END OF TERM MAILING LENT TERM 2019 HEADMISTRESS: DR CAROLYN SHELLEY B.ED (HONS) PHD DIRECT LINE: 01242 258079 EMAIL: [email protected] 29th March 2019 Dear Parents, The last two weeks of this term have been very busy across the school, including, as you know, welcoming inspectors to the school to see all the wonderful work we do, including some of our WOW days. The children enjoyed showing their work and were a great credit to the school. Thank you for taking part in the parental survey and feeding into the process - the report is now being finished and we look forward to sharing the results with you in about seven weeks time. In the second half of term, we have held some exciting WOW days linked with topic work, both further afield and at school; Year Two had a fantastic Space Day at school, dressing in amazing costumes and learning many new facts, and Year One had a fantastic visit to ThinkTank Birmingham, linking with their Science topics and returning home full of information about Forces, the Body, and fossils and skeletons! Reception invited other year groups to join them in their Space Day when they investigated constellations and the planets in the ‘Wonderdome’ an amazing planetarium in our Pre-Prep hall. The children were fascinated and they then went on to find out more planet facts and to create their own constellations in the classrooms. Lastly, we all celebrated World Book Day with a focus on poetry this year; we had fun sharing our favourite poems or rhyming stories, reading with buddies, carrying out a rhyming quiz around the school and, of course, becoming poets ourselves. I do hope you have enjoyed reading the children’s poems in our Big Book of Poems on display - I was very impressed with their skills and proud of the final results. Our charity focus this term was, as you know, raising money for ‘IT Africa’ as part of our ‘DT Day’ and I am delighted to say that IT Africa came into our Monday assembly this week to explain to the children how they will use the money we have raised. The children found out that many children who previously had no access to computers, are now able to learn and use IT, and develop important skills for their future. We were also delighted with the results of our cake sale for Yemen, and especially pleased that all the hard work making cakes will really make a difference, giving food and shelter to the children in need. Many thanks for all your support for these causes - and special thanks to our Year Two pupils who worked with Elsa to make cakes, sell cakes and make the sale a success! You will also see our annual Parents’ charity fair in the calendar for next term on Friday 7th June. I am very grateful to our wonderful year group Parent Reps for all the work they do during the year but also for helping to plan and organise the Charity Fair each year along with many other parents – thank you in advance! This week, Year Two visited the Prep School’s Junior play, ‘Shakespeare on Trial’ – linking well with the exciting workshop on Shakespeare that they had taken part in earlier in the term. We were very pleased that this gave them a small insight into the work of Shakespeare - and hopefully will give them a foundation and interest for the future. We were also delighted and proud of our Squirrels’ own performance in the Spring Festivals; they have all grown in confidence during the year and I am sure you could tell that they loved presenting their songs, poems and dances! Next term, we are looking forward to many more irresistible learning experiences – as I hope you will see from our calendar, also attached. One important ‘parent’ social date to mention is the Pre-Prep and Prep School Quiz night which this year is taking place in the Prep School Centenary hall on Friday 17th May. It is always such a wonderful evening with a ‘fun’ competitive atmosphere – and this year has a ‘Strictly’ theme - even featuring a performance from the Prep School Swing Band. I do hope you will be able to join us! As the Trinity Term approaches, we know that, sadly, we will have to say goodbye to some of our little Squirrels at the end of the academic year. Although it is always sad to say farewell, we are so proud of the way that the children have grown and made progress during the time they have been with us; we will be celebrating their achievements in a special assembly and are very glad that most will be moving to the Prep School – not far away! However, could I remind parents that if you are moving away and leaving Dean Close at the end of this academic year, we do need a term’s notice of this in writing, by letter, before or on the first day of next term, 24th April 2019. Finally, your views as parents are very important to us and we consider them carefully. I therefore wanted to update you on some of the work that is being done with regards to parking which has been raised by parents several times this term. We know that parking can be difficult and are keen to alleviate some of the problems, therefore school has been working on ways to improve this and, I am glad to say that the Bursar will be writing to let you know of some proposals in his Easter letter. I wish you all a very happy Easter and a wonderful break. I look forward to welcoming you and your children back to a busy Trinity Term and to hearing all about your exciting holiday adventures! With best wishes Dr Carolyn Shelley Headmistress Key Dates for the First Half of Trinity Term 2019 APRIL Monday 22nd Bank Holiday. Tuesday 23rd 9.00am – 4.15pm. Staff Inset Day. Start of the Trinity Term. Crèche from 8.15am. Wednesday 24th Extra-Curricular Activities begin. (Music, Dance, Speech and Drama, Tennis, Art and Craft, META Club, PE Club, Gymnastics and GLOW Club.) Year Two Science Trip on Habitats to Sandfield Farm. 8.30am - 10.30am. Parent and Toddler Stay and Play Thursday 25th Session for 0 - 3 year olds in the Pre-Prep Hall. Swimming begins for Reception. 8.30am - 9.30am. Parents’ Coffee Morning in the Friday 26th Pre-Prep Hall. Swimming begins for Years One and Two. MAY Whole School ‘Little Linguists’ Activity Day! (All part-time Nursery and Kindergarten children who do Wednesday 1st not normally come into School are invited to attend. Collection time 11.45pm.) 1.20pm - 1.50pm. Informal Music Concert for Thursday 2nd Instrumentalists. Nursery Fun Day. (All part-time Nursery children who do not normally come into School are invited to attend. Drop off time 9.00am, collection time 12.30pm.) 1.45pm. Year Two Swimming Gala followed at Friday 3rd 3.00pm by Tea in the Dining Room for Parents and Children. (Year Two Parents are invited to come in to support.) DCS and DCPS Exeat Weekend. Crèche until 5.00pm. MAY (continued) Monday 6th Bank Holiday. No School for Pre-Prep. All children should return to School in SUMMER UNIFORM. Class Councils this week. Tuesday 7th 9.30am. Squirrel Strings Performance at the Cheltenham Festival. 10.00am. Singing Squirrels Performance at the Cheltenham Festival. (Parents are welcome to come and join us at the Town Hall for both events.) Class Photographs. All children in summer uniform. Wednesday 8th (All part-time children to attend please and be in by 8.45am. Collection time 10.30am.) 8.30am - 10.30am. Parent and Toddler Stay and Play Session for 0 - 3 year olds in the Pre-Prep Hall. Thursday 9th Year One Trip on the Environment (Focus on ‘Food and Farming’) to Sandfield Farm. 9.30am – 11.30am. Open Morning for Prospective Saturday 11th Pupils. Monday 13th 10.15am. School Council Meeting. Tuesday 14th Year Two Trip to West Midlands Safari Park. 8.00am - 8.30am. Kindergarten and Reception ‘Snuggle and Share’ with Parents in the Pre-Prep Wednesday 15th Hall. 8.45am – 9.15am. Nursery and Reception ‘Snuggle and Share’ with Parents in the Pre-Prep Hall. Year One Trip (Focus on ‘Food and Farming over time’) to Museum in the Park, Stroud. Thursday 16th 2.00pm. Year Two Choral Speaking at the Cheltenham Festival. (Year Two Parents are welcome to come and join us at the Town Hall.) 7.00pm - 10.00pm. Joint DCPPS / DCPS Parents’ Friday 17th and Staff ‘Strictly’ Quiz Night featuring the DCPS Swing Band, in the Prep School Centenary Hall. 1.30pm. Year Two friendly Hockey Matches with Monday 20th Cheltenham College at Dean Close Astros, followed by Match Tea. 9.00am - 12 noon. Maths Fun Morning for all classes. Tuesday 21st 4.00pm. Year Two Informal Tea Party at Dean Close House (Question and Answer Session about moving up to Year 3). MAY (continued) am. Dance Show Dress Rehearsal (All pupils who attend extra-curricular dance classes including those Wednesday 22nd dancers who attend part-time. Collection time 11.45am.) 2.30pm. Dance Show – Pre-Prep Hall. (All pupils who attend extra-curricular dance classes including Thursday 23rd those dancers who attend part-time. Please come in for 1.15pm.) 8.30am - 9.30am. Parents’ Coffee Morning in the Pre-Prep Hall with Guest Speaker. Friday 24th Half Term Begins at the End of School Day. Crèche until 5.00pm.