NEWSLETTER NO 198
22nd September 2009
Welcome to a new school year and a special welcome to all new pupils who have joined Ashbrooke House at the start of this term.
HARVEST FESTIVAL THURSDAY OCTOBER 15TH
CLARENCE PARK BAPTIST CHURCH 9.30AM – 10.30AM
The whole school will be taking part in the Harvest Festival in a production of “Harvest – it’s a little bit corny”. We are still finalising details of the charity we will be supporting this year as our Harvest Outreach. Further information will be sent out nearer the time.
INDIVIDUAL / CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS
The photographer will be here from 9.15am on Friday 16th October. Nursery children will be taken first. Children who are not normally in attendance on this day may be brought in just for the photograph and they will be taken first. Individual/family groups and class photographs will be taken. Photographs on a sale or return basis will be sent home after half term.
YOUNG PEOPLES CONCERT – COLSTON HALL, TUESDAY 13TH OCTOBER
Classes 3-6 have been invited to a young people’s concert given by Wells Cathedral School at the Colston Hall, Bristol. Further details and permission slips will be sent out shortly.
PARENT INTERVIEWS – THURSDAY 22ND OCTOBER
Appointment slips for Reception – Class 6 will come home nearer the time.
HEAD BOY/HEAD GIRL/PREFECTS/HOUSE CAPTAINS
The following children in Year 6 have been given positions of responsibility for the coming year.
Head Boy – Adam Elkins
Head Girl – Phodea Papa-Adams
Deputy Head Boy – Will Corderoy
Deputy Head Girl – Melita Mastrogiannopoulou
Prefects – Claire Austin & Joanna Kettle
Corinthians House Captain – Ben Peck
Corinthians Vice-Captain – Claire Austin
Dolphins House Captain – Thomas Watts
Dolphins Vice-Captain – Will Corderoy
Forresters House Captain – Adam Elkins
Forresters Vice-Captain – Phodea Papa-Adams
Harlequins House Captain – Kelly Chaplin
Harlequins Vice-Captain – Pearl Andrews-Horrigan
BADGES
All children from Reception to Year 6 are in one of our houses. Corinthians (Blue), Dolphins (Black), Forresters (Green), Harlequins (Red). House badges are available from the school office priced £1.50. Other badges at the same price are football, choir, music and drama.
DRINKING WATER
May I remind you that children are allowed to have a bottle of water on their table to drink throughout the day. Please mark the bottle clearly with your childs name and class. This is in addition to the drink you provide for their lunch.
FRUITY FRIDAY
Please can you encourage your child to bring a piece of fruit for break-time on a Friday as part of our healthy eating initiative. I am sure you will agree how important it is to encourage children to eat a balanced diet.
TRAIDCRAFT
We are continuing this year to run our Traidcraft stall on Wednesday mornings from Class 1 doorway. For new parents – this is an opportunity for the children to buy biscuits/cereal bars/packets of dried fruits for break-time and at the same time to support third world communities. Prices are as follows:
50p - Cookies/double choc chip, stem ginger & fruit choc nut.
50p – Bars/apricot & raisin, chocolate & raisin, honey & nut and mixed berries
25p – Fairbreak bars
50p – Bags raisins, dried apricots, fruit & nut
PARKING
This is an ongoing problem for the school and we have had many discussions with the police to solve the congestion problems outside the school. Please endeavour to observe the following guidelines for parking:
1 Please use the church car park. DO NOT park outside school to wait for your children at the end of the afternoon.
2 Only enter Ellenborough Park North from Beach Road, to keep in line with the flow of traffic.
3 Parents of children in Classes 2 – 6 are encouraged to just drop their children at the gate and then depart quickly.
4 The single yellow lines outside of the school are for short stay dropping off and picking up. If you have to wait for an older child to come out you need to park in the church car park.
5 When parking DO NOT BLOCK Chandos Court entrance, the school entrance or the church entrance.
For the safety of everyone (and the avoidance of a parking ticket) I hope these five golden rules will be kept and everyone notices an improvement.
UNIFORM
The children have all come back looking very smart in their uniform. Can you please check all items of uniform are named. Please continue to buy uniform only at our two stockists – Browns of Weston and John Lewis (Cribbs Causeway). Please do not buy alternatives elsewhere. A list is available from the school office.
PE/GAMES
Please ensure all kit is labeled. PE shorts should be plain navy blue (no motifs or coloured stripes). We do not accept FLASHING TRAINERS. All children should have short white socks to change into for PE. Children in classes 3-6 must have football boots and a boot bag and shin guards.
SECONDARY SCHOOL ENTRY
Parents of Year 6 children should now be thinking seriously about the options for secondary education. In the Mercury in the next few weeks you will find many adverts about Open days/Evenings for the local comprehensive schools. Similar adverts for independent schools will also appear. Parents considering entry to Bristol Grammar, Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital, Red Maid’s and Redland High must register their child for the joint examination which is held in January. They should do this at the school of their first choice. Other independent schools will also have their own entrance examination and parents should enquire direct TO the school.
The school thoroughly prepares children for such examinations and in recent years many of our Year 6 leavers have gone on to these schools.
FOOTBALL CLUB – YEARS 3-6
Football club will be starting on Thursday 24th September until half-term. There are a few places still available at a cost of £10.
ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND
This has been declared a resounding success by all the children. Many thanks to the PTA committee for their sterling efforts over the summer holiday to ensure that everything was finished in time for the start of the autumn term. This project took several years of fundraising but was well worth it now we can see the finished result! Many thanks to all parents who helped to make this possible.
PTA AGM – MONDAY 5TH OCTOBER 7.30PM
Please try to attend and hear the various reports and to elect new members to the committee. Each class needs a representative and it would be good if you felt you could help out in this way. The meeting will be held in the school hall. We are always grateful for the PTA’s efforts in raising money for the children. We also need to decide about future fundraising projects.
ART COMPETITION
CONGRATULATIONS to all Ashbrooke pupils. We heard at the start of the term that the school had won first prize in a national art competition. The display in the entrance hall shows the winning mural. Our prize is a collection of art products and a visit to the school by Axel Scheffler a well known illustrator of children’s books including The Gruffalo.
EDUCATIONAL VISITS
Class 6 to Weston library on September 22nd
Classes 3-6 to the Colston Hall on October 13th
Class 4 to the Peat Moor Centre on October 22nd
AUTUMN TERM CALENDAR & 2009/2010 TERM DATES
These are attached to the newsletter.
OFSTED REPORT
A copy of the recent Ofsted report is now on the Ofsted website or enquire in the school office.
