to our family and even tried (unsuccessfully) to make their own Easter eggs. We have made the most of the weather with water fights! The boys miss their friends, but we have made the most of video calling where we can. We are not natural gardeners but have planted a few bulbs and decorated our front garden with our crafts so people have things to look at when they are walking past. 
  • Alice has planted some seeds and is looking forward to watching them grow.
  • Alex B has learnt to ride his bike without stabilisers over the holiday and is very proud. We have been going on daily bike rides and he has been enjoying the freedom of riding with his big brother and sister Alyssa! We have also been enjoying puzzles and colouring a huge world map.
  • Joseph, Amelia and Samuel have been gardening over the holidays and have painted plant pots!
Joe Thackway
Headmaster
View Gallery

Good Citizens Harry And Emily Create Pictures For Nightingale Hospital

Harry and Emily saw an article asking for children to provide drawings for the Nightingale Hospital, to brighten up the walls for any patients that may have to stay there.

They spent a busy morning creating and colouring beautiful pictures.

Well done both - what 'Good Citizens' you are.

Mr Webb
Assistant Head
View Gallery

Good Citizen Asha's Chocolate Treats

I wanted to put a smile on my neighbours' faces so I handed out an Aero chocolate bar to 30 houses.

Next day I received lots of lovely messages.

Well done Asha, you definitely are a 'Good Citizen' and a 'Good Neighbour'.

Mr Webb
Assistant Head

View Gallery

Good Citizen Edward W

Edward W created a banner for the front garden gate to say thank you to the NHS.

Well done Edward, we are sure this made lots of people smile.

Mr Webb
Assistant Head

Good Citizen Maya Litter Picking

Whilst out on a morning walk in the woods, Maya saw plastic litter thrown around and she knew it was not good for the environment.

She asked her Mum if they could return later in the afternoon with a bag and glove to pick up the litter.

Great consideration for the environment Maya and definitely worthy of being a ‘Good Citizen’. 

Mr Webb
Assistant Head

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Reception Class 2020

Reception children starting at Crescent School in September have been having fun, whilst spending time at home with their families:

  • Joshua had a lovely first week at home learning with brother Zac and playing in the sunshine. He has drawn a pet lizard, been on a ladybird hunt, and has made a spring picture from things he has discovered in the garden.
  • Sophia has been making dinosaurs from Playdoh
  • Flossie has made a beautiful rainbow to display in the window.
  • Hermione and sister Lilah have used some time this week to help train their new puppy Doris.
  • Alice has been helping to take care of her family garden.
  • Eve has been wonderfully creative building a play house from recycled items.
  • Jonny and his big sister Issy have been enjoying some sunshine in the garden.
  • Henry has been helping his Dad on the farm. He is proudly declaring himself a "key worker" and now wants to be a farmer when he grows up.
  • Flora and Fred have been looking after their new puppy Poppy.

You have all been very busy and we love seeing the photos of your efforts. Well done!

Mr Webb
Head of Pre-Prep
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Class 3S - Holiday Update

Class 3S have embraced their home learning over the Easter break and I’ve loved reading their stories based on the structure of our text, ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’! I hope you do too – here are some of them:

Over the break 3S had a couple of projects to do. One was to read our new text, ‘The Hodgeheg’ by Dick King-Smith, and to produce a creative project exploring the nature and behaviour of these fascinating animals. As you can see we’ve received everything from posters to cake making and even Charlie presenting on his own YouTube channel! Amazing!

In preparation for our adventure writing I also asked the children to choose a favourite toy animal and to take photos of them doing things over the last couple of weeks. As you can see, a couple of them have been very busy!

The rest of us have been happy to share their love of reading, Zooming in with their classmates and enjoying all the baking and crafts Easter brings. Thanks for all the smiles you have given us over this last couple of weeks 3S!

Mrs Stapleton
Class 3S Form Teacher
View Gallery

Sam and Evie Went Glamping

When Sam and Evie couldn't go on holiday to Cornwall they were treated to a night of luxury camping in a Yurt in their garden with Mum and Dad. 

Much fun was had by all despite the 6am wake up with the dawn chorusand sunlight streaming in!

It looks like you have had a wonderful time!

Crescent School

View Gallery

Class 6W Pupils Skype To Work On IT Project

Euan, Marco, Theo and Daniel are still working hard on their IT project.

Skyping is the way forward for these guys!

Well done I am impressed.

Mr Phillips
Head of ICT

FoC

FoC - Contact Information

Below are the details of the FoC Year Group Representatives. These reps will communicate with you on all our events via email, WhatsApp or Facebook. 

Year Group 1st Rep 2nd Rep
Reception Vicky Morley Lisa Millward
Year 1 Sanda Mocanu Fatima Masood
Year 2 Inez de Koning Karen Williams
Year 3 Emilie Crowfoot Claire Brosnan
Year 4 Semma King Anita Somerset
Year 5 Kal Mistry Amy Sarkies
Year 6 Emma Wells Victoria Akbik

 

Chairperson Zara Corbin chair@friendsofcrescent.co.uk
Treasurer Nick Brosnan treasurer@friendsofcrescent.co.uk
Secretary Amy Sarkies secretary@friendsofcrescent.co.uk
Pre-Loved Uniform Louise Symons  
Staff Reps Ms Forth and Mrs Webb  
FoC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/friendsofcrescent/  
 
Zara Corbin
FoC Chair



Housekeeping

Useful School Contact Information

Please see below for useful school contact information:

Crescent School Office
01788 521595
admin@crescentschool.co.uk
Postal address: Crescent School, Bawnmore Road, Bilton, Rugby CV22 7QH
 
After School Club
01788 523850
 
Bills, Fees and Online Payment
01926 634273
georginamalin@princethorpe.co.uk
 
Registrar
01788 523851
admissions@crescentschool.co.uk
 
School Shop and Uniform
01926 634272
uniform@princethorpe.co.uk
 
Princethorpe College General Office
01926 634200
post@princethorpe.co.uk
 
Pathfinders Nursery
01788 813666
info@pathfindersnursery.co.uk
 
twitter:    @CrescentSchRug
facebook: @cres.school

Term Dates For 2019-20 And 2020-21

Please find below term dates for this academic year and next:

2019/20

Trinity Term 
Term starts Monday 20 April 2020
May Bank Holiday Friday 8 May 2020 (no school)
Half Term Saturday 23 May to Sunday 31 May 2020
End of Term Wednesday 1 July 2020
 
2020/21
 
Michaelmas Term
Term starts Tuesday 1 September 2020
Half Term Saturday 17 October to Sunday 1 November 2020
Term ends Tuesday 15 December 2020

Lent Term
Term starts Tuesday 5 January 2021
Half Term Saturday 13 February to Sunday 21 February 2021
Term ends Friday 26 March 2021

Trinity Term
Term starts Monday 19 April 2021
May Bank holiday - Monday 30 May 2021 (no school)
Half Term Saturday 29 May to Sunday 6 June 2021
Term ends Tuesday 6 July 2021