Your Weekly Newsletter from the Head Teacher Thursday 26 th May 2016

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1 Your Weekly Newsletter from the Head Teacher Thursday 26 th May 2016 Dear Parents, Carers, Children and Friends of West Jesmond, As this half-term draws to a close, it is always a good time to reflect on our achievements. It has been such a busy term with the national tests in Year 2 and Year 6, planning for our future as a National Teaching School, staff training, Governor meetings including external monitoring of our performance and interviewing for new staff. I am delighted to be able to inform parents that our new Director of Music will be Mrs Karen Wigham. Mrs Wigham is a professionally trained musician (a classical and folk violinist and pianist trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama). She will start work with us in September, working Wednesday, Thursday and Friday each week and running a whole host of new musical opportunities for the children across the entire school. On top of this, our curriculum work for the children has been packed with visits to the Great North Museum, visiting companies and expert workshops and of course our whole school ECO GREEN day tomorrow. I look forward to seeing our school transformed into a sea of green. The ECO house homework projects are just absolutely stunning this year and show the depth of creativity and subject knowledge our children have. YEAR 6 SCIENCE TESTS Every year, the Department for Education selects a number of schools to take part in the national Science sample tests. These are designed to give an overview of science education in England. We are very lucky to have been chosen by the government to take part and they have selected 10 children to do the tests this year from our Year 6 cohort. We will be working with the children and ensuring they get something special for their efforts. The tests are delivered by a lady called Cynthia who is travelling from Scotland to our school, for the day on Wednesday 8 th June. INSET DAY: A note for your diary The final teacher training day of the Year is Friday 24 th June School will be closed on this day. This is a joint training day and the whole staff of West Jesmond and Hotspur will be working together on a range of new learning techniques and materials including Maths, English, Science, Music and Dance.

2 FRIENDS of WESTJESMOND UPDATE Cups of Loveliness Thank you to all parents who returned the plastic cups to school filled with goodies to sell at The Jesmond Community Festival. We raised a fantastic 166 on the day. We still have lots left over and will be selling these after school on Fridays after half term until they ve run out. If anyone is able to help out with these sweet-cup sales, please let us know! The class cakes sales have now finished for the year and we will reveal the winning class in due course. Huge thanks to Sal Hulse, Abby Rizvi and all the volunteers who have helped with setting up and selling cakes over the months. Summer Party Fundraiser 2016 tickets now available Last years Summer Party was a great success and we re sure that you will love what s planned for this year just as much. The Party will take place at Summerhill Bowling Club (NE4 6EH) from 7.30 pm to pm and the tickets cost 15 each. There will be entertainment, dancing, lawn games and a raffle, as well as a pay bar and food. Dress code: Garden Party Chic as interpreted by you! A HUGE thank you to the very generous Bailey & Co, who have agreed to sponsor the Summer Party again. Please note that the Summer Party is an evening event for adults only. How to buy tickets As the school office is now cashless, these are your options for buying tickets: BACS You can pay by BACS to the Friends of West Jesmond account Sort code: Account no: Important! Tickets will be delivered via your child so you must state their name and class when making payment. The lead name of your party will be added to our guest list along with number of tickets purchased. Please allow a few days for delivery. Any questions please contact info@friendsofwestjesmond.co.uk Cash or cheque If you d prefer to pay by cash or cheque, tickets will be available at the school gates on the following dates: Friday 10 th, 17th and Thursday 23rd June Early-bird special! Tickets purchased before Friday 17th June will be entered into a prize draw! Quiz Brilliance Last Friday s Quiz Night was a huge success. We had a great turn-out with nine teams battling for victory, including one made up of nine of the school s teachers. They made it to a respectable

3 second place but were pipped to the post by the unstoppable Let s Get Quizzical (despite Mr Jones s impressive memory for the artist behind Here Comes the Hot Stepper!). The food by Layla s Kitchen ( /?fref=ts) was delicious there were plenty of people heading up for seconds and thirds. The next quiz night will be in the autumn term so get your Wikipedia-reading started now! Royal Picnic On Friday 10 th June the Friends are providing a picnic for the children to help in the celebrations for the Queen s birthday. We are in need of volunteers to distribute the picnic items that morning it will take about an hour from 8.45am. If you are able to help we would love to hear from you please info@friendsofwestjesmond.co.uk or text THANK YOU! Please note that the Royal British Legion in Jesmond are hosting a Queen s birthday street party on Sunday 12 th June. Please look out for further information if you are in the area. Also, why not visit our school exhibition at St George s on 11 th & 12 th June(see poster attached to the Parent Mail) Young Achievers Remember every child in our school is a young achiever but it is nice to get a special mention for extra hard effort and achievement. Seb Y2W Red House Farm Football trophy Mujtaba Y4A Level 1 Kumon Maths William Y3MO Gosforth under 8 Football Trophy 2016 Samantha R1 Stage 2 swimming certificate Harry Y6M Red House Farm Managers Player award Fran Y6M Red House Farm Players player award Finlay Y6S Red House Farm football merit award James Y6S Red House Farm football most improved player award Ella Y6M Mr Cook s Runner of the Week Please remember it is our half-term break next week. School will be closed all week. The children start back on Monday 6 th June at 8.45 am as usual. With my very Best Wishes to you all for another very successful week and year ahead at West Jesmond. Gary Wallis-Clarke

4 THE WEEK AHEAD 6 th June th June 2016 MONDAY Y5 visit our Tuck Shop at break time under the undercroft Y4 Library visit 10.30am, 11.15am & 1.15pm French Club for Reception children at lunchtime Jesus and Me at lunchtime Y2 Tennis coaching pm Y6 Netball Club 3.30pm 4.30pm Code Club Y6 3.30pm 4.30pm Dance Club 3.30pm 4.30pm TUESDAY Y3 & Y4 Fencing Club 8.00am 8.45am Y4 visit to Great North Museum 9.00am 3.00pm Y6 visit our Tuck Shop at break time under the undercroft Y2J & Y2W visit Pizza Express French Club for Reception & Y1 at lunchtime Chimney Sweep Y1 & Y2 at lunchtime Knitting Club Y5 & Y6 at lunchtime Running Club 3.30pm 4.30pm Ballet 3.30pm 4.30pm Y5 & Y6 Rugby Club 3.30pm 4.30pm THURSDAY Y4 visit to Wooler all day Y3 visit our Tuck Shop at break time under the undercroft Y2C visit Pizza Express Radio Club at lunchtime Chimney Sweep at lunchtime for Y3,4,5 & 6 Y4S &Y6S Swimming this term after lunch Y4S start swimming next week w/c 13 th June Y5 Cricket coaching after lunch Taekwondo 3.30pm 4.30pm Y5/6 Cricket Club 3.20pm 4.45pm FRIDAY Queen s 90 th Birthday Picnic Come to school wearing Red, White & Blue for the day WEDNESDAY Y6 visit to the Great North Museum 9.00pm 1.00pm Y4 visit to the Tuck Shop at break time under the undercroft French Club for Y1 & Y2 at lunchtime Spanish Club at lunchtimey2, Y3, Y4, Y5 & Y6 Y6 School of Rock at lunchtime Y5 visit the allotment pm Taekwondo 3.30pm 4.30pm School Lunch Money update 2.00 per day, per week: Monday 6 th June 2016 to Friday 22 nd July Please pay via our online payment system Agora

5 May 2016 Dear Parents HM the Queen s 90 th Birthday Picnic Friday 10 th June We are having a whole school afternoon picnic on Friday 10th June to celebrate HM the Queen s 90th birthday. The Friends of West Jesmond are providing the food and the children will be decorating a box provided by us for their picnic. We will send a box home with your child on Monday 6 th June for them to decorate with a royal theme. We will have some best box prizes presented on the day. On Friday 10 th June the children can come to school dressed in red, white and blue and bring along their picnic box to be filled. Hopefully the sun will shine! In recognition of Her Majesty s birthday and her role as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, every parish church is being encouraged to organise a festival and an exhibition to mark the Queen's official birthday on the weekend of 10 th 12 th June St George s is hosting a weekend of choral music, bell-ringing, a royal themed fancy dress picnic for families, a summer fair, and an exhibition and our school has been asked to help with the exhibition. Our artwork will be displayed in St George s for the weekend 10 th -12 th June, so that people coming to events will have the opportunity to see and enjoy it. All are welcome to the weekend of St George s events. Thank you Mrs Hainsworth Community Arts Coordinator

6 May 2016 Year 2 parents only As part of a school-wide project with the Great North Museum we will be visiting the venue to take part in activities linked to our Animals science unit. 2C will be visiting on the morning of Monday13th June 2W will be visiting on the morning of Tuesday 14th June 2J will be visiting on the morning of Thursday 16th June We will be walking to and from the museum, leaving school just after 9am and returning in time for our usual lunch arrangements. There is no cost associated with this trip but we will require a limited number of patent helpers. If you can assist please let us know in person or at the classroom door as soon as possible. Many thanks, Mr Jones, Miss Ward and Mr Cook

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