St Luke's C of E Primary School, Glossop

30.3.17
Dear Parents,
Well done to the children who organised film night last week. They did a great job and raised over £100.
The fund raising continued on Friday with red Nose Day. All the oddness raised £253 for comic relief. Thank you so much for your generosity.
The Year 5s are currently in Whitby. They have definitely followed the better weather. The last report I have had from the East is that the children are all enjoying themselves and being really good.
Next week is a really busy week with the Kites and Harriers performing Fee Fi Fo Fum on Tuesday at 6pm and Wednesday at 2pm. I had a sneak preview yesterday and you are in for a treat. On Tuesday the children need to be back at school between 5.30 and 5.40 to get costumed up all ready for you.
Next week is also Parents Evenings on Wednesday and Thursday. If you haven’t made an appointment to see your child’s teacher yet please contact us.
Friday 7th April is the last day of term and it is full of treats. We will start the day with our Easter Service in church at about 9.20. Please join us if you can. Following this is the PTA raffle and coffee morning back at school. The children bring in £1 and have a drink and cake, parents come and have cake and a drink and we pull the Easter Raffle. The prizes this year are amazing – Little Mix Tickets, the latest Toni and Guy hair styling products that have only just been launched, vouchers for Fieldings and many others. The buzz about who is going to win the main prizes is growing. At least 8 children have told me it is going to be them!
Due to all these events there will be no school run after school clubs next week.
Tomorrow Ospreys will be leading our assembly, as ever please do join us.
The children return to school on Tuesday 25th April and on Wednesday 26th Kestrels, Peregrines and Ospreys are all off to the Ballet in Buxton. We are still short of a few permission slips, please return them if you have not yet done so.
On Tuesday I was out at a Safeguarding meeting where the local Police shared with us which apps they have concerns about children using. They all have a minimum age requirement of at least 12 but the Police are aware that they are used by a lot of primary school children. The one they are most concerned about is Musical.ly as it is being used by predators to start conversations with children. ooVoo is a web cam to web cam app which enables people to group video chat. Children are adding people they don’t know into the chats and there are increasing reports of adult males popping up behaving inappropriately. Police also warned us about Roblox an online gaming app which is causing problems. Another concern is MYLOL which is a teenage dating app which encourages children to meet up with strangers. All these apps are being used by primary aged children so please be aware of what your child may be doing. A positive they told us about is Youtube Kids which enables children to access Youtube but not the wealth of inappropriate content and popups. The internet is a wonderful tool but as the average age a child first sees pornography is now 9 we as adults need to help keep our children safe online.
The popular plant sale leaflets came out this week. Please order your plants by 6th April.
Alice Littlehailes

23.3.17
Dear Parents,
Wow! Is the only word for how good the children were at Buxton Opera House performing in the Dance Festival. Both dances were amazing. The children gained so much in terms of personal confidence by taking part. I am especially proud of those children who at the start of the process said they didn’t want to, or couldn’t, dance. They were standing ten feet tall having conquered their fears. The girl’s finished the football tournament on Friday we don’t know what the final results are but a good time was had by all so well done to the whole team.
Congratulations to Lily Barlow who won a writing competition and has signed one of the metal tiles going on the new Glossopdale school. Just think our Lily’s name will be part of that building for years and years.
Swimming has finished for this term. After Easter Year 2 and Year 4 will be swimming. Letters will come out nearer the time.
Tomorrow Friday 24th March is Red Nose Day – a very odd day! Children can come in odd shoes, socks, clothes anything that is a bit odd. All we ask is for a donation to Comic Relief. As ever If your child does not like dressing up they do not have to.
Tomorrow as part of the Red Nose Day fun the Key Stage Two children are having a House Netball and Football competition and the younger children are doing sporting activities.
Talking of sport has reminded me about bags. The bags the children are bringing to school every day are getting bigger and bigger. When I ask the children, all that is in their huge bag is their reading book. We do not have space to store all these bags. Coat pegs are full of bags and coats are on the floor. Ideally all the children would have a PE bag on their peg all the time, just in case we have a sudden opportunity to do some sport, and would bring a book bag in each day. The next time you replace your child’s school bag please help us by making it as small as a book bag.
The Year 5s are off to Whitby on Wednesday, excitement is rising.
On Friday 31st March the Ospreys will be leading our Assembly do join us if you can.
Dates for 2017/18 are:
September 5th Children return to school Half term is the week of 23rd October. Term finishes on 21st Dec. Children return to school on 4th January. Half term is the week of 19th Feb. Term finishes on 22nd March. Term starts 9th April. Half term 28th May, we are back on 6th June. Finish for the summer on 20th July. There is also an INSET day on 20th October.
Church have asked me to pass on this message:
MESSY EASTER FOR FAMILIES AT ST LUKE’S CHURCH
Doors open at 3.45 pm on Thursday 6th April. Join us for games, crafts and snacks.
Please just come along or if you would like more information contact julia@whitfieldparish.org

Alice Littlehailes

Dear Parents,
What a lovely sunny few days we have had. The children have made the most of it at lunchtime.
As ever our children have enjoyed a number of sporting events. Our lower Key stage Two Gymnasts took part in a gymnastics competition and some of our Year Fives were in a Futsal tournament. Please don’t ask me what Futsal is, I believe it is a variation on indoor football but know no more than that, you will have to ask the children.
The choir went into Manchester to take part in a very inspiring workshop with the leader of The Halle Children’s Choir. If any of your children are interested in joining this choir they are recruiting now, if you google Halle Children’s Choir you will get to the application. I know a number of your children were interested, and would be good at it. If you have any questions Arthur and Henry are members and I am sure would be more than willing to answer them.
Tomorrow Eagles will be leading our assembly; do join us if you can.
Next Monday 20th March it is the Peak Dance Festival. The children in Years 2 &6 will be travelling by coach to The Opera House taking their picnic tea. After a rehersal on the stage and something to eat they will be performing to parents and friends of all the schools that will be there. Soooo exciting!
Thursday 23rd is Film Night organised by the children in aid of The High Peak Kid’s Council. I know lots of the children are hoping to attend.
Due to the Dance Festival Science Club will be cancelled on Monday and due to Film Night all after school clubs on Thursday 23rd will be cancelled.
Friday 24th is Red Nose Day when we are all encouraged to do something funny for money. My life would not be worth living if we didn’t do something! This year we are having an Odd Day, come in odd shoes, odd socks maybe have odd hair or clothes. Just let your inner odity out. In return for this chance to be decidedly odd all we ask is for a donation towards Comic Relief, which we will collect in the morning.
Yesterday I had a very shaky neighbour come in to see me after a near miss outside school. Due to a car parked on the zig zag lines she couldn’t see properly, a child started to quickly cross the road and an accident was only avoided because she was going very slowly and was on high alert. I feel as if I am continualy talking about safety and cars outside school. I hope it doesn’t take an accident rather than a near miss before everyone parks and drives responsibly.

Alice Littlehailes

Dear Parents,
I am afraid there are no pictures this week because I am writing this as a speed newsletter having run out of time! If I have made any typos or other mistakes please forgive me.
All the events have been much enjoyed this week. The Dixieland workshop was amazing. The children all came back buzzing with excitement. They loved every minute and were so proud of themselves.
The trip to London was a fabulous experience. The tube ride amazed the children; they loved the long escalators and travelling at speed through a tunnel. The school we visited was a very interesting because it was a multi faith school combining Muslem and Jewish families with links to the local Christian church. It was inspiring to see how closely all these faiths worked together for the children. We were made incredibly welcome in the school and the local mosque. Not only did the school community give the children refreshments at the event they also gave them all a packed tea for the way home.
The PTA film night went well with the children enjoying the opportunity to watch a film with their friends.
This Friday Kestrels will be leading our assembly, so do join us if you can. Next week, 17th March, Eagles will be taking the lead.
Next week is another musical week with the choir going to a workshop with the Halle on Tuesday. They need to remember their packed lunches.
Some of our Year 5s are going on some training to be change4 life champions. I am really looking forward to finding out from them what that entails.
Please order your class photo online if you want a copy of it and have not yet returned your pack. I think they are all lovely.
I have been told by the pool that they are offering free swimming for 8-15 year olds in March so now is a good time to get everyone to the pool enjoying some exersise.
Remember it is the Peak Dance Festival on Monday 20th, tickets from Buxton Opera House. Our Year 2s and 6s will be performing.
Alice Littlehailes