Grasmere Primary School London N16

Well done to all the children in Reception, Year 2 and Year 6 for such fantastic results and for meeting and exceeding their personal best in assessments and tests carried out this term. All areas continue to indicate that Grasmere pupils are achieving well in excess of national levels and also make good value added progress in the school.

Reception

• Personal, Social and Emotional development: 6.4
• Communication, Language and Literacy: 5.7
• Mathematical Development 6.3
• Knowledge and Understanding of the World: 6.2
• Physical Development: 6.7
• Creative Development: 6.1

Year 2 Reading

• Level 2+ 87%
• Level 3 40%

Year 2 Writing

• Level 2+ 87%
• Level 3 7%
• Year 2 Mathematics
• Level 2+ 100%
• Level 3 40%

Year 6 English

• Level 4+ 97%
• Level 5 41%
• Year 6 Mathematics
• Level 4+ 93%
• Level 5 48%
• Year 6 Science
• Level 4 90%
• Level 5 38%

These successes are the results the hard work of pupils and staff and enabled with the fantastic support given from the families of Grasmere. Well done everyone!

The school will receive and carry out a full analysis of the data shortly and will let parents and carers know about trends, areas for development and successes at the beginning of the autumn-term.

Apologies for the delay in families receiving details of class teacher allocations for next year. Details are as follows:

• Nursery: Joanne Murphy
• Reception: Siobhan Maguire
• Year 1: Debbie Ashton
• Year 2: Lena Scantlebury
• Year 3: Sheena Merchant
• Year 4: Nadine Stuart & Paul Jenkins
• Year 5: Rose-Marie Renee
• Year 6: Julia Williamson

We would like to welcome Joanne Murphy to out teaching staff. Joanne is an experiences Early Years practitioner who has particular interests in drama and art.

Unfortunately Karlie will be leaving us as she will be working at the BBC in a new exciting job developing teaching resources and leading film making workshops with children visiting the Twenty First Century Classroom there. We would like to thank Karlie for everything she has done at Grasmere and wish her all the best for the future.

Paul and Nadine will be leading PPA sessions on Monday and Tuesdays for Music and Design and technology/Art activities and Lorena and Mark P will continue developing Spanish and drama for children also.

Well done to the Chess team who represented the school in the English Primary Schools Chess Association National Schools Under 11’s finals. The team won the bronze award.

Thank you to all the families who gave up their weekend travelling to camber Sands. Many thanks go to Patrick Short who organised the weekend and also to Carry-Anne and Ivan who have been coaching our children every Monday lunchtime.

Grasmere won a very close Hackney Swimming Gala by 4 points. Betty Laywood were second and Gayhurst third. It was a great day and a great atmosphere with lots of great swimming from every school. See the pics here

Grasmere boys and girls also won the Boys/Girls competitions.

Events and results were as follows:

• Y3 Boys 25m Freestyle: Freddie 3rd
• Y3 Girls 25m Freestyle: Anna 2nd
• Y3 Boys 25m Breaststroke: Max 4th
• Y3 Girls 25m Breaststroke: India 2nd
• Y3 Boys 25m Backstroke: Jackson 1st
• Y3 Girls 25m Backstroke: Alina 4th
• 50m Invitation Freestyle (any year group): George 2nd & Alice 3rd
• Y4 Boys 25m Freestyle: Cameron 2nd
• Y4 Girls 25m Freestyle: Molly 4th
• Y4 Boys Breaststroke: Lewis 1st
• Y4 Girls Breaststroke: Daisy 2nd
• Y4 Boys Backstroke: Cameron 1st
• Y4 Boys Girls Backstroke: Molly 2nd
• 50m Invitation Breaststroke (any year group): Jude 1st & Emily 4th
• Year 5 Boys Freestyle: Sol 6th
• Year 5 Girls Freestyle: Eve 1st
• Year 5 Boys 25m Breaststroke: George 3rd
• Year 5 Girls 25m Breaststroke: Ellie 4th
• Year 5 Boys 25m Backstroke: Jack 2nd
• Year 5 Girls 25m Backstroke: Eve 1st
• 50m Invitation Backstroke (any year group): Rosie 3rd
• Year 6 Boys 25m Freestyle: William 4th
• Year 6 Girls 25m Freestyle: Joanna
• Year 6 Boys 25m Breaststroke: Jude 1st
• Year 6 Girls 25m Breaststroke: Esther 1st
• Year 6 Boys 25m Backstroke: Dexter 3rd
• Year 6 Girls 25m Backstroke: Joanna 2nd
• Year 3 Freestyle Relay (Mixed): Jude, Anna, Max & Celia 3rd
• Year 4 Freestyle Relay (Mixed): Daisy, Lewis, Molly, Cameron 3rd
• Year 5 Freestyle Relay (Mixed): Imogen, Jack, Eve, George 3rd
• Year 6 Freestyle (Mixed): William, Arabella, Jude, Joanna 4th

Well done to the Grasmere tennis team who took part in the Hackney Mini red Finals on Monday. The Grasmere team came second losing out to Betty Laywood by one point. Well done to everyone!

Our team was Alina, Celia, Lauren and Paige. Congratulations to Paige who came 1st in the event and Laurent who came 3rd.

The Learning Trust will be holding a conference for current Year 5 parents on Wednesday 1 July from 9.30am – 1.00pm to encourage parents and carers to begin thinking about, and planning for, the transfer process which will commence from September 2009. The conference will raise awareness of the support available to Hackney parents during the period of transition from primary to secondary school.

If you would like to attend the conference please contact:

Jacqueline Walters (Family Involvement Officer at the Learning Trust) on 0208 820 7041 or email her on j.walters@learningtrust.co.uk

We are delighted to announce that this week our new Road Crossing Officer Hezzy Appleton started work at the crossing by Clissold Road/Albion Road supporting pupils at Betty Laywood and Grasmere.

Year 5 Children and Parents Kench Hill Meeting Monday 18 May 3.45pm – 4.30pm Year 5 children will be visiting Kench Hill residential centre on the week beginning Monday 25 September.

Staff will make a presentation about the visit, agenda and show a slide show of photographs from last years visit and will be available to answer any questions you may have. Copies of information will be sent to families who were unable to attend the session.

Please remember that the medical and permission form needs to be returned to school as soon as possible.

Parents and Carers are invited to attend the Grasmere Music Evening on Tuesday 19 May from 6.15pm – 7.15pm in the school hall. Pupils will be showcasing the development in skills with singing, instrumental performances and dance.

Tickets are available in the school office and priced at £3.00 Adults £1.00 Children (not performing). Monies raised will be used to fund further musical provision within the school.

Performances will include: Early Years singers, piano and violin soloists, Key Stage 1 and 2 choirs.

We will be having our Termly Bug Buster fortnight starting 01 June with information going out to parents and carers. This academic year everyone’s hard work has helped dramatically reduce the number of cases in the school.

We have been approached by the BBC1 TV Programme “Inside Out” who are researching a programme of Head Lice and how affective the treatments currently on the market are. They are looking for families to take part in the programme who are affected by an outbreak of nits, this would just be a small amount of filming with the family. They would of course, provide free treatment for the child for taking part in the programme.

If you or a family member are affected by head Lice and would like to take part in the programme please email lisa.vickery@bbc.co.uk. Filming will take place over the next couple of weeks. The programme will be aired in the Autumn on BBC1

Many thanks for your help in advance

• Lisa Vickery, Inside Out London BBC1
• tel:020 7208 9206
• Basement, 35 Marylebone High St, London, W1U 4AA
• mailto:lisa.vickery@bbc.co.uk

You can find out the lots of information about the Key Stage 1and 2 results of the school compared with Hackney and national levels of achievement HERE or if you find it easier here and name the school, postcode and local education authority to find full details.

Drop into Sutton House, 2-4 Homerton High Street, Hackney, E9 on the last Sunday of every month and most Thursdays during school holidays for Family Fun for all ages. Adults need to stay with children at all times.

• Get Set for Father’s Day – May 28
• Street Games – July 23
• Hackney and Beyond – July 30
• Grandchildren’s Day – August 6
• Strange Science – August 13
• Ghouls and Ghosts – August 20
• Carnival Costumes – Aug 27
• Festival of Light – October 29

Alexander Machin Paley represented the Hackney Football team in the England Under 11’s Primary Finals in Jersey recently. Alexander describes his time as the ‘ best week of my life’.

This years team was quite exceptional and he and we are so pleased that he had the opportunity to play with them. He has developed greatly both as a player but also on a personal level. Let’s hope many more Grasmere children make it and have the same opportunity in the future.

The Hackney team celebrated their 25th Anniversary at the prestigious English Schools’ Primary Festival in Jersey last week and did so in style, winning four and drawing two of their six matches and so returning to the mainland with their best ever Festival record.

Hackney Under 11’s next match will be on Saturday 25th April when they face neighbours Tower Hamlets in the semi-final of the Inner London County Championship for the Kay Trophy at Douglas Eyre Sports Centre, E17 7HE, kick-off 10.30a.m.

Governors will be hosting a Milestone Meeting on Friday 01 May at 9.00 – 10.30 in the school hall.

Please come along and find out about new developments for the school and ways in which your ideas and feedback can be incorporated into the School Improvement Plan. Any parents who are unable to attend but would like their questions and ideas presented please contact Ian or Mark who will pass them onto Sharon Sullivan, Chair of Governors or email them to Mark at mderrington@grasmere.hackney.sch.uk

A crèche facility will be available in the Nursery classroom.

AT SHACKLEWELL SCHOOL, SHACKLEWELL ROW, HACKNEY E8 2EA. Another exciting instalment of our roving family cycle clubs from 9 May 2009. Six week course for families of all ages and abilities to learn to cycle/brush up existing skills in a safe environment.

Training by experienced, qualified instructors, games, Dr Bike, lots of information and advice, bikes available if you don’t own your own. May 9, 16, 23, June 6, 13, 20, 2pm-5pm. Spaces limited, booking required.

For further information, and to book your place,

These links lead you to posters and leaflets if you wish to print off and distribute:

Grasmere came second in Tuesday’s Hackney Primary School Swimming Gala selection rounds. Well done to the whole team who represented the school fantastically! Grasmere will now go through to the finals on June 3rd.

Results were as follows:

• Y3 25m Boys Freestyle: Max BH 1st
• Y3 25m Girls Freestyle: Maya 2nd
• Year 3 25m Boys Breaststroke: Sammy 2nd
• Year 3 25m Girls Breaststroke: India 1st
• Year 3 25m Boys Backstroke: Jude 3rd
• Year 3 25m Girls Backstroke: Louise 3rd
• Year 4 25m Boys Freestyle: Cameron 1st
• Year 4 25m Girls Freestyle: Molly 2nd
• Year 4 25m Boys Breaststroke: Lewis 1st
• Year 4 25m Girls Breaststroke: Daisy 1st
• Year 4 25m Boys Backstroke: Cameron 1st
• Year 4 25m Girls Backstroke: Molly 1st
• Year 5 25m Boys Freestyle: Sol 3rd
• Year 5 25m Girls Freestyle: Eve 1st
• Year 5 25m Boys Breaststroke: George 2nd
• Year 5 25m Girls Breaststroke: Ellie H 3rd
• Year 5 25m Boys Backstroke: Jack 3rd
• Year 5 25m Girls Backstroke: Eve 1st
• Year 6 25m Boys Freestyle: William 2nd
• Year 6 25m Girls Freestyle: Arabella 3rd
• Year 6 25m Boys Breaststroke: Jude 1st
• Year 6 25m Girls Breaststroke: Eilidh 3rd
• Year 6 25m Boys Backstroke: Dexter H 2nd
• Year 6 25m Girls Backstroke: Emily 2nd
• 50m Boys Freestyle: Sol 5th
• 50m Girls Freestyle: Rosie
• 50m Boys Breaststroke: Jude 1st
• 50m Girls Breaststroke: Imogen 3rd
• 50m Boys Backstroke: Jack 3rd
• 50m Girls Backstroke: Ellie H 3rd
• 50m Boys Butterfly: Max BH 5th
• 50m Girls Butterfly: Eve
• Year 3 Freestyle Relay (Anna, Celia, Sammy, Jude): 2nd
• Year 4 Freestyle Relay (Lewis, Daisy, Molly, Cameron): 2nd
• Year 5 Freestyle Relay (Eve, George, Imogen, Sol): 2nd
• Year 6 Freestyle Relay (William, Jude, Eilidh, Arabella): 3rd

The Jumble Sale will take place from 10.30 – 12.30 on Saturday 9 May. Help is required to set up the event on the afternoon of Friday 8 May and on the day manning stalls and assisting with clearing away at the end. Donations of items can be dropped off in the Medical Room on Friday 8 May.

If you wish to display posters for the Jumble Sale in your home windows copies are available in the FROGS box outside the school office.

Great piece on Sunday’s Food programme about Ashlyns who supply the school meals at Grasmere. Also the great double act of Mark and Ashling who both spoke so eloquently about school meals at Grasmere - and not forgetting Margaret who was fantastic. You can hear the piece by visting the Food Programme Home Page

Here is our team who represented Hackney in the Lords London Primary Cricket Finals. Our team came third.

Ashlyns Organics, who produce our school meals will featured on the BBC Radio 4 Farming Today programme on Sunday 19 April and repeated on Monday 20. Some of the Grasmere staff and pupils (anonymously) have been interviewed about the impact and improvements to the school since using Ashlyns.