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Autumn Term 2009
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Latest News...
Scroll down for further details...
Click Here for New Winter Lunch Menus
First Grandparents Lunch a great success!
Please book Christmas Lunch by 30.11.09 (see letters page)
Book Christmas Concert tickets (See letters page)
20.11.09 Non-uniform day for Children in Need raises over £260 THANK YOU!!
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Click here to take you to our newsletter and letters page
September
04.09.09
Welcome back! It was lovely to see everyone - 'old' and new back in school this week. Thank you for the warm welcome I got on the playground each morning. The first two days of term went well with a great active working atmosphere established very quickly across the school. Our first group of Reception children started school, soon settling into the mornings with Mrs Taylor and Mrs Race. We welcomed Miss Dimelow, our new teacher of Wrens class.... and welcomed back Miss Johns who is now Mrs Webster following her wedding in July! Our new class, Kestrels, had a great start in their new learning space with Mr Cantle. We are all looking forward to a wonderful Autumn term together...
New Build Update Archaeologists were on site over the summer holiday undertaking a pre-planning dig. They excavated a large pit in the area of the school car park and uncovered human remains! The top half of a skeleton was found together with signicant amounts of Roman pottery. All finds have been taken away for further analysis, but the archaeology team will be back to talk to us about the finds later in the year. Planning permission has been resubmitted following some objections to the first submission over the summer. Architects have responded to the objections and hope to achieve planning permission by the end of October. If planning permission is granted the school will be moved into temporary classrooms in the Spring term prior to demolision. We will keep you posted!
11.09.09
The first full week of the new school year has flown by! Next week we will have our final cohort of Reception children joining Robins class and the school will be complete!
A letter has gone out to all families today about opportunities for private music tuition at our school. We provide the opportunity for children to learn piano, violin, flute, clarinet, saxophone and trumpet with private music tutors in school. Please click here to download the letter.
We are currently organising lunchtime and after school clubs. Performing Arts Club (Tuesdays 3.15pm - 4.15pm) and Wild Club (monthly sessions on Fridays 3.15pm - 4.15pm) begin next week. All other clubs will begin in the week beginning 21.09.09.
18.09.09
The week got off to a very exciting start when our children became young detectives investigating a crime scene. Strange items were found buried in the school grounds... bones... footprints... fossils! Palaentologist, Holly Barden, was on hand to answer our young detectives questions... The press came and took photos (see page 3 of the Hunts Post this week) and the investigation continued. Books were scanned for information... the internet was searched... clues were analysed and answers found. What a great way to start a whole school topic on 'EXTINCTION!'
Our school clubs begin next week. We are lucky to have staff willing to give their time to run extra-curricular clubs for our children. Please see details on the clubs letter which went out this week. We would like all 'application forms' for clubs back in by Monday 21 September please.
Thank you to all parents who have already returned all the annual update forms for us this week. We need an update on contact details, health information (including allergies and dietary requirements), permission to take your child on trips in and around the village and consent to use images. Please see update letters and return completed forms by Monday 21 September 2009.
We are now taking bookings for Phoenix Out-of-School Club for half term and the training day on 02 November 2009. The club will be open for the first 3 days of the Christmas Holiday and the January training day. Please contact the school office for more information.
Our Wyton Walking Bus will be 2 years old this week! Children have been walking together from Loxley Green for 2 years on 24th September. The Wyton Walking Bus will be celebrating their anniversary together on Thursday... and the press have been invited to come and take a photo of this great occasion. A BIG thank you to the team of volunteers who have kept the bus going... and to the families who use it.
22.09.09
It was great to see so many parents at our Meet and Greet meetings this evening. Thank you for taking the time to come and meet the staff. We hope the meetings were helpful. You can keep in touch with what your child is up to by visiting the class pages on this website which are updated regularly with news. Click here to take you to the class home pages
Thank you to everyone who returned the club booking forms by Monday. Clubs have now started and will run until the week beginning 30 October 2009.
Our Inclusion Worker, Jo Taggart is running a course for parents and carers called '123 Magic'. Jo told parents at our Meet and Greet meetings about her role and the course. Flyers giving more details will be given out to children this week. If you would like to find out more about 123 Magic please click here! Jo works with children and their families across the school. She is available in school every afternoon. Please do not hesitate to give her a call if you would like further information about her role or to make an appointment to see her.
Last February OfSTED recognised the excellent work that our staff do at Houghton Primary School in terms of making 'Every Child Matter' and awarded us 'OUTSTANDING' for this aspect of our work. I was invited back to Homerton Teacher Training College (at Cambridge University) for the 3rd year in a row to talk to new trainee teachers about our work and how we ensure that we are meeting the 'Every Child Matters' agenda. My power point from the talk is available by clicking here.
26.09.09
Many thanks to everyone who participated in our 'Wear Green for MAGPAS' day and to the parents who were able to come to our MacMillan Coffee morning on Friday. We will let you know how much was raised for these charities at the beginning of next week.
Our Harvest Festival Assembly is on Friday 02 October. This year we will be collecting donations for Oxfam Unwrapped in order to make a difference to people whose lives depend on a good harvest. Every child will bring home a decorated envelope. If you could make a donation... no donation is too small, it will all be put together to purchase gifts. Please visit http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/oxfam-unwrapped-gardeners for more information about the type of 'gifts' we are hoping to buy with your donations. Thank you for your support.
Please can we aks all parents and carers to stand immediately outside classrooms when they are collecting their children from after-school clubs and activities. The staff of our Out-of-School Club have found it very difficult to supervise their children when the playground becomes full of parents and other children at club pick-up times. Thank you for your understanding and support in this matter.
Please can we remind parents and carers that the Adventure Playground is 'out-of-bounds' before and after school. This facility is for use during the school day under the supervision of staff. It is also used by the children attending our Out-of-School Club under the supervision of their staff. They are not responsible for children not attending the club. Once again, thank you for your understanding and support in this matter.
October 2009
02.10.09
Many thanks to everyone who was able to make a donation to Oxfam as part of our Harvest Festival. You have all helped to make a difference to people whose lives depend on a good harvest. Kingfishers Class led our Harvest Festival assembly and told a wonderful harvest story and Rev. Brenda Stewart joined us from St Mary's Church. We are busy counting the donations and will let you know how much we have raised and what the money will be spent on from the Oxfam Unwrapped website. Our choir are singing in St Mary's church this Sunday as part of their Harvest Service. All parents and carers are very welcome to join the congregation. The church are collecting tins and dried goods to donate to the Kings Ripton Salvation Army Hostel.
Some amazing art work has been taking place this week in Key Stage 2. Dinosaurs are emerging in different forms in each classroom. A variety of materials from cement to pebbles to papier mache to tissue paper have been used. We are all looking forward to the completed results.
Thank you to everyone who has supported our request that jewellery, including friendship bands etc, is not worn to school. Children with pierced ears can wear stud earrings and children are allowed to wear watches. We have asked that toys, games (including electronic games) and mobile phones do not come into school as they are not allowed to be used during the school day and we cannot guarantee security if they are left in bags. Teachers will not be responsible for personal property and so it is best to leave valuable or treasured items at home.
Our latest newsletter is available by clicking here for all the latest news!
06.10.09
The date of our Parents Information Evening has changed to 03.11.09. Please see letter and click here for flyer We hope that you will be able to come for an evening of information... and activities!
15.10.09
We have raised £300 for OXFAM thanks to the very generous Harvest Festival donations from our families. Our school council will be making some decisions about which 'gifts unwrapped' they will be purchasing for families in countries where a good harvest is crucial to survival.
Thank you to everyone who was able to come to our Volunteer Helpers Briefings this week. 30 people attended - which is fantastic! If you would like to help in school you must attend an annual briefing before you can start/continue. Please contact the school office if you missed the opportunity this week.
Our KS2 football team will be playing in a cup match via Hartford School next Thursday after school. We have therefore had to change the football club arrangements for next week. Rather than cancel the KS1 football club we have swapped it to Tuesday after school next week. KS2 footballers will be playing in the match on Thursday. Thank you for your understanding of this change in arrangements.
Letters are going out this week offering a range of sporting opportunities provided by the Hunts Sports Partnership. A KS1 Multi-Skills Club for children who do not participate in other sporting clubs is on offer on Thursdays 3.15 - 4.15pm. A KS2 Mini-Squash Club is on offer for children on Thursdays 4.15 - 5.15pm (This is a 'satellite club' which we are hosting, but is open to other schools in the area). Details of a Hockey Club for children in Years 5 and 6 at Hinchingbrooke School on Mondays 4.10 - 5.00pm are also coming out this week. We very much hope that children at Houghton will be able to take up these opportunities.
We are delighted to announce that planning permission has now been granted for the re-development of the school and building of a new Extended Schools Facility (for Pre-School and our Out-of-School Club). Work can now go ahead, beginning with temporary classrooms coming on to site before Christmas and being prepared for occupation during the Spring term. We will keep you informed...
16.10.09
We have received an over-whelmingly positive response from our parents and carers in support of our proposed trips for KS1 and KS2 children this term. KS1 will be off to the Natural History Museum on 04 November and the whole of KS2 will be visiting the Cathedral and the Sikh Gurdwara in Peterborough on 06 November. We are delighted by this response as our children have told us that first hand experiences through visits and visitors make learning meaningful interesting and fun. Letters have gone out today with further information about both trips. Please click here to take you to the letters page.
20.10.09
Fancy getting your skates on? The PTA Ice Skating Event scheduled for this Thursday still has plenty of slots left. Tickets are £4.00 for an hour of skating in the school hall. This event was a great success last year. Please see any member of the PTA or enquire at the office for tickets.
We have a number of places left for the KS1 Multi-Skills Club and the KS2 Mini-Squash Club which will run for 6 weeks on Thursdays after half term. Both clubs are being run by a qualified coach provided by the local Sports Partnership. The Multi-Skills Club is free and runs from 3.15pm - 4.15pm. Iti s now open to all KS1 children. The Mini-Squash Club is £6.00 in total and runs from 4.15pm - 5.15pm. Letters went out last week... please see letters page if you missed your copy.
22.10.09
A big thank you to the PTA for a superb ICE SKATING event this evening. Over 90 people (children... as well as mums and dads) had a great time dancing on 'ice' to a great disco complete with lights.
Our children have participated in two sporting competitions this week. Mrs Webster took children from Years 5 and 6 to play 'Touch Rugby' in a local festival. They played really well - improving in every game. Our KS2 football team played a match against Hartford Junior School today, losing 2-0... but not losing 'face' as they competed really well against a team of older, more experienced players. Brett and Mr Shepherd were very proud of their effort.
November 2009
04.11.09
Thank you to parents who came to our Information Evening on 'Enquiry-Based Learning' yesterday. The feedback from those who attended was very positive with parents particularly enjoying the 'hands on' experiences we gave them during the evening. We will now begin to plan for our Spring term parents information event. We will give out a questionnaire at Parents Evenings next week asking parents what they would like to know more about and base our planning on this.
Linzi and Sarah, our school cooks, have issued their new Winter Menus which begin this week and run on a 3 week basis through to the end of the Spring term. Please click here for a copy. Parents and Carers are very welcome to join us for lunch. We ask that you book in advance. Adult meals are £2.70.
09.11.09
Work began today on the re-development of our school! The developers arrived this morning and started to prepare the existing car park site ready for the delivery of temporary classrooms later this term. This means that there will be no car park on site until a temporary car park is created for staff and site workers in the next week or so. There will be no parking at all on site for parents. Please click here for a letter giving more details.
12.11.09
Congratulations to our Netball Team who were runners-up in the local High Fives Netball tournament today. We took one team to play in the competition against 7 other schools. It was the first competition that our 9 players had played in. 8 of our 9 players only began netball club this term. Michael, Oliver, Leah, Emily, Charlotte, Pippa, Emily, Madeleine and Daisy played really well, over-coming initial nerves and achieving 2 losses, 1 draw and 3 wins in the competition. They should be congratulated on great team work and a termination to do well. We are very proud of them.
13.11.09
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Bags2School collection today - despite the driving rain and difficulties with car parking! Thank you to Mrs Alcock for organising the collection on behalf of the PTA.
Next Friday (20.11.09) is Children in Need day. We will be taking part in this National event by having a non-school uniform day. Please don't come to school in uniform... and make a donation to Children in Need! Many thanks!
A letter went out today giving final details of arrangements for our Grandparents Lunch dates which are coming up. We cannot take any more bookings for this meal promotion. If you have booked and haven't received your letter - please contact the school office.
18.11.09
We held our first Grandparents Lunch this week. It was a great success - it was lovely to see the children enjoying lunch with their grandparents. The feedback we got from the grandparents was really positive. We have two more Grandparents Lunches this term which are fully booked. However, grandparents are very welcome to join us for lunch at any time which is not a special promotion lunch date. Just contact the school office to book in advance.
Our Year 3 children enjoyed participating in a Dance Festival at St Peters School this week. They worked with other Year 3 children from a variety of schools in the area and with young leaders from St Peters School.
A letter has gone out today giving all parents and carers information about events and activities between now and Christmas. It included a booking form for Christmas Lunch which will need to be completed and returned by 30.11.09 for all children wishing to have a Christmas Lunch. We always hold Christmas Lunch on the last day of term, sitting all the children who have a school lunch down together in party hats. Staff and governors serve them their lunch! It is a lovely event to end the term. Please click on the school news link to take you to the letters page for more information.
We have been participating in National Anti-Bullying Week this week. A new information booklet will be coming out to parents about Anti-Bullying work at Houghton Primary School soon.
20.11.09
A big thank you to everyone who participated in our non-school uniform day today. You donated a fantastic £267.65 to Children in Need.
We are organising two Christmas Productions this year. Robins class will be performing a short festive play called 'Whoops Daisy Angel' whilst the rest of the school will be performing in a Christmas Concert of carols, festive songs, readings and poems. A booking form for tickets went out today to all parents and carers. Please click here if you haven't had your copy yet.
20.11.09
When people think of Houghton they think of the mill, Capability Brown, the river and so on. Well on Friday there was a new attraction to add to the list of places of interest - The White Dinosaur of Houghton. Perhaps you have seen chalk landscape sculptures like the White Horse of Osmington. The Wrens and Kingfishers concluded their art project by making something similar using white sheets, towels, curtains etc that were kindly donated by parents. Our next step will be to turn this picture into a postcard so that everyone can keep a momento of our work of art.
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