Newsletter: 15th December 2023
Posted on December 15, 2023 | By Mr Cole
Wow!
We’ve had three amazing Productions this week which the children across our schools have worked enormously hard on. I have been so impressed with the enthusiasm and care the children have taken in developing their parts – whether spoken, singing, dancing or acting they have all done exceptionally well. Thank you to all of you too, for helping your child to learn their lines and songs… I’m sure you’ll be humming various tracks for several weeks to come!
Full Photo collections from each of the schools’ productions can be found here:
Panto Pandemonioum – Buckland Brewer
FOWS Thanks
Team Woolley are so grateful for the generous donations of raffle prizes from all parents and other wonderful Friends of Woolsery School. The amazing support from you all plus local businesses who sponsored the programmes and all those who spent precious money on raffle tickets and programmes means that an incredible £1500 (approx) was raised!
Thank you everyone for being a part of something wonderful. And a really huge thank you to the children, whose performances were the reason the hall was packed for all 3 performances!
Also, just a reminder that Bag 2 School will be back shortly after the Christmas break. Collection Day is Wednesday 24th January
This is regular fundraiser where we ask everyone at school and in the local community to collect together good quality items for re-use. Bag 2 School weigh all the donations as they are loaded into their van and give us a cheque in exchange! We are paid per kilo so, please start putting stuff to one side ready for the New Year.
They accept: all clothing, paired shoes, handbags, jewellery, belts, soft toys, linen, curtains, towels, bedding.
They DO NOT accept: duvets, blankets, pillows, cushions, carpet, ripped clothing, school uniform or rags.
Please bring bags to the school/ school gate (by the sign) from Jan 15th to 23rd.
Admissions Into Reception – September 2024
Just a reminder that Devon Admissions are now accepting requests for Reception places for September.
Please note that if your child attends one of our Preschools you still need to apply for a place in our Reception group – attendance at Preschool, which is non-statutory, does not give you an automatic place in any of our schools; you will still need to complete the form shown below.
Christmas Dinner
Just a reminder that Tuesday is Christmas Dinner Day. your child is very welcome to wear a Christmas jumper on the day, as well as any seasonal hats, etc. Please could I ask that you don’t send your child in with Christmas-themed ear-rings, though, as these are often long and not safe for a busy, excited school environment.
Early Christmas Visitors
We have several cases of headlice in our school sat the moment – a very unwelcome guest just in time for Christmas. As is usual, my request is that you:
- check your whole family over the weekend, especially in the nape of the neck and behind ears, which are their favourite places to hang out
- Treat any infestation you may find – this could be “nits” which are the egg cases stuck to strands of hair, or lice which will be crawling. Examples of each are in the not-to-scale image below:
If you have a recurring problem with headlice, there are some things that can help, such as routinely combing through wet hair with conditioner and a nit comb, putting pillow cases, bedtime soft toys etc in the freezer for a couple of hours to kill any lice or eggs which may be present. The main thing, though, is to check, check and keep checking – I know from my daughters it’s a miserable thing to have to do, but checking regularly is really the best defence. (and sorry… you’re probably scratching your head just reading this…!)
Forest School next term
After the Chritmas Break, the following classes will have weekly Forest School sessions:
- Buckland Brewer: Orleigh Class
- Parkham: Foxdown Class
- Woolsery: Burscott, Stroxworthy and Ashmansworthy Classes
As our school-owned waterproofs are now in very bad repair indeed, we have to ask that chidlren bring their own waterproof trousers as well as warm coats to sessions. We are planning to replace our waterproofs stock but it will take a while to save up for that level of spend.
We are also in need of shoe boxes for part of next term’s Forest School work. If Father Christmas is kind enough to get any of your family new shoes over the break, please could you keep the box and dro pit into school in the first week back? Thanks.
Swimming Returns
Next term, our swimming tuition returns. This time around we have made some changes in order to focus on getting high quality outcomes in this important life skill. This means that in a change from last year, only Year 5 and 6 will go swimming in all schools (Last year, Buckland Brewer and Parkham took Y4 as well). This will mean less lost learning time waiting for transport, and more focused lessons at the pool itself. Year 4 children in Goldworthy Class will remain at school and will have regular lessons whilst swimming lessons are taking place.
Please remember your child will need swimming kit and towel on Thursdays (Parkham) and Fridays (Woolsery) from the first week of term. You should not send your child in with a swim hat as we now have our own set which are used and then washed each week which makes changing times much quicker for everyone. Goggles are optional but if taken must not be the full-face type.
Buckland Brewer Y5 and Y6, and Woolsery Y5 will swim after half term.
Staff Changes
One Wednesday, Melbury Class will say good-bye to Mrs Nisbet who has taught the class three days a week this term. We thank Mrs Nisbet for all her hard work with the class – it’s not goodbye from the Partnership however, as Mrs Nisbet will revert to her previous hours working with Burscott Class and, on a supply basis, across the Partnership.
From next term, Ms Peter take on the Class on a permanent basis as she returns from her maternity leave. As many of you will remember, Ms Peter was Gorwood Class’ teacher up until last Christmas and is returning to work as a part time teacher jobsharing with Mrs Lewis. We are very much looking forward to Ms Peter joining the Parkham team! She will be in school on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week so will begin the process of getting to know the children before we break up.
At Woolsery, we also say good-bye to Mrs Ally Wallis as a mealtime assistant. Whilst Mrs Wallis will continue working some hours in Preschool, she has asked to relinquish her MTA hours. We wish Ally the very best and look forward to still seeing her in her teaching assistant role. From January, Mrs Shelley Grantham will join the mealtime assistant team at the school. Mrs Grantham is well known to the children already and we know she’ll be an excellent replacement for Mrs Wallis’ skills.
Miss Grant will also be leaving us at the end of term. Miss Grant has been a teaching assistant at Woolsery for several years and is leaving to pursue new challenges. She will still be around from time to time, though, and we wish her the very best for the future.
We also welcome Miss Kingston to Buckland Brewer School. Miss Kingston is on her final teacher training placement and is based with Tythecott Class until the end of the Spring Term, learning more about the craft of teaching alongside Mrs Kersey and the Buckland Brewer team. Miss Kingston has already begun getting to know the children but begins her placement properly in January. She is a trainee teacher with the University of the West of England, Bristol.
Parkham Christingle
Parkham will be holding their Christingle on Thursday 11th January at 10am. Parkham parents and villagers are very welcome to join us in the Parish Church in our short service which will be led by Rev’d Jane Hayes.
Tech-Free at Christmas
YFC Tractor Run – Woolsery YFC are decorating their tractors up and are fundraising for Devon Air Ambulance they are due
Times of arrival for the Christmas tractor Run are as follows
Bucks cross 4:10pm
Parkham 4:30pm
Woolsery 5:00pm
Hartland 6:15 pm
Higher clovelly 6:30pm
These are only rough times we will try to keep you updated on Facebook (Woolsery Young Farmers Page as much as we can.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
So that’s it – the last Newsletter of 2023 is done, marking the end of my first full year with the Federation. We all have so many wonderful memories to look back on over the last 12 months – from our snow-delayed Christmas dinner back in January, our Pixies Holt residential in March, through to a packed programme of inter- and intra- school Sports fixtures, the excitement of the end of the school year in July and what has been a wonderful Autumn Term where everyone has worked exceptionally hard in improving learning in all three schools.
Whatever you are doing over the Christmas Break, have a wonderful time and we look forward to seeing you back with us on Monday 8th January.
- 19th December: Christmas Dinner Day (all schools)
- 20th December: Last Day of Term
- 8th January 2024: First Day of Spring Term
- 10th January: Tythecott Class begin their Art programme at Appledore Art Studio (half a class each week, returning to school before lunchtime)
- 11th January: Christingle at Parkham Church 10am
- 11th January (pm): Swimming begins for Years 5 and 6 only in Goldworthy Class
- 12th January (am): Swimming begins for Year 6 at Woolsery (Ashmansworthy Class)
| Monday | |
| Tuesday | Christmas Dinner and Wear-A-Christmas-Jumper Day |
| Wednesday | End of Term – school returns on Monday 8th January 2024 |
| Thursday | Christmas Holidays |
| Friday | Christmas Holidays |
Mr Cole’s planned schedule
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| Monday | all day | ||
| Tuesday | all day | ||
| Wednesday | all day |
With best wishes,
Matt Cole, Headteacher