The Courier

Dear Parents 

We have arrived already at the end of what has been a short but action packed half term. We finished the week with our termly fund raising day for our school charity and it was great fun to see the children’s different interpretations of the ‘wear a hat’ theme. We will have news of the money raised coming out very soon and when we combine this with the money raised at the recent Draycote walk, we will be able to make a significant contribution to the Place2be charity by the end of this month, which is very pleasing.

I was able to get down to Devon for a couple of days to meet up with the Year 6s on their residential stay at Slapton Field Centre. I can report that they were all in great form and enjoying the fine weather and the outdoor life. It is a different style of trip to the activity based adventures the other year groups enjoy and this provides a really important balance for their residential experiences. This one has more of an environmental studies focus with the children studying the local wildlife and land forms as well as learning about the history of the area. On that note, you may have seen a recent news story about the anniversary of the ill-fated D-Day landing manoeuvres that took place on Slapton Sands in 1944. We were able to learn more about this story and see the recovered Sherman Tank that forms a telling memorial to the disaster. Many thanks to Mr Phillips and Mrs Dowling for all of their tremendous work in making this trip such a success.

We now have a week to draw breath before the final countdown to the end of term with lots of great events to look forward to, with sports days, plays and concerts all in the pipeline. Over the holiday I have some days out planned with the family to make sure we make the most of the late spring countryside, which in many ways is the best time of year here in England.  Whatever you have planned, I hope you have a happy and peaceful time with your families.

Joe Thackway

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.

After half term we will consider the promise in the category of Good Learners that focuses on the theme of listening. This is such a key attribute for learning. A pupil who really listens actively, takes on advice and feedback and takes action on what they have heard, this learner profile makes such a difference in the classroom.

‘We listen and don’t interrupt’

Joe Thackway
Headmaster

Please click on the link below to view the weekly calendar.  The calendar details all the co-curricular clubs for Trinity term:

Weekly Calendar - 030619

Please note Outdoor Learning replaces Maths Games on a Monday and there is no Cookery on Tuesday 4 June.

Any Changes to clubs are also reflected on SOCS Co-Curricular and this will be displayed in your child's calendar.

SOCS Co-Curricular

Crescent School

Further to the email this week, handing over children safely at the end of each day is a Safeguarding priority for staff.  Please can we politely remind all parents to let either the school office and/or your child's teacher know, if you plan for somebody other than yourselves to collect your child(ren). 

We will not be able to release children without this information.

Many thanks

For our online safety advice this week we look at the benefits and dangers of the relatively new phenomenon of Livestreaming.  As always, we hope you find this useful in keeping your children safe.

Livestreaming

This half term holiday will be an extra special one for Mr Webb and Ms Lowe who will getting married during the half term break. They are two of our most well-liked and respected members of staff and everyone here at Crescent, staff and children, wish the happy couple a lovely day of celebrations and a long and happy married life to come.

On Tuesday I took part in a service at St Paul's Cathedral in London. Once a year a special service is held and two English Cathedral choirs are invited to sing with the prestigious St Paul's Choir.

Coventry Cathedral Choir, where I am an Alto Choral Clerk, and Canterbury Cathedral were invited this year.  The choirs sang together in two anthems in front of a packed congregation complete with the Lord Mayor of London in his full regalia and carrying a golden mace. Each choir also performed an item on their own.

It was an amazing experience singing in one of the largest and probably the most echoey cathedral in Britain and I am grateful to Mr Thackway for allowing me to attend this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Thank you again for your huge generosity and support of our fundraising fun for Place2Be today.  It was so lovely to see such a sea of colour in assembly and some of the creativity from the children. 

The day started off with a couple of fun activities where children unscrambled anagrams of different hats and challenged themselves to hooking hats on a rack. We have printed out a montage of photos that are on display outside Class IV so if you get a chance, pop by to see. Any outstanding £1 donations can be brought in after half term, so we can all say we have ‘done our bit’ towards this worthwhile charity.

Crescent Year 5 pupil, Daniel Ovens Gibbs, has read 55 books and over 5 million words so far this academic year and tops the leader board in the school’s annual reading challenge.  His achievement is all the more remarkable when you see the sorts of books he has been reading, with Shakespeare and Greek Classics all mixed in with the modern day mystery and adventure stories you would expect a boy to read.

Ten-year-old Daniel is modest about his achievement saying, “I just like reading, I read whenever I can.”  He explains, “I especially like adventure stories.  I am enjoying reading the Young Samurai series at the moment, I read one then I try something different and then I read another.”  Outside of school, Daniel reads most days but, just like any other boy, he also plays sports such as hockey and cricket and enjoys sailing when he gets the chance. 

Senior Teacher, Sarah Lowe, who leads on literacy at the Crescent School, explains, “We have a very positive reading culture here at Crescent, it is cool for boys to read, some of our boys in Year 6 have the reading age of a 16-year-old.  There are so many good books out there for boys to read these days.

The Crescent’s approach to literacy is supported by Renaissance’s Accelerated Reader system. Children take a quiz after reading each book that tests their understanding. Its approach promotes reading for pleasure whilst ensuring the children read appropriately challenging books.

Sarah, continues, “Pupils from Year 3 onwards take part in the reading challenge and can quiz daily on the computers before school. We find the boys respond really well to the competitive nature of the challenge.  We like to get parents involved too and hold a week every term when parents can come in and quiz with their children.  Daniel is our top reader this year and the first ever to reach five million words.”

Daniel is now aiming to read six million words and with five weeks left to the end of the school year there is more than a chance he will achieve that incredible total.

Many congratulations to Bryson in Year 2 who recently took part in the European Hip Hop Dance Championships and finished in an amazing 8th place.

Bryson had qualified through the UK heats and came up against really tough competition from across Europe in the finals in Rimini, Italy. We are all really proud of his achievement – well done Bryson.

Children often grow quickly and the summer term is a good time to replace any damaged, missing or ill-fitting items.  A full list of uniform requirements can be found in the parent information booklet.

Please can you 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
• Your child is wearing their own uniform as Jumpers/Cardigans/Blazers etc sometimes get mixed up
• Summer dress length should be on or below the knee and shorts to the knee
• Gym shorts remain in school for PE lessons

Sun Hats - please ensure your child has a sun hat/boater in school now the weather is warmer.  

New School Tracksuit - This will be a compulsory item from the beginning of the next academic year, 2019-2020 for all children in Year 3 to Year 6. All pupils represent the school on a regular basis and having the same tracksuit will help to build a sense of belonging to the team. They will also get plenty of use on games afternoons and at sports events

School Bags - All children will need to have the Crescent School bag from the beginning of next academic year 2019-20

Uniform order forms are available from the school office by contacting Mrs Browne (Foundation Shop Manager):

uniform@princethorpe.co.uk

Thank you

Crescent School

An intrepid band of Princethorpe College staff, parents and former pupils are to take on an epic challenge over the May half term holiday when they cycle 110 miles between the French towns of Saumur and Amboise in the Loire Valley, in aid of Mary's Meals.

This is the second Cycling Pilgrimage undertaken by Princethorpe College, the last being part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2017. The 20 cyclists and their supporters will travel to France by coach and cycle 110 miles over two days, with a rest day in between in the beautiful chateau town of Azay-le-Rideau.

Comments, Foundation Headmaster, Ed Hester, “110 miles in two days is no mean feat and all the pilgrims deserve to be encouraged. Many of the cycling pilgrims are taking part for a second time and we are expecting once again for there to be fantastic camaraderie on the trip. With pilgrims aged from under 20 to in their 70s this really epitomises Princethorpe’s spirit of family.” 

The cyclists will once again be raising money for the College's chosen charity, Mary's Meals and have set a target of £2,000, enough to feed 143 children at Makalanga Primary School in Malawi for a year. 

If you would like to support them please go to their fundraising page here.

Follow their journey on Twitter - @PC_Pilgrimage

Monday 3 June to Friday 7 June - 8.15am to 8.40am

During week commencing Monday 3 June parents and carers are welcome to come and quiz with their child. The Computing suite will be open from 8:15 am-8:40 am, staff will be on hand to explain and support.

Please encourage your child to read over the half-term and then come and join us.

Wednesday 5 June 2019 - 6.30pm to 8.30pm 

The College's Summer Open Evening will take place on Wednesday 5 June from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. This is an informal opportunity for prospective families to look around the school and to meet members of staff and pupils.

There will be activities in each department for children to participate in, and the Headmaster will also address visitors in the Chapel during the evening. Light refreshments are available.

There is no need to book.

For further information please contact the Registrar, Mrs Vanessa Rooney, on 01926 634201 or email admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.

Sports Day for Years 1-6 will be held at Princethorpe College this year, on Monday 10 June. 

The events will start at 10.00am and we aim to be finished by 13.00pm.  To allow Crescent pupils time to be safely escorted to the athletics field we would kindly ask that parents arrive no earlier than 9.40am.

Car parking will be in The Orchard and will be signposted.  A parking attendant will be on hand to assist you.  Where possible, if parents can lift share this would be greatly appreciated.  In order to establish estimated numbers of parents who would like to come along please can you click on the link below to indicate how many members of your family will be attending.

https://princethorpecollege.parentseveningsystem.co.uk/

Please note there are no dogs are allowed on site.

I think this week is a record for Junior da Vincis:

• Alex for Art and Design
• Leela for Art and Design
• Chloe for Maths
• Sienna for Maths
• Henry for Music
• Faris for Geography and Music
• Charlotte for Music
• Chloe for Music
• Matthew for English
• Daniel for Geography
• Jessica for Maths
• Sam for Art and Design

An amazing week, well done to everyone.

Ms Lowe
Senior Teacher

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

Congratulations go to:

• Amelia for always being gentle and caring with her peers
• Harry M for always thinking of others
• Grace M for being kind, gentle and thoughtful to other children in and out of the classroom
• Euan for being kind and using his manners at all times

For being a Good Learner and keeping the School Promise:

• Shiv for always working hard and giving his best
• Tegan for her increasing independence, effort and consistency of all written work
• Abigail for showing resilience in her learning and being more confident in her abilities
• Amber for going about school life in a calm and sensible and considered way
• Freya S for showing determination, resilience and perseverance in all aspects of school life
• Tom F for commitment and dedication to his own learning

For being a Good Citizen and keeping the School Promise:

• Fred for being honest and telling the truth in class
• Rory for always showing respect towards others and being an excellent role model in class
• Joshua O for going about school life in a calm and sensible and considered way
• Matthew T for being respectful and responsible at all times

Thank you to Shaylan, Sophia, Alex, Harry, Chloe, Percy, Joshua and Harriett 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.

Well done to Samuel and Grace who received Certificates of Excellence from the Play Leaders in Assembly this morning for playing nicely, following the rules and being a good team player.

In our PSHE topic of relationships, we have been looking at friendships in school. As we move through life, there will always be times when we have disagreements and fall out with our friends.

As well as looking at strategies to lessen the frequency and impact of these, it is always worth reminding the children of just how much fun it is to get on well.

We have had an afternoon of fun friendship games to boost class morale and their feelings of being a close knit group.  We learned teamwork skills, the qualities that make a good friend and how we can use words and body language to demonstrate kindness.

A great session boosting skills through laughter. 

Year 2 children active and engaged in playing learning games: practising the names of colours in Spanish with their new teacher Senora Sanchez this week.

Year 5 have been studying Michael Morpurgo’s novel Kensuke’s Kingdom and to mark the end of the topic they welcomed Mrs Knott (Milly's Mum) into school to talk about all things Japanese.  Having lived in Japan for many years, she was able to give the children a fascinating insight into a culture that has remarkable similarities to our own.

The classes began by learning how to greet a teacher ‘Ohayō gozaimasu sensei’ and then explored just how many Japanese words they already knew – Sushi, Samurai and Pokémon to name but a few.

They found out that Japan is in Asia, is of a similar land mass to the United Kingdom, but has a greater population.  They learnt about the culture and how Japanese people have an animistic approach, which leads them to respect and show gratitude for everything.  Mrs Knott even taught the children how to bow properly and then how to count in Japanese.

In a break out session the children worked in small groups using abacuses to solve number problems, playing bean games with chopsticks and even looking at different sorts of Japanese food.

Deputy Head, Bryony Forth, commented, "It was all incredibly engaging and had the children and  teachers captivated.   Huge thanks to Mrs Knott for coming into school and running such an interesting and informative lesson."

Children in After School on Monday enjoyed a lovely picnic 'tea' outside.

Thank you to all the well behaved children who attended the disco last week. We raised £330 profit which is amazing. Thanks also to all my FoC helpers who made the afternoon possible too. 

This year we will be producing for Father's Day a hand decorated ceramic coaster which will come in a gift bag with a chocolate bar all for £5. If you would like your child to take part in this craft activity please fill your details in the link below by Tuesday 4 June.

Father's Day Form

The craft will take place on Thursday 6, Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 June 2019.  The gift will be sent home by Friday 14 June in time for Father's Day on Sunday 16 June.

Monday 10 June 2019 - 3.45pm to 4.45pm

Please come along and join us if you're available. We will be discussing the Summer Fete and the events for September.

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

Friday 21 June 2019 - 3.20pm to 5.00pm

At this year’s Summer Fete, weather permitting, we will have donkey rides, inflatables, games for the children to play, refreshments, tombola, raffle, candy floss and the teddy stall.

Reception and Class I children will be able to attend slightly earlier from 3.20pm.  More details to follow.

Please put the date in your diary now. 

Friday 28 June 2019

This will be held from 8.00pm at the Distillery bar in Rugby in a private room upstairs. We have our own bar and music system.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased from your FoC representative. The tickets will cost £15 and this will include canapés and a drink on arrival. 

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

Crescent Menu - 3 June 2019 

Crescent School Office

Please see below for useful school contact information:

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

2018/19

Trinity Term
Half Term Saturday 25 May to Sunday 2 June 2019
Term ends Wednesday 3 July 2019

2019/20

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

• Summer Estate Assistants
• Gardener/Groundsman
• Graduate Sports Coach
• Reprographics Assistant
• Traffic Coordinator

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

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

Reception Round Up - 240519