Newsletter Issue 7
ferncumbe friday
Friday 7th December 2018
goodbyes and welcomes!
It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to a few members of the Ferncumbe Family at the end of this term. One of them is Claire Bosworth in the office who is relocating to the Isle of Wight to set up a B&B business with her husband. Claire has been a friendly face and a caring member of the Ferncumbe team for over 3 years, and in that time has had a huge impact on the efficiency of the office’s smooth running. She will be missed so much by us all and we genuinely wish her every success with her new venture.
We are also saying goodbye to Mrs Steer, who is taking up a teaching position closer to home, and Mrs Sellen, who is reverting back to her original role as cover teacher. We thank them both enormously for their hard work and valuable contribution during their time with us - they will be much missed by children and adults alike. Everyone knows what we always say to our leavers…
‘Once a member of the Ferncumbe Family, always a member of the Ferncumbe Family!’
Please do come back and visit us, you will always be assured of a warm welcome.
We have a few additional staff changes in school from the beginning of January. Ms Anna Reid joins the Ferncumbe team to teach in Wroxall Class (Year 5), and will be joined by Mrs Jayne White on a Wednesday. Mrs MacKintosh will increase teaching Rowington Class (Year 3) from 1 to 2 days, and will now teach Year 3 pupils on both a Thursday and Friday. Mrs White will join Mr Kitney to teach Hatton Class (Reception) on a Thursday,
Our school office will also see some changes from January. We are delighted to appoint Mrs Michelle Sutcliffe, an experienced School Business Manager, who will take over the role from Mrs Bosworth for 3 days a week. We are in the process of recruiting an administrator to work alongside Tamson Lepper in the school office.
christmas jumper day
We will be taking part in the national ‘Christmas Jumper Day’ on Friday 14th December 2018. Pupils are invited to wear a Christmas or Winter themed top to school, with their normal school skirt or trousers. Please don’t feel it necessary to go out and buy a new top - a home decorated one is absolutely fine!
christingle service and tree festival
Children from Ferncumbe, along with friends and family, are invited to the Christingle Service (10am) and Tree Festival (11.30am - 3.30pm) on Sunday 9th December at Holy Trinity Church. A reminder that there is also the chance to bring along any unwanted and good quality toys, which will then be donated to families in need through Helping Hands.
Children have been busy making Christingles in school today!
the ferncumbe cross-country team
A big well done to the Ferncumbe Cross-Country Team who, between them, have run in three events across this term. They turned up on Saturday mornings, braving the cold and wet weather to run through mud and even a small stream! The team competed against over a hundred other children from various Warwickshire Schools. One of our runners even came in the top 20 finishers, earning herself a certificate for her gallant effort. Thank you to Joe Hulse for running some training sessions at school and for supporting the event. Also thanks to Steve Kiernan for his support and, of course, to the parents and relatives who sacrificed their Saturday mornings to support their children.
Mr Upton
helping hands shoe boxes
A reminder that the deadline for shoe boxes for Helping Hands to be brought into school is Friday 14th December. Many thanks for those boxes received so far, your contributions are very much appreciated and will make a real difference.
Friends of Ferncumbe
Huge thank you to Friends of Ferncumbe who have donated brand new wet play equipment for each class to use during the winter months. These gifts are appreciated by not only the children, but also all the midday supervisors.
romeo and juliet comes to ferncumbe!
During the first half of our Spring Term, our Literacy and topic learning for the whole school will be centred around Shakespeare, with a focus on the famous play, Romeo and Juliet. We are so fortunate to have Shakespeare’s birthplace on our doorstep and to be able to expose our pupils to an enriched learning experience using a high quality text. We will be working closely with the Royal Shakespeare Company to explore the themes of family loyalty, trust and relationships and dignity through active drama and writing opportunities. Please follow your child's class on twitter to find out more about the exciting learning which will be taking place.
Mrs Foss
PARENTS' EVENING DATES 2019
Please note that dates for 2019 Spring and Summer Term Parents' Evenings dates are as follows:
Monday 14th January (3.30-7.30pm) and Wednesday 16th January (3.30-5.30pm) 2019
Tuesday 30th April (3.30-7.30pm) and Wednesday 1st May (3.30-5.30pm) 2019
These appointments, which the office will request you to book via Agora nearer the time, offer the opportunity to discuss with teachers your child's progress towards their end of year expectations, and any other important issues which may arise. Your child's books will also be available for you to view. As always, Years 1-6 will bring home their Progress Folders preceding the appointments.
There will, additionally, be an Open Afternoon invitation, when you're welcome to visit your child's classroom and look at their work - this will be on Wednesday 17th July 2019 (2 - 5pm). The Open Afternoon follows the sending home of your child's annual, written report.
With best wishes for a lovely weekend,
Tracey Webb, Deputy Headteacher