Catchgate Primary School Newsletter
November 2015 Newsletter 3
Changes to reporting assessment
The way that we assess pupils and report on their achievement has changed since September and levels
are no longer used in Years 1-6. Teachers will be discussing pupils progress with you at next week’s open
opening and showing you where they expect children to be by the end of the year. To give you more
information about the changes, Mr Bell has arranged a meeting for parents of pupils in Year 1 – 6 on
Wednesday 18th November at 3.15 p.m. We hope to see you at the meeting.
Sporting update
Well done and congratulations to the girls football team who won their league in great fashion – they
were unbeaten and scored 19 goals and only conceeded 2! As a well deserved reward the girls are going
to McDonald’s for lunch on Friday 20th November. Well done to – Taylor Durham, Rebecca Ross, Lucy
Lowery, Sophie Mohan, Zara Brough, Jamieleigh Boyle, Angelice Little, Rebecca Hart and Nikitta Mohan.
It’s good to be green awards
Children are all working very hard and trying their best to get their golden sticker and raffle ticket
each day. Throughout the week over 100 pupils receive a raffle ticket for their work and attitude – well
done to you all. Winners so far have chosen from reading books, colouring books, pencil cases, sweets,
stationery sets, teddy bears and toys. Well done to the following boys and girls who were picked from
the box during Friday Collective Worship in October.
Early Years – Jayden Storey – YRC, Lilly Armstrong – YRC and Ellie Palmer – YRC
Key stage 1 – Abbey Ware – Y1F, Taylor Scully – Y1S and Ebony Kelly Y1S
Key stage 2 – Caitlin McCarthy – Y3S, Josie Elliott – Y5P and Jaeden Adams – Y5P
All raffle tickets given out during the half term are put into the golden bag and during collective
worship at the end of the half term a Super Draw is held – the prize is a £10 gift voucher. The Super
Draw took place during Achievement Assembly on Thursday 22nd October and the winner was Dean
Robson in Y5P.
Open evenings 2015 - 2016
Open evenings will take place on Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th November 2015 and then later in the
year on Tuesday 15th and Wednesday 16th March 2016. If you have not returned your slip to school
requesting an appoinment please do so soon. If you can’t get to open evening we are more than happy to
arrange to see you on another suitable day – just let us know!
Vacancies
We currently have 2 vacancies in school which have become available due to Joanne Wanless’ maternity
leave. They are for:
 7.5 hour per week cleaner for our 0-3 setting 4.30 – 6.00 p.m. daily. This post is whole time which
means working the school holidays and being an allocated holiday entitlement to be taken throughout
the year - to start 14th December.
 7.5 hour lunchtime supervisor working 11.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. daily during school time only - to start
5th January 2016.
If you are interested please come into school to collect an application pack.
School Fund
Thank you to those parents who regularly donate to school fund. So far since returning in September
parents and children have donated £123.00, with Miss Paul’s class contributing the most!
Spooky Theme Enterprise Week
The children in all classes had a great time during Spooky Theme Enterprise Week learning about
purchasing, costing, advertising and marketing. The total amount raised at the selling event was £348.
Miss Stephenson’s class, Y3S, made the most profit of £41.50. Year 3 made cat toys, bat hair clips and
badges. Well done Year 3S pupils, Miss Stephenson and Mr Hyrniszak.
Another member of staff pregnant……
We are now up to 4 of our lovely ladies who are having babies between, anytime now for
Fiona and next March for……Mrs Bambridge! Congratulations Mr and Mrs Bambridge – we
look forward to meeting another Baby Bambridge.
Robinwood Residential Weekend
38 pupils from Years 4, 5 and 6 are off to Robinwood, Alston on Friday 6th November for
the weekend. They will be carrying out a variety of activities including zip wire, canoeing, climbing,
nightline, piranha pool, zipwire, giant swing and many more. Six members of staff are going with the
pupils – Mr Bell, Mr Shaw, Mr Smith, Miss Carlyon, Miss Jarvis and Miss Lavery. We’re not quite sure
who will have the most fun – staff or children! They will have a super time and we will show you some
photographs on the December newsletter.
Friendship Week
In school Friendship Week is 16th – 20th November 2015. The children will be working with pupils from
other classes to read stories with, share friendship ideas and activities. We would like to invite you to
attend anti-bullying roadshows with us, led by our anti-bullying partners ViVa.
They will take place on:
 Wednesday 18th November 1.00 p.m. for parents of children in Early Years and Key Stage 1
 Wednesday 18th November 2.00 p.m. for parents of children in Key Stage 2.
We hope you can join us for the roadshows.
Good behaviour theme days
The School Council have decided on the themes for the good behaviour days for the year and they have
been agreed by the Parent Council.
Autumn term 2
18th December
Spring term 1
12th February
Spring term 2
24th March
Summer 1
27th May
Summer 2
20th July
Christmas
Jobs
My Super Hero
Pyjama
Non -uniform
Attendance
Our school attendance target set by OfSTED is 96%. Attendance overall for the whole school for
October was 96.24% which is above target. Both Y3 classes achieved above target for the whole month
but no classes achieved 100% attendance for the month. Reception’s attendance for October was
89.91%. Y3 and Y5 have had the best attendnace since returning in September – well done to those
classes!
Attendance update
Y1F
Y1S
Y2B
Y3S
Y3H
Y4T
Y5F
Y6F
Week 2
96.88%
94.00%
98.68%
90.00%
95.69%
94.14%
98.75%
99.00%
97.83%
98.70%
94.12%
94.71%
98.48%
94.85%
93.75%
91.36%
Week 3
95.00%
97.89%
95.17%
100%
100%
93.53%
100%
99.09%
Week 1
Children in Need
Children in Need Day is on Friday 13th November. The School Council have
asked if we will have a non-uniform day. Children can come dressed up or wear
whatever they like on this day and we hope to raise lots of money for Children
in Need - £1 donation please.
Mr Watson – absent from school
Those eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed that Mr Watson has not been at school since we
returned in September. Unfortunately he has not been in the best of health and recently has been told
he needs to have both knees replaced. We have appointed a replacement caretaker Mr Keith Doughty
who will be with us for the next few months. We wish Mr Watson a speedy recovery and hope he is
feeling better soon.
The Salvation Army Toy Appeal 2015
This appeal was first set up in 2006 for children in the Derwentside area and to date
has helped over 3500 children have a happier Christmas day. Last year with your help
and generosity 579 children woke up to presents on Christmas morning. In anticipation
of your support we would like to thank you for donating to this year’s appeal. There will
be a box in the reception area of school for anyone wishing to donate a present (from
30th Nov to 15th December). We appeal to you to help make Christmas special by
donating new, unwrapped gifts for children & young people who face the reality of
waking up to nothing under the Christmas tree this year.
So go on make a child smile this Christmas morning and buy an extra gift this year!
Resource Base open for parents and children to access
The Resource Base, next to the Nursery entrance, is open every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
from 8.30 a.m. for parents to go, with their children, to have a look at books, carry out homework and
borrow some of our lovely new books. Mr Hryniszak will be in the area to help select books and offer
advice on completing homework. Call in and have a browse.
Forthcoming events, trips and visits
Friday 6th November
Monday 9th November
Tuesday 10th November
Wednesday 11th November
Friday 18th December
Friday 18th December
Robinwood weekend
Y6F at a writing workshop at Beamish Museum
Open evening 1
Soldier Day
Y2M to visit Saltwell Park Remembrance Ceremony
Open evening 2
Y3 classes to Baltic Museum
Fair Trade day
Children in Need Day
Year 3/4 team to Sportshall Athletics event at the Louise Centre
Friendship week
9.10 a.m. Parent Council meeting
Anti-bullying roadshows during the afternoon – parents welcome to attend
3.15 p.m. assessment meeting with Mr Bell
Road Safety Week commences
Year 5/6 team to Indoor Athletics Level 2 School Games event at Louisa
Centre
11.00 a.m. St Thomas’ Church Fair in the hall – everyone welcome to come
along!
Y4T to The Life Centre
9.15 a.m. Y2B to St Aidan’s Church to watch the Christmas Journey
Y1 and Y2 pupil’s nasal spray immunisations in school (packs going home
16/11/15)
9.10 a.m. Parent Council meeting
Christmas dinner day
2.00 p.m. YRC Christmas sing-a-long in the classroom for parents to attend
Y1F to a gymnastics festival at the Louisa Centre
11.15 a.m. YN Nativity, in the setting for parents to attend
2.45 p.m. YN Nativity, in the setting for parents to attend
2.00 p.m. Y1F, Y1S and Y2B performance in the hall for parents to attend
10.00 a.m. Y3H, Y3S and Y4T Christmas performance at St Aidan’s Church
for parents to attend
1.00 p.m. 0-3 setting, 2 year olds, YN and YR Christmas Party
10.00 a.m. Y5P and Y6F Christmas performance at St Aidan’s Church for
parents to attend
1.00 p.m. Y1F, Y1S and Y2B Christmas Party
p.m. KS2 classes to NDA to watch Christmas pantomime
8.40 a.m. Christmas Fair
1.00 p.m. Y3H, Y3S and Y4T Christmas Party
9.10 a.m. achievement assembly
1.00 p.m. Y5P and Y6F Christmas Party
Good behaviour day – Christmas theme
Break up for Christmas
Tuesday 5th January
Children back to school
Thursday 12th November
Friday 13th November
Monday 16th November
Tuesday 17th November
Wednesday 18th Nov
Monday 23rd November
Saturday 28th Nov
Wednesday 2nd December
Thursday 3rd December
Monday 7th December
Tuesday 8th Dec
Wednesday 9th Dec
Thursday 10th December
Friday 11th December
Monday 14th December
Tuesday 15th December
Wednesday 16th Dec
Thursday 17th Dec