Newsletter31st March 2017

Outstanding Offers for our Year 6 Pupils to Secondary SchoolsWe are delighted with the outstanding offers that have been made to the children in Year 6 this year. A summary of these can be seen on page 3 of the newsletter.

The offers have been made from a range of different Schools across Sussex, from both the Independent and Maintained sector. The children will be attending taster days at their respective Schools during the Summer term. In addition, staff from many of the Secondary Schools shall also be visiting their prospective pupils here at Windlesham School. We are very proud of their achievements and I am particularly grateful to the teaching staff who have helped the children reach their potential.

Year 6 go on Isle of Wight trip Year 6 pupils had a wonderful time on their residential trip to the Isle of Wight last week. They returned safe and sound on Friday evening and we shall include lots of stories and photos in the next newsletter. In the meantime, there are fabulous photos to enjoy on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/WindleshamSchool

Spring Term 2017 - Important DatesFriday, 31st March

Last day of term - finishing at lunch (see separate letter sent home for timings)

Monday, 3rd April - Monday, 24th April (inclusive) Easter Holiday

Tuesday, 25th April Summer Term starts for pupils

Message from Mrs Bennett-Odlum

Preparing children for life

Dear Parents and Carers,

It was lovely to see so many of you at the Upper School Easter Service, yesterday. I think you will agree that the children performed extremely well as they delivered the Easter Cantata and Spring songs. It was wonderful to hear the first performance by our School orchestra, ‘The Windlesounds’.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank so many of you for your heartfelt best wishes and kind words of appreciation since you read my news.

As I wrote in my letter, I am delighted to have the Summer term with Mr Ingrassia so that we can have a smooth transition of my role.

In the meantime, I look forward to seeing you over the Summer term at some of the upcoming events. I always enjoy the Summer term - this will be a special one for me. On behalf of all the staff, may we wish you all a very Happy Easter.

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Welcome to Mr John IngrassiaWe are all looking forward to welcoming Mr John Ingrassia to the School after Easter. He will spend the Summer term working closely with Mrs Bennett-Odlum to ensure a smooth handover before taking up his role as the new Headteacher of Windlesham School in September 2017.

Mr Ingrassia was born in Italy and migrated with his family to Melbourne, Australia, as a boy. After completing his education at La Trobe University, he moved to London in 1993.

He has over 20 years’ experience in education, having worked in both the UK and Australia, teaching in a range of independent, state and Catholic schools. He is joining us from Russell House School in Kent, where he has been Deputy Headteacher for nearly 7 years.

Mr Ingrassia now lives with his partner, Sonia, in the beautiful village of Limpsfield in Surrey, where he says he likes cooking but prefers eating. At weekends, he enjoys cycling (often with people who are fitter than him) and he is also a keen walker.

Graham Rowlands-Hempel, Chair of the Governors, said: “We are delighted that such an outstanding educator, who shares our core values of kindness, respect for others and joy in learning, is joining us.”

FacebookFor more photos and details of recent trips, don't forget to check out our Facebook page www.facebook.com/WindleshamSchool which is regularly updated with news of the latest events and activities.

General news

A balanced healthy lunchboxPlease remember we are a nut-free school when preparing lunchboxes. It is important to check labels as many products may contain a trace of nuts.

Thank you for your help in this matter. Please do not include any sweets in your child’s lunchbox. A balanced, healthy lunchbox is really important.

Also, please could we ask all Parents and Carers to check the Portal to ensure you have informed the School about any allergies your child might have.

The Prefects for next term are as follows:3K Amelia Shaw Fiontan Warde-Robinson

3M Isaac Grace Orla Magee

4B Monte Batten Katie Connolly

4C Harry Underwood Eli Wolfe-Naughton

5CM Zac Papanicola Jamie Peasgood

5M Molly Christie-Miller Harry Short

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General news

Secondary School* Places and Awards Offered (as at 31.03.17)Brighton College and St Christopher’s 1 Academic and All Rounder Sport Scholarship; 3 places

Brighton and Hove High School 1 Academic and Bursary Scholarship; 3 places

Burgess Hill Girls School 3 Academic Sponsorships; 1 Academic and Bursary Scholarship; 1 Academic and Bursary Scholarship; 3 places

Cardinal Newman 2 places

Dorothy Stringer 5 places

Hove Park 3 places

Hurstpierpoint College 1 Academic Scholarship; 2 places

King’s School 5 places

Lancing College Prep 3 places

Lewes Old Grammar School 4 Awards; 1 Headmaster Award; 2 places

Patcham High School 1 place

Roedean School

3 Headmaster Awards; 1 Sussex Scholarship (Academic); 1 Sport Scholarship; 1 Academic and Dance Scholarship; 1 Academic Scholarship; 1 Academic and Sport Scholarship; 2 places

Shoreham College 4 places

Steyning Grammar 1 place

Varndean 2 places* in alphabetical order

Secondary School places awarded in 2017

The Headmaster of Roedean, Mr Blond, recently visited the girls from Windlesham School who are due to join Roedean in September 2017.

Our Year 6 Windlesham pupils have achieved great success this year with many children getting their first choice of secondary school, be it either independent or maintained. The Year 6 pupils are a credit to the School and we are very proud of them all.

The table below reflects the places and awards offered by the wide range of Schools applied to by the families this year.

During the Summer term, Headteachers and School Liaison Officers will visit the Year 6 pupils whilst they are still at Windlesham School.

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School Trips

Year 1 trip to PlumptonOn Tuesday, 21st March, Year 1 went to Plumpton Agricultural College. The weather was exceptionally kind to us and we enjoyed a gorgeous sunny day. We had a wonderful time meeting lots of different people, learning about the animals and exploring the farm. We all got to stroke a little piglet which was incredibly cute. We also saw some lambs. A particular highlight was the lamb performing an extremely bouncy dance, so we all decided to name the lamb ‘Spring’.

The children had the opportunity to visit the milking parlour as well as meeting the cows that produce the milk. All in all, it was a great day out and we came back to school exhausted but full of fresh country air and special memories.

Reporters: Mrs Flack and Miss Higgs

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Summer Term Dates

MONDAY, 24TH APRIL Staff INSET Day

TUESDAY, 25TH APRIL Term starts

MONDAY, 1ST MAY Bank Holiday (School Closed)

MONDAY, 29TH MAY – FRIDAY, 2ND JUNE INCLUSIVE Half Term Holiday

FRIDAY, 7TH JULY Term ends

MONDAY, 4TH SEPTEMBER Autumn term starts

Please refer to the School Website for 2017/2018 Term Dates: www.windleshamschool.co.uk

‘Wear a Hat’ for charity Friday, 31st March 2017

Our Year 6 Charity Representatives: Aryan; Austin; Monty; Olivia; Sasha and Thomas, invited all pupils (and staff!) to wear a hat for charity, today. This is a fund-raising event to support the work of the Brain Tumour Research charity and we thank you for your generous donations.

Special Farewell Event Thursday, 6th July 2017 at 6.00pm at BHASVICThis year, we shall be hosting a special event to say farewell to Mrs Bennett-Odlum. This will take place at the ‘End of Year Presentations to Pupils in Years 3 to 6’ which is going to be held at BHASVIC.

All our families are invited to attend these celebrations if they would like to. Parents and Carers of children in the Lower School are welcome to attend with their family. Further details will follow next term.

Diary

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Sports news

English Schools Swimming CompetitionThe swimming team performed brilliantly at the English Schools Competition on 20th March, winning both the Freestyle relay and Medley relay events.

All schools from Sussex are invited to attend, therefore to be first in both events is a massive achievement.

We have now qualified to compete in the next stage of the competition, the Regional final, which will include all counties from the South of England. This will take place in Guildford in May. Well done to the Year 6 swimming team who were a credit to Windlesham. The team members were: Sasha, Rosa, Austin, Harry T, Hannah, Olivia, Bella, Alex R and Caitlin.

Reporter: Mr Lambert

Miss Kennedy and Mr FerriesA final reminder that two members of staff are preparing to take part in the Brighton marathon this April: Miss Kennedy in Year 3 and our ICT Technician, Mr Ferries. Miss Kennedy is running in aid of Pancreatic Cancer UK. You can find out more about Miss Kennedy’s story at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/CharlotteKTeamPanCanUK

Mr Ferries is running for Link to Hope which helps to rebuild communities in Eastern Europe by supporting the poorest and most marginalised people through education and social care projects: www.linktohope.co.uk

Windlesham School Chess Club

We have had two chess groups running this term: a Tuesday group for Year 3’s and a Thursday group for Year 4’s, 5’s and 6’s. However, most of the Tuesday group has also been coming on Thursday so that all the chess players could take part in a single tournament - the first level of the Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge. The qualifiers go from this challenge to play in the Sussex Area Megafinal on Saturday, 29th April in Hassocks.

Congratulations to all who took part for a fighting spirit and a willingness, in many cases, to face opponents both older and stronger. After seven hard-fought rounds, the overall winner was Alex Riley on 19 points who wins the School Chess Champion 2017 trophy. Also, going through to the Megafinal is the U10s winner, Aywin Lau, on 18 points, the U9s winner, Max Swift, on 16 and the U8s winner, Ollie Hoffman, on 12. Nathanael Andrawos also qualifies for the Megafinal on 17 points and Sonny Hudson came very close on 16. The games were generally played with great enthusiasm and it was a pity so few could go through. However, with all the schools in Sussex able to send entries to a single event, numbers are necessarily limited.

The players in the two groups range from beginners to a few who already have ECF Rapidplay grades. This term, all the players have got used to setting up the pieces correctly, naming the squares, learning some of the trickier manoeuvres and playing with clocks. We are aiming for more study and progress next term when each group will have some coaching, take home some practice exercises and play in a mini-all-play-all within their group, with a chance to analyse some of their games and learn some tactics to surprise their opponents. Reporter: Ms Chadwick

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Year One assembly - there’s a sunflower in my supperOn a fabulous, sunny Friday morning all the Year One parents packed into the School Hall ready to watch our show. The children delighted the audience with their amazing singing, dancing and acting. We were extremely proud of the children and their confidence shone through. Reporter: Miss Higgs

Performances

Year Two Roman assemblyCongratulations to all the children in Year 2 who performed brilliantly when delivering their Roman assembly. The children shared so many interesting facts through songs and excellent acting. The audience certainly understood why the Romans were so important and could see clearly, how they have made an impact on life for us all today. Well done to everyone. Reporter: Mrs Bennett-Odlum

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Friends of Windlesham

NoticeboardThanks to your wonderful efforts to support FOW fundraising, we have been able to fund: New swimming pool equipment An outdoor canopy for the Nursery 3 iPads for Year 3 Investment in the school garden THANK YOU!

FOW Coffee Mornings from 8.30am - 10.00am Dyke Road Café We are pleased to introduce a set of regular coffee mornings where, as parents, we can get together, build friendships, spend time with members of the School management team, have a voice in FOW and hear interesting speakers on matters highly relevant to our little ones. Tea, coffee and light bites will be provided. The first set of coffee mornings will be by year group on the following dates:

Tuesday, 2nd May: Nursery and Reception

Thursday, 18th May: Years 1 and 2

Tuesday, 6th June: Years 3 and 4

Thursday, 15th June: Years 5 and 6 ** ** This coffee morning will finish at 9:30am and will be followed by an E-Safety workshop for Year 5 and 6 Parents and Carers at School. This is a very worthwhile and pertinent topic with this age group. Further details to follow.

Please come and join the fun, meet other parents and help the Windlesham community

Want to get involved or simply join in the fun? Please email chairperson@friendsofwindlesham.co.uk

Remember FOW is here to represent the whole parent body. If you have an idea or would like to get involved, please get in touch!

It’s a great way to meet new people and a fabulous way to have a positive impact on the school.SAVE THE DATE!! ANNUAL AGM

with new quiz night, eats and bar on Tuesday, 19th September 2017 from 7.00 - 9.00pm

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Merit Badges The following children are to be congratulated for tremendous effort or positive attitude (as at 31st March 2017):

Lower School Teddy Twibill, Idrees Al-Radhi, Kaine Lloyd-Mead, Primrose Middleton, Olivya Rose- Middleton, Kai Anderson, Arthur Farnell, Jackson Lloyd, Zack Levy, Yuvi Sharma, Florence Cooper-Seel, Freddie James, Abdullah Khan, Oscar Courtnage, Willow Faulkner-Weale, Shayan Hashmat and Mabel Horner.

Upper SchoolFreddie Salter, Lola Sahi, Monte Batten, Will Gardner, Zac Papanicola, Harry Short, Maria Veness, Poppy Hawkes, Fiontan Warde-Robinson, Buckley Phillips, Billy Williams, Eli Wolfe-Naughton, Sonny Hudson, George Lazanakis, Alfie White, Olivia Simmonds, Ronas Ekinci, Maria Coego, Beau Ruff, Astrid Berman, Rocco Loudoun, Sam Thomasson and Orla Magee.

Owls AwardsThe following children have been congratulated for good work (as at 31st March 2017): Nathaniel Baars-Benny, Betsy Avey, Arthur Farnell, Elias Luikenga, Arabella Middleton, Emily Packwood, Joel Burman, Summer Dymott-Gamblin, Sienna King, Marina Abadi, Charlie Littlefield, Lila Zimmerman, Gussee Berman, Michael Ojo, James Twibill, Zoe Cheal, Sebastian Nicholson, Buckley Phillips, Elsa Urbanski-Dean, Rhea Ayling, Oliver Double, Theo Elyas, Amelia Shaw, Betty Lamb, Beau Ruff, George Daiches, Zachary Hootman, Astrid Berman, Theo Wells, Emma Adams, Daisy Boyle, Daniel Abadi, Evie Flack, Alexander Kirwan, Thomas Brooks, Clementina Hastings and Samuel Thomasson.

Speech and Drama Exams On Wednesday, 22nd March, a New Era examiner visited the School to examine our Junior Drama group taking a Choral verse exam. Huge congratulations to all those involved. A Distinction Mark was gained. Well Done to all the pupils who took part.

Achievements

190 Dyke Road, Brighton, BN1 5AATelephone 01273 553645

www.windleshamschool.co.uk

Newsletter Editor: Mrs S BlaylockWindlesham School Trust Limited. Registered company no. 1172432 (England & Wales). Registered charity no. 269264. Registered office: 190 Dyke Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 5AA.