They have asked parents to write to Phil Astle at WCC as described at the very end of the consultation paper to express your views. To aid this process there is a standard letter template ; please feel free to amend or add to the letter so it can convey your point of view.

The template can be downloaded by clicking here.

WCC have set up two meetings to discuss this for parents and prospective parents of the proposed Dunchurch Primary School on 18th May at our school and 20th May at Dunchurch Junior School.  You should try to go to one or both of those meetings – certainly our school needs your support at the one on the 18th to clearly demonstrate to WCC that this matter is important to us, our current pupils, our future pupils and our local communities.

2010 Dates for your Diaries

8 February
1.00 pm CCFC
10 February
French Club
1.30pm Stay and Play
12 February
In2Sports
15-19 February
Half Term
22-26 February
Staying Safe and Healthy Week
22 February
Violin
1.00 pm CCFC
3.15-4.15 – Mad Science Week 1
24 February
French Club
1.30pm Stay and Play
25 February
7.00pm Keeping Safe Curriculum Evening
26 February
In2Sports
27 February
Quiz Night and Supper, Bourton Village Hall
1 March
Violins
1.00 pm CCFC
3.15-4.15 – Mad Science Week 2
10 March
Jump Off – Sponsored skipping event
5.00-8.00pm – Parent/Teacher Meetings
11 March
3.30-5.30pm – Parent/Teacher Meetings
12 March
2.00pm Mother’s Day Assembly
18 March
Children’s Party 5.00 – 6.30pm Clownin Around Southam
25 March
Friends Social Evening, Red Lion, Hunningham 7.45pm
26 March
1.30 End of Term Church Service
21 April
Friends Meeting 8pm – Venue tbc
12 June
Rose Queen Day, School
14 July
Friends Summer Social Evening – Venue tbc

After the huge success of last year’s quiz, we are planning the same format this year. The bargain ticket price of just £7.50 includes a hot supper (and we will have the same superb chefs as last year so you know you wont go home hungry!). There will also be a cash bar, with lager, beer and local real ale (so leave your cars at home and book a taxi) and a raffle with great prizes.

You can either enter as a complete team of 6, or buy single tickets and we can match you up with a team – it’s a great way to meet other parents if you are new to the school.

Tickets are on a first come, first served basis. You can call us, email or let us know how many tickets you need via the red bags:

Claire McGregor – Cameron (Y1)
Lynne Greaves – Lucy (Y1) and Sophia (Nursery)

The Friends have decided to make a change to the way in which we all pay for our food and drinks at future social evenings. I will no longer be asking you to pay a £5 deposit to confirm your seat. If you wish to come along on March 25th can you please contact me via Lucy’s red bag (reception) and just notify me of your desire to go then you have a guaranteed seat at the table. Once menus are available I will send a copy out to those who have notified me. Can you then make your choice/s from the menu as usual but then let me have a cheque for the total of your food bill made out to the pub. Drinks will be settled separately. If anyone has any queries please contact me as above. I will of course be returning deposits to those who have already paid.
Thanks, Julie Cowley

We have decided to try out a new format for the children’s party – we have organised for exclusive use of Clownin’ Around indoor soft play centre in Southam. This way, we thought the children could run off a bit of energy before bedtime in a place that they know and are familiar with, whilst parents can either relax with a nice hot drink and have an opportunity to meet other parents, or leave their children and have an hour or so of peace!

The Friends will be subsidising the cost, so entry for each child will be £3.50 which includes squash to drink. Elder siblings (up to the age of 7 and less than 150cm tall) may also come along at a cost of £4.50 per head. Younger siblings are also welcome, again at a subsidised cost of £3.50 We will be sending out booking forms after half term as payment and booking must be made in advance of the party.

We hope that you will all support this as an alternative to the parties that have been run previously in the Parish Hall. We need a minimum number of children in order to qualify for exclusive use at the price per head agreed, so would appreciate you letting us know if your children will be coming along.
Many Thanks, Lynne Greaves

11 red sweatshirts size 28”
1 red jog pants age 3-4
1 red legionaires hat one size
1 red LH cardigan 30”
1 red LH cardigan 24”
1 red woollen cardigan age 5
3 red gingham dresses age 4
2 red gingham dresses age 5
3 red gingham dresses age 6
2 red gingham dresses age 7
2 grey pinafore dresses age 5
1 grey skirt age 4
2 grey skirts age 5
1 grey skirts age 6

If you are interested in any of the above uniform, please contact Paula Whitfield via the School Office.

You should have received, with this Newsletter, an invitation to register your interest in joining us for an Astronomical Observing Evening on Thursday 25th February.
This event will be part of our “Keeping Safe and Healthy” week (keeping safe after dark). Keeping our children safe and healthy is very important to us and during the week we will be holding road safety training and teaching the children from our ‘Taking Care’ programme. There will an opportunity for you to talk to our school advisors on both these initiatives after our astronomy session.

Mad Science 22nd Feb – 22nd March Mondays 3.15pm – 4.15pm
Attached to this Newsletter is further information for those children who are participating in our Mad Science sessions after school on Mondays. As we are doing a shorter course the topics have changed slightly and the leaflet is for your information only – please only return the permission slip if you have not already done so.

Please send cheques in to the office by Wednesday 10th February to secure your place, payable to PJT Science Ltd, for £32.50 and not £34.75 as requested. Please also ensure you collect your child from school promptly at 4.15pm.

Baby Toys/Equipment
Do you have any baby toys/equipment that you no longer use that could be donated to our Stay & Play group? We desperately need rattles, blankets, baby gym etc in good condition for our Wednesday sessions. Thank you.

Illnesses
We have had a confirmed case of Scarlet Fever and a suspected case of Slapped Cheek in the school. Whilst symptoms for both are quite similar we advise you to go to the NHS website (www.nhs.uk) if you are at all concerned for a full list of symptoms, timescales and further information.

They both present themselves with a child feeling unwell, nausea, headache, temperature and sore throat in the first instance. In both cases, the child will then develop a rash, Scarlet Fever predominantly on the body and Cheek predominantly on the cheeks. Scarlet Fever is treated with antibiotics and children must stay off school for 5 days from starting their course of medication.

If your child is showing any of the above symptoms please keep them off school and treat as advised by your doctor. Please do not send them back to school until they are better to prevent the risk of infection in others.

Headlice
We also had a child with headlice this week so please could you all check your child/ren’s hair and treat if necessary over the weekend. Thank you.

Mad Science – Reception to Y2, Mondays 3.15pm – 4.15pm
This has proved to be very popular and due to the large interest we have qualified for a free “Mad Science” Assembly which will take place on Monday 1st Feb. The weekly sessions will begin after half term on Monday 22nd February but will only run for 5 weeks as opposed to the advertised 6 weeks decreasing the fees to £32.50. Please do not send in payment yet, these will be requested nearer the time. Thank you.

Parking
On Monday, due to inconsiderate parking, one of the bus drivers damaged the front of his bus as his manoeuvrability was restricted when parking and reversing. Luckily no children or other vehicles were involved. This is an ongoing problem and we are again requesting to please not park either on the yellow zig-zag lines or on the road directly next to the school by Reception’s garden. If this problem persists the bus companies have threatened to report us to WCC and to stop collecting our children from school.

Please ensure that if you are not collecting your child/ren yourself you pass on this information to who is. Thank you for your co-operation.

School Uniform
I will be doing a school uniform order shortly so if you would like to place an order please request an order form from the office and return it with payment by Monday 8th Feb.

Toilet Twinning
We have had some very colourful and imaginative toilets sent in for last week’s homework and below are our winning toilets. I’m sure you will agree that our children have been very creative!

Thank you to those who have sent in their £1 entrance fee – so far we have raised £16 but in order to achieve the £60 we are aiming for, please could those who have not sent in their entrance fee, send this in to the office on Monday along with any spare pennies you may have. Thank you.

The children are already enjoying learning about the 5 senses and the topic grid is attached to the Newsletter this week so that you can support your child’s learning at home.

Uniform
Please could all parents make sure that ALL items of clothing are clearly named in a permanent manner. Children can get upset if they lose their clothing and if items are not named they cannot be returned to their rightful owner.

Stamps – SIA
The Spinals Injury Association is collecting our sack of stamps next week so could you please send in any used stamps on Monday. Thank you.

Holiday Club
Many thanks to all of you who filled in our holiday club questionnaire showing a high level of interest in this provision. Using the information from the questionnaire we have decided to open for one week at Easter and three weeks during the summer on the following dates:

Easter Holiday Club:
Monday March 29th to Thursday April 1st 2010
Summer Holiday Club:
Monday 26th July to Friday 30th July 2010
Monday 2nd August to Friday 6th August 2010
Monday 9th August to Friday 13th August 2010
Booking forms are available on request from the office.

Fund Raising
We are hoping to raise money for Toilet Twinning this term. The money will be used to build a latrine in Burundi, Africa, where there are no toilets for people to use. The children discussed ways to raise money and we have decided to have a ‘penny trail’ and also a competition to design a toilet, with an entrance fee of £1. Further details to follow, but, in the meantime, please could you send in any unwanted pennies you have so that we can start our ‘penny trail’. Further information is available about the charity on www.toilettwinning.org