ST JOHN FISHER CATHOLIC VOLUNTARY ACADEMY
Alvaston Street, Alvaston. Derby DE24 0PA
Telephone: (01332) 572154
Fax:(01332)784642
E-mail: admin@stjohnfisher.derby.sch.uk
Leadership Team: Dr E Field, J.Grattidge, C.Endsor, P. Harlow
23 rd March 2015
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Muddy Grass: The children really love being allowed to play on the grass and child will feel excluded if they don’t, or feel that their children have been as long as they have a change of shoes we are allowing them to do so. The excluded from any invitation to join in.
We do respect, however, there are grass is still quite muddy, however; if you object to your child/children getting their clothes a little muddy on occasions and would prefer them not to go on the grass please make a note in their home diary.
Ofsted registered childminder : Susan
Lobb has places available before and after school for children over 6, also some parents who do not agree with us and wish to provide this for their children. We would just ask that they ensure that any cars booked do not park in front of the school gate and to try and ensure that parents do not feel excluded.
Achievement Assemblies: Our next
Achievement Assembly is on Friday
27 th March. Key Stage Two will begin at approximately 9:15am and KS1 at some holiday /Inset day cover. For a chat or visit, please call Susan
07806778571.
Limo: We are aware that Limos have been booked for Y6 leavers on the last day of the summer term. Please note that these arrangements have nothing whatsoever to do with school. It is not something we encourage or agree with for children of this age. Many children of this age would love, for example, a picnic and a game of rounders at
Elvaston Castle and it may be that some parents get together to organise something along these lines. It also puts pressure on parents who cannot really afford this to have to find the money from somewhere. Every year we have parents upset, either because they feel they have to join in as their approximately 10:45am. In response to parental request we intend to alternate which Key Stage goes first, this means
KS1 will go first at our next
Achievement on July 20 th .
Farewell Miss Ellison: We would like to take this opportunity to thank Miss
Ellison for her work at Saint John
Fisher and wish her the very best in her new post.
Welcome: We would like to say a warm welcome to Mrs Barratt who will be in Yr R and Mrs Richards who will be in Yr 3 for the summer term.

Parent /Parish Social: Thank you to everyone who helped to make our first
Parent Social a success either by coming along or baking cakes for us. It was very enjoyable. These friendly gatherings are a chance for parents and parishioners to have a chat and catch up with each other or talk informally to Mrs Wilcox and members of the leadership team if they wish to.
The next Parent / Parish Social will be on Thursday 11 th June at 2 pm .
CAFOD: Thank you to our pupils and parents for raising money to help
CAFOD to help our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world. We will let you know how much we have raised, as soon as all your contributions have come in.
Easter Services: Fr Mark would love to see as many of our families at church over the Easter period as possible.
Mass times are:
Holy Thursday - 7.00pm (Alv)
Good Friday - 3.00pm (Alv) 7.00pm
(Chell)
Vigil Easter Saturday - 6.30pm (Alv)
Easter Sunday -9.00am (Chell)
10.30am (Alv)
Confirmation Classes begin on
Thursday 16th April @ 6:00pm in the
Church Hall.
Summer Uniform : The children may return in their Summer Uniform after
Easter. Please do not mix winter and summer. Ties must be worn with shirts; otherwise polo shirts must be worn.
Uniform may be purchased from
Uniform Direct on Babington Lane
Derby.
Briars Meeting : There will be a meeting for the Briars on the 20th April
@ 3:30pm. We hope as many parents as possible will be able to attend to find out more about the visit and to complete the necessary medical forms.
Funding Shortage for School Visits:
This year it has been very difficult for us to collect in money, due for the Briars.
Whilst we do sympathise with parents who have to make ends meet on a tight budget, we are disappointed that so few parents spread the cost of the visits by paying a weekly sum over a long period of time as we encourage them to do.
We do feel that these visits are extremely good for the children in terms of character formation, widening their academic knowledge and providing a positive and memorable experience for them. That is why the staff give up their own time for free and often provide additional transport for free.
Unfortunately the school cannot afford to subsidise to the great extent that we have had to this year and we are having to look closely at our options.
We are currently seriously considering dropping the Y5 Ilam visit and collecting payment for Y6 Briars visit during Y5 so that it was paid for in full by the time the children begin Year Six. If there was a short fall any money paid would be refunded and we would cancel the
Briars visit for that class.
Library Books: All children need to return their library books please. They may renew them if they are still reading them but we need to carry out an end of term audit of our books. Thank you.
Easter Liturgy: Parents and
Parishioners are warmly invited to join us for our annual Easter Liturgy on
Thursday 26th March @ 09:30am.
Remember to check your emails: In response to parental request we are sending more and more letters by email.

Well done to our wonderful pupils:
Ilam: Yr 5’s excellent behaviour and manners at their recent visit to Ilam was commented on by staff and passers-by.
Our basketball players won their first tournament at St Benedict's last week.
Book week winners: Lorna in Y1 and
Elizabeth in Y5 won books for their
‘Book Blurbs’; Shamika in Y1 and Kiya in Y6 won books for their ‘Book Cover
Designs’. The ‘Reading in Unusual
Places’ was won by Sophie in YR,
Oscar in Y1 and Elijah in Y5. Have a look at all of the photos sent in on the screen in Reception.
Chair of Governors: After many years of service to Saint John Fisher, our
Chair, Claire Groom is stepping down.
We are holding a thanksgiving Mass for
Claire on 26th June @ 1:30pm. Parents and Parishioners are welcome to join us.
Solar Eclipse : The children had an enjoyable time ‘watching’ the solar eclipse through their paper pinhole
‘projectors’ and finding out about this rare occurrence.
Bug Club : Bug Club is being upgraded.
Please do not access Bug Club until you receive notification that the upgrade has taken place.
Once you receive notification you may access
Bug Club via www.activelearnprimary.co.uk
The upgraded version will have improvements and will enable children to read Bug Club on iPads and selected
Android tablets.
Diary Dates
26th March – Yr 4/5 Easter Liturgy @ 09:30am
27th March – Achievement Assembly
KS2@9:15am, KS1@10:45am
27th March – Break up for Easter
13th April – Back to School
20th April - Meeting for The Briars @
3:30pm
23rd April – Parent Lunch Yr 5 @ 12:00
24th April – Right Judgement House
Mass@2:10pm
4th May – Bank Holiday
5th May – P.T.F.A. Meeting @ 6:30pm
7th May – Parent Lunch Yr 6 @ 11:45am
18th - 22nd May – Yr6 @ Briars
22nd May – Break up for Half Term
1st June – Inset Day
2nd June – Back to School
Happy Easter : to all our pupils and parents from everyone at Saint John Fisher.
On behalf of all the staff
E.Field, J.Grattidge, C.Endsor, P.Harlow