Bronte School Headmasters Newsletter 43

4 September 2015

For anyone, starting a new school is a little bit daunting, with so much to get used to and so many places to find your way around. The new Reception Class, together with seven other children in the other classes have now almost completed the opening week, and I do hope all have started to settle easily and well. It certainly seems so. The new children will at times have been helped along the way by the older ones, and this is a good chance here to say something about our Year 6 class. They have their own daunting prospect next week as the 11+ Kent test takes place on Thursday, which all of them are sitting. They have been working hard, and we all wish each of them very well. All Year 6 children have a responsibility to the rest of the school to help and guide and generally show the way, and in addition there are some specific office holders. The heads of school are Jeevan Bains and Sasha Barnes-Crowhurst and the prefects are Tom Ansell, Manivair Clare, Bo Rogers and Diya Sodhi. Games captains are Rio Thind (Nelson) and Roan Chima (Hood). The heads of school and games captains, along with Nirvair Clare, Evie-Rose Palmer, Bo Rogers and Diya Sodhi, will be joining Mrs Lippard, Mrs Kitsell, Mrs Hilditch, Mrs Iaquaniello and Mrs Kalyan at lunchtimes to help with the Play Scheme. This offers some fun games at playtimes to anyone who wants to join.

Nirvair Clare and Diya Sodhi are helping Mrs Brooker as our Techie in the Computer Room and Evie-Rose Palmer and William Nunn are helping Mrs Ansell with the music during Hymn Practice and Assemblies. Hannah Kazim and Alyssa Mahal are helping Mrs Mason with returning lost property to its rightful owner (and this is very, very much easier if labelled of course!). Mrs Baldacci is the coordinator and mentor for these roles, and she is looking at further areas of responsibility for the senior children. I will be meeting regularly with the heads of school, and am looking forward to discussing school matters with them and hearing how all has been going on.

These newsletters have the regular Looking Ahead section at the end, which usually cover the following fortnight. For the terms calendar, do look at the website, under Information for Parents. The website term calendar is regularly updated. The current edition covers most events, with the timing of some events still to be confirmed. The start of term letter mentioned the Parents Council and the Bronte Friends Committee. The first meeting of the Council is planned to take place at 4.00pm on Thursday 8th October (Week 6) and of the Friends on Friday, 2nd October (Week 5) both subject to members availability. I am most grateful to parents who have been offering to be part of these committees. As a reminder, if you would like to volunteer, do let Sally Gordon or me know, by Friday 11th September. One item you will see on the Calendar, on Friday 2nd October (8.30 10.30am) is a Drop-In session run by a School Nurse from Kent Community Health, School Nurses Team. This is a new feature, and is intended to be an informal opportunity, confidential of course, for advice about any child-related medical matter. There will not, I can assure you, be an embarrassing waiting room scenario! If you have any school nurse enquiries, then please feel free to pop by over that time.

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Looking Ahead Week 2 Mon 7th September Start of all lunchtime and after-school clubs Start of all individual music instrumental lessons Thurs 10th September Year 6: Kent Test (11+) (9.00am 3.00pm) Years 2 and 5 : Swimming lessons begin Week 3 Tues 15th September Year 1: Forest School begins