SG Messenger
September 2008 - Issue No 1
From the headmaster:
Welcome back to a new academic year at Spring Grove! After a rather grey and dull holiday period in this corner of the globe at least we are looking forward to enjoying a bright start to the term. The children have arrived back to a number of changes.
Work within the school has continued at a feverish pace during the past two months and I am extremely grateful to Clive Turner, our caretaker who has managed to paint extensive parts of the school, both inside and out in the grounds, he has decorated four toilet areas, overseen the impressive alterations to the Teddies and Nursery building. In addition, major refurbishment of our swimming pool is nearly complete and a section of the roof of the main house has been stripped back and repaired. We have worked very hard to complete all works but inevitably a small number of jobs remain to be completed and I trust that you will be patient whilst these jobs are finished.
This term we welcome four new members of staff: Cara Brogan is a Newly Qualified Teacher and joins our Key Stage 1 team and will teach 1B; Hilary Jones will be teaching 3J as well as music and RE to the upper forms; Pete Dankert joins us as Director of Studies and head of Maths and will be in charge of Prep 6; Jo Beszelzen is standing in for Theresa Taylor as Teaching Assistant in Mrs Forrest’s reception class. In addition, Phil Williams takes on a more prominent role in charge of boys’ games; overseeing sport as a whole is Ellen Rowe who also takes charge of Prep 4. Catherine Novakovic (3N) will be organising the activities programme.
We are particularly thrilled to welcome back Annabel Parker who has made such a remarkable recovery from meningitis. Annabel is going to spend some time away this term at Chailey Heritage School in East Sussex but is delighted to have returned to school today to rejoin her friends in Prep 5. In three weeks’ time on the European Day of Languages we shall enjoy a special dressing-up day in order to raise funds for the important work at Chailey which will be this term’s major charity focus. See below for further details.
We are looking forward as a staff team to an exciting year ahead. Almost immediately, a number of our Prep 6 children will be sitting the Kent Test and in the first few days of term we will do all we can to ensure that they are best prepared for what lies before them.
Next week our sports teams will be in action for the first time. A new system requires the children who are selected to ensure that they show their availability by ticking off their name on the appropriate team list on the sports notice board which is situated in the hall of the main building.
We have heard in assembly how the staff team began their term with a terrific painting day. The exercise involved teamwork, skill, commitment and immense fun: several of the key aspects that make Spring Grove such a fine school. We, the staff, are proud to be here and enjoy our part in educating the children. We know that the Spring Grove family is “a great place to grow”!
Have a great term!
Relay for Life
Nick Harding father of Conor in Form 3N, has entered a team of 15 family and close friends to take part in the Cancer Research Relay for Life 24 hours on Saturday 13th September.
If you would like to make an on-line donation, then please visit:
http://ww.donatetomyrelay.org/nicholasharding
Supporters are welcome on the day and their will be activities for children, demonstrations, raffles etc. The event starts at 11am and is being held at:
Canterbury Athletics Track, Canterbury High School, Knight Avenue, Canterbury, CT2 8QA
PTA Meeting
There will be a PTA meeting on Friday 12th September straight after assembly in Mr Jones’ study. We would like to invite all new parents to the meeting so please try and come along.
Friday 26th September is the European Day of Languages, when we will be holding our next Charity Day. You are invited to bring £1 for Chailey Heritage School, the charity which we will be supporting, and to come to school dressed as a European character ( for example in national dress or as a story character from Tintin, Asterix, Heidi…)
There will also be a special Languages Challenge that day. Would you like to learn a poem in Chinese, learn how to count to 20 in Japanese or to sing a song in Spanish? Have fun facing the challenge and ask your family and some friends to sponsor you and raise vital funds for this very worthwhile charity which it is so appropriate for us all at Spring Grove to be supporting at this time.
Then, we will invite you to show us your skills in Assembly that morning! Sponsorship forms are available from the school office.
