Bronte School Headmasters Newsletter

24th May 2013

This week Mrs Carter and Mrs. Sutherland have sent you the exciting details about in-house hot lunches (and breakfasts) starting after half term. Please contact the office if you wish to follow-up any of the information you have received. We are so looking forward to the new arrangement. Another exciting new development is the arrangements we have now made with the church next door to use their car park at collection time at the end of the day. (This was a suggestion made at the last Parents Council). We are all aware of the more regular presence of traffic wardens in Pelham Road at the end of the school day. This has justifiably resulted in increased pressure on the use of our own car park. We now have a solution! Starting after half-term the caretaker will open the church gate at 3.15pm for access and parking and (give or take 5 minutes or so) will aim to close the gates again at 3.45pm. Clearly this is for parking and quick pick-up; longer term parking cannot be allowed. I am sure you will be as delighted as we are at this solution and very grateful to the church authorities. The school photograph was for once uninterrupted by the weather, though it was jolly cold! Fortunately we now have the children dressed in their school blazers (as compared with two years ago) and, as Mr. Carter commented, the school looked at its very best. Ward Hendry are pretty quick at getting the proofs back as demonstrated by the Freestyle Photographs which you have seen this week. By the wayorders for these photographs have to be back by Monday 10th June. Two weeks ago I referred to school term and holiday dates until 2017. They are now published and attached to this newsletter. Mrs. Gordon referred last week in her newsletter to ChYps week. She and Year 6 are proud to announce that they have raised a staggering 1325a sum which is considerably more than they have ever raised before. Thanks to you and congratulations to them. Mrs. Gordon also mentioned the Arts Award GOLD for which she and her colleagues have worked so hard. This is a fantastic achievement for the school. The certificate is now framed and on show in the entrance hall. Yesterday afternoon Year 4 visited Northfleet School for Girls for a performance of The Nutcracker. There are also some plans for the school to visit the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury in the autumn for two Glyndebourne productions Hnsel und Gretel and Captain Bloods Revenge. The Boys Grammar School is also keen to link with us now that we have the Gold Award and we have invited them to attend a performance of Twelfth Night on 10th July. It was a joy for me on Tuesday to go with Reception to Forest School. (It was nothing to do with toasted raisin bread and marshmallows, I promise!). I was most impressed with the increased size of the woodland area and the extra number of activities which are now available. The children were involved with building stick houses, creating (and firing) bows and arrows, identifying leaves, bird song and grubs, protecting black slugs (!), whittling with a potato knife and enjoying using the tree swing and the mini-microscopes and I have probably missed out one or two other activities. As mentioned before, the children loved being there and benefited so much from the experienceas did I! Year 1s Forest School programme in the next half of term will begin on Monday 3rd June (not Tuesday, because of the non-availability of the minibus). Mrs. Nash has informed her Year 1 parents.

The Open Morning on Monday was sparsely attended but still worthwhileespecially when we have an e-mail afterwards which is so complimentary. Thank you so much. We put in money and out comes gold. This was after visiting Year 4 and Year 1. Yesterday Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 visited the Library and the Orchard Theatre in Dartford. There will be photographs and more details in the next newsletter. On Tuesday Years 3 and 4 had a wonderful visit to the Museum of Childhooda visit which was as much enjoyed by the adults as by the children. Memories, memories, memories! This museum is often considered one of the best if not the best to visit in London. The children were marvellous and made the day so enjoyable.

What a happy group of children! Mrs. Wood has passed on to me a photograph of her Year 2 class with the piatas which they have made to complement their geography topic on Mexico.

BGTBrontes Got Talent SATURDAY 15th JUNE The details are now available with the booking form. Hurry, hurry, hurry and sign up for the second and even more remarkable BGT! The Bronte Friends 100 Club draw will take place in assembly this morning. This terms Parents Council meeting is on Monday 10th Junejust a week into the second half of term. The contact forms are being distributed with this newsletter. Last weeks ISA Conference in Eastbourne was both challenging and inspiring. We all felt it was possibly the best we had attendedat a venuethe Grand Hotelwhich was equally impressive. It is always good to enthuse about new ideas and to learn from others. The general theme was Resilience and Growth in Modern Leadership. Enjoy your half term.

Im sure we shall be able to put into practice all that we learnt on Wednesday. Well said, Isaac. We took part in the ISA London South Kwik Cricket competition in Dulwich on a miserably cold afternoon. In the first match, we forgot all that we had learnt and were beaten by a weaker side. We then rose to the occasion in the second match and beat our hosts. In the third match we were shown how to play the game and were outclassed by a much stronger side. There is so much to learnbut well keep going!.

It is the House Cricket competition this afternoon, weather permitting. On the Tuesday after half term, Mrs. Rogers and Mrs. Rezki are taking a team to the ISA London South Athletics Championships at Bromley without any year 6 involvement this time because of the trip to the Chateau. Good luck to the athletes and all the best to Madame Baldacci, Mrs. Prescott and Mrs. Lippard and all the children for a happy and rewarding French trip which begins a week on Sunday.