23 Nov 2007 - Newsletter No 11
Horfield CEVC Primary School
Newsletter No.11 - Friday 23rd November 2007
Anti Bullying Week
This week has been national Anti Bullying Week and staff have spent some time discussing our school Bullying policy with children and reminding them about the Bullying Box which is situated in the front entrance area. Any slips put in this box are examined and followed up every Friday and we do believe that the initiative has reinforced the clear understanding that any form of bullying is unacceptable at this school.
To help us in our understanding of bullying the following poem by Barrie Wade was read out in this morning's assembly by Reanne Adams:
Sticks and stones may break my bones
but words can also hurt me.
Stone and sticks break only skin
while words are ghosts that haunt me.
Slant and curved word-swords fall
to pierce and stick inside me.
Bats and bricks may ache through bones,
but words can mortify me.
Pain from words has left its scar
on mind and heart that's tender.
Cuts and bruises now have healed:
it's words that I remember.
North Bristol Art Trail (25th & 26th November: 10am - 6pm)
You may be interested in an exciting free art event taking place this weekend in our area as there is the chance to see some artwork exhibited by local artist, Laura Cramer (Max and Tess's mum) at 125, Maple Road, Bishopston - and then follow an art trail through Bishopston and the surrounding area. To find out more visit www.northbristolartists.co.uk
Sickness
There has been a sudden increase in the number of children and staff suffering with an infection which involves sickness and diarrhoea this week. Please stress to your child the need for good hygiene practice, especially after visiting the toilet, and if you are unfortunate enough to suffer with the symptoms, the current advice is that children should be kept at home for at least 48 hours to prevent the infection spreading.
Bicycle / Scooter Security
Parents should be aware that a locked bicycle was stolen one afternoon recently by thieves who climbed the fence and lifted the cycle back over the fence to get away with it. Unfortunately, the school insurance does not cover such theft, and parents are reminded that we cannot accept any responsibility for the theft or damage to personal property on school premises. We are currently investigating making the fence more secure as well thinking about lockable gates to the ends of the shelter itself. In the meantime I would like to stress the importance of securely fastening scooters / cycles to the metal hoops bolted to the ground inside the shelter.
Christmas Bazaar
Our Christmas Bazaar is now just over a week away and the School Association has asked for the following reminders to be placed here:
Jolly Bag Day - Please try to bring these into school on Monday - there will be a prize for the class which collects the most.
Bottle Day - Similarly we shall be collecting full bottles of drinks etc on Friday next week for the Bottle stall.
Hamper donations will also be gratefully received anytime next week
Raffle Tickets - stubs / unused tickets should be sent to school by Friday.
VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED TO SET UP, CLEAR AWAY OR HELP DURING THE DAY!!
Christmas Activities
There is definitely a feeling that Christmas isn't far way now and there are some seasonal reminders about activities taking place in school during the Christmas period included in the Diary Date table on the back page.
The choir will be busy during this period and Miss Graham has asked for the following choir notices to put in this newsletter:
Saturday 1st December - the choir will be singing at the Christmas Bazaar and they are asked to be in school by 12.30pm. School uniform not needed.
Monday 3rd December - The choir will be taking part in the annual Save the Children Concert for local schools at the parish church. Children are asked to be at the church by 6.45pm to be ready for the 7pm start. Children should wear school uniform for this event.
Monday 17th December - Our school carol service will be held at the parish church at 7pm. The choir will be taking a role in this service and the children are asked to be at the church by 6.45pm. School uniform needed.
Football Cards
Unfortunately, the latest Football cards craze is proving to be disruptive to learning and we have decided to ban them from Monday onwards.
Writing
You will be aware that one of our key initiatives this year is to raise standards in writing, and we hope to achieve this by a variety of methods. One of these is to use this newsletter to promote examples of children's work and you may remember that we featured a poem by Tyler Wills in last week's letter. Our Year 6 children have in fact produced many excellent poems during their topic to do with World War 1 and we have today included a separate sheet with a selection of poems from the two classes. I intend repeating this exercise at periodic intervals with other year groups so that we can all share and enjoy the written words of Horfield pupils. Well done to the Year 6 pupils for getting this idea off to such a fine start.
Eco School Update
This week the ECO Team met to discuss their action plan and they have created 3 main priorities for this year:
* To reduce paper use and to reuse paper
* To continue to develop the grounds, including creating clear habitat areas and growing more food on the allotment
* To reduce energy use
In the next few weeks the Eco Team will be researching paper use in the school and involving everyone in thinking about reducing and reusing paper. If you have ideas on this subject we would be interested to hear them. Please speak to Mrs Friesner or any member of the Eco Team (names on the Eco board) or send us an email / note.
The team also braved the rain and put some hedgerow plants in the allotment temporarily while the ground is prepared for them to be planted permanently, hopefully along the fence at the back of the allotment. The plants were provided free of charge by the Woodland Trust 'Tree for All' campaign. If anyone would be able to help prepare the ground next Wednesday lunchtime please let Mrs Friesner or Mrs Michell know.
Meanwhile, the children have been involved in creating our Eco Code which helps us to remember what we need to do to be an Eco School:
Energy savers
waste reduCers
pOnd dippers
material reuSers
paper reCyclers
Healthy eaters
egetable grOwers
cOmpost makers
Litter pickers.
Well done to all of the children, staff and parents involved in the Eco team and we are all now challenged to respect the Eco Code.
Students of the Week: Students of the Week in Year 6 are Christie Hodges-Fisher in Class 13 and Harry Prewett-Britton in Class 14 for all-round good effort in all lessons. Well done both!
Assembly Theme: Our assembly theme for next week is Gifts and Giving
A Sutton
The real heroes
The real heroes fought for us.
The real heroes died for us.
The real heroes are the ones
who lived in trenches for long, long years!
The real heroes do not sit
on thrones of gold!
The real heroes aren't famous or rich.
They JUST fought.
Fought for us.
They didn't have to but they did.
So pay some respect for the real heroes.
The soldiers,
the dead.
We will remember them!
Will you remember them?
by Christie Hodges-Fisher
Lost and Found
They thought it would end at Christmas,
Excited to fight for King and country,
Only thinking what the women would say,
posters stalking them when ever they delay.
Scrambling through the trenches,
wondering when to shoot,
flying gas flowing through the air,
the men choking, drowning in despair.
With blood skimming through the air,
with poppies growing throughout the grounds,
find a memorial and if you even dare to care,
look what they've done for us.
By Harry Britton
The Poppy
With scarlet red petals,
and a black midnight centre.
We use it to remember them,
to think of them and appreciate them.
It's the poppy we use to think of them deeply.
There's a white one for peace,
and a red one to remember.
On the 11th day of the 11th month,
we stop for two minutes to think
of all those brave soldiers.
The trenches were worse than you think,
their feet were always wet,
explosions going off, making them deaf.
They fought for our country so we should
at least spend two minutes every year
just to stop and think of them.
By Aimee Luton
War Shells
We were still digging up
the monstrous shells
that were putting people
into a forever sleep.
But when the war was over
there wasn't even a clover.
But then the souls of the soldiers
made the blood-red poppies bloom.
by Liam Millham
Death
Death.
It's a terrible thing
I hear a bang, I hear a scream.
Everything is deadly or so it seems.
I'm sitting here, squirming.
The noise is deafening.
The mustard gas, the deadliest drop.
Their lungs are burning, then
suddenly.... POP!
The sleeping have woken
We've lost our friends, our
hearts are broken.
by Farai Manyonga
Diary Dates - Term 2
Friday 30/11/07 Swimming - Years 2 + 6
Saturday 1/12/07 Christmas Bazaar - 11.30am-2.00pm
Monday 3/12/07 Old Vic Theatre School 'Nativity' - 1.30pm
Save the Children Concert at Church - 7.00pm
Wednesday 5/12/07 Reception Nativity - 10.00am
Thursday 6/12/07 Reception Nativity - 2.00pm
Thursday 6/12/07 Full Governors- Meeting
Friday 7/12/07 10.15am 'Helpers' Coffee Morning - for anyone who has helped in school this year, eg. walking to swimming, helping in classes, School Association, Governors, etc
Monday 10/12 /07 Year 5 parties in the afternoon
Tuesday 11/12/07 Year 3/4 parties in the afternoon
Wednesday 12/12/07 Reception + Year 1 / 2 parties - afternoon
Thursday 13/12/07 Christmas Dinner
Friday 14/12/07 Year 6 parties in the afternoon
Monday 17/12/07 Carol Service at Horfield Parish Church - 7pm
Wednesday 19/12/07 Last day of Term 2
Thursday 3rd January INSET
Friday 4th January INSET
Monday 7th January Term 3 begins
Saturday 12th January 10-12 Christmas tree shredding and general grounds tidy up.
Newsletter No.11 - Friday 23rd November 2007
Anti Bullying Week
This week has been national Anti Bullying Week and staff have spent some time discussing our school Bullying policy with children and reminding them about the Bullying Box which is situated in the front entrance area. Any slips put in this box are examined and followed up every Friday and we do believe that the initiative has reinforced the clear understanding that any form of bullying is unacceptable at this school.
To help us in our understanding of bullying the following poem by Barrie Wade was read out in this morning's assembly by Reanne Adams:
Sticks and stones may break my bones
but words can also hurt me.
Stone and sticks break only skin
while words are ghosts that haunt me.
Slant and curved word-swords fall
to pierce and stick inside me.
Bats and bricks may ache through bones,
but words can mortify me.
Pain from words has left its scar
on mind and heart that's tender.
Cuts and bruises now have healed:
it's words that I remember.
North Bristol Art Trail (25th & 26th November: 10am - 6pm)
You may be interested in an exciting free art event taking place this weekend in our area as there is the chance to see some artwork exhibited by local artist, Laura Cramer (Max and Tess's mum) at 125, Maple Road, Bishopston - and then follow an art trail through Bishopston and the surrounding area. To find out more visit www.northbristolartists.co.uk
Sickness
There has been a sudden increase in the number of children and staff suffering with an infection which involves sickness and diarrhoea this week. Please stress to your child the need for good hygiene practice, especially after visiting the toilet, and if you are unfortunate enough to suffer with the symptoms, the current advice is that children should be kept at home for at least 48 hours to prevent the infection spreading.
Bicycle / Scooter Security
Parents should be aware that a locked bicycle was stolen one afternoon recently by thieves who climbed the fence and lifted the cycle back over the fence to get away with it. Unfortunately, the school insurance does not cover such theft, and parents are reminded that we cannot accept any responsibility for the theft or damage to personal property on school premises. We are currently investigating making the fence more secure as well thinking about lockable gates to the ends of the shelter itself. In the meantime I would like to stress the importance of securely fastening scooters / cycles to the metal hoops bolted to the ground inside the shelter.
Christmas Bazaar
Our Christmas Bazaar is now just over a week away and the School Association has asked for the following reminders to be placed here:
Jolly Bag Day - Please try to bring these into school on Monday - there will be a prize for the class which collects the most.
Bottle Day - Similarly we shall be collecting full bottles of drinks etc on Friday next week for the Bottle stall.
Hamper donations will also be gratefully received anytime next week
Raffle Tickets - stubs / unused tickets should be sent to school by Friday.
VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED TO SET UP, CLEAR AWAY OR HELP DURING THE DAY!!
Christmas Activities
There is definitely a feeling that Christmas isn't far way now and there are some seasonal reminders about activities taking place in school during the Christmas period included in the Diary Date table on the back page.
The choir will be busy during this period and Miss Graham has asked for the following choir notices to put in this newsletter:
Saturday 1st December - the choir will be singing at the Christmas Bazaar and they are asked to be in school by 12.30pm. School uniform not needed.
Monday 3rd December - The choir will be taking part in the annual Save the Children Concert for local schools at the parish church. Children are asked to be at the church by 6.45pm to be ready for the 7pm start. Children should wear school uniform for this event.
Monday 17th December - Our school carol service will be held at the parish church at 7pm. The choir will be taking a role in this service and the children are asked to be at the church by 6.45pm. School uniform needed.
Football Cards
Unfortunately, the latest Football cards craze is proving to be disruptive to learning and we have decided to ban them from Monday onwards.
Writing
You will be aware that one of our key initiatives this year is to raise standards in writing, and we hope to achieve this by a variety of methods. One of these is to use this newsletter to promote examples of children's work and you may remember that we featured a poem by Tyler Wills in last week's letter. Our Year 6 children have in fact produced many excellent poems during their topic to do with World War 1 and we have today included a separate sheet with a selection of poems from the two classes. I intend repeating this exercise at periodic intervals with other year groups so that we can all share and enjoy the written words of Horfield pupils. Well done to the Year 6 pupils for getting this idea off to such a fine start.
Eco School Update
This week the ECO Team met to discuss their action plan and they have created 3 main priorities for this year:
* To reduce paper use and to reuse paper
* To continue to develop the grounds, including creating clear habitat areas and growing more food on the allotment
* To reduce energy use
In the next few weeks the Eco Team will be researching paper use in the school and involving everyone in thinking about reducing and reusing paper. If you have ideas on this subject we would be interested to hear them. Please speak to Mrs Friesner or any member of the Eco Team (names on the Eco board) or send us an email / note.
The team also braved the rain and put some hedgerow plants in the allotment temporarily while the ground is prepared for them to be planted permanently, hopefully along the fence at the back of the allotment. The plants were provided free of charge by the Woodland Trust 'Tree for All' campaign. If anyone would be able to help prepare the ground next Wednesday lunchtime please let Mrs Friesner or Mrs Michell know.
Meanwhile, the children have been involved in creating our Eco Code which helps us to remember what we need to do to be an Eco School:
Energy savers
waste reduCers
pOnd dippers
material reuSers
paper reCyclers
Healthy eaters
egetable grOwers
cOmpost makers
Litter pickers.
Well done to all of the children, staff and parents involved in the Eco team and we are all now challenged to respect the Eco Code.
Students of the Week: Students of the Week in Year 6 are Christie Hodges-Fisher in Class 13 and Harry Prewett-Britton in Class 14 for all-round good effort in all lessons. Well done both!
Assembly Theme: Our assembly theme for next week is Gifts and Giving
A Sutton
The real heroes
The real heroes fought for us.
The real heroes died for us.
The real heroes are the ones
who lived in trenches for long, long years!
The real heroes do not sit
on thrones of gold!
The real heroes aren't famous or rich.
They JUST fought.
Fought for us.
They didn't have to but they did.
So pay some respect for the real heroes.
The soldiers,
the dead.
We will remember them!
Will you remember them?
by Christie Hodges-Fisher
Lost and Found
They thought it would end at Christmas,
Excited to fight for King and country,
Only thinking what the women would say,
posters stalking them when ever they delay.
Scrambling through the trenches,
wondering when to shoot,
flying gas flowing through the air,
the men choking, drowning in despair.
With blood skimming through the air,
with poppies growing throughout the grounds,
find a memorial and if you even dare to care,
look what they've done for us.
By Harry Britton
The Poppy
With scarlet red petals,
and a black midnight centre.
We use it to remember them,
to think of them and appreciate them.
It's the poppy we use to think of them deeply.
There's a white one for peace,
and a red one to remember.
On the 11th day of the 11th month,
we stop for two minutes to think
of all those brave soldiers.
The trenches were worse than you think,
their feet were always wet,
explosions going off, making them deaf.
They fought for our country so we should
at least spend two minutes every year
just to stop and think of them.
By Aimee Luton
War Shells
We were still digging up
the monstrous shells
that were putting people
into a forever sleep.
But when the war was over
there wasn't even a clover.
But then the souls of the soldiers
made the blood-red poppies bloom.
by Liam Millham
Death
Death.
It's a terrible thing
I hear a bang, I hear a scream.
Everything is deadly or so it seems.
I'm sitting here, squirming.
The noise is deafening.
The mustard gas, the deadliest drop.
Their lungs are burning, then
suddenly.... POP!
The sleeping have woken
We've lost our friends, our
hearts are broken.
by Farai Manyonga
Diary Dates - Term 2
Friday 30/11/07 Swimming - Years 2 + 6
Saturday 1/12/07 Christmas Bazaar - 11.30am-2.00pm
Monday 3/12/07 Old Vic Theatre School 'Nativity' - 1.30pm
Save the Children Concert at Church - 7.00pm
Wednesday 5/12/07 Reception Nativity - 10.00am
Thursday 6/12/07 Reception Nativity - 2.00pm
Thursday 6/12/07 Full Governors- Meeting
Friday 7/12/07 10.15am 'Helpers' Coffee Morning - for anyone who has helped in school this year, eg. walking to swimming, helping in classes, School Association, Governors, etc
Monday 10/12 /07 Year 5 parties in the afternoon
Tuesday 11/12/07 Year 3/4 parties in the afternoon
Wednesday 12/12/07 Reception + Year 1 / 2 parties - afternoon
Thursday 13/12/07 Christmas Dinner
Friday 14/12/07 Year 6 parties in the afternoon
Monday 17/12/07 Carol Service at Horfield Parish Church - 7pm
Wednesday 19/12/07 Last day of Term 2
Thursday 3rd January INSET
Friday 4th January INSET
Monday 7th January Term 3 begins
Saturday 12th January 10-12 Christmas tree shredding and general grounds tidy up.