I LOOK FORWARD TO ANNOUNCING OUR FIRST STAR AWARD WINNERS OF 2020 THIS

AFTERNOON.

Happy New Year! I hope you had a lovely holiday and enjoyed all the excitement of Christmas and the dawning of a new year. It has been great to see all the children back at school this week and to see how quickly they settled back into the routine of school life; always a good sign. On Monday this week the staff from all the federation schools attended a Staff Development Day, led by Gary Wilson, who is a nationally and internationally recognised educational speaker. His particular area of professional interest is understanding how boys learn best and how schools can adapt their approach to learning to make them more accessible to boys. During the day, Gary spoke passionately about the challenges that the current education system poses for boys at every stage of their learning and what we can do to support them. This has raised a number of questions about our current practice that school teams have been discussing during the week. Look out for some changes that will help all children, not just boys, to gain the most from their primary years, and to truly be ‘the best that they can be.’

NEWTON ST. CYRES SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

From Mr. Jolliffe From Mr. Akhurst

Welcome back to school. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas break and wish you all a very happy new year. The year ended with some very sad news as we learned of the passing away of Andrew Curtis. Andrew worked in the federation for many years and used his vast musical expertise to support us at a plethora of musical events including the CLC Great Hall singing event and our school productions. He was an incredibly well liked and respected team member and will be sorely missed. In school, it has been great hearing about everyone’s Christmas adventures and everyone’s plans for 2020. The classes have already begun their new topics for this term and the children have been acquiring new knowledge and skills. We are delighted to welcome Juliet who joins Mr. Hamidullah’s class in year 3. She has been made to feel very welcome and has settled in really well. This morning, class 3 headed off to the leisure centre to begin their sports sessions at Lords Meadow Leisure Centre. There was great excitement amongst the children and I’m sure they will enjoy their swimming, gymnastics and outdoor sports sessions. Gooseberry Planet teaching has begun in class 4 and the children have enjoyed their first sessions looking at online safety. Class 4 looked at digital footprints yesterday and class 2 will be looking at ‘people online’ today. Class 3 will begin their sessions next week. This is an invaluable resource and will help the children navigate their way safely online. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. Best Wishes

Friday 10th

January 2020

Issue 16

Spring Term

Mr. Akhurst

CALENDAR DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Friday 10th January SPORTS 10 WEEKS LORD’S MEADOW Class 3 children

Tuesday 14th January CLC PARTNERSHIP GYMNASTICS Years 3 & 4 a.m. at Q.E. Upper School

Friday 24th January SAFEGUARDING TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS

1.30 at Brampford Speke School

Wednesday 29th January SWIMMING GALA Lord’s Meadow 9-12am

TBC CLC PARNTERSHIP MULTI SKILLS Years 1 & 2 (morn of aft)

Thursday 13th February NSC OPEN AFTERNOON All children FSU-Y6 2.30-3.20pm

Friday 14th February HALF TERM All Children

Tuesday 3rd March GIFTED AND TALENTED Years 5 & 6 11am-2pm

Thursday 5th March WORLD BOOK DAY 2019

Whole School Parents welcome from 2.30pm for book sale and refreshments

Friday 13th March SPORT RELIEF Whole School Event on Friday 13th Café in the afternoon from 2.30pm All welcome

Monday 16th March RED NOSE DAY/COMIC RELIEF Whole School

Tuesday 17th March PARENT TEACHER MEETINGS 3.40-6.00pm Pre-School to Y6

Thursday 19th March PARENT TEACHER MEETINGS 3.40-6.00pm Pre-School to Y6

Monday 23rd March FEDERATION MUSIC FESTIVAL Reception to Year 6

Tuesday 24th March DRUMMING ASSEMBLY 9.30-10.00 Parents Welcome

Wednesday 25th March SPRING CONCERT+ Café KS1 9.15-9.45am (15-minute interval) Parents welcome

Wednesday 25th March SPRING CONCERT + Café KS2 10.00-10.30am Parents Welcome

Friday 27th March 2020 END OF TERM Whole School

Tuesday 14th March INSET DAY Children return Wednesday 15th April

TERM DATES

Spring term 2020 Monday 6th January to Friday 14th February [Staff Development Day 6th January] Monday 24th February to Friday 27th March Summer term 2020 Tuesday 14th April to Friday 22nd May [Staff Development Day 14th April] Monday 1st June to Thursday 23rd July Autumn term 2020 Thursday 3rd September to Friday 23rd October [Staff Development Days 3rd and 4th September] Monday 2nd November to Friday 18th December [Staff Development Day 27th November] Spring term 2021 Monday 4th January to Friday 12th February [Staff Development Day 4th January] Monday 22nd February to Thursday 1st April Summer term 2021 Monday 19th April to Friday 28th May [Staff Development Day 19th April] Monday 7th June to Friday 23rd July Autumn term 2021 Monday 6th September to Friday i22nd October [Staff Development Days 6th and 7th September] Monday 1st November to Friday 17th December [Staff Development Day 26th November] Spring term 2022 Tuesday 4th January to Friday 18th February [Staff Development Day 4th January] Monday 28th February to Friday 8th April Summer term 2022 Monday 25th April to Friday 27th May [Staff Development Day 25th April] Monday 6th June to Tuesday 26th July

Week ending 12th January:

George, Zoe, Zak and Annabelle

Forest School will be back again after half term break

Day Club Key Stage Time

Monday Tag Rugby with Mr. Hookway Key Stage 2 Years 3-6

3.30-4.30pm

Monday Recorder Club with Mrs Dunn Year 1-5 12.45-1.15pm

Monday Homework Club with Mrs. Wilkinson (This will start on Monday 20th January 2020)

Years 1-6

3.30-4.30pm

Tuesday Gardening Club with Mr. Hamidullah and Mr. Hannaford (Please bring a change of clothes and wellington boots plus any spades/garden forks)

Years R- Year 6 3.30-4.30pm

Wednesday Revision club with Mrs. Theedom/Mrs. Wilkinson

Year 6 12.35-1.15pm

Thursday Lego and animation club with Mrs. Theedom

Key Stage 1 & 2 Years 1-6

3.30-4.30pm

Thursday Dance Club with Mrs. Tempest Key Stage 1 R-Year 2

12.45-1.15pm

MR ANDREW CURTIS Just before Christmas, Mr Andrew Curtis passed away after a short illness. For many years he was a class teacher at Cheriton Fitzpaine School, before specialising in teaching music at both Cheriton and Thorverton. Many children have cause to be grateful to him for inspiring their love of music and everyone appreciated his accompanying the carols at the Federation Carol Service in 2017 and 2018. Mr Curtis’ funeral will be held on Tuesday 28th January at 4.30pm at St Peter’s Church, Tiverton and Mr Jolliffe and other staff members will be representing the federation at the service. Donations in memory of Andrew, in aid of St. Peter’s Church, Tiverton, and a charity to support those affected by liver cancer, can be made via the school offices by Friday 24th January. TIMID TO TIGER Timid to Tiger is an entirely parenting-based approach to helping children aged nine years or below. It is based on evidence that children benefit substantially from a parenting style that is clear, calm and consistent. Parents learn a new approach to managing their children, using attachment-based play, lots of praise and reward for good and confident behaviours, and gentle disciplinary techniques and planned ignoring for unwanted behaviours. Parents are also taught a number of simple cognitive-behavioural techniques for managing their children’s fears and worries. We will be running a Timid to Tiger course for parents in the new year, led by trained practitioners from within the federation staff. If you are interested in joining the course, please let your child’s school office know if you would prefer a daytime or evening course. More details will follow next term. NEW CATERING ARRANGEMENTS This term we have made a significant change to the way we organise school meals by providing them ourselves rather than through Devon Norse, the catering arm of Devon County Council. This means that we can be much more flexible and responsive to children’s preferences and reduce waste as a result. Providing our own meals will also mean that we save a considerable amount of money on management costs and can negotiate better food prices. We are delighted that all our catering staff have agreed to stay on and work for the federation and look forward to developing our meals provision in the future. SAFEGUARDING TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS If you help regularly in school then it is very important that you understand how to keep children safe and what to do if a child tells you something important about their welfare. The final Safeguarding training course for volunteers will be held on Friday 24th January 2020 at 1.30 @ Brampford Speke School. Volunteers will need to have attended a course within the last three years in order to continue helping in schools after this date.

Nut Allergy We have a child in school with a nut allergy, so we would ask you please

not to provide your children with any snacks or packed lunch items

containing nuts of any sort, including food containing peanut butter etc.

Snack suggestions: rice cakes, crackers, fruit, vegetables. No crisps or

sweets please.

Thank you for your understanding.

CRAFT CLUB Monday mornings 9.30 - 11am

at Bernaville Nurseries

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE ANY CRAFT SKILLS TO JOIN IN. JUST COME ALONG FOR A CHAT.

We make craft items to sell at local events. All proceeds go to support

Newton St Cyres Primary School.

If you have any spare craft materials, knitting wool, thread, card, paper,

beads, ribbons etc that you would like to donate to the club?

Please drop them into Newton St Cyres Primary school or Bernaville Nurseries

on a Monday morning

All donations are gratefully received and we recycle all that we can.

We do not meet during school holidays

20P 30P 30p 40p

35P 35P 40P