Issue No 419
23rd November 2007
Dear Friends of Crescent,
As part of a cyclical review programme we focus on a particular subject each term, looking at all aspects of teaching and learning in that subject and consequently giving it priority in financial terms. The subject coordinator leads this review and gives a presentation to the governors. This led us, last year, to introduce a new Maths scheme (costing over £4000) that enables us to meet the children's individual needs more effectively. This term our focus is on P.E.
In addition to this curriculum review matrix alongside it runs a review of all other aspects of the school such as communications or management and governance. Sometimes things happen that make us change the order in which we review these aspects and recent conversations with parents and colleagues has persuaded me that we need to review assessment.
Quite a significant proportion of parents of children in Class V have come to speak with me and
Mrs Lowe since half term which would seem to suggest that an 'Information Evening' for Class V's parents would be appropriate at this stage of the year replacing the '11+ Transfer Evening' we have traditionally held in the summer term. I am also open to the idea that Parent Consultation meetings are of more value than the formal written end of term reports. I will send out a questionnaire to ask for your views on some of these matters in the fairly near future; in the meantime I hope this letter will provoke some discussion.
My previous two letters commenting on bullying seem to have done that. I hope that they have made it clear that we never have, and never will, tolerate bullying at Crescent. However we aim to go further than that and create an environment in which bullying doesn't occur at all because our children are confident and have a great sense of their own self-worth. We prioritise empowering children to take control of their reaction to any isolated acts of unkindness they may face in any walk of life, encouraging them to realise how valued they are by the important people in their lives and to develop a range of strategies on how to avoid becoming a victim.
We put a lot of effort into enabling children to take responsibility for their own actions, teaching them that they have a choice in how they react in any given situation. They have a range of choices in how they react if someone is unkind to them and we want to help them make good choices in this situation, as in all others, so that the unkindness is less likely, rather than more likely, to be repeated.
With best wishes.
Yours sincerely,
R.H. Marshall
St Andrew's Day
As part of our house meeting discussions with all the children, they put forward ideas to School Council. One of the ideas that School Council has discussed and thought was a good one was the suggestion of dressing in our house colour for our saints day.
On Friday, 30th November is St. Andrew's Day, so if all the children in Blue House (St. Andrew's) could one wear one item of clothing that is blue - Please note just one item not all of their clothes. All the other houses will have opportunity on or near their Saint's day.
We look forward to seeing a bit of Blue next Friday.
S. Lowe
Weekly Times
Monday, 26th November
12.20 - 12.50 Recorders—Class IV
12.20 – 12.50 No Junior Girls' Games—Classes III
& IV
12.45 – 13.15 Brass Group
13.05 - 13.45 Ballet – Class I
13.05 - 13.45 Senior Games – Classes V & VI
13.05 – 13.45 Ballet – Reception
15.45 - 16.30 Choir
15.45 - 16.30 Pre-Prep Games – Classes I & II
Tuesday, 27th
Music Examinations in School –
ref. Mrs Burt
12.20 Spanish Club – Class IV
12.50 - 13.20 Times-Tables Challenge
15.30 depart Football v Twycross School (A) ref.
Mr Phillips
15.45 - 16.30 No Girls' Games – Classes V & VI
15.45 - 16.30 No Senior Boys' Games—Classes V & VI
18.30 Full Governors' Meeting
Wednesday, 28th
12.20 - 13.00 Ballet – Class VI
13.05 - 13.45 Reception Art Club
13.05 - 13.45 Ballet – Class V
15.45 - 16.45 Camera Club
Thursday, 29th
12.20 - 13.00 Ballet—Class III
12.45 – 13.15 Brass Group
13.05 - 13.45 Ballet—Class IV
15.45 - 17.00 Art Club
15.50 - 16.50 Tap & Modern Dance
16.00 Staff Meeting
Friday, 30th
Grades II published
Christmas Art Day in school
12.20 - 13.40 Library
12.20 - 13.00 Ballet—Class II
12.20 - 13.00 Junior Boys' Games – Classes III & IV
12.20 - 12.50 No String Group
1300 – 13.40 Chess Club – Class VI
13.15 - 13.45 No Wind Group
15.45 - 16.45 No Orchestra
Thank you!
A big thank you to all the staff, parents and children for the gifts, cards and good wishes we have received since Ivy and Gene were born. Particular thanks to the parents of Class III who have organized a professional photo session for us, what a lovely thought. We will book it when I have lost a little more baby weight and had a chance to wash my hair!
The twins are doing fabulously, both over seven and a half pounds now, not bad for eight week olds that were only supposed to be born three weeks ago.
Love to everyone and we will be popping in every now and then. I will see the children at Christmas lunch and parents at the Carol Service I hope.
Mr & Mrs Forth xxxx
Match Report
E.S.F.A. Small School's Tournament
We were in the unusual position of going to the E.S.F.A. Small School's Tournament knowing that we were Rugby champions of the equivalent tournament for all schools, having won it earlier in the term. This was the tournament that we wanted to progress in, though.
Traveling to St Margaret's (Wolston) on Wednesday, we faced Provost Williams and the hosts, St Margaret's (Wolston).
Playing some of the best football we have played this year, we comfortably beat Provost Williams (who had held us to a draw in the Princethorpe Tournament) 7-0. That meant that a draw against St Margaret's was good enough to win due to a better goal difference.
We won 2-0 and looked very comfortable. So Crescent will be representing Rugby in the E.S.F.A. Small Schools Tournament.
Goals came from: Jack Fisher 6, Joe Miller 2, Dominic Bolton 1.
M. Phillips
"Friends of Crescent" News
Thank you to all who braved the cold on Thursday to come to the Indulgence Evening, which raised just under £500.
A huge thank you is due to Karen Armbrister who organised the event and did a tremendous job with just the right balance of 'retail' and 'therapy' stalls. It took a lot of hours on the phone sourcing stalls, researching what we wanted and sending information and directions out to them.
Sadly numbers were down by a third this year and we will have to decide whether it is worth the effort running it next year. I know that those who attended the evening enjoyed it. Please give any feedback to your class reps, as it may make the difference to it being held next year.
Christmas Bazaar
This year we have approximately 20 stalls/games for the children to enjoy, including visiting Santa in his Grotto, the old favourite 'shoot the can' and 'the egg box game' which as always will be run by
Miss Wren.
Please ensure you come with plenty of change, although we will have a float it will not be easy to change many big notes.
If your child is in after school club then send him/her in with some money in a named, sealed purse and they will be bought into the Bazaar.
There are separate boxes for your tombola and raffle prizes just inside the side door entrance to the school. We need sealed containers (jars or boxes) with a gift of value 50p to £2 maximum inside. Please can you bring your donations in as soon as possible so the raffle boxes can begin to be put together and the Tombola prizes can start to be labelled by Class 6.
Stalls have been allocated to various classes and your class rep will be approaching you to ask that you give 10-15 minutes of your time to man a stall.
This should mean that we can all spend time with our own children enjoying the event.
Jackie Daniel (Chairman)