Information from Mrs Driver

Dear Parents



As another academic year draws to a close I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for the support and involvement you have given the school this year.



Those of you who came to Blast Off! this week will have seen the remarkable talent many of our pupils have on the stage. Their performances were outstanding and we were really proud of all of them. I am delighted to be able to tell you that we raised £562.67 to be sent to The Snowdon Mountain Rescue and Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. Thank you all for your generous contributions.



We will be sending home all inhalers held in school but I would urge you to remember to send them back in September. It is important that, if your child is an asthma sufferer, we have medication in school.



On a more personal level, if you are a split family and would like school correspondence sent home to both parents, please inform the school office and this can be arranged. I would like to remind you I am not in a position to be able to authorise absences for family holidays or other circumstances. Although I do understand there are exceptional circumstances, I would ask that you come in and discuss these with me before requesting any absences in school time. Please remember that when your child is absent from school due to illness please remember to telephone the office by 9.30 every morning they are absent.



The end of a school year is always a sad time as we see our Y6 pupils leave us and move on to Secondary school. I would like to take this opportunity to wish them all the very best. This year we are also losing Miss Khela as she leaves us to take up her new position at Fairfield Park School, Miss Cottee as she seeks a change in career, and Mrs Draper as she moves to a new teaching assistant position at Whitehill School. I am sure you will all join with me in wishing them all the very best.

From September 2014 we will be offering universal free school meals for all reception and key stage 1 pupils. This will make little difference to us as the uptake for school dinners is so high anyway. For all key stage 2 pupils, please remember that all cheques for dinner money need to made payable to Herts Catering Ltd. if you are not paying by WisePay. The price of dinners is being increased to £2.15.



If you think you might be entitled to Free School Meals please look at www.hertsdirect.org If you already receive free school meals, these will be renewed automatically if you are still entitled. Please do not reapply as this is not necessary and will cause confusion. If your child is currently receiving 100% music remission as well as free school meals, the music eligibility will be renewed along with free school meals. Anyone receiving 50% music remission will need to reapply.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have helped with transporting pupils to various sporting fixtures during the year. We have had the most successful year ever with sport, entering more competitions than ever before and this is only possible because we have had such great support from parents.



As we are approaching the end of the school year and the holidays may be a time when you are purchasing new uniform, I thought this would be an ideal opportunity to give you a reminder of what we expect with school uniform:



Boys

– White shirt

– Classic styled grey trousers or shorts (Not cut offs or combats)

– Red tie / Striped tie KS2

– Black or grey shoes (not trainers)

– Red Jumper Dark socks



Girls

– White blouse / shirt

– Grey skirt or pinafore dress

– Red cardigan / jumper

– Red tie / Striped tie KS2 (optional)

– Sensible shoes / sandals (no raised heels or soles, not open toed, must have a strap to secure fastening) in grey, red or black

– Dress in red and white check in conventional school style

– Classic styled grey trousers (optional)

– White socks – not trainer socks



All of these items can be bought through the uniform shop at school at competitive prices and the jumpers and cardigans will all have the school logo on them.



If in any doubt, please ask before you buy.



Hair should be clean and neat and cut in a reasonable style. ‘Hi-fashion’ styles are not allowed. Girls with long hair should tie this back for safety. Hairbands should be plain and in the School colours. Boys’ hair should be kept short and not longer than the base of the shirt collar. Please use the summer break as an ideal time for children to have their hair cut!



Indoor PE kit should include shorts and short sleeved t.shirt in red and/or white. Plimsolls are needed for walking to and from the hall and certain activities. These should be kept in a small drawstring bag.



Outdoor PE kit should include tracksuit bottoms and a sweatshirt / tracksuit. They need a change of socks and trainers, plimsolls are used for indoor lessons. All of this outdoor kit should be in school colours, but we include black as this is relatively easy to purchase. The children will work outside in cold and damp weather so these items of clothing need to be warm and they need to fit. If pupils are going out representing the school they will be expected to wear appropriate clothing. We are selling school sweatshirts and tracksuit bottoms which would be ideal.



Due to the severe shortage of space in our cloakroom areas we ask that large bags are not sent to school for any reason, including those for holding games kit. The smallest and most pliable bag suitable for items children regularly carry is the ideal.



All possessions, especially clothes and shoes, should be clearly marked with the owner’s name. This is vital. It is impossible for items without a name to be returned to the children and it wastes an enormous amount of our time.



A waterproof art apron is required for art activities. Elastic in the cuffs is advisable with Velcro at back.



The Health & Safety advice to all schools is that NO body jewellery should be allowed in school because of the inherent dangers to personal safety and also the safety of others. The medical advice to us is that pierced ears are perfectly safe to be left, without earrings, during the day and can be fitted with them on return home. Additionally we are advised that if any girl is going to have her ears pierced, then it is recommended that this is done at the beginning of the summer break to allow time for healing. I should add that there will be no exceptions to this rule.



I trust you all have an enjoyable break over the summer and look forward to seeing all the pupils back on Tuesday 2nd September 2014.



Yours sincerely

Mary Driver