Houghton Conquest Lower School and Early Years Centre

Newsletter 9 (27th January 2017)

Value of the Month: Co-operation

Diary Dates (new items in bold)

Jan 2017

28th - 30th Bird Watch

30th KS1 Multi-Skills Festival (selected children)

30th Magical Maths (3.15pm - 4.15pm)

Feb 2017

2nd Bikeability for Year 3

3rd KS1 and KS2 Gymnastics Festival

6th Magical Maths (3.15pm - 4.15pm)

7th Safer Internet Day

8th Assembly by Rev Toze

9th Owls Class Assembly at 9.15am (parents of children in Owls class invited to join us)

W/C 13th Half Term (School and Pre-School Closed)

20th FA Football Coaching (Years 3 & 4)

20th Magical Maths (final session)

21st Parent Consultations from 5pm

23rd Parents Consultations from 3.30pm

27th FA Football Coaching (Years 3 & 4)

March 2017

2nd World Book Day(£1 book tokens for all children)

8th Year 2 Information Event (Owls Class - 3.20pm)

10th World Maths Day (whole school event)

W/C 13th Science Week

Last Friday some of the children took the opportunity to make the most of the snow while it lasted as these fantastic pictures show.

Parent Consultations - School

We are just finalising arrangements for the February parent consultations. We will text you next week when the bookings forms are available.

Lunch Money (years 3 and 4)

Can I please remind parents that school meals need to be paid for on a Monday (unless your child is ill and then it is due on their first day back at school). We ask you to do this to ensure we have ordered the correct amount of food and because the Cashier only works on a Monday.

From this point forward any monies and requests for lunch after the Monday deadline (unless your child is ill) will no longer be accepted (the money will be returned to you) and you will have to provide a packed lunch for your child for the week.

Thank you for your co-operation

Caterlink

Reminder

Please can you ensure that all items of clothing are named. We have quite a selection of lost property in the main school and in Robins Classroom.

Sainsbury’s Active Kids Vouchers are back for 2017 We are once again collecting Active Kids Vouchers.

They are available in Sainsbury’s stores from the 25th

January. We use the vouchers to receive either sports

or cooking equipment for the School/EYC, so the more

vouchers we collect the more equipment we are able

to order. Last year we received, amongst other things,

some new PE bibs and an activity treasure chest.

Collection boxes can be found in both the school and

EYC.

KS2 Athletics Festival Children from Hawks and Eagles entered the inter schools athletic festival on the 10th January. The chil-dren all worked well and showed great teamwork and determination throughout the competition which paid off with us placing a team 2nd overall. The children took part in events such as long jump, javelin and dis-tance events. Summer Nightingale made a particularly good impression with her sheer determination in the running races, volunteering to run when other children didn't feel confident enough.

Owls Sign2Sing The children in Owls class are supporting the Deaf Health Charity SignHealth, which helps vulnerable deaf children and adults through raising funds. Imagine a world where you cannot communicate with the people around you, this can lead to feelings of isolation. The Sign2Sing project helps deaf adults and children access help and advice through the funds they receive. As part of Owls class assembly the children will perform a special song to help raise awareness of this important charity. We ask that every child in the school brings in a donation of £1 to support the charity 'SignHealth' on Thursday 9th February. All monies raised will go directly to the charity and every child who donates will receive a sticker to show their support. For more information about the charity please have a look at the Sign2Sing website. http://www.sign2sing.org.uk/what-is-sign2sing/signhealth/ Let's make a difference! Thanks. Mrs Pestell

Early Years Centre

Dear Parents & Carers,

We hope you are finding our new online payment facility useful. If you have any queries with regard to

this please don’t hesitate to contact us on hceyc@cbc.beds.sch.uk.

Spare Clothing: Please consider what spare clothes are in your child's bag, which should include

socks, pants, trousers and tops. The children are enjoying splashing in muddy puddles and playing with

water as part of their play time. Thank you.

Home Links: We would welcome any photographs for the wall displays showing what your chil-

dren have been doing at home over the Christmas period, i.e where they went, who they visited, things

they enjoyed, new skills etc.

Outdoor Clothing: As the winter gets colder could we ask that your child is dressed in clothes ap-

propriate for the weather. Coats, hats, gloves and named wellington boots are essential.

Friends of Houghton Conquest Lower School Can you believe that February is nearly upon us? This month has passed so quickly! It’s been busy for the Friends since our meeting last week. Since all of you have been so generous, we have been able to accumulate a sizeable amount of funds to be distributed above and beyond the Forest School start-up costs. Here’s a simple break down on what was considered: PLAYGROUND LINE PAINTING - This involves removing the existing playground marking lines and having a new layout creat-ed with games and playing court barriers. If you know someone who has contacts within the building trade who can do this kind of work, please let someone on the committee know. We are currently contacting companies for quotes on the costs involved so we can determine when this project can be completed. This will be a costly project. NEW iPads FOR CLASSROOMS - As technology continues to be an integral part of the classroom and our children’s futures, the teaching staff have suggested than an additional iPad for each classroom be purchased. Again, quotes are being gath-ered for costs involved, and decisions as to when these can be purchased will probably be discussed at the next meeting of the Friends in February. Do you know anyone who would be able to help us source these at a lower than retail cost? EARLY YEARS CENTRE - An amount of £1,000 has been allocated to the Early Years Centre to be used to purchase new toys and/or be used to cover the cost of a new climbing frame. DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR Thursday, February 9th – Valentine’s Bake Sale….get your best recipes out of the box and have fun with your children. Thursday, March 2nd – Book Tombola in honour of World Book Day Monday, March 20th & 23rd – Volunteers needed to assist with making Mothering Sunday Gifts Monday, April 3rd – Easter Egg Hunt TBA – Pamper Evening TBA – Family Race Night See? I told you we were very busy! This weekend I am off to observe a Forest School session in action. My studies continue and the development of the Forest School Program is moving forward. After my 3rd course module and completion of a 2-Day Outdoor Paediatric Course in March, I am hoping to be all set to start offering sessions as part of my course portfolio to the Year 4 students after Easter Holidays. As my very first steel and flint arrived yesterday in the post, I think I am going to have my boys practice fire lighting in the back garden on Sunday followed by a bit of marshmallow toasting! What will you be doing this weekend? Until next time, Linsay Regan, Chair

Ways to get in touch or find out information

School and Early Years Centre Telephone: 01234 740202

Our Website: www.houghtonconquest.beds.sch.uk

Email address for parents (Miss Weston): office.hcls@cbc.beds.sch.uk

Celebration Assemblies

Here you will find the awards that have been given out in our Friday Celebration Assemblies

Friday, 20th January 2017

Star of the Week from:

Mr Davies: Rex Laundon for showing friendship and respect everyday in Robins.

Mrs Blake: Luca Ward for trying really hard with his reading.

Mrs Pestell: Jack Fuller for his careful and accurate sewing in Design Technology.

Miss Heaslip: Gene Tobin for working brilliantly in a group to share his math's learning.

Mrs Chadwick: Jayden Peach for huge improvement in spelling.

Mrs Liderth: Gabriel Arnold for fantastic sewing to make his puppet.

Values Award: Mikey Bathers for showing co-operation with others during a game.

Star of the Week at Lunchtime: Millie Gibson for helping younger children who have been upset.

Golden Certificates: Evie Anderson, Ivy Gravener, Cherry Edwards, Niamh Davis and Conner Peach.

Reading Rewards: Nathan Davis, Brandon Thomas, Tommy Spencer, Callista Edwards, Katherine Birch, Luca Ward, Hannah Bedford, Joshua Blake, Luke Worts, Mason Whelan, Sydney Pilsbury, Lewis Baker, Ella Walker, Lily Baker, Joshua Gruzelier, Ben Vaughan, Cerys Sebborn and Katelyn Pestell.

Finer Diners: Lillie Hailes, Taylor Lock, Sam Matthews, Faith Poultney, Jack Day, Abbygail Fisk, Hannah Bedford, Ivy Gravener, Emily Brett, Evie Busbridge, Jack Simpson and Sydney Pilsbury.

Headteacher Awards:

Reuben Burrows: Swimming, Duckling Award 3.

Mortimer Burrows: Swimming, Duckling Award 4.

Friday, 27th January 2017

Star of the Week from:

Mrs Park: Reuben Burrows for great estimating in maths.

Mrs Sebborn: Katie White for being very generous and making lovely snacks for our class pet - Rosie Mouse.

Miss Taylor: Thomas Pestell for preserving with learning the ocarina and trying his best.

Miss Dancer: Olivia Pilsbury for the lovely presentation in all of her work.

Golden Certificates: Cody Riley, Ryan Bracher, Millie White, Mikey Bathers and Mason Whelan.

Finer Diners: Grace Exworth, Laura Guiness, Callister Edwards, Luca Ward, Joshua Gruzelier, Alice Phillips, Sian Thomas, Millie White, Lilly Whitfield, Sommer Bathers, Mikey Bathers and Rex Laundon.

Reading Rewards: Cherry Edwards, Evie Busbridge, Alex Abood, Sway Hyndman, Faith Poultney and Lilly Whit-field.

Headteacher Awards

Max Williamson: Swimming Stage 3.

Grace Fuller: Writing competition.

Lilly Whitfield: for making her Brownie promise.