Cheriton Bishop Community Primary School

Snippets from the Classroom and Beyond

No W65 December 2007 – January 2008

Is it a sign of ageing? Last month I bemoaned the rapid passing of time and now, this month, I find that time is speeding up even more – it’s Christmas around the corner followed, in rapid succession, by the New Year and the start of the first term of 2008. Oh woe, it’s all passing me by too quickly. Enough of my grumblings, what of the happenings at the school?

We will have a new member of staff from 3^rd December. After the normal processes, Mr Gareth Jenkins has been appointed to the teaching position in Class 3. I hope I speak on behalf of all the readers of this column when I say “Welcome, Gareth. We all wish you every success in this appointment and hope you find the job rewarding and enjoyable.” That means that we have to say goodbye to Miss Soper at the end of term. Thanks for all you have done for the school in your time with us. She will assist Mr. Jenkins in settling in and use the last few days of the term to say her goodbye to her class.

The scary looking mob on the left are the ultimate in Halloween Terrors. They really look the part, don’t they? It’s even better in colour because there is a bit of “red eye” present which adds that je ne sais quois effect. It sends shivers down the spine. The whole Halloween party went off very well and you can see that a lot of trouble was taken to create the costumes worn. Well done to all who took part and to all the helpers.

Although I don’t have any photos, I understand that the whole school Baking Day was also a considerable success. The ambitious plans for the different types of bread etc that were going to be made must have proved quite a challenge but nothing that the children couldn’t meet.

“Children in Need” benefited from the children’s efforts on 16^th November to the tune of £161.75, a magnificent sum. Well done to everybody who took part in cross country runs, silly hat competitions et al. The next picture (overleaf) shows the outcome of the Silly Hats Competition with, among those present, Adam Barclay, Alexandra Marshall, Emilia Harris, Emmy Shearer, Fraser Maule, Joshua Walker and William Barclay all on the winner’s rostrum. I think they have done themselves proud with their creations. Well done.

On the sporting front, the soccer team drew with Copplestone Primary School and the netball team came a very close second !!! “It matters not who won or lost, but how you played the game.” Well done to all who played.

The newly organised After School Club, the Busy Bees Club, will be up and running for the start of the Spring Term with the first session on 7^th January – well done, incidentally, to Katie Grist who came up with the name “Busy Bees”. Mrs Jane Madge will be running the club but the school is on the lookout for helpers. If anyone is interested, please contact the school.

Bird seed – once again, the children will be selling bird seed and fat balls at very competitive prices in order to boost school funds. Mrs Wood and Mrs Brimacombe are the contacts.

It has been interesting, watching the progress on the new building. The roof is almost complete and the handover of the completed building promises to be in the near future. It certainly looks to be an impressive addition to the school facilities. I will try and get some photographs of it when it is finally completed.

The old parking problem has raised its head again. Twice a day it becomes a nightmare trying to drive up or down past the school. Some of us seem incapable of parking sensibly, selfishly taking up most of the road. You don’t have to be as close as possible to the school steps – the children do have legs with which to walk! What worries me most of all is the access for emergency vehicles attending any kind of an incident . With winter upon us, there is a greater likelihood of fires and the like occurring. Please think when you park. Yes, I know, parking for funerals, weddings and events in the Spalding Hall tends to clog up the road and they should know better but, they only occur occasionally whilst the school “jam” occurs twice daily. Please, please, please, let us all buck up!!!!!

The School Christmas Fayre will be held at the school on 7^th December, and the Christmas lunch will be on the 12^th .

On, then, to the diary:-

4^th December – Full Governors Meeting – 7pm

7^th December – Christmas Fayre

12^th December – Christmas lunch

14^th December – Carol Service – St Mary’s Church – 2pm and 6.30 pm

17^th December – Children’s Christmas Parties

18^th December – Pantomime, Northcott Theatre – Cinderella – Whole School

18^th December – Autumn Term Ends

3^rd January 2008 – Spring Term Begins

I don’t yet have any details of events in the Spring Term, so we must go blind into the New Year. This issue of the Newsletter covers both December and January so the next Snippets will be in February. In the meantime, do have a lovely Christmas break. Have a good family gathering and, for those that must, do come back to school in the New Year refreshed and raring to go. I hope you all have a Happy Christmas and a Peaceful, Happy and Prosperous New Year and don’t forget, Christmas all started at the birth of that tiny baby boy some two thousand years or so ago.

PGR