The Courier

Dear Parents

As I write this on Thursday lunchtime, I have enjoyed my morning watching all of the pictures for World Book Day pinging through on my email. It is great to see the children enjoying themselves and getting into the theme of the day with such enthusiasm. There have been a number of Harry Potters and Hermione Graingers and a wide range of other characters from Alfredo Linguini to Where’s Wally. I have also had the chance to ‘Teams bomb’ a couple of live meetings where I have been able to see the children at home in their full gear. Another great example of Crescent children and families making the absolute most of the situation.

On Friday of this week we will be making last minute preparations for the return of the children on Monday morning. As I have previously written to you, things will run very much like they did during the autumn term. Please bring your children to the same drop off points that you were using in December and collect from the same places as well. Timings haven't changed. There will be plenty of staff out and about on Monday morning to welcome the children and make sure things run smoothly. It goes without saying that we are all looking forward to seeing the children back, although we expect there will be some butterflies and a little anxiety for some children. Very soon, they will be back in the swing of things and enjoying the routines of learning and playing together.

In the last week or so we have begun work on next term’s calendar. Inevitably this will look rather thin in comparison with our usual offering, but we are determined to put on as many of the normal events as possible. Sports Day looks like a distinct possibility as well as some sports fixtures with our sister school Crackley Hall. We have some ideas how to make drama productions work, at least for some of the children, and we will also continue to be innovative with our music offerings and end of term events. It will become clearer of course what we can and can't do as we come close to the dates but we want to make the final term of the year as much fun for the children as possible, bearing in mind the priority that we are placing on classroom learning and school routines. We intend to have the calendar out with parents within the usual time frame and before the beginning of next term.

I look forward to seeing you in person again in the coming days and weeks and hope that all of the children can enjoy a restful last few days at home before they return to school.

Joe Thackway
Headmaster

The weekly calendar can be viewed by clicking on the link below.  It details all the clubs, events, fixtures and additional information for the week. 

Weekly Calendar - 8 March 2021

Please note:

• Class 5F Orchestra - please bring instruments in
• Class 6W Red House Play Leader Training - please wear PE kit to school

All the co-curricular clubs can be viewed on SOCS, where you can find details of all the dates the clubs are running.  

SOCS Co-Curricular

Crescent School

We love reading at the Crescent School and World Book Day is always a great way for us to celebrate books.

This week some classes have embraced World Book Day by incorporating the exploration of books into their English lessons working on key learning objectives that enable the children to recommend books, learn from authors and illustrators, discuss books and evaluate books in various ways.

Then on Thursday, World Book Day, the children and teachers continued the tradition of dressing up as a character from a book, even though they were at home - it was a wonderful sight to behold in all our Teams lessons.

A huge well done to all the children on their amazing costumes. You can see lots of photos in the gallery.

Crescent School

After the huge success of the Foundation-wide performance of The Climb last summer, Mr Cowlishaw is producing another recording.

Entitled You Will Be Found this song has an inspiring message for the present times and will provide a welcome opportunity for singing and playing together. It is open to anyone from the school who wishes to take part, and anyone submitting a recording will earn House Points for their House.

All the details will be uploaded to SeeSaw under Music this weekend.  There are video rehearsals for singing and you can download your singing or instrumental part from this site too. Mr Cowlishaw will also be recording a video for the singers to perform with to make their recording easier to manage.

Any queries do contact me.

Just a couple of days until we are all back together on Monday. As you are getting organised and seeing if your shoes fit and your jumper isn't too tight and did you actually give your parents your PE kit in the Christmas hols?  

Please can you remember to bring back the resources that you have been using during home learning. That means your pencil case, spelling record, reading book, protractors, class readers, anything you have at home that needs to be in school and of course your workbooks. Your teachers would like to see these over the next few weeks to get an overview of how you have all been doing and if any skills need reinforcing; you will get them back by the Easter holiday. 
 
We are also going back to the timetable we were on in Michaelmas Term, so PE Kit is required on certain days depending on which class you are in. 
 
Otherwise we look forward to seeing you all at the staggered day start times on the playground or field as before lockdown. 
 
Best wishes for a lovely weekend. 

The latest edition of Crescent's Admissions Update e-newsletter has just been published and is available to read here. Please do share it with interested family and friends. 

Packed full of information and news it gives prospective parents a feel for school life, details of forthcoming events and helpful advice about the admissions process, particularly for those who are looking at entry in September 2021.

It reminds prospective parents that Crescent’s next Virtual Open Day takes place on Saturday 13 March from 10.30am to 11.30am.

Our Admissions Update Newsletters are published twice a year to coincide with key admissions periods, the next edition will be out in Autumn 2021.

To register for the Virtual Open Morning or for further information on admissions, please do contact the Registrar, Helen Morley, call 01788 523851 or email admissions@crescentschool.co.uk.

Our new Scholastic Book Club is up and running! Go to: https://schools.scholastic.co.uk/the-crescent/digital-book-club to browse the latest books and order online. For every £1 you spend on this month’s Book Club, our school will earn 20p in Scholastic Rewards.

Buying additional books for your children will undoubtedly give them more opportunity to read and the commission does make a difference to the books that we have for all children in school.

Please place your order online by 15 March 2021 and they can be delivered to school.

Mrs Webb
Assistant Head

We still have a significant shortfall of school reading books not returned since the last lockdown.  Please could you all have a check at home for any school reading books which haven't been returned. 

Children can either bring them into school on Monday 8 March and deposit them in a quarantine box in their classroom or they can be left in the box outside the main school entrance.  

With many thanks as always.

As we are not in school, we are able to share your £1 voucher with you electronically, which you can then spend on a book of your choice.

Hunts Bookshop, our independent book shop in town, is offering £1 off books they have on their reading lists for each year group, to support World Book day:

• Reception
• Year 1
• Year 2
• Year 3
• Year 4
• Year 5
• Year 6

Please do contact them, they will even deliver your books to you. We are happy to have the books delivered here but not until we return to school on the Monday 8 March.

It is always good to support local shops.

Click on the link below to see what books are available:

World Book Day

The television production company Love Productions, who make programmes such as The Great British Bake Off and The Great British Sewing Bee have recently announced that applications for the 7th series of Junior Bake Off are now open!  This is a Channel 4 programme that celebrates the culinary talent and ambition of the younger generation in Britain.

They are looking for talented young bakers between 9 -15 years old.  Filming would take place from July 2021, but applications close on Sunday 28 March 2021.

If ther are any budding young bakers in school that would like to apply then please visit the application website www.applyforjuniorbakeoff.co.uk.

Do let us know if you decide to take part.

Crescent School

Assemblies play an important part in school life. They help us to come together as a community and share important messages and celebrate good news. They are also an engaging way to discuss moral and topical issues and promote the ethos of the school promise.

During the lockdown we will publish links to the school assemblies, for you to view at home.

Monday 8 March 4.00pm - 6.30pm and Wednesday 17 March 6.00pm - 8.00pm

We all value the importance of these meetings to discuss your child's academic progress.

In order to keep everyone safe we will be running these via Teams meetings.  An email with the booking instructions was sent out by Mrs Tucker on Thursday 25 February.

Thank you for your support on this matter.

Wednesday 10 March

We are excited to have organised an online talk with author Michelle Robinson for Year 1 and 2 children. This event was originally planned for earlier in the term. 

Mindful of access and inclusion for all children and getting the most out of this opportunity, we are delighted to confirm that the online talk has been rescheduled for Wednesday 10 March 2021.

Wednesday 10 March 6.00pm - 8.00pm and Monday 15 March 4.00pm - 6.30pm

We all value the importance of these meetings to discuss your child's academic progress.

In order to keep everyone safe we will be running these via Teams meetings.  An email with the booking instructions was sent out by Mrs Tucker on Thursday 25 February. 

Thank you for your support on this matter.

Mrs Webb
Assistant Head

Year 2 will experience a virtual zoo trip on Thursday 11 March where they will have animals introduced to them via Teams and will look at their characteristics, habitats and have the opportunity to ask questions of the zoo keepers. 

I'm really looking forward to this.

On Friday 12 March Year 6 pupils in Red House will receive their play leader training, and will need to come to school in their Games Kit. 

Saturday 13 March 2021 - 10.30am to 11.30am

On Saturday 13 March Crescent School will be holding a Virtual Open Morning for Prospective Parents.

Hosted by Joe Thackway, Headmaster, the event will comprise a live presentation as well as some short pre-recorded videos, including a tour of the school. There will be the opportunity to listen to presentations by senior members of staff that will give an insight into different aspects of the education the school provides, how Crescent supports its pupils to achieve great things and the admissions process. There will also be the opportunity for parents to ask questions during the live event.

The school has availability in Reception and Year 1 for September 2021 entry, there is quite limited availability in other years, for details please speak to our Registrar, Helen Morley. 

For more information and to register for the event please contact the Registrar, Mrs Helen Morley, on 01788 523851 or email admissions@crescentschool.co.uk.

Please do share this information with family and freinds.

Another week where lots of reading achievements have been reached.  This week congratulations go to:

1,000,000 words:

• Abigail (5F)
• Jay (6W)

All badges will be saved and awarded when we return to school.

Top Quizzers this week are:

• 3Y  Sam O
• 4M Saira
• 5F  Liana
• 6W Amelia

Word Wizards this week are:

• 3Y  Alex T
• 4M Tegan
• 5F  Abigail
• 6W George R

Landmark Levels 

Pupils who have reached Landmark Level on automatic training mode in the Garage and Gigs are awarded JDVs for Maths Practice:

Weekly Class battle 26 February - 4 March 2021

All classes against each other the winners were:

• 1st place - Class 4M with 8,821 points
• 2nd place - Class 3Y with 7,758 points
• 3rd place - Class 2W with 4,914 points

Well done Class 4M who continue to dominate!

Most valuable players contributing the most points to their class were:

Please note only the children should play on their account or it influences the level appropriate to them.

Stay Calm and Rockon!

We know that many of the children are really excited and positive about returning to school on Monday but some will feel a little anxious and be experiencing mixed feelings.

Please see this as simple and realistic guide to helping your child settle into these first few days if they need it.

We will be using similar strategies/language with them in school.

Before Christmas last year, Dorrit and her Mum went to a local food bank run by a local church in Leicestershire. They helped pack food parcels to be delivered to those in need in their local area.

They were so grateful that they asked if they could do anything in return and mum said “let my daughter come along and help somehow”.

It was a really good experience and helped Dorrit realise how challenging this whole thing has been for many families. The ladies running it told us that they were delivering to some families who had never needed support like this before but where one, or both, parents have lost their jobs during the pandemic and found themselves needing to reach out for help.

Dorrit - we are proud of your kindness, empathy and citizenship in these difficult times.

For a two or three week period this year we will be focusing on one of the sayings in the 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 we are looking at the idea of being a calm and sensible pupil. The school council chose this one in the category of Good Learners as all children know that they learn best when they are focused in class and there is a determined, hardworking atmosphere.

‘We are calm and sensible’

The FoC are inviting children to create an Easter Bonnet to bring into school on Monday 29 March. All designs welcome (an FoC child has already declared plans to use a viking helmet as a basis for theirs!).

Everyone who enters will receive a prize and there will be house points on offer. All being well the school is also hoping to do a parade for the children to share their creations.

FoC is asking for a £2 donation per entry to be paid on the day or preferably transferred electronically.

FoC Committee

We were delighted that the 'Wrong Uniform' day raised £214 in total. Thanks to all the children for their fantastic efforts (we hope any lingering hair dye has washed out now!)

Vicky Morley has done an excellent job auditing the 2nd hand uniform which is now available to purchase. So far this has raised £69.

We will happily accept any of the following Crescent pre-loved uniform:

• School Blazers
• School Coats
• School Cardigans and Jumpers
• School Dresses (winter and summer) and Skirts
• School T-Shirts/Polo Shirts/PE Shorts/Skorts
• School Boaters
• School Bags
• School Tracksuits

Please do not include anything not on the list above e.g trousers, shirts etc. 

Uniform should be put into carrier bags and left by the box outside the main school entrance.  It will then be removed and kept in quarantine ready to be used when safe to do so.

Preloaded uniform enquiries can be made by emailing Vicky on the link below:

Preloved Uniform

Hi, I'm Inez de Koning and I'm taking on the Communications role for FoC. My son Alex is in Year 3, while my youngest, Lucas started Reception in 2020.

I joined FoC as the rep for Reception when Alex started at Crescent and have enjoyed taking an active role ever since.

Before moving to Rugby in 2010 I spent many years in London as a senior communications consultant so I'm looking forward to dusting off those skills again!

Aside from refereeing two boys I enjoy riding my horse and renovating properties.

We'd love to introduce you to the new Friends of Crescent team. Supporting the Committee members we have:

Friends of Crescent Facebook Group

We're hoping to announce some exciting initiatives shortly so please join to avoid missing out! 

Nick Brosnan
Friends Of Crescent - Chair  

Please click on the link below to view the lunch menu for next week: 

Lunch Menu 8 March 2021 

Children are able to have either of the main options.

Olive Catering

Please see below for useful school contact information:

Cyber-crime – please be extra vigilant

Parents are asked to be vigilant when reading emails relating to the payment of school fees and any other items to the Foundation. You can protect yourselves by only making payments to us in line with our normal, published methods. Any email offering a large discount on fees for the coming academic year if paid immediately is fraudulent.

There has been no change to the bank details of Princethorpe College, Crackley Hall or Crescent and there is no intention to make any changes in the foreseeable future. Any electronic notification that appears to be from any of the Foundation schools changing these details may be fraudulent.  Our bank details are available on the Parent Bills, the Online Payment Portal and in the Information Booklet for each school, and only those details should be used.

Please do not hesitate to contact me or my colleagues in the Bursary if you are have any doubts about the correct details or indeed if anything appears suspicious.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

The Foundation has the following vacancies:

• Princethorpe College - Teacher of Maths (maternity cover)
• Princethorpe College - Teacher of English 
• Crescent School - Teacher of Science and DT

Full details and information on how to apply are available on the Foundation website here:

www.princethorpe.co.uk/join-us

Should you know anyone who might be interested in these posts, please do share this information with them.

Please find below term dates for 2020/21 and 2021/22:

We did it! Reception and I have reached the bear’s hiding place in La Chasse à L’ours.

The children offered their own interpretation of what the bear (un ours) would look like, and they are all as unique and interesting as our Reception children. Some bears have got claws, others eyes lashes; some look soft and others wiry; most are portrayed on their own, a couple with the characters from the story!

Well done Reception!

Recently in Reception, Dinosaurs have been our focus in learning. We used the story Dinosaur Roar! to explore rhyme and opposites.

We learned about adjectives and described a T-Rex. One of our activities in the week was to create a dinosaur or dino world. Some children followed step by step instructions to draw their dinosaurs, others used dough and some even used construction and small world equipment to create their imaginary dinosaur lands.

The children displayed impressive knowledge of dinosaurs and were able to teach Reception staff a few dinosaur names and a fact or two!

Year 1 loved World Book Day and we all had a lot of fun, from a scavenger hunt to completing a quiz; enjoying activities and the story of The Tiger Who Came To Tea by the original cast actors; and of course seeing their friends online for a costume parade!

But one of my favourite things about World Book Day is when parents and children alike, sit together and spend time sharing a story and rekindling that joy of reading. 

Something different in RE this week, as we explored the historic religious festival of Hina Matsuri. On 3 March each year, girls celebrate their special day by arranging special dolls that have been given to them by family members, eating special food and celebrating the blessings they have. In response to this festival, Year 1 made their own amazing origami Hina dolls in celebration! 

Class 2W have been studying 'Intrepid Explorers' during our Home Learning lessons, with an emphasis on Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong. For the last two weeks, they have been working on 'The Rocket Project' - a chance for them to build, create, research and design anything to do with space, astronauts and rockets. They have had great fun and we all had a Teams meeting together to show what they had done. Some examples of their work are here.

Well done, 2W!

We have been experiencing different authors and illustrators this week as part of our World Book Day celebrations. The children have been inspired to produce a wide range of work.

We hope you enjoy seeing some examples.

Class 3Y have been looking at the changes of the seasons and looking at parts of the plants in detail. Stems, leaves and roots have all be photographed, drawn, labelled, and their functions have been written about.

As part of their Anglo-Saxon topic, Class 3Y have been learning about how the Anglo-Saxons wrote things down. They created their own Runic messages and designed an illuminated letter.

Some examples are here. Well done 3Y!

Class 3Y have recently started a new topic in their French lessons. We are learning to say how we travel to various places. Children learn better when they use practical skills and some of the children made models of vehicles.

Poppy, Esme and Chloe in Class 4M have each chosen a well-known book and recreated the book cover. Aren't the results fantastic?

Class 4M have been working hard over the last few English lessons to research why we should protect our rainforests and what the consequences might be if we don't.

They have brought all their research together this week to create some thought-provoking and eye-catching posters, and some examples are here.

Well done, 4M!

Class 4M have learnt about the key features of Indus Valley homes and used their creative skills to produce their own fabulous examples.

Class 5F have been learning about life in Britain in the 1960s. This week they have really enjoyed honing their culinary skills by recreating some iconic dishes from the sixties.

I'm sure you'll all agree they look delicious!

Over the last few lessons Class 6W have been learning all about the circulatory system in biology. They have been labelling the heart, asking and answering questions about what blood is and finding out what the arteries, veins, capillaries and valves do.

Children in Yellow House were able to wear yellow for St Davids Day on Monday 1 March.  We were sent these lovely photots:

• Max in Reception had a go at making mini Welsh cakes for St David's Day! He had to do lots of quality control sampling!
• Eve and her sister Florence both dressed in yellow!

Great photos, thank you.

Crescent School

In line with other local schools and Warwickshire County Council’s message below, please wear face coverings on school grounds (if you are able) when dropping off and collecting children. 

Please remember there is plenty of space around school to socially distance.

Many thanks for you for your co-operation.

Children or adults with symptoms must not enter school. Parents must check for symptoms each day before bringing their child into school.

The main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are:

• a high temperature – please, if you have not already done so, source a thermometer to check temperatures at home
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

Any children or adult who develops symptoms will need to leave the building as soon as possible and be tested for Covid-19.

Details on testing can be obtained at www gov uk/get-coronavirus-test or call the Test and Trace Helpdesk on 119.

Hand held thermometers will be used to check the temperature of any individual feeling unwell. Children who develop symptoms during the school day will be taken to the Meeting Room and their parents called to come and collect the child, as well as any siblings of the child.

Other members of the household should self-isolate for 10 days from when the symptomatic person first had symptoms, or until a negative test result is returned.

In the event of a positive test result the full protocols of test and trace will be followed www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-works#

Children returning from restricted areas outside UK must self-isolate as advised by the government guidance before returning to school.