October 2011 - Newsletter 3 (4th October 2011)

Dear Parents/Carers, 

Green Miles - Walk to School Fortnight: Monday 10th October – Friday 21st October

We are taking part in a ‘Green Miles’ event for schools in Greater Manchester which is starting next week. Each child will receive a Green Miles Passport at the end of this week. For the next fortnight every time that the children travel to school in an environmentally friendly way (walk, cycle/scooter, bus/train) then they will receive a sticker at our Passport Control (on the infant playground as the children arrive at school).  Each class will have a map of Africa on their wall which shows a trail of footprints leading around the different African countries - for each child who has received a sticker that day we will colour in one footstep on the map. Let’s see how far each class can get! Every child who receives 10 stickers over the fortnight will also be entered into a prize draw. We are trying to organise an extension of ‘Park and Stride’ with the church and will send home info with the Passports later this week. Mr Vallance has organised the event for us and the Year 4’s will be helping out at Passport Control. We really hope that you can get involved.

To complement ‘Green Miles’ there will also be a shoe recycling box available at passport control (for unwanted shoes in a reasonable condition – not the ones you’ve walked to school in!).  These will be sent to Africa to be reused. In assembly on Monday we talked about the life of a shoe once it gets to Africa. First of all the shoe is used and used well – until it is worn out. The soles are often then used as flip-flips and leather uppers are cut up and used, for example as hinges for a chicken coup. Once the rubber sole is worn out it is cut up and used, for example as a door stop - a much more worthwhile life for a shoe than stuck in a cupboard or contributing to landfill. The school will also receive £5 for each box of shoes we recycle which will be used for school resources. Please have a look through your cupboards and bring in any unwanted shoes during our ‘Green Miles’ fortnight. Thank you in anticipation of your support.

 

Please don’t park on the zig-zag yellow lines – it is dangerous

Can I make a plea to all parents/people dropping off and collecting children not to park on the zig-zag yellow lines outside of school. The children created a banner last year stating ‘It’s plain and clear, you can’t park here’ to try and get the message across, but we still have drivers who are parking on the zig-zag yellow lines and creating an unnecessary danger for the children. Please stop!

 

Parent-Teacher Interviews

Parent-Teacher Interviews are on Monday 17th (Year 5 only), Tuesday 18th (not Year 5) and Wednesday 19th October for Years 1 – 6. Appointment sign-up sheets will be in the school entrance from 8am on Thursday 6th October (this Thursday). If you are unable to make it in to school to sign please phone to arrange the appointment. Reception parents have already had a meeting this half term but if you would like to speak to Miss Lynch or Mrs Toyne for a catch up please let them know and they will arrange a mutually convenient time.

 

School Photos – The children will be having their individual photos taken tomorrow (Wednesday). Please make sure that children come to school in full school uniform. We have organised for a new photographer this year and hope that you are pleased with the results. If you have any comments please let us know.                                                                                                                                              

Harvest Assembly – children can bring in food donations for our Harvest Assembly from this Friday (up until next Thursday 13th October). The food goes to Life Share a charity who help homeless people in Manchester. They would particularly appreciate: meals in a tin (e.g. mince), tinned tuna, tinned meat, dried pasta, pasta sauces and rice dishes. Our Harvest Assembly will be performed by Year 6 this year and parents/relatives of Year 6 children are invited to attended (at 10:10am on Thursday 13th October). I’m afraid we don’t have room for parents of other year groups as all of the children will also be in the hall.  Thank you.

 

Ladybridge County Junior Football Club donate £500

A big thank you to Ladybridge County Junior Football Club who have very generously donated £500 to school to be used for school sporting resources. Ladybridge County Junior Football Club has closed down after a distinguished 20 year period and a happy association with Lane End over the years. Thank you very much to Anthony Kelly for organising the donation.

 

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

We have topped 200 users in a month on our VLE for the first time! Please keep having a regular look at what’s new. We really hope that you and your children are finding it a useful resource. I have put a feedback link in the ‘Parents and Whole School section’ of the VLE so that you can tell us what you find useful and give any suggested developments – please take a couple of minutes to fill it in.

There is also a new link to ‘Curriculum Visions’ which we have on trial for a month and are thinking of subscribing to (scroll down on the Home Page of the VLE to find it). The username and password are shown below. Curriculum Visions has a whole host of ‘virtual text’ resources to look at – online books and multimedia reference materials which are really worth dipping in to.

 

PTA Quiz Night - Friday 14th October at 7:30pm. If you haven’t already sent in your slip requesting tickets please do so ASAP.  

PTA AGM and Meeting – Monday 7th November at 7:30pm – everyone is welcome.

PTA Ladies Fashion Show – Thursday 17th November at 7:30pm. A letter came home this week.

 

We aim to be approachable and work in partnership with parents, so if there is anything you wish to discuss, please do not hesitate to come and talk to us.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

James Twigg