W e e k l y L e t t e r t o P a r e n t s 8 th December 2017 For it is in giving that we receive St Francis of Assisi Dear Parents The Nativity production was a fantastic start to the week! The children were brilliant and had worked so hard to give us a very memorable performance. Thank you to all the staff and parents involved in the preparation. The Year Two children then took Nativity on Tour to the residents of Icknield Court, who were thrilled to hear the children s enthusiastic performance. Our choir have had a busy week too, performing for staff and residents at Woollerton Court and customers at Marks and Spencer! It was lovely to welcome past staff and pupils to the FROST drinks evening last Friday. We had some pupils who had left a few years ago visit, who are now studying for GCSEs and A Levels, and they were amazed how small St Teresa s now looks! We also had past staff and pupils, one who was a pupil at St Teresa s sixty years ago. Mrs Sparkes has collated old school photographs in nearly twenty albums and all present really enjoyed looking through them and sharing memories. We also raised over 100 towards a school Prayer Garden which we hope to create. Lovely visit tonight, great vibes at St Teresa s fond memories of such a happy time when we had children here. I was here in the 1950 s so my memories are few, but I remember being very happy and I was taught by the nuns. There were beautiful gardens with streams. We are delighted to announce that Miss Gardner is expecting, with the new arrival due in June, and we all wish her many congratulations!
D i a r y Next Week 11 th Dec School Advent Service 6.30pm Details below -(No Clubs) 12 th Dec Choir singing at Gatensbury Place & Christmas Lunch (No Clubs) 13 th Dec School Finishes for Christmas Break Times below (No Clubs or Wraparound on this Day) 14 th -20 th Dec Activity Week 2018 8 th Jan School Starts Back 8.20am 9 th Jan School Mass 10am Parents welcome to attend 15 th Jan Year 3 & Year 6 Swimming Starts 9 th Mar Mother s Day Breakfast 19 th -23 rd Mar KS2 School Production Week 6 th June Stoke Mandeville Junior Athletics Championships Items in red added to the diary since the last Weekly Letter to Parents was published Dates for this academic year are all available on the school website. There you will also find copies of school policies (hard copies may be requested from the office) and details of the curriculum for each year group. N o t i c e s Advent Service You will have received a letter regarding arrangements for Monday evening s Advent Service by email this week, but just by way of a reminder the Service will start at 6.30pm in the Church. All children in Years One to Six to be dropped off at School at 6.00pm. Refreshments will be served in the School Dining Hall at 6pm by our Governors. Pick up will be from your child s class room at the conclusion of the Service. Snow A reminder about Snow closures - If we do get snow and the school has to be closed, a message will be put on the school website at 7am, on each day the school is closed. There will be no telephone trees. Dismissal on 13 th December Pre-School and Reception at 11.50am; Key Stage One 11.55am; Year 3 & 4 12.00pm and Year 5 & 6 at 12.05pm. Swimming Year Three & Year Six Please note mistake in last week s Diary Dates, swimming for Year Three and Six will start on Monday, 15 th January, not 8 th January. Please ensure that swimming permission slips are returned to the class teacher by Monday please Race Night Update Many thanks to all who fed back to their Class Reps or STPA Committee Members about the Race Night. Having studied the feedback, and numbers planning to attend, at our recent Committee meeting, it was decided that it would be best to remove the event from the calendar for the time being. Therefore the Race Night on Saturday 27 th January will not take place. Please look at the STPA section of this letter for more information about the exciting plans to come...
Mix 96 Small Talk Listen out for the Small Talk segment on the Mix 96 Morning Show to hear some of our children s views to various questions they were asked by presenter Ben Moseby. Small Talk will air at 7.50am every morning next week. Thank you Last Thursday Year Six had a very successful fundraising event to raise money for the British Heart Foundation; details of this was highlighted in our previous letter. All the children raised an amazing 112.04! Thank you for all your support in making the afternoon such a success. N e w s Advent Wreath Service On Monday 4 th December, Father Joseph attended our first Advent Wreath Service which was lead most reverently by Year Six. Father blessed the wreaths which the Year Six pupils had made and joined in with our prayers and hymns to celebrate the arrival of Advent. Adam lit the first Advent candle; the candle of hope. The Christmas tree in the Reception Area looked stunning, now adorned with prayerful dove decorations made by everyone. The wreaths can now be seen on display around the school. Thank you to all in Year Six for a memorable Service and for providing such beautiful wreaths. Message from China We received a Postcard this morning from Miss Kape To everyone at St Teresa s This is just a short message to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year! All is going well here. I m very much enjoying life in China and teaching English. I ll be sad to leave but I am of course excited to come home as well. Have a wonderful holiday see you all soon! Love Miss Kape (and Beaty) x P.s Please spare a thought for me on Christmas Day whilst I m teaching Grades 1 and 3!
Year Six DT Lesson The Year Six children enjoyed preparing a heart healthy meal in their D.T. lesson on Wednesday. Both groups worked well together to produce some fabulous recipes. -Mrs Bojarski Nativity and Choir on Tour! On Tuesday morning after their wonderful Nativity performance, we took Year Two On Tour! The children performed all of their Nativity songs to the ladies and gentlemen of Icknield Court Care Home, here in Princes Risborough, and all were delighted to have a visit from us. The children coped admirably and the songs were a hit with our audience of many ages! We will endeavour to do this again next year as it was such a success. On Tuesday afternoon, the School Concert Choir sang carols for the residents of Woollerton Court. A lovely atmosphere was enjoyed by all and we were grateful to have been invited back to spread some Christmas cheer once again this year. On Thursday morning we had the pleasure of singing for the shoppers at our local Marks & Spencer's which was a new venue for us. I m pleased to say that we managed not to disturb the champagne display we were stood rather close to while singing, and the children performed really well!
Thank you! A very big thank you to the STPA and all the parent helpers who helped make todays Christmas Fair so magical for the children. This is an event run especially for the enjoyment of the children and enjoy they did! A lot of hours, donations and organising goes in to today and we are grateful to everyone who played a part. Photos in Wednesday s Weekly Letter to Parents! Blessing of a Christmas Tree Dear God, Two thousand years ago, you brought your son, Jesus into this world to teach us the power of love and sacrifice. As we raise this tree, we remember his birth and the meaning of his life for us. Bless this tree as a symbol of our celebration of Jesus birth and our gratitude for his sacrifice. May the joy this tree brings and the gifts we place under it remind us of the many gifts you have given us, We ask your blessings upon our loved, this day and always Amen J Draper Mrs J Draper - Acting Head Teacher S T P A