THURLBEAR CE VA PRIMARY SCHOOL

TAUNTON

SOMERSET

TA3 5BW

Mrs Heather Barraclough BA(Ed) Hons; MAEd Headteacher

Tel: 01823 442277Email:

Fax: 01823 444087 Website:

Twitter: @thurlbearschool

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11 January 2013

Dear Parents

Happy New Year! The holidays do seem a long time ago now but I hope you all had a lovely time with your children and families. It certainly was a nice long break! The Spring term has started in earnest. I’m sure the children will be telling you all abouttheir topics over the next few weeks. Further information regarding individual classes and their learning this term can be found in the curriculum newsletters.

Paul Cookson

Children and staff enjoyed a poetry filled day with the poet Paul Cookson who came into school to share his poetry. He was also able to spend time with each class and create poetry as a group. The whole school then celebrated the children’s poetry in a final assembly at the end of the day. If you would like to find out more about Paul’s poetry then you can go on his website and find out more!

New School Website

As stated in our previous newsletter our new school website has gone ‘live’. It is still being developed and worked on and will be gradually added to over the next few months. You will now be able to access the weekly school newsletter and other relevant information - please take a look. .Do also remember that the school now has a Twitter account @thurlbearschool

School Clubs

Clubs running during the Spring Term will start the week commencing the 14 January 2013. Information regarding clubs went out yesterday. Please could children return their reply slips directly to the member of staff running the club. Tag rugby slips need to be returned to Mr Gillan. Many thanks. You will have noticed that some days of clubs have changed this term. This is due to a large number of clubs requiring access to the school hall. We do our best to accommodate as many as possible but understandably we are limited to hall space and a lot of our outside clubs rely on the weather being kind to us. Many thanks for your understanding in this.

Start of the School Day

Thank you for making sure your child is in school by 9.00am. It is so important that they are able to startthe school day with the rest of their class. May I remindyou that children should not be left unattendedon the school premises before 8.45am as we cannotbe held responsible for them before this time. Many thanks for your continued support in this.

PTA Meeting

The PTA will be holding their next meeting on Wednesday 16th January, at 7.00pm at the Half Moon Inn, Stoke St Mary. They will be discussing up and coming events including our next school disco and Easter fundraising activities.

Hot Dinners and Nuts!

If your child is absent from school and has booked a hot school meal, please remember to contact the school before 9.30am in order for us to cancel the meal. Failure to do so will mean you will still incur the cost for the lunch as the school is still charged. Just a reminder, please could you not include items with nuts in your own children’s packed lunches, (lots of chocolate spreads contain nuts). Thank you for your continued support with this.

Mrs Barraclough’s Commissioning Service

As you are already aware we will be holding a special service at Stoke St Mary Church on Sunday 27 January at 10am in order to celebrate Heather Barraclough’s first year as Headteacher of Thurlbear C of E VA Primary School. This is a wonderful opportunity for teachers, governors, school families and members of the local community to come together and give thanks to God for the life of this school and celebrate all that has been achieved, particularly over the past year. Mike Tedstone, one of the Diocesan schools’ advisers, will be with us and taking part in the service together with our youth worker, Cheryl Govier.

We would like the children to take part in this special service. We would like the school choir to sing during the service and are also asking for any other children who would like to take part in preparing something for this special service, to please fill in the attached slip to this newsletter and return to Ms Mountford as soon as possible so that we can begin to plan for their input into this service. Many thanks.

Nativity Performance Collections

The retiring collections at the Nativity Services and Performances in school amounted to £217, which will be distributed: £75 each to The Children's Society and C.L.I.C; £67 to Key Stage 1. The Key Stage 2 Carol Service at St Peter's Church, Staple Fitzpaine, raised £54-17, donated to the church's special project. Many thanks for your generosity!

Worship

Sunday week, 20thJanuary, Sunday Gang and Parish Communion at St Andrew's Hall and Church, 9.50 for 10.00am; Sunday 27th January, Welcome Service for Mrs Heather Barraclough, Headteacher, at St Mary's Church, Stoke St Mary, 10.00am.

Maths Puzzles of the Week

Mrs Heather Barraclough

Headteacher

Dates

January

11Dress Down Friday

16PTA meeting, 7.00pm, Half Moon Inn Stoke St Mary

25Headteacher’s Coffee Morning

27Mrs Barraclough’s Commissioning Service at St Mary’s Church, Stoke St Mary 10am – all welcome

February

1Dress Down Friday (in aid of THINK AMY and STAND AGAINST VIOLENCE campaigns)

8INSET Day

26Visiting Theatre Company in school

March

1Dress Down Friday

8Headteacher’s Coffee Morning

12 and 14Parent Consultation Evenings

252pm Y3/4 Production

266.30pm Y3/4 Production

289.15am Easter Bonnet parade (FS and KS1)

2pm KS2 Easter Service

April

26Headteacher’s Coffee Morning

May

3Dress Down Friday

10Headteacher’s Coffee Morning

13 – 17KS2 SATs Week

June

3INSET Day

7Dress Down Friday

15Wells Country Dancing Festival

21Sports Day

28Headteacher’s Coffee Morning

July

2/3Bishop Fox’s Induction Days

3Changeover morning

5Dress Down Friday

12Reports out to parents

186.30pm Y6 production

239.15am Year 6 Leavers’ Service

Commissioning Service – Sunday 27 January 2013

My child ______in Class ______would like to take part in the Commissioning Service on Sunday 27 January 2013.

*They are in the Choir

*They would like to take part in some other way

Signed ______

*Please delete as appropriate

Working together to make Thurlbear the best possible place to learn, develop and achieve