Home safe and sound!
Our group of 35 Year 6 children who spent last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Hawkshead in the Lake District, arrived home safe and sound on Friday afternoon. As expected the staff accompanying them said that they had been well behaved and great fun to be with - a credit to both their parents and to Copthorne. I am looking forward to hearing all about their adventures when they are all back in class today. I expect that many of them were very tired and have had a good rest this weekend. The Hawkshead residential is a wonderful opportunity for our children to stay away from home for a short time and to experience learning outside of the classroom. I hope that even more of our children will be able to enjoy this experience next year.
Events this week.
Meetings for parents/carers of pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2
This week we will be holding meetings for parents/carer of children in KS1 (Y1 and 2), Lower Key Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4) and Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5 and 6). Each meeting will be n opportunity for parents to find out about routines and procedures for their child's new and to hear about expectations as regards behaviour and homework. The meetings will also include discussions about how you can support your child's learning at home. You will also be able to ask any questions and raise any general concerns at these meetings.
The dates and times of the meetings are as follows:
Lower Key Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4)
Monday 17th Septmber 9am and 2.30pm
Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5 and 6)
Wednesday 19th Sepember 9am and 2.30pm
Key Stage 1
Thursday 20th September 9am and 2.30pm
Reading workshops
We are holding 2 workshops for parents of children in Reception classes. These workshops will explain how we teach the children to read and give parents ideas of how they can support their child's reading at home. These will take place at 9am and 2.15pm on Wednesday 25th September.
On Ilkley Moor Baa Tat!
Year 3 will be visiting Ilkley this week: 3 Alder's visit takes place on Thursday 20th September and 3 Larch's on Friday 21st. Once there each class will explore the locality and the natural environment, collecting lots of information ready to compare Ilkey with Bradford as part of their Creative Curriculum theme. They will experience walking on part of the Yorkshire Moors which will prepare them to write stories about a strange visitor who arrives there!
Developing others
Copthorne will be hosting a number of events. The first of these is a training event for 21 teachers from schools in our LAP (Exceed). This will be held on Monday 17th in our wonderful new group room and will involve training about Building Learning Power which is a strategy we have already introduced in our schools to help develop pupils' independent learning skills. The training course will introduce the scheme to many of our new teachers so that they can champion the scheme in our schools.
Parent volunteers
Thank you to those of you who have volunteered to help in our school by supporting children in the classroom in a variety of ways. We are so grateful for your held as it enables us to provide even greater opportunities for our children. However, we do have a very large waiting list of volunteers so please don't be disappointed if we are unable to say yeas straight away to your kind offers of help. Mrs Whalley will contact you as soon as new vacancies for volunteers become available.
Wishing you all a great week.
Mrs Shepherd
Thursday 20 September 2012
Sunday 9 September 2012
A great start to a new school year
What a great week it has been at Copthorne! It was wonderful to welcome all our children back after the summer holidays - they have all returned happy and have settled down to work very quickly. Thank you to all our parents, carers and families for making sure that the children arrived on time and looking so smart in their uniforms - they are a credit to you and we are very proud that they are part of the Copthorne family too.
Another very positive thing about this week has been watching the children using our new rooms. They are particularly enjoying our beautiful new library and ICT suite but I know that they will also be very excited about using the multi-purpose room when they hear about all the wonderful activities that their teachers have planned for them!
New staff
This year we are very pleased to welcome 8 new members of staff to our team:
Miss S Rosindale
Literacy and PSHCE Coordinator and class teacher for 5 Cedar.
Miss E Bentley
Early Years Foundation Stage Coordinator and Nursery Teacher.
Miss S Wood
Class teacher for 4 Poplar.
Miss S Bibi
Class teacher for 1 Ash
Miss S Akhtar
Miss Akhtar has already worked at Copthorne for 1 term during which she was class teacher for 4 Poplar. We are very fortunate in that she will be staying with us as a permanent member of staff , becoming class teacher for 5 Willow
Mr W Zaman
Mr Zaman is a Teaching Assistant who will be working in Year 6
Miss S Bibi
Miss Bibi is a Teaching Assistant who will be working in Year 5
Miss M Shah
Miss Shah worked with us for a short time last year but now joins us for the whole of this academic year as a Teaching Assistant in Year 4
Mrs J Meachem
Mrs Meachem worked with us last year and we are delighted that she ill also be with us this year, working as a Teaching Assistant in Reception
I am sure I speak for the whole Copthorne Community when I say: Welcome to our school. We hope that you will all be very happy here.
Events for this week
Hawkshead
Yes, it's that time of year again when Year 6 have the opportunity to take part in our residential. This year, 35 of our children will set off from school on Wednesday 12th September, to travel to the Youth Hostel at Hawkshead Village in the Lake District. The children will spend 2 nights at the hostel, returning to school on Friday after 3 days of exciting activities. The staff accompanying the trip this year are Miss Bray, Miss A Parveen, Mrs Robinson, Mr Darr, Mr A Khan and Mr H Khan.
This trip is a wonderful opportunity for our children to experience being away from home for a short time and to try out a range of team building and adventurous activities within a safe environment. We wish them a great trip and know that they will be outstanding ambassadors for Copthorne and the local community. I know that you will be hearing about all the fun they've had when they come back to school next week.
Year 5 Swimming
All children in Year 5 learn to swim as part of the National Curriculum. We are very fortunate in that our children are taught by Bradford Swimming Academy at Rhodesway Pool. The children are taught in groups of 15 and the lesson is 50 minutes long.. Last year was the first time that we used Bradford Swimming Academy and the results were amazing with most of our children having learnt to swim by the end of the year. At this rate we may have some Olympic swimmers in 2016!
Year 5 boys will be the first to go swimming this year. Lessons begin on Thursday 13th September: the boys will need swimming trunks and a towel. Enjoy yourselves!
Nursery Places
We have a number of Nursery Places (6 in the afternoon and 1 in the morning) available at the moment. If you have a child who is 3 now and you require a Nursery Place please see Mrs Dew or contact the school office urgently. Please let family and friends know about this too. Thank you.
Have a lovely week
Mrs Shepherd
Another very positive thing about this week has been watching the children using our new rooms. They are particularly enjoying our beautiful new library and ICT suite but I know that they will also be very excited about using the multi-purpose room when they hear about all the wonderful activities that their teachers have planned for them!
New staff
This year we are very pleased to welcome 8 new members of staff to our team:
Miss S Rosindale
Literacy and PSHCE Coordinator and class teacher for 5 Cedar.
Miss E Bentley
Early Years Foundation Stage Coordinator and Nursery Teacher.
Miss S Wood
Class teacher for 4 Poplar.
Miss S Bibi
Class teacher for 1 Ash
Miss S Akhtar
Miss Akhtar has already worked at Copthorne for 1 term during which she was class teacher for 4 Poplar. We are very fortunate in that she will be staying with us as a permanent member of staff , becoming class teacher for 5 Willow
Mr W Zaman
Mr Zaman is a Teaching Assistant who will be working in Year 6
Miss S Bibi
Miss Bibi is a Teaching Assistant who will be working in Year 5
Miss M Shah
Miss Shah worked with us for a short time last year but now joins us for the whole of this academic year as a Teaching Assistant in Year 4
Mrs J Meachem
Mrs Meachem worked with us last year and we are delighted that she ill also be with us this year, working as a Teaching Assistant in Reception
I am sure I speak for the whole Copthorne Community when I say: Welcome to our school. We hope that you will all be very happy here.
Events for this week
Hawkshead
Yes, it's that time of year again when Year 6 have the opportunity to take part in our residential. This year, 35 of our children will set off from school on Wednesday 12th September, to travel to the Youth Hostel at Hawkshead Village in the Lake District. The children will spend 2 nights at the hostel, returning to school on Friday after 3 days of exciting activities. The staff accompanying the trip this year are Miss Bray, Miss A Parveen, Mrs Robinson, Mr Darr, Mr A Khan and Mr H Khan.
This trip is a wonderful opportunity for our children to experience being away from home for a short time and to try out a range of team building and adventurous activities within a safe environment. We wish them a great trip and know that they will be outstanding ambassadors for Copthorne and the local community. I know that you will be hearing about all the fun they've had when they come back to school next week.
Year 5 Swimming
All children in Year 5 learn to swim as part of the National Curriculum. We are very fortunate in that our children are taught by Bradford Swimming Academy at Rhodesway Pool. The children are taught in groups of 15 and the lesson is 50 minutes long.. Last year was the first time that we used Bradford Swimming Academy and the results were amazing with most of our children having learnt to swim by the end of the year. At this rate we may have some Olympic swimmers in 2016!
Year 5 boys will be the first to go swimming this year. Lessons begin on Thursday 13th September: the boys will need swimming trunks and a towel. Enjoy yourselves!
Nursery Places
We have a number of Nursery Places (6 in the afternoon and 1 in the morning) available at the moment. If you have a child who is 3 now and you require a Nursery Place please see Mrs Dew or contact the school office urgently. Please let family and friends know about this too. Thank you.
Have a lovely week
Mrs Shepherd
Sunday 2 September 2012
Head of School's Blog: Monday 3rd September 2012
Welcome back to Copthorne everyone!
I know that many of you will have been celebrating Eid so I hope you had a wonderful time.
The weather has been very mixed but there have been some lovely sunny days this summer so I hope that you managed to enjoy them I am really looking forward to seeing all our children again and hearing about what they did during the holidays.
Staff changes:
Executive Head
Mr D Jacques will be Executive Head of both Copthorne and Horton Grange School. This means that I will have access to his guidance and support for 21/2 days each week. Mr Jacques is a highly experienced Head who has led the complete transformation of Horton Grange School and we will be working together to move Copthorne forward whilst maintaining it's outstanding status and all that makes our school so special. I know that I will learn a great deal from him.
Head of School
I am very excited about starting Copthorne in my new role as Head of School. As always, the staff, pupils, parents, governors and the local community will be working together to keep our school outstanding, providing our children with the very best possible education. I would like to take this opportunity to than all of you who have taken the time to congratulate me on my new role and to pledge your ongoing support for the school and myself - your sentiments are greatly appreciated.
Deputy Head
The Acting Deputy Head for this year will be Mrs Whalley. Mrs Whalley has Copthorne's children at the heart of everything she does and I know that she is keen to work closely with the whole Copthorne community in developing our children as lifelong learners. As part of her role, Mrs Whalley will continue to be our Assessment Coordinator. She will also be leading the induction and support for the many students and volunteers we provide placements for, along with carrying out a wide range of other responsibilities.
Assistant Head
Mr J Darr will be Acting Assistant Head for the year and, as part of this role, will be responsible for Maths, PE, Learning Mentors and Educational Visits. Mr Darr too is totally committed to Copthorne and it's children and I am sure that he will be a great asset to the Senior Leadership Team.
SEN CO
The Acting SEN CO for this year will be Mrs C Bradley. Mrs Bradley recently completed the National Award for SEN COs and shared the role with our previous SEN CO for the whole of last year so as is very keen to take on full responsibility for this area, making sure that all of our children with Special Educational Needs are receiving an outstanding education.
Important dates:
Wednesday 5th September: Registration is at 8.40am. Breakfast Club begins at 8am and classrooms open as usual at 8.30am for Raving Readers. Please remind your children that the only entrance into school for Breakfast Club or Raving Readers will be the main entrance which is at the front of the new building.
Key Stage Meetings
Separate meetings for parents of children in Key Stage 1, Lower Key Stage 2 and Upper Key Stage 2 will take place in the second or third week of term. The meetings will cover expectations as regards work and behaviour along with procedures and routines. I will inform you of the dates for these meetings by the end of this week.
As usual, if you have any concerns or wish to discuss any issues relating to school please feel free to come into school to chat to me. I will make every effort to see you straight away and, where this is not possible, a suitable appointment will be made for us to meet.
Mr Jacques and myself will also be holding weekly drop-ins at a specific time during which you will be able to pop in to share your ideas, concerns or issues. These meetings will alternate between Mr Jacques and myself from week to week. I will inform you of the day and times for these sessions by the end of this week.
I will continue to publish my blog weekly to let you know all about what we have been doing here at Copthorne and what exciting experiences we have planned for the children. Many of you have told me that you find it a really useful way of finding out what's happening at school. I would be grateful if you could 'spread the word' to encourage more of our parents and children to look at and use the blog. Thank you.
Here's to a great first week.
Mrs Shepherd
I know that many of you will have been celebrating Eid so I hope you had a wonderful time.
The weather has been very mixed but there have been some lovely sunny days this summer so I hope that you managed to enjoy them I am really looking forward to seeing all our children again and hearing about what they did during the holidays.
Staff changes:
Executive Head
Mr D Jacques will be Executive Head of both Copthorne and Horton Grange School. This means that I will have access to his guidance and support for 21/2 days each week. Mr Jacques is a highly experienced Head who has led the complete transformation of Horton Grange School and we will be working together to move Copthorne forward whilst maintaining it's outstanding status and all that makes our school so special. I know that I will learn a great deal from him.
Head of School
I am very excited about starting Copthorne in my new role as Head of School. As always, the staff, pupils, parents, governors and the local community will be working together to keep our school outstanding, providing our children with the very best possible education. I would like to take this opportunity to than all of you who have taken the time to congratulate me on my new role and to pledge your ongoing support for the school and myself - your sentiments are greatly appreciated.
Deputy Head
The Acting Deputy Head for this year will be Mrs Whalley. Mrs Whalley has Copthorne's children at the heart of everything she does and I know that she is keen to work closely with the whole Copthorne community in developing our children as lifelong learners. As part of her role, Mrs Whalley will continue to be our Assessment Coordinator. She will also be leading the induction and support for the many students and volunteers we provide placements for, along with carrying out a wide range of other responsibilities.
Assistant Head
Mr J Darr will be Acting Assistant Head for the year and, as part of this role, will be responsible for Maths, PE, Learning Mentors and Educational Visits. Mr Darr too is totally committed to Copthorne and it's children and I am sure that he will be a great asset to the Senior Leadership Team.
SEN CO
The Acting SEN CO for this year will be Mrs C Bradley. Mrs Bradley recently completed the National Award for SEN COs and shared the role with our previous SEN CO for the whole of last year so as is very keen to take on full responsibility for this area, making sure that all of our children with Special Educational Needs are receiving an outstanding education.
Important dates:
Wednesday 5th September: Registration is at 8.40am. Breakfast Club begins at 8am and classrooms open as usual at 8.30am for Raving Readers. Please remind your children that the only entrance into school for Breakfast Club or Raving Readers will be the main entrance which is at the front of the new building.
Key Stage Meetings
Separate meetings for parents of children in Key Stage 1, Lower Key Stage 2 and Upper Key Stage 2 will take place in the second or third week of term. The meetings will cover expectations as regards work and behaviour along with procedures and routines. I will inform you of the dates for these meetings by the end of this week.
As usual, if you have any concerns or wish to discuss any issues relating to school please feel free to come into school to chat to me. I will make every effort to see you straight away and, where this is not possible, a suitable appointment will be made for us to meet.
Mr Jacques and myself will also be holding weekly drop-ins at a specific time during which you will be able to pop in to share your ideas, concerns or issues. These meetings will alternate between Mr Jacques and myself from week to week. I will inform you of the day and times for these sessions by the end of this week.
I will continue to publish my blog weekly to let you know all about what we have been doing here at Copthorne and what exciting experiences we have planned for the children. Many of you have told me that you find it a really useful way of finding out what's happening at school. I would be grateful if you could 'spread the word' to encourage more of our parents and children to look at and use the blog. Thank you.
Here's to a great first week.
Mrs Shepherd
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)