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(Houghton Conquest Lower School Newsletter (Week beginning Monday 5th November 2012) 1

Newsletter 9: Value of the Month: Peace

Celebration Assembly Awards: Robins: Jayden Peach for showing wonderful enthusiasm during the Light Fantastic Workshop. Owls: Lucy Catchpole for progress in writing with good presentation. Hawks: The Tag Rugby Team for showing their values and playing as a team during the competition.

Teaching Assistant Rewards: Alfie Sutton: for improved listening and concentration on the carpet. Lily Pyper: for staying focused while practising her keywords.

Midday Supervisory Assistant Reward: Alex Edwards: for being responsible for tidying up under his lunchtime table and others.

Early Years Centre: A ‘special well done to Sam Matthews’ for sharing and assisting his peers with the remote control car.

Headteacher Award: Grace Fuller: for achieving her Stage 2, 10m certificate in swimming. Alfie Anderson: for receiving the Team Player award in the Tag Rugby Festival. Jemma Slaughter: for achieving her Gold certificate in Gymnastics bench & Silver in Trampet.

Values Award: Olivia Pyper: for good discussion about her hopes for the holidays.

Early Years Centre Welcome back to you all. The children have settled back in beautifully and are marching in to pre- school with real confidence. The children are being very independent in taking off their coats etc and putting their belongings in the right places.

Christmas dates are now confirmed as:

Christmas Play on Friday 7th December 2.00pm-3.00pm Christmas Lunch on Tuesday 18th December 12.00-1.00pm Christmas Party on Thursday 20th December 2.00-3.00pm

More details will follow in the EYC newsletter.

Reminder to all Prospective Parents Children normally start school at the start of the reception year, that is the school year in which they become 5. If your child was born between 1 September 2008 - 31 August 2009 you need to apply for a school place by 15 January 2013.

“Our vision is to be an outstanding school in all that we do. We will inspire and nurture a love of learning through a challenging and creative curriculum. Every individual will be recognised for their achievement and feel safe, secure and valued within our school family” (Houghton Conquest Lower School Newsletter (Week beginning Monday 5th November 2012) 2

Starting school 2013 timetable

17 September 2012 - Online facility opens for starting school 2013 applications (Central Bedfordshire residents only)

15 January 2013 - Deadline for transfer to starting school 2013 applications to be received (online facility closes). Any applications received after this date will be processed as late - see below.

30 April 2013 - We will post a letter to parent(s)/carer(s) with the outcome of on time starting school applications. Those who applied online and requested the decision via email will also receive an email from 12pm on this day.

June 2013 - Late starting school applications will be processed from June onwards

We strongly recommend you read through ‘Your child’s admission for September 2013’ (PDF 1.2MB) booklet before making your application.

Legislation requires parents to make applications to the local authority in which they live, even if the preferred schools are outside of the authority. Parents/carers of children living outside the local authority area must complete their home local authority school admissions application form.

If your child is in the Early Years Centre please discuss with Elaine if you have still not applied. The admission number for the school is officially 20, last year we had 23 applications and we were able to accept all. However, we need to know as soon as possible the number so we can plan ahead if we are oversubscribed again.

Children In Need 3 pupils from Hawks have requested to raise money for the charity by coming into school in pyjamas, housecoat with teddies and slippers (with a change to normal shoes for playtimes!). The pupils, Ella, Myah and Jessica would like you to sponsor them and also to support their gesture of making their own contribution to this national fundraising day. The children have organised a meeting with me, obtained a fundraising pack and generally have shown enthusiasm to do something special. Please give as much as you can to make their efforts successful. Form at reception from Monday 12th November.

Friends of Houghton Conquest Lower School Children in Need Please remember to bring in your coin boxes on Friday 16th November ready to fill a giant Pudsey with all the coins. (The Early Years Centre will be having a full week of Children in Need, so coin boxes can e brought in throughout the week).

Next 'Friends' meeting Monday 19th November 8pm in the Royal Oak. All welcome! Please come and join us as we plan to raise funds for the school.

Christmas Fayre Saturday 8th December 2-4pm Wine game - please could you start collecting empty wine bottles for the game? We also required full, unopened wine bottles for the game too. Any donations would be gratefully received. Please give all empty and full bottles to Louise Arnold. (If you are unsure who Louise is please ask a member of the committee and we will point you in the right direction).

Thank you for your continued support.

The Friends of Houghton Conquest Lower School

Coats & Wet Weather Just to remind you that children must have warm and even wet weather coats and hats for this term. Often if there is a drizzle of rain the children still have break times and lunchtimes outside. If you have not brought in a pair of named wellingtons yet, please add them, named, to the wellie rack near the minipods in the playground as soon as you can. Thank you.

Art Adventurers The club starts on 15th November and the last session will be on the 6th December. If there are any more questions then please do not hesitate to contact Karen Gleave directly. Her contact details may be found below in case parents want to get in touch with her. All the dates on special after school club page are on the website. website: www.artadventurers.com e-mail: [email protected]

Samaritan’s Purse Shoebox Appeal All boxes will be collected from the school on the 14th November and will be delivered to the Ukraine in time for the children’s Christmas. Please contribute kindly. Thank you for your support.

Photographs Anna Harvey of Forget-me-Not Photography will be here on Wednesday, the 14th November to take pictures of children. You may bring other siblings if you wish to have their photos taken too. This will take place in the Hall, but please book your slot in the office to avoid disappointment.

Late Arrivals If parents are bringing in their children after registration (late arrivals) please make sure that you alert the kitchen to let Mrs Wilson know, so that they can be included in the lunch preparation. The lunch register is taken straight after the attendance register. If Mrs Wilson is not made aware of your child’s presence they may be excluded from the headcount for lunch and we will have to ring parents to bring in packed lunch.

Midday supervisors required for emergencies.

Mrs M Millington – Office Manager Website address: https://www.houghtonconquest.beds.sch.uk/

Cycling & Skillful Scootering Policy This will be sent to all parents attached to a separate email. This policy will also be available on the school’s website from next week. If your child takes his or her bike or scooter to school, please make sure you read the policy and submit the appropriate forms to school.

Dates  Wednesday, 14th November, Natural Portrait Photography, 3.15 until 6.30pm in the Hall  Thursday, 15th November, Hazard Alley Trip, Hawks Class  Friday 16th November Children in Need Fun activities PTA  Thursday 22nd November Parents coffee morning 9.15am Hummingbirds Classroom ( Mobile)  Friday, 23rd November, 9am, Van Cols Photographers for individual photos – siblings welcome  Friday, 30th November, INSET Day, school closed to pupils. Staff offsite training.  Wednesday, 5th December, Love Assembly with Rev Toze  Friday 7th December Christmas Tree Festival Houghton Conquest church  Saturday 8th December Christmas Fayre see PTA  Wednesday 12th December Christmas Concert Afternoon  Thursday 13th December Christmas Concert Evening  Tuesday, 18th December Whole School Christmas lunch  Thursday, 20th December, Senior Citizens’ Tea Party Year 4 Citizenship Event  Friday 21st December Pantomime all children to the village hall in the morning.  Tuesday 8th January 2013! Back to school  Thursday 24th January Brick Lab Science Workshop for Robins & Owls  Friday 8th February Dragster Workshop Hawks  18th February – 22nd February Half Term  29th March -16th April Easter holidays  Monday 6th May Bank holiday  27th May – 31stMay half term holiday  Thursday 6th June Year 3 pupils Values Activity Day with other values school children in Bedfordshire.  Wednesday 24th July last day of summer term  Thursday 5th September 2013 School year begins

Kind Regards

Miss C McCarthy

“Our vision is to be an outstanding school in all that we do. We will inspire and nurture a love of learning through a challenging and creative curriculum. Every individual will be recognised for their achievement and feel safe, secure and valued within our school family”