Weekly Newsletter - Autumn Term 2010

Week 1, 9 September 2010

Head Lines

Welcome back to The Beacon for this new academic year! The new year begins on a positive note with 89 new boys joining the school.

The holiday has been busy at school. Please do go and check out the improvements: the Astro has been entirely relaid and refenced, Strong Block (Y3) has been fully refurbished and the Food Technology room has been installed in Field Cottage (the French department building). In addition to this the classroom adjacent to the School Shop has been remodelled as a Middle School Science and Art teaching room. We have moved around a number of offices as well. I have moved to School House, back to the office occupied by Beacon Headmasters up until 2005. Beech Barn is now occupied by the Bursary and the Development Office. Mr Haley has a new office in Strong Block, and Mr Skea has moved to the Upper floor of Osborne. Some classrooms have moved too, with the objective of having departments and age groups together in the long run. All in all the school looks good and we are looking forward to the new term.

I am pleased to announce two significant internal appointments. James Skea, Head of Upper School, becomes Deputy Head (Pastoral) and Dr Moira Laffey becomes Deputy Head (Academic) with immediate effect. I am also pleased to say that I shall be conducting final interviews for the French teaching post today and will be in touch with parents of boys in Y7 and Y8 shortly regarding this appointment.

We have made particular arrangements for boys in Y7 and Y8 to ensure that they are well served in their transfer through to senior schools, and I am writing to parents of those boys this week to spell out the details. All said and done, I am confident that the school is in fine form for the school year. We have an excellent team, with first rate boys in the school. I believe that 2010-11 will result in further excellent achievements in many aspects of school life.

Y5 boys will, for the first time, be experiencing an Upper School programme. I am very interested to know how this is going – do let form teacher, Mrs Guise (Head of Y5) and me know. In a similar vein we have adjusted the end of day routines for Y5 and Y6 to avoid the late finishes historically in place for Y6.

Looking forward, I have planned for social drinks evenings for each year group of parents. The dates are in our calendar – but Y7 and Y8 kick off with introductory evenings planned for next week (Monday, 7.00 - 8.30 pm for Y8, Wednesday 7.00 - 8.30 pm for Y7 in the Drama Room). Please do put these dates in your diaries and come along if you can.

Finally, I wish you and your sons a happy and successful academic year. I would urge you to let us know if something is not right… it helps us to improve or to solve problems where we can.

Paul Brewster
Headmaster

Lower School News

Informal parents’ meetings - ‘at homes’ - Please see the email that will be sent shortly for details on how to sign up for an appointment, if you would like to see your son’s class teacher on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 (Reception) or Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 September (Years 1 and 2, except Mrs Clements who will be doing Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22) for a brief chat.

Fruit for Break - A reminder that Lower School boys may bring a small portion of prepared (where necessary) fruit or raw vegetable, in a named, easily opened bag or container, to eat at Break time. Please do not send any other sort of snack. We have to maintain a safe environment with regard to food and allergies and can therefore only accept fruit or raw vegetables. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Routes to and from drop off and collection points - In order to minimise distraction of the Year 1 and 2 boys in their classrooms and to ease congestion, a reminder, please, to avoid using the path that runs between the Lower School and the Astroturf, as it is narrow and potentially hazardous, with the steps jutting out. The alternative route runs between the Music School and the changing rooms, around the back of the Sports Hall and the Lower School. Thank you for your co-operation and understanding in this matter.

Uniform - A reminder, please, that shorts are compulsory until half term. The building is warm and if it is chilly at playtime, the boys will be wearing their tracksuit trousers. All boys should have trainers, a jumper, a sunhat and a waterproof coat at school every day from now on. Blazers are not worn at playtimes, as they are not suitable for outdoor wear in the changeable weather conditions. Please ensure that all items of kit and uniform (including shoes) are named and provided with a tape loop for hanging.

Lower School Handbook - Updated and more detailed versions of the Lower School Handbooks are now available on the school website. If you did not receive one as part of an induction meeting last term, you may find it helpful to have a look at it.

Morning routine reminder for boys in Years 1 and 2 - Boys who use the informal Early Boys facility between 8.00 and 8.15 am must be delivered straight to the LS Assembly Room – there is no need to go to the pegs or the classrooms or for adults to wait with them at this time. The Lower School doors will be opened at 8.15 am, at which time class teachers will be in their rooms and available. Between 8.15 and 8.30 am boys should go straight to the Astroturf and be left with the teacher on duty – they do not need to come into the building. There is no need for parents to wait at this point – precious car parking spaces are being filled unnecessarily. From 8.30 am onwards boys should be delivered straight to their classrooms.

Home Contact book - A reminder that each Lower School boy has a Home Contact book, which is carried between home and school each day in the book bag, to allow for easy communication between parents and staff. This is for simple messages to be relayed and not for long messages which require a lengthy response, as staff do not have time during the day to reply to such longer messages. Please feel free to make an appointment or speak to the class teachers if it is more appropriate.

Years 1 and 2 clubs - These will start next week. Please return your consent and contact details form and your payment cheque for Mad Science by the end of the day on Friday. Details for payment for the other clubs will follow shortly.

Miss L Sumner
Head of Lower School

Uniform

Swimming trunks - By request, we are now including “jammers” as an alternative to the current Speedo briefs for swimming. These are much longer in the leg – more like cycle shorts – and we believe some boys will prefer this style.

These are not available through Schoolblazer - we are supplying them directly through the school shop and we currently have a small stock of waist sizes 22” – 32” waist, selling at £13 each.

Swimming hats - We have also introduced a Beacon swim cap – white with the Beacon torch- which will smarten up the appearance of our swimming team. If boys wish to wear a swim cap (whether when swimming for the team or in swimming lessons), we would request that it be The Beacon one. These will be also only be available through the school shop, in the near future (and certainly in time for the first gala).

Year 3 bags - To clarify the position re Year 3 bags, the boys will need:

Rucksack – to carry games kit such as rugby shirt, shorts, socks, mouthguard etc – if your son does not already have one from Lower School (eg if he is new this year) any plain (no large logos please), dark (navy/black) rucksack may be used.

Beacon drawstring bag – to carry PE kit (white shirt, shorts, socks, plimsolls) – to keep them separate from muddy games kit! The boys will be given this on the first day of term – please ensure they are clearly labelled on the outside. There will be no charge for this bag; however, replacements for lost bags will cost £3.50 each, available from the Bursar.

Both these bags will be hung on the boys’ pegs in the Year 3 corridor.

Boot bag (any make) – for rugby boots – will be kept in basket underneath benches in corridor.

Book bag (used to be called US Book bag, but now for use by Years 3 - 8) - for schoolbooks.

Mrs D Robinson
Bursar

Learning Support information evening

On Tuesday 21 September we are holding a Learning Support Information Evening from 7.30 – 9.00 pm: all parents are welcome.

The purpose of the evening is to explain how Learning Support works at The Beacon, and what you can do at home to help if your son does have specific learning needs. The focus will be on dyslexia, as the most common learning need here, but others such as dyspraxia will also be covered. We will hear from Louise Green, a well know specialist teacher and assessor, who lives locally and also works in Learning Support at Dr Challoner’s Grammar School.

So that we can make the evening as relevant and useful as possible, it would be helpful if you could let me know if there are any specific questions or topics you would like covered – some advance FAQs, in other words. Also, if anyone would like to contribute, to let other parents know of successful (or otherwise) methods or interventions, please let me know. For example, several boys have had vision therapy recommended for dyslexia, and if you have tried this, it would be useful to hear your experiences. You could do this on the evening, or let me have something in writing in advance.

Please email me: kstanley@beaconschool.co.uk with your questions or contributions, and I look forward to meeting you on 21 September.

Mrs K Stanley
Head of Learning Support

Pupil Contact & Medical Details forms

Welcome back from the matron’s office. Please may we remind all new parents to complete and return their pupil contact and medical details forms as soon as possible. If your son has a medical condition, allergy or food intolerance, please also supply a recent photograph of him.

The Matrons

Parents' Society

Forthcoming Events

Coffee morning for new parents - Friday 17 September, 8.30 am in the Dining Room.
 

To print a copy of this newsletter, please use the Print button above.