June 2008
Monday 23rd June 2008
Fame and Fortune at 20th Gala
Balsall Common Primary School will be holding their 20th annual Summer Gala on Saturday 28 June, starting at 1pm. The theme for the event is Fame and Fortune. The Gala King (Isaac, age 7) and Gala Queen (Maia, age 6) will be opening the celebrations by leading a fancy dress parade.
With over 20 stalls and 20 attractions we hope to ensure a fun-filled afternoon for all the family. The Balsall Common African Nations Soccer Trophy, sponsored by Trade Sales Centre, the Midland’s leading used car supermarket, will take place in the main arena, with 100 boys and girls from the school representing sixteen African countries. The School Dance Club will be performing dances from around the world along with entertainment from the Coventry Scout marching band. There will also be a golf skills demonstration.
The main attraction this year will undoubtedly be the James Bond Jaguar XJ8 car used in the film “Die Another Day”. A professional photographer will be on standby to take your picture with the car. Other attractions to this year’s gala include mini train rides, bouncy slides and castles and a Gladiators-style climbing wall, along with the usual favourites such as face painting, coconut shy and candy floss. A wide variety of refreshments will be available throughout the afternoon, including a hog roast and cream teas. The Gala will finish at approximately 5pm, when the Grand Draw winners will be announced (top prize is an iPod Touch) and retiring Headteacher Mr. Davies will be soaked and gunged in “I’m a Headteacher…Get Me Out of Here”.
Trevor Davies, Headteacher at Balsall Common Primary said “This will be my last Gala Day as Headteacher and I have attended every one! This year the PTA have pulled out all the stops to make it the biggest yet with tremendous events and attractions. It promises to be a fantastic and emotional day.”
Friday 13 June 2008
School Story Time Book In Print
You may remember that earlier in the year each child in Key Stage 2 had the opportunity to submit either a poem or a short story to be published in a book. This project was run in collaboration with Balsall Common Primary School by Evolve, a branch of Young Enterprise students at The Heart of England School. This is a recognised scheme that allows young people to set up and run their own business, supported by HSBC bank. The group have already won awards in the Young Enterprise Competition and are Solihull area's overall winners and Birmingham and Solihull area's winners of the Good Governance Award. The book, named 'Balsall Common Story Time' is now available to purchase. This professionally printed book of 280 pages contains the literature of pupils in Years 3 to 6, and every child who entered work will see it published. It is a unique opportunity to have a lasting memento of your child's work in a professional book that will bring back distinctive memories of their childhood. It would also make the perfect present for uncles, grandparents or other relations. A major part of Evolve’s mission is to encourage literacy and make writing fun for children. The literature distinctly conveys this. The stories are written with such a rich imagination and creative flair that Evolve were drawn, as you will be, into many of the stories, enjoying tales of quests, horror, creation and many colourful poems. The book is being sold at a price of £4.99. Only cash or cheques are accepted, made payable to Evolve. All orders are to be returned by 27/06/08. Please return to your child's teacher. Order now to avoid disappointment. A copy of the book will be on display outside school for the next two weeks.
Pupils Thank You From Heartlands Hospital
Today, four pupils from Balsall Common Primary School attended a thank you party at the neo-natal unit at Heartlands Hospital.
During the year, the school has raised money for the Breath of Life Appeal, which supports premature babies. As well as enjoying several slices of chocolate cake, the children were able to visit the unit and see the tiny babies being cared for in their incubators. They also received a special plaque, which will have pride of place in the entrance hall.
May 2008
Friday 23 May 2008
Marathon Thank You From Miss Critchley
On the 13th April I faced part one of my Town and Country Marathon challenge - I had never run a marathon before, and here I was with 35,000 people in London ready to run! I completed the course in 3 hours 54 minutes and 22 seconds. The crowd and atmosphere were absolutely amazing, there was constant noise all the way round - cheering, drumming bands, morris dancers, buildings and groups piping out music, firemen. The range of fancy dress costumes was incredible to see. I passed the Massai warriors which was great and saw Floella Benjamin too! Had to run through absolutely torrential rain between miles 8 and 15, and running over Tower Bridge was an amazing experience! The course was crowded all the way round too, it was very difficult to find a space to run in at times. I ran all the way round with a club mate, Cath, which was great, and as she had run it before it was like running with a tour guide! She had to point Big Ben out to me at 24 miles so I didn't miss it!!! Last weekend was the turn of Windermere Marathon (18th May) which was a total contrast to London! Maybe four days away with year four was not perfect marathon prepartion but I enjoyed each and every minute of it! Here there were only 860 runners, compared to the 35,000 at London! The course was beautiful - starting at Brathay Hall just outside Ambleside, and then heading through Hawkshead, roughly running down one side of Windermere Lake, down to Newby Bridge, and then back up the other side. The course was definately undulating to hilly and there were no flat bits! The crowds were great on the way round, and even though there wasn't the numbers of runners or supporters it was still a great atmosphere. The weather was perfect and the views absolutley stunning! I completed Windermere in 4 hours 4 minutes and 22 seconds, and with a VERY big smile on my face. Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the last few months with words of encouragement, and also through sponsorship. I have raised somewhere in the region of £2000, and will update the total when I have recieved all the money. If people would still like to donate my justgiving pages are still up and running... www.justgiving.com/alixcritchley - British Heart Foundation www.justgiving.com/alixcritchley1 - Tuberous Sclerosis or pop down to the classroom if you would like to donate to Dan James, or make a donation to be split between the three charities/funds. Please come and see me if you would like any more information on the three charities I have been raising money for. Once again, many thanks for the support, encouragement, advice and sponsorship I have recieved, it is all VERY much appreciated.
Miss Critchley
Wednesday 7 May 2008
School Awarded Gold Standard for 'Every Child Matters'
Solihull school Balsall Common Primary has achieved the Gold standard in a national Quality Mark from Ormiston Education in response to the Government agenda on Every Child Matters.
The “whole school effort” advocated by Headteacher Mr. Trevor Davies, dovetailed with the Healthy School initiative and has taken over a year to complete. The award matches objectives that identify a number of strands that must be met in order to achieve that objective; it is then measured at 3 varying levels of success. The Gold level which was achieved by Balsall Common Primary is the equivalent to an Ofsted judgement of outstanding, and is an excellent accomplishment.
Balsall Common Primary School has served the local community for over 90 years. Naturally the school has changed, and significant developments have occurred over the last few years. There are currently 660 pupils on roll, including part-time Nursery pupils, aged 3 to 11. It is the first school in the area to achieve the award which is being taken up by Primary, Secondary and Special schools all across the country.
Joyce Hodgetts, Director of Development at Ormiston Education who developed and funded the award commented, “The ECM Quality Mark offers schools the mechanism to ensure that all children receive their entitlement to opportunities which foster brighter futures. Many schools around the country are now certifying their ECM work with our Quality Mark and it’s a real thrill to see Balsall Common Primary School achieve the award at such a high standard.”
Two members of staff at the school, Linda Chesshire and Mary Cassidy, Director of Personal Social Development & ECM Agenda and Director of Inclusion and Access respectively, both commented, “This was all part of the school improvement plan and it’s the type of initiative where everyone believes in it and pulls together. The concept was wholly accepted and it helped that we were already aware of ECM and identifying areas where it could be used. We have tried to be as innovative as possible and have produced video clips, computer presentations and analysed everything relating to the key performance indicators and back to the school. It’s been a very fulfilling experience.”
Headteacher Trevor Davies made further comment, “This wasn’t about achieving an award! It was acknowledged by our Governors as a route to all learning and then for us to prove ourselves. It was good to identify areas where we had good practice and very fulfilling to find areas where we improved on what was already being done. Communication was essential in assembly, with parents, staff and Governors in order to highlight the positive impact of the ECM agenda.”
Ormiston Education, based in Birmingham, invests and supports the dynamic to create successful schools, learners and communities. For more information about the ECM Quality Mark please visit: www.ecm-qualitymark.co.uk
April 2008
Tuesday 15 April 2008
Toy Stall at Methodist Church
This Saturday is the Save The Children Grand Toy Sale in the Methodist Church Hall, Station Road from 10am to 12.30pm.
Thank you so much to all of the people who have kindly donated toys to sell. We have a wonderful selection of good quality toys- now all we need are lots of people to come and buy them! Every penny raised will go to Save the Children.
Monday 14 April 2008
Pupils Easter Shop Raises Money for Charity
Some of our Year 6 girls have been very busy raising money for charity. The girls sold Easter goodies (kindly donated by a parent) and made Easter cards, bookmarks and quizzes.
The pupils spend all of their lunch hours manning their stall and raised an amazing £222 for the Wythall Animal Trust. Well done girls!
March 2008
Monday 3 March 2008
Voucher Collections Begin
Once again we are asking you to collect the special Tesco Computers for Schools Vouchers and the Sainsbury's Active Kids Voucher at the checkout every time you shop or buy petrol at Tesco or Sainsbury's. Last year we were able to purchase a Digital Video Camera, a Visualiser and a Log Control and Monitoring Box with the Tesco Vouchers collected. This year we are saving for Digital Video Cameras to assign to classes and year groups and need to collect 50,000 vouchers for these. The Tesco Computers for Schools scheme will start on today and run for a 10 week period until Sunday 11 May. Please deposit your vouchers in the Tesco Collection boxes located outside Miss Mitchell's classroom, in the entrance hall and outside the ICT Suite. We were able to exchange the Sainsbury's Vouchers collected last year for footballs, playground games, PE equipment and Foundation Stage toys amongst many other items. The Sainsbury's Active Kids scheme runs from 14 February until 4 June. Please deposit your vouchers in the Sainsbury's collection box outside Mr Mortimer's room or leave in the entrance hall. Please ask your friends and relatives - in fact anyone you know - to collect vouchers for us! The children are really excited about the challenge and we know we can reach our targets if we try. Thank you for helping us last year and thank you in anticipation of your cooperation this year in helping us reach our targets!
February 2008
Friday 22 February 2008
Churches Together GreenFest Logo Competition
Churches Together in Balsall and Berkswell are organising a GreenFest 2008 to raise awareness of the need to care for our planet. This will encourage environmental awareness in our community and give an opportunity for those leading in this field to promote their services and products. The festival will take place over the weekend of 19/20 July and will involve the whole community. We need your help to kick off this project. Can your child design a logo to accompany all the advertising of the event and also appear as their letterhead? Entries should be on a sheet of A4 paper (landscape or portrait) and reflect our 'green' theme. On the reverse, state the designer's name, year group and school. All entries should be sent in to Mrs Chesshire by the end of February.
Our local MP, Caroline Spelman has been asked to judge the entries, and for primary children this will be in two categories: Foundation & Key Stage 1, and Key Stage 2. There will also be two categories for secondary pupils. Winners in each category will have their designs on display over the weekend with the overall winner providing the logo for the whole event. Remember the logo needs to reflect the theme of caring for our planet. Good Luck!!
Friday 8 February 2008
Miss Critchley in Training for Town and Country Marathons!
Miss Critchley is aiming to run the Flora London Marathon on the 13th April 2008 and then the Windermere Marathon on 18th May 2008.... hence a Town and a Country Marathon!
Her aim is to raise £3000 across three charities/funds - The British Heart Foundation, Tuberous Sclerosis and Dan James. Miss Critchley has set up three "Justgiving" online pages to collect money for each charity and would like to ask the school community to sponsor her.
Miss Critchley is raising money for the British Heart Foundation. Her Dad had a heart attack and subsequent triple bypass a few years ago – he has made a full recovery, but there are many people out there who are not so fortunate. She wants to raise money for a charity that would raise awareness of heart health and research into heart disease, as well as caring for and supporting heart patients.
Miss Critchley's justgiving page for the British Heart Foundation is at http://www.justgiving.com/alixcritchley
You can find out more about the charity at: http://www.bhf.org.uk/
Miss Critchley is also raising money for the Tuberous Sclerosis Association, a condition that affects one of her ex pupils– James. He is a great boy and Miss Critchley wanted to raise money for a charity that would help him and others with this condition. Tuberous sclerosis is difficult to explain because it affects individuals in many different ways and with varying degrees of severity. Some children and adults with TSC remain largely unaffected and go through life free from symptoms, whilst others who are less fortunate experience one or more of a range of symptoms. Tuber-like growths can grow on the brain or internal organs which can cause epilepsy, behaviour disorders and developmental delay. The TSA supports people with tuberous sclerosis and their families or carers - promoting education, publicity and information to increase awareness and understanding and encourages and sponsors research into the causes and management of tuberous sclerosis.
Miss Critchley's justgiving page for the Tuberous Sclerosis Association is at http://www.justgiving.com/alixcritchley1
You can find out more about the charity at: http://www.tuberous-sclerosis.org/
Dan James was a promising Nuneaton RFC hooker who suffered paralysis in a training ground accident in March 2007. Dan was only 22 years old when the accident happened and was studying for a degree at Loughborough University, he had already represented England Students, England Universities and was called up to the England Counties squad. He had also played National League rugby for Nuneaton and Stourbridge. Money raised will go to help fund specialist care and to buy equipment for Dan. There is no justgiving page for Dan James - Miss Critchley will be collecting separately for him and she can take cash or cheques!!!
Miss Critchley also has sponsor forms, and would be grateful of any sponsorship you are willing to give – please visit her in her classroom.
Your support is much appreciated, and it gives Miss Critchley a HUGE incentive to get out there and run.
Monday 4 February 2008
Chinese Visitor Helps to Celebrate Year of the Rat
The oldest and most important festival in China is called the Spring Festival. Many people call it the Chinese New Year. No matter what you call it, it is a time of celebration for millions of Chinese people all over the world. Balsall Common Primary School were very lucky to welcome a Chinese visitor in their assemblies and classrooms to help learn about the Chinese New Year.
Xuemei, who is doing some work at Peterbrook Primary School in Shirley, visited Balsall Common this morning. In her fascinating assemblies, she explained to the children that 2008 was the Chinese Year of the Rat, which starts on Thursday. She taught the children and teachers different Chinese phrases and gave prizes to those who listened and remembered well.
The Chinese calendar has a 12 year cycle and each year is named after an animal. People born in each of these years are said to have certain characteristics. The year 2008 (year 4706 on the Chinese calendar) is the Year of the Rat. People born in the Year of the Rat are said to be charming, hard-working, passionate, and practical.
On New Year's Eve the Chinese light up their houses and gather together for a family dinner. Special foods are served. Most people stay up late and set off fireworks late at night to scare away evil spirits. Another tradition is the handing out of red packets which are decorated paper envelopes containing money.
You can view Xuemei's assembly PowerPoints by clicking on the links below.
chinesenewyear2.ppt
January 2008
Friday 25 January 2008
WaterAid Thanks Balsall Common for Harvest Fundraising
Back in October, pupils at Balsall Common Primary School collected coins (and the odd note) in water bottles and filled the stage for the Harvest Festival. School Council and the teachers spent hours counting the bronze, silver and gold coins before sending it off to WaterAid.
WaterAid enables the world’s poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. These basic human rights underpin health, education and livelihoods and form the first, essential step in overcoming poverty. The charity helps communities set up and manage practical and sustainable projects that meet their real needs.
During Birthday Assembly a certificate from WaterAid was presented to the school, thanking the pupils, parents and teachers for raising £2174.77.
December 2007
Wednesday 18 December 2007
BCPS on Central Tonight
A reporter and film crew from Central News visited Balsall Common Primary School last week to make a special report on school nativity plays and also to find out what are the most popular presents children have asked Santa for this Christmas.
Two different reports were aired and if you missed the live broadcast of Central Tonight you can watch again on the internet. Click on the links below to watch.
Key Stage 1 Christmas Performance
http://www.itvlocal.com/central/news/?player=CEN_Home_26&void=131128
What Balsall Common children want for Christmas
http://www.itvlocal.com/central/news/?player=CEN_Home_26&void=131504
Monday 17 December 2007
Easy Fundraising for Balsall Common Primary School
There’s now a new and easy way for you to help us raise funds for Balsall Common Primary School PTA - simply by shopping online!
EASYFUNDRAISING is a shopping directory that features some of your favourite online stores, including Amazon, NEXT, Debenhams, John Lewis, Toys’R’Us, HMV and over 500 others. All you have to do is use the links on the easyfundraising site whenever you shop online and, at no extra cost to you, we'll receive a free donation of up to 15% from every purchase you make. It really is that simple!
It’s completely FREE to register and use and you still shop with each retailer in exactly the same way. Many retailers even offer additional discounts and money saving e-Vouchers when you shop using easyfundraising.
If you shop online anyway then why not raise valuable extra funds for us by using this fantastic scheme. All you need to do is visit http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/balsallcommonps and when you register, select Balsall Common Primary School PTA as the organisation you wish to support. Alternatively, click on the EASYFUNDRAISING banner or click here to go to the PTA EASYFUNDRAISING page.
Monday 10 December 2007
Year 2 Choir Sing at Knight's Court
On Monday 10th December, Year 2 choir visited to Knight's Court retirement complex to entertain the residents. The boys and girls sang an assortment of songs, finishing with a selection from Barny, this year’s Key Stage 1 Christmas musical. The children then spent a few moments chatting to the residents and exchanging Christmas stories. Everyone had a lovely time and the residents were extremely pleased to see the children. They presented the choirl with a card and some money to ensure the children could have a little treat back at school! They have also invited us to go again next year which, of course we will be delighted to do! Thank you to Mrs. Chesshire and also to the mums who escorted the children.
Saturday 8 December 2007
School Choir Kick Off Christmas Tour of Balsall Common!
Members of the school choir began their seasonal bookings by entertaining senior citizens at the Royal British Legion Branch in Berkswell, following their Christmas meal on Friday afternoon. Malcolm Allan, Branch secretary wrote to the school to say, "The children were a sheer delight and brought a dimension of freshness to the occasion." This was the first of seven concerts that the school choir is taking part in this Christmas. The second performance was singing carols and Christmas songs in the pouring rain outside Barclays bank on Saturday 9 December. It was a horrible cold and windy day but the choir certainly brightened up day of shoppers in the village centre.
In just under an hour, £113.00 was raised for Save the Children, which was a fantastic achievement. Thank you to all of you who came to sing and an extra special thank you to all your mums and dads who stood and supported us. All the money raised will go to make Christmas a little more special for less advantaged children. Thank you once again, Mrs Chesshire and Miss Heathcote.
Wednesday 5 December 2007
Musicians of Balsall Spectacular Concert
In a packed Studio, parents, teachers and families were treated to a truly spectacular concert, boasting Balsall Common Primary School's musical talent. Children performed on piano, flute, trombone, violin, cello, saxophone and even a keyboard duet! Our very popular choir, who are extremely busy performing all around Balsall Common this year, in seven concerts, also performed on the night. It was a delightful evening, perfect for getting everyone in the Christmas spirit!
November 2007
Friday 16th November 2007
All Bandaged Up For Children in Need
Balsall Common Primary School supported Children in Need with a fantastic day on Friday when most of the school appeared wearing Pudsey-styled bandages and paid for the privilege!
The School Council also organised two competitions during the week; a colouring competition for Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 and a ‘Balsall Brilliant Bear’ quiz for Key Stage 2. These competitions, plus the donations bought in on Children in Need day itself mean the school raised £373 for Children in Need! Well done everyone and thank you for your support.
October 2007
Friday 19th October 2007
Dental Practice Sponsor School Broadcast System
Balsall Common Primary School thrives on new ideas, especially in their use of ICT. The latest innovation at the school is BCPS TV, where multimedia messaging technology is used to communicate with students and parents to enhance and celebrate learning and also to create a real community feel around the school.
The school has installed the system, made by Pupils.tv around the school. There are some plasma and smaller screens placed in different areas showing video clips of trips and events, adverts promoting a healthy lifestyle and animations produced by the pupils in lessons. There is also a news ticker that scrolls along the bottom of the screen to remind children to bring their PE or swimming kits and when homework is due!!
The layout and multimedia presentation of the screens are designed by Year 6 pupils, who also gather information about the next school week in order to update the news ticker and then schedule each screen to turn on and off at a certain time.
Jessica, aged 10 said “The screens are great because they tell the children what they need to bring to school and the times they will be doing things during the day. The video clips show what other classes have been up to.”
The broadcast TV system has been funded by the school PTA and through sponsorship from Balsall Common Dental Practice. Practice owner, Dr Ashley Davenport, said “It is fantastic to be able to support the school in this exciting project, which provides pupils with the opportunity to develop media skills for the 21st century.”
Headteacher Trevor Davies enthused “BCPS TV is proving to be a real success in school. It provides a platform to showcase children’s work, provide information to parents and promote initiatives in school. Pupils in Year 5 and 6 will soon be starting a project where they will be scripting, filming, editing and producing their own film about the school, which will be shown on the screens. This makes learning so exciting. I am delighted that Ashley and Balsall Common Dental Practice are sponsoring BCPS TV. They fit perfectly into our school ethos of having a healthy lifestyle.”
www.balsallcommondental.com
