April tomorrow. How on earth did that happen?

Term Dates
School Closes next Friday, 8th April, for the Easter Break. School will reopen on Tuesday 26th April for the three-day week, during which we intend to cover a number of activities around the royal family and the wedding, culminating in a tea party on the Thursday afternoon.

Attendance for these three days is just as important as any other days, and your children are expected to attend. School is closed on Friday 29th April for the Royal wedding, and on Monday 2nd May for the Bank holiday, reopening on Tuesday 3rd May for the remainder of term 5 (date for your diaries – term 5 ends on Friday 27th May).

Attendance
Attendance for term 4 has been excellent. In the last two weeks, attendance for the entire school has been above the national average, and the highest in my time here. We have had one class with 100% attendance for the week, which is brilliant, and I am looking forward to many more brilliant attendance figures at the end of next week.

For term 3, overall attendance was 92.2% - the highest this year so far. I am quietly confident that term 4 will be even better, but attendance right up to the very last day is vital, so next Friday will be very important for our figures. As well as one or two items of fun (see below) children will be completing pieces of work, and continuing to follow topics and projects until the very last afternoon – their being here is crucial.

Easter Bonnets
Although Easter seems like a million miles away, many parents and children (and Miss Pingree) have expressed a desire to hold the annual Easter Bonnet parade. Therefore, as final farewell to term 4, the parade of Easter Bonnets will be held on Friday 8th April at 2.30. All children (and staff!) are welcome to join in – bring your bonnets on the day.

I will speak to you all, I hope, before the end of what has so far been an extremely productive term 4.

Zak Willis

As you all know, tomorrow is Red Nose Day 2011. We have been talking with the children about this event for the last few weeks and they all know how we intend to join in: children must be in school uniform – no exceptions – but they have been encouraged to make their hair look as crazy as they possibly can. Wigs and hats are allowed as well.

During the day, we will photograph the children and take a collection which we will send in as the school’s donation to this year’s appeal. Any parents and carers who wish to join in will have their photo taken for our board as well.

Let’s have a great day everyone.

Reading club will now take place on a Monday lunchtime instead of after school on a Wednesday. All children in years one and two are invited to come along to the Reception classroom between 12.30 and 1.00 with their book bags. Year six reading buddies are also invited to come along - Miss Neal & Mrs Knight look forward to seeing you all there.

Also, just a quick reminder that the World Book Day book review competition will be closing on Friday 25th March. Children are invited to submit a review of their favourite book, these reviews can be in pictures and or writing and should be completed on A4 paper. Please ask your teachers for a piece of paper and hand your entries to Miss Neal by Friday 25th - prizes to be won!!

I have to congratulate some of our year 6 girls on the publication of last week’s brilliant Badock’s Big Mouth – the first edition of the Badock’s Wood newspaper. I have been reliably informed that next week’s edition will be even better – have your 20p coins ready…

Finally, a massive well done to all our bronze silver and gold attendees. Attendance for last term was 92.2% - the best it has been in my time here. Our overall attendance for the year is better than for last year, and we had over 50 children who attended for all of term 3. Those are very impressive statistics – please keep it going.

Zak Willis

What a great start to term 4, the second half of the year. Attendance for the first half of this year is way up on the same time last year, pupils’ uniform looks excellent, and we have much to look forward to. A warm welcome back to some old friends, and some new (including a new Baby Ford, Marcey Eva, arriving March 1st as planned.) Just a quick note of some dates and projects coming up.

World Book Day

We will celebrate World Book Day this Friday, 4th March. Children will get the chance to listen to stories, join in stories, and will each receive one of the world book day books. All children are invited to dress as a character from a book for the day, and we will be giving prizes to the very best. (Please note – this is not a non-uniform day; if you don’t want to dress up, that’s fine, school uniform will do.)

Key Stage 2 Homework

As of next week, all key stage 2 children will receive writing homework every week. I have informed the whole key stage today how this will work, and they have been given their books. Loss of books will be charged to the family, and not doing homework will mean the children are asked to do it in break / lunch times.

Red Nose Day

RND 2011 is March 18th. We will give you more details closer to the time, but we will be doing some special events for Red Nose Day. Please do not buy costumes, as we will still be in school uniform, just with an unusual, and very easy, twist…

Attendance awards

Next week I will send out letters to the 109 pupils who are in the gold – silver – bronze categories for the first half of the year, who will all get the chance to join in a little “half way there” treat next week.

Here’s to a great second half of the year, where we hope to build on the many successes of the first.

Zak Willis