HEAD’S VIEW
‘Why don’t most cats shave, Mr Croker?’
‘I don’t know, Harry, why don’t most cats shave?’
‘Because nine out of ten cats prefer whiskers,’ replies Harry and with a twinkle in his eye he departs.
Among the many highlights of the last week that moment with Harry shone brightly. As did another which, funnily enough, involved a different Harry who decided, on his own initiative, to raise some funds for the school. He bounced on his trampoline many times and presented the money to me on a chilly Monday morning. A note from his mother said that he was worried because he heard his teacher saying that we were short of whiteboard pens. I think that these two stories tell us a little of the sense of fun and the spirit which pervades our school.
Today we say farewell and ‘good luck’ to three PGCE students from Bath Spa; Louise Adams (1R), Heather Miller (2C) and Nellie Banks (6CS) who have been involved in their teaching practice at our school over the past few months. They have become very much part of the team and there is little doubt that they will go on to become teachers of the highest order. We wish them well. In my meeting with them today what also became clear was their appreciation of the Newbridge community and Mrs Rhodes, Ms Card and Miss Simpson, in particular, for their excellent guidance and support.
Newbridge Groundforce (part 1) begins tomorrow. We have a squad being assembled by Martin Powell, armed with spades, strimmers etc, all ready to begin our push on the conservation area, spiritual garden and veggie plots. Everyone still welcome, children must be accompanied by an adult and we begin at 9.00am, finish at 1.00pm.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY W/B 02/02/09
Monday 02/02/09
- Girls’ Football v Saltford @ 3.30pm – Away
Tuesday 03/02/09
- 2B Assembly @ 2.30pm
- 4W / 6CS Parents’ Evening
Wednesday 04/02/09
- Fire Brigade talk to Year 2
Thursday 05/02/09
- Parents’ Evening
Friday 06/02/09
- Year 2 to visit Emmanuel Church
- Fire Brigade talk to Year 5 re fire safety
- Years 2 and 4 Cake Sale in Lower School Hall @ 3.15pm
- NPSA Quiz Night @ 7.30pm
BREAKFAST CLUB
Please can all parents/carers be reminded that children who attend Breakfast Club should arrive no earlier than 8.00am as the staff are not responsible for them before this time. Also the serving of breakfast will cease at 8.30am, so please ensure your children arrive in good time to receive their breakfast. Many thanks. Gill Kennaugh, Deputy Headteacher
CLUBS NEWS FOR NEXT WEEK………
- Due to Parents’ Evening next Thursday, there will be no cricket club and robotics club. Tag rugby and orchestra will continue as normal.
QUANTUM THEATRE
Monday 9th February. Please can you send in your contributions next week. Thank you.
Mrs Bradley (Science Subject Leader)
PAINTING SHIRTS
If you have any old spare shirts that we could use as painting aprons, please can you bring them in to Miss Wells (4W). Thank you.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING ‘STARS OF THE WEEK’
Foundation Stage
Helen, Robert
Years 1 and 2
George , Mehrin, Georgia, Jahdel, Kyle, Tanea
Years 3 and 4
Naomi, Grace, Nancy
Years 5 and 6
Daniel, Martha, Joe, Wilson
PPA Drama
Anna
PPA Art
Brandon
PPA PE
Ben, Thea
PPA Music
Luke, John
CELEBRATING WRITING
Iceland Noises
Seals splashing
People slipping
Penguins eating fish
Ice cracking
Snow falling
Wind blowing
By Luka – 1R
Bedtime Noises
Animals screaming
Daddy snoring
Trees rustling
Sophia screaming
The gate slamming
My cat meowing
Horses neighing
Toys snapping
Ghosts going woooo!
My tap dripping
By Ruby – 1R
FOOTBALL REPORTS
On 23rd January Newbridge played Saltford in a cup game. The game kicked off with chances for both teams but Saltford broke our defence with a pass through the middle. Newbridge kept on attacking but at half time the score was 2-0 to Saltford. The second half started with Newbridge putting a lot of pressure on Saltford. A shot from Jacob was headed in by Oscar and the score was 2-1. Soon after Mark scored a second goal. A chip from George and a finish from Alex gave Newbridge the lead. The final score was 4-2 to Newbridge. We would like to thank Mr Cumpson for coaching and organising and also Mr Hempleman and all the supporters.
Newbridge Zebras vs Combe Down
On Tuesday 27th January Newbridge Zebras played Combe down. Harry W got the Zebras off to a good start by putting us ahead from a long goal kick by John H. We just could not stop scoring; Harry W, Alfie, Austen, Max B and an own goal making the score at half time 8-0 to the Zebras. In the second half the Zebras scored 3 goals, Alfie and Ben scoring. The final score was Newbridge Zebras 11-0 Combe Down!
Thank you to Mr. Cumpson for organizing the game. Thank you to the parents and carers for supporting us. By John H, Austen D, Harry W
FROCKSWAP
The NPSA's exclusive frockswap pack is now available to download from the school website. Just go to www.newbridge.bathnes.sch.uk and find it on the NPSA page. It gives you step by step instructions and all the resources you need to hold your very own clothes swap with friends - and raise money for your child's school in the process! Try it! We did and had a lot of fun! Two hard copies of the pack are also available in the NPSA tray at reception, if you do not have access to a computer. Feel free to borrow and photocopy!
NPSA NEWS npsa@hotmail.co.uk
Cake Sale – Years 2 and 4 - Friday 6th February
Just a reminder to all parents and carers of the Children in Year 2 (class reps Sarah Webb and Teresa Weston) and Year 4 (class reps Claire Whitehouse and Anna Whitson) – we need your cakes! Your class reps will provide you with plates next week so please bring them back in on Friday morning to the Lower School Kitchen. We also need volunteers to sell them. If you can help, either 30 minutes before the end of school, during the cake sale itself for 30 minutes or afterwards to clear up, then let your class rep know or just pitch up. The sale itself will take place in the Lower School Hall and is open to everyone so come and support your school.
Nearly New Uniform
Thank you for your donations, please keep them coming....we still need more. The first sale will be during the next coffee morning on Monday 2nd March. Please dig out any old uniform your children have grown out of as we need lots more items to have a good stock for the stall! Just hand items in at reception.
Lower School Fruit Rota
We still need more volunteers to help with this wonderful free fruit scheme for our children. The more the merrier. After morning drop off – collect a class “fruit bowl” and refill it – how simple is that and just before pick up collect the bowl, empty it and rinse it ready for the next day.....easy even if you have a buggy or a toddler. Thank you to all those that have already signed up (in the Lower School Kitchen), please remember which day/s you have signed up for, am or pm, and it is up to you to find your replacement if you can’t make it. Thank you to Dawn (1R) and her team who always ensure that our children get their break snacks. If you don't feel like you can commit to a day or time, in true Newbridge style, pitch up and help. Just see if we are short that day, we are so grateful for these key helpers too.
Quiz Night – Friday 6th February 7.30pm
Have a Dads team or a Mums team, bring your friends or just come along yourself and join in the fun. It’s all very informal. Tickets are running out very fast. Complete the slip below and pop it in an envelope marked ‘NPSA Quiz Night’ to Main Reception and we'll get your tickets to you OR just grab your class rep, they may have some left or know where to get them.
Friday, 30 January 2009
Friday, 23 January 2009
NEWSLETTER Issue: 3.03
NEWBRIDGE GROUNDFORCE DAY IS DRAWING CLOSER!
This is a call to arms …..or more like spades and trowels. Next Saturday 31st January we are holding the first of our three Groundforce sessions. Our aim is to start to turn the Conservation Area into a very special place of learning and fun for the children and community. In addition we would like to make our Spiritual Garden even more special and dig a few veggie plots too. We need YOU! The session runs from 9.00am to 1.00pm but don’t worry if you can only give an hour – that is great by us – the more help we have the more we can achieve. The intention is for these Groundforce Days to be family events so all ages welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult please. If you would like to come please e mail Martin Powell on Martin.Powell101@googlemail.com or phone 01225 424765 so that we can plan equipment etc. He will also be able to tell you what equipment, if any, you need to bring. If you want to help but you do not fancy the gardening side then a steady supply of drinks, cakes etc would be most appreciated. Finally, if our glorious weather looks especially grim for that Saturday morning then a decision to cancel will be made on the Friday and a message sent out……….but we are sure it will be fine!
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY W/B 26/01/09
Monday 25/01/09
- Nutrition Talk – Apologies but this has been CANCELLED
Tuesday 27/01/09
- Open Afternoon for prospective parents: 1.30 - 2.30pm
- Football v Combe Down - 2 teams (boys) @ 3.30pm
Thursday 29/01/09
- Kilve Court Meeting for year 5 parents and children @ 6.30pm
Friday 30/01/09
- 5C/5PB Assembly @ 2.15pm
Saturday 31/01/09
- Newbridge Groundforce working on the outside environment: 9.00am -1.00pm
WELCOME
We welcome Remy who started in Willow class this week. Remy’s family and our school know each other very well as we had the pleasure of Remy’s sister, Darcy, being with us for seven years, leaving only last summer. Our best wishes go to Remy.
HELP – Can anyone help us transport the school staging to the Pavilion on 30th April for our massed concert? A van or lorry would be needed first thing and then the next morning to pick up. Please contact Lesley Houston or Jane Amies.
QUANTUM THEATRE
This is going to be a really exciting play about Forces which I know everyone in KS1 and KS2 will enjoy. Please can you send in your contributions as soon as possible, without more we may be forced to cancel. Thank you, Mrs Bradley (Science)
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING ‘STARS OF THE WEEK’
Foundation Stage
Alfie, Daisy
Years 1 and 2
Harry, Matthew, Daniel, Theo
Years 3 and 4
Lydia, Brandon, Oliver, Cydney
Years 5 and 6
Tom, Julian, Alex
PPA Drama
Alice
PPA Art
Edward
PPA PE
Ella, Josie
CERTIFICATES OF EXCELLENCE – DECEMBER
At the end of every month each class teacher has a very difficult decision to face. They have to choose the one person from their class to receive a Certificate of Excellence. The person they choose has to consistently be the best that he or she can be. That could be in effort and attitude, achievement, behaviour or citizenship. Sometimes it can be very difficult deciding as all of the children at Newbridge seem to work so hard and behave so well!
The girls and boys with their names here this month deserve congratulating. It is not easy to be awarded a Certificate of Excellence and they have done extremely well.
Lower School
Elm - Ella
Willow - Olivia
1H - Andrea
1R - Ella
2B - Michael
2C - Leon
Upper School
3B - Ruby
3H - Abigail
4P - Faisan
4W - Aisha
5C - Ross
5PB - Jacob
6A - Elliot
6CS - Molly
6JS - Bryony
LIFE CYCLE UK
The above cycle training course will start on Tuesday 10th March for 4 weeks from 1.00 – 3.00pm. It’s for years 5 and 6 and the cost is £20.00 (or free if your child has FSM). If you would like further information please contact Mrs Miles in the school office.
BANES HIGH FIVE NETBALL FINALS
Well done to all 16 children who took part in the BANES Netball Final last Thursday at the University of Bath. There were 10 schools from all over the authority who took part, all playing to a very high standard. Both Newbridge A and B played well and gave 100%. I was incredibly proud of all the children who supported each other and worked well as a team. Congratulations to the A team who have qualified for the County finals, which will be held at Clifton College on Friday 27th March. What an achievement!! Thank you to those parents who helped with transport and organising the teams.
Mrs Bartlett
(‘A huge ‘well done’ to all our netballers on representing the school so impressively. Clifton here we come! A big ‘thankyou’ to Mrs Bartlett and our parents too.’ Mr Croker)
FOOTBALL REPORTS
NEWBRIDGE A TEAM – Newbridge A first played Bathampton, we drew 0-0 but there were many chances. Our second game was against St Mary’s A team which we unfortunately lost 2-0. The third game was against Monkton Combe which we won 2-0. Our fourth game was versus WASPS and the score was 3-0 to us. Joshua hit the post from a defensive position whilst Lucas scored a fantastic goal from the halfway line. Our fifth and final game was against St Stephen’s, a very close game ending in a 1-1 draw. The scores on the board at this point were won 2, drew 2 and lost 1, giving us 8 points which didn’t put us into the semi-finals.
We would like to thank Mr Cumpson for organising our teams.
By Joshua and Daniel.
NEWBRIDGE B TEAM - On Saturday 17th January a group of Year 3 and 4 footballers entered the Annual 6-a-side Tournament at Monkton Combe School. We got our cup campaign off to a great start by beating Swainswick 5-0. Joseph bagging 4 goals and Thomas netting the other. In their second game Thomas managed to get his body on the end of a Sam cross to secure a 1-0 victory against St Mary’s B team. Unfortunately we lost our next game 1-0 to St Stephen’s after what many considered to be a lucky goal. But it didn’t seem to affect Newbridge B team as we beat Wasps 3-1 in a close game which saw 2 goal line clearances from Sam W. He also scored a goal and Thomas scored the other 2. In our final group game against Monkton Combe, which we won emphatically, Alex, Joseph and Sam scored the goals. Securing a 3-1 victory, which put us through to the semi-finals against St Mary’s A team. It was a resounding victory, the score line ended 5-0, Joseph taking 2 with Sam and Thomas following up with a goal each and finally a brilliant lob from Cassidy secured our place in the final against St Stephen’s.
The final was an epic game with few chances for either team. At the end, the score line was 0-0 which meant the game had to go into extra-time. In the first half of extra-time Joseph put Newbridge B team 1-0 up. In the second half of extra-time St Stephen’s equalized which meant the game had to go into penalties. Newbridge won 6-5 in a dramatic penalty shoot out, with Lucy’s wonder strike the pick of the bunch and Daniel’s heroics in goal securing a well earned victory.
We would like to thank Mr Cumpson for organising the team and supporting us until the end. It was an excellent tournament and we were all delighted to lift the Winners Trophy. The future of Newbridge football looks great!
By Joseph and Sam 4W
(‘Not only does the future of football look great but also the quality of these match reports! Congratulations to all the players and Mr Cumpson on a fantastic day’s football…… and a trophy too!’ Mr Croker)
NPSA NEWS
Nearly new uniform
The first sale will be during the next coffee morning on Monday 2nd March. Please dig out any old uniform your children have grown out of as we need lots more items to have a good stock for the stall! Just hand items in at the reception.
If an item has a school logo it needs to be the NEW logo, as the old one is defunct now! By the way, items with the old logo can be donated to the Ragbag Project on 01225 859409 to benefit orphans and street children in South Africa.
If you need to get some uniform in a hurry before the sale and would like to try us first then leave a note at reception stating what you need and your contact details. Thank you so much the generous donations so far.
Groundforce – 31st January - 9.00am – 1.00pm
If anyone would like to bake a cake or two for our first groundforce day - please either leave them in the Blue Room kitchen on the Friday after school or bring them along with you on the Saturday morning. Thank you in advance and I hope to see you there!
Quiz Night – Friday 6th February at 7.30pm
The popular NPSA quiz night is approaching and tickets have gone on sale via class reps this week! The price has remained at the great value of £6 per person – including a hot meal. Licensed bar on the night. This event is always fun and if you haven’t been able to come to an NPSA event before we’d love to see you on Friday 6th Feb. It’s all very informal.
We’re hoping to raise enough money to buy six new digital cameras for classrooms this time around. So come and have an enjoyable evening and provide a resource for your children at the same time!
Quiz teams should be between four and six people but if you haven’t got a team, we’ll hook you up with one on the night. There are a limited number of tickets – so buy yours as soon as possible either from a class rep or by returning the form below in an envelope marked ‘NPSA Quiz Night’ to Main Reception.
This is a call to arms …..or more like spades and trowels. Next Saturday 31st January we are holding the first of our three Groundforce sessions. Our aim is to start to turn the Conservation Area into a very special place of learning and fun for the children and community. In addition we would like to make our Spiritual Garden even more special and dig a few veggie plots too. We need YOU! The session runs from 9.00am to 1.00pm but don’t worry if you can only give an hour – that is great by us – the more help we have the more we can achieve. The intention is for these Groundforce Days to be family events so all ages welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult please. If you would like to come please e mail Martin Powell on Martin.Powell101@googlemail.com or phone 01225 424765 so that we can plan equipment etc. He will also be able to tell you what equipment, if any, you need to bring. If you want to help but you do not fancy the gardening side then a steady supply of drinks, cakes etc would be most appreciated. Finally, if our glorious weather looks especially grim for that Saturday morning then a decision to cancel will be made on the Friday and a message sent out……….but we are sure it will be fine!
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY W/B 26/01/09
Monday 25/01/09
- Nutrition Talk – Apologies but this has been CANCELLED
Tuesday 27/01/09
- Open Afternoon for prospective parents: 1.30 - 2.30pm
- Football v Combe Down - 2 teams (boys) @ 3.30pm
Thursday 29/01/09
- Kilve Court Meeting for year 5 parents and children @ 6.30pm
Friday 30/01/09
- 5C/5PB Assembly @ 2.15pm
Saturday 31/01/09
- Newbridge Groundforce working on the outside environment: 9.00am -1.00pm
WELCOME
We welcome Remy who started in Willow class this week. Remy’s family and our school know each other very well as we had the pleasure of Remy’s sister, Darcy, being with us for seven years, leaving only last summer. Our best wishes go to Remy.
HELP – Can anyone help us transport the school staging to the Pavilion on 30th April for our massed concert? A van or lorry would be needed first thing and then the next morning to pick up. Please contact Lesley Houston or Jane Amies.
QUANTUM THEATRE
This is going to be a really exciting play about Forces which I know everyone in KS1 and KS2 will enjoy. Please can you send in your contributions as soon as possible, without more we may be forced to cancel. Thank you, Mrs Bradley (Science)
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING ‘STARS OF THE WEEK’
Foundation Stage
Alfie, Daisy
Years 1 and 2
Harry, Matthew, Daniel, Theo
Years 3 and 4
Lydia, Brandon, Oliver, Cydney
Years 5 and 6
Tom, Julian, Alex
PPA Drama
Alice
PPA Art
Edward
PPA PE
Ella, Josie
CERTIFICATES OF EXCELLENCE – DECEMBER
At the end of every month each class teacher has a very difficult decision to face. They have to choose the one person from their class to receive a Certificate of Excellence. The person they choose has to consistently be the best that he or she can be. That could be in effort and attitude, achievement, behaviour or citizenship. Sometimes it can be very difficult deciding as all of the children at Newbridge seem to work so hard and behave so well!
The girls and boys with their names here this month deserve congratulating. It is not easy to be awarded a Certificate of Excellence and they have done extremely well.
Lower School
Elm - Ella
Willow - Olivia
1H - Andrea
1R - Ella
2B - Michael
2C - Leon
Upper School
3B - Ruby
3H - Abigail
4P - Faisan
4W - Aisha
5C - Ross
5PB - Jacob
6A - Elliot
6CS - Molly
6JS - Bryony
LIFE CYCLE UK
The above cycle training course will start on Tuesday 10th March for 4 weeks from 1.00 – 3.00pm. It’s for years 5 and 6 and the cost is £20.00 (or free if your child has FSM). If you would like further information please contact Mrs Miles in the school office.
BANES HIGH FIVE NETBALL FINALS
Well done to all 16 children who took part in the BANES Netball Final last Thursday at the University of Bath. There were 10 schools from all over the authority who took part, all playing to a very high standard. Both Newbridge A and B played well and gave 100%. I was incredibly proud of all the children who supported each other and worked well as a team. Congratulations to the A team who have qualified for the County finals, which will be held at Clifton College on Friday 27th March. What an achievement!! Thank you to those parents who helped with transport and organising the teams.
Mrs Bartlett
(‘A huge ‘well done’ to all our netballers on representing the school so impressively. Clifton here we come! A big ‘thankyou’ to Mrs Bartlett and our parents too.’ Mr Croker)
FOOTBALL REPORTS
NEWBRIDGE A TEAM – Newbridge A first played Bathampton, we drew 0-0 but there were many chances. Our second game was against St Mary’s A team which we unfortunately lost 2-0. The third game was against Monkton Combe which we won 2-0. Our fourth game was versus WASPS and the score was 3-0 to us. Joshua hit the post from a defensive position whilst Lucas scored a fantastic goal from the halfway line. Our fifth and final game was against St Stephen’s, a very close game ending in a 1-1 draw. The scores on the board at this point were won 2, drew 2 and lost 1, giving us 8 points which didn’t put us into the semi-finals.
We would like to thank Mr Cumpson for organising our teams.
By Joshua and Daniel.
NEWBRIDGE B TEAM - On Saturday 17th January a group of Year 3 and 4 footballers entered the Annual 6-a-side Tournament at Monkton Combe School. We got our cup campaign off to a great start by beating Swainswick 5-0. Joseph bagging 4 goals and Thomas netting the other. In their second game Thomas managed to get his body on the end of a Sam cross to secure a 1-0 victory against St Mary’s B team. Unfortunately we lost our next game 1-0 to St Stephen’s after what many considered to be a lucky goal. But it didn’t seem to affect Newbridge B team as we beat Wasps 3-1 in a close game which saw 2 goal line clearances from Sam W. He also scored a goal and Thomas scored the other 2. In our final group game against Monkton Combe, which we won emphatically, Alex, Joseph and Sam scored the goals. Securing a 3-1 victory, which put us through to the semi-finals against St Mary’s A team. It was a resounding victory, the score line ended 5-0, Joseph taking 2 with Sam and Thomas following up with a goal each and finally a brilliant lob from Cassidy secured our place in the final against St Stephen’s.
The final was an epic game with few chances for either team. At the end, the score line was 0-0 which meant the game had to go into extra-time. In the first half of extra-time Joseph put Newbridge B team 1-0 up. In the second half of extra-time St Stephen’s equalized which meant the game had to go into penalties. Newbridge won 6-5 in a dramatic penalty shoot out, with Lucy’s wonder strike the pick of the bunch and Daniel’s heroics in goal securing a well earned victory.
We would like to thank Mr Cumpson for organising the team and supporting us until the end. It was an excellent tournament and we were all delighted to lift the Winners Trophy. The future of Newbridge football looks great!
By Joseph and Sam 4W
(‘Not only does the future of football look great but also the quality of these match reports! Congratulations to all the players and Mr Cumpson on a fantastic day’s football…… and a trophy too!’ Mr Croker)
NPSA NEWS
Nearly new uniform
The first sale will be during the next coffee morning on Monday 2nd March. Please dig out any old uniform your children have grown out of as we need lots more items to have a good stock for the stall! Just hand items in at the reception.
If an item has a school logo it needs to be the NEW logo, as the old one is defunct now! By the way, items with the old logo can be donated to the Ragbag Project on 01225 859409 to benefit orphans and street children in South Africa.
If you need to get some uniform in a hurry before the sale and would like to try us first then leave a note at reception stating what you need and your contact details. Thank you so much the generous donations so far.
Groundforce – 31st January - 9.00am – 1.00pm
If anyone would like to bake a cake or two for our first groundforce day - please either leave them in the Blue Room kitchen on the Friday after school or bring them along with you on the Saturday morning. Thank you in advance and I hope to see you there!
Quiz Night – Friday 6th February at 7.30pm
The popular NPSA quiz night is approaching and tickets have gone on sale via class reps this week! The price has remained at the great value of £6 per person – including a hot meal. Licensed bar on the night. This event is always fun and if you haven’t been able to come to an NPSA event before we’d love to see you on Friday 6th Feb. It’s all very informal.
We’re hoping to raise enough money to buy six new digital cameras for classrooms this time around. So come and have an enjoyable evening and provide a resource for your children at the same time!
Quiz teams should be between four and six people but if you haven’t got a team, we’ll hook you up with one on the night. There are a limited number of tickets – so buy yours as soon as possible either from a class rep or by returning the form below in an envelope marked ‘NPSA Quiz Night’ to Main Reception.
Monday, 19 January 2009
NEWSLETTER Issue: 3.02
HEAD’S VIEW
One aspect of our school development plan focuses on the premises and environment and I would like to bring you up to date with where we are.
Now that the main build is now well and truly behind us, we are concentrating on the external environment and making the best use of the fabulous space and opportunities we have at Newbridge. We are so lucky to have such an environment. Martin Powell, father of Hannah (3H) and Tom (2C) and also a school governor, has taken a lead on working with the Avon and Wildlife Trust to develop a plan which includes the whole site. The development of the conservation area is one of our priorities this year and Martin explains this in the ‘Groundforce’ article. We are very keen to make this a school community venture so if you are able to come along on Saturday 31st January that would be great but, if not, there are two more Groundforce dates to put in your diary. They are on Saturday 28th March and Saturday 27th June, both from 9am to 1pm.
However, we also have our eye on other areas. The Spiritual Garden has been very ably maintained and cared for by a group of parents and we would like to support them in developing this area still further. We would like to include this garden in our Groundforce days. We also have our thoughts on one or two new murals which would involve children, parents and staff. Furthermore, the NPSA are right behind our desire to build a new adventure & fitness trail where the Year 3 double mobile used to be. This would give our children an exciting dimension to playtime and would also be very useful in fitness, sport and team building related activities. There is about £3000 ReNewbridge money remaining and this would provide a good start to our fund raising for this project. Please see the NPSA news for further information. The NPSA news also mentions our vicar and governor, Clive Garrett, who has put in so much work (and talent!) on the photographs. They are excellent and we very much appreciate his contribution to the school environment.
There are other developments regarding the school environment that I will update you on later but I should mention that we are updating our ICT hardware and classroom projectors over the next year. It seems that many of our computers, projectors etc are coming to the end of their lives at roughly the same time! We are therefore investing quite heavily to bring ICT up to the standard we would expect of our school. Phase 1 is happening this coming half term and phase 2 in the summer holidays.
Have a good weekend and is it just my very wishful thinking that Spring is not too far away?!
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY W/B 19/01/09
Monday 19/01/09
- Clubs Start
Tuesday 20/01/09
- Willow Assembly @ 2.45pm
Friday 23/01/09
- 6JS assembly @ 2.30pm
- Football vs Saltford at home - Cup
Saturday 24/01/09
- National Schools chess first round at Newbridge
BOOKS FOR NEWBRIDGE!
We are joining the Books for Schools scheme.
NEW BABY
Congratulations to Myles(3B) who now has a lovely baby sister called Ellie May. She was born at the weekend and we wish the whole family well.
FRUIT SCHEME
Help is needed for the Lower School Fruit Scheme. The more help there is the less time it takes. Please come to the Dining Hall and sign up.
Many thanks, Dawn 1R.
LOST
A pair of ski gloves and a ski hat were lost at the Christmas Fair in December. If anyone knows of their whereabouts please contact the School Office.
ALL YEAR 4 PARENTS
You are invited to a Year 4 performance entitled ‘Seeds of Time.’ This will take place on Thursday 12th February in the Upper School Hall at 2.30pm. efreshments will be served in the Blue Room from 2.00pm.
We need volunteers to help with costumes and props. If you can help please contact the PPA Team. A letter will follow. Thank you.
Mrs Bartlett, Mrs Houston and Mr Baigent
SATURDAY BOUNCE MORNING
St. John's Church – pop in for a go on the bouncy castle. For children up to age 12. Free. 10.00am – 12 noon on Saturday 17th January.
CAN YOU HELP?
We are trying to find someone to share childcare with. We live just off the Newbridge Hill and need someone to take our two girls to school on a Monday and Tuesday. In return we could take to school on a Thursday and Friday. If you are interested in sharing the morning school run please contact Claire on 01225 427515.
CELEBRATING WRITING
I can write an Autobiography.
An extract from: ‘Always with a paintbrush’ by Katherine Thomas 6CS
I’ve always taken a liking to drawing and painting even at an extremely young age. I’d peek over my dad’s shoulder when he was painting. To me he was the best painter in the world! He wasn’t famous, like local artist Larry King but he still earned money.
At around the age of three I started tracing out of my Christmas colouring book. Mum was pleased with me so most of my tracings were put up on the fridge.
At a slightly older age, around four or five, I took a liking to copying some art work. I had to admit it looked like the real thing.
When I was about eleven there was an Art competition in Wells. Most of the other contestants were quite a lot older so I got nervous as soon as I arrived. We had to paint a portrait of the judge and he wasn’t the nicest looking person. Even though his nose wasn’t lovely he still had a lovely heart. I painted an amazing picture and won the competition with ease. The judge was so amazed that he kept the portrait in his office. Before I knew it I had loads of fans and I was only eleven!
When I was eighteen I left home and moved to London. I really liked London with all the galleries…..
When I was 20 I was asked to go to Buckingham palace… When the Queen saw it finished she was amazed and knighted me as, ‘Dame Katherine Thomas.’ I was speechless.
In 2009 I’m planning to go to the Caribbean with my family. I’m looking forward to that.
BLACK AND ETHNIC-MINORITY SUPPORT GROUP
A reminder that the first meeting of the above support group (details in last week’s newsletter) will be Monday 19th January at 2.45pm in the Library. Please contact Anne Shiner on 07595034383 or Carol Renton on 07810506852 for further details. We look forward to meeting you.
NEWBRIDGE PRIMARY SCHOOL GROUNDFORCE
We are very lucky to have large grounds, with woodland, grassland and a small pond. To make the most of our good fortune, working with the Avon Wildlife Trust we have now developed an ambitious plan to:
Turn our school into an oasis for wildlife and a fantastic resource to educate and enthuse our school community about conservation and science.
Support "healthy eating" initiatives and encourage physical activity developing, maintaining and using the grounds.
Offer the site to other local schools and groups like the Brownies, Cubs and Sunday Schools to help draw the community together.
Thanks to the NPSA, we now have an outdoor classroom but that is just the start! We want a big pond with dipping platform, a wildflower meadow, artworks, a bird hide and feeders, a wildflower bank, quiet reading areas, green plantings, picnic tables, log-piles, bird and bug boxes around the grounds, all linked together by a circular trail…
You can help make it happen and have fun!
With the commitment of parents, staff and most importantly kids we know we can carry out the tasks needed like clearing the ground for the wildflower meadow, laying bark paths, clearing and fencing the pond, building bird boxes and feeders with donated timber and so on.
Whether for an hour or the whole morning, whether to clear undergrowth and pondweed, or make tea for thirsty volunteers (cakes too!), please come along between 9.00am and 1.00pm on Saturday 31st January for the first Newbridge Groundforce event. All are welcome, especially with kids!
Just contact Community Governor Martin Powell so we get an idea of numbers, or if you want to hear more about the plans. Martin.Powell101@googlemail.com 01225 424765.
P.S. Also let Martin know if you can donate gardening tools, spare wellies, materials, books on conservation etc which will all be very welcome!
CHILDREN AND NUTRITION TALK
Maria Bez, a local nutritional therapist, will be giving a free talk on Children and Nutrition on the 26th January at 9.00am (after drop-off) in the Blue Room at Newbridge School.
Maria has nine year old twins who have a sweet tooth and love pizza!
She is coming to share some of the ways healthy eating can be incorporated into busy lives. She will discuss what food children need for good health, what to avoid, foods to strengthen the immune system, nutrition for balancing mood & improving concentration and alternatives to ‘unhealthy’ foods. There will be handouts.
DIGITAL CAMERAS NEEDED
If you got a brand new high-spec camera for Christmas and do not know what to do with your old one then bring it to school where it can be used by our children in their lessons and then later as part of the Photography Club (see NPSA News)! All makes gratefully accepted but they must be in full working order.
NPSA NEWS
Following a productive (if lengthy!) Committee Meeting on Monday night, I am thrilled to announce that thanks to the efforts of each and every one of you, we have managed to raise a whopping £4300 to date this school year! This means that we are now able to action some of the items on Mr Croker’s Wish List! So here are the plans for the money. There are over thirty brilliant new photographs in the Lower and Upper School, which show some of the children of Newbridge at work and at play. These images have been taken by Clive Garrett, one of our governors, who has also very kindly framed them. The NPSA has agreed to fund the frames, with a view to having a rolling programme of replacing the photographs with new ones. The existing photos would then be sold to interested parents to cover the costs of new. The school would like to see children’s own photographs also displayed in time.
Furthermore, we have decided to use the funds raised at the quiz night to provide digital cameras for each year group and, if the quiz goes well to pay for a Flip or two! For those of you like myself who have no idea what a Flip is – it is apparently a video camcorder which allows videos to be effortlessly uploaded onto PCs.
However, the really big news is that the children are to be the beneficiaries of some brand new, state of the art playground equipment which will enable them to keep active and have hours of fun at break times. It is estimated that this adventure & fitness trail will cost (along with a safe surface) approximately £10,000 so the final remaining Renewbridge money will go towards funding this, leaving us with approximately £3000 left to raise! It would be really great to do this before the summer so that the work could be completed during the summer holidays. However, if we can manage to raise even more money the conservation area is in need of picnic tables and a pond with dipping area!
This leads me to my next point which is - if anyone out there has any experience in grant fundraising – your school needs you! If you could spare the time to look over our bids or share your experience with us so that we could try to find some grants which we may be eligible to receive, that would be great and it would also free up some of the money we raise for other projects! So, if you do have experience in fundraising grants please get in touch either via the NPSA box in Main Reception or by email to npsa@hotmail.co.uk.
Nearly New Uniform
I am pleased to announce that our first ever nearly new uniform sale will be held at the next NPSA coffee morning in the Blue Room on Monday 2nd March. If you have any items you wish to donate there is a box in the Main Reception Area. Please make sure they are in good condition and washed and ironed. If you cannot wait that long, there will be an enquiries book also in Reception where you can make your requirements known and Sarah Kniveton, our uniform co-ordinator, will get back to you. Prices will be as follows:
Reversible fleecy jackets: £5.00Skirts, various: £1.50
Pinafores, various: £1.50
School sweatshirts: £2.00
School cardigans: £3.00
Summer dresses, various: £2.00
Plimsolls: £1.00
Red round neck t-shirt, various: £0.50
Tracksuit bottoms, various: £1.50
School polo shirts: £1.00
Shorts, various: £1.00
Plain polo shirts, various: £0.75
Trousers, various: £1.50
QUIZ NIGHT - FRIDAY 6th FEBRUARY - 7.30PM
Come and join in the fun at the NPSA’s annual Quiz night! It is a great night out and should not be missed. The ticket price is a reasonable £6 and includes a hot meal! Vegetarian option available. Tickets are available from all class reps and teams must be of at least four but no more than six members. If you do not have a team, do not despair. Let your class rep know and she will be happy to put you in contact with others who are in the same boat! Buy early to avoid disappointment as space is limited.
One aspect of our school development plan focuses on the premises and environment and I would like to bring you up to date with where we are.
Now that the main build is now well and truly behind us, we are concentrating on the external environment and making the best use of the fabulous space and opportunities we have at Newbridge. We are so lucky to have such an environment. Martin Powell, father of Hannah (3H) and Tom (2C) and also a school governor, has taken a lead on working with the Avon and Wildlife Trust to develop a plan which includes the whole site. The development of the conservation area is one of our priorities this year and Martin explains this in the ‘Groundforce’ article. We are very keen to make this a school community venture so if you are able to come along on Saturday 31st January that would be great but, if not, there are two more Groundforce dates to put in your diary. They are on Saturday 28th March and Saturday 27th June, both from 9am to 1pm.
However, we also have our eye on other areas. The Spiritual Garden has been very ably maintained and cared for by a group of parents and we would like to support them in developing this area still further. We would like to include this garden in our Groundforce days. We also have our thoughts on one or two new murals which would involve children, parents and staff. Furthermore, the NPSA are right behind our desire to build a new adventure & fitness trail where the Year 3 double mobile used to be. This would give our children an exciting dimension to playtime and would also be very useful in fitness, sport and team building related activities. There is about £3000 ReNewbridge money remaining and this would provide a good start to our fund raising for this project. Please see the NPSA news for further information. The NPSA news also mentions our vicar and governor, Clive Garrett, who has put in so much work (and talent!) on the photographs. They are excellent and we very much appreciate his contribution to the school environment.
There are other developments regarding the school environment that I will update you on later but I should mention that we are updating our ICT hardware and classroom projectors over the next year. It seems that many of our computers, projectors etc are coming to the end of their lives at roughly the same time! We are therefore investing quite heavily to bring ICT up to the standard we would expect of our school. Phase 1 is happening this coming half term and phase 2 in the summer holidays.
Have a good weekend and is it just my very wishful thinking that Spring is not too far away?!
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY W/B 19/01/09
Monday 19/01/09
- Clubs Start
Tuesday 20/01/09
- Willow Assembly @ 2.45pm
Friday 23/01/09
- 6JS assembly @ 2.30pm
- Football vs Saltford at home - Cup
Saturday 24/01/09
- National Schools chess first round at Newbridge
BOOKS FOR NEWBRIDGE!
We are joining the Books for Schools scheme.
NEW BABY
Congratulations to Myles(3B) who now has a lovely baby sister called Ellie May. She was born at the weekend and we wish the whole family well.
FRUIT SCHEME
Help is needed for the Lower School Fruit Scheme. The more help there is the less time it takes. Please come to the Dining Hall and sign up.
Many thanks, Dawn 1R.
LOST
A pair of ski gloves and a ski hat were lost at the Christmas Fair in December. If anyone knows of their whereabouts please contact the School Office.
ALL YEAR 4 PARENTS
You are invited to a Year 4 performance entitled ‘Seeds of Time.’ This will take place on Thursday 12th February in the Upper School Hall at 2.30pm. efreshments will be served in the Blue Room from 2.00pm.
We need volunteers to help with costumes and props. If you can help please contact the PPA Team. A letter will follow. Thank you.
Mrs Bartlett, Mrs Houston and Mr Baigent
SATURDAY BOUNCE MORNING
St. John's Church – pop in for a go on the bouncy castle. For children up to age 12. Free. 10.00am – 12 noon on Saturday 17th January.
CAN YOU HELP?
We are trying to find someone to share childcare with. We live just off the Newbridge Hill and need someone to take our two girls to school on a Monday and Tuesday. In return we could take to school on a Thursday and Friday. If you are interested in sharing the morning school run please contact Claire on 01225 427515.
CELEBRATING WRITING
I can write an Autobiography.
An extract from: ‘Always with a paintbrush’ by Katherine Thomas 6CS
I’ve always taken a liking to drawing and painting even at an extremely young age. I’d peek over my dad’s shoulder when he was painting. To me he was the best painter in the world! He wasn’t famous, like local artist Larry King but he still earned money.
At around the age of three I started tracing out of my Christmas colouring book. Mum was pleased with me so most of my tracings were put up on the fridge.
At a slightly older age, around four or five, I took a liking to copying some art work. I had to admit it looked like the real thing.
When I was about eleven there was an Art competition in Wells. Most of the other contestants were quite a lot older so I got nervous as soon as I arrived. We had to paint a portrait of the judge and he wasn’t the nicest looking person. Even though his nose wasn’t lovely he still had a lovely heart. I painted an amazing picture and won the competition with ease. The judge was so amazed that he kept the portrait in his office. Before I knew it I had loads of fans and I was only eleven!
When I was eighteen I left home and moved to London. I really liked London with all the galleries…..
When I was 20 I was asked to go to Buckingham palace… When the Queen saw it finished she was amazed and knighted me as, ‘Dame Katherine Thomas.’ I was speechless.
In 2009 I’m planning to go to the Caribbean with my family. I’m looking forward to that.
BLACK AND ETHNIC-MINORITY SUPPORT GROUP
A reminder that the first meeting of the above support group (details in last week’s newsletter) will be Monday 19th January at 2.45pm in the Library. Please contact Anne Shiner on 07595034383 or Carol Renton on 07810506852 for further details. We look forward to meeting you.
NEWBRIDGE PRIMARY SCHOOL GROUNDFORCE
We are very lucky to have large grounds, with woodland, grassland and a small pond. To make the most of our good fortune, working with the Avon Wildlife Trust we have now developed an ambitious plan to:
Turn our school into an oasis for wildlife and a fantastic resource to educate and enthuse our school community about conservation and science.
Support "healthy eating" initiatives and encourage physical activity developing, maintaining and using the grounds.
Offer the site to other local schools and groups like the Brownies, Cubs and Sunday Schools to help draw the community together.
Thanks to the NPSA, we now have an outdoor classroom but that is just the start! We want a big pond with dipping platform, a wildflower meadow, artworks, a bird hide and feeders, a wildflower bank, quiet reading areas, green plantings, picnic tables, log-piles, bird and bug boxes around the grounds, all linked together by a circular trail…
You can help make it happen and have fun!
With the commitment of parents, staff and most importantly kids we know we can carry out the tasks needed like clearing the ground for the wildflower meadow, laying bark paths, clearing and fencing the pond, building bird boxes and feeders with donated timber and so on.
Whether for an hour or the whole morning, whether to clear undergrowth and pondweed, or make tea for thirsty volunteers (cakes too!), please come along between 9.00am and 1.00pm on Saturday 31st January for the first Newbridge Groundforce event. All are welcome, especially with kids!
Just contact Community Governor Martin Powell so we get an idea of numbers, or if you want to hear more about the plans. Martin.Powell101@googlemail.com 01225 424765.
P.S. Also let Martin know if you can donate gardening tools, spare wellies, materials, books on conservation etc which will all be very welcome!
CHILDREN AND NUTRITION TALK
Maria Bez, a local nutritional therapist, will be giving a free talk on Children and Nutrition on the 26th January at 9.00am (after drop-off) in the Blue Room at Newbridge School.
Maria has nine year old twins who have a sweet tooth and love pizza!
She is coming to share some of the ways healthy eating can be incorporated into busy lives. She will discuss what food children need for good health, what to avoid, foods to strengthen the immune system, nutrition for balancing mood & improving concentration and alternatives to ‘unhealthy’ foods. There will be handouts.
DIGITAL CAMERAS NEEDED
If you got a brand new high-spec camera for Christmas and do not know what to do with your old one then bring it to school where it can be used by our children in their lessons and then later as part of the Photography Club (see NPSA News)! All makes gratefully accepted but they must be in full working order.
NPSA NEWS
Following a productive (if lengthy!) Committee Meeting on Monday night, I am thrilled to announce that thanks to the efforts of each and every one of you, we have managed to raise a whopping £4300 to date this school year! This means that we are now able to action some of the items on Mr Croker’s Wish List! So here are the plans for the money. There are over thirty brilliant new photographs in the Lower and Upper School, which show some of the children of Newbridge at work and at play. These images have been taken by Clive Garrett, one of our governors, who has also very kindly framed them. The NPSA has agreed to fund the frames, with a view to having a rolling programme of replacing the photographs with new ones. The existing photos would then be sold to interested parents to cover the costs of new. The school would like to see children’s own photographs also displayed in time.
Furthermore, we have decided to use the funds raised at the quiz night to provide digital cameras for each year group and, if the quiz goes well to pay for a Flip or two! For those of you like myself who have no idea what a Flip is – it is apparently a video camcorder which allows videos to be effortlessly uploaded onto PCs.
However, the really big news is that the children are to be the beneficiaries of some brand new, state of the art playground equipment which will enable them to keep active and have hours of fun at break times. It is estimated that this adventure & fitness trail will cost (along with a safe surface) approximately £10,000 so the final remaining Renewbridge money will go towards funding this, leaving us with approximately £3000 left to raise! It would be really great to do this before the summer so that the work could be completed during the summer holidays. However, if we can manage to raise even more money the conservation area is in need of picnic tables and a pond with dipping area!
This leads me to my next point which is - if anyone out there has any experience in grant fundraising – your school needs you! If you could spare the time to look over our bids or share your experience with us so that we could try to find some grants which we may be eligible to receive, that would be great and it would also free up some of the money we raise for other projects! So, if you do have experience in fundraising grants please get in touch either via the NPSA box in Main Reception or by email to npsa@hotmail.co.uk.
Nearly New Uniform
I am pleased to announce that our first ever nearly new uniform sale will be held at the next NPSA coffee morning in the Blue Room on Monday 2nd March. If you have any items you wish to donate there is a box in the Main Reception Area. Please make sure they are in good condition and washed and ironed. If you cannot wait that long, there will be an enquiries book also in Reception where you can make your requirements known and Sarah Kniveton, our uniform co-ordinator, will get back to you. Prices will be as follows:
Reversible fleecy jackets: £5.00
Pinafores, various: £1.50
School sweatshirts: £2.00
School cardigans: £3.00
Summer dresses, various: £2.00
Plimsolls: £1.00
Red round neck t-shirt, various: £0.50
Tracksuit bottoms, various: £1.50
School polo shirts: £1.00
Shorts, various: £1.00
Plain polo shirts, various: £0.75
Trousers, various: £1.50
QUIZ NIGHT - FRIDAY 6th FEBRUARY - 7.30PM
Come and join in the fun at the NPSA’s annual Quiz night! It is a great night out and should not be missed. The ticket price is a reasonable £6 and includes a hot meal! Vegetarian option available. Tickets are available from all class reps and teams must be of at least four but no more than six members. If you do not have a team, do not despair. Let your class rep know and she will be happy to put you in contact with others who are in the same boat! Buy early to avoid disappointment as space is limited.
Friday, 9 January 2009
NEWSLETTER Issue: 3.01
HEAD’S VIEW
Is it my age or does time fly ever faster? It seems only a short while ago when we were celebrating the millennium and here we are in 2009! I hope you all had a memorable Christmas with family and friends and I wish you all a very happy new year.
There were some very bleary eyes on Monday and Tuesday of this week but now we are back in full swing. We welcome two new members of staff to our team. They are Helen Horobin who will be teaching French for one day a week in Key Stage 2 until July and Marjan Van Gelderen who has joined our excellent team of teaching assistants. Our best wishes go to both of them.
At the end of last term we were very sorry to say farewell to Ross (5C) who flies out to Brisbane with his family very shortly for at least a year. We hope to see him return to Newbridge in Year 6 as it has been a privilege to have Ross, and his brother Arron before him, at our school. We wish the Drennan family all the very best for what should be a fabulous chapter in their lives. Our very best wishes also go to Debbie Butterton who leaves next Wednesday. Mrs Butterton has been at Newbridge for fifteen years, as an assistant in the kitchens and two spells as a School Meals Supervisory Assistant. She will be remembered very fondly by both children and staff.
With a new year in mind, I look forward to seeing this wonderful school continue to grow and flourish in 2009. We all have huge ambitions for what we can enable our children to achieve.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY W/B 12/01/09
Monday 12/01/09
- NPSA coffee morning: 9.00 -10.00am (open to all parents and carers)
- NPSA Meeting @ 7.00pm
Thursday 15/01/09
- High 5 netball team in finals at University: 1.00 – 4.00pm
Saturday 17/01/09
- Year 3 / 4 football tournament at Monkton Combe: 9.30 - 12.30pm
Monday 19/01/09
- Clubs start
COMING HOME THIS WEEKEND ARE ...
‘My Learning’ folders for all children in Year 1 to Year 6. These folders are about the skills and attitudes of learning. One of the purposes of these folders is to connect learning between home and school. If your child has shown particular strengths in any of the skills and attitudes over the holidays or in the recent past, we would love to hear about them. Just make a brief note in the appropriate place. Thank you for your support. Please can these folders be sent back with the children this coming Monday so that they can be used in school.
The termly ‘Curriculum Overview’ which will give our parents and carers an outline of what their child will be learning this coming term.
PLEASE NOTE
The Curriculum Information evening for parents, scheduled for Thursday 22nd January will now be held on Thursday 5th March
BREAKFAST CLUB
Has anyone got a small chest freezer that they no longer need? If so, please contact Jane or Sam in the kitchen.
FRUIT SCHEME
Help is needed to get fruit to the children in the mornings and to clear away the leftovers in the afternoons. It only takes a few minutes. If you can help please sign up in the Lower School Children’s Kitchen.
(‘Our fruit scheme helpers are among our unsung heroes and heroines. Every day for several years so many have played their part in ensuring our younger children receive their healthy breaktime snack. It is greatly appreciated.’ Mr Croker)
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING ‘STARS OF THE WEEK’
Years 3 and 4
Jenny, Mimi, Charlie, William
Years 5 and 6
Angus, Guy, Harrison, Emma, Sydney
PPA Drama
Alex
PPA Art
Sam
PPA PE
William, Darcie
PPA Music
Molly, Tom
BLACK AND ETHNIC-MINORITY SUPPORT GROUP
We are in the process of forming a support group for Black and Minority-Ethnic (BME) parents (eg dual-heritage, African, Asian, East European etc) at Newbridge School. The group is intended to be a forum for the discussion of any relevant issues that parents/carers might have about their children at the school or in the wider community. Everyone is welcome!
If you are interested and can come, please join us for our first meeting on Monday 19th January at 2.45pm in the Library or contact Anne Shiner on 07595034383 or Carol Renton on 07810506852. We look forward to meeting you.
NPSA COFFEE MORNING
Monday 12th January - Blue Room - 9.00 –10.00am
Come and join us for a coffee and a cake after drop-off on Monday morning and get your week off to a fun start! Remember that toddlers and babies are welcome and there will be a toy box to keep them occupied! Come along and meet new faces and exchange ideas on what you think the NPSA should be doing. Maybe you have a fund raising idea for a future event – or maybe you just want to catch up with friends! Everyone is welcome and tea and coffee are a very reasonable 50 pence and so is a piece of cake!
NPSA NEWS
Nearly New Uniform
From Monday there will be a box in the Main Reception Area ready to gratefully accept any pieces of uniform you no longer need. All items donated will be sold on at future coffee mornings and other school events and all the money raised will go towards projects to advance the education of our children.
If you are planning on coming to Monday’s coffee morning why not bring your out-grown uniform items with you, where we will gratefully collect them for you.
Next week we will give you more information on how you can purchase nearly-new uniform! Watch this space!
NPSA Committee Meeting – Monday January 12th - 7.30pm Blue Room
All parents and carers of children at Newbridge School are members of the NPSA and as such very welcome at the committee meetings! So, this is your invitation to Monday’s meeting. Come along and see how we allocate the money we raise at events such as the Christmas Fair and the profits from the calendar and also how we plan future events. Or perhaps you have a great idea of how to raise some money for our school and you would like to present it.
So, if you can come along, it will be great to see you. However, if you can’t, don’t worry - you can find out what happened in next week’s newsletter.
Is it my age or does time fly ever faster? It seems only a short while ago when we were celebrating the millennium and here we are in 2009! I hope you all had a memorable Christmas with family and friends and I wish you all a very happy new year.
There were some very bleary eyes on Monday and Tuesday of this week but now we are back in full swing. We welcome two new members of staff to our team. They are Helen Horobin who will be teaching French for one day a week in Key Stage 2 until July and Marjan Van Gelderen who has joined our excellent team of teaching assistants. Our best wishes go to both of them.
At the end of last term we were very sorry to say farewell to Ross (5C) who flies out to Brisbane with his family very shortly for at least a year. We hope to see him return to Newbridge in Year 6 as it has been a privilege to have Ross, and his brother Arron before him, at our school. We wish the Drennan family all the very best for what should be a fabulous chapter in their lives. Our very best wishes also go to Debbie Butterton who leaves next Wednesday. Mrs Butterton has been at Newbridge for fifteen years, as an assistant in the kitchens and two spells as a School Meals Supervisory Assistant. She will be remembered very fondly by both children and staff.
With a new year in mind, I look forward to seeing this wonderful school continue to grow and flourish in 2009. We all have huge ambitions for what we can enable our children to achieve.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY W/B 12/01/09
Monday 12/01/09
- NPSA coffee morning: 9.00 -10.00am (open to all parents and carers)
- NPSA Meeting @ 7.00pm
Thursday 15/01/09
- High 5 netball team in finals at University: 1.00 – 4.00pm
Saturday 17/01/09
- Year 3 / 4 football tournament at Monkton Combe: 9.30 - 12.30pm
Monday 19/01/09
- Clubs start
COMING HOME THIS WEEKEND ARE ...
‘My Learning’ folders for all children in Year 1 to Year 6. These folders are about the skills and attitudes of learning. One of the purposes of these folders is to connect learning between home and school. If your child has shown particular strengths in any of the skills and attitudes over the holidays or in the recent past, we would love to hear about them. Just make a brief note in the appropriate place. Thank you for your support. Please can these folders be sent back with the children this coming Monday so that they can be used in school.
The termly ‘Curriculum Overview’ which will give our parents and carers an outline of what their child will be learning this coming term.
PLEASE NOTE
The Curriculum Information evening for parents, scheduled for Thursday 22nd January will now be held on Thursday 5th March
BREAKFAST CLUB
Has anyone got a small chest freezer that they no longer need? If so, please contact Jane or Sam in the kitchen.
FRUIT SCHEME
Help is needed to get fruit to the children in the mornings and to clear away the leftovers in the afternoons. It only takes a few minutes. If you can help please sign up in the Lower School Children’s Kitchen.
(‘Our fruit scheme helpers are among our unsung heroes and heroines. Every day for several years so many have played their part in ensuring our younger children receive their healthy breaktime snack. It is greatly appreciated.’ Mr Croker)
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING ‘STARS OF THE WEEK’
Years 3 and 4
Jenny, Mimi, Charlie, William
Years 5 and 6
Angus, Guy, Harrison, Emma, Sydney
PPA Drama
Alex
PPA Art
Sam
PPA PE
William, Darcie
PPA Music
Molly, Tom
BLACK AND ETHNIC-MINORITY SUPPORT GROUP
We are in the process of forming a support group for Black and Minority-Ethnic (BME) parents (eg dual-heritage, African, Asian, East European etc) at Newbridge School. The group is intended to be a forum for the discussion of any relevant issues that parents/carers might have about their children at the school or in the wider community. Everyone is welcome!
If you are interested and can come, please join us for our first meeting on Monday 19th January at 2.45pm in the Library or contact Anne Shiner on 07595034383 or Carol Renton on 07810506852. We look forward to meeting you.
NPSA COFFEE MORNING
Monday 12th January - Blue Room - 9.00 –10.00am
Come and join us for a coffee and a cake after drop-off on Monday morning and get your week off to a fun start! Remember that toddlers and babies are welcome and there will be a toy box to keep them occupied! Come along and meet new faces and exchange ideas on what you think the NPSA should be doing. Maybe you have a fund raising idea for a future event – or maybe you just want to catch up with friends! Everyone is welcome and tea and coffee are a very reasonable 50 pence and so is a piece of cake!
NPSA NEWS
Nearly New Uniform
From Monday there will be a box in the Main Reception Area ready to gratefully accept any pieces of uniform you no longer need. All items donated will be sold on at future coffee mornings and other school events and all the money raised will go towards projects to advance the education of our children.
If you are planning on coming to Monday’s coffee morning why not bring your out-grown uniform items with you, where we will gratefully collect them for you.
Next week we will give you more information on how you can purchase nearly-new uniform! Watch this space!
NPSA Committee Meeting – Monday January 12th - 7.30pm Blue Room
All parents and carers of children at Newbridge School are members of the NPSA and as such very welcome at the committee meetings! So, this is your invitation to Monday’s meeting. Come along and see how we allocate the money we raise at events such as the Christmas Fair and the profits from the calendar and also how we plan future events. Or perhaps you have a great idea of how to raise some money for our school and you would like to present it.
So, if you can come along, it will be great to see you. However, if you can’t, don’t worry - you can find out what happened in next week’s newsletter.
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