No.  44

20^th November, 2009

MORRISONS 'LET'S GROW' VOUCHERS

Have you been saving the Morrisons 'Let's Grow' vouchers.  If so please could you bring them into school this coming week to enable us to exchange them for free gardening equipment so that in the spring the children can grow their own produce.  Thank you for your help with this.

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA

WEDNESDAY, 9^TH DECEMBER, 8AM-9AM IN THE MAIN HALL

This event will take place in the School hall between 8.00 and 9.00.  This event is an event for the Junior school pupils, their parents and friends. A breakfast of muffins and hot/cold drinks will be provided, along with a visit and gift from Santa.  More details to follow nearer the time.

CHRISTMAS FAYRE

TUESDAY, 24^TH NOVEMBER 3.30 to 5pm

This will take place in the main hall.  Your donations of raffle prizes, bric a brac, soft toys, toiletries and good quality used toys will be much appreciated.  Also any ideas for stalls and games would be most welcome along with any help on the day you may be able to provide.

AUCTION OF PROMISES

We are thinking of organising an Auction of Promises.  An event where parents and friends can donate anything from an evenings baby sitting to the use of a holiday cottage (!), a bespoke birthday cake to a ride in a dream car, anything goes.  These 'lots' will then be auctioned and the proceeds will help the P.T.A supply wonderful things for our children.

Please see Donna or Dan if you have something you could promise.

'MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE – SUNDAY,

29^TH NOVEMBER IN THE SCHOOL HALL

7PM TO 10.30ish

The Boarding House will be hosting a Michael Jackson tribute night starring "Mikki Jay", one of Britain's best live vocal professional Michael Jackson impersonators and a hired disco from outside of the school known as "Wizard".  Tickets will be £6.50 each, this will also include food and a drink.  All students, family and friends are welcome to come along and join in this amazing night which is not to be missed.  All money raised will be going to the KMP Church, Bangalore, India for their orphanage. 

All tickets are available from the office.

BE QUICK!!  DON'T MISS OUT AS TICKETS ARE IN SHORT SUPPLY.   PLEASE GET YOUR TICKETS ASAP SO THAT THE WE KNOW NUMBERS FOR CATERING

PTA CAKE RAFFLE

Many thanks to everyone who participated in our Friday, 13^th November Cake Raffle.  We made over £50 profit for our playground fund.

SCHOOL UNIFORM SHOP

Please note that the School Uniform Shop will be CLOSED on:-

Tuesday, 24^th December – Christmas Fair

Thurday, 3^rd December – Junior Nativity

Thursday, 10^th December – Carol Service

Should you have any urgent uniform requirements please contact Mrs Williamson who will endeavour to help you.

HPV VACCINATION

For the girls on Years 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13 who had the first jab for the protection against cervical cancer on the 13^th October, the second jab is now due and nurses will be in school on Tuesday, 8^th December.  Students will called as soon as the nurses are ready.

CHRISTMAS CARD COMPETITITON

A BIG THANK YOU to all pupils for entering the Christmas Card Competition and to all who voted in the school.  There are 5 winning designs that will be printed in a pack of 10 at £4 a pack.  50p from each pack will be donated to ex-pupil Rebecca Young's work with street children in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, Africa and will help to buy art resources and materials.

Years 1, 2, 3 & 4 winners are:-

1^st  -  Hannah Humphries

2^nd (joint) - Andrea Cattorini and Esmie Williamson

3^rd  - Joesph Stosiek

Years 5 & 6 winners are:-

1^st - Francesco Medici

2^nd - Grace Busby

3^rd  - Kamakshi Singh

Years 7 & 8 winners are:-

1^st  -  Ellie Cunningham

2^nd (joint) - Tabitha Ross-Kent and Hannah Gurd

3^rd - Claudia Ball

Year 9 winners are:-

1^st (joint) - Ellen Bazley, and Kirby Mullis

2^nd - Joseph Brown

3^rd - Jessica Whittick

If you wish to have your child's design printed only, please let Mrs Briggs know or leave a message with Reception.  Order forms are at Reception.  Orders and monies need to be in by Friday, 27^th November to

Mrs Briggs at the latest in order to get them to the printers.

Many thanks

Mrs A Briggs – Head of Art

FUTURE DATES

Thursday, 10^th December – Carol Service St John's Church

at 2pm

Friday, 11^th December – Last Day of Term (finish normal time).  No Late Room available for the last day of term.

Please note the following dates for your diary from PTA:

Tuesday, 24^th November – Christmas Fair

Wednesday, 9^th December – Breakfast with Santa.

DRAMA PRODUCTION 2010

It has been decided that the production this year will be "Annie".  Auditions will start on 26^th November for girls and 3^rd December for boys.  Please prepare a short speech and a song.  If the song is not from "Annie" please bring sheet music.

TRIP TO PARLIAMENT

The new date is (hopefully) 22^nd February, the Monday immediately after half-term; more details to follow.

Mr S Baker

HOT CHOCOLATE CAFÉ FOR THE

BAKER KILIMANJARO EXPEDITION

From the 11^th to the 20^th December I am planning to repeat my climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money for the Ndubaluba Outdoor Education Centre in the farming heartland of Zambia where I used to live.  I will be accompanied by two members of my family, two neighbours and a friend.  The centre is a marvellous success story where companies and fee paying schools subsidize children from local African schools so that a wide section of the community can benefit from the canoeing, cycling and camping courses that are available all with a strong Christian ethos.  We hope to avoid mountain sickness, elephants and being delayed on the return flight so that we can be home for Christmas.   If any parents wish to join the trip at this late stage, please feel free to join us.

The Hot Chocolate Café is being held on Mr Stevens' room on Wednesday, 9^th December between 10.35 and 10.55. On this one occasion please feel free to give your children something extra to help Ndubaluba make a real impact on the lives of Zambian young people.

Mr S Baker

TIMES BOOKS FOR SCHOOL

We are currently part of a great collection scheme that could provide us with hundreds of new books for the school library, and by collecting the special tokens printed in The Times and The Sunday Times, you can help claim dozens of free books.  Autumn term tokens will be available from 13^th September to 6^th December with four tokens in The Sunday Times News Review, three tokens in The Times on Saturday and one taken each day in Times from Monday to Friday.

Please collect as many tokens as you can and give them to your child to bring to school, marked for the attention of Miss Williams.

Many thanks, in advance, for your support.

Miss Willams (Year 4)

SLESSOR HOUSE – BOTTLE STALL FOR CHRISTMAS FAIR

Could all members of Slessor House please bring in a bottle or can for the bottle game at the Christmas Fair on Tuesday.  This is always a good fund-raiser every year, and you have always supported it well.  Any contributions gladly accepted from now on.

Many thanks in advance

Mrs T Gordon – Head of House

'HELP FOR HEROES'

Class 9W would like to thank everyone who supported their cake sale.  £54.00 was raised for 'Help for Heroes'.

PRACTICAL LESSONS – FOOD TECH

Due to site works there will be no practical lessons in Food Tech between Tuesday and Friday next week.

DEBATING CLUB

On Thursday, 12^th November we had another packed meeting even though many pupils and students were away in London on the Art Trip.  No fewer than five pupils made maiden platform speeches, namely Chris Bunker,

Hattie Stanley, Charlotte Rock, Holly Moffitt and

Henry Roper.  They were joined on the platform by

Hannah Law, Adam Coppard  and Philip Bakhardzhiev, with Tamsin Eddey and Tom Sankey in the Chair.  Two motions were proposed, that "blondes do not have more fun" and that "voting should be compulsory".  The floor debates were particularly lively, with a most remarkable contribution from Felix Powell who is in Year 3.  He spoke impromptu in both debates, and had no hesitation  in taking to task speakers more than twice his age.  He will be speaking from the platform before long!  Edward Williamson and Paul Lang also made maiden speeches, and they were joined by Ross Mangles, Aaron Newbury, Sam Ashdown and Tom Sankey.

The Club has two events next week.  On Wednesday 25^th we will be competing in the first rounf of the ESU Mace Debating Competition at Downside School.  Emily Mangles and Philip Bakhardzhiev will be opposing a motion proposed by Ansford School, "This House believes that voting should be compulsory".  The event will be gin c.6pm.

On Thursday 26^th at 4pm we will have a local meeting (no other schools) in the Drama Studio.  Musa Konteh and Aaron Newbury will propose "This House believes that murderers should be executed", and they will be opposed by Matthew Hoskin and Matthew Green.