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Byron Primary School

01 May 2009

Number 16 – 1st May 2009

Welcome back to the Summer Term at Byron

This is always a very busy term for everyone at school but we do have the very long summer holiday to look forward to! By now you should have received a term letter from your child’s class teacher detailing the work to be covered this term and any activities or trips that are planned. If you have not got a copy please do come into the school office to collect one.

Communication
We are finding the ‘Teachers2Parents' text service very useful and hope you are too. If the messages are not going to the correct number please do let us know and also keep us informed if you change your mobile number.

We are going to start using email communication for some letters. We have trialled it with this newsletter with Year 3 so if we have your email address and your child is in that class please can you check to see if it has arrived. If you would like to receive email communication please do let us have your email address.

Key Stage 2 SATs
These will be during the week of May 11th – 15th for Year 6 children. Please do make sure your child arrives at school on time and has had a good breakfast (very important!). If you have any problems or queries about the SATs please do ask either Ms Sayers or myself.

Somerset Meeting
There will be a Parent Meeting on Thursday 21st May for the parents and children in Year 5 and 6 who are going on the school residential to Somerset in June. A letter will follow with more details.

Woodcote School Sports Partnership
As many of you may know Byron is fortunate to be part of the Woodcote School Sports Partnership (Woodcote SSP). This is one of 3 partnerships in Croydon and involves 7 secondary schools and 33 primary and special schools. Through the SSP we have access to a range of sports, activities and competitions that we can then offer to Byron children. This term we will be benefitting from multi-skills in Year 1 and 2, Ballroom dancing in Year 4, Free-dance in Year 5 and Cricket in Year 6. There is also a multi-skills after school club on a Monday.

Film Club
This is now running very successfully on a Wednesday afterschool. This week the children watched “Spirited Away” and this proved to be very popular! There are still places in the Club so please come into the school office for details. Thank you to Paul Movel, Kylie Jenner, and Alison Finlay for supporting the club and to Sharon Marett-Gregory, from Extended Services, for setting up the club.

School Disco
There were 2 very popular discos after school last Friday. A very big thank you to all the parents who helped and organised the event. If you are able to help with any events please do let us know. If we are going to run events for your children we do need help!

Quiz Night – Friday May 8th
Don’t forget this prestigious event being organised by our Byron Family Group (BFG). It will be well worth putting this date in your diary. Can you beat the staff team?!!!
If you would like to join the BFG please do come and leave your contact details for Paul Movel who co-ordinates the group. There are more events coming up including a Men’s Football match. We are also planning another ‘Bring a Family Man to School Day’ for Thursday 18th June (more details to follow).

Attendance
Some of you may have seen the Croydon Primary Schools 2007/08 attendance table and report that were published in the Croydon Advertiser last week. Unfortunately last year we came very near to the bottom of that table. This year we have all been working very hard to improve attendance at Byron and introduced many strategies to encourage children to attend school. I was able to explain all of this last week when the Advertiser contacted the school to ask what we were doing about attendance. The reporter commented that we were obviously doing a great deal to work with parents and children to improve attendance at Byron. Please can you support us to improve attendance by making sure that your child attends school regularly and on time.

Class attendance for the last two weeks is as follows:

Class	Week ending April 24th	Week ending May 1st
Reception	90.5%	96%
Year 1	95%	98%
Year 2	92%	95%
Year 3	97%	95%
Year 4	98%	96%
Year 5	99%	97%
Year 6	98%	98%

We are aiming for all classes to have 95% attendance!

Healthy Schools and School Lunches
Just a reminder that parents are invited to lunch with the children every Wednesday. 

Call in and let the school office know when you would like to come.  Mandy does sell bowls of salad at lunch time for 40p and fruit snacks are available at morning play for 30p.  If your child would like a packed lunch for instance for a school trip, this can also be made by the school kitchen but do let us know in advance.   

Clare Wingrave