The Courier

Dear Parents, 

What an exciting start I have had to my new job! When I arrived for my first day at work back in the middle of August there seemed to be builders and workmen in every part of the building. I must admit, I had the odd moment over the following two weeks when I wondered if it would all be finished on time. Since then everyone has worked extremely hard to get things ready for the beginning of term and I have been so impressed with the efforts and the teamwork of all of the staff here. Our priority throughout the whole process has been to make things as welcoming and friendly as possible for the children on their first day back. The improvements to the IT network, the entrance area and library along with the main hall will be of lasting benefit to all of us and we are looking forward to the school year with even more than the normal level of excitement. 

For you as parents, I think this sends the message that you are sending your children to a school where we all work together for a common cause and everyone here is willing to go that extra mile to provide the absolute best service we can for you and your children. Everything I have seen here from the staff and their dealings with the children would strongly reinforce that very clear message. 

Meeting you and the children over the last few days has been a real pleasure and I would like to thank everybody for being so welcoming and kind to me in my first week here. I have a real appetite for taking on this new role at Crescent School and making it the very best school it can be. Of course, in the coming weeks, months and terms I will be looking at all areas of the running of the school to see where we can improve and develop, along with my senior leadership team and the excellent team of teachers that we have in place here. For now I have some more immediate priorities, such as trying to learn the children’s names, and then I am very much look forward to getting to know everybody in the Crescent community over the next few months. In the meantime I wish you a happy and restful first weekend back.

Joe Thackway

The Crescent School is welcoming a number of new faces this new academic year, as in addition to new pupils the school also has a number of new staff members.

We give a warm welcome to Joe Thackway as new Headmaster, to three new class teachers Mrs Pullen, Mrs Emery and Mrs Yates and  to our new Head of Girls Games, Mrs McCollin.

Mrs Pullen is the new Reception Teacher, Lisa Emery the Class 1 Teacher and Mrs Yates the new Class IV teacher.  Mrs Emery and Mrs Pullen are pictured here from left to right.

The school also welcomes a new Teaching Assistant, Jodie Nelson, who will be working with Class III and Class VI. 

For more information on the new staff joing our team please see the school website http://www.crescentschool.co.uk.

You will be aware that the school has undergone some considerable refurbishment and improvement work over the summer. This has included the complete recabling of the school network, the installation of new servers and the installation of new PCs throughout the school. The entrance area and library have been reconfigured and completely refurbished and the hall has undergone a major face lift. In the playground we have put in a new all weather playzone, which will mean the play space for the children will be much improved. 

We would like to invite parents and carers into the school on Monday 18 September from 3.45pm onwards to come and view these new improvements. Tea, coffee and refreshments will be available to all.

On the same day there will be a presentation to parents on the new Junior da Vinci reward programme we are introducing to the school. This is a new and exciting initiative, an extension of the successful Princethorpe initiative, that seeks to recognise excellence in three key areas; mastery, creativity and practice. This presentation will take place in the hall from 4.00pm onwards and you are very welcome to have a look around the new improvements and then attend the da Vinci workshop.

You are of course free to attend one or both of the events, entirely as you wish.

Free childcare will be available if required although if you prefer your child can stay with you during the presentation.

With just nine weeks to go the countdown to Princethorpe College's Entrance Exams for admission in September 2018 has begun. This year the exams for Year 7 to 10 entry will take place on Saturday 11 November from 9.30am to 3.30pm.

The friendly Admissions Team has been kept busy over the summer accepting registrations from prospective parents. The deadline for entrance exam registrations is ideally Friday 6 October, to enable the seeking of references from junior schools. Class VI parents wishing their children to sit the exams do need to complete a registration form with the accompanying registration fee by this date.

Comments Melanie Butler, Assistant Head, Marketing, Admissions and Communications, "Parents and pupils will still have plenty of time to prepare and opportunities to visit the College in the run up to the exams and the results will be out at the end of November, making for an exam-free Christmas holiday, which has got to be good news."

If you have any queries relating to admissions please feel free to email the Registrars at admissions@princethorpe.co.uk or call them on 01926 634201.

• Friday 22 September at 3.45pm - Class VI Bake Sale
  
  
• Monday 25 September from 9.00am - Singles and Siblings Portrait Photography
  
  
• Monday 2 October at 9.15am - Harvest Service
  
  
• Friday 13 October - Non Uniform Day
  
  
• Tuesday 5 December at 3.45pm - Open Corridors Event for parents and carers
  
  
• Monday 11 December at 9.30am - Nursery & Reception Nativity Performance
  
  
• Tuesday 12 December at 9.30am - Year 1 & 2 Nativity Performance
  
  
• Monday 18 December at 7.00pm  - Carol Service at Rugby Baptist Church

There are plenty of opportunities for prospective pupils and their parents to visit the College.

Sunday 24 September 2017 - 2.00pm - 5.00pm

The annual College Open Afternoon takes place on Sunday 24 September from 2.00pm - 5.00pm. This is an informal opportunity to look around the school and to meet members of staff and pupils. There will be fun activities in each department for children to participate in.

The Headmaster will address visitors during the afternoon and refreshments will be available. 

Thursday 2 November 2017 - 10.30am - 12.30pm

The College is holding an Open Morning on Thursday 2 November from 10.30am to 12.30pm.  Pupil tour guides will be available to show visitors around the school. 

Please do spread the word amongst friends and family, all are very welcome.

For further information please visit www.princethorpe.co.uk

Friday 6 October - 10.00am to 3.00pm

The Crescent School is opening its doors for an Open Day on Friday 6 October from 10.00am to 3.00pm.

This is an opportunity to look around the school and to meet staff and pupils on a normal working day. All are welcome, no need to book, so please do spread the word.

If you can't make the Open Day but would like to visit the school, please call our Registrar, Mrs Helen Morley, on 01788 523851 and come on a day to suit you, we welcome visitors on most days.

For more information visit www.crescentschool.co.uk

Can any parents or grandparents who would like to listen to readers please get in touch with me. It need only be an hour or two a week at a mutually agreeable time; however you will be unable to work with your own child's class and safeguarding checks will be made. It would be lovely to welcome you into our school to share the children's learning, your help would be much appreciated.

Mrs Sarah Lowe

slowe@crescentschool.co.uk

Reading Eggs certificates have been awarded to Zara Musukuma, Grace Mercer and Olivia McLoughlin. Congratulations to them all.

Mr Alan Webb

I hope everyone had a lovely Summer. The FoC are busy organising our events for the year.

In the next couple of weeks we will publish a calendar of events we are hoping to run.  Obviously some of the dates may be subject to change but it'll give you an indication of what we will be up too.

For all new parents joining the school the FoC have a facebook page where we publish all our events and information for parents. Please join this by visiting:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/friendsofcrescent/

We will also be holding our first FoC meeting on Tuesday 12 September from 3.45pm - 4.45pm.

Please come along and join us, we are always looking for new parents/grandparents to get involved. We will be meeting in the new reception area at the front of the school and your child can go into after school free of charge for this time.

Please email me if you would like to come along or if you have any questions at zaracorbin9@gmail.com. 

Thank you

Zara Corbin

Sunday 10 September from 2pm

This event is in aid of the school charity for this term Guide Dogs. We are hoping to raise, over the course of this year, £1,500 which would allow us to "name our own puppy" which will come and visit the school. Sponsorship forms were handed out earlier in the week so please raise as much as you can. If it is not possible for you to join us on this afternoon but you would like to still take part please complete the sponsored walk at whatever time suits your family over the next couple of weeks. The sponsorship forms plus money need to be handed in by Monday 25 September into the FoC green box on the wall by the FoC table.

Thank you

Zara Corbin