Dear Parent/Carers

Christmas Concerts
I’m sure you will agree with me that all the concerts this Christmas were just lovely.  I want to thank all our staff, children, PTA and governors for all their hard work and support this term.

Cake Stall and Christmas Hampers
The winning tickets for the Christmas hampers will be drawn at the cake stall on Thursday afternoon. 

If you are able to make cakes, biscuits or popcorn for us to sell, we would be most grateful.  Please bring your donations to the school office on Thursday morning. 

End Of Term Discos
These will be held on the last day of term, Friday, 17^th December in the school hall. Tickets are now on sale from the office from 8.45am to 9.05am and 3.00pm to 3.20pm. 

• Reception/Year 1/2 Disco  -  6.00pm to 7.15pm.
• Years 3, 4, 5 & 6 Disco  -  7.30pm to 9.00pm. 

Absence Letters
If your child is going to be off school, please remember to phone in and leave a message either on the answer machine or with someone in the office for each day they are off.  

Upon their return, please make sure your child has an absence note for the teacher which has the dates of the days they were off.  

If you do not send in an absence note to the teacher, it is recorded as an unauthorised absence. 

Non-Uniform Day
Friday will be non-uniform day.  It is a chance for your child to come dressed for Christmas! The 50p to come non-uniform will be donated to charity. 

Lost Property
This will be displayed Thursday after school while the cake stall is going on. Anything left will be disposed of.

Christmas Craft and Play Sessions
 Monday, 20^th – Thursday 23^rd December 10.00am to midday for ages 3 to 14

The Playstation will be holding a craft and play session for the special price of £5 per session.  All of the materials and refreshments will be provided. 

If you would like to book craft or play sessions, please phone Patsy on 07921-541-549 or 07980-950-964 (during club opening hours). 

Dates For January 2009 to July 2009

Spring Term Starts – Wednesday, 5^th January
Training Day  - Friday, 18^th February
February Half-Term  -  21^st – 25^th February
Spring Term Closes  -  Friday, 8^th April

Summer Term Starts  -  Wednesday, 27^th April
Bank Holiday – Friday, 29^th April
May Day  -  Monday, 2^nd May
May Half-Term  -  30^th May to 3^rd June
End of Summer Term  -  Friday, 22^nd July 

Finally, on behalf of the staff, governors and PTA I would like to thank everyone for their continued help and support.  I hope you have an enjoyable, peaceful Christmas and I wish you all the best for 2011.

Best wishes

Lin Whyte
Headteacher

Dear Parents and Carers

Children In Need -  Friday, 19th November
Thank you to all those who donated items for this very worthwhile cause. Congratulations to the following colouring competition winners: Joe Cundy, Amelia Gargiulo, Daisy Brumpton, Laura Sharplin, and Jasmine Dennis.

In total the children raised a wonderful £250!

Christmas Concerts

• Monday, 6th Dec – Year 1 and 2 in the main church at  6.00pm
• Tuesday, 7th Dec – Year 5 and 6 in the main church at 2.00pm & 6.30pm
• Thursday, 9th Dec – Year 3 and 4 in the school hall at 6.00pm
• Thursday, 9th Dec – Reception in the school hall at 2.00pm

Reminder
During the first three weeks of May children in all year groups [except reception and year 1] throughout England take assessment tests.  Year 2 and 6 children are also taking their national SATs tests.  Please note these dates down.

PTA
The office is now selling tickets for the Christmas hampers.  The cost is 50p for one strip of tickets or £1.00 for three strips of tickets.

Parent Mail
Does your child forget to bring letters home?  Do you like receiving information by email?

If you would like to receive letters and school information by email, let the school office know your email details and they will register you with Parentmail.  You can also go on the site yourself to read more: 

Dramawise
This performing arts school runs on Tuesday evenings at the school from 5.00pm to 7.00pm.  After Christmas a new class for 6 to 8 year olds will be starting.  To find out more information contact Frances on 01223 832288 or email frances.wyse@btinternet.com.

Memorial Garden
Last year our year 6 citizens, with a local landscape gardener, helped to develop the plans for the village memorial garden.  This garden will be built between the Parish Council office and the Octagon.

This Sunday, 28th November at 3.00pm, children and adults in the village will be putting on a fundraiser concert.  Entrance is free with donations at the end.  Do come along for a family afternoon of entertainment.

Best wishes

Lin Whyte
Headteacher

Friday, 19^th November was BBC Children In Need Day .

In support we  raised as much money during the day as possible. We held a  non-uniform theme (red/white or spots) with a 50p charge to come non-uniform. 

Our cake stall at break sold cakes, biscuits and popcorn.  All food items were 20p. Thank you to all those that sent in items for our cake sale.

We also held a Pudsy Bear colouring competition which cost 10p per entry.  All our entries were of a very high standard. Congratulations to our winners Joe Cundy, Amelia Gargiulo, Daisy Brumpton, Laura Sharplin and Jasmine Dennis.

In total we raised £250.00 for Children In Need!

Takeover Day is a national event offering children and young people across the country the chance to work alongside adults and get involved in decision-making in a wide range of organisations. Everyone can be part of it!

More details are available here.

The 11 Million Takeover Day event took place on Friday 12th November when we held an assembly to select two pupils from the Uppers to become Headteacher & Deputy Head for the day!

• All children in year 5 and 6  were sent a letter to apply to be the headteacher and deputy head for the day.
• A selection panel (three of our school governors)  chose the headteacher and deputy from 19 candidates during our special assembly (9.45am – 10.30am).
• The children  (Head and deputy) then took over the school for the day.

The standard of the candidates was exceptionally high and our governors had the very difficult task of picking a Headteacher and deputy. Our congratulations go to the successful candidates Hannah Sharplin (Headteacher) and James Bacon (Deputy Head).

Headteacher & Deputy
(Photo Cambridge News)

After a photo shoot with the Cambridge News (see article), Miss Sharplin and Mr Bacon quickly adapted to their new roles and spent the remainder of the day meeting the staff at coffee time in the staff room, checking the dinner with Kevin the Chef and dining at the headteachers table, walking around the school, meeting with the admin team, meeting with governors, meeting with the site manager, meeting with parents and dealing with children issues during the day.

Meanwhile our outgoing Headteacher Lin Whyte spent the remainder of the morning as a pupil in one of our uppers classes.

Takeover day was a very special and a very exciting day for all!

Dear Parents and Carers

Congratulations to Hannah Sharplin and James Bacon
Twenty of our Year 5 and 6 pupils wrote to Mrs Whyte to say why they would make a good headteacher for the day.  All of the applicants were excellent and it was a very hard decision, but the three governors, who made up the interviewing panel chose Hannah Sharplin to be headteacher for the day and James Bacon to be the deputy headteacher.  Congratulations to Ms Sharplin and Mr Bacon and to all the others who took part.

Children In Need – Next Friday, 19^th November
We will be supporting Children In Need and trying to raise as much money during the day as possible. The non-uniform them is red/white or spots.  It cost 50p to come non-uniform. 

There will be a cake stall at break and we would appreciate it if you could make cakes, biscuits, popcorn, etc.  All food items will be 20p. 

There will also be a Pudsy bear colouring competition which cost 10p.  Sheets are available from the school office from today and must be returned to there by next Friday morning to be entered into the competition. 

Christmas Concerts
Please note the change of day and venue for the middles concert.

• Monday, 6^th Dec: Year 1 and 2 in the main church at 6.00pm
• Tuesday, 7^th Dec: Year 5 and 6 in the main church at 2.00pm & 6.30pm
• Thursday, 9^th Dec:  Year 3 and 4 in the school hall at  6.00pm
• Thursday, 9^th Dec: Reception in the school hall at  2.00pm 

Nearly New/Table Top Sale – Saturday, 27^th Nov – 10.00am to 12 noon
Would you like to make a bit of extra cash before the Christmas holidays?  The PTA are having a Nearly New/Table Top Sale on Saturday, 27^th November.  The cost of reserving a pitch is £5.00 – forms available from office.

Christmas Hampers
Thank you for all the donations for the Christmas Hampers.  There are three hampers now made up and we are still taking donations to make up more.  Please bring your item to the school office. 

Relief Lunchtime Supervisors
We are looking for one or two people we could occasionally call on to supervise our children at lunch time to cover staff absence.  If you are interested in finding out more, do contact the school office to discuss.  It would be from approximately 12.10pm to 1.10pm.

Absence Letters
If your child is going to be off school, please remember to phone in and leave a message either on the answer machine or with someone in the office for each day they are off.  Upon their return, please make sure your child has an absence note for the teacher which has the dates of the days they were off.  If you do not send in an absence note to the teacher, it is recorded as an unauthorised absence. 

Office Closure: Friday Morning – 26^th November
Due to two courses and Year 5/6 celebration assembly taking place in the school, the office will be closed for general enquiries and payments.  

Yours sincerely

 

Dear Parents and Carers 

Camil’s Café
Thank you to all the families who supported our café yesterday.  Our Year 6 citizenship group raised £50.75.

Congratulations
Our reception children entered a county wide competition to name one of the county’s five new gritter machines. Congratulations to Thomas Wright who will have one of the gritters named after his idea – ‘Snowy Joey’! 

Thomas and his family will be invited with the other four winners to a photo shoot and a chance to ride in the gritter he named.  Well done Thomas! 

Year 6 – Final Reminder – Admission To Secondary School
This is to remind parents that they must fill in an application form to the County Admissions Department in order to ensure your child has a place for next September. Please can you note that your child does not automatically go to Swavesey Village College.  

It is essential that you personally fill in the admission form as it is not the school’s responsibility.  The closing date for applications is Sunday, 31^st October 2010. 

Nut Allergies
As requested in earlier newsletters, children having packed lunches cannot under any circumstances bring in any foods containing nuts, especially peanuts, as there are several children with nut allergies in school. Midday supervisors have informed me that some children have recently brought nuts and food-containing nuts into school e.g. peanut butter sandwiches, cereal bars etc. I have asked the midday supervisors to remove any nut-containing items which can be collected by parents at the end of the school day from the school office. 

Thank you for your cooperation in this. 

School Photos
Please send any orders back to your child’s class by Wednesday 3^rd November at the latest please.

Christmas Concerts

• Year 1 and 2: Monday, 6^th Dec in the church  at  6.00pm
• Year 5 and 6: Tuesday, 7^th Dec  in the church at  2.00pm & 6.30pm
• Year 3 and 4:  Wednesday, 8^th Dec in the church at  6.30pm
• Reception:  Thursday, 9^th Dec in the school hall at  2.00pm 

Relief Lunchtime Supervisors
We are looking for one or two people we could occasionally call on to supervise our children at lunch time to cover staff absence.  If you are interested in finding out more, do contact the school office to discuss.  It would be from approximately 12.10pm to 1.10pm. 

Dust Off Your Bike
Wednesday, 27^th October – 10.00am to 4.00pm.
School Playground and Hall. Free bicycle repairs, maintenance workshops and children’s activities.

Operation Christmas Child – Send A Shoebox!
As well as this newsletter your child will be bringing home a leaflet from Operation Christmas Child. 

Each year more and more of our children are filling shoe boxes for children who will have no Christmas presents otherwise.  These boxes go all over the world to those children most in need.  Last year we sent 54 boxes from our children!  If you need any spare leaflets, let us know.  Boxes back to the office by Monday, 8^th Nov.

Best wishes

Lin Whyte
Headteacher

Bar Hill School PTA Presents

Pop Quiz

Once again it’s time for our ever popular Pop Quiz!

Make sure that your team gets its entry form in ASAP to ensure a place. Teams of up to 8 people (sorry no under 18’s) £8.00 per person includes a Jacket Potato with a choice of toppings. Further details can be found on the entry form which is available from the school office.

Licenced Bar

Our Year 6 Citizenship group will be holding a Camill’s Café in the main hall after school. Please come along for a cup of tea and a cake. There will be a second hand toy and book stall.

Dear Parents and Carers

Harvest Festival
All grandparents and senior citizens are warmly invited to attend our Harvest Celebration with our Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children.

It will be held on Thursday, 14thOctober at 10.00am in the school hall followed by tea and cakes for them in the studio.

All our children will be collecting food items for the Cambridge Food Bank.  They distribute food that has been collected to:  elderly people, people with learning difficulties and disabilities, homeless shelters and women and children in refuge centres. 

Types of food that can be effectively distributed include tinned and packet foods, sugar, tea, coffee, pasta, rice and cereals.  Thank you for your support. 

Also, any flowers you can donate will be given as a posy to any grandparent or senior citizen who comes to the assembly.

PTA News
School Fun Day – The School PTA would like to thank all of those families, children and teachers who supported our Fun Day, we managed to raise about £600.  Look out for our next newsletter to find out how it has been spent.  A huge thank you also goes out to the parents and relatives who kindly gave up some of their time to help us man the stalls, without you it would not have been possible. 

PTA Meeting – Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday 19th October in the staff room, all welcome.
 
FORTHCOMING EVENTS – There will be a cake stall on Friday 15th October and we will once again be holding the ever popular Pop Quiz on Saturday 6th November.  Look out in book bags for further details for both events.

Sickness
Just a reminder that if your child has had sickness or diarrhoea they must be off school for at least 24 hours from when they were last ill.

Year 6 Admission To Secondary School
This is to remind parent’s that they must fill in an application form to the County Admissions Department in order to ensure your child has a place for next September.

Please can you note that your child does not automatically go to Swavesey Village College. 

It is essential that you personally fill in the admission form as it is not the school’s responsibility.  The closing date for applications is Sunday, 31st October 2010.

Relief Lunchtime Supervisors
We are looking for one or two people we could occasionally call on to supervise our children at lunch time to cover staff absence.  If you are interested in finding out more, do contact the school office to discuss.  It would be from approximately 12.10pm to 1.10pm.

Year 6 – Camil’s Cafe
On Thursday, 21st October our Year 6 Citizenship group will be holding a Camil’s Café in the main hall after school. Come along for a cup of tea and a cake.  There will be a second hand toy and book stall.

The Play Station – Bar Hill Out of School Club
We are holding our popular craft sessions during October half term for the special price of £5 per session, all of the materials and refreshments are provided.  They are for children aged 3-14 and are from 10am to Midday.  There will be various crafts such as paper mache, glass painting, modeling with assorted materials, painting different textures, collage, making mobiles and much, much more, something to suit everyone.

To book craft sessions or find out more information on any of our childcare or to arrange a visit please call Patsie on 07921-541-549.

Yours sincerely

Lin Whyte
Headteacher