Head Teacher: Mr A Ruffell
Fairfield Primary School
Glenfield Road
Stockton-on-Tees
TS19 7PW
Tel: 01642 581305
Fax: 01642 589657
Email:
Twitter: @FairfieldPrim
Dear Parents and Carers,
Many thanks for all of your support with the various charity and Christmas events we have had this last half term. With your help, we raised just over £370 for Children in Need, £1500 from the school Christmas Fair to pay for activities, resources and trips, £54.40 from Mrs Bolton’s stall on the Christmas Fair for the Freeman Hospital, and approximately £110 from the children’s weekly raffles for a variety of charities chosen by the children.
As I said in the newsletter at the start of the year, we will try our best to spread out charity events to make it easier for parents and families. We have also tried to be more aware of the fact that, whilst dressing up as a particular character or in a set theme can be great fun for the children, it can also be difficult (and expensive) for busy families to prepare for. With this in mind, for our final charity event of the year, Christmas Jumper Day on 16th December, please do not feel you have to buy your child a jumper to take part. Many children and staff often decorate an existing jumper with tinsel etc. which always adds a welcome bit of sparkle to the day.
Glue!
Well done to Mrs Hart who, after applying for a huge number of competitions on behalf of school, managed to win us a year’s supply of glue sticks. Thank you!
Hereema Fabrication Hartlepool
We would also like to say a huge thank you to Miss Bantleman and Hereema Fabrication Hartlepool. Miss Bantleman applied for a grant from Hereema Hartlepool to help fund the purchase of a defibrillator for the school community and we were delighted to be awarded £1000. Thank you very much.
Christmas Productions
Very well done to the children in Reception and Year 1 for their wonderful Nativity performances. It always amazes me how well the children behave and perform, even when all 120 children are working in such a small space. Thank you to all of the families who came to support. We look forward to seeing the Nursery performances next Wednesday.
Unfortunately, due to the size of our school it is simply not possible for all of the classes to perform for their parents at Christmas. However, throughout the course of the year each class will take part in a performance: Year 2 do a summer play, Year 3 do our Harvest Festival and the Big Sing, Years 4 and 5 do our Easter play, and Year 6 will have their leavers’ event. In addition, there are numerous opportunities for children to take part in musical, dance or gymnastic activities which involve a performance.In this way, a child going right the way through Fairfield Primary School will have many opportunities to enjoy sharing their moment in the limelight with their families.
CAMHS Courses for Parents
CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) have started running a series of courses for parents on a range of mental health issues which may affect their children (e.g. anxiety, self-harm, ASD, ADHD, attachment). The dates of the courses are displayed in the window by the Year 3 and 4 entrance; the office also has the dates and further details about the courses.
Christmas Parties
Christmas parties are always a lovely treat for the children. However, we have warned the children that these parties are very much a privilege and not an automatic right. If a child persists in making the wrong choices of behaviour, either before or during their party, we always reserve the right to provide them with an alternative activity. I am quite sure that we will not have to do this, but I am very keen that children should recognise their party as a treat and understand that poor behaviour will spoil these events for themselves as well as other children.
Welcome back Mrs Calvert!
Mrs Calvert returns next week to Year 2 after her maternity leave. She will be working alongside Mrs Martland for the final week of the term and then taking over from the start of January. On behalf of the school, and the children and their families, I would like to say a very big thank you to Mrs Martland for covering Mrs Calvert’s maternity leave – it is very much appreciated. From January, Mrs Martland will remain working part time with Year 2 on Thursdays and Fridays.
Carols around the Tree
Please do come to our informal Christmas celebration on Tuesday 13th (5:30 to 6:30). This is always a relaxed and friendly way to end the term and a very festive start to the holidays with refreshments, singing and our own brass band. We would love to see as many of you there as possible.
Yours sincerely,
Mr A Ruffell
Head Teacher