The Newsletter can be downloaded using the link below
Welcome to Jurby Community School!
It was lovely to see everybody today and to welcome all the new children to our school. We have set the key dates for the year, and a copy of these are attached to this letter. They can also be found on our website and Facebook page. Please take a few minutes to add them to your diary.
The picture opposite shows some of our new Reception pupils cooking muffins this afternoon.
Classes
This year we have 3 classes in school.
Class 3 - Children in Year 4, 5 and 6, who will be taught by Mrs Cranmer assisted by Mrs Corlett
Class 2 - Children in Year 2 and 3, who will be taught by Mrs Radcliffe assisted by Mrs Corkill
Class 1 - Children in Reception and Year 1 taught by Miss Lace assisted by Mrs Hope.
Miss Dennett will be working across the school, teaching in every class each week.
Mrs Hazelgrove, Mrs Albiston, Mrs Melling and Mrs Dobbie will be working with individuals and small groups to provide additional support in Literacy, Numeracy and mental health and wellbeing.
Healthy Snacks
Children in Class 1 are provided with a healthy snack every day. This normally consists of fruit or veg, sometimes with a dip e.g. humus, or on occasions what they have cooked in class the day before.
Children in Class 2 and 3 are free to bring in their own healthy snack. Please do not send in sweets, chocolate, bags of crisps, cakes etc. Many of these simply give the child an instant sugar hit, and then half an hour later they ‘crash’, which affects their ability to learn.
Dinner and Milk
If your child would like to have Milk this term please ensure that Mrs Paterson has received payment of £16.80 by 9.30am on Friday. If we do not receive payment milk will not be ordered for your child.This can be paid for via Parent Pay.
School lunches are £2.35 a day, £11.75 a week or £77.55 for the half term. If you are eligible for free school meals please note that you need to re-apply each September and any meals your child has before the application is approved you will need to pay for. It is NOT back dated. Cheques for lunch should be made payable to IOM Government, and milk to Jurby School.
Children in Class 1 also need to pay £10 to cover the half term’s snack and cookery. Cheques should be made payable to Jurby School.
P.E. and Swimming.
Please can you make sure that your child has their P.E. Kit in school every day. (House coloured t-shirt, shorts, socks and pumps or trainers.) We will be continuing with our Mile a Day initiative on the field when it is dry and on the Parade Ground when the field is very wet and muddy.
Swimming starts on Tuesday for children in Mrs Radcliffe’s and Mrs Cranmer’s Classes. Children with long hair, or a fringe that is at eye level or below will need a swimming hat. Whilst we understand that occasionally this may be forgotten, the pool have a very limited number to borrow, and if your child does not have a hat, and needs one, they will not be able to swim. Girls will need a one piece costume, and boys tight fitting trunks. Baggy swimming shorts are not allowed.
Communication
Two way communication is vital for our school to be successful, and there are a number of different methods that we employ.
Text Messages - We have a text service which we use to send out brief reminders. This can also be used for you to inform us if your child is ill. If you have not asked to join this service please speak to Mrs Paterson in the office.
Facebook - We have a school Facebook page which we use to share information and news. This page is not monitored around the clock, so should not be used to pass on time sensitive messages e.g. changes to pick up arrangements.
Website - The school website contains more detailed information about our school including some of our school polices. We try to always make a post on our Facebook page when we update our website.
The most effective form of communication though is face to face. Teachers are available in the playground every day at 8.55am if you need a quick chat, and we would encourage you to talk to us if you have any worries or concerns sooner rather than later. If you think this will take more than a couple of minutes then ask if you can arrange a time to meet for longer. If you don’t drop your child at school, please ring Mrs Patterson and arrange a mutually convenient time when your child’s teacher can give you a ring. This might not be possible the same day but we will contact you as soon as we can.
If your child is ill or injured at school it is of course vital that we can get in contact with you or a family member immediately. We will be sending home later in the week a copy of the contact information that we hold. Please take a couple of minutes to check that it is all accurate and up to date.
Occasionally there are changes to family circumstances, or events take place, that may have an impact on your child. If something has happened, or is happening at home which could impact your child it is always helpful if we know. We will of course keep this information confidential and only share it with adults who work directly with your child on a regular basis.
Keeping Healthy
We of course all hope that COVID will not disrupt our learning again this year, but would ask that everyone remains vigilant, and that if your child is unwell they don’t attend school. As we enter the winter period there is always an increase in coughs, colds, and general bugs. As always if your child is not well, then the best place for them is at home. Children must not attend school for 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea or sickness.
Building Work
You will no doubt have seen the work that is currently taking place to improve the drainage around the car park. The work does however mean that our car park is a little smaller than usual, with very limited room for turning by the Nursery. Whilst this is underway can all parents use the lay-by at the front of the school to park, which will help make sure the Nursery parents have enough room to drop off and pick up, as well as ensure that visitors to the shop can still park. There is a gap between the Nursery and the bin store to access the school from the The Threshold, and access from The Bretney will be maintained via the normal footpath. Thank you for your help with this.
Friends of Jurby School (FOJS)
FOJS plays a small but crucial role in our school. It was set up many years ago to raise money to help pay for many of the ‘nice to have’ activities and resources in our school, that the main school budget does not stretch to. Over the last few years this has including contributing towards the cost of the trip to Chester Zoo, paying the full costs of all on Island trips, paying for visitors, workshops and activity days, birthday books, Christmas parties and presents, playground equipment, as well as organising and running discos and the Christmas Fair. Unfortunately we now only have 1 parent left in FOJS, and so will be unable to keep it going unless we have more help and support. If you are willing and able to help please return the slip below, so that we can see if there is enough support to keep it going.
Breakfast Club and the start and end of the day
Breakfast Club starts at 8.10am (not before), and runs on a ‘just come along’ basis. Some children attend every day, some only on certain days each week, and some just every now and again. The cost is 80p a day and can be paid daily, weekly, or half termly. If you have any questions about payment just ask Mrs Patterson.
From 8.50am a member of staff will be outside in the playground to supervise the children, and by 8.55am most of them will be outside. This is an ideal opportunity for a quick chat with your child’s teacher if you have any messages to pass on. All children should wait in the playground until the bell goes at 9.00am, when they can line up with the rest of their class ready to go in. We would ask that parents do not bring their child into school directly, as it helps the children to develop independence if they come in with their teachers and friends rather than their parent.
If your child arrives late they should use their classroom’s outside door to come into school, rather than the main entrance.
At the end of the day all children will be dismissed from their classrooms. Our younger children will not be allowed to go until an adult comes to collect them.
Wellies
We are planning on continuing to make use of our grass at lunchtimes, as it gives the children much more space to play. In order to be able to continue with this during the winter we would like children to bring to school a pair of wellies or similar, that they can put on at lunchtime when they go on to the field. In addition if your child walks to school and wants to wear wellies when it is wet, that is of course fine, but please remember to send their normal shoes in with them for them to change into when they arrive.
Christmas Holiday
It has been announced today that schools will be closing a day earlier than originally planned for Christmas. We will now be breaking up on Thursday 22nd December. School will re-open as planned on Monday 9th January