St John’s RC Primary School

St John’s RC Primary School

Welcome to another school year 2012-13. A special welcome if you are a new family here. The children all looked so smart on the first day of term. They are a credit to you all.

It really is a great privilege to begin my 12th year as Head teacher at St John the Baptist school, Rochdale.

We welcome three new teaching staff and a new assistant caretaker. Our new building is now complete and we are all set for a successful school year where every child will have the best opportunity to achieve and attain to their maximum potential within the caring and inclusive context of our unique catholic school.

Teachers:
Class Nursery - Mrs Hixon
Class Reception - Mrs Tillat (newly appointed)
Class Reception/Y1 – Miss Whitton (newly appointed
Class Year 1 - Miss Pinto
Class Year 2 - Mrs Hickman (Mrs Campbell as from November)
Class Year 3 - Mrs Davies (newly appointed)
Class Year 4 - Mrs Buckley
Class Year 5 - Mrs Wakwima
Class Year 6 - Mr O’Mahony (am) Mrs Hickman (pm)

Mrs Duffy is Deputy Head and Mrs Hickman is acting Assistant Head teacher during Mrs Campbell’s maternity leave. Mrs Hixon leads in the early years.

We have one full time and one part time teaching assistant in each class who work alongside every child to support and encourage them. Also we employ some special assistants who support specific children with additional special needs. Our learning mentors support children in achieving their potential at this school. Alongside the strong spiritual life at this school, we have achieved a 70% success rate at level 4+ in combined English and Maths at end of Year 6 with a ‘value added’ of 102.5 which is the highest in the borough of Rochdale.
We will have cause to celebrate when the 2012 results are published but we will never be complacent.

Good attendance for every child is key to their individual progress and achievement.

Thank you for valuing the importance of your child being in school and ‘on time’ every day. Holidays in term time will not be authorised so please do not request them.

Your help at home with your child’s homework is of course vital. This year we are using ‘learning journals’ with the children. Your involvement and support with the homework, including the ‘learning journals’ will be of immense value in the support you give to your child’s learning.

If your child is too ill to attend school then please ring the school office before 9am if possible on the first day of illness.

We have a hard working team of caretakers and cleaners with the new addition of Mr O. Akerele as assistant caretaker.

• Between the building of the metro-link tramway and the endless road works and one-way systems, I ask you to be patient and to take care if you drive or indeed if you are walking or cycling in order to avoid incidents or accidents.
• Early years and Key stage 1 children will only be dismissed to authorised persons. Years 3 to year 6 are dismissed at the main pupil entrance. The children are told to return to the main entrance if their parents or child minders are unavoidably late for some reason.
• Every Friday in assembly there will be a ‘Where in the world is Wally?’ quiz. The children will be asked to research ten useful facts about that country and to hand their homework into their teacher the following week. Smiley points are awarded for this as part of the new whole school rewards system.
• Also we will focus on English grammar and there will be a theme each week e.g. Proverbs. Each child is asked to write some interesting sentences which contain the grammatical focus for that particular week. Again ‘smiley’ points will be awarded for additional effort with homework such as this.

Do not hesitate to ask at the school office if you have any questions. Please ensure we have your up-to-date contact details including your mobile number which we use with our ‘teachers2parents’ text system to keep you informed.

School Photographs

The school photographer will be coming to the school on Wednesday 19 September.

Any families wishing to have family photographs taken should be at the school office for 8.30am.

If you have more than one child in the school and you wish to have a sibling group photograph then please inform the school office so that this can be arranged. 

Music Lessons

The following music lessons are taking place in school at a cost of £17 per term or £2.85 per week: Keyboards, Drums and Guitar.

If you would like your child to take up music lessons, please enrol them at the school office.

Swimming

Class 4 will be at swimming lessons every Wednesday afternoon, please remember to send them with their swimming kit. All jewellery must be removed by a parent on swimming days. Children will be ready to collect from school at 3.30pm.

Other Business

Medical and other appointments
Prior notice must be given to the school office to avoid disruption to classes and school business. Appointment cards should be shown.

Leave during term time

Leave will not be authorised for holidays/absences taken out of the normal school holidays.

Attendance

If you are late getting up in the morning it is not an excuse keep the children away from school. We would rather the children be late than miss a day of school so please bring them as soon as they have eaten breakfast.

Dinner money

Please remember that dinner money must be paid on a weekly basis. If two weeks have passed without payment you may be asked to provide packed lunches.