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1 May 2009 - Newsletter 1st May 2009

SUMMER TERM

NEWSLETTER 2

1st

Newsletter - May 1st 2008

Please remember that you can also email the office if your child is ill:
Office email: office@oaktree.surrey.sch.uk Tel: 01483 474 981
HOPA website: www.hopa.ik.com

Dates
4th May	Bank holiday - School closed
5th May	Open Afternoon - Rec & Year 2
5th May	Link Parent Meeting
5th May	Open Afternoon - Year 1
8th May	Eco Committee
9th May	Ground Force day

Notes During the Last Week

Change for Life Questionnaire

Dates - Summer Term

Events at The Oaktree - Summer Term

HELP WANTED

As you know one of our parents delivered several packing cases of cards for us to sell. We need help to sort out the greeting cards into bags of 10 for us to sell.

If you can help please come along between 6pm and 8pm on Thursday 7th May—Lots on hands will surely make light work. We can offer a glass of wine and a good laugh.

Tissues

This week the children have been encouraged to keep well by listening to a lovely story and learning a rhyme 'Catch it. Bin it, Kill it'. In other words use a tissue when you sneeze and wash your hands carefully.

Hence we are appealing for more donated boxes of tissues in school. We have put a copy of the rhyme on the school notice board if you would like to sing along.

Ground Force Day - Next Saturday 9th May
Please come along between 10 am and 2 pm. If everyone comes along, even for a short time, you can make such a difference. Parents and children are welcome.

We need to complete the following jobs:

• Lilly needs the inside and the windows cleaned, the black metal work on the inside painted, the outside finished.

• We need to weed and tidy up the garden area, replace the stones in the stone path in the Foundation garden.

ARE YOU GOOD AT HEAVY WORK

• Strong people needed to help clearing up after the removal of the tree.

• We also need to prepare a patch of ground for our new climbing playhouse and put down turf.

Please come along and help.

New Build

We were delighted to receive planning permission for our building plans during the Easter holiday. We have now appointed an architect to prepare plans for building regulations. We have appointed a Construction, Design Management Consultant to undertake the Health and Safety aspect of the build. We have now given more details to several building companies to see if they would like to tender for the work. We are hoping to send out tender documents to interested builder during the next 2 weeks.

As you know we only have limited money and we are therefore planning to complete the build in stages. We are asking builders to break down their quote into stages. Stage 1 to build the shell of the building so that it is water tight. Stage 2 to complete the inside to plaster level. Stage 3 to put in the finishes.

Depending on cost we are hoping to complete Stage 1 during the summer holiday and also to replace the Foundation Canopy. When we get costs we will have a clearer picture.

We know that we will have to find at least £50,000 to complete the build and we are in the process of putting in bids to different organisations.

We were very grateful to all of the Grandparents that came along to Grandparents Festival and took part in our 'Buy a Brick' campaign. We were able to raise £500 on the day.

We have also received a donation of £750 from Legal and General as part of their staff community support scheme. Employees can ask for support for local projects that they are involved in. We understand that Barclays Bank have a similar scheme. Do you work for Barclays Bank or does your company have a similar scheme? Perhaps your company can support us.

We will be continuing our 'Buy a Brick^' campaign so watch out for more information soon.

Any money making ideas welcome! We need £50,000 but we have raised £1,250 so far, only another £48,750 to go.

School Works

During the last year we have been experiencing a lot of problems with the toilets in Robin and Hedgehog getting blocked. Investigations have shown that the roots of the tree outside the small Foundation gate by the chequer board garden are inside the drain and are causing a lot of damage. There are also concerns the roots could also be causing other problems under the foundations of the school. It has been advised that the tree be removed and we replace the tree further away from the school.

It is with great reluctance that we will be removing the tree but we will be replacing it with two more suitable trees a little further away from the school.

Year 1

In Year 1 this week we continued thinking about an exciting adventure that could happen at the seaside. We have drawn pictures showing the setting and included our characters. On Friday we wrote our stories all by ourselves -we're really pleased with them! In maths we have looked for patterns in a 100 square by adding and taking 10.

In P.E. the children have started to learn a dance based around the seaside - and Ladybirds have been learning some maypole dancing.

Next week is science week and we're investigating materials and forces. So, be prepared for some questions about gravity! Thank you for all the cardboard tubes you have been sending in - we're using them next Friday so it's not too late if you still have some at home!

I'm sure you'll enjoy the bank holiday - if the weather is good the children will know lots of ways to stay safe in the sun following a life skills lesson about "Sun Smart". They drew posters showing themselves being safe and some are going to be entered into a nationwide competition to try and win a sun shelter for the school playground.

HOMEWORK CHALLENGE:

If you should visit a play park on the bank holiday, you could look to see which things work when you push and which things work when you pull them.

Year 2

The children have been enjoying the lovely weather we have been having and taking every opportunity to use the outside area to learn and practice different skills.

In Numeracy our work has been focused on money, addition and subtraction. Can they make different amounts using the smallest number of coins, add amounts together and work out change. Any help you can give them at home with these skills would be very valuable. Every morning the children have a different coming in challenge. They have practised doubling, halving, adding 10 and many of their times tables. They always enjoy these challenges which are good time fillers on long car journeys etc.

Along with the hot weather, we have been having problems with unnamed cardigans and jumpers. Please check that your child's clothes are clearly named as it is very easy for them to become lost on a hot day when everyone takes their jumpers off.

We are very short of helpers in Year Two. Please see your child's teacher if you are able to help. Thank you for your support.

The Year Two Team.

Homework Challenge

Please practise some of your maths skills as above.

Reception

Sounds and key words for the week

Key words: we, said

Sounds: ie, v

Yellow Hat (what we liked this week)

Sowing our cress seeds and writing a list of materials used

Painting Van Gogh pictures and mixing paints to make the

right shade

Measuring using non-standard units to see which pots

were the heaviest or lightest

Writing and drawing about hot and cold countries

Looking at the different flowers outside and choosing one to draw using pastels

Using our flower pictures to make a tally chart

Homework challenge

Practise writing these key words from memory: she,we,said

We hope you all have a restful Bank holiday! Thank you Year R team

Change4Life Questionnaire

You will have seen the government advertisements over the last few months for the Change4Life campaign. In your child's book bag there is a copy of the 'How are the kids?' questionnaire. This is a fun questionnaire designed for parents to complete with their children and send to Change4Life. In return, you will receive an Action Plan tailored to your child, based on your answers.

BIKE CLUB MEETING

We have lots of children joining the Bike Club. Next week we will be training all of the children riding safely lessons. When the children pass their riding safely test they will receive a pass certificate. The children who have sent in their form for the Bike Club will receive their card and bike Bonus Card on the Friday.

From Monday 11th May we will begin stamping the children's cards when they come in. In Year 1 and Year 2 the card will be stamped at the Eco Lobby door. In reception the children will post their card in the Bike Club box in the classroom and it will be stamped during the day and returned to the child.

St John's Knaphill Sure Start Children's Centre Update

Next week's free activities include:

Wednesday: Parent and Toddler from 10 till 11.15 in the school hall and also Stay and Play in the Nursery from 1.30 till 3pm.

Thursday, Stay and Play once again in the Nursery from 1.30 through till 3pm.

At both Stay and Play sessions, you come and play with your child(ren), help them with painting or making - get ideas for things to do at home.

Internet Kiosk:ln the lobby of St John's Primary School, the Children's Centre has an internet kiosk which has links to Surrey County Council, Job Centre Plus, Surrey Family Information service and lots of other services, all using a touch screen. This is free to use, so do pop in anytime on a weekday from 8am till 4pm to use this facility.

Clothes Exchange: Do you find your children grow out of their clothes and shoes so quickly? Do they only wear something once or twice? Then bring any clothes or shoes in good condition (up to the age of 5 years) to any of our sessions and exchange it for something else. If you would like more information on any of the Children's Centre free activities, please phone 01483 476450 for details.