The Courier

Dear Parents

I would like start by wishing all of you and your families a very happy New Year. I hope you got to spend some valuable time with your families during the festive period and that your plans and preparations weren’t too badly affected by the challenges of illness, testing and isolation. I managed to get to my niece’s wedding in Lancashire, which had been in question beforehand, so it was lovely to meet up with my wider family for the occasion.

Here in school, we began the term on Tuesday with a very useful and interesting training session (online) looking at strategies for managing behaviour in the classroom. We have also been updating anaphylaxis and educational visits training for the staff.

We are all very aware of the rapidly changing situation around the pandemic and I hope you found the letter that was sent out on Tuesday helpful as a summary of our current protocols and advice. Even in the short intervening period, there have been changes to guidance for lateral flow testing, and we will continue to keep on top of all of these as we move forward into the term.

Elsewhere in today's Courier you will find a hopefully helpful guide to expectations for work for those children who aren't in school due to a coronavirus related issue. This is something we issued just over a year ago but with all of the updated guidance we felt it needed something of a rewrite.

Despite the current climate, there are lots of things to look forward to this term and I hope you have had a chance to look through the Lent calendar to give you a taste of what lies ahead. There is plenty of sport, parents’ evenings, workshops, bird watches, performances, fund raising and focus weeks in store. As well as the continued emphasis on promoting growth mindset for the children.

Returning to school on Wednesday this term has had the additional benefit of an early weekend and means that the children have been able to ease their way into the new term. I look forward to seeing them all back in school, bright eyed and bushy tailed, on Monday morning.

Best wishes

Joe Thackway
Headmaster

Parents are discouraged from taking pupils out of school during term-time because of the impact it has on their learning. Should this be unavoidable, permission should always be sought in advance from myself.  I am able to pre-authorise absences on certain grounds such as religious observances and special family occasions.

Please ensure you submit any absence requests in good time, through either My School Portal or via the office email admin@crescentschool.co.uk.

Joe Thackway
Headmaster

Below is the link for next week's school calendar:  

Weekly Calendar 10 January 2022

After School provision can be booked through My School Portal selecting the sessions you require.  Please ensure bookings that include tea are made by 9.30am each day.  

MySchoolPortal 

Crescent School

Trustees of the Princethorpe Foundation have given the green light for work to commence on Princethorpe College’s new £8m Science Centre.

The Science Centre, which features 10 brand-new, state-of-the-art Science laboratories, will ultimately transform the College’s entire campus allowing other areas to be redeveloped and departments clustered within the main school building.

The project, the College’s largest and most ambitious to date, has undergone a comprehensive and lengthy design, planning, costing and tendering process over the last five years. The contract for the main build has been awarded to Trendgrey Construction Limited, based in nearby Stockton. Headed up by MD Nick Henderson, who has been with the company for twenty-two years, Trendgrey is well-known to The Princethorpe Foundation having completed the Sixth Form Resource Centre at Princethorpe in 2014, The Gables at Crackley Hall in 2016 and the Horton Centre at Crescent School in 2021.

Preparatory work will now begin, before the contractor moves onto site over February Half Term. The construction is estimated to take around 14 months with the building expected to open its doors for teaching in September 2023.

Comments Liz Griffin, Chair of Trustees, “The Trustees are delighted to give approval for work to commence on the Science Centre at Princethorpe. This really is a landmark decision in the strategic development of the College and is testament to the strong position the Foundation finds itself in today. Many congratulations to Trendgrey on being awarded the contract after a very competitive tendering process.”

She continues, “Our thanks go to all the donors who have contributed so generously to the fundraising for the project, our Science Campaign Board, the Science Working Group, our professional advisors, AT Architects, Ainsleys, Richard Strauss Associates and Couch, Perry and Wilkes, and of course the Senior Leadership Team for all their hard work.”

Headmaster, Ed Hester, adds, “It is fantastic that our vision for the future of Princethorpe will now become a reality. This announcement is great news for the Princethorpe community; the Science Centre project brings with it so many exciting campus-wide benefits and these cutting-edge teaching and learning facilities will inspire generations of Princethorpe pupils and staff for years to come.”

Comments, Trendgrey’s Managing Director, Nick Henderson, “It is a great privilege to have been awarded this prestigious contract by the Princethorpe Foundation. We are looking forward to working in partnership to deliver what promises to be an exceptional educational facility and state-of-the-art building.”

Members of the Princethorpe community interested in supporting the project through personal or corporate naming rights, sponsoring an engraved paver, wall brick or Periodic Table element in the new Centre should contact the Development Office for more information at makingadifference@princethorpe.co.uk.

To view a fly through of the Science Centre please visit the school website here.

Please ensure that you wait with your child(ren) at drop off until the school's opening at 8.15am.  It is only at this time that school becomes responsible for all children's safe care. Before this time it is a parental duty.

Please note, however, that all children can be brought to the front door at any time from 7.45am - 8.15am where they will be welcomed and looked after by our Early Bird staff as appropriate for their age. This does not need to be booked in advance.

Also please let the school office and/or your child's form teacher know if someone else will be collecting your child at the end of the day. We cannot release pupils without this information.

Many thanks

I would like to remind parents that Crescent School, along with the other schools of the Princethorpe Foundation, aims to be a nut-free zone. Whilst we cannot guarantee that children won’t come into contact with nuts or products with nut traces whilst at school we endeavour to reduce this risk as far as we can.

The aim of this strategy is to reduce the risk to those children and adults who may suffer an anaphylactic reaction if exposed to nuts to which they are sensitive. The school aims to protect children who have allergies to nuts yet also help them, as they grow up, to take responsibility as to what foods they can eat and to be aware of where they may be put at risk.

Our 'Nut-Free Zone' means that the following items should not be brought into school:

• Packs of nuts
• Peanut butter/Nutella sandwiches
• Fruit and cereal bars that contain nuts
• Chocolate bars or sweets that contain nuts
• Sesame seed rolls (children allergic to nuts may also have a severe reaction to sesame)
• Cakes made with nuts and marzipan

No nuts are used in any of the food prepared on site at our school.  Our suppliers provide us with nut-free products. However, we cannot guarantee freedom from nut traces.

It is worth noting that there are currently children in school with a known nut allergy.  Exposure to nuts for these children could result in serious consequences. I know that you, like me, would do anything reasonably possible to prevent this from happening.

We ask all parents to support us in this policy by providing nut-free mid-morning snacks and not using nuts in cakes provided for bake sales or fund raising events.

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 27 January 2022 and they can be delivered free to school.

Mrs Webb
Assistant Head

Children often grow quickly so it's good to regularly check and replace any damaged, missing or ill-fitting items.  A full list of uniform requirements can be found on page 19 of the Parent Information Booklet, which can be found on the school website here.

We would ask you to check:

• Uniform is labelled with the child's name not initials. We have a lot of uniform in lost property which is not labelled so we are unable to return it. If it is not reunited with its owner it is put into the pre-loved uniform stock
• Your child is wearing their own uniform as coats/jumpers/cardigans/blazers etc sometimes get mixed up
• Dress/skirt length should be on or below the knee
• Children have the correct PE kit for their year 
• Hats, gloves and scarfs are optionional but they need to be school provided ones if they do wear them
• Shoes are black school shoes
• Hair should be tied back

We received this lovely reply from Major Anne Myers in response to the toy donations prior to Christmas:

Thank you for the link to the photos, it is lovely to be reminded of the kindness of the pupils and their families.

Please be assured that the toys have now been delivered out to children in the Rugby community who otherwise wouldn't have had toys this Christmas.

We appreciate your support in what has been a very busy time.  Most parcels have been delivered to families, and already I have received messages from parents who say it has 'made all the difference' to them.

Thank you

Anne

Crescent School

In line with many, if not all, primary aged schools, dogs are not allowed on the main school site.  If you come to school with a dog please keep it on a lead and avoid coming onto the main site beyond the drop off gate (the one next to the parents’ noticeboard).

With thanks for your understanding and support on this important health and safety matter.

Joe Thackway
Headmaster

The Lent Term co-curricular programme starts next week. 

We are constantly risk assessing the Covid situation in school to keep our school community safe so please be aware that there may times that clubs are cancelled. We will give as much advanced communication as possible if this happens.

As per last half term all outside clubs will finish at 4.30pm until the evenings get lighter.  You are able to collect your child then, or they will be looked after by the staff member until 4.45pm.

Thank you for your understanding with this. 

Thursday 20 January 2022 - 10.00am to 3.00pm

Please share news of our next Open Day in January. It is a great opportunity to hear from the Headmaster, Joe Thackway, look around the school and to meet staff and pupils on a normal working day. 

The day will give prospective families an insight into life at the Crescent and the firm foundation we give children for their future learning.

The day will be by appointment only and will be split into three sessions. To book your place please click here.

For more information please contact the Registrar, Mrs Helen Morley on 01788 523851 or by email admissions@crescentschool.co.uk.

Please note: 

We have had very high levels of interest in places for Reception and our Year 3 class for September 2022 entry at the Early Bird Application deadline stage. Many of these applications were from families with siblings already in the school. As a result, we have already allocated all of the available places in these year groups for September 2022. We are now operating waiting groups in these year groups for families who are still interested in a place, should a suitable one become available.

We are currently operating waiting groups in most other years apart from our current Reception and Year 1 classes (Year 1 and 2 for September 2022 entry) where we do have some places available as these year groups each have two classes.

We are already taking registrations for places in Reception and Year 3 starting in September 2023. It would be helpful for us to know as soon as possible if current Crescent families have a child who will be of Reception age in September 2023 and if you are likely to be interested in a place for them.

To find out more please click here.

Friday 28 January 2021 - 3.45pm to 4.15pm

Please watch this space for further information about this event as we risk assess the situation.

The program creates a bespoke training course for each user, levels have been changed to percentages. Landmarks are 24% (was L100), 48% (was L200), 72% (was L300) and complete 100% (was L420)

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

• Aryaan (3Y) over 24%
• Maya (3Y) over 24%

Results for the Christmas class battle - well done 3Y:

• 1st place - Class 3Y with 22,815 points
• 2nd place - Class 4M with 2,495 points
• 3rd place - Class 5F with 1,955points

Most valuable players in the whole competition:

• 1st Lewis 3Y
• 2nd Aryaan 3Y
• 3rd Maya 3Y

Last week most improved speedsters are:

• 3Y Barnaby - Wannabe!
• 3Y Lewis - Headliner!
• 3Y Maya - Unsigned Act!

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

Stay Calm and Rock On!!

We loved Mr Thackway's assembly about Janus and we continued our discussions about what we are looking forward to this year.

Class 1SS created some funky sunglasses and drew all the things they hope will happen in 2022 - from flying to see cousins in Singapore, to playing on the waterslide on a hot summer's day to even celebrating a family wedding on a beach!

Let's hope we can do most of these in the coming year. 

It was great to see Year 2 children return from happy and fun filled Christmas holidays to applying themselves within minutes to high learning expectations and focused work producing fabulously descriptive sentences about where dragons could hide!!

Class 3Y have been enjoying looking at poetry by Robert Louis Stevenson this week. His poem about being poorly in bed, The Land of Counterpane, provided lots of enjoyment as we compared Stevenson's experiences in the 1800s with how we entertain ourselves today when we're laying in bed today.

The poem has rhyming couplets and 3Y really enjoyed making up their own rhyming chains using an online rhyming dictionary.  

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 we consider the category of Good Citizens. 

'We respect everyone and we are tolerant'

Friday 14 January 2022 - 3.45pm to 4.45pm

Please come along and support the FoC by buying cakes and sweets, all priced at 50p each. All the money raised at these market day events goes towards Crescent Adventure and privilege time for Year 4.

Friends of Crescent

Tuesday 11 January 2022 - 4.00pm to 5.00pm

This will take place via Zoom, please come along and join us for this meeting where we will be discussing events for the term. 

Meeting details have been circulated.

Below are the details of the FoC Year Group Representatives and group links. 

Please see below for useful school contact information:

Please click below to view the lunch menu: 

Lunch Menu - 10 January 2022 

Olive Catering Services Limited

The Foundation has the following vacancies:

• Foundation Director of Estates
• Administrator of Estates - Princethorpe College
• HR Administrator - Princethorpe College
• Bursary Assistant - Princethorpe College 
• Head of Boys’ Games – Princethorpe College
• Early Years Assistant - Crackley Hall School

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.

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 following items are stocked in the School Office and can be added to your account:

• Winter hats
• Scarves
• Gloves
• Ties
• Swimming hats
• Sports socks
• Hair bands
• Hair scrunchies
• Hair clips
• Sun hats
• Music group badges - Choir, Orchestra, String, Brass and Wind

Please do contact admin@crescentschool.co.uk in if you need any of the above items.

Crescent School Office

Please click on the link below which provides information regarding areas of the curriculum where you may be able to help your child at home.

1LS Lent term 2022 

1SS Lent term 2022

Please click on the link below which provides information regarding areas of the curriculum where you may be able to help your child at home.

2W Lent Term 2022

Mr Webb
Class 2W Teacher

Please click on the link below which provides information regarding areas of the curriculum where you may be able to help your child at home.

3Y Lent Term 2022 

Please click on the link below which provides information regarding areas of the curriculum where you may be able to help your child at home.

4M Lent Term 2022 

Mrs Monteith 
Class 4M Teacher

Please click on the link below which provides information regarding areas of the curriculum where you may be able to help your child at home.

5F Lent Term 2022 

Please click on the link below which provides information regarding areas of the curriculum where you may be able to help your child at home.

6W Lent Term 2022 

I hope the table below will help to clarify for parents expectations for children’s work if they need to self-isolate due to a positive COVID test or due to having COVID symptoms.

One of our measures for controlling the coronavirus spread is keeping classrooms and corridors well ventilated with windows open where possible.  As a result, the children might well find the school colder than they are used to, particularly as we head into winter. For that reason, we would encourage all children to have additional layers available in school. 

School fleeces, hoodies and tracksuit tops are ideal for the job whilst also looking smart.