From the Head
15th February 2012
Dear Parents,
I am delighted to report that the Primary Trip to Edinburgh is going very well indeed. All the children have been a credit to their school and you as parents. Please do have a look at the Blog on the website, although be aware that due to technical issues the photos will be added after the event. I detail some important issues below:
RE-ENROLMENTS
A final reminder from our original letter that the re-enrolment deadline is 22nd February (next Wednesday). Please ensure you have returned your form by this date. This is essential to planning for next year. If you need another form please contact Carlos or Sally at Reception.
GUARDIAN NEEDED FOR YEAR 11 BOY
We have an excellent young man in Year 11 who is in need of someone to board and lodge him during term times as his father is based in Germany. His name is Luca Hahn and we are very hopeful that he will be staying into Year 12 and 13. If anyone is able/willing to act as guardian to Luca then please leave a message at Reception or talk to me directly.
WEATHER AND GOING OUTSIDE
I was disappointed to hear that some parents are saying to their children’s teachers that they cannot go outside during patio time because it is too cold. I do not for one minute believe that time spent in the fresh air leads to illness. Rather, being surrounded by other people with viruses/bacteria in a warm building is much more likely to lead to illness. It is both healthy and important for children to spend some time letting off steam outdoors. If your child has a particular problem - for instance, a chesty cough – then that is a different issue and you should discuss with Nurse Ann about him/her being kept indoors. Otherwise I will not accept parents telling teachers that their child should be kept in during break times; this causes considerable supervision issues and stretches our staff too thinly, as well as being detrimental to the child concerned.
OPEN MORNING
There will be an open morning for prospective parents on Wednesday 29th February. I would be most grateful if existing parents could encourage any friends/acquaintances to come and look at the school on that morning. The Open Morning will start at 10am with a talk from the Head and Deputy Headmaster. In addition to this, if you have any friends/acquaintances with children of Sixth Form (Year 12 and 13) age then do encourage them to come along and see what we will offer in the final two years of schooling.
NEXT COFFEE MORNING AND FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE
The next Coffee Morning for parents will be on 13th March at 9.30am. Minutes will be taken this time and on every occasion in future. At 10.30am the Coffee Morning will develop into a Fundraising Committee Meeting; thank you to all those who replied in a positive fashion to the questionnaire about fundraising. I hope you can attend this meeting at 10.30am and the coffee morning before it. We will then look at fundraising issues together, with the key focuses being on appropriate charities, school projects to raise money for and, most importantly, what type of fundraising events and initiatives we should have. I hope to see many of you at this event. Mr Stephen Rice, who has taken a leading role developing this committee, will be writing to parents who have expressed positive intent regarding fundraising.
THANK YOU
I would like to take this opportunity to thank three very supportive parents who have done a sterling job in making story sacks in the library for bringing our Early Years and Key Stage 1’s reading to life. A big thank you to: Mrs Malgorzata Rice (mother of Adam, Year 2), Mrs Gillian Brown (mother of Toby, Year 5 and Lottie, Year 10) and Mrs Adriana Bustamante Jordan (mother of Juan Luis, Year 2 and Laura, Pre-Nursery). I hope you get the chance to see these ‘puppets’ because they are superb.
PAYMENTS FOR TRIPS AND FEES
I would like to urge all parents to pay any fees or trip payments by bank transfer. In exceptional circumstances payments can be made by cash, but these must be made directly to Maria Eugenia Mazzariol in the School Office. If you do make a payment by cash please demand a receipt. Please do not, under any circumstances, send children in with major cash payments for residential trips; such payments by cash must be made directly by parents, irrespective of whether the children travel by bus or not. Simple guidelines like these will help out our administration immensely.
SENIOR MANAGERS’ ABSENCES
Mr Rumistrzewicz, the Deputy Head, is currently absent on the Edinburgh Trip, but will be back from this Friday. I will be absent from school next week on the Secondary trip to Berlin. In addition, both myself and Mr Rumistrzewicz will be absent for much of the week beginning 5th March. Both of us will be interviewing for prospective employees in the UK and then I will be up in Madrid at another King’s Group meeting. During the latter week Mr Green will be deputizing for me and Mr Rumistrzewicz. Do remember that we will be in constant contact with the school through both phone and email during these times away, but any face to face meetings with senior managers will have to be arranged outside these two weeks.
I hope the weather warms up in the next few days, but in the meantime I am very pleased the days are lengthening.
Best wishes
Robin Silk
