The Courier

Dear Parents

I started my assembly this week by asking the children why it was so important to remain calm and sensible to be a good learner in school. This is our new school promise for the week and I wanted to highlight this important idea. You are never quite sure how long it will take before you finally get the answer that you want in these situations but I was delighted with the very first answer I got. A very bright girl in Class II (they are all very bright) put her hand up very quickly and told me that ‘If you’re calm you can concentrate more and if you concentrate more then your work will be better.’ I couldn’t have put it any better myself and this was an excellent way to start the week.

I have also been sharing with the children my attempts to attract woodpeckers into my garden with a rather cunningly designed nest box. I showed them pictures of where I had located the box in my garden as well as looking at other signs of spring that they could look out for. Given the crazy weather we have been enjoying, the theme of spring was a good one, although it might pay to remember that we had some serious ice and snow deep into March last year.

Again this week we have had parents coming into school quizzing with the children and for the second round of English for Parents’ sessions which took place for the Year 3 class. I hope this regular contact with the children and their learning is helpful for you as methodologies in education change so much over time as I have mentioned before. In the teaching of maths, for example, many of the old systems are no longer used and yet many of us as adults still rely on them. Of course, these methods still have validity but children can be easily confused if they are being given conflicting messages at home and at school. Our maths scheme of course includes some important home-school links and I hope you get the chance to have a look at those to familiarise yourself with the way your children are learning in school.

This week we have had two of our staff members trained in the use of our new defibrillator. They will be cascading this training to the rest of the staff next week but the defibrillator machine is already available for use and located in the library at the front of the school. This is of course intended as a resource for the whole community, including parents from Crescent and Pathfinders, as well as any potential members of the public nearby who might need it. Please do discuss this and pass the word on to friends and family members who collect from school as none of us know when we might need it.

I note that the warm and sunny weather has broken just in time for the weekend although we are not yet back to normal temperatures. Whatever you do, perhaps you could look out for the signs of spring with your children that we discussed in our assembly on Tuesday.

Have a great weekend.

Best Wishes

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.

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’

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

Weekly Calendar - 040319 

Crescent School

Congratulations to Asha whose artwork was added to the School Art Gallery this week.  

Mrs Byrne
Art Teacher

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

• Lewis for becoming more involved playing with others in the playground
• Lucy for being a wonderful role model in both the dining hall and playground

There has been much press this week about a perceived online threat to children.  We do not intend to warn parents routinely of these  as inevitably they can lead to fear/overreaction.  Instead it is worthwhile to simply remind that, alongside ensuring you have turned off ‘auto play’ on YouTube, the ‘no fill’ option is ‘on’ within Fortnite and all settings within your Xbox and PlayStation are closed, continuing to talk as a family openly about safe online behaviour is the best ongoing protection.

For most of you your child will, ideally, not be accessing social media for some time yet - aspects of use would give us cause to raise Safeguarding concerns in school, but it is still best to feel ahead of the game and forewarned as staff and parents.

https://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers/hot-topics/social-networking

I hope you are finding these follow up links/advice to Paul Hay's Online Safety Day useful.

Our annual Open Morning is to be held on 30 March 2019. All children are expected to be in school for this important event and every child will have a vital role to play in the success of the morning.

This is a time for you to see your child’s work, visit their classrooms and see them at work whether on stage, on the sports field or in the classroom. The Open Morning is for you, our present parents, and also our prospective parents and we are looking forward to welcoming you, your friends and family.

All the details of timings, activities your child is involved in and uniform expectation will be shared with you a few weeks before the event

Please respond to the Evolve message to confirm that your child will be attending that has been sent out today.

World Book day is next week, as a school we only celebrate this every other year. However we have been given a £1 book token for each child that can be put towards a book of their choice or contribute to the price of a book.  These have been given to children today.

Happy reading everybody.

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.

Monday 4 March 2019 - 8.00am - 10.00am

As you are aware Grammar School offers are 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 all 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.

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 that takes 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.

It 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:

• James for Maths
• Rania for English

Well done to both of you.

Ms Lowe
Senior Teacher

It's been great to welcome parents in to School this week as they quizzed with their child.  We have had some lovely feedback about how useful it is. The next one will be held in the summer term.

We obviously had some busy readers during the half-term:

• Drew and Jay are both word millionaires
• Percy has read 500,000 words
• Izzy and Harry are now double millionaires.

Great achievements by everyone.

• Akaal
• Darius
• Edward W
• Maisie
• Matthew
• Roisin
• Sam O
• Shayla
• Shaylan
• Zac

Congratulations again to Kai and Lily who have achieved their Diamond Challenge Certificate for Times Tables:

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

At the end of every half term all the children from Classes III - VI who have achieved 85% or above in their Accelerated Reading quizzes are entered in to a prize draw.

Congratulations to last term's winners who all got to choose a prize from the box:

• Amelie
• Anand
• Charlotte
• Isaac
• Matthew

Remember the more stars the children have acquired, the better their chances are to win.

Congratulations

Year 1 have been studying place value and marking the passage of the school year on their classroom chart. Knowing your ones from your tens takes plenty of practise but the children have all worked very hard. So on Thursday 28 February, 100 days since the start of the school year, it was time to celebrate their perfected place value skills with a special 100 days party.

The morning was spent preparing, making party hats and party food and getting the classroom ready. Then in the afternoon the children got on with the serious business of having fun. There were plenty of traditional party games including pass the parcel, under and over and musical bumps. Of course Mrs Emery couldn’t resist including the odd mathematical challenge in between rounds but with their newly acquired skills the children answered the questions with ease. After all the games were finished it was time to sit down and share some party food before finally getting together for a party photo.

Year 1 teacher, Mrs Emery, said, “What a lot of fun we have all had today and what amazing mathematical skills the children are developing. Our 100 day party was the perfect way to celebrate, and reinforce, our developing place value skills.”

Mrs Emery
Class 1 Teacher

Class II have started their rainforest project by making and decorating snakes.

The children welcomed another set of parents to understand how we develop our English skills in Class III. From playing Synonym Circus, extending sentences and identifying homophones, the adults participated fully and hopefully gained a useful insight into our learning.

In preparation for our Cake Sale at the end of half term, some of the class helped make pizzas to sell. They were snapped up and contributed to a record breaking total of £250 which was a fantastic effort by all!  We have decided on a huge variety of toys and activities and are looking forward to receiving them soon! 

Thank you!

Class IV have been working on a project on composition in their Music lessons. They have studied the idea of Reflection and have discussed how music can be reflected and how they can show a reflection by changing the way they play an instrument. Using a photo of a mountain scene reflected in a lake, in groups they have depicted the different aspects of the picture and its reflection using percussion instruments and have performed their compositions to each other.

Class V have been considering what love might mean to them and how God shows his love to us. We had an insightful lesson recognising that we feel loved and show love very differently. They identified which of the 5 Love Languages (Check out https://www.5lovelanguages.com/) was most in-line with their personalities and then reflected how the bible consolidates our learning.

Class VY have been studying the many ways we depend on access to clean water in our daily lives and comparing this with the situation in other parts of the world. With maps and clipboards in hand, the children went off to discover exactly how and where water enters and leaves the school building. They were amazed to find out just how many places there are and how water is needed in so many ways to make our school function.

Year 5 have been learning about our solar system. We recreated the sun and the planets that orbit it to investigate which planets had short years and which had longer years.

We’ve been excitedly dividing using the ‘bus stop’ or ‘Gozinto’ method this week in 5Y and 5F. Whilst for many of us this was the only method we had for carrying out division calculations, our children have experimented with several methods. Now they have a firm grasp of the mechanics and understanding of division and are able to confidently use short division as an effective tool in their maths toolbox.

Year VI have been looking at their favourite books and creating ways to recommend them to their classmates. They have been considering the appeal of different genres, applying literary techniques and including persuasive language. Some children were tempted by the books they heard about.

In history this week, Class VI have been looking at photos from Rugby in the late 1800s. They compared these with today, whilst expecting to see many differences they were surprised by the number of similarities they found too. The photos provoked discussions about changes over time. For homework the children were asked to have conversations with their families to discuss the most important changes they felt had happened in their life times. 

Have a look at the old photos, can you work out where they are of?

This term children have enjoyed making and tasting sweet and savoury recipes in Cookery after school, however, I think this week has been their favourite when they made chocolate biscuits!  They used their measuring skills to weigh out the ingredients and after making a delicious mix, four delicious chocolate biscuits were shaped ready to be cooked at home.

The wonderful smells that came from the room were amazing, I hope you enjoyed eating your biscuits, I expect there were not enough to go round!!

The Year 5 and 6 Cross Country team took the short trip to Knightlow School to take part in the first area cross country competition of the season.  

In unseasonably hot conditions for cross country, the team performed admirably with some amazing results:

• Four top 20 finishes for the girls
• Five top 20 finishes for the boys

Well done to all children who took part.

On Tuesday 26 February the U11 Girls netball team travelled to Malvern St James to take part in the Midlands ISA Netball Tournament.  The beautiful setting and uncharacteristic warm sunshine helped to make for a truly wonderful day. 

It was a jam packed day of netball with 18 schools in attendance, so the girls knew that they had a tough schedule ahead. Split into two pools of nine teams each started with a round robin tournament within the pool producing some fantastic netball and amazing team work throughout the court.  Solid defence from Captain Lucy, Maya and Lily made scoring difficult for our opponents whilst slick centre court play from Olivia, Cara, Amelie and Sienna moved the ball nicely down into our attacking circle for some super shots from Rebecca and Mia.  Unfortunately the girls narrowly missed out in a place in the playoffs finishing 3rd within the pool and 5th overall in the competition.

However that was still a fantastic achievement. 

Results:

The girls were an absolute pleasure to take out for the day and a credit to the school. They showed exceptional team spirit, working hard to support each other in celebration and disappointment.  Well done to all. 

Thank you to everyone who purchased cakes, sweets and pizza from the Class III market day sale.  £253 was raised at this event which is amazing.

The children are deciding with Mrs Stapleton on what to spend the money on.

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 2019 - 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, can decorate a ceramic tea light holder for Mother's Day. This will come gift wrapped and include some love hearts for £5. If you would like your child(ren) to participate in this activity please fill in the Mother's Day form, that has been sent home with your children this evening. We will put spare copies on the FoC table if you require them. All forms need to returned by Wednesday 13 March. 

A copy of the form can be dowloaded here. 

The FoC will again be filming the Hats Off Open Day Production dress rehearsal.

You are able to purchase a DVD for £13 per DVD. Please fill out the form sent home with your child today (or it can be downloaded here) and return it by Friday 22 March with payment either by cash or cheque.  Cheques should be made payable to Friends of Crescent.

Please place in the green FoC Post Box by the Pupil entrance.

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

Lunch Menu - 4 March 2019 

Crescent School Office

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

• Groundsman\Gardener
• Modern Foreign Languages Teacher

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

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 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