NORTHBOURNE NEWS
Issue No: Twenty
Date: 5th February 2010
PLEASE NOTE: The school will close for the February holiday at 3.00 pm on Friday 12th February. We re-open on Monday 22nd February.
WINNING STREAK!...
We have been thrilled to see several of our pupils winning local and national competitions during the last month. A child in Kite class won tickets for the performance of Aladdin at the Civic Hall with her fantastic and colourful costume design for the princess. Our Breakfast Club is celebrating too, after another child in Kite class, won a national competition with his underwater-themed art-work. His winning drawing will now be published in a book, and will be put forward to the grand final. Two children each received a letter of commendation in the same competition, which was open to all Breakfast Clubs and After-School Clubs. Well done to all of you for proving what a range of talents we have at Northbourne.
Dates for the diary
Tuesday 9th February 6pm
Hawk class performance of Macbeth – tickets available from the office
Wednesday 10th February from 3pm
Stepping Stones and Foundation Stage cake sale (all donations of cakes welcome)
Wednesday 10th February 3:15pm
PTA meeting – all welcome (see below)
Thursday 11th February
No teacher-run clubs (astronomy and homework) due to staff INSET
Wednesday 23rd February, 9 – 11:30
Y5 and 6 athletics tournament at DGS
Wednesday 24th (4:30 – 7pm) and Thursday 25th (3:15 – 5:30) February
Parent consultation meetings – please return appointment slips to class teachers by Monday
Week beginning 1st March
Y6 residential to Plas Pencelli
Week beginning 8th March
Book Week
Thanks go to a girl in Falcon class who explained the Wicker Man Oxford competition during one of our assemblies this week. To enter this, children need to design a Wicker Man; the winner will receive £100 and also see their design turned into an 8 metre tall wooden sculpture and burnt at the Oxford Round Table Fireworks Display! More information can be found at http://wickermanoxford.co.uk. We are happy to send on any entries; please hand them to the office for us to collect.
MACBETH CRECHE
We are looking forward to seeing Hawk class’s extravaganza performance of Macbeth on Tuesday – the special effects look especially intriguing! If you would like us to organise a crèche to help with child-care, please let Mr. Collett or the office know.
PTA
Our next PTA meeting will be this Wednesday from 3:15 in the staff room, where we will be organising our next round of fundraising events. Please come along and share your ideas over a piece of cake and a coffee – all are welcome, whether you are able to play a role on the committee or are able to provide an extra pair of hands at our events.
WE’LL MEET AGAIN...
As part of their ongoing World War II work, Kite and Eagle classes visited the Railway Centre on Wednesday...and were promptly evacuated on a steam train! As always, the classes behaved brilliantly and it was great to see so many authentic costumes – thanks to parents and relatives for helping with these.
The visit has helped with some fantastic pieces of descriptive writing. A child in Eagles wrote:
“Running home with the letter scrunched up in their frozen hands, they wondered what it would say. Anxious for it to be opened, they quickly handed it to Mum, who was waiting happily at the door. Mum opened it gently. Silence filled the room. Reluctantly, she handed the letter over to Milly.
“No!” shouted mum in horror. As she read the typed-up letter, there was a tear running down her face.”
Another child wrote an outstanding story which began:
“The German bombers swiftly glided over the city of Krakow, the fiery, red Nazi symbol thickly plastered on the rusty aircraft. Then it was gone. Among the waste and rubble lay the Nazi soldiers, carelessly thrown out of the bombers on the command of the tyrant, as he was now viewed, Adolf Hitler. The soldiers were holding back tears as many of the corpses they were throwing out were those of friends, even brothers.”
Well done for such outstanding writing.
BONKERS FOR BOOKS
On Tuesday 9th March, the author and illustrator Mini Grey will be spending the day with us to talk about her work. Mini has written a range of beautifully-illustrated books, including Biscuit Bear, the Traction Man series and The Pea and the Princess. As well as meeting with each class, there will be 2 signing sessions with Mini – one for her books which you may already have at home, and one at the end of the day where you will be able to buy copies of her books and have them signed. More details, including times, will follow.
To celebrate Mini’s visit, we would like to repeat last year’s successful book character day and encourage everyone to come to school dressed as favourite book characters. Costumes can be as simple or complicated as you like, and winners from each class will receive a special prize. We look forward to seeing what pupils (and staff!) come up with this year...
Neighbourhood Kids February Day Camp
Winter Fun Camp 15-19 February 2010
All children ages 3-11 are welcome to join us for lots of frosty fun during the upcoming school holidays! With a huge variety of activities mixed with lots of free play time and topped off with special events happening each day there’s definitely something for all children to enjoy.
Featuring
Monday: Frosty Friend-Finder Games
Tuesday: Hero’s Ceremony
Wednesday: Wacky Winter Olympics
Thursday: Day Trip to the Northmoor Trust
Friday: Winter Wonderland Variety Show
Neighbourhood Kids is a joint childcare venture of schools in Didcot. We’re partnering for the positive!
Pick up more information and booking forms by visiting the school office or downloading them from our host school’s website (www.willowcroft.org.uk/childcare.asp ) and return your completed forms to the office ASAP. Ring our Childcare Co-ordinator at 07599 018 627 for more information or to book a tour.
