ABBAS AND TEMPLECOMBE
Church of England V.C. PRIMARY SCHOOL
School
Lane, Templecombe, Somerset BA8 0HP
Headteacher: Mrs Bernie Green BEd Hons (NPQH)
Tel:
01963 370481 e-mail: Fax: 01963
370409
Dear Parents
Newsletter
01 Autumn 2005
Welcome back to the start of another school year and a special welcome to the new families who have joined Abbas and Templecombe. We hope that your children will be very happy here and continue to make good progress throughout their time at the school.
Once again, thank you for sending the children back to school in smart uniform and appropriate footwear.
Changes
Welcome to Mrs Jan Fellows, who is with us in Mrs Rosser`s absence, teaching Year 2 and Year 6. We hope that Jan will be very happy at the school.
You will notice that during the holidays Diamond Class has been refurbished, providing an even more attractive learning environment for the younger children and easy access to the outside play area. Emerald Class and Sapphire Class have swapped rooms due to the smaller number of pupils in Emerald class.
The swimming pool site has been cleared, levelled and re seeded for future use.
Our thanks to Mrs Wendy Phillips, the school site manager, who ensured that the school was beautifully clean for the children’s return, despite the disruptive building work.
Contact details/ Absence
Would you be kind enough to notify the school office if any of your personal details or contact telephone numbers has changed? These are particularly important if we are trying to contact you in the event of sickness during the school day. If you are unable to come to collect your child in such circumstances, please provide the number of an authorised person, as it can be very distressing for children if they stay at school when they are unwell. It is vital that you telephone the school office by 9:30am if your child is too ill to come to school. On occasions we have tried to contact a parent at this time to ensure that the parent knows that the child has not turned up for school and have not been able to contact anyone. This is very worrying in the light of the recent case in Scotland. We will continue to telephone if we do not hear anything by 9:30am.
Crossing Patrol
As you may be aware, Tracey Ballard kindly stepped into the role of crossing patrol when Kim Burt left. Prior to this, we were really struggling to find someone willing to do this very important job. Towards the end of last term and at the start of this, I was very disturbed to hear that Tracey has been having problems from drivers, some of whom are parents at the school. It is essential and in fact law that drivers respond to the “stop” sign that Tracey carries. Tracey has been trained to stay in the middle of the road until the last child/ adult has reached the pavement at the other side. It has been reported that impatient drivers manoeuvre around her or even rev their engines whilst Tracey is crossing the children.
This is not a pleasant job and can be extremely dangerous on this section of road with or without a crossing patrol. Increasingly children are making their own way to school without adult supervision; therefore a crossing patrol is vital. The County Council have continuously refused our requests for a zebra or pelican crossing. Please lobby your MPs at every opportunity on this issue.
To summarise, would all drivers please show a little more courtesy and patience to Tracey in this vital role of ensuring our children’s safety.
Sports Coaching
We are fortunate to have secured the support of two sports coaches this Year, therefore all classes will have specialist teaching in at least one of their physical education sessions each week. We feel that this will continue to improve the high quality of PE offered to children at the school, whilst also providing the statutory non-contact time for teaching staff. Would you please make sure children have appropriate PE kit and both indoor and outdoor sports footwear.
Students
As a University of Exeter and Bath Training school, we will be having several Trainee teachers to support classes again this year, I am sure you will make them very welcome.
Friends of Abbas and
Templecombe.
One or two of our longer serving members of the fund raising group have left this year, therefore would you please come forward if you could help to organise events, large or small for the benefit of the pupils. The Friends have worked really hard to plan and carry out some excellent activities for the school, so please come forward.
Help: Do you know of anyone who is a hill walker or mountain climber? Please let me know if you do as it would be great if they could support the Geography Curriculum this term - “Mountains”, by showing climbing equipment, discussing climbs, safety, hazards etc.
Also, we have some beautiful tiles made during Art Week last term that we need to mount on to a frame for display. Could a handy person please come forward we would be really grateful.
Clubs - A timetable of After School Activities is enclosed.
Dates
The following is a list of dates for the Autumn Term. I will notify you of other activities organised as they arise.
Harvest Festival to be announced.
Friday 14th October -2:00pm - School Photographer - Individual and family groups
Friday 21st October - Break up for Half Term
Monday 7th November - School Re-opens
Tuesday 15th November 6:00-8:00pm - Parents Evening in school hall
Wednesday 16th November Parents Evening - 4:00-6:00pm
Friday 9th December - Choir to Sherborne Digby Hall
Tuesday 13th December - 1:45pm - Dress Rehearsal for Nativity
Wednesday 14th December at 6:30pm - Nativity Performance in hall.
Monday 19th December - Christmas Parties
Tuesday 20th December - 1:45pm Christmas Service at St Mary’s.
Tuesday 20th December - End of term.
School re-opens for Spring Term Wednesday 4th January 2006.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries or concerns about your child’s education. I am available most mornings and after school.
Yours sincerely
Bernie Green