Dear Parents/Carers

 I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend, isn’t it amazing how the warmth of the sun can change our outlook and lift the spirits. This week I have had the pleasure of showing round a number of visitors who are working with our school to help us put our post Ofsted plan into action.  All of them have commented about what a good positive feeling there is in the school and also mentioned how polite and welcoming the children are.

One of the great pleasures that I have at the moment is seeing how children are active and inspired by their learning.  This morning I was collected, almost forcibly, by a group of excited Class 1 children who wanted to show the very small doorway and message that had appeared overnight in their class.  Yesterday it was a great pleasure to welcome PE students and staff from Burgate who spent the afternoon working with Classes 3 and 4 on a variety of sports.

Class 1 Assembly

Thank you very much to Class 1 for their assembly that explained how the food we eat has many world links.  I thought that they really shared their learning about Fairtrade very clearly.

 School Garden

I was very impressed by the Gardening club’s determination to plant potatoes in the rain. Thank you to Mrs Mansbridge for getting the garden ready and also for the flowers that she has planted around the front of the school, they have certainly brightened it up.

 Safety

Please can we ask you to drive very carefully in the car park and also to make sure your children are walking with you when you return to your car as excitable children are prone to act unpredictably!

Also the school needs to know if you are happy for your child to walk home alone.  We won’t let any child walk home unaccompanied unless we have permission first.

PTA Barn Dance – Tickets still available

There are only a few  tickets left for the Barn Dance.  It will be next Saturday, 18^th May at Home Farm in Hale from 6-9.30 pm.  Tickets are available from the school office at £8.00 for adults and £4.00 for children. This includes a light supper and live music by Jigfoot.

 Breamore Flower and Vegetable Show

As part of this year’s Breamore Show in August there will be a sunflower growing competition for children.  As a school we have long supported this event.  Therefore if you would like to enter the competition we will provide you with seeds, these will be available form Mrs Palumbo from next week.

 Textile Recycling

You should have now received your bag to fill for our collection of recycled textiles on 21st May. If your bag never made it home and you would like one, please see Mrs Bennett.

Isle of Wight residential

We will be holding an information session about this year’s visit on Tuesday 4^th June at 3.30. If your child is going to the Isle of Wight this year please try to attend this meeting as it is the time we try to share important information.

Advance notice – Race For Life

This year we are intending to hold a school version of this sponsored race on The Marsh on Thursday 13^th June. We will share details of this with you nearer to the time. But you may want to get into training as we are intending to ask parents to participate!

Some dates for your diary

Should you wish to discuss any issues I am usually available at the beginning or end of the school day.

Peter Shaw

Acting Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers

Furzey Gardens

Classes 1 and 2 had a brilliant time at Furzey Gardens yesterday. I’m sure that the excellent weather was a real bonus.  Amy and Torey were really impressed by the fairy houses, “there was even a fairy school with a fairy teacher…”  Lewis told me that he was amazed by the fact that some plants, like tree heather, can grow out of plants.  In these days of health and safety it was great to know that the Year 1 children had thought ahead about how to keep safe.  I was really impressed by both Lily and Hannah’s leaflets.

Post Ofsted Plan

You have probably noticed a physical element of this has gone into place this week.  Our site manager, David Hodgkyns, has been very busy with the gazebo. He’s made sure that it is open on more sides so that Year R have easier access and he’s added a blackboard that can be used by children and teachers.

PTA Barn Dance – Tickets still available

It’s your last chance to get your tickets for the Barn Dance.  It will be on Saturday 18^th May at Home Farm in Hale from 6-9.30 pm.  Tickets are available from the school office at £8.00 for adults and £4.00 for children. This includes a light supper and live music by Jigfoot.  We have a limited amount of tickets available as this is a shared event with Hyde School PTA.

Easyfundraising

We have registered the school on the easyfundraising.org.uk site which generates income for our PTA whenever you purchase items on certain websites!

You need to visit the easyfundraising.org.uk FIRST and then make your purchases to make sure the money gets to us!

Go to http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk , select Choose a good Cause enter Breamore Primary School and press find.  When the school details appear, press support and enter your details before you make your purchases. If you install Find and Remind it lets you know whenever you use a  site in the scheme and reminds you to log on to easyfundraising first.  It may sound complicated but it’s really easy!  Give it a try!

Breamore Flower and Vegetable Show

As part of this year’s Breamore Show in August there will be a sunflower growing
competition for children.  As a school we have long supported this event.  Therefore if you would like to enter the competition we will provide you with seeds, these will be available from Mrs Palumbo from next week.

Textile Recycling

We have arranged for another collection of recycled textiles on 21st May so now is your chance to have a good sort out!  We’ll be sending out bags for you to hopefully fill during next week.

Head teacher recruitment update.

The deadline has now passed for applications and I’m glad to say that we have attracted several high quality applicants.  The governor recruitment panel will be meeting next week to short list these applications, with those successful being called for the interview process just before half term.

I will continue to keep you updated with this process.

Richard Farr – Chair of Governors

Some dates for your diary

I will try to make sure that I am available at the beginning and end of the school day to discuss any concerns or issues.

Peter Shaw

Acting Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers

I would like to start this week’s newsletter with a highlight. On Wednesday I had the privilege to be invited to Class 3’s art exhibition in the hall.  The quality of the weaving on display was incredible. I think I talked to every one of the ‘artists’ about their work.  In particular I loved the use of colour and different materials.

 Post Ofsted plan

This week I have been busy refining and implementing our Post Ofsted Plan. I have visited every class to assess the quality of teaching. I have been impressed by the dedication of the teaching staff and the amount of work they put into ensuring that the learning opportunities are imaginative and interesting. I have also had several meetings with groups of Governors to report on the progress that we have made so far.  As promised last week there will be a summary of this plan available for you in the near future.

Learning Jigsaw

Our focus this half term is ‘making links’.  In Monday’s assembly our learning jigsaw character, Sasha the Spider, introduced us to some of the amazing facts about spiders and their webs.  Sasha then pointed out that the important part for our children to recognise is that they can make links between different parts of their learning, such as you’ll need maths and literacy skills to be able to cook.

Year 6 SATs

Mrs Tully and I will be holding a brief meeting to provide parents with information about this year’s SATs.  The meeting will take place on Thursday 2^nd May at 3.30 pm in Class 6.

Cricket

Redlynch Cricket Club have places for both boys and girls to join their sessions.  Year 5 and 6 sessions are on Wednesdays and Year 3 and 4 on a Saturday morning. If you are interested contact Iain Souter on 07971 571608 or iainsouter32@msn.com

Tennis

On Saturday Downton Tennis Club are hosting an open day between 2 and 5 pm.  This will include, “…fun taster sessions for adults and children.”   If interested further details are on their website www.downtontennisclub.co.uk

PTA Barn Dance – Tickets still available

It is time to get your dancing shoes on and enjoy yourselves!  The PTA have finalised the arrangements for the Barn dance.  It will be on Saturday 18^th May at Home Farm in Hale from 6-9.30 pm.  Tickets are available from the school office at £8.00 for adults and £4.00 for children. This includes a light supper and live music by Jigfoot.  We have a limited amount of tickets available as this is a shared event with Hyde School PTA.

Another Highlight!

Thank you to Class 2 today for inviting me to come and be ‘Flat Stanley’’ to help with your Literacy learning.

Some dates for your diary

I will try to make sure that I am available at the beginning and end of the school day to discuss any concerns or issues or just chat about the weather!

Peter Shaw

Acting Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome back

Welcome to the Summer Term.

I hope that you all had a restful and enjoyable Easter holidays.  Having talked to the children they seem to be full of energy and raring to go.  We have an action packed term coming up full of interesting activities, let’s just hope that the warm weather eventually catches up with us.

 Ofsted

After our Ofsted inspection we have drawn up a detailed action plan to address the issues that the inspection raised.  This plan has now been approved by the Governing Body.  In the near future I will make sure that a summary of this plan is available for you to read via our school website.  Much of our INSET training on Monday explored methods that we as teachers can use to successfully move learning forwards.

I’m sure that you will have noticed the appearance of new sheds in the Reception playground. I’d like to thank the staff for taking the time in the holiday to come in to move, build and organise these.  They are intended to enable the children in Class 1 to be able to access equipment they can use in their outdoor learning.  As a result of this we now have a few bikes that are surplus to requirements and are looking for a home in return for a donation.  If you are interested please see Mrs Silver

If you have children in Years 1-6 they may already have told you that they now have a ‘calculations’ book.  We have introduced this book to ensure that the children have daily opportunities to practise their calculation skills.

On Monday we also spent some time working with a volunteer from Fordingbridge museum to explore how we can use their skills and facilities.  We were quite inspired by some of the possibilities and will certainly be making use of the museum.

Marwell Zoo

Classes 3 and 4 visited Marwell Zoo on Wednesday to enhance their science learning about habitats.  When I met the children on their return they were full of enthusiasm and seemed to be accompanied by a lot of cuddly toy animals…

 Art Exhibition

Class 3 is hosting an exhibition of their art for the parents in the hall, on Wednesday 24^th April at 3 pm.  They have made it very professional by sending out invitations.

 Clubs

Our programme of clubs will be fully up and running again by next week.  These are the clubs that we will be offering.

Tuesday after school –

Football for Key Stage 2

Knitting

Fencing for Key Stage 2

Wednesday lunchtime

Drama  (see separate letter)

Thursday lunchtime -

Cross country

Thursday after school –

Gymnastics, but this will be replaced by athletics when the field is ready.

Spanish

Craft

PTA Barn Dance

It is time to get your dancing shoes on and  enjoy yourselves!  The PTA have finalised the arrangements for the Barn dance.  It will be on Saturday 18^th May at Home Farm in Hale from 6-9.30 pm.  Tickets are available from the school office at £8.00 for adults and £4.00 for children. This includes a light supper and live music by Jigfoot.  We have a limited amount of tickets available as this is a shared event with Hyde School PTA

Head Teacher Recruitment Update

“As promised I would like to update you on the progress of replacing our head teacher.  Our governor recruitment panel have been working hard on producing a prospectus and advertisement, alongside the Local Authority.  To date this has attracted some interest resulting in me showing some potential candidates around the school this week with some more to follow next week.  We are expecting applications in early May with subsequent interviews in late May.  All being well we hope to confirm the appointment soon after.

Richard Farr Chair of Governors”

Line Dancing

There is a FREE taster session of Line Dancing in Hulse Hall on Thursday 9 May

 7.00 – 8.00pm .  All are welcome to attend

Phone Margaret on 01725 512611 for more information.

Some dates for your diary

Thank you to all of those who have wished me well and expressed support.  I will try to make sure that I am available at the beginning and end of the school day to discuss any concerns or issues or just chat about the weather.

Peter Shaw

Acting Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

Coppice Crafts

On Monday, Class Four enjoyed a trip to see Dave Dibden.  Dave works in the forest and is interested in maintaining sustainability for our local area.

The children particularly enjoyed finding out how to make charcoal and broomsticks!

Eggciting!

On Monday, we welcomed Mrs Tibbett to school to do some cookery with Class One and Class Five using eggs.  Mrs Tibbett works for Fit2Cook, an organisation set up to stimulate children’s interest in ‘real’ food, working closely with local farmers and food producers.  Our children learned a great deal and were delighted with their quiche!

ARRRRR!

Yesterday our Speech and Drama Club presented their very own Pirate Play, with the help of their teacher, Mrs Burchell.

We are SO incredibly proud of our children.  Not only did they remember their many lines, but they acted with great passion and conviction (we have never seen such scary pirates)!!

We would like to pass on our sincere thanks to Mrs Burchell for her hard work and commitment to this brilliant club.  If your child is interested in developing their acting skills, please see Mrs Bennett or Mrs Burchell.

Easter Service

Thank you for joining us at our Easter Service at Breamore Church and for walking with us in this chilly weather!

We reflected on New Life and the real meaning of Easter.  Thank you children for conveying the message of the Easter story so beautifully.

Easter Egg Hunt 

We welcomed the Easter Bunny to school yesterday as we held our very own Easter Egg Hunt in the playground.  Great excitement was in the air as children chased to find their winning tickets!  Thank you to our PTA for organising such a lovely event for our children.

Thank you

I have been really touched today by your kind wishes, cards and gifts on my last day at Breamore.

Thank you to you, as parents for your support during my time as Headteacher.

Breamore is a very special place. It has been a great privilege working with such fantastic children, watching them learn and grow.  

It has also been an honour to work with such talented and committed staff, who work so tirelessly to ensure the very best opportunities for our children.

I know that Breamore will go from strength to strength under the leadership of Mr Shaw and the Governing Body next term – I know that you will all continue to support Breamore on the next leg of its journey!

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Numbers 6:24-26

Diary Dates:

With very best wishes, 

Kate Lane

Dear Parents/Carers,

Food and Festivals Project

We have enjoyed a super week with a particular focus on Passover as part of our Food and Festivals project.

On Wednesday classes Three and Four visited the Bournemouth Reform Synagogue.  Thomas told me:

It was very good.  We wore hats as a sign of respect.  They are called Kippah.  We saw a very big scroll and learned some Hebrew words.  I enjoyed the horn-blowing the most.

Anna Potten came into school and worked with Class Two and Class Six, learning more about Passover and significant foods.  Class Two cooked delicious cake and Class Six learned about the Seder Plate, sharing their knowledge with us during worship time.

Throughout the day on Wednesday, activities were filmed to create a resource for staff in other schools.  We are so grateful to Woodgreen Village Shop and lottery funding for supporting our initiatives.

Classroom Buzz!

Class Five have been extending their learning about The Greeks this week.  I was delighted to see wonderful enthusiasm as children learned more about The Battle of Marathon, pretending to be Greek Generals.

Class Three and Four have been developing their understanding of Electricity, learning about Series and Parallel circuits.  I heard great excitement as one group successfully lit their light bulb!

I am looking forward to a display of weaving created by Class Three.  The pieces they have made really are beautiful.  Well done children.

Red Nose Day

Thank you everyone for your crazy hair and brilliant fundraising last Friday.  We raised over £180.00!

Pirate Play

Drama Club are delighted to be staging their Pirate Play next Wednesday 27^th March at 3pm in the hall. You are welcome to join us. We are really excited and would like to thank the children, and especially Mrs Burchell, for their hard work and dedication.   Reports

We are sending reports to parents today.  We listened to your feedback last year and have amended the report format accordingly, particularly regarding the attainment and effort grading system. 

It would be most helpful if you could complete and return the report receipt slip inside the report to your child’s class teacher.  Your feedback is always so valuable. If you would like to discuss the report in more detail with your child’s teacher or myself, please arrange an appointment by either contacting the class teacher at the end of the day, or contacting the school office.

Charity Event

Mrs Jane Rushworth is involved in a charity event over Easter and needs empty Muller Rice pots for a craft activity.  If you can help, please see Jane.

Menus

Mrs Bennett is sending home new menus today for hot meals after the Easter break.  For further information on hot dinners, please speak to Mrs Bennett at the office.

Welcome

We are pleased to welcome Mrs Claire Sanderson to our staff team as Lunchtime Supervisor.  We hope Mrs Sanderson will be very happy with us and enjoy her new role!

Our Neighbourhood

Please be mindful of local residents and members of the public regarding access at the rear of the school.  Thank you.

Thought for the Day

You’re happiest while you’re making the greatest contribution. Robert F. Kennedy

We are always so proud of our school community and the contributions that individuals make on a daily basis to ensure a wealth of opportunities for our children.  Thank you everyone!

Diary Dates:

With very best wishes, 

Kate Lane

Dear Parents/Carers,

It was lovely walking around after school on Tuesday and seeing the many activities taking place.

Mrs Palumbo was busy with her ‘knitters’ and I am so pleased that some mums are coming along to knit even though their children are not in Knitting Club!  Mr Wylie began Football again and the field is in use once more as an area where children can develop their sporting skills.  If your child would like to become involved in an after-school activity, please pop in and see me or Mrs Bennett.

Well Done!

We are very proud of our Class Three and Four children who took part in a Cross Country championship at the Burgate on 27^th February.  They competed against children from other local schools and were not only cross country champions, but wonderful ambassadors for our school.  Thank you children and well done.

Hopes for the Future

We have been thinking about our hopes for the future during lesson and Worship times.  Reverend Tracy Robinson led a lovely worship last week on Growth and the importance of loving one another.

Mr Wylie and Class Four shared their learning with us on Tuesday, focusing on Healing the Earth and the part we play in looking after our planet for future generations; thank you children for this important reminder.  We look forward to seeing more of the work of our Eco Warriors next term.

Reports

We are sending reports to parents next Friday.  The report provides you with important information on your child’s attainment and progress during the school year so far.  It also gives you a picture of how your child is developing socially and emotionally. 

We listened to your feedback last year and have amended the report format accordingly, particularly regarding the attainment and effort grading system. 

It would be most helpful if you could complete and return the report receipt slip inside the report to your child’s class teacher.  Your feedback is always so valuable. If you would like to discuss the report in more detail with your child’s teacher or myself, please arrange an appointment by either contacting the class teacher at the end of the day, or contacting the school office.

School Uniform

We are looking for someone to take over the ordering and storing of school uniform.  Mrs Bennett deals with money, so this role would mean storing the uniform (around nine large storage boxes) and re-ordering online to keep the stock to a satisfactory level.  You also need to be available to bring the uniform into school as people order it.  We really need somebody to take over after Easter, so please contact Mrs Bennett if you feel that you could help.  Thank you!

Easter Service

On Wednesday 27^th March we are celebrating Easter at Breamore Church with a special service starting at 10:00am.  We will be walking to the church and back and if you are able to volunteer to walk with us, we would be really grateful!

We would love you to join us for the service and hope to see you.

Thought for the Day

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.  Charles Dickens

What strange weather we are experiencing at the moment!  The last days of winter still grip us with glimpses of spring sunshine…

Spring and our preparations for Easter remind us of the important message of new life.

We will be celebrating this with an Easter Egg Hunt during the last week of term.  Details to follow!

Diary Dates:

With very best wishes, 

Kate Lane

Dear Parents/Carers,

Ofsted

The Governors, on behalf of all the parents and pupils, would like to sincerely thank our staff for the tremendous effort put in to our two day OFSTED inspection this week.  Special praise must be given to Miss Lane and Mr Shaw for their own personal commitment over the entire course of the inspection. We will inform you of the date of publication of the report as soon as we are able.

Thank you.

Thank you

Firstly, thank you if you contributed to Parent View and for your many positive comments during our inspection. 

Also, many thanks for coming in to share books with our children on World Book Day yesterday.  It was great to see so many of you and I know the children really enjoyed their stories!

Food and Festivals

On Tuesday I met with Anna Potton to discuss our themed learning on Judaism as part of our Food and Festivals project.  Pesach, or Passover, falls on March 25^th until April 2^nd this year and Anna will be coming into school on Wednesday 20^th to cook with children, discuss Passover and learn about the symbolism of different foods on the Seder Plate.

As part of this week, we are hoping to take children to Fluffets Farm to collect the eggs for our cookery and for our ongoing Easter celebrations this month.  Further details to follow!

Red Nose Day

It has been twenty five years since the launch of Red Nose Day and over the years, the money raised has helped countless people across Africa and the UK.  Next Friday, our School Council are launching Mad Hair Day to do ‘something funny for money!’  We would like you to come to school with crazy hair for the day and bring a contribution for this fantastic charity if possible.  Eeek!!  Where did I put those crimpers!?!

Red noses are also on sale at the office and cost £1.00.

Children should wear uniform as usual please.

School Uniform Sales

Is anyone willing to take over the selling of our school uniform?  Mrs Farr has done a brilliant job of storing and selling of uniform over the years.  Thank you Mrs Farr.

Dogs

It has been brought to my attention that up to nine dogs have died after being walked in the Ogdens area of the forest in the last ten days.  The cases are being investigated by the Forestry Commission and Environment Agency.  If your dog becomes ill after walking on the forest, please seek veterinary attention immediately.

See You Soon!

We are saying goodbye to Mrs Dawn Evans after seven years as a lunchtime supervisor today.  We will miss Dawn and wish her every happiness in her new job.

Diary Dates:

With very best wishes, 

Kate Lane

Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome back after half term!  I hope you enjoyed a lovely week. 

Mrs Futcher and Class Three led a super worship this week on ‘Signs of Spring.’  The warmer weather is on its way and we look forward to seeing the beauty of The New Forest in the spring.

World Book Day

Next Thursday is World Book Day.  World Book Day has been running for sixteen years and one of its main aims is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading.

To celebrate this special event, we would like to invite parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles into school to share favourite stories or books with small groups of children.  We are inviting you to join us from 8:50am until 9:30am and would love to see you!

Position Available

We are looking to recruit someone to join our friendly and efficient team of lunchtime staff from 12.00pm – 1.00pm Monday – Friday (Term Time only).

Your duties will include:

• ·          Supervision of children whilst eating and at play.
• ·          Ensuring the safety and welfare of children at all times.
• ·          Positive behaviour management.
• ·          Encouraging good manners and good behaviour.
• ·          Administering minor first aid.

If you are patient, have a very positive and practical outlook and a good team member then you could be the person we are looking for.  For further details please contact the school office on 01725 512286 or e-mail adminoffice@breamore.hants.sch.uk.

Breamore CE VC Primary School and Hampshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Criminal Records Bureau checks along with other relevant employment checks.

Parking

It has come to my attention that one of our neighbours in the lane behind our school has found access to her property difficult due to parents

parking in front of her house.  Our neighbour is disabled and requires access at the front gate to her house at all times.  We understand that the lane is a public right of way, but would appreciate your cooperation in keeping this clear at all times.  Many thanks.

PTA Second hand Sale

Thank you to everyone who donated to and bought from the sale yesterday.  The PTA raised over £200 – well done and thanks to those who manned the stalls too!

Security

Sadly, on Tuesday evening a car was broken into in our car park and a handbag was stolen.  Please do not leave valuables in your car and make sure your car is locked.

Thought for the Day

Class Two have written a prayer:

Dear God,

Thank you for the world so sweet, with all the birds that fly in the lovely sky.

Thank you for the sea creatures that swim in the clear blue water.

Thank you for our pets that we can care for.

Thank you for everyone.

Amen.

Diary Dates:

With very best wishes, 

Kate Lane