Dear Parents/Carers,

Message from Jo Robins:

Hello Brian and all at Edwalton,

Firstly, can I say thank you for all of your cards, gifts and well wishes! It has been a scary and exciting start to the New Year. Baby Robins arrived on Sunday the 17th January at
10.35pm, weighing 6lb 11½ oz and is a strong and healthy boy! As you know we have named him Jotham Olly and he is certainly living up to his name meaning bold and strong!! Kev and I are very busy trying to juggle the chaotic world of parenthood but we love every minute of it, well, except the lack of sleep, dirty nappies and my ever growing pile of ironing!! I feel such a novice and I honestly do think Jotham wonders what on earth I am doing!! We are spending lots of time learning about everything together. He is constantly letting me know how not to hold him, looking at me with a peculiar expression and then letting out an enormous howl! Oh dear, I’ve got a lot to learn! I must admit though, I am enjoying being in this baby bubble!

Good-bye to Katie Allen

Katie Allen had a touching and lovely end of term good-bye from us all just before halfterm.
She is now at home, resting and awaiting the arrival of her first born. We send her
all our best wishes.

Welcome to Ben Thompson
(Maternity cover for Ms Allen)

I am sure you would like to extend a warm welcome to Ben Thompson who will be
responsible for Hazel class whilst Ms Allen is on maternity leave. Ben will be joining both
Animal Club and the Eco-team and we all look forward to having him joining our talented
and exciting team in Year 3/4. Mrs Chidlow will be his mentor during the Induction phase.

Minor works and decoration

During the half term I managed to secure the service of additional cleaners, caretaker and
trainers to boost the standard of cleaning that can be normally be achieved in 3 days with
our own team. Each classroom was cleaned, floors were polished and sinks were thoroughly cleaned. On top of this the relief caretaker scrubbed and polished the hall floor which looks like the jewel in the crown. The hall curtains were cleaned by an outside provider. Toilets and cloakrooms were decorated in Ash and Maple classes.

As well as this we had additional workmen in school to repair and upgrade water systems
and the heating. Work was completed outside and in the new double mobile. All was
going beautifully until the upgraded water system, now pressurised from the mains, began
to burst 1954 underground pipework! On the Monday morning of the Inset Day I arrived in school early before the Inset to check school and Ms Willis had a ‘hot spa bath’ in her cloakroom area! Sadly, the staff were at the Racecourse! However, we have managed to fix the leaks and repair the damage in time for school to open on Tuesday, but we have been warned to expect more leaks
across the system over the next couple of weeks. I knew you would appreciate the hard work by the contractor, John, Ian and Lorraine and myself to ensure that the school opened! My sincere thanks go to John, Ian and Lorraine who worked part of Saturday to ensure that the school opened.

Please can you do your part and remind your children to bring suitable indoor and outdoor shoes to school. Please can I also make a plea that you speak to your children about having a good, suitable coat (so they can enjoy the outdoors) which is robust enough to cope with the demands of outdoor play.

The staff enjoyed the Inset Day. It was a good thought-provoking day all about the Creative Curriculum. Interestingly, I felt that on many counts Edwalton is at the forefront of current thinking or perhaps it’s more a case of we stood strong in our values and ideas against the tide of the last few years which has seen the curriculum narrow.

Visit from Schools’ Specialist Trust

Bradley Rice, Ellie Owadally, Zak Ibrahim and Chloe Beaumont showed Carrie Hughes – lead regional co-ordinator for the Schools’ Specialist Trust round our school, both inside and outside, on Wednesday. Carrie was here to ascertain the viability of our school hosting Inset and both regional and national meetings for the SSAT. The children impressed Carrie so much that they and members of our School Council and Eco-Team will be invited to speak to 6th Formers in May with Mrs Childow. Thank you and well done folks.

Anti-Racism Training – Part 2 – Wednesday 3 March at 3.45pm

Next week the staff will be undertaking anti-racist training and raising awareness of such issues. This is all part of our determination for raising outcomes for all children but especially our black and ethnic minority children. The staff meeting will involve all our staff, representatives from the midday staff and kitchen staff plus Kids’ Club. Should any members of the Parents’ Association, Governing Body or parents wish to attend please get in touch so I can ascertain numbers.
The last meeting was well attended, very interesting and successful. Please come along.

Eco Club

Eco Club met yesterday with myself, Hannah Teasdale, Ben Thompson, Trish Gilbert and Ed Seeley. We discussed the signs of Spring, explored the BBC C Beebies website, BREATHING PLACES (bbc.co.uk/breathing places) for information and looked at the SPRINGWATCH website. If you go to the HEDGEROWS website you will find examples of work our school undertook last year at http://www.hedgelink.org.uk/hedgerows/ (it’s down at the bottom under resources). This is the work done last Summer in Years 5 and 6. Well done folks. We talked about the fact that various studies have shown that, on average, Spring is now coming 11 days earlier than in the 1970s and what the consequences of this are for birds nesting and bees pollinating. The children have been encouraged to look for signs of Spring and participate in the National Ladybird and Bumble Bee survey.

Filming for the National College Sustainable Schools Website

The school hosted a film company yesterday. The filming will be used to help other schools develop farms and environmental work in their school. I would like to thank the children Ranjeet Dhaliwal-Gordon, Liam Baker, Daniel Cook, Ellie Owadally, Charlotte Lee, Harriet Turner, Harry Wesson, Daniel Paterson, Charlie Koczalski, Jessica Thompson, Darwin Hadley, Sophie Lloyd and Josh Wathey. Also Trish Gilbert, John Reed and Ed Seeley who supported me and the film crew in producing their mini documentary. The school received £150 to cover costs and this has been transferred into the school farm account.

Looking After the Animals

Many thanks to the children and families who helped look after the animals over the half-term holiday - Tom and Eleanor Roberts, Rachel and Amelie Brown, Liz and Sophia Hastings, Eleanor O’Raw, Thomas Benoke, Maddie Beesley, Matthew Kay,Ellie Postlethwaite and Ellie and Charlotte Owadally. Thank you for all your efforts.

Sainsbury’s Active Kids, Tesco’s Computer for Schools and Nestlé Box Tops

The 2010 campaign for Active Kids and Computers for schools has now begun and we are grateful for all your vouchers. The collection boxes are in the school entrance. Thank you to everyone who has already brought tokens in – please keep them coming!

The Nestle Box Top tokens scheme closes at the end of March. A big thank you to everyone who has sent in tokens from their cereal boxes – please keep them coming in.

Mon 1 March
12.15pm I.T. Club
12.15pm KS2 Spanish Club
3.30pm Animal Club
3.30pm YMCA Multi-
Sports Foundation & Yrs1
& 2

Tue 2 March
12.15pm School Council
12.15pm FS and KS1
Spanish Club
12.15pm KS1 Choir

Wed 3 March
12.15pm Marimba Band

Thurs 4 March
12.15pm Eco/Gardening
Club – Years 3 – 6
3.30 - 4.40pm Dance Club –
Yr 1 – Y6

Fri 5 March
10.25am Hazel and Oak
Classes Swimming
12.15pm KS2 Choir
12.30pm Christian Club
(Lime)
12.30pm Chess Club

SCHOOL DINNERS
£1.95 per day
£9.75 per week
£46.80 for the half term

Mid-morning Café
Toast 20p a slice
Mini Pizza 35p each
Flavoured Milk 50p
Fruit Cuplette 30p

Brian Owens
Head Teacher