July 2012 Newsletter

2/7/12

Dear Parents, Carers and Friends,

Welcome to the last newsletter of the school year and what a year it has been.

Thank you to all who visited our school last week during Health Week. Your responses were hugely positive and it was obviously good fun for the children who were getting fitter before our very eyes!! The great successes were the Zumba and Bhangra dancing.

Running alongside all the healthy activities was an artist in residence who worked with every child in the school to make 3 beautiful mosaics. One was to celebrate the Jubilee, one to celebrate all that is wonderful about Somerset and one to welcome everyone to our school. Over the next week or so Kingsley and Nigel will be hanging them for everyone to see. How wonderful to think that a little bit of your child will live on in our school for a long time.

Our school choir also had the first of their rehearsals with The Drifters this week. For those of you who aren't aware, our school choir were picked from all the schools that performed at the Music Spectacular to perform with the Drifters in their Christmas concert at Westlands in November. What an achievement for the children and their wonderful teacher Dawn Stringer. We are very proud of them all and would urge you to buy your tickets to go. What a way to kick start the Christmas festivities.

A special well done goes to Casey Sparks and Georgina Sandy who won the Flying Colours appeal drawing competition at the Jubilee Country Fayre. Their wonderful pictures are on display in the Women's hospital. How fantastic are they.

Some dates for your diary:

Reports will go out during the course of this week.

Friday 6th July

56 children and 8 staff will be travelling to Millfield School in Street for the Somerset Sports. They will leave school at 8.30 and return at 5pm. There was an error in some letters with the incorrect date. It obviously meant July and not March. Thank you to all of those who didn't make a fuss about it but used their common sense.

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Monday 9th July

Most of Year 4 and four staff will make their way to Kilve Court for their residential visit. We know they will have a marvellous time. The remaining eight Year 4's and all of the Year 3's will be taught by Mr Reid and Miss Coates.

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Wednesday 11th July

They return from Kilve.

10 Year 6 pupils will be sports leaders for Pen Mill sports day.

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Thursday 12th July

20 Year 3 children will visit Reckleford for a question and answer session with September's new intake.

6.30pm Our Year 6 Talent show. Do come if you would like to.

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Friday 13th July

Sports day at Fiveways, weather permitting. Same arrangements as in the last newsletter.

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Tuesday 17th July

The Lower School will be going to Weymouth to conclude their studies on a seaside town. A separate letter will follow.

The choir will be singing at Sunningdale Lodge.

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Wednesday 18th July

Year 6 trip to Crealy. A separate letter to follow.

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Thursday 19th July

Year 6 Leavers service in St Michael's church. 2pm for parents of Year 6's only please.

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Friday 20th July

Year 6 will have a skateboard session in school.

We break up today and return to school on Thursday 6th September.

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School will be open on Wednesday 5th September between 12 noon and 14:30 for parents of new pupils who would like to purchase uniform.

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We have some interesting weeks ahead and certainly some very busy ones and we hope that you come into school and spend as much time as you can with us enjoying the activities.

Attached to this newsletter is a questionnaire which I would like you to look at and complete and return to the office by Friday 13th July at the latest.

This week I am happy to report that we received our Academy order which means that if we are all in agreement after further extensive consultation, we have received permission to convert. Obviously we are some way off of that but time will roll on and we need to make sure that we have all thought through the process carefully.

After some consultation with Governors an idea was muted that perhaps this is a time when we could look at a slightly different angle for our school and that could begin with a new name. As we have close links with the church an idea is St Michael's Academy and we would like your thoughts on this. It would not mean a new uniform as if we keep Grass Royal as our name we would gradually phase in our new Grass Royal Academy uniform consisting of a sweatshirt. I would encourage you to think carefully about this please and let us know your thoughts by completing and returning the questionnaire promptly.

And finally, I would like to inform you that Mr Gary Turner will be ending his term of office as Chair of Governors at the end of term. He has been a tremendous Chair for the last two terms and has worked tirelessly alongside me to improve the school beyond all recognition. He has been kind, supportive and shown great integrity.

Thank you Gary, on behalf of all of us. Also I would like to take this opportunity to thank Alan Chinn who also will be ending his many years as a governor of our school. Again he has been tremendous, giving of his time and energy and keeping the children central to all he has done. Thank you Alan. They are both going on to do exciting things I am sure.

It only leaves me to thank, on your behalf all of the staff who have worked like Trojans again this year to provide high quality learning opportunities for all our children, to all of you who as always are such a pleasure to work with, to our governors who work alongside me keeping me on the straight and narrow, but mostly a huge thank you to the wonderful children of Grass Royal who make our school the joyful place it is.

Have a wonderful holiday everyone and I look forward to seeing you all in September.

Judith.

Posted: Monday, July 9, 2012