The Courier

Dear Parents

It was fantastic to see so many of you in school this week for the ‘English for Parents’ sessions run by our staff. The teaching of English has changed quite radically in recent years with the introduction of the new curriculum and getting to grips with this has been quite a learning curve for pupils, not to mention many teachers, across the country. We are of course committed to meeting and exceeding the standards of the national curriculum and in many ways we welcome these changes as they raise the bar and set clearly defined targets.

An additional challenge of course is training staff, both teachers and teacher assistants, to deliver it to the highest possible standard. I believe that many of you who came along this week will have gained a real insight into how we teach these important skills and I hope this will help you support your child with their learning at home.

Another parent event this week was the Year 6 parents’ evenings. Year 6 parents are starting to see the light at the end of the Crescent tunnel as many enter the last half year of your relationship with the school. This is a wonderful time for parents, children and teachers as you look back on all of the successes and achievements with a great deal of pride. There were very many positive comments and feedback on both of the evenings for us to enjoy and these go a long way towards making the job of a teacher such a fulfilling one.

With the half term now upon us I do hope you all have a very good break and I know you will be planning quality time activities with your children. It can be quite amazing how much children can gain from educational visits with their families. I remember taking my own children to the Bosworth battlefield when they were in primary school and how they spent the next month reading, drawing and re-enacting what they had learned on the day. This holiday, my youngest son is keen for us to try out mountain biking and we are heading off to the Forest of Dean to give it a go. One of the best things about having children, I tell myself, is that they do keep you young!

Best wishes for a relaxing half term break.

Joe Thackway

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.

When we return from the half term break, we will look 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’

Please click on the link below to view the weekly calendar.  This details all the co-curricular clubs running, fixtures and additional information.

Please note the sports after school clubs on Tuesday switch to Netball and Cricket next half of Lent Term.  Craft Club on a Monday lunchtime switches to Class IV pupils.

Weekly Calendar - 250219

Crescent School

In our Good News Assembly this morning we awarded School Promise certificates to recognise the children’s excellent behaviour as good friends, good learners or good citizens. 

Congratulations go to:

• Oliver for getting along with everybody and always talking to and about other people with positivity and kindness
• Mya for being kind, gentle and open to building new friendships from her very first days at Crescent
• Dorrit for her imaginative way of making everyone smile and being a caring friend
• Caitlyn for making some good friendships in her first few months in a new school
• Asha for being gentle, caring and honest in her dealings with others
• Jessica for being caring and gentle in all aspects to everyone she encounters

For being a Good Learner and keeping the School Promise:

• Maximillion for showing resilience and determination in all aspects of his learning
• Timi for showing great progress and a desire to always produce his best in English
• Chloe for increasing her independence and consistency of written work
• Kai for his positive attitude towards his learning especially in maths and in the Times Table challenge
• Milly for putting in maximum effort into her lessons
• James for showing a real enjoyment of learning, giving his best to every lesson and embracing a challenge
• Cara for trying her hardest in all that she does 

For being a Good Citizen and keeping the School Promise:

• Nora for always being honest and trustworthy
• Harriett for being organised and responsible for herself
• Mia for being a responsible, helpful person

Thank you to Ottilie, Harry, Freddie, Tegan, Drew, Caitlyn, Maryn and Anton for their good conduct, good manners and respect for others during lunchtimes.

The lunchtime supervisors decided that you are this half term's recipients of Top Table invitations.

Well done to all of you.

The following children received Certificates of Excellence from the Playground Supervisors in Assembly this morning:

• Timi for showing resilience during football by getting back up when he is tackled!
• Tumi for being the first person to collect other people's belongings and find their owners!

On Tuesday 12 February, nine Year 6 children were selected to be part of a cross phase, cross Foundation (with Crackley Hall and Princethorpe College) experience to extend their learning. They were to become astronauts and ground crew for the day at Leicester Space Centre. Their mission was to track a comet and to build and launch a probe to get vital information from it. All the children had vital roles to play including functions such as life support, probe building, navigation and communication. 

I was very proud of their attitude to the challenges set, their team work, their respect for others and their clear organisation and communication skills.

This is what the children had to say about it:

• Vignesh: ' It was such a good concept, it was so much fun but it was all linked to our studies.'
• Bexie: 'We used so many different skills, it was great working as a team, listening and respecting others to meet the objective set,'
• Cara, 'We learnt we are all important parts of a team, it was great to see both sides to the mission,'

It was a pleasure to see them at work.

A team of pupils in Year 5 have been selected to enter the Jaguar Primary School Challenge in early May 2019. This is a competition for local schools to race cars they have designed and made down a track. Further details can be found here: http://www.primaryschoolchallenge.com/home/

We are looking for sponsorship in order to fund some items such as:

• Clothing for the children to wear on the day i.e. as simple as baseball caps up to full boiler type suits
• Re-usable materials i.e. card, wheels, axles etc to help make the cars and make the displays
• Ingredients for cakes (that we will make) to include in our display (we want to impress the judges!)
• Support or help in making the pit stop display

In return we will use your company logo on the cars and display on the day to say a big thank you for your donation and to help advertise your businesses.  We would also happily receive small items such as key rings and pens that we could include in the display.

If you can help in any way whatsoever, however small, the children would appreciate it very much my email is jbyrne@crescentschool.co.uk

I think both myself and the children are in for a time consuming but very rewarding time.

Thank you very much.

Mrs Byrne
DT Teacher

Music Exams will be held on Monday 18 March 2019 between 9.30am and 4.00pm.  A timetable will be published and sent to parents nearer the date.

Thank you for all your donations for non-uniform day today.  We raised £168.61.

This will go to this terms charity The Bwengu Project.

Thank you

This fantastic competition is open again for 2019, it is a super opportunity for children to showcase their writing talents. 

Any child over age 5 can enter a story of up to 500 words before the deadline of Friday 8 March 2019.  Your child can write a story at home or even use a story written in school.

Please let me know if your child enters the competition, it is an additional opportunity for me to praise them for extra effort.

For further information on how to enter please follow the link:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00rfvk1

Good luck everybody.

The Foundation is holding a special memorial service to celebrate the life of Mary O'Farrell, the Foundation's much loved former Chair of Trustees, on Friday 29 March 2019 at 6.00pm in the Princethorpe College Chapel.

Mary joined the Foundation’s Governing Body in 2000 and held the role of Chair of Trustees for eight years until 2016, continuing to serve as trustee until her death. A former primary Headteacher with many years’ experience, Mary played an integral part in the Foundation's growing success, overseeing the merger with Abbotsford in 2010 and with the Crescent in 2016.

Comments Ed Hester, Head of the Foundation "Mary very sadly died in September last year and is sorely missed by us all. She was a remarkable woman in so many ways and with her passing the Foundation lost a true and valued friend. She was an exceptional Chair of Trustees, known for her wise counsel, collaborative approach and sense of humour, all of which she brought to bear in her role. She had an implicit understanding of education, teaching and learning, and this combined with her unique personal touch with fellow trustees, staff and children, had an immeasurable impact on the Foundation over the years.

He continues, "We hope this Memorial Service, which we have organised with her husband John, will give the many people whose lives she touched a chance to come together and celebrate her wonderful life."

The service will be followed by refreshments in the Sixth Form Centre. All are most welcome.

If you would like to attend the Memorial Service please click here to RSVP by Friday 15 March.

Monday 25 February to Friday 1 March - 8.15am to 8.40am

During week commencing Monday 25 February parents are invited to come in to school from 8.15am to 8.40am to watch and support their child(ren) in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 while they quiz on their reading books.

The quiz platform is not available at home so it is a super opportunity for parents to share the experience.

Half-term is a great time for your child to finish reading a book and that will give you an extra excuse to see your child at work.

We look forward to welcoming you.

Friday 1 March 2019

Children in Yellow House can wear one item of yellow clothing on St Davids Day.

Crescent School 

Monday 4 March 2019 - 8.00am - 10.00am

As you are aware Grammar School offers will be made at the beginning of March and Independent Schools also require acceptance of their places within days of this.

Mr Thackway and I will be available on the morning of 4 March from 8.00am - 10.00am to listen to any parents with decisions to make, who need to talk through which school to accept for their child.

We do not have the answers but we can listen and ask the questions that may clarify your choice.

There is no need to book, please just come to the front of the school. I will also be available via email if parents cannot make it in to school.

Thursday 14 March 2019 - 7.30pm

Foundation parents, staff, past pupils and friends are all cordially invited to attend Princethorpe - A Vision For The Future, a presentation by Ed Hester, Head of the Foundation in the College's Clarkson theatre.

The presentation will outline the Foundation's vision for the next five to ten years, and provide more detailed information on the College's new Science Building and campus improvements, including an interactive walk through of the Science facility.  Mr Hester will also feedback highlights from the College's parental questionnaire, unveil the Foundation's new website and outline plans for a new, improved Foundation parent portal.

Refreshments will be served after the presentation in the Sixth Form Centre.

The event is aimed at adults, although pupils are welcome to attend if accompanied by an adult.

Please click on this link to let us know if you would like to attend by Monday 4 March 2019.

Saturday 30 March - 9.30am to 12.00pm

Join us for our Spring Open Morning, a wonderful opportunity to look around the school and meet staff and pupils at the weekend.

As part of the Open Morning there will be a very special performance by Reception to Year 2 pupils, along with children from Pathfinders Nursery, of Hats Off - An All-Weather Musical. A fun and educational musical which will take the audience on a tour through the changing seasons of the year as Apple the pony tries to find a hat suitable for the weather.

This promises to be fantastic entertainment for visitors of all ages, and will really showcase the talents, confidence and stage presence of the school's youngest pupils. The show commences at 10.00am and we would urge visitors to arrive early to get a good seat!

After the half-hour performance there will be a short presentation about the Crescent and our ambitions for the school as part of the Princethorpe Foundation, and the chance to meet  Headmaster, Joe Thackway. There will also be short Q&A sessions with Alan Webb, Assistant Head - Head of Pre-Prep and Headmaster Joe Thackway about the Crescent's offering for Reception to Year 2 and Year 3 to Year 6. 

Elsewhere on site there will be plenty to see and do, including guided tours by the older pupils, sporting displays, instrumental performances, plus the opportunity to visit classrooms and chat informally to current parents and staff from Pathfinders, the Crescent and Princethorpe College. Light refreshments will be available. There is no need to book.

For more information about the Open Morning please call Registrar, Mrs Helen Morley on 01788 523851 or email admissions@crescentschool.co.uk.

This week it is my pleasure to announce the following Junior da Vinci students:

• Freddie in Maths
• Cara in Science
• Sam in Art and Design
• Ariana in RE
• Lucy in Geography

Well done to you all, it is lovely seeing the children collecting their badges in assembly.

Ms Lowe
Senior Teacher

A couple of big readers to congratulate this week:

• Alyssa for reading two million words 
• Daniel for reading three million words

What a fantastic achievement.

• Ava
• Emily
• Harry
• Lewis
• Matthew
• Maya
• Maximillion
• Olliver

Congratulations to the following pupils who have achieved their Gold Challenge Certificate for Times Tables:

• Lily - Class VI
• Kai - Class III

The times table challenge is a drop in session in the Library with myself on a Wednesday morning for Classes II - VI.

In RE, Class I learned about Saint Valentine and the origins and traditions. We discussed who he was, how he secretly conducted marriage services, why we celebrate Valentine's Day on the 14 February and why we might sign our cards 'From Your Valentine'. The children thought about the people they love and made Valentine's cards for them.   

We made the most of a beautiful sunny morning by looking for and making our own shadows in the playground. We had fun exploring funny shadow shapes and making shadow monsters. We talked about how shadows are created – when an opaque object blocks the sun’s rays.

Our computer lessons this half term have seen Class I children introduced to coding. By working through a series of puzzles, they have learned how to write code and debug a programme when the code is incorrect. By writing code to programme games that include Scrat from Ice Age and Star Wars, the children have not only built their coding skills but also developed problem solving, patience and perseverance skills as well. 

Classes I & II have been challenging themselves by climbing and swinging on the wall bars and ropes. They have shown a high level of confidence and ability. Also, they have made creative routines with synchronisation and canon.

The week kicked off in style for Class II children as half of the class were joined by their parents to experience a typical English lesson. 

The parents and their child read a poem together before picking out their favourite bits.  We all then thought about what we value most and brainstormed ideas before writing our own creative version of the original poem.  Teamwork, learning talk and quality of writing was evident throughout and both parent and child benefitted enormously from the experience.

Class II and III have also looked deeper into the story of St Valentine this week and enjoyed completing activities to share with their friends and families.

Class III enjoyed composing melodies, rhythms and conducting each other to give the impression of a condor soaring and gliding through the skies and mountains. Higher notes for flying high, lower notes for dropping down and long repeated notes for soaring. They produced some great results and all took turns beautifully. 

Class III have been learning how to stay safe online by completing the activities on the Thinkuknow and Childnet websites. Whilst following the games and short videos the children had to complete a series of questions in order to keep the characters safe help them make the right decisions.  There are activities for all ages so if you would like to check them out go to:

www.thinkuknow.co.uk and www.childnet.com/young-people/primary

https://www.childnet.com/

In PSHE, we have considered how different people overcome different obstacles in their lives whether it be due to physical, emotional or educational reasons. It prompted some good discussions and we were able to identify people whom we admire, that have found ways to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

Every now and again, children complete such heartfelt work that it really must be shared and celebrated! Forgiveness is a tough subject at whatever age, but the insight and reflection of Year 5 has shown maturity beyond their years and an honesty we can all learn from. I hope you enjoy reading their work; they have given permission for their work to be shared.

As Head of English I thought I should challenge myself to teaching all those who signed up for the English for Parents sesson in Year 5 - all at the same time!

So 22 parents with 22 children filled the hall and we learnt about relative clauses. Not many of the parents knew about relative clauses at the start of the lesson but I am pleased to announce by the time we had used talk time, white boards and a written exercise they felt a lot more secure in their understanding. The children thoroughly enjoyed sharing their learning with their parents and particularly liked it when they knew more!!

The feedback from the children and the parents was super, the parents were impressed by the level of understanding that the children had and enjoyed the way that we learn together in an active manner. The children told me that they liked their parents knowing what they are doing and being able to share and show their learning; they took great pleasure when they knew more than their parents!

Thank you to all that attended, I hope you enjoyed it as much as the children and I did.

Years 4, 5 and 6 took part in a team gymnastics competition. Each team were given a country name and they performed in parallel bars, vault, pommel horse, rings, beam and floor (with some adaptations). The judges marked them out of 10 for each performance. Ireland were the overall winners.

On Thursday I welcomed a number of Class VI parents to join us for an English lesson. Together with their child they learned about prepositions, adverbs and conjunctions that show time and cause. The children showed how their prior learning could be used and built upon and many used their mastery skills to help the parents to obtain the objective. All felt more confident in their skills by the end of the lesson and achieved some good work and progress.

Lego, magnetix, k’nex, mobilo and other construction equipment covered the classroom and imaginations ran wild as the children were invited to make something around a ‘space’ theme.

Some children chose to work individually while others collaborated in pairs and small groups to create aliens, space buggies, space stations and shuttle launchers.

Thank you to everyone who helped out with Movie night last week.  We had 49 children attend, who were all wonderfully behaved, and we raised over £230 for the FoC.

Monday 4 March 2019 3.45pm - 4.45pm

Please come along and join us at our next meeting if you're available. We will be discussing Mother's Day craft, Draycote Water walk, Year II and Year I market days as well as the school disco.

Please sign your child(ren) into after school for free if you wish to attend.

Friday 22 March 2018 - 3.45pm - 4.45pm

Please come along and purchase cakes and sweets from Class II. All money raised will go towards crafts, games and toys for their class.

This year your child, if you wish, could decorate a ceramic tea light holder for Mothers Day. More details on this will follow shortly.

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

Lunch Menu - 25 February 2019 

Crescent School Office

Please see attachments below for information regarding school holiday clubs that are running over the February Half Term. 

The clubs are provided by external providers and not the Crescent School.

Bikeability

Early Years Cycle Training

Harris Sport Centre

Kit Academy

Onside Coaching

Wasps Rugby Camp

Please find a link below to the current vacancies available across the Foundation:

• Head of Physics – Princethorpe College

Full details of the roles and how to apply are available via the following link https://www.princethorpe.co.uk/employment-opportunities

Please see below for useful school contact information:

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

2018/19

Lent Term
Term starts Monday 7 January 2019
Half Term Saturday 16 February to Sunday 24 February 2019
Term ends Wednesday 10 April 2019

2019/20

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

• Winter hats
• Scarfs
• 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 pop in if you need any of the above items.

Crescent School Office

Please click on the link below to read all about what the Reception Class have been learning this week.

Reception Round Up - 150219