Dear Parents,
I trust that you all have managed to have an enjoyable summer and that the boys are now ready for the new academic year ahead. After the excitement of the Ashes matches the boys must now turn their attention to more academic matters.
Here at school there has been a lot of work for the various teams who were allocated to redecorate, refit and to build. In the Prep several rooms have been redecorated, as has the entrance hall on my side of the building and the carpet of the Maths room has been replaced. Obviously work has also been carried out in the Pre Prep and Nursery and my thanks, as ever, go to Mr Clarke and his reliable team for their efforts.
Timetable and Calendar
As usual your son will have been given his new timetable, along with his calendar and Homework Diary today. I would remind you all that the diary is an important means of communication between school and home and that it should be initialled daily. Please do be sure to check it each day and to discuss the contents with your son. Should you feel the need, do also use it to send in messages to his teachers. Book marks must also be filled in.
The calendar contains the main events of the term for the entire Prep. School. There will undoubtedly be other events happening during the course of the term which were not confirmed at the time of issue and you will be informed of these by the relevant members of staff in due course.
Long Weekend
You will note on the Calendar the introduction of a long weekend in November, from Friday 20th to Monday 23rd inclusive. As you will recall from one of the Parental Questionnaires we put forward the idea of a two week half term to allow the boys’ time to recharge their batteries before what is always a long and tiring second half. The response to this was fairly evenly balanced yet we have opted for a slightly shorter option but one which is far less intrusive in relation to school days missed. I have no doubt that the boys will benefit from this and we will see a livelier group going through to the end of term. This also means that we will lengthen the final day of term across the year to end at 4.00pm.
Important Dates
I highlight some other dates for your attention. Once again we will be holding Information Evenings which will give the Class Teachers and Form Tutors an opportunity to talk with you about the year ahead, to give a brief synopsis of the curriculum being covered, and to give you some ‘pointers’ about the practicalities of life within your son’s specific year group. The 4s Information Evening is also followed by the Social Evening and I do hope that you will be able to attend if your son is joining the Prep School this year. The dates for these are:
4s – Wednesday 16th September 5.30 – 8.00pm
Rs – LVIs inclusive Thursday 17th September 5.30 – 6.00pm
Homework and Early Room
Homework Class and all Clubs begin on Monday 14th September, as do the Peripatetic lessons. If you would like your son to take up an instrument and you have not yet spoken to Mrs Newbery, Head of Music, please do so as soon as possible. Exam season kicks off immediately after half term for the UVI boys, and during the week beginning16th November for those in the years below. The Parents’ Evenings are towards the latter end of the term but those who have boys in the UVI should note that the pupils are also expected to attend. As the term is so long please do feel free to call in to discuss anything you may want to before the late November meetings.
For those boys using the Early Room and the Homework Class they should take note of a few points. All using the Early Room must return the consent form before being allowed to use it. They must also register on the daily sheet, which can be found in Miss Alicia’s office, just around the corner from my study. The Early Room is only available to boys arriving before 8.15am. If boys arrive after this they must enter the school at 8.30am with everyone else. The Early Room is still located in History/RS, again beside Miss Alicia’s office!
If your son is staying for Homework and, as the boys can be a little hungry at the end of the day, please do feel free to provide a light snack for them, as with break, and do your best to ensure that they save it until 4.00pm! All pupils should be seated and organised in the Homework rooms by 4.05pm so that they can achieve as much as possible before finishing at 5.00pm.
Yellow Badges
I would remind you that any boys who travel to or from school on their own must have a yellow badge worn on their blazer lapel. These may be obtained from Elisabeth if written permission is sought. The badges provide an immediate visual sign to all staff that permission has been granted and has proved very successful in the past.
Cyber-Bullying
I have of late become more and more concerned about ‘cyber bullying’; bullying via mobile phones, chat sites on pcs, etc. As a staff we had an enlightening, if not somewhat disturbing, INSET on this last term and I have arranged for the boys to be given guidance on strategies to deal with these issues should they happen to them. I have asked that Childnet also give a session for parents which will be on the same date, Monday 19th October, at 7.00pm. I would encourage you to attend as there is a great deal of potential harm for our children which it is prudent to be aware of. More details to follow.
Mobile Phones
As you know the boys are only allowed mobile phones at school if they travel to or from school on their own. On occasion in the past phones have been misplaced, lost and have caused considerable anxiety for both parents and boys. This term I would like to trial a new system where the boys drop off their mobile phones to the top office on arrival and they collect them at 4.00pm before going home. This will hopefully avoid any more complications. All phones should be named or placed in a named bag/cover to prevent any misunderstandings.
Web Site
I am pleased to tell you that we have also launched a new school website at www.eatonhouseschools.com to give you and our prospective parents more access to information about the school, events and sporting fixtures in the forthcoming terms. You will also see this letter and the new 2009 School magazine, ‘The Column’ on the site.
New Library System
I am delighted to announce the introduction of a new system for the library when purchasing books. Should your son want to borrow a book which we do not currently have in stock he must see Mr Hayward who will then buy it forthwith. This should avoid the inevitable frustration which arises when a book is not on the shelf, while at the same time encouraging further reading!
Sports Kit
Finally, on the subject of Sports Kit, I am fully aware of the frustration that many of you have encountered in the past when trying to buy and order it. At the end of last term the School took the decision to move the provider to Perry Uniform and there have been inevitable teething problems while stock was transferred, etc. Rest assured that if your son does not have the correct kit today or for the next few weeks he will be given a period of grace! For further details do contact Perry Uniform at www.perryuniform.co.uk . I have no doubt that Perry will provide an excellent service in the future.
Should you have any questions about any of the points raised above or any in relation to any other topic then, as ever, do not hesitate to contact me. I wish you all a most productive term.
With best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Mr S Hepher
