Season S Greetings from Us All at Thornford School

Newsletter 6th December 2017

Season’s Greetings from us all at Thornford School

Free School Meals: Please see information at the end of newsletter if this may be appropriate for you. Under 5s free milk: A reminder that free milk is available for under 5s and may be purchased for over 5s in school. See office for more information. Use of school car park: The school car park is for staff only. Please could parents avoid parking in the school car park to drop off for breakfast club and picking up at the end of the school day. Thank you for your cooperation. Special Educational Needs: Please contact your child's class teacher if you have any new concerns about your child in school. Additionally, if your child has SEN and you feel that you would like extra or impartial advice/support, you may like to contact the Dorset Special Educational Needs Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS), whose information is on the Dorset for you website: https://www.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/parent-partnership-service The North Dorset contact is Jane Schmidt and her email is: [email protected] School Uniform and PE Kits: Please NAME all uniform. We end up throwing away (via Bag2 School) an awful lot of clothes that someone has paid good money for, simply because they are not claimed from Lost Property (the big bin under the shelter in the playground) and not named so we can’t return them to your child. Please could parents ensure that their child has a NAMED PE kit including the correct size of daps or trainers. This is very important as many children are not bringing shoes they can run safely in. Children should bring their PE kit in to school and leave it here for the half term; they only need to take it home if you want to wash it during that time. That way, we will not have ‘forgotten kits’. We also wish to avoid any borrowing of kit from other children, as this is disruptive to lessons. Over the counter creams: In addition to the forms that need to be completed if a child has to have medicine administered during the school day, there is a form that needs to be completed for over the counter non-medicinal creams in school. This is so that staff are aware of any creams, lip salves, sun cream etc. brought into school. Defibrillator- as you may be aware there is now a defibrillator at the village hall. We would like to thank Dick Gaynor for fundraising for this vital piece of equipment. Our thanks also go to Martin Fagin for delivering defibrillator awareness training to Oak Class.

Tesco Bags of Help: Thank you to everyone who supported us through the Tesco Bags of Help scheme. The school has received £2000 which will be put towards updating Josie’s Garden. Christmas Fair- Thank you so much to the FTS and to everyone who supported the Christmas Fair – although we haven’t had a final tally, we believe around £1000 was raised. We also raised £156 through the Bag2 School collection. School Meals News: We are constantly looking at keeping our meals both healthy and nutritionally balanced, as well as being popular with the children. We are conscious of sugar content in puddings so, where possible, we are reducing sugar in our recipes, pudding sizes have been slightly reduced and we do not offer seconds of puddings. Our busy kitchen is now preparing for the highlights of the year “Christmas Lunch day” and “Party Food day”. We enjoy putting on these special days for the children and we hope the children will enjoy them as much as we do. Please remember to order your children’s JANUARY meals by Sunday 10th December. Have a “Yummy Christmas” from the School Meals Team! Helen Burroughs, Helen Baldwin, Lynne Helyar & Hazel Sims. Parents’ Forum Questions: 1. The timing on the outside security lighting will be altered so that it is on when required 2. World Book Day will be celebrated February/March 2018 3. New parents will be informed about procedures such as being welcome to come to Achievement Assemblies, although it is difficult to inform individual parents, if their child is receiving an award, as these are often not decided until 2pm on the afternoon of the assembly. 4. School Meals have addressed their queries : See School Meals News paragraph in newsletter. School Clubs: No School Clubs will be running during the last week of term apart from Choir and Recorder Groups. Relax Kids: Hollie Barber’s Relax Kids After School Club will be open to all KS2 children in the New Year. The cost of the five week course is £22.50, registration forms can be collected from the school office or contact Hollie directly for more information. STAMP Drama Club: Application forms are available from the office for next term’s after school drama club for ages 5-11.

Christmas Day Family Service: This will be held at the Church at 9.30am. Why not make Christmas Day extra special by beginning it at Church? This is a short, happy time. We usually ask the children to bring one of their small presents to show us all but, this year, we would like them to bring along one of their wrapped presents so that we can all enjoy seeing them being opened. Christmas is all about God’s love for each of us so let’s share it. Pauline Marks. Future Dates: 8th Dec: Oak Class carol singing at The Hayes Residential Home & St James Church Centre Yeovil 8th Dec: KS2 Parents Assembly Oak Class Carol Singing 12th Dec: KS1 Nativity “A King is Born” at 10am for parents with toddlers only 13th Dec: Christmas Lunch 13th Dec: KS1 Nativity “A King is Born” at 6pm. We politely request that toddlers do not attend this performance so as not to distract the performers 14th Dec: Christmas Party - non-uniform day - please wear party clothes 14th Dec: Please join us for Carol Singing from 3pm 15th Dec: Christmas Carol Service in the church 9.30am. Parents are welcome to have coffee and cakes in the New Hall afterwards 15th Dec: Last day of term 3rd Jan: School reopens to pupils 10th Jan: FTS meeting 7.30pm at the Kings Arms 2nd Feb: Valentine Disco As always, if you have any issue to discuss, please contact myself or my staff at the school. Neela Brooking (Headteacher) [email protected] 01935 872706

Apply for free school meals Your child might be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following: o Income Support o income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance o income-related Employment and Support Allowance o support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 o the guaranteed element of Pension Credit o Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190) o Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit o Universal Credit Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals. Your child might also get free school meals if you get any of these benefits and your child is both: o younger than the compulsory age for starting school o in full-time education Infant free school meals in England Your child will be able to get free school meals if they’re in: o reception class o year 1 o year 2 Tell your local authority if you also get any of the above benefits. Your child’s school can get extra funding if you do.