| Newsletter July 2010 Dear Parents This term, once again, I write to you on a cooler day. Temperatures soared two weeks ago; we even had to ban football at break time, it was so hot. Fortunately the weather has actually been pretty good this summer and we have been able to take full advantage of the new sports curriculum. The swimming pool has never been used so much. Thanks to all who braved the gales on Speech Day. The marquee held firm and my guest thoroughly enjoyed talking to your children. Thank you for making him so welcome. I do not wish to repeat everything that I said on Speech Day and Prize Giving but I do congratulate our Year 6 on their achievements this year. Their results in the Kent Tests were good, their results in the Key Stage Two tests this term were pleasing, and the Year 6 Play over these last few days was again original and entertaining. The School Choir this year has again been very good. The Rounders team was terrific and the school cricket team played with enthusiasm and style. Finally, most of the time, they are a lot of fun! We wish Year 6 and other leavers well at their next schools. Sport at St Faith’s at Ash As you know, we have developed our sport here considerably over the last year. We now have boys and girls playing summer sports alongside each other; this term the sports for the children were Rounders, Cricket, Athletics, Tennis and Swimming, the emphasis again has been on participation for all. Autumn Term Diary Enclosed is the Autumn Term Diary. Please make a note of the special occasions: START OF TERM: Wednesday September 8th Year Group Introduction Meetings 6.30pm: MONDAY 20th Sept. TUESDAY 21st Sept. WEDNESDAY 22nd Sept. THURSDAY 23rd Sept. Harvest Festival: FRIDAY 1st October Friends Bonfire Night Party: SATURDAY 6th November. Harvest Festival Once again we shall hold our Harvest Festival in the autumn. As usual, we would like to help the Salvation Army in their work. We ask every child to bring in tins of food, which we put on the stage in Cowell Hall before our Harvest Festival. We then invite a member of the Salvation Army to come over and to speak to the children in Assembly. Our guest then takes the tins back and they help the Salvation Army to raise money and to feed the homeless and the refugees over the winter. Your offerings are very important. More details next term. Friends Bonfire Night: Saturday November 6th 2010. As you know, I have burnt most of the school over the last few years, building a succession of terrific bonfires for Bonfire Night. I am now running out of wood!! If you have old pallets, a garden shed, old wooden furniture (but no upholstery please) doors, fence posts and so on, please may we have them? If you can, please deliver them to the far corner of the field, where I keep the pile of wood. Many thanks indeed. Uniform – Start of Term Our School Uniform Suppliers, Forster’s will be in School on Monday 6th September, 10am-4pm. Our Second-hand clothing shop will be open on the same day from 10am–1pm. Second Hand Clothing: Should you wish us to sell your outgrown uniform, please ensure that, when you bring it in to us, all items are clean and in good repair. We simply do not have the space to accept items with holes in them. Please also make sure that all items are labelled so that, once sold, money from the sale can be sent to you. Uniform: Girls Winter Uniform Girls Polo Neck Jumpers: Our suppliers are no longer able to obtain suitable stocks of the girls purple polo neck jumpers. We have therefore decided to phase out the purple in favour of white. If your daughter still has purple polo neck jumpers, she may of course continue to wear these, but new purchase should now be white. Forsters will have a good stock in all sizes. Please not that this polo neck jumper is to be worn under the blouse in cold weather: it should not be worn on its own as an alternative. Term Dates We do try to let you know all dates at least five terms in advance. Our school holidays are generous and published well in advance and, while we do appreciate that there are times when holidays cannot take place in school holiday time, we do urge you to do your utmost to plan your own holidays to coincide with ours. It is not always possible for children who have missed work by being on holiday in term-time to catch up with work missed because, by then, the class will have moved on to another topic. In addition, worksheets are really not appropriate for a great deal of what we do in class. Children on holiday in school time also miss group activities, outings and rehearsals and indeed they sometimes feel that they have let their friends down when they have missed important events. In the past some children have even missed the honour and the satisfaction of receiving their awards and prizes at Prize Giving. Clubs: Starting Dates. All starting dates for Clubs are on the website and in the calendar. Nick Harrington is unable to teach drumming next term, and he cannot supply another drum teacher. Kate Griffin from All Sorts of Music has kindly agreed to assist us with drumming in the Autumn Term and should you wish your child to continue or start drumming in September, please could you contact All Sorts of Music immediately on 07974 090536. After School Collection. Please would you tell your child’s class teacher in the morning or by telephone to the School Office if somebody other than you is collecting your child at the end of the day. There have been occasions when adults, whom the teacher has not met previously, have arrived to collect a child. This does put the teacher in a difficult position. Please make sure that we know who is due to collect a child if it is not you. Thank you. After School Care We now offer after-school care to nursery and reception children until 5.15 pm or so. These youngest children are looked after by Nursery staff in the lower Nursery. Please could parents of children in Upper Nursery, Reception and Year 1 try to collect their children promptly at 3.15 pm. We do run a Playroom from 3.15 – 4 pm, but pressure of space both in the car park and in classrooms is such that it would be jolly helpful if you are able to collect your children at 3.15 pm when school ends. Obviously in emergencies we will look after your child. Thank you for your understanding in this matter. If your child cannot be collected by 4.10 pm, please send them in with 50p so that they can buy a drink and something to eat. They will then be taken to the Late Room from where they can be collected later. Thank you. Next Term’s Topics Next term the Upper School will be studying the following topics. You can help through visits or by borrowing relevant books. Year 3: History: Ancient Egyptians. Geography: Maps and Plans. Science: Autumn; Light & Shadows, Magnets and Springs Year 4: History: Invaders – Anglo-Saxons. Science: Moving and Growing, Circuits and Conductors. Geography: A Village in India. Year 5: History: The Tudors: Science: Sound, Forces, Healthy Eating, Change of State, Earth, Sun and Moon, Plants and Reproduction Geography: UK – Coastlines, Water around us. Contrasting locality (Faversham) Year 6: Science: Animals, Ecosystems and Humans. History: Victorians. Geography: World Countries and their capital cities. Recommended: Philips Modern School Atlas. Required: A good Dictionary and a Thesaurus. SATs Results As usual, I enclose details of the excellent performance by our Year 6 children in the recent Tests. (We do not include the results of children with Special Educational Needs.) RESULTS OF THE 2010 NATIONAL CURRICULUM ASSESSMENTS SUMMARY OF KEY STAGE 2 TEST RESULTS FOR THE SCHOOL (2010) AND NATIONALLY AND KENT (2009) (for age 11 at the end of Year 6) % Pupils achieving Level 4 or above National Kent St. Faith’s English 80 78 100 Mathematics 79 75 90 % Pupils achieving Level 5 National Kent St. Faith’s English 29 28 38 Mathematics 35 33 38 The St. Faith’s Level 5 results are pleasing; we are not a selective school, yet every year many of our children exceed expectations. Holiday Work We suggest the following: a. Your children should continue regular reading. Also, please can you read to your children? b. Please encourage your children to get on with their holiday work. Do not leave it until the last minute! c. Please consider visiting the local Castles, Museums, Parks, Zoos, Beaches and other attractions in Kent. With luck, you never know, the good weather fairy may appear, we might have some glorious weather, so visits should be fun! d. French Classroom Once again, may I appeal to any of you who are going to France over the summer to be kind enough to buy and donate to us any particularly good postcards or posters or any other picture or whatever that is particularly French and which would enhance this classroom? Posters or pictures of Chateaux, the Alps or the Massif Central, various gorges such as the Gorge du Tarn or the Gorge du Verdon, Paris, cheese; all sorts of items really would be extremely welcome. Merci. Violin Lessons Mrs Morgan, who teaches violin at St Faith’s at Ash, tells me that she has vacancies for violin pupils next term. Her Year 6 pupils have done very well in the past, one in particular achieving very high marks in the Grade 1 exam. If you would like your son or daughter to start learning to play the violin, please ring the School office and we will put you in touch with Mrs Morgan. Mrs Morgan has a number of violins available to hire out. School Fees Please may I remind you that if you wish to avoid the queue in the School Office and beat the rush at the start of the term, you may post your cheque to the school. Alternatively, if you are passing the school, you may post it through the letterbox of the main house, Number 5, The Street. We will then process your cheque and send you the receipt. Many thanks. Catering Staff: We are looking for a second school chef for September. Hours 8 am to 2 pm. Should anyone know of a suitably qualified candidate, please would you be kind enough to give Mrs Kerruish details, via the school office or by letter direct to her. Many thanks. Friends of St Faith’s at Ash I thanked the Friends of St Faith’s at Ash in detail at Speech Day. We are most grateful for everything that they have done for children here. Next term is Bonfire Night! Do not Forget!!! Friends of St Faith’s 100 Club. If you have not yet done so, may I urge you to join the 100 Club. Not only will the Friends benefit, but also you could win a prize! Remember, the more of you who join up, the greater the prize!! Finally, may we wish you a peaceful and enjoyable Summer Holiday. Best wishes from us both. Stephen and Cathy Kerruish |
| CONTACT US 01304 813409 |
