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COMBE C.E. PRIMARY SCHOOL

H e a d T e a c h e r M r s W F o s t e r

C h u r c h W a l k , C o m b e , O x o n O X 2 9 8 N Q T e l : 0 1 9 9 3 8 9 1 6 4 4 F a x : 0 1 9 9 3 8 9 1 9 2 0 M o b i l e : 0 7 9 8 3 2 0 9 1 0 6

E m a i l : o f f i c e . 3 1 4 2 @ c o m b e . o x o n . s c h . u k h e a d . 3 1 4 2 @ c o m b e . o x o n . s c h . u k W e b s i t e : w w w . c o m b e . o x o n . s c h . u k

3rd September 2009 Newsletter 1 Dear Parents Welcome: A very warm welcome back to school to you and your children, and if you are starting with us for the first time, a very friendly welcome to Combe C of E Primary School. I hope you have had an enjoyable summer, and managed to refresh and recharge your energies in preparation for a very exciting and productive year ahead. I am sincerely hoping, as I am sure we all are, for some late summery weather so we can stroll gently into Autumn, rather than have it thrust upon us so soon! New Additions: You will no doubt have met our two new junior school teachers, Mr Nick Brown and Mr Nick Dawson (Mr B and Mr D ); if not, then please come and introduce yourselves and say hello. I am keen for parents to come into all classes at the beginning or end of the day, to meet with teachers and to see the work in progress so far. You are all very welcome inside the classrooms before and after school; I ask that you leave by 8.55am and just to be aware that teachers also run clubs after school on some days, so may need to prepare for these. I am delighted that Mrs Jan Page returns after her maternity leave, making the Combe team complete for the first time! Mrs Page will be teaching in Mrs Gehin’s and Mrs Pascoe’s classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I would like to introduce you to Becky Tyrrell who is our new school dinners cook! Our kitchen is in full working order, so we will be cooking lunches on site from now on. Becky will be under supervision and guidance from Food With Thought, our school lunch provider, for the next couple of weeks and I know she is very keen and eager to start cooking! If you would like your child to start or to try school lunches, it is not too late, just see Pippa in the office and choose your selection. (Lunches are now £2.00 per meal) Renovation Work: We have been very busy over the summer break renovating the main junior school. I am hugely grateful to the ‘team’ who worked so hard in order to achieve the fantastic looking school we now have. My enormous thanks go to Jane Miller, Pippa, Sharon Williams and of course to Gary Hitchens who kept us going under his expert eye, as well as a little entertained throughout the long project. I hope you will come and appreciate the newly decorated site. We have replaced the old rotten large window at the end of Classroom 3 and 4, we have repainted the whole of the downstairs: classrooms,




corridors, entrance lobby, staff/visitors toilet and of course the children’s toilets. We have also painted the outside of the main school, taken out old sink units, added a classroom partition, added extra carpet areas, added new benching into cloakrooms, and generally smartened up the place. We still have a little more to do, but the end result is absolutely fantastic, so thank you again to everyone who contributed to the task. I know the children and all of the staff will really appreciate and notice such a vast difference. Music Lessons: I mentioned at the end of term about private music lessons with our music specialist Tom James. If you would like your child to learn one of the following instruments, and/or have singing lessons then please let Pippa or I know as soon as you can. Lessons are £150 per term, and each lesson is 30 minutes. Lessons include music theory where appropriate. Tom is offering tuition in guitar, bass guitar, piano, saxophone, clarinet, vocals and music theory. Guitar club will continue as last term, so again please could you let us know if your child would like to continue with or begin guitar lessons. After School Clubs: Please see the attached list of clubs on offer for this term. Some clubs do have a number limit, so please return the forms as soon as possible. Clubs begin week commencing Mon 7th September. Creative Learning Activities: On Friday afternoons from 2.00-2.50pm all children will be taking part in a variety of creative learning activities. I am keen to promote a broad, diverse and exciting curriculum and timetable, and this seems an appropriate way to end the week. This term we will be offering the following activities, and I will divide the classes up so children have the opportunity to work with a variety of ages and stages during these afternoon sessions. We will rotate the groups around the activities at the beginning of each term, so by the end of the year all children have experienced a wide variety of exciting learning activities. If you would like to offer an activity on a Friday afternoon, please do come and speak with me. The more activities, the greater and wider the experiences. From next week we will offer the following: History of Art Italian Seasonal Art Cartoon Drawing Outdoor Skills (cubs, scouting) Gymnastics Meet the Teachers: On Friday 4th September, each class teacher will be holding a parents’ information session in their classroom. The purpose of this brief meeting is for teachers to explain to you how they are going to be running their classrooms and timetables this term, what homework you can expect, and what topics and special activities




will be happening. This also gives you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have so you can work with each teacher on projects, topics, expectations and standards. Mrs Gehin: 3.10pm Mrs Pascoe: 3.25pm Mr Dawson: 3.40pm Mr Brown: 3.50pm Mrs Foster will be available to meet parents throughout and after the sessions. PE/Games Kit/Swimming/Footwear: Please bring all PE/Games kit to school in a suitable bag on Mondays and take home for washing on Fridays. Swimming will be for Years 5 and 6 this term and will be on Thursdays as last term. I am happy for children to wear goggles, please be aware that you as parents take responsibility if you wish your child to wear goggles. It may be a sensible idea to have a pair of shoes for indoors, rather than for outdoors. Last year the mud in school was particularly bad and a way round this would be to wear outdoor shoes to and from school and at playtimes, and to have another pair for classroom use. I am happy if younger (or older) children wish to wear plimsolls in the classrooms. This would help to keep the interior cleaner. Voluntary Contributions / Swimming: Once again we are asking for voluntary contributions to enable us to enrich your child’s education with visits, workshops, etc. These are still £12 per child per term (£72 per academic year), payment cards are available from the school office if you would like a record of payments made. Pupils in Years 3,4,5,6 swim at the Windrush Leisure Centre in Witney during the year and we ask for contributions towards transport costs of £7 per term they swim (£21 per academic year). Part Time Vacancy: We have a vacancy for a General Kitchen Assistant in the school’s kitchen for approximately 10 hours per week at £6.55 per hour. If you are interested please call Chris Drinkwater on 07768057228. Collection and Drop Off: You are welcome to bring your child into school in the mornings and to collect them from well inside the school gates and grounds. I am aware that the small area outside the school gate can get very congested and children, parents, dogs and buggies often overspill onto the road. Please come right up the driveways or use the tarmac area by the old pond. I have a request too; please can you make sure children are not climbing on the railings, walls, gardens etc of neighbouring properties. Residents have been very accommodating, but would appreciate respect for their homes and properties.




I am aware that there is quite a lot of information at the beginning of a new academic year, so please don’t hesitate to ask if you are unsure of anything. Email: [email protected] [email protected] Thank you. Yours sincerely, Wendy Foster

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