October 2006

Dear Parents

Welcome to the October newsletter, which I hope you will find informative and interesting.

CSCI REPORT

The full report is available from the c sci website; however, here are some of the quotes contained therein:

"(My child) is happy there and (their) self esteem and participation in activities has improved dramatically".

"Staff are friendly and welcoming - they say "hello" and always remember my name".

"The care and support that the staff have given my (child) has been excellent and very appropriate for (their) needs. (My child) has progressed beyond my expectations".

PARENT/STAFF ASSOCIATION NEWS

Date for your diary: Race Night - 26^th November!!

The MHSPSA will be holding its next family fundraising event - "An Evening at the Races" on Sunday 26^th November 2006 from 5:00pm - 8:00pm. Racing will run between 5:00pm - 7:00pm in the Sports Hall after which Sunday dinner will be served until 8:00pm in the Cafe. Time permitting, there will be 6 races and many other side events to guarantee you an enjoyable evening spent with your family and an opportunity to meet with other families. Please see PSA link for more details.

EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS

Halloween Disco: Thursday, 19^th October.

A scary, spooky and hugely enjoyable Halloween Disco was held in the Sports Hall for all the pupils (and more than a few staff) on Thursday. Favourite games included apple bobbing, pinning the wart on the witch (!) and dipping hands into gunge to find spiders, ears and noses (presumably artificial)!! Club DJ for the night was Mr Darren Heine, looking suitably cool, and delicious Halloween cuisine (chocolate-covered toffee apples and jam doughnuts for juniors and a buffet for seniors) was provided courtesy of Mr Terry Luff and Mr Jonathan Reed. Staff entered into the (ghostly) spirit of the event, with several witches, monsters and devils being spotted amongst the crowd. Winners of the "Best Dance", for boys and girls respectively, were Jack McMurray and Bede Solley, with Alex Wride and Sarah Lyons winning "Best Costume". We were delighted to be joined by twelve girls from the nearby Limpsfield Grange School. Photos of the event, taken by our expert in-house photographer Mr Matt Crowhurst, will soon be available on the website! Don't miss them!

NEW DINING ARRANGEMENTS

We have been experimenting with different levels of service in the dining room for the main lunchtime meal, with the result that we now have two sittings. This means that only half of the school are in the dining room at any one time. As a result, pupils are served more quickly and are able to eat in a quieter and more harmonious atmosphere. Extra space has also meant that more staff are now able to sit and eat their meals with the children!

OMEGA 3 TRIAL

The Omega-3 trial has now commenced, with 11 pupils taking part and receiving their supplements in a chosen drink every breaktime. We collected data on their attention levels, from both parents and teachers, before the trial started; the same questionnaire will be sent out at the end of the trial to see whether the Omega-3 oil appears to have affected the children's attention levels. Watch this space ....

SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS

At the latest School Council meeting, on 9^th October, pupils gave positive feedback about being able to bring in their own duvet covers, the most popular designs being those depicting favourite football teams! Pupils also discussed the draft Anti-Bullying policy and the draft Confidentiality policy.

MOBILE TELEPHONES

Following consultation with pupils and members of the School Council, it has been decided to introduce the use of mobile phones for Key Stage 4 pupils, with effect from 30^th October. All of these pupils' parents have been contacted in this regard and those who wish their child to have such a phone will sign a contract between school and home.

SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHS

A reminder that we have a school photographer coming in on 15^th November; we will furnish you with more details as soon as they are available.

PARENT WORKSHOP

Another very successful parent workshop took place on 6^th October, with 12 parents attending. Information gathered on the day (including a list of strategies to use with your child(ren) at home) will be posted on the website shortly. The next workshop is likely to be on 7^th February, 2007. We will keep you informed.

END OF TERM CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Those of you who have attended any of our previous Christmas productions at St John's Church will not need telling just what a "must-see" event it is! It has proved so popular that this year we are holding two performances - one on the evening of Thursday, 14^th December, for members of the local community, governors and trustees, plus any staff unable to attend on the 15^th, and one at 11.30 am on Friday, 15^th December, to which you, as parents, are all invited. There will be space in the church for everyone, so please ensure that you don't miss this enjoyable and often very moving occasion, after which there will be a collection for a local and worthwhile cause. I will let you know in the November newsletter which organisation has been chosen to receive the donation. Please note that soup and sandwiches will be available for pupils back at school after the performance, after which you may take your child home. Taxis should arrive at 2 pm.

DONATION

Mrs McKone (mother of pupil Nick) last year very generously donated £900 to the school. Everyone at Moor House is extremely grateful for such a large gift - you can read Nick's report on how it was spent in "Parents" Area - Thank You!.

CAN YOU HELP?

Last, but not least, we would be most appreciative of any unwanted picture frames (with or without the pictures!). This will enable us to display more of our pupils' work around school and thereby enhance the learning environment. Should you be able to help, please remove any glass from the frame or alert us to remove it on receipt - we will then replace it with perspex (for reasons of safety). Please ask friends and relatives too! Frames can be of any size. Many thanks.

Don't forget that you can read about other exciting news and events by clicking on the relevant links: