Our Newsletter can be downloaded, or read below.Newsletter 31.3.23
Reports
Please find enclosed two copies of this year’s formal report on your child’s progress. Please can you sign and return one copy to school as soon as possible, the other copy is for you to keep. As usual we would encourage you to make a comment on your child’s report before you return it to us. If you would like to discuss your child’s report with their class teacher, they will be available after school on Monday from 3.30pm until 5.00pm, with the exception of Mrs Radcliffe. (She will be available after school on Wednesday instead.) No appointment is necessary, please just come along. If this time is not convenient, or if you would prefer a phone call rather than an appointment in person, please contact the Office to arrange a mutually convenient time.
Miss Dennett
Many of you may have noticed that Miss Dennett has been absent for the last few weeks and is unlikely to be well enough to return to work for a while. I am aware that a few parents contact Miss Dennett directly, often by e-mail or text. Whilst she is ill, please can you send messages via the main office or speak to your child’s class teacher. Thank you.
Mrs Dennett’s maths groups have been taught for the last few weeks by Mrs McGeehan, and I am pleased to say that she has agreed to continue to cover these lessons until Miss Dennett is well enough to come back to work. Miss Lace will carry on to cover Miss Dennett’s afternoon sessions in Class 1.
Expected Levels
On your child’s report it will make reference to whether your child is working at, above, or below the expected level for their age. In order to help you understand this we have written booklets which set out what the ‘average’ child can do independently in Maths, Reading and Writing. It is important to understand that the statements in these booklets are intended as a guide only and the actual level your child is working at is determined by teachers using a range of assessment tools, along with their professional judgement. Most of you will have received copies of these booklets previously, but if you would like another copy they are all available form the office or from here. If your child has joined us in school this year we have enclosed a copy with this letter.
Attendance
Deciding if your child is well enough to attend school is often a fine balancing act, and we appreciate the support that many parents give us when following the ’48 hour’ rule. By not sending your child to school until 48 hours after the last episode of sickness or diarrhoea you are helping to keep our whole community well. We do currently though have around half of our school whose attendance has fallen below 90%, the level at which typically the Department’s Attendance team would become involved. Children whose attendance is below 90% will have missed sections of learning which they will struggle to catch up with, and this often has an impact on their overall progress. If your child’s attendance is concerning we have enclosed a copy of their current attendance certificate, and ask that you and your child work together to try and bring their attendance back up next term. If your child’s attendance is not concerning us then we will send their attendance certificate home as usual at the end of the summer term.
Swimming
Swimming does not take place during the summer term, so Tuesday will be the final swimming session until September.
PE Kit
Please can you ensure that your child has their PE Kit in school every day. Whilst each class has a normal day for PE, in summer in particular, staff may take advantage of sunny weather to have a PE session on any day of the week, as this may mean that they are able to get outside, rather than waiting until their normal day when poor weather may be forecast. This level of flexibility is only possible if children keep their PE kit in school, rather than taking it home each evening, and then forgetting it the next day.
Shennaghys Jiu - Traditions Today
Mrs Corkill has been running an art club at lunchtimes, and some of he children who attend this have produced some art work based on a theme of the sea. We have used this work for our entry in this years Shennaghys Jiu Art Exhibition which is taking place in Ramsey Town Hall from Monday.
Next Thursday afternoon we are going to be visited by a fiddle and guitar duo, Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe & Daniel Quayle, who will entertain the children with a short concert of Manx, Scottish, Irish and Estonian folk music. If you or or your child enjoy traditional music and dance, and would like to attend other concerts over the Easter weekend, you will find a flyer enclosed, or you can follow them on Facebook.
Friends of Jurby School (FOJS)
Friends of Jurby School exists to organise a number of annual events for our School Community, some of which are designed to raise money e.g. the Christmas Fair, and some of which are designed to be more of a social occasion, which might raise a small amount of money e.g. the Valentines Disco or a bingo night.
FOJS recently decided to meet on the first Tuesday of each month at 6.00pm at school, unless we are on holiday. The dates for our meetings for the rest of the year are below.
April - Tuesday 4th April
May - Tuesday 2nd May
June - Tuesday 13th June
July - Tuesday 4th July
August NO Meeting
September - Tuesday 12th September
October - AGM - TBC
November - Tuesday 7th November
December - Tuesday 5th December
Community Social Events
FOJS and Jurby and Northern Community Initiatives (JNCI) have recently decided to form a partnership to organise a monthly social / fundraising event, in addition to FOJS traditional school discos and Christmas Fair. These events will be open to the whole community, regardless of age and we are looking for suggestions as to what you would like to see. If you have an idea, please let us know.
The first event will be on Saturday 29th April in the Parish Hall.
Reception Pupils September 23
If you have a child who is due to start school in September, or know of a family with a child who is, can you please let the school office know, so that we are able to invite them to our taster sessions next term.
Dinner and Snack prices are:
Dinners - £61.10 for the Half Term or £11.75 a week. (Cheques made payable to ‘IOM Government’)
Snack Class 1 ONLY - £10 for the half term, or £20 for the whole term (Cheques made payable to ‘Jurby School’)
Head Lice
From time to time nearly all children suffer with head lice. Please can we remind everyone to check their child’s hair every week, and to treat your child’s hair if you do find any signs, making sure that you complete the course of treatment. If we all work together as a community we can keep on top of them.
King’s Coronation
We are currently in the planning stage of events to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III at the start of May. As part of these celebrations we will be asking the children to come to school dressed in red, white and blue on Friday 5th May. That afternoon we will be holding a tea party, and would like to invite our whole community to come and join us at this event. More information about this event will be provided near the time.
Non Uniform
Next Thursday is the last day of term, and as usual will be a non uniform day. This time, we will be donating the £1 donations to our school fund to help pay for various treats the children receive.