3 September 2010

Dear Parents/Carers

I am sure that parents/carers are now all aware of the tragic events of last Saturday evening when the annexe hall of our school caught fire. The inside of the building, comprising of 3x Y4 classes, 1x Y5 class, 1x art room, whole inclusion department, P.E. equipment and room, 2x rooms used for parents meetings and group work, all the laptops and approx 20 computers and printers, photocopier, various musical instruments and equipment library with all books and an assortment of teaching resources, medical suite, home economics department, kitchen and hall.  Thankfully there were no injuries sustained.

I know Y3 and Y6 parents/carers received a letter earlier in the week but I am now in a position to pass on more information to the whole school.

Year 3 

The Yr 3 classes will start at 10am on Monday to ensure that there is the least amount of congestion in the school.  On Tuesday they will be expected to come in at 8.50am.             Mrs Bruggy will be team teaching in 3N for this first ½ term, because Mrs Nichol (Assistant Headteacher) will need to be out of class to attend the various meetings needed to manage two sites along with myself.  Mrs Bruggy is an existing member of our inclusion team with many years experience in both infant and junior schools.

Year 4 

Due to the total devastation of all Y4 resources the children will be housed in our Y6 block until the portable classrooms are installed within this ½ term.

Year 5 

5G - Mr Grocock has set up his classroom in the music suite, until the new portable classroom is ready.  The other two Y5 classes are unaffected and will be in their normal classrooms in the main hall.

Year 6 

Unfortunately there is no space at the school to house twelve classes, so on advice we have decided to relocate the Y6 children to Greenvale School (formerly Downderry School) in Perry Rise until the portable classrooms are complete and they can return to their own Y6 block.   Greenvale is a school that has been refurbished in order for Gordonbrook to be decanted there in January whilst their school is being rebuilt.  It is a very clean and secure building and staff have worked extremely hard to resource it ready for the children on Monday.  Greenvale School is the closest school to Stillness Junior School that is able to accommodate the children.  This school is approximately 20 to 25 minutes walking distance from Stillness Junior School.  To facilitate this walk we will start school at 9.30am, although the school will be open from 7.45am.

Margaret Simms, our Parent Governor, has kindly volunteered to organise a “walking bus”.  All Y6 parents/carers have received a text message from Margaret asking for volunteers to walk with the children.  Your support and co-operation in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Breakfast Club 

Breakfast Club will be temporarily relocated to St. Hilda’s Church on Brockley Rise.  Mrs McCarthy will be present as usual to offer a warm welcome and provide the children with their breakfast.  I have put in place a “walking bus” from St. Hilda’s Church to Stillness Junior School for the beginning of the school day

Arrangements have been made for the Y6 children who are part of the breakfast club to go straight to Greenvale School where Mr Sexton will be present from 7.45 a.m. to provide a breakfast. Only those children who have booked and paid for a place in the breakfast club should attend.   

School Lunches 

Chartwells will be providing a school meal as usual.  For the first four weeks this will consist of a variety of sandwiches, baguettes, mixed salad, freshly baked cake and a wide selection of fruit and yoghurt – a menu will sent home as soon as possible.  I have decided  not to have hot meals because I can not guarantee the same standard as we have become accustomed to.

Extra-Curricular clubs 

These will not be available for this ½ term

Music Lessons 

These will continue and Mrs Wright will inform you of arrangements next week.

Playtimes 

The morning play will be as normal, using the infant playground.  At lunch play we will be using the facilities at Guys ground.

Access to school 

Start of the day – all children to come straight into the main school hall (parents must understand that due to limited space this facility is for children only)

End of school day –

Y3 parents/carers to collect from outside of the new Y3 classroom

(Ms Burrell)

Y4 & 5G parents/carers to collect from outside the Y6 block

5B & 5N parents/carers to collect from outside the far end door of the main

hall

Safety 

The annexe building will be sectioned off in order for the scaffolding to be erected to encase the building fully.  We believe that the school is a safe place for the children to be and we will continue to monitor the situation.

At present the fire is still under investigation and we do not know the cause, arson is not suspected.

Finally it has been a very tough week for all of us and we have worked extremely hard to ensure that there is as little disruption to the children’s education as possible.  We understand that there may be some hardship for some parents/carers, but I’m sure knowing our parents/carers the community spirit will prevail.

On a personal note I would like to thank all those parents/carers for the kind words and offers of support that I have received this week. 

Many thanks.

Selina Sharpe

Headteacher

School Dinners Autumn 2010/11

For the first half of next Autumn Term the cost for a child meal will be £7.00 per week or £ 47.60 for the first half of the Autumn Term.

You can pay by cheque or in cash.

Payment should be handed in on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday to your child's class teacher.

Please make cheques payable to Stillness Junior School. Envelopes for cash are provided by the office.

Please don't forget to put your child's name and class and "School Dinners" on the back of the cheque.

BBC Revisewise - English

 The The Stillness Junior School Profile replaces the annual report to parents.