9 Sep 2009 - Newsletter #1

Dear Parents,

Welcome back!

Welcome to you all as we begin the new school year here at Holy Apostles’. If you are new to the school, we extend a special “hello” to you and trust that you and your child/ren will enjoy your time with us. My colleagues and I wish you all well in the terms ahead.

As for last year, I hope you will have had chance to see the great ‘new look’ to the junior classrooms as you arrive? The improvement is just as impressive as last year’s and we now have a high quality learning environment for all our pupils. Even if you don’t yet have a child in the junior classes, you are very welcome to ‘pop your head round the door’ to see them for yourself.

Staff News

As we begin this school year, you will already know that Mrs Mason and Mrs Davis are away on maternity leave and that Miss Stock has moved to a new post at Lakeside School. Mrs Crew, ahead of her retirement at Christmas, is now working one day per week as our Co-ordinator for Special Educational Needs.

I am delighted to welcome Mr Styles (Class 6) and Miss Kavanagh (Class 5) to the permanent teaching staff and Miss Neeves (Class 4) and Mrs Morris (Class 2), temporarily, to cover the two maternity leave absences. Additionally, our Teaching Assistant provision has been ‘boosted’ for this year with the appointments of Miss Broomfield and Mr Stevenson.

I’m sure you all join with me in extending a warm welcome to them all.

Admission to school

If you have children who are younger brothers/sisters of pupils already registered at the school and are due to start school either in September 2010 or 2011 i.e. with a birthday between 1.9.2005 and 31.8.2007, it would help us greatly if you would please check with my colleagues in the school office that you have completed one of our school admission forms.

Newsletters

Already this term there are several things about which you will need to be informed. (A list of dates/events – so far – is attached to this letter and Mr Styles has written separately to advise you of this term’s After School Club Programme.) Most of the more general, whole-school matters will come directly from me while my colleagues will address other, more specific issues. My further newsletters this term will be sent out on Fridays – 25th September & 9th October; 13th & 27th November; and 11th December. Additionally, they will be posted on the school website. I hope this notice in advance increases your chances of receiving “the letter from school”!

Pantomime

I am pleased to be able to say that we have been able to book seats for the Everyman Theatre’s production of Sleeping Beauty on our last afternoon of the term i.e. Friday, 18th December at 2pm. Further details of arrangements will be sent in due course but, for now, I hope this advance notice will be useful to you.

Class letters

You should have received letters from your child/ren’s Class Teacher on Friday last week to inform you of key things that will affect pupils for this term. While the main issues are common to most classes, the details are slightly different – for a variety of reasons – and so I should be grateful if you ensure you have received this letter and noted its contents.

Yours sincerely,

D G Davies
Headmaster