Middle Street Friday News

2009-07-17T17:01:00.001+01:00

Sad Farewells at Afternoon Tea

Mary Noble and Polly Dyer celebrated their retirement at yesterday’s Afternoon tea. Governors and Parents presented them both with lots of lovely presents. There were also several speeches which highlighted very clearly the appreciation everyone has for their dedication and commitment for ensuring that children at Middle Street had a happy and positive start to education. Polly and Mary have asked me to pass on to you their heartfelt thanks for the many, many kind words and brilliant presents.

Open Afternoon

Yesterday was also Open Afternoon. Lots of parents and carers came in to look at the Learning Journey books and other school work.

End of Year Magical Treat for Year 6

On Wednesday Year 6 enjoyed a picnic on the beach and visit to the cinema for the first screening of the new Harry Potter film. Their treat was paid for by the school to say thank you for their many contributions to Middle Street and for simply being a wonderful Year 6. We shall all miss them very much when they leave next week.

Picnic on the Beach and Punch and Judy Fun

Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 celebrated the end of their Learning Journey today with a picnic on the beach and a traditional Punch and Judy show in the hall.

New Year Groups

Children spent this morning with their new teachers in their new classrooms.

On Time Teds

The winners this week are: Year 2 in Key Stage 1 and Year 4 in Key Stage 2.
Congratulations to both classes.
The overall winners for this term are Year 2 and Year 4. Both classes are awarded £25 to spend on something of their own choice for the classroom. Both classes will take their winnings up to their new year groups. Well done to Year 2 and Year 4. I wonder who will win next term?

Year 3 Challenge

Year 3 have been set a challenge which they plan to carry out on Monday. Working with their parents and carers they must design and construct something which will enable them to save Ms Moriarty. Ms Moriarty will have collapsed on the playground and the only way she can be saved is by the children getting a crème egg to her from the staffroom window down to the playground where she will have collapsed. I have already seen some very interesting contraptions being tested.

Year 6 Leavers Assembly

Year 6 will perform to the parents and carers and the rest of the school in their Leavers assembly on Tuesday 21st July at 1.30.

Dinner Money and Club Fee Debts

Mrs Walker will be contacting everyone who still owes money for clubs and school dinners. Please pay up as soon as possible. Any problems then do let us know.

Congratulations to...

Dorian Cottam in Year 2 who has achieved his 20 metres swimming certificate. Well done Dorian!

Reports

Today you should have received it your child’s end of year report. If you have not received a report, please speak to your child’s class teacher.

And Finally.....

Well this is the last Friday News for this term. It has been another wonderful and busy year here at Middle Street. The children have produced some amazing work from their Learning Journeys and have especially enjoyed all the school trips linked to their learning. We have taken part in and competed really well in several great sporting events. To think our Tag Rugby team almost made it to Twickenham! We all feel so lucky to work in a school with such brilliant children and their supportive parents and carers. We are saying goodbye to members of staff and to Year 6 and we are also saying goodbye to one or two children in other year groups. Good luck and all the best for the future to all of you. If you are a parent or carer saying a final goodbye, then thanks for your support over the years. Finally, thank you to the rest of you, have a lovely summer break and see you all in September.

Summer Holidays

We finish for the summer holidays on Wednesday 22nd July and return to school on Thursday 3rd September.

2009-07-10T15:09:00.001+01:00

Stunning Summer Fair!

We had brilliant weather and a fantastic summer fair. Everything about it was perfect. The talent show was compered by Mark Williams who also kept us amused with his jokes. The winners of the ‘Middle Street’s Got Talent’ show were Anna Meejinda and Olivia Whitfield. Anna and Olivia are both in Reception and together they sung ’ Mama Mia’. Well done girls your singing was fantastic! All the children who entered were awarded a certificate for taking part.
We also enjoyed a performance from last years winner; Lucy McGeachin who played her guitar and sung a selection of songs some of which were written by Lucy herself. We were all star struck by her talent and confidence. I have offered to be her agent!
Thank you everyone who put in so much time and effort to make the fair such a success and thank you everyone who came along and joined in the fun and supported the school by raising over £3000. How fantastic is that!

Year 5 Out of Africa

Year 5 children performed an assembly on Monday morning for their parents and the rest of the school. They shared with everyone the work they have completed during their Learning Journey studying Africa. They then wowed us all with some amazing African drumming. Well done Year 5!

Street Funk Performance

Children form the Street funk after school club performed their dance on Tuesday morning to an appreciative audience. Parents and key stage children were entertained by J.P. and the children’s fabulous dancing. We are hoping to run this class again in the autumn term and possibly run one for parents and carers too.

Martha Gunn Walk

On Tuesday children from Year 2 found out all about Martha Gunn and Brighton in the past. They went on a walk around significant places and then they were given a talk about Martha Gunn by someone in role, which made the experience all very exciting!

We Will Rock You at Patcham High

Years 5 and 6 went along to Patcham High school on Wednesday morning to enjoy a performance of ‘We Will Rock You’ put on by the children of Patcham High.

Nursery Sports Day

Nursery children took part in a variety of exciting sporting events for their sports day on Thursday. They were cheered on very loudly by the parents, carers, children and Nursery staff. Those children sure can run!

Green Britain and Eco Market

The whole school is taking part in ‘Green Britain’ as part of the EDF project. We have decided to hold an Eco Apprentice event across the school. Each class has a budget and have been asked to produce a product from eco friendly or recycled materials. The Eco Warriors will be selling the products at the Green Wave festival this Sunday 12th July from 2.00 pm until 7.pm on Madeira Drive. Please come along and support us. We are also holding a special Eco Market in the school playground on Monday 13th July at 3.00 pm.

End of Reports

Children’s end of year reports will be handed out at the end of next week. We have changed the format of the reports in a bid to make them more relevant to Learning Journeys, more interesting and personal for you. We based this new format on your feedback and response to last year’s questionnaire. We would like your feedback on the new style report so please complete the questionnaire enclosed with the report.

Open Afternoon and Afternoon Tea

Open afternoon takes place on Thursday 16th July from 2.00 pm. This is followed by Mrs Noble’s and Mrs Dyer’s retirement afternoon tea. Mrs Dyer has also decided to retire this year from teaching. Mrs Dyer has worked at the school for many years and built up a very positive reputation for Middle Street Nursery. She will be greatly missed by us all. So do come along to the afternoon tea to say goodbye to two very special teachers.

On the Beach

Next Friday children from Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are having a picnic on the beach and then returning to school for a Punch and Judy show as part of their Seaside Learning Journey.

New Classes and Teachers

Children will spend time in their new classroom with their new teachers and TAs next Friday morning 17th July from 9.30 until 11.30.

Year 6 End of Year Treat

Children in Year 6 are going to the cinema on 15th July to see the new Harry Potter film. This is their end of primary school treat and is all paid for by the school as a thank you to year 6 for being wonderful Middle Street pupils.

Year 6 Leavers Assembly

Year 6 will perform to the parents and carers and the rest of the school in their Leavers assembly on Tuesday 21st July at 1.30.

On Time Teds

The winners this week are: Year 2 in Key Stage 1 and Year 3 in Key Stage 2. Congratulations to both classes.

Congratulations to...

Zeke Huguenet in Year 3 for achieving his Green/Red belt in Wing Tsun Kung Fu. Well done Zeke!

Daniel Hoser in Year 1 for achieving his Orange belt in Karate. Well done Daniel!

Summer Holidays

We finish for the summer holidays on Wednesday 22nd July and return to school on Thursday 3rd September.

2009-07-03T18:21:00.001+01:00

School Summer Fair

Our Middle Street summer fair takes place tomorrow, (Saturday 4th July) Do come along and join us for lots of fun and activities for everyone!

Gymnastic Team Success

Our Gymnastic Team competed last week and did very well coming second place in the finals. Thank you, Ms Layzell for training up the team.

Ice Skating Fun

Children from Years 3, 4 and 5 have enjoyed visiting and skating on the ice skating rink (actually it’s plastic) outside the Jubilee Library. We obviously have some budding Torville and Deans! Thank you, Ms Busby for organising this activity and taking children along to skate.

Soundmakers Performance

Our Year 5 class have been learning a musical instrument each over the last few weeks. Yesterday they performed a number of pieces for the whole school and their parents and carers. They were, of course brilliant!

Sealife Centre Experience

Year 1 had great fun at the Sealife centre yesterday as part of their Learning Journey.

Butterfly Count

Each child should have received a ‘Bid Biodiversity Butterfly’ leaflet. It would be wonderful if as many of you as possible could complete the activities and record the results and return them. The butterfly count was very successful last year. Lets help to make this years count even more successful.

Green Britain

The whole school is taking part in ‘Green Britain’ as part of the EDF project. We have decided to hold an Eco Apprentice event across the school. Each class has a budget and have been asked to produce a product from eco friendly or recycled materials. The Eco Warriors will be selling the products at the Green Wave festival on Sunday 12th July from 2.00 pm until 7.pm on Maderia Drive. Please come along and support us. We are also holding a special Eco Market in the school playground on 13th July at 3.00 pm.

Street Funk Performance - Year 5 Assembly

Year 5 children will be performing their assembly on Monday morning to their parents and the school.

Nellie Won a Silver Medal Too!

Nellie, please forgive me. I forgot to say last week that Nellie also won a silver medal in the Brighton Primary schools Athletics Championships! Well done Nellie!

Times Books for Schools Vouchers Deadline

The deadline for handing in the Times Books for Schools vouchers is 11th July. We have already used the vouchers handed in for buying several books. So please don’t leave it too late if you have any.

Open Afternoon and Afternoon Tea

Open afternoon takes place on Thursday 16th July from 2.00 pm. This is followed by Mrs Noble’s and Mrs Dyer’s retirement afternoon tea. Mrs Dyer has also decided to retire this year from teaching. Mrs Dyer has worked at the school for many years and built up a very positive reputation for Middle Street Nursery. She will be greatly missed by us all. So do come along to the afternoon tea to say goodbye to two very special teachers.

On Time Teds

The winners this week are: Year 1 in Key Stage 1 and Year 6 in Key Stage 2. Congratulations to both classes.

Who Will Your New Teacher Be?

I know lots of children and their parents will be wondering who will be their next teacher. There will be a few changes next year as we have 3 teachers leaving. You know about Mrs Dyer and Mrs Noble but Ms Stewart who currently teaches Year 5 is also leaving. Ms Stewart is moving to and has secured a job in London. We are very sad to say goodbye to Ms Stewart. She is a brilliant teacher and colleague. So the teachers for next term are: Nursery: Ms Glyn Wright and Ms Layzell, Reception: Mrs Denyer, Year 1: Ms Whiting, Year 2: Ms Busby, Year 3: Ms Moriarty, Year 4: Ms Hawes, Year 5: Ms Bryant (who has trained very successfully with us this year and is now a qualified teacher), Year 6: Ms Silkowski (who replaces Ms Stewart, is an excellent teacher and has worked with us in the past). Children will meet their new teachers and Teaching Assistants on Friday 17th July.

School Photo Money

Please send in all school photo money by next Friday.

Dinner Money Debts

Please ensure you have paid dinner money debts before the end of term.
After School Clubs
Please pay after school club debts as soon as possible. Please remember all debts impact on the school budget and therefore reduces resources available for all children in the school. So please keep up to date with payments.

Congratulations to..

Flynn Smith in Year 2 who has achieved his Orange Belt in Karate. Well done Flynn!

Summer Holidays

We finish for the summer holidays on Wednesday 22nd July and return to school on Thursday 3rd September.

2009-06-26T16:50:00.001+01:00

Athletics Champions

Middle Street came first in their division (one form entry schools) at the Brighton Primary schools Athletics Championships! We came 3rd overall in the jumping event. How amazing! Gold medal winners are Hamish, Jake, Louis, Lottie and Grace. The year 4 and Year 6 relay teams also won Gold. Silver medal winners are Sam, Jasmine, Ateya, Katy, and the Year 4 and Year 6 girls relay teams. Bronze medal winners are Madeleine, Hannah, Yseult, Georgia and Denise. Well done all of you and thank you for representing the school so brilliantly!

Spectacular Sports Day

Well, we had another brilliant Sports day which this year also included Reception children. It was of course a brilliant day with some stunning athletic performances by the children (and some adults I might add!). The winning team is Purple, Green came second and Red came third. Thank you to everyone who came along your support is greatly appreciated by the children. An extra special well done to the Reception children. They really enjoyed the events and taking part.

Have a great time Year 6

Year 6 along with Ms Whiting. Mr Massey, Ms Bennett and Mr Collins are off to the Isle of Wight today for the weekend. They will be having lots of adventures and fun at ‘Little Canada’.

Good Luck Year 4 Gymnasts

Ms Layzell has prepared her elite Year 4 team of Middle Street gymnasts in preparation for the Brighton and Hove Gymnastics competition held at Dorothy Stringer School. The competition took place this morning.

Tag Rugby Beach Tournament

Our Tag Rugby team are competing in a beach tournament on Tuesday 30th June.
Brazilian Football Tournament
Our Brazilian football team are taking part in a tournament on Wednesday 1st July.

African Drumming

Year 5 and Year 6 have African drumming workshops next Wednesday as part of their Learning Journey.

Brighton Pavilion Visit

Year 2 are looking forward to visiting the Brighton Pavilion on Tuesday 30th June.

Bring a Bear Bring a £1

On Friday 3rd July (next Friday) we are inviting everyone to bring a bear to school and donate £1 to Action Medical Research working to help sick babies.

Summer Fair

Our Middle Street summer fair takes place on Saturday 4th July. Lots of fun and activities for everyone!

On Time Teds

The winners this week, are: Year 2 in Key Stage 1 and Year 3 in Key Stage 2. Congratulations to both classes.

Beware in Cranbourne Street and Dukes Street

A group of parents are attempting to work with the council to improve road safety conditions in Cranbourne and Dukes Streets. Please remember that although these streets appear to be pedestrianised they are actually open to some traffic so please take care when you walk through them.

Park your bikes safely

Please park bikes against the bike racks and not against the school gates or seating. We also have a few abandoned bikes and scooters. Could the owners please collect them and take them home before the holidays. They will go to Bike heaven if they are not removed before the holidays.

Summer Holidays

We finish for the summer holidays on Wednesday 22nd July and return to school on Thursday 3rd September.

2009-06-19T15:59:00.000+01:00

Well Done Samba Band!

Mr Brazil was very proud of the Samba Band who performed at the Family Festival last Friday. He tells me they were incredibly brilliant! Well done to all those who took part and thank you for being so brilliant!

Mr Brazil says: would you like to join him in Hove Park tomorrow (Saturday) where he will be making musical instruments out of old bicycle parts. This is part of the councils ‘Journey On’ Bike It week. You can join in the fun with Mr Brazil from midday.

Parking in Boyces Street

We appear to be having issues with parents and carers parking dangerously in Boyces Street. A local resident was verbally abused by a parent of the school on Wednesday when they were asked to move their car from the pavement which was blocking his door. I was very upset and embarrassed to hear about this and apologised to him on behalf of the school. Please do not park in Boyces Street. It is a narrow and difficult road for our children and the general public to walk down if people are parking on the pavement. Middle Street school is well respected in the local area and we do not want that to change.

Texting You

We are about to begin trialling a texting service. This service will allow us to contact you by text either on your mobile phone or voice text on your landline. The service will be used to remind you about important meetings or dates of events. We can also use it to inform you of school closures and when events or clubs are cancelled. Sounds like a good idea, doesn’t it? For it to work we do need to have your up to date telephone numbers so please complete and return the attached form.

Sports Day

Sports day is next Thursday at the Withdean Stadium. You should have received a letter yesterday about the organisation of Sports day. If one didn’t arrive home please ask at the office for a copy.

Athletics Championships

A group of Key Stage 2 children will be representing Middle Street at the Brighton and Hove Primary schools athletics’ championships on Wednesday 24th June.

Gymnastics Competition

Ms Layzell has been training up her elite team of Middle Street gymnasts in preparation for the Brighton and Hove Gymnastics competition held at Dorothy Stringer School on Friday 26th June.

Little Canada

Year 6 are leaving for Little Canada next Friday. Parents and Carers should have received a letter about preparing for the trip.

On Time Teds

The winners this week, are: Years 1 and 2 in Key Stage 1 and Year 4 in Key Stage 2. Congratulations to all 3 classes.

Ed Balls

Yesterday evening I had the pleasure of meeting The Secretary of State for Education Ed Balls. I was invited along with other Heads and Governors to a drinks reception to meet with him before he went on to a fund raising dinner. We had a long chat about the main current issues in education. He was very interested in the views of Head Teachers. I suggested he came along to visit Middle Street some time. May be we’ll see him during the Labour Party conference in September.

Congratulations to ..

Lily Brooke Taylor in Reception who has passed her level 2 national swimming certificate. Well done Lily!

Summer Holidays

We finish for the summer holidays on Wednesday 22nd July and return to school on Thursday 3rd September.

2009-06-12T16:49:00.000+01:00

Tag Rugby Stars

Our Tag Rugby Team played extremely well at the South east regional finals last Wednesday, but unfortunately did not make it through to the finals at Twickenham. The standard was very high and the scores for all of the matches were very close. We came away from the competition with 1 win, 1 draw and 2 losses and great pride in our achievements throughout all of the tournaments that we have played in. Congratulations to everyone involved in the Tag Rugby team, children and adults alike.

Polite Request

We would like to ask parents and carers to please leave the foyer area promptly and quietly in the mornings so that we can begin our day with the children in a calm manner. Just lately there have been a few occasions when the children have been trying to walk to assembly quietly but have been disrupted by adults remaining in the foyer talking to each other. Thank you for your support in this matter as I’m sure that you can understand how important it is for us all to have as calm a start to the day as possible.

Summer Fair Meeting

Next Wednesday at 9.00 am there will be a meeting for anyone who is interested in helping to organise and be part of the running of the Summer Fair. There will be a letter coming home soon giving you full details of the Fair (including the popular Middle Street’s Got Talent competition), but we are able to start taking donations of bottle and jars (full) for the tombola now. The PTA are also looking to borrow some gazebos on the day so if anyone is able to help with this please contact the office.

Science Museum Visit

Years 3 and 4 had a fantastic time at the Science Museum this week and visited the Wallace and Gromit World of Cracking Ideas exhibition. The children enjoyed trying out lots of inventions and particularly enjoyed the bathtub slide.

African History Morning

On Tuesday Years 5 and 6 visited Brighton College for an African History day. They were split into three groups and visited three different classrooms in the beautiful building, taking part in activities on Nelson Mandela and the scramble for Africa and Ancient Egypt. They had a wonderful time and learnt a great many new and interesting things. Lunch was also fantastic apparently!

Samba Playing in the Family Festival

On Tuesday the Samba Band had a great time practicing and making their costumes in preparation for their performance at the Dome tonight as part of the Family Festival. Good luck to you all. There are still a few tickets available at the Dome box office if anyone is interested. Mr Brazil will also be taking part in the festival as part of the Big Mouth Choir so good luck to him as well.

On Time Teds

The winners this week are Year 2 in Key Stage 1 and Years 4 and 5 in Key Stage 2. Congratulations to all three classes.

More Pesky Critters

Just to let you know that we have been made aware of a couple of cases of threadworms in the school. If we all remind the children about the importance of hand washing hygiene that should be the last of them.

Congratulations to...

Sophie Board in Year 2 has been awarded her silver medal in gymnastics. Well done Sophie!

Joe Foot in Year 5 has received his 3000 metres badge in swimming. This is 120 lengths of the swimming pool and is an amazing achievement. Well done Joe!

Sports Day

Just a quick reminder that our sports day will take place at Withdean Stadium on Thursday 25th June. A letter will go out next week with full details.

2009-06-05T16:31:00.001+01:00

Great Time at Gaveston

Year 4 returned on Wednesday from their residential trip to Gaveston Hall. They took part in lots of fun activities with children from other schools. Some of the favourite activities were the climbing wall, stream walking and making shelters in the woods.

Year 6 Safety in Action

Year 6 enjoyed a Safety in Action day with other schools at Carden Primary this week. They took part in activities with the various emergency services and other good citizen type activities.

Hunting in Pavilion Gardens

Year 2 went on a hunting expedition to the Pavilion gardens this week. They were hunting animals in their natural habitats as part of their Learning Journey.

Tag Rugby Stars

The Middle Street Tag Rugby team played brilliantly again this week in the regional finals. They are through to another round which could, once again result in them going on to play at Twickenham. Well done everyone!

Wallis and Gromit Inventions

To find out more about inventions Year 3 and Year 4 are visiting the Science museum on Monday. They will be exploring the Wallis and Gromit inventions exhibition and enjoying a show on inventions.

African History Morning

Year 5 and Year 6 are going along to Brighton College next week to take part in an African History morning.

Library Tour

Next Friday Year 4 will walk along to the Jubilee Library where they will take part in a tour of the library and find out more about libraries generally.

Road Safety

On several occasions parents and carers have reported delivery trucks obstructing pavements in Cranbourne Street and Dukes Street. Recently the situation seems to have worsened around the start and end to the school day. A lot of the activity is extremely dangerous with children’s safety being put at risk in what are actually pedestrianised roads. Benita Matofskia who is a parent and Governor of the school has been in contact with the council to complain and to discuss ways of improving the situation. Please contact Benita through the school office if you would like to get involved in making the journey to and from school safer. In the meantime please take care on the roads particularly in the areas mentioned.

Samba Playing in the Family Festival

Our fabulous Samba band has been invited to take part in the yearly Family Festival held at the Dome. The festival takes place next Friday. Mr Brazil has the details if you are interested in going along.

On Time Teds
The winners this week are Year 2 and Year 3. Congratulations to both classes.

Summer Fair

The School Association summer fair takes place this year on 4th July. More info to follow soon.

Congratulations to...

Oscar Murray in Year 2. Oscar has achieved his Karate red belt. Well done Oscar!
Ben Spooner in Year 1 has achieved his Soo Bak Do blue belt. Well done Ben!

Summer Holidays

We finish for the summer holidays on Wednesday 22nd July and return to school on Thursday 3rd September.

2009-05-22T16:23:00.000+01:00

Tag Rugby Win

Hooray! We won the Tag Rugby Tournament beating schools with playing fields and those much bigger than us. How brilliant is that? We are to feature in the Argus and will also play in the regional finals. If we win again we will the go on to play at Twickenham. The regional finals take place on Wednesday June 3rd. Thank you Ms Whiting for your excellent training sessions and to the parents and carers who have been so supportive.

Year 6 and the C-Curve

Year 6 celebrated the end of SATs with a picnic on the downs. The children walked up to view the Anish Kapoor sculpture; the C-Curve and then visited the Chattri.

On Time Teds

Last weeks winners were Year 2 and Year 5 both with zero late marks. Well done to both classes for excellent punctuality. This weeks winners are Year 1 and Year 2 sharing the Ted. They each had only 4 late marks. Year 4 are the Key Stage 2 winners with 0 late marks. Well done Years 1, 2 and 4!

Year 4 Residential Trip

Year 4 will be on a residential trip from Monday 1st June (that’s the first day back after half term!). They will be joining other schools from the City Centre at Galverston Hall for 3 days of activities and fun. They also have the added treat of spending time and making friends with children from other schools in the area.

Lost

Freya Ebdon is very, very sad. She has lost a pink and blue magnetic pig. If you find such a thing please return it to Freya or to the office.

Congratulations to...

Issy Lewis in Year 5 completed a Super Hero charity run on Sunday. Issy was raising money for a school in Africa. Well Done Issy!

Important Dates

Sports day is on Thursday 25th June in the morning. Sports day is held at Withdean Stadium. Following the event children are free to go home with their parents or carers.

Open afternoon takes place on Thursday 16th July from 2.00 pm. This is followed by Mrs Noble’s retirement afternoon tea.

Year 6 Leavers Assembly

Takes place on Tuesday 21st July at 1.30 p.m.

School Closure on Thursday 4th June

We are closed on this day as parts of Middle Street School are used as a polling station for the Parliamentary elections.

Half Term Break

We finish for the half term holiday on Friday 22nd May and return to school on Monday 1st June.

2009-05-15T16:23:00.000+01:00

Musical Sounds from Chailey Heritage School

A group of young adults with disabilities visited us on Wednesday 6th May. They performed for us music composed by themselves using special instruments. Mr Brazil and a team of teachers form the Chailey Heritage School were on hand to assist the young people. Mr Brazil teaches at Chailey Heritage School when he is not working with us here at Middle Street. We all enjoyed their wonderful music very much and look forward to future visits. You can catch the performance on the Middle Street website.

Book Fair

Thank you to everyone who has been coming along to the book fair after school. We sold a considerable amount of books and have earned a large commission. Our commission will fund books for our library. I’m not sure exactly how much commission we made but it is around £400. So well done to everyone and thank you for your support.

Year 6 SATs

Year 6 relaxed this afternoon after sitting their final SATs paper this morning. All the children did their very best and of course we are all very proud of them. Well done Year 6 and thanks to the Year 6 parents and carers who ensured children were in school on time and ready to work. Results of the SATs tests are sent home with reports in July.

Walk to School Week

This year’s walk to school week takes place in the week beginning 18th May (next week). We know many of you walk to school or cycle regularly but if you normally travel by car we would like to encourage you to try walking or catching the bus and then walking.

All Aboard at the Marina

Reception children will be taking a boat trip from the Marina next Thursday. The boat trip is part of their Learning Journey and I’m sure will be lots of fun. I hope Mrs Denyer doesn’t get seasick!

Year 4 Residential Trip

Year 4 will be on a residential trip from Monday 1st June. They will be joining other schools from the City Centre at Galverston Hall for 3 days of activities and fun. They also have the added treat of spending time and making friends with children from other schools in the area.

Recipease

A member of Jamie Oliver’s PR team came along to talk with Mr Collins and I about the new shop opening in Western Road. The shop will sell Jamie Oliver merchandise but will also have a cookery school. It is the cookery school which we are particularly interested in and we will be discussing with the cookery school team how we can work together to promote healthy eating and further involve the children in developing their cooking skills. The shop is called ‘Recipease’ and opens on Monday 25th May.

Athletics Sessions at Withdean Stadium

Key stage 2 children will have some of their PE lessons at Withdean stadium on Friday afternoons for the next few weeks.

School Closure on Thursday 4th June

We are closed on this day as parts of Middle Street School are used as a polling station for the Parliamentary elections.

Half Term Break

We finish for the half term holiday on Friday 22nd May and return to school on Monday 1st June.

Summer Holidays

We finish for the summer holidays on Wednesday 22nd July and return to school on Thursday 3rd September.

2009-05-08T15:24:00.000+01:00

Mrs Noble to Retire!

Hard to believe I know, but Mrs Mary Nobel is retiring in July. Middle Street will not be the same without Mrs Noble’s happy and kind presence in the school. Mrs Noble has been a teacher at Middle Street for many years. To celebrate Mrs Noble’s retirement she would like to invite you all along to a special afternoon tea in the school hall on Thursday 16th July. The tea begins at 3.00 p.m. I will, of course remind you of the date nearer the time.

Fabulous Festival Parade

Middle Street looked fabulous on Saturday as we took part in the Children’s Festival Parade. The Samba band was outstanding and we all enjoyed moving to those funky Latin beats. Thank you to all the parents and carers who organised and prepared every thing for the parade. Your time and effort is greatly appreciated by myself and all the Middle Street staff. You did a brilliant job with excellent results.

Book Fair

We are holding a book fair in school next week. Books will be on sale in the library everyday after school next week.

The school benefits via commission from the sale of the books so please come along and help raise funds for the school. Money raised will go towards the purchase of new books for the school library and classrooms.

On Time Teds

We have joint winners in both Key Stages this week. In Key Stage 1 the winners are Year 1 and Year 2 with no late marks. Excellent punctuality! Well done to both the year groups. In Key Stage 2 Year 3 and year 4 are joint winners with only 4 late marks. Well done Year 3 and Year 4!

Important Dates

Sports day is on Thursday 25th June in the morning. Sports day is held at Withdean Stadium. Following the event children are free to go home with their parents or carers.

Open afternoon takes place on Thursday 16th July from 2.00 pm. This is followed by Mrs Noble’s retirement afternoon tea.

Year 6 Leavers Assembly

Takes place on Tuesday 21st July at 1.30 p.m.

Year 4 Swimming

Swimming lessons for Year 4 begin on Monday 11th May (next week). Children should meet Ms Busby at the Prince Regent swimming pool entrance at 8.45. Parents and Carers should wait with their child until Ms Busby arrives. No child should be left unaccompanied.

Congratulations to...

Lara Bradley in Year 2 who has come second in the RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association) regional Countryside Challenge. Lara has therefore qualified for the National event. Well Done Lara!

Zeke Huguenet in Year 3 who has achieved his Grade 4 Red Belt in Wing Tsun Kung Fu. Well Done Zeke!

School Closure on Thursday 4th June.

We are closed on this day as parts of Middle Street School are used as a polling station for the Parliamentary elections.

Half Term Break

We finish for the half term holiday on Friday 22nd May and return to school on Monday 1st June.

2009-05-01T18:19:00.000+01:00

May Day Celebrations

We have had a very exciting day today! To begin the day year 3 performed their Morris dance for us all in the playground, in assembly our samba band performed for the whole school and finally later in the morning we enjoyed a visit from the Brighton Morris dancers who danced and entertained us in the playground in their usual jolly way. Brilliant!

Festival Parade

The parade takes place tomorrow. We will be meeting in Gloucester Road at 9.45 (Samba Band meet at 9.30 please). Our flag number is 25. Please be aware that we do often have to wait for sometime before the parade gets underway so come prepared with snacks and something to keep you and your child amused while you wait.
We will be dressing as clouds or monkeys (our element is air) Suggestions for clothing are as follows: white and silvery clothes for clouds and red shirts and trousers for monkeys. Our very excellent samba band will be leading our school in the parade.

School Security

The school’s main entrance doors will be locked from 3.30 pm in the afternoons. If you are collecting from a club please wait outside by the main entrance door unless it is raining in which case you should buzz at the door to be let in.

On Time Teds

The winners of the On Time Teds this week are Year 2 and Year 4. Well done to both classes for being so punctual.

Year 1 Share Creative Partnerships Experience

Year 1 went along to the Jubilee library on Wednesday to share with other schools their experiences of working with Catherine Grimaldi and the Creative Partnerships programme. They performed a shadow puppet story with Catherine reading their story aloud to the audience. They then answered questions from the audience.

School Dinner Amendment

The school cook has asked me to inform you of a change to next weeks cooked dinners. Wednesday’s dinner will be a roast dinner (usually on a Tuesday) and Tuesday’s dinner will be pasta.

School Closure on Thursday 4th June

We are closed on this day as parts of Middle Street School are used as a polling station for the Parliamentary elections.

May Day Bank Holiday and Half Term Break

The school is closed on Monday May 4th for the May Day bank holiday. We finish for the half term holiday on Friday 22nd May and return to school on Monday 1st June.

2009-04-24T17:53:00.000+01:00

On Time Teds Winners and the Winners of the On Time Teds Spring Term Prize

The winners of the On Time Teds this week are Year 2 and Year 6. Well done to both classes for being so punctual. The overall winners for last terms On Time Teds, these are the classes that won the On Time Teds the highest number of times are Year 2 and Year 5. Each class wins £25 to spend on whatever they wish for use in school. Well done to both these classes for currently being the best at getting into school on time every morning.

May Day Morris Dancers

Sadly the Morris dancers won’t be joining us first thing on May 1st as they usually do but will be with us at 10.30ish so if you would like to come along and join in the fun you will be very welcome. You will find us in the main playground just follow the sound of jingling bells and music.

Children’s Parade

We will be dressing as clouds or monkeys (our element is air) Suggestions for clothing are as follows: white and silvery clothes for clouds and red shirts and trousers for monkeys. Look at Middle Street website for inspiration. Parade props workshops take place in school as usual on Monday and then at a parent’s home on Tuesday and Wednesday. If you would like to help at the additional workshops on Tuesday and Wednesday please ask at the office to confirm days and for details of the venue. In school there will be workshops in Reception for children across the school who are coming on the parade. They can also get help from Julie Holton who can help with costume preparation. The parade takes place on Saturday 2nd May. We will be meeting in Gloucester Road at 9.45. Our flag number is 25. Please be aware that we do often have to wait for sometime before the parade gets underway so come prepared with snacks and something to keep you and your child amused while you wait.

School Closure on Thursday 4th June

We are closed on this day as parts of Middle Street are used as a polling station for the Parliamentary elections.

New Parent Governor

I am very pleased to inform you that Angie Atter is to become our new parent governor. Angie replaces Nick Ebdon who has recently retired from the Governing Body. We did not need to hold an election in the end as the final number of applicants went down to one.

Year 5 Soundmakers Performance

Each child in Year 5 is learning a musical instrument as part of the Soundmakers programme. They will perform to Year 5 parents and carers on 2nd July.

Little Mouth Choir

We have several children who would like to go along to the Little Mouth choir at Blatchington Mill School on Mondays after school. Their problem is lack of transport so if there is anyone who could offer transport to Blatchington Mill every Monday please let Mr Brazil know.

Middle Street Choir

Choir starts next Friday after school. Mr Brazil would love more children from Key Stage 2 to come along and join the choir.

Holidays in Term Time

It is very important to your child’s education that you avoid taking your child out of school for holidays during term time. If you wish to take your child out during term time you must have exceptional circumstances for doing so. You should also meet with me to discuss your reasons and I can then inform you if the time out will be authorised or not. The Education Welfare Officer is responsible for monitoring attendance and can fine families for poor attendance and will also investigate unauthorised absences.
Please see attached for further information on the school attendance procedures

Missing

Zeke in year 3 has lost his violin. We think it may have been taken home by mistake. It has been gone from the Family room for about 3 weeks. Please check your violin (if you have one) and return it if is not yours. Zeke needs to practise!

Dinner Money Debts

Please keep up to date with school dinner payments. We may have to begin refusing school dinners for those who are continuously in debt. We will of course inform those concerned before dinners are withdrawn to allow the parent to make other arrangements for their child’s midday meal.

Spaces in Clubs

We have spaces in the following clubs Art Club for Years 3 and 4, Gardening Club and Knitting Club. Please enquire at the office for details.

Congratulations to...

Flynn Smith in Year 2 who has achieved his yellow belt in Karate. Well done Flynn!

Felix and Robbie both in Year 2 who have both achieved 8th Kyn in Ninpo Taijitsu. Well done Robbie and Felix!

May Day Bank Holiday and Half Term Break

The school is closed on Monday May 4th for the May Day bank holiday. We finish for the half term holiday on Friday 22nd May and return to school on Monday 1st June.

2009-04-03T17:56:00.000+01:00

Cross Country Success

On Saturday a group of Middle Street children joined Ms Busby at Waterhall for the annual Brighton and Hove Primary Schools Cross Country event. The children who entered the event did very well. The Year 6 boys team came 3rd overall in the competition. Sam in Year 6 came 3rd in the boys event and Madeline and Georgia from Year 6 came 5th and 7th in the girls event. Everyone else did very well and as always we are very proud of their achievements and how brilliantly they represent the school. Well done all who took part and thank you Ms Busby for accompanying the children to the event.

Reception Class Assembly

An amazing and, in the words of Mr Collins, ‘very lovely’ assembly was performed by Reception class today. They told the story of the ‘Little Red Hen’ and performed the ‘Three Bears Rap’. Well done Reception the rapturous applause was well deserved.

Fabulous Farm Shop

Reception, Years 1 and 2 celebrated the end of their ‘On the Farm’ learning journey by inviting parents and carers along to a Farm Shop on Monday. The children and their families made all the goods on sale at the Farm Shop. Well done everyone you managed to raise over £200 to be shared between the RSPCA and Guide dogs for the blind.

Spanish Fiesta Afternoon Tea

We all enjoyed a colourful Spanish Fiesta afternoon tea on Wednesday afternoon. Children enjoyed 3 days of Spanish focused lessons, which culminated in the Fiesta afternoon tea. The tea was kindly organised and run by the PTA School Association to which we send out a big THANK YOU. During the afternoon a number of raffle prizes were won including lots of delicious Easter eggs. The afternoon tea raised approximately £320 for the school. So many thanks to everyone who came along and joined in the fun. A very big thank you to the samba band for the afternoon’s musical entertainment.

Years 3 and 4 Visit to Museum

Years 3 and 4 went along to the new Egyptian exhibition at Brighton Museum. The enjoyed looking at all the artefacts and testing their knowledge as their learning journey draws to a close.

On Time Ted Winners

The winners of this term’s ‘On Time Ted’ prizes will be announced in Monday’s assembly after the holidays. 2 classes, one from the Infants and one from the Juniors will each win a £25 cheque to spend on a toy or game for Golden Time. Who are the lucky winners I wonder?

Learning Journey Update

Children and Staff continue to enjoy our new approach to learning via the Learning Journeys. We will continue to develop this approach to learning as we have been so pleased by the impact it has had on everyone’s learning and motivation. However staff feel that we have missed out a little on the personal and social aspects of learning and want to regain that focus at the beginning of each term as we have done in the past. So the first 2 weeks of term will have a PSHE focus which will include activities on children working collaboratively. During the 2 weeks there will also be a lead up to the new Learning Journey and the stunning start. You will receive sometime in the first 2 weeks of term our new style curriculum letter. Your suggestions made on the Learning Journey questionnaires completed earlier this year informed the design and content of the new curriculum letter.

Parent/Carer Governor Election

We have 2 parents who have put themselves forward to fill the parent/carer governor vacancy. We will therefore hold an election after Easter. More information and voting forms to follow after the holidays.

Festival Parade News

Please find attached some ideas for making head gear etc to wear on the parade. We will be dressing as clouds or monkeys (our element is air) Suggestions for clothing are as follows: white and silvery clothes for clouds and red shirts and trousers for monkeys. Look at Middle Street website for inspiration. Parade props workshops take place on the first and second Mondays after the holidays. They take place in the hall 3.15 till 5.00. The parade takes place on Saturday 2nd May.

Congratulations to…

Harvey Walters in Year 1 who has achieved his level 3 swimming award (Mum says ‘hoorah!). Well done Harvey!

Easter Holidays

School finishes today for the Easter holidays and reopens again on Monday 20th April. I hope the Easter bunny drops in with an egg or two for you all. Have fun and we all look forward to seeing you after the break.

2009-03-27T17:34:00.000Z

Lets Dance!

Year 3 performed their Morris Dance at the Brighton and Hove Schools Dance Festival on Monday evening at the Dome. They received loud applause and many appreciative comments were made by the audience and other schools performing at the festival. Well done Year 3! You were brilliant!

V.E. Day Celebrations

Years 5 and 6 celebrated the end of their ‘We’ll Meet Again’ Learning Journey with a VE Day street party. The Argus joined us and published a photo in today’s Argus of Ariel and Georgia dressed in clothes from the era. Children used recipes to bake food for the celebration and the playground was decorated with bunting and 40s music was played. We also enjoyed Nina’s Mum and Dad dancing the Jitterbug for us.

Farm Shop Celebrations

Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children have held a Farm Shop in the hall today. They sold a variety of goods all made by the children. The Farm Shop forms part of the end of their ‘On the Farm’ Learning Journey celebrations.

School Council Attend Opening of Black Lion Street

Harry Fancy joined Mr Collins, the School Council and I at the opening ceremony of Black Lion Street which has recently undergone re-development. The children joined the Mayor in cutting the ribbon and featured in various photo opportunities. Middle Street children were involved in the design of the blue railings in the street and Harry Fancy helped to design the lion’s head at the end of the line of railings.

BBC Southern Counties School of the Week Again!

Middle Street is to feature as BBC Southern Counties school of the week again next week. This time you can listen to Matilda and Ellis from Reception, Ben and Ruby from Year 1 and Sam and Liliana from Year 2 talking on a variety of subjects. The feature is broadcast every week day for 5 minutes before and after the 3.30 news bulletin.

Spanish Fiesta

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday children across the school will be enjoying a variety of Spanish style activities. On Wednesday afternoon parents and carers can join in by attending a special Spanish Fiesta / PTA afternoon tea. Join us at 2.45 in the hall for some Spanish fun.

Easter Raffle Tickets

We have lots of lovely, chocolaty Easter prizes for you to win. The winners will be announced at the Spanish Fiesta afternoon tea. Please hurry in to purchase your raffle tickets from the school office. Donations or prizes will also be gratefully received.

Reception Class Assembly

Reception parents and carers are invited to Reception class assembly on Friday 3rd April at 9.10.

Flora Tokens

We are collecting the Flora cooking with school tokens. Please hand in your tokens at the school office.

On Time Teds

The winners this week are Year 2 with no late marks this week and Year 4 who had 3 late marks. Well done to both year groups and their very punctual parents and carers.

Congratulations to..

Minoo and Hardy Vafadari Churchill and Katy Mackender danced at the Lets Dance festival with the Streetfunk dance group. They performed on Wednesday night. Well done Minoo, Hardy and Katy.

Harleigh Buxton was also dancing in the festival on Tuesday night (having danced with year 3 on Monday night) dancing with Streetfunk. Well done Harleigh!

Reminder

The closing date for Parent/Carer governor applications is Monday 30th March.

Spanish Fiesta / PTA Easter Tea

Please see separate sheet for the final details of our Spanish Fiesta and Easter tea.

Easter Holidays

The school closes for the Easter break on Friday 3rd April pm. School opens again for the new term on Monday 20th April.

2009-03-20T18:21:00.000Z

Red Nose Day Cake and Jewellery Sale

Ruby and Grace together with Lottie and Ateya managed to raise the amazing figure of £298.74 selling their cakes and jewellery for Red Nose Day. The ideas for fundraising were all their own and they organised the sale themselves. Well done girls!

Children’s Parade Workshop

Please come along after school this Monday 3.15 – 5.00 and join in with making props for the Children’s Parade. The workshop will take place in the hall and all children must be accompanied by an adult.

School Library Developments

Ms Stewart with the help of Ms Balmer and a group of parents is in the process of making improvements to our school library. Ms Stewart is using funds raised by the School Association to buy comfy, colourful and good quality furniture and equipment and will also improve our book stocks. We hope in the future to run an afterschool book club and other library focused clubs when the refurbishment is complete.

Year 3 Morris Dancers at the Dome

Year 3 performed their excellent Morris dance to the whole school this morning. They received a rapturous round of applause from all of us. They will perform their dance at the Dome in front of an enormous audience on Monday evening as part of the Brighton Schools Lets Dance festival. Tickets are still available from the Dome box office. Good luck Year 3!

Year 6 Get Vocal!

Year 6 enjoyed a vocal workshop with the vocal coach from Little Mouth choir. She was very impressed with the children’s singing and is encouraging children to join the Little Mouth choir at Blatchington Mill school. The choir runs on a Monday during term time 4.00 – 5.30. Parents and carers can join the Big Mouth choir which runs at the same time and same venue.

Library Visit for Year 4

Year 4 are visiting the Jubilee Library on Tuesday 24th March. Children should remember to bring library cards and any books that need returning.

Peer Support Training

Children in Years 3 and 4 are soon to be offered the opportunity to take part in Peer Support training. Trained Peer Support children are able to provide support by listening and helping individuals to think their problems through and consider their options. A letter will be going home shortly with children from years 3 and 4 with further information on what’s involved. Children can then make a decision if this is something they would be interested in doing.

Parent/Carer Governor Vacancy

A reminder we have a parent/carer Governor vacancy. If you are interested please ask for further information and an application form at the school office. Mrs Brill is the clerk to Governors and can answer any queries you may have about the role. Please also see the reverse of the Friday News for more information. The closing date for applications is Monday 30th March. An election will be held if more than one person applies.

Easter Holidays

The school closes for the Easter break on Friday 3rd April. School opens again for the new term on Monday 20th April.

No After-school Clubs on Tuesday

Due to some building maintenance work to be carried out after school next Tuesday we are unable to run after school clubs the clubs are: Mr Dyer’s computer club and the Comic Book club.

2009-03-13T18:00:00.001Z

Red Nose Day Cake Sale and Jewellery Sale

Ruby and Grace from Year 6 are selling cakes on their Red Nose cake stall today. Thank you to everyone who donated the delicious cakes.

Ateya and Lottie from Year 4 spent all yesterday evening making stunning necklaces for their Red Nose Jewellery stall. They are selling their products on their stall. Both stalls can be found on the main playground at the end of TODAY.

Edie the Dog Visits

Edie and her owner, Daniel Walker met with children in Reception and Key Stage 1 to talk about Edie’s very important job. Edie is a guide dog for the blind and she helps her owner to keep safe. Edie is a very cuddly dog who enjoyed the fuss the children made of her.

Year 5 and Year 6 Visit Tangmere Aviation Museum

Year 6 visited Tangmere Aviation museum yesterday and Year 5 will be enjoying the same experience today. Their visit forms part of their learning journey ‘We’ll Meet Again’. Last week the children also meet a pilot who was in the RAF during the war. He talked about his experiences as a pilot and as a prisoner of war.

No Computer/Cabinets and Pods Club Monday 16th March

Mr Dyer is not available on Monday so his club will not run. Back to normal on Tuesday

Excellent Attendance at Parent Consultation Evenings

Thank you to all those parents and carers who attended the consultation evenings this week. We had an excellent turn out. If you were unable to attend please contact the class teacher to make an appointment after school.

Parent Governor Vacancy

We have a vacancy for a Parent Governor. Nick Ebdon has resigned from his position of parent Governor due to work commitments. Nick has been a governor for a number of years for some of that period he was the Chair of Governors. Thanks Nick for all your hard work.
If you are interested in becoming a governor please ask for further information and an application form at the school office. Mrs Brill is the clerk to Governors and can answer any queries you may have about the role. The closing date for applications is Monday 30th March. An election will be held if more than one person applies.

Brighton and Hove Japanese Club Open Day

The Japanese Club open day takes place this Saturday at BHASVIC from 12.00 till 4.00 pm. The open day is to celebrate the club’s 10th anniversary. Admission is free and many local children will be taking part. Emilia, Monica, Ariel, Dillon and Roman from Year 6 and Erica from Year 5 are displaying their work at the comic/Manga stall

Congratulations to..

Zeke Hugenet in Year 3 who has achived his Grade 3 red/yellow belt in Wing Toun Kung Fu.
Dorian Cottam in Year 2 who has gained his green belt in Tai Jitsu

Easter Holidays

The school closes for the Easter break on Friday 3rd April pm. School opens again for the new term on Monday 20th April.

2009-03-06T18:32:00.000Z

Brighton Festival Children’s Parade

The parade theme this year is: THE ELEMENTS and Middle Street is AIR. Parents and Carers with a little help from Mr Brazil have come up with a terrific idea to get you all inspired -- we'll be dressing up as the Chinese Monkey God who flies on clouds. Mr Brazil and his samba band will be leading the way, along with help from a Brazilian samba master. A group of parents are already hard at work making a giant monkey puppet, but there's plenty more for you all to get involved with. On Mondays we'll be running after school workshops for children and adults to make props and costumes, plus we'll be learning chants and dance routines to ensure that the Middle Street effort is the best yet. No skills are necessary, just come along and get involved - this year, the sky really is the limit.
The first workshop is from 3.15 - 5.00pm on Monday 23 March in the Hall.
If you have any questions or want to get involved, contact Sarah or Issy via the school office where they will give you contact details. Alternatively contact Mrs Purdy at school either face to face or during school hours on the school number 323184.

Deep Learning Conference

Vanessa Denyer and Katie Whiting represented Middle Street at the Deep Learning in Brighton today. Middle Street shared displays of work with delegates. A group of Middle Street children spent sometime at the conference talking about their learning and the fun they are having with Learning Journeys.

Egyptian Day

Years 3 and 4 enjoyed a visit from an expert on the Egyptians. He shared all sorts of interesting facts with the children and his experiences as an archaeologist
National Science and Engineering Weeks.
As part of this initiative the school has won a £200 grant to buy books and resources to support the teaching of science. We will spend the grant on resources that link with the science aspects of our Learning Journeys.

Parent Consultation Evenings

A reminder that parent’s evenings will take place on Tuesday 10th March and Wednesday 11th March from 3.20 until 6.00.

On Time Teds

The winners this week are Year 2 with no late marks this week and Year 4 who only has 2 late marks. Well done to both year groups and their very punctual parents and carers.

Starfish After School Club Vacancies

The Starfish after-school club has vacancies. Starfish offer after school care and collect from Middle Street each day at 3.00pm. If you require after school care for your child and would like more information please ask at the office.

Middle Street Traffic Information

You may have already noticed that the Middle Street/Kings Road junction has been closed to traffic. It will remain closed for the next 2 weeks. The work being carried is part of the Walking Network Improvements.

Congratulations to…

Roman in Year 6 who won 3rd prize for design, make and use of Shield in Combat for White Crane Kung Fu. Well done Roman!

Easter Holidays

The school closes for the Easter break on Friday 3rd April pm. School opens again for the new term on Monday 20th April.

2009-02-27T20:04:00.000Z

Parent Consultation Evenings

Parent’s evenings will take place on Tuesday 10th March and Wednesday 11th March from 3.20 until 6.00. You should have received a letter this week about Parent’s evening. If one hasn’t arrived home yet please ask at the office for a copy.

Year 5 and Year 6 Visit Brighton Museum

Year 5 and Year 6 spent some time this week at Brighton Museum looking at artefacts from the Second World War period as part of their ‘We’ll Meet Again’ learning journey.

Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 Have Fun on the Farm

Reception and Key Stage 1 children have visited Washbrook Farm as part of their Learning Journey. They all had a fabulous time and returned rosy cheeked and happy (including the grown ups!)

Year 5 Make Music

This week Year 5 begun learning to play a musical instrument. The children are part of the music service’s Soundmakers programme and will each learn a musical instrument for free.

Road Safety Sessions

Children in Year 1 are finding out about road safety with help from the local authority road safety team. They enjoyed a session this week and will have more sessions in the next 2 weeks.

Can You Help?

Does anyone have a metal-framed rucksack that they are willing to lend to the school? It is needed to support the large puppet construction to be used in the Children’s Parade. If you are able to help please contact Debbie on 07784317921 or Issy on 07837086801.

Full Governors Meeting

The next full governor’s meeting is on Thursday 5th March. Please check the Governors notice board if you wish to read the minutes of the meeting.

Buy a Daffodil

Please help raise money for the Marie Curie Cancer Care by making a donation at the office. In return you will be given a daffodil pin to wear.

Congratulations To…

Dorian Cotton in Year 2 who has achieved his 10 metres front crawl swimming certificate. Well done Dorian!

Tala, Inez, Issy and Poppy all in Year 5 took part in the Sussex Beacon 800m youth race on Sunday. They completed the race and raised over £100 for the Lily Foundation. Well done Tala, Inez, Issy and Poppy!

On Time Teds

Well done to year 5 they have won for the second week running and to year 2 for winning last week and reception for winning this week.

RSPCA will be visiting year 1 and 2 on Monday so please bring in any donations of food or blankets.

Children’s Parade

A meeting will take place at 9a.m. on Monday in the family room for any parents / carers who would like to help make props for this years parade.

Easter Holidays

The school closes for the Easter break on Friday 3rd April pm. School opens again for the new term on Monday 20th April.

2009-02-13T17:37:00.000Z

Goodbye to…

Rosie, Fluffy and Pretty our very gorgeous chicks. The chicks hatched a few weeks ago in Reception class and have been cared for by children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. We have all become quite besotted by them and are sad to say goodbye. The chicks are returning to Mile Oak farm so they can join the rest of the chickens.

We’ll Meet Again

Year 6 performed for their parents and Years 1 and 5 in assembly today. Their excellent assembly was based on their Learning Journey ‘We’ll Meet Again’ with poems and songs reminding us of the hardships children faced during World War 2.

Snowman Winner

Mr Dyer has been running a competition on the school website for the best snowman. The winner of the best snowman or rather a snowcat is Beatrice Dickie in Reception. Have a look at the winning snowcat and the other entries on the Middle Street website.

Middle Street Football Team

The Middle Street football team played Queens Park Primary School on Wednesday. Sadly they didn’t win but had a great time none the less.

Parent Helpers Wanted

Year 5 and Year 6 are visiting Brighton Museum on Tuesday 24th February and need parent helpers to join them. They will be visiting the Brighton World War 2 gallery.

No Chewing Gum!

Lots of children are bringing chewing gum in to school at the moment and attempting to chew it! Children, chewing gum is not allowed! Please do not bring it to school. If you chew gum in school you will lose some of your Golden Time!

Parent Consultation Evenings

Parent’s evenings will take place on Tuesday 10th March and Wednesday 11th March from 3.20 until 6.00. You will receive more information after half term.

School Association (PTA) AGM

The School Association will be holding their AGM on 12th March at 7.00 pm. More information to follow after half term.

Lost Property

Please check lost property. We are at the point of bagging up what’s left and sending it to charity.

Contact Numbers Please

We have had a few problems recently contacting parents of children who have become ill during the day. Please could you ensure we have at least 2 emergency numbers of people you are happy to collect and care for your child if you are not available.

Have You Lost..

A new set of oven racks and grill pan? We found the shrink wrapped pack of the above items in the junior cloakroom area and we have had it for some time. I have to say this is the most unusual lost property item I have come across in school, ever!

Half Term Break

We close today for the half term break. We’ll see you all again on Monday 23rd February. Have fun!

2009-02-06T17:58:00.002Z

Snow Sorry

I am so sorry that we had to close for 2 days because of the snow and ice. I know it probably caused inconvenience to you so please accept my apologies. The reason for closing was due to the number of staff who were unable to travel into school. Some were completely snowed in, others couldn’t make it because of public transport cancellations.

Walk like an Egyptian

Year 4 put on a wonderful assembly this morning. They performed a sand dance helped along by clapping parents who helped out when technology let us down. The assembly was based on their Egyptian learning journey. Well done Year 4!

Stressed Down Day

We have had a lovely relaxing day in our pyjamas and slippers and in the process raised money for the Samaritans. Thank you for your donations.

On Time Teds

The winners of this week’s On Time Teds will be announced in Monday’s assembly. Which classes will win the £25 at the end of the term?

Pizza Hut Visit

Year 5 will be making pizzas at Pizza Hut on Tuesday 10th February. Parents who would like to help should let Ms Stewart know (you get to make your own pizza too).

Children’s Parade Meeting

The next children’s parade meeting is on Monday about 9ish. The meeting will take place in the Family Room.

PE Kits Please

All children MUST have a named PE kit for games and PE. They need their PE kits in school for the whole week. Children attending after school sports clubs must also have a PE kit. If a child does not have a PE kit during the school day they will miss PE and spend the lesson in another year group with work to complete. Children attending after school sports clubs with out a PE kit will not be able to take part in the session.

Middle Street Parking

Please avoid parking on double yellow lines when dropping off or collecting your child from school. Please do not block the entrance to the school car park as it is in use all day. Recently there have been occasions when a staff member has been very late for a meeting as the car park entrance was blocked by a parent’s car for a considerable amount of time.

Half Term Break

School closes on Friday 13th February at 3.00
for the half term break. Children return to school on Monday 23rd February.

2009-01-30T16:36:00.000Z

Baby Chicks Hatch

We were all very excited at the start of the week when we had three chicks hatch in the reception class. The chicks are all doing well and growing daily. Nursery and Reception children had a talk from the RSPCA and year 1 and 2 will be having a talk next week on how to look after animals. The RSPCA is a voluntary organisation who relies on donations, so we would like children to bring in donations of animal food or old blankets, to pass on to them. Look on our website to see one of the chicks.

A Day at the David Beckham Academy

Ms Busby, Mr Massey and 14 children from Year 6 had an amazing day at the David Beckham Academy in London yesterday. The children worked on literacy, science and team building skills as well as receiving some excellent football coaching. The whole day was an experience they will never forget. Middle Street was one of only 8 schools chosen from Brighton to go on this special day.

Year 5 and 6 Evacuated

Year 5 and Year 6 were evacuated to Lewes on Wednesday. They found out about what it was like to be evacuated during the war. They dressed up in clothing style from that period with a gas mask box and ate food similar to that eaten at the time. They experienced at the end of the journey how children were sorted and allocated a new home. Quite an experience for all.

Lost Property

I hope you have all been in to check our new and very organised lost property storage. Please pop in regularly to check for any lost items. I expect everyone has been very good and named children’s clothing. Thank you if you have done so.

On Time Teds

The winners this week are years 2 and 4. Well done to both classes for getting into school on time!
Years 1 and 5 are joint leaders at the moment. Which classes will win the £25 at the end of the term?

Stressed Down Day

A reminder that on Friday 6th February The school will be raising money for the Samaritans with a ‘Stress Down’ Day. On that day children and adults can come to school in pyjamas, slippers and dressing gowns. Teddies are optional. It will be a kind of school duvet day but without the duvets. Please pay 50p (or more if you wish) to take part. Warm your jim jams up ready for the day.

Dinner Money Information

Please pay dinner money on time. Scolarest who manage the school dinners at Middle Street are not happy about the debt owing to them. It may be that they decide to take matters further. So to avoid problems please keep up to date with payments. If you think you may be eligible for free meals please ask at the office.

Half Term Break

School closes on Friday 13th February at 3.00
for the half term break. Children return to school on Monday 23rd February.

Weather Warning

You are probably aware a lot of snow is expected over the weekend and into Monday. If the weather is severe there is a possibility of school closure. Please listen to either of the following radio stations: Southern FM, Juice or BBC Southern Counties. They will list any schools that are closed due to the weather.

2009-01-23T17:27:00.001Z

Middle Street Children to Visit David Beckham Academy

We are very fortunate to have been invited along to The David Beckham Academy in London. The visit is for the day on 29th January. A group of Year 6 children will accompany Ms Busby on the trip. The children will be involved in role play challenges. So before the visit they will have applied for certain positions such as fitness coach, sports journalist, team manager etc. The children and the adults have a busy day ahead of them. The aim of the day is to promote a positive attitude to sport and exercise through activities based around football skills and healthy living. You can check out the David Beckham Academy website on www.davidbeckhamacademy.com

RSPCA to Visit Nursery and Reception Classes

As part of their Learning Journey on farms and animals Nursery and Reception children will receive a visit from the RSPCA. The children will hear about how to care for animals and also the role of the RSPCA.

Year 5 and Year 6 Evacuate!

Year 5 and Year 6 are evacuating to a church in Lewes as part of their ‘We’ll meet again’ Learning Journey. They will get a feel for what it was like for evacuees during World War 2. The children will travel to Lewes by train and have a packed lunch based on what would have been available during that period due to rationing. When they arrive at their destination they will be met by a small group of people who have experience of being evacuated during the war. So there will be lots of opportunities to listen to their stories and feelings about that difficult time in their lives.

On Time Teds Prizes to be Won!

The winners this week are Reception and Year 5. Well done to both classes for getting into school on time! This term we will be rewarding the Infant and Junior class that are awarded the On Time Teds the most often. Each class will win £25 to spend on a game or toy to play with in Golden Time.

Change of Date

Year 4 had planned an assembly for Friday 30th January but have postponed it. The assembly should now take place on Friday 6th February but this will be confirmed by the class teachers nearer the time.

Samaritans Stressed Down Day

On Friday 6th February we will be raising money for the Samaritans. We will have a ‘Stress Down’ Day and come to school in our pyjamas, slippers and dressing gowns. Teddies are optional. It will be a kind of school duvet day but without the duvets. Please pay 50p to take part and warm your jim jams up ready for the day.

Children’s Festival Parade Meeting

We need as much help as possible to prepare for the Children’s Parade in May. If you are able to help and want to get involved please come along to a meeting on Monday 26th January just after 9. The meeting will take place in TFI café (near to Oasis). If you can’t make the meeting but want to help please leave your contact details at the office and someone will get in touch.

Congratulations to…

Ben Spooner in Year 1 who has achieved his purple belt in Soo Bahk Do. Well done Ben!
Ren Scott Bridges and Gabriel Lavelle in Year 4 who have both achieved their yellow belts in Ikedo. Well done Ren and Gabriel!

Half Term Break

School closes on Friday 13th February at 3.00 for the half term break. Children return to school on Monday 23rd February.

2009-01-16T14:55:00.000Z

Sorry Misinformation!

Last week I said that the BBC Southern Counties Middle Street feature would be broadcast on that Friday at 3.35 pm. Unfortunately, I was given the wrong information, which I then passed onto you. Middle Street has in fact been the BBC Southern Counties ‘school of the week’ this week. Each day Middle Street has featured at 3.25 and 3.35 for 5 minutes each time. The presenter of the programme was very impressed by the children’s confidence and the interesting things they had to say.

Learning Journey Curriculum Letters

This week you should have received from the class teacher an outline of your child's class Learning Journey for this term. We are in the process of improving the termly class curriculum letter to ensure you are provided with all the information you need about your child’s learning. We will base the improvements on suggestions made by parent/carers in the Learning Journey feedback questionnaires.
Please find attached a letter containing an overview of parent and carers feedback on Learning Journeys.

Nit Weekend

We are having quite a problem with head lice at the moment. Please could all parents/carers check children’s and their own hair this weekend and deal with any unwanted ‘pets’. If we all do it this weekend and then check regularly then we could make itchy heads a thing of the past.

New Lost Property Storage

The lost property boxes can be found in the main corridor leading through the junior cloakroom area. We now have more appropriate storage for the lost property, which we hope will make it easier for you to find lost items. Please take a few minutes to check through lost property each week. Please could you remember to name your child’s clothing including PE kits and PE bags.

On Time Teds

The winners this week are Year 1 and Year 5. Well done to both year groups and their punctual parents and carers.

Dinner Money Please

Please keep up to date with dinner money payments. If you are entitled to free school meals but have not applied please ask at the office for more information on how to do so.

Little Canada Payments

Year 6 parents and carers please check with the office that your payments for the Little Canada residential are up to date.

Half Term Break

School closes on Friday 13th February at 3.00 for the half term break. Children return to school on Monday 23rd February.

2009-01-09T18:04:00.000Z

Happy New Year and Welcome Back!

Welcome back to you all and a warm welcome to the new families who have joined the school this term. I hope you had a fun and enjoyable Christmas and that Santa left everything you wished for.

Take a Look at Black Lion Street

You will find new blue railings in Black Lion Street that have been designed by Middle Street children. They are also inscribed with amazing poems written by the children. At one end of the railings is a black lion, which was designed by Harry Fancy in Year 5.
The railings are quite amazing and we are so proud of the children involved in the design.

Children Interviewed on BBC Southern Counties Radio

BBC Southern Counties will feature Middle Street as their school of the week next week. They chatted to Toby and Lily from Reception, Alfie and Nadeen from Year 1 and Lucy and Jody from Year 2. You can listen in the afternoons at 3.35 on 95.3 FM to hear what they had to say, or listen live online at www.bbc.co.uk/southerncounties

Learning Journey Feedback

Thank you so much to all those parents and carers who have returned the Learning Journey feedback questionnaires. Such a lot of effort and thought has clearly gone into the answers and comments which has really been helpful along with some good ideas and suggestions for the future. If you haven’t returned your feedback questionnaire it’s not too late to do so.
The children have also been feeding back either as a whole class or as individuals. Their comments have been very positive and insightful too. I will be sending home a summary of the responses next week.

On Time Teds

The winners this week are Year 1 and Year 3. Well done to both year groups and their punctual parents and carers.

Homework Club at Library

Children may be interested to know of a homework club that is currently running at the Jubilee Library. The club is a drop in service for children aged 9 to 16 and runs on Mondays after school 3.30 – 5 pm

A Reminder to Wrap Up Warm!

It is very cold at the moment (stating the obvious I know) so please ensure your child has warm enough clothing for the outdoors. They are outside twice a day for breaks. The younger children are also out at other times. They should also wear shoes that are suitable and warm enough for the icy conditions we have been experiencing lately.

Congratulations to..

Tyus Thiruchelvam in Year 2 who has achieved his Level 3 National Swimming Award. Well done Tyus!

Half Term Break

School closes on Friday 13th February at 3.00 for the half term break. Children return to school on Monday 23rd February

2008-12-19T18:23:00.000Z

Christmas Fair - Runaway Success

Fun and Christmas cheer were enjoyed by all yesterday at the wonderful Christmas Fair. Great singing from the children on the Karaoke was also enjoyed. There were presents from Father Christmas in the Grotto too. We would like to say a big thank you to Father Christmas for taking time out from his busy schedule to come and join us at the Fair.
Amazing raffle and Tombola prizes were won by many. This all helped us to raise £2018.25! Well done to all the parents, carers and local businesses who helped to make the Christmas Fair such an amazing event.

Learning Journeys Celebrated

Teachers and children invited parents and carers into class this week to celebrate the end of this term’s Learning Journey and to share the projects they have been working on. We have asked parents and carers to complete feedback sheets on the Learning Journeys, which many have handed in already. If you have taken one home please remember to complete it and hand it in to the class teacher or the office. The feedback so far has been very positive. I will send an overview of the feedback home to you in the new term and hopefully answer any questions raised.

Bats’ Breakfast Fun

Year 1 had a great time returning to an empty, dark school on Wednesday. They explored their classroom with torches and enjoyed bat snacks in the dark.

No Dogs Please

Please could I remind everyone that dogs are not allowed on school premises at any time. This includes the playground. Dogs should be either left at home or tied up outside the school away from the school gates. This is for the safety of the children and because we have some children in school who can have allergic reactions to dogs.

Christmas Break

We finish for the Christmas break today and children return to school on Tuesday the 6th of January (Nursery on the 7th due to home visits for new children).

Thank you for the many cards and presents sent in to staff.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you from all of us at Middle Street.

2008-12-12T16:33:00.001Z

Fabulous Christmas Performances

Once again the Middle Street children have used their many acting and singing talents to put on 2 wonderful Christmas performances for us. Every year we never cease to be amazed at how brilliantly the children perform. It is such a pleasure to see the enjoyment and pride on their faces when they get the applause from the audience. Thank you to every one, staff, parents, carers and children for making it a brilliant afternoon. Mrs Purdy, the props were brilliant!

Finalist City in Bloom

Flo Osborne Jones in Year 1 recently entered the City in Bloom competition with a flower garden design. I am very pleased to announce that Flo’s design is to be entered for the finals in August. Flo’s design will be made up and displayed in Preston Park where the judging takes place. Well done and good luck Flo!

Year 4 Gymnasts through to Finals

10 of our Year 4 children went along to a Gymnastics competition on Wednesday and won! They will now go through to the finals in March. Well done to all those children and thank you Ms Layzell who prepared and accompanied the children to the competition.

On Time Teds

The winners this week are Year 1 and Year 5. Well done to both classes!

Learning Journey Celebration Invitations

Year 1 and 2 would like to invite their parents and carers in to class on Tuesday 16th December to help them celebrate this term’s Learning Journey. Please come in to class anytime from 2.30 till 3.00.

Year 6 will also be celebrating their Learning Journey on Tuesday 16th December. They would love their parents and carers to join them from 2.30 on wards.

Middle Street Choir

The Middle Street Choir have performed for staff at the American Express building and on Sunday will perform at Brighton Baptist Church. Mr Brazil would like the choir to meet at 10.15 am ready to perform at 10.30 am. Mr Brazil says you may be interested to know that The Big Mouth choir (Mr Brazil sings with the choir) will be performing in Jubilee Square (outside the Library) on Monday from 5.00 pm – 6.00 pm. He would love parents, carers and children to come along and join in.

Bats Breakfast

Year 1 will be returning to school in the dark on Wednesday 17th to enjoy a Bats Breakfast as part of their Learning Journey. Their Bats Breakfast begins at 6.00 pm.

Christmas Fair

We look forward to seeing you all at the Christmas Fair on Thursday 18th December. Don’t forget to put in your bid for the Will. All bids must be in by Wednesday 17th December. Please also return any unsold raffle tickets and the money and stubs of tickets sold.

Those children wanting to join in with the Karaoke should complete the form on the back of the Friday News and hand in to Mr Dyer.

Request for Resources

Ms Stewart needs hessian sacks to fill with sand. She also would like old style wallpaper in 1930’s or 1940’s style. If you think you could help Ms Stewart with any of the above or with any 30s or 40s kitchen or other equipment please let her know.

Wonderful Wall

You may have noticed the brilliant artwork on the wall outside reception. The artist who produced this for us is an artist known as Req ( who is also a parent of a child in school). If you haven’t seen it yet take a look as it is brilliant! Ms Martin is creating a quiet and peaceful area for playtimes. Req came in and met with the School Council and together they came up with the design for the wall. We are hoping to brighten up other outside walls with Req’s artwork in the future.

Dinner Money

Mrs Walker says please, please, please could you pay any outstanding dinner money payments as soon as possible. Thank you.

Bring and Buy Sale

Come along and meet the Eco Warriors on Tuesday 16th December. They are holding a Bring and Buy sale to raise funds for their mission

Congratulations to…

Sophie Walters and Fabienne Gladwin in Year 6 who have both achieved their 600 metre Swimming badge. Well done Sophie and Fabienne!

Christmas Break

We finish for the Christmas break on Friday 19th December and children return to school on Tuesday 6th January.

2008-12-05T16:34:00.001Z

Christmas Show

Please collect your tickets for the Christmas Shows from the school office. Additional tickets will be allocated on Tuesday. Priority will be given to separated parents, parents/carers of Year 6 and Year 2 children. Thank you for your responses regarding future venues. Most of you it seems, would prefer a larger venue and would be happy to pay a donation towards a ticket. We will of course always try to secure a venue free of charge as we have done with the Komedia.

Christmas Post Box

You can find the Middle Street Christmas post box in the foyer. Please ensure that envelopes are clearly marked with full name and class number on the front. Year 6 will be running the Christmas postal delivery service.

Christmas Fair

We look forward to seeing you all at the Christmas Fair on Thursday 18th December. Lots of fabulous festive activities and food to be enjoyed. We do have one rather unusual prize, which will be up for auction. Roberto Germaine of Healy’s solicitors is offering to advise and produce a Will for 2 people. The cost of this service would normally cost £326 so we are inviting bids from those of you interested. The highest bid wins (obviously). If you are interested in bidding for this service please complete a bidding form at the office and hand in to a member of the office staff. All bids must be in by Wednesday 17th December. The highest bid will be announced at the Christmas Fair on Thursday.

Choir Sing at Brighton Centre

The Choir sung at the Brighton and Hove Schools Carol Concert on Wednesday evening. Mr Brazil says they sung brilliantly, were impeccably behaved throughout the concert and were a real credit to themselves and the school.

No Clubs

All after school clubs will finish by Wednesday 10th December. Clubs will resume after the holidays.

Oops!

Recently a Fair Processing Notice was sent out to families. This is a generic letter. Unfortunately the letter sent out had the wrong school name on. However the information contained in the letter applies to Middle Street. If you would like a letter with the correct school name please ask at the office or access the Middle Street Fair Processing Notice via the school web site. Many apologies for the mistake and any confusion caused.

Spaces in Nursery

We currently have spaces in our morning and afternoon Nursery classes. Please let friends, neighbours and relatives know if you think they may be interested..

Dinner Money Debts

Please pay any outstanding dinner money debts before the holidays. Thank you.

Goodbye Ms Rollason

Today we have to say goodbye to Ms Rollason as she is moving on to a new post. Thank you Ms Rollason for all you have done to support the children of Middle Street. We shall miss you. Mr Andrew Wright who currently works 2 days a week in Year 1 will replace Ms Rollason in Year 2. A new member of staff will join us to replace Mr Wright. Ms Rebecca Balmer will work 2 days a week supporting children in Year 1.

Free Basketball Tickets

We have free children’s tickets for the Worthing Thunders game on 13th December. Please ask at the office.

Congratulations to …

Nadeen Alay in Year 1 who has achieved her level 1 swimming certificate. Well done Nadeen!

Christmas Break

We finish for the Christmas break on Friday 19th December and children return to school on Tuesday 6th January.

2008-11-28T15:26:00.001Z

David Beckham Academy Invitation

We have been very lucky and have been invited along to The David Beckham Academy in London for the day on 29th January. A group of Year 6 children will accompany Ms Busby on the trip.

Year 6 Swimming Sessions Finished

Year 6 attended their last swimming session for this term on Wednesday. There will be no further swimming sessions this term due to the pool being cleaned, which is always good to hear!

Shoreham Airport in the Rain

Year 1 had a great time at Shoreham Airport despite the rain. They found out all about the airport, planes and flying. Well done Year 1 and Mrs Noble for braving the rain!

On Time Teds

The winners this week are Year1 and Year 6. Well done to both classes for getting into school on time!

Goodbye Ms Rollason

Next Friday we have to say goodbye to Ms Rollason. Ms Rollason works in Year 2 and has been with us at Middle Street for some time working as a Teaching Assistant. We are very sad that Ms Rollason is leaving and I know the children and the adults will miss her very much.

Christmas Carol Concert

The Middle Street choir will be singing again at the Brighton Hove Schools Christmas Carol Concert held at the Brighton Centre on Wednesday 3rd December. Tickets are on sale at the Brighton Centre box office The Choir has also been invited to sing in White Stuff (the clothes shop by the clock tower) on the 4th December and at the Brighton Baptist church on the 14th December.

The Wizard of Oz

Year 3 have been invited to the Theatre Royal to watch a production of the Wizard of Oz. Their visit takes place on Friday 5th December. Ms Moriarty is pleased as I think it is one of her favourite films.

PTA (School Association) Christmas Fair

Go Christmas crackers at our special extended Christmas Fair on Thursday 18th December. The Fair opens at 2.00 p.m. and closes at 5.00 p.m. so that’s 3 hours of fun and merriment for all. Children can be collected from class at 2.00 and taken along to the fair. Visit Santa’s Grotto, sing a song on the Karaoke (sorry, children only), join in with the Bonanza Raffle and Spectacular Tombola. No unaccompanied children at the Fair please at any time.

Attached you will find a set of raffle tickets and a list of prizes. If you wish to buy the attached tickets please return one half with you name and telephone number on each ticket purchased and return to the office with cost of the tickets bought. The tickets are £1 each or £4 a strip.

The Albion Multi Sports Programme

Brighton and Hove Albion community coaches will be running sports clubs here at Middle Street next term. To introduce themselves they will join us in assembly before Christmas to talk about the clubs they will running in the new term.

Congratulations to..

Zeke Hugenet in Year 3 who has achieved his 20metre swimming badge this week. Well done Zeke.

Harvey Walters in Year 1 who has achieved his National Swimming Certificate Level 2 and 20 metre swimming badge. Well done Harvey!

Flynn Smith in Year 2 who has passed his Level 3 and Level 4 swimming certificate. Well done Flynn!

Missing Scooter

Alfie McCullen in Year 1 is feeling very sad. He is missing his special scooter that cruises to school on each day. He parked it in the bike park on Tuesday 18th November but we think someone has taken it by mistake. Please check you have the right scooter at home. Alfie’s scooter has wheels that light up, is metal and mainly silver with red handles. Please help Alfie find his scooter.

Christmas Break

We finish for the Christmas break on Friday 19th December and children return to school on Tuesday 6th January

2008-11-21T17:06:00.002Z

Blue Friday

Today has been a Blue day for lots of adults and children. Everyone was asked to come dressed in Blue to mark Anti Bullying week and to raise awareness of Childline. Donations to Childline have been received from those dressed in blue and also from those who forgot to dress in blue today.

On Time Teds

The winners this week are Year 1 and Year 3. Recently we have noticed late marks are going up again particularly in upper key stage 2. The class teachers and I are discussing possible consequences for those children who are persistently late to class. Please ensure your child gets to school on time. Once in school we will ensure they get to class on time.

Music Recital

Brighton and Hove Music Service performed a music recital for the Key Stage 2 children. The performers played a selection of classical and other pieces of music on brass instruments. The children also had an opportunity to ask questions and find out more about the instruments the musicians were playing.

Year 6 to Visit Pavilion Theatre

Year 6 are attending a performance of ‘A November Day’ at the Pavilion Theatre on Thursday 27th November.

Year 1 Take Off for Shoreham Airport

As part of their Learning Journey Year 1 will be visiting Shoreham airport. Their visit takes place on Friday 28th November. The children in Year 1 recently completed a take home task, which involved making an aeroplane. The children have produced some excellent results and particularly enjoyed involving their parent/carers in working on the task.

Christmas Show

The children will be performing their Christmas show for parents on Thursday 11th December in the afternoon. We are very pleased to confirm that the performance will again take place at the Komedia.

Christmas Dinner Reminder

If you wish your child to have Christmas Dinner on Wednesday 17th December please inform the school office.

Christmas Carol Concert

The Middle Street choir will be singing again at the Brighton Hove Schools Christmas Carol Concert, held at the Brighton Centre on Wednesday 3rd December. The choir have also been invited to sing in White Stuff (the clothes shop by the clock tower) on the 4th December and at the Brighton Baptist church on the 14th December.

School Association Meeting

The School Association are meeting on Monday 24th November at 2.15 in the Family room. They are meeting to discuss the Christmas Fair so if you are interested in helping out please come along. The Christmas Fair takes place on Thursday 18th December.

Head Lice Alert!

We are having a problem with Head Lice at the moment. Please check your child’s hair regularly and take action if necessary. If everyone takes responsibility we could eliminate this annoying problem very quickly.

Congratulations to..

Georgia and Ateya Marshall who both collected a medal for running in the Phoenix Athletic races. The races took place at Preston Park. Georgia ran in the 1500 metre race and Ateya came third in the 800 metres. Well done Georgia and Ateya.

Christmas Break

We finish for the Christmas break on Friday 19th December and children return to school on Tuesday 6th January.

2008-11-14T14:08:00.001Z

Anti-Bullying Week

Next week is Anti-Bullying week. During the week children will be involved in anti-bullying activities in their class. On Friday children have been asked to come dressed in blue and donate 50p via the school to Childline. The focus of Blue Friday is to raise awareness of Childline and remind everyone that bullying is still a problem and how to deal with it.

Remembrance Day

Reverend David Coleman from the Brighthelm Centre led a very poignant assembly on Tuesday morning. He reminded the children of why we have a Remembrance day and the significance of not just the red poppy but of the white poppy as a symbol of peace. The children and staff observed a minute’s silence across the school at 11.00 am.

Bronze Award

Middle Street has been awarded the Bike It Bronze Award for taking part in and our continued involvement in the Bike It project.

Mayor's Parlour

The School Council enjoyed their visit to the Mayor's parlour yesterday. Mayor Garry Peltzer Dunn told the children a little bit about the history of Brighton and Hove Council and his role as the Mayor.

Learning Journey Celebrations

Teachers are planning their Learning Journey celebration event for this term. Parents and Carers will be invited into class on an open afternoon to find out more about the children’s learning journeys and the excellent work they have produced. Each class will send out invitations to parent/carers to attend a celebration before the end of term. So look out for that invitation and come along to find out more about what your child has been working on this term.

On Time Teds

The winners this week are Year 2 and Year 6. Well done to both those classes for having the least late marks and getting to class on time in the mornings!

World Toilet Day

The Eco Warriors are leading an assembly on Tuesday morning to raise awareness of how we can avoid using unnecessarily large amounts of water. They will also highlight how lucky we are to have good sanitation and clean drinking water unlike in some parts of the world. World Toilet Day is on Wednesday 19th November and clearly carries a serious message for us all about conserving water.

Dinner Money Please

Mrs Walker says please could dinner money payments be kept up to date and any outstanding debts be paid as soon as possible.

Little Canada Reminder

Please could year 6 parent/carers who haven’t already done so pay their deposit for the Little Canada trip in June.

Christmas Dinner Reminder

If you wish for your child to have Christmas Dinner on Wednesday 17th December please inform the school office.

Christmas Break

We finish for the Christmas break on Friday 19th December and children return to school on Tuesday 6th January.

2008-11-07T16:44:00.000Z

Creative Partnerships

We have recently recruited a creative partner who will be working in the school over the Spring Term. She is Catherine Grimaldi and she writes children’s books but also works creatively with textiles. Catherine will work with the Key Stage One staff and children on a speaking and listening project. Catherine will also be looking at ways to involve the children’s families in the work that she does with us.

Road Safety

The North Street road safety team will run road safety workshops for every class in school on Monday 10th November.

One Minute Silence

The school will be observing a minute’s silence on November the 11th at 11.o.clock in remembrance of those who have lost their lives in wars and conflict around the world.

Meeting the Mayor

Our new School Council members are visiting the Town Hall on Thursday 13th November. Mr Collins will accompany the School Council on their visit. The children will meet the Mayor for a drink and a chat in the Mayor’s Parlour

Christmas Show

The children will be performing their Christmas show at the Komedia again this year. The show takes place on Thursday 11th December in the afternoon. More news to follow later in the term.

Christmas Dinner

The children’s Christmas Dinner takes place on Wednesday 17th December.

No Nuts Please

To ensure the safety of children and adults in the school who have an allergy to nuts, please could I ask you not to put nuts in your child’s lunchbox. Thank you.

Full Governors Meeting

The full governing body is meeting Thursday 13th November. The minutes of the meeting will be available to read on the Governors notice board.

Hear the London Philharmonic for £4

The Brighton Dome have offered staff and families of the school the opportunity to go along and listen to the renowned London Philharmonic Orchestra at a highly discounted rate. The London Philharmonic Orchestra are the resident orchestra at the Dome. On Saturday 8th November (this Saturday), at 7.30 in the Dome Concert Hall. They will be performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto 2 and Suite 3. Tickets are normally £32.50 but tickets are on offer to school members for an amazing £4! If you are interested please telephone the Dome ticket office on 709709 and quote ‘’community offer’’.

Crepes and Co Offer

Crepes and Co have offered parents and carers at the school a discount. So if you fancy a delicious crepe, pop along to Crepe and Co mention Middle Street and you’ll get your discount. Crepes and Co are situated next to the old post office building in Ship Street.

Congratulations to…

Sophie Board in Year 2 for achieving her 100 metres swimming certificate. Well done Sophie!

Sam Foot in Year 2 for achieving his 25 metres swimming certificate. Well done Sam!

Madeleine Houghton in Year 6 for achieving her 1000 metres swimming certificate. Well done Madeleine!

Charlie Cloke in Year 2 for achieving his 25 metres swimming certificate. Well done Charlie!

Christmas Break

We finish for the Christmas break on Friday 19th December and children return to school on Tuesday 6th January.

2008-10-24T16:57:00.000+01:00

World Record Attempt

On Wednesday 22nd October at 9.30 the whole school took part in attempting to set a singing and signing world record along with other schools up and down the country. We sung and signed “Sunshine In ‘’My Heart”. The children performed brilliantly and were praised by all. PCOS David Hedgecock and PCOS Gill Everest joined the Rev David Coleman to verify our part in the world record attempt. We also had the pleasure of Linda Lascelles who is the Chief Executive of AFASIC, joining us. Linda praised the school’s effort in raising awareness through this event of the speech and language difficulties some children suffer with and how important signing is to them. PCOS Hedgecock and PCOS Everest enjoyed being in the school so much they stayed on and joined in with Reception’s PE lesson. There’s a video on the website of them both sharing their PE skills with the class.

Culture for Learning Policy

After a considerable amount time and effort on the part of staff and children, we have produced a ‘Culture for Learning’. This is a new policy, which replaces our policy on behaviour and discipline. This policy is a much broader and holistic policy, which fits better with the school’s ethos. If you would like to read the policy, please look on our website. Please feel free to pass on positive or constructive comments on the policy either by email or by leaving a written comment at the office. All comments gratefully received up until 14th November. A reminder also that you can read the school’s guidelines on ‘toys in school’ on our website. As with the ’Culture for Learning’ policy please feel free to comment. Comments will be gratefully received until 14th November.

Halloween Tea

We all enjoyed another fabulous afternoon tea yesterday. Lots of children and one or two adults joined in the fun by dressing up. Thank you to everyone who helped with the tea and activities. PCOS Hedgecock dropped in for a cup of tea and cake after enjoying his visit to the school on Wednesday morning.

The School Association and I were very disappointed to hear of those parents who thought it was ok to leave their children at the tea unaccompanied. You know who you are, please don’t do it again! This is not acceptable and the School Association cannot take responsibility for unaccompanied children.

The Halloween tea raised £312 for the school fund. Well done everyone.

Moving Sounds

Key Stage 2 children enjoyed workshops with the ‘Moving Sounds’ group making music with recycled objects. The workshops took place on Tuesday morning starting with an assembly where the group gave a demonstration of how recycled materials can be used to make music.

Drama Workshop

Year 3 went along to the Theatre Royal on Wednesday to take part in a drama workshop. The class had a fabulous time working with an experienced actress and a member of staff from the Theatre. The children were praised by their hosts for their brilliant behaviour, attitude and, for generally being excellent participants. Well done Year 3!

Jump Rope

Each class today has taken part in a sponsored skip today to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

Photographs

The photographer will be in school on November 5th to take photos of individual and family groups of children.

Half Term Break

We finish for the half term break at 3.05 on Friday 24th October and re-open on Tuesday 4th November. Have a great half term break.

2008-10-17T16:58:00.001+01:00

Book Week

The Middle Street book week events were very successful. The highlights of the week were the Book Fair and the Book Swap day. I think just about every child in the school ended up with at least one book to take home either from the book fair or from the book swap. Thank you to everyone who donated books to the book swap.

School Council News

The School Council met this week with a professional graffiti artist to discuss plans for a piece of artwork on a wall in the playground. They also discussed the school’s guidelines on ‘Toys in School’. If you are interested in reading through the guidelines and which toys from home are allowed in school, please look on the school website (www.middlestreet.org) next week. Please feel free to send in written constructive and respectful comments regarding the guidelines.

The school council members will be meeting the Mayor in the Mayor’s chambers on Thursday 23rd October.

Football Tournament

Our football team will be playing in a tournament on Monday 20th October. The tournament takes place at St Margaret’s Primary School in Rottingdean.

Theatre Royal Drama

Year 3 are visiting the Theatre Royal on Wednesday 22nd October to take part in a drama workshop.

Cinema Visits

Children in Key Stage 2 are visiting the cinema on Thursday 23rd October and Reception and Key Stage 1 are visiting the cinema on Friday 24th October. Key Stage 2 children will be viewing the film ‘The Prince Caspian’. Reception and Key Stage 1 will watch ‘Horton Hears a Who’.

Middle Street PTA Halloween Tea

The Halloween afternoon tea takes place on Thursday 23rd October from 3.00 – 4.15pm. Children can dress up in their scariest costume and wear them all day. The PTA team would warmly welcome helpers and donations of cakes and biscuits.

On-Time Teds

The winners this week are Year 2 and Year 3 . Well done to both classes. Well done to everyone who gets into school and class before the 9 O clock bell. Sadly though we have an exceptional number of children coming in late this week. Parents/Carers must ensure that children are in school and in class before the 9. O clock bell rings. Please do not keep your child with you if you are lining up at the office. Lateness is something the Educational Welfare Officer from the Local Authority takes very seriously.

Half Term Break

We finish for the half term break at 3.05 on Friday 24th October and re-open on Tuesday 4th November. We are closed on the Monday for a training day

World Record Attempt

On Wednesday 22nd October at 9.30 the whole school will be taking part in a singing and signing world record attempt along with other schools up and down the country. We will be singing and signing “Sunshine In My Heart”

2008-10-10T20:41:00.000+01:00

Grace Wins!

Grace Owers in Year 6 has won a National award for her brilliant Climate Change poster. Grace and a group of friends attended the awards ceremony at the Natural History museum in London on Tuesday. Much to Grace’s amazement and delight she won the national prize. Grace was awarded a cheque for the school of £1000 and prizes for herself. The competition was organised by an Energy company. Graces poster features in a calendar produced by the company. You can take a look at Graces poster displayed on the board by the office. Very well done and thank you Grace! The Eco Warriors will plan how we use the £1000 in our efforts to make the school more Eco friendly.

Visits to Jubilee Library

Classes have visited the Jubilee Library this week as part of our Book Week celebrations. We are planning to make more use of our local library. Eventually we hope to ensure that every child in the school becomes a library member.

Walk to School Week

Next week is Walk to School Week. Children will be encouraged to walk or cycle to school as part of our efforts to help stop climate change.

Parent Evenings

A reminder that our Parents evenings take place next week on Tuesday and Wednesday. If you have not made an appointment please contact the class teacher or ask for a form at the office.

School Council Meeting

The School Council will be holding their next meeting on Tuesday 14th October.

School Association Meeting

The School Association met on Wednesday to discuss future events. The next event is a Halloween afternoon tea to be held on Thursday 23rd October. Children are invited to dress up in their scariest costume. There are prizes for the best costumes. The School Association team would warmly welcome helpers. If you can offer your support please meet up with the team on Tuesday 14th October at 9.00 pm at TFI Lunch (coffee shop near Oasis).

Measles!

We have had one case of Measles reported in school.

Congratulations to..

We have another star footballer in school! Hamish Morrison in Year 4 has been signed by Brighton and Hove Albion professional football club to join its centre of excellence. Hamish completed six weeks of trials during which he played for the Brighton under-9s team in games against Millwall, Canterbury and Bournemouth. Very well done Hamish!

On Time Teds

The winners this week are: Year 2 and Year 4. Well done to both classes.

Contact Information

Please could you complete the attached contact information sheet and return to the office a.s.a.p. We can then update our files.

Half Term Break

We finish for the half term break at 3.05 on Friday 24th October and re-open on Tuesday 4th November. We are closed on the Monday for a training day.

2008-10-03T18:26:00.001+01:00

Book Week

Our book week takes place in the week beginning 6th October. During that week children will be engaged in a number of book related activities in and out of school. We will also have a Book Fair in school where books will be on sale for you to purchase. The Book Fair is on for one day only which is Monday 6th October.

Black History Month Event

As you know October is Black History month. This time is marked in a variety of ways across the school, which includes drama workshops for Key Stage 2 classes this Monday. Big Foot Drama Company will be in school for the day working with each Key Stage 2 class exploring how the people from Jamaica came to settle in the UK. The workshops are funded by the school.

Middle Street Star Footballer

I am very pleased to announce that Gabriel Davis-Winstanley in Year 6 has been selected for the under 11 Brighton and Hove District Schools Football Squad. A place in this team is a great achievement and is a great honour for Gabriel and Middle Street. Places are only awarded for exceptional players. Congratulations Gabriel and very well done!

Football Tournament

Our 7 a side team played on Friday in the first tournament of the season. They played well winning one game. Well done to the team! Thank you Ms Busby and helpers for accompanying the team to the tournament.

Grace Owers at Awards Ceremony!

Grace Owers in Year 6 has been short-listed for the Energy Impact 2050 award. Grace designed a save electricity poster for the competition that obviously impressed the judges. Grace and a group of friends will be attending the awards ceremony at the Natural History museum in London on 7th October. Well done Grace and good luck!

Parent Consultation Evenings

As you will know from your ‘Dates for Your Diary’ parent consultation meetings take place on Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th October. You will receive a letter at the beginning of next week with details and a form to return.

Walk to School Week

Walk to school week is the week beginning 13th October. Time to prepare your walking shoes!

On Time Teds

The winners this week, are Year 2 with no late marks in the register this week and Year 6 who only had 2 late marks. Amazing! Very well done to both classes.

Power of Positive Parenting

Want to know more? Read the attached sheet.

Office Post Box

To avoid long queues at the office desk in the mornings we are providing a post box for you to post payments etc into. Please put payments and details in an envelope and post it in the box rather than queuing to pay at the desk. Use the post box for lunch, trip and any other payments but please ensure you enclose all the relevant details in or on the envelope to avoid confusion. You may also use the box to post other forms etc. Hopefully this will improve your mornings and ensure a quick exit for you once you have dropped off your child.

Half Term Break

We finish for the half term break at 3.05 on Friday 24th October and re-open on Tuesday 4th November. We are closed on the Monday for a training day.

2008-09-26T16:20:00.000+01:00

Book Week and Book Fair

Our book week takes place in the week beginning 6th October. During that week children will be engaged in a number of book related activities in and out of school. We will also have a Book Fair in school where books will be on sale for you to purchase. The Book Fair is on for one day only which is Monday 6th October. Make a note in your diary to avoid missing out. Ms Stewart will be sending a letter home next week with further information on how to access the Book Fair.

Eco Ambassadors

The Middle Street Eco Ambassadors (Warriors) won an award last term for their climate change action plan. They won a £1000 for the school, which we will put to good environmentally friendly use. We are thinking of possibly buying solar panels for the school. The Ambassadors have been asked if they would attend a climate change presentation to share their excellent action plan with teachers from other schools on Friday 3rd October. They will also practise their presentation to the whole school in an assembly on Monday morning. We are very proud of the work and the achievements of our Middle Street Eco Warriors. Well done!

Well Done Grace!

Grace Owers in Year 6 has been short-listed for the Energy Impact 2050 award. Grace designed a save electricity poster for the competition that obviously impressed the judges. Grace and a group of friends will be attending the awards ceremony at the Natural History museum in London on 7th October. Well done Grace and good luck!

Football Tournament

Our football team is playing in the Small Schools 7 a side tournament this afternoon. They are playing on the pitches at East Brighton Park.

Club and Confirmation and Times

If your child has been offered a place on one of the after school clubs please could you confirm with the office staff that you wish your child to take up the place and check the start and finish time of the club.

On Time Teds

The winners are this week Year 2 and Year 6. Well done to both classes for having the least late marks. Children’s (and parents) punctuality is improving across the school. Maybe that very noisy bell at 9.00 is helping. Well done everyone!

Parent Consultation Evenings

As you will know from your ‘Dates for Your Diary’ parent consultation meeting take place on Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th October. You will receive a letter soon with more details and form to return.

New Chair of Governors

The Governors had their first meeting of the academic year yesterday. We have a new Chair: Mr Roger Wardle. Ray Williams is continuing in the post as Vice Chair.

Congratulations to..

..Sophie Walters in Year 6 for passing her Royal Academy Classical Ballet grade 3. Well done Sophie!

..Sophie Walters and Fabienne Gladwin both in Year 6 have achieved their National Swimming Award level 8. Well done to Sophie and Fabienne! Sophie I think you need to take a rest now!

..Curtis Barrell Shearer in Year 5 who recently became a Brown Belt in Karate. The next one is a Black Belt! Well done Curtis!

Well Done Everyone!

I would like to compliment all the children in the school for a brilliant start to the school year. All the children should feel proud of the effort they put into their work and their excellent attitude to school, which is commented upon by all visitors to the school.

Half Term Break

We finish for the half term break at 3.05 on Friday 24th October and re-open on Tuesday 4th November. We are closed on the Monday for a training day

2008-09-19T17:34:00.000+01:00

School Council Elections

School Council elections took place this week. Our new class representatives are as follows:

Year 1: Teo and Minoo
Year 2:Daisy and Sam
Year 3: Skye and Dylan
Year 4: Lottie and Ren
Year 5: Nina and Curtis
Year 6: Olivia and Harry

Reception will hold their election later in the term.
Congratulations and well done to all those children. Their first meeting takes place on Wednesday 24th September.

International Peace Day

Sunday 21st September is World Peace Day. To Mark the occasion Mr Brazil has taught the children a special song; ‘No Wars Will Stop Us Singing’. On the same day is the Brighton Car Free day. Roads will be closed off around the school and Mr Brazil will be running a workshop making a Sea Serpent. Mr Brazil will be based in Red Lion Lane. He would love for you all to come along and join him there in the workshop.

Let’s Pedestrianise Boyces Street

I received some very disappointing news today. You may remember signing a petition a few months back to pedestrianise Boyces Street to make it a safer road for children attending Middle Street. Things looked positive for a while following a meeting with the North Street Road Safety Team. However I have just heard that nothing is to be done to make Boyces Street safer for our children. If you have the time and would like to take this issue up on behalf of the school community please let me know. It would be great if we could improve the environment around the school, making it safer and generally a more pleasant street to walk down.

On Time Teds

The 2 classes that received the least late marks this week are Year 1 and Year 2. They win the On Time Teds this week. Who will win next week?

Evening Argus Photograph

An Evening Argus photographer visited the Reception class on Monday to take a class photo. The photo will be part of a starting school supplement hopefully on Friday 26th September.

Amendment to Diary Dates

Please could you amend a date in your ‘Dates for Your Diary’ attached to last weeks Friday News. There will not be a Christmas Performance on 12th December.

Meet the New Teacher

Parents joined class teachers this week for a brief meeting in classes to talk about expectations for the year ahead. I must apologise for not putting the dates and times in last week's Friday News. So if you were not able to come in for the meeting and you would like to meet with the class teacher please make an appointment with them. Reception Parents meeting will take place on Thursday 25th September at 9.10.

We Are Sailing

As part of their learning journey Year 4 went sailing at Hove Lagoon this week. They learnt all the basic safety rules and some sailing skills. They had a great time without getting too wet!

Eco Warriors Presentation

Our Eco Warriors have been asked to present their climate change work to teachers at a special event on Friday 3rd October.

Late Children

If you are bringing your child in late please could you ensure you check in at the office. Please announce that your child has arrived and also state if they need a school dinner or are having a packed lunch.

Lost Property

Please remember to name clothing and other items and to check lost property regularly.

2008-09-12T19:14:00.001+01:00

Welcome Back

It’s great to see you all again! The children have all settled into their new classes and getting to know their new teacher and classroom. We also have new children joining the school. Lots of happy little faces in Reception and new children in other year groups. A very warm welcome to all the new children and their families from everyone here at Middle Street.

Deep Learning and Creative Partnerships

Middle Street staff are involved in two brilliant projects at the moment. The Deep Learning project involves developing the curriculum, making it more exciting through cross-curricular ‘learning journeys’. We are also now part of the Creative Partnerships programme, which is funded by the Arts Council. Through this programme the children will work with a creative partner (artistic practitioner) on a project. This will take place in the Spring Term. We are also hoping to involve parents and carers in the project. More information to follow in the near future.

Curriculum Letters

Teachers will be sending home their curriculum letters on Monday. The letters contain information about the learning taking place this half term and also helpful general organisational information. Make sure you get yours!

Dates for Diary

Please find attached a list of important dates for your diary. All the dates are provisional and will be confirmed nearer the time but it gives you a good idea of when events etc will take place.

Evening Argus

A photographer from the Evening Argus will be photographing our Reception class on Monday. This is for a feature in the Argus on the children’s first day at school.

School Council Elections

School Council elections take place on 17th September. Those children interested in becoming a council member will have a little preparation to do for the elections.

Violin and Keyboard Lessons

Violin and Keyboard lessons have begun or are about to begin. Those children involved will have letters with times of lessons. There are still places for those children interested in learning the violin (Years 3 to 6). If your child is interested please contact the Music Service on 293524.

Choir Begins..

Choir begins with Mr Brazil next Friday 19th September. If your child is interested in joining the Choir they will be bring home a letter with further information. Children from Year 4 to Year 6 are given the opportunity to join.
We are also interested in running a samba club in the spring term. We are currently looking to find some one to lead the club and teach samba. If you have those skills or know someone who does and would like to run the club please let Mr Brazil or I know.

School Association Coffee Morning

The School Association monthly Coffee mornings begin on Wednesday the 1st of October. Please drop in for a coffee and a chat from 9 am to 10 am. Coffee will be served in the Family room (opposite the school office).

Lost Property

The lost property box can now be found in the main corridor cloakroom area. Lost property will be given to charity at the end of each month. Property that is named will be returned to its owner.

Congratulations to..

Tyus Thiruchelvam in Year 2 for achieving his level 2 swimming award. Well done Tyus!

2008-07-18T18:03:00.001+01:00

End of Year Reports Today

The end of year reports will be handed out today. Make sure you or your child collects it before leaving at the end of the day.

Y5 children on Meridian Tonight

Last week a group of children from Year 5 joined Mr Collins and I to take part in an interview with Meridian TV. They interviewed us about the successful work we have carried out on challenging homophobic language in the school. The interview forms part of a larger presentation on homophobic bullying in schools. The interview should be aired this evening on Meridian Tonight at 6.00 pm.

Y5 Child Wins Competition

Grace Owers in Year 5 is the regional winner of the TAC energy impact competition. Grace created a poster that was designed to encourage friends and parents to think about the impact of conserving energy. Grace has been entered into the national final, which will take place in October. Well done Grace and good luck!

On-Time Teds

The winners of the On-Time Teds this week are Year 2 and Year 6. Well done all of you for being so punctual all week!

Class Photos Last Day

Today is the last day to purchase your child’s class photo. Photos are on sale at the office.

Year 6 Bowling

Year 6 had a fabulous time bowling on Wednesday afternoon. The bowling trip was a special celebratory leavers treat funded by the School Association. Year 6 children would like to say a big THANK YOU to the School Association.

Open Afternoon and a Cup of Tea

Parents and Carers enjoyed looking through their child’s work this afternoon. They were then able to join other parents and carers for a cup of tea and cake in the hall. The Afternoon Tea was put on for us all by the School Association. Many thanks to Izzy Mackender for a delicious spread.

Clear Pegs and Lost Property

Please remove all your child’s clothing etc from their peg today. Please also check lost property as everything left will be bagged up and donated to charity.

School Dinners Next Term

The cost of a school dinner increases to £1.90 a day and £9.50 per week.

Deep Learning

You may have been aware that teachers have been working with the children in a slightly different way this term. Children have been exploring the curriculum through ‘Learning Journeys’. This is a cross-curricular approach to learning and aims to make learning irresistible to the children. The learning is themed and involves using visits, visitors, artefacts and much more to inspire and engage children. We are developing this way of working next term and I look forward to telling you more about it in September.

Nick Sharratt Appearing at Waterstones

Nick Sharratt would love Middle Street children to join him at Waterstones bookshop tomorrow at 12.00 noon. He will be reading from his book ‘More Pants’. Pop in for a chat and maybe buy a copy of ‘More Pants’ and ask Nick to sign it for you.

Chinese Festival for Children and Families

On Sunday 24th August from 1.00 till 5.00 the Royal Pavilion and Museum will be holding a Chinese Festival in the Pavilion Gardens. There will be a variety of performances, demonstrations and have- a- go activities led by the local Chinese community for all to enjoy. The event is free. Pick up a leaflet for more information from the table in the school foyer.

Congratulations to…

Felix Sheppard achieved his Green Belt in Nimpo Ti Jitsu on Tuesday evening. Well done Felix!

Ollie Hancock in Year 5 won 3 Gold and 2 Bronze medals in a Kung Fu and Tai Chi competition last Sunday. Well done Ollie!

Goodbye and Good Luck

Goodbye and good luck to Ms Sheldrick and Ms James who have both completed their teacher training with us. Goodbye and good luck to Mrs George, who has been a Teaching Assistant with us for 10 Years. Goodbye and good luck to Mr Dawson, who replaced Ms Stewart for the Year. We are sad to see you go. Thank you to all of the above for everything they have done for the school. We shall miss you all!

I would like to say on behalf of everyone at Middle Street a fond farewell and good luck to those children leaving us to move abroad or attend a school closer to home. Finally goodbye and good luck to all the Year 6 children, who are moving on to their secondary schools. You have been a fabulous Year 6 well done and thank you! Xx

End of Term

We close for the summer holidays at 3.05 pm on Tuesday 22nd July and re-open on Monday 8th September. Nursery Re-opens on Monday 15th September (Please note change of date from previous Friday News

Have a wonderful summer break everyone and we look forward to seeing you all in September.

2008-07-11T18:04:00.001+01:00

Emergency School Closure

The school will be closed on Wednesday 16th July and Thursday 17th July (next week). This is due to Unison strike action. A letter was sent home earlier this week informing you of the 2 day closure.

End of Year Reports

The end of year reports will be out on Friday 18th July. There has been a delay with return of the end of Key Stage 2 SAT results. We are hoping to receive them at the end of next week. You may have read about the problems with the new systems put in place for marking SATs papers etc in the national press.

On Time Teds

The winners of the On-Time Teds this week are: Year R and Year 6. Well done to all the children in Reception and Year 6 for getting into class on time. Each class received only one late mark each in the register this week.

Year 6 Picnic

If the weather permits Year 6 should be joining Year 6 pupils from other local schools for a picnic and games on the field at BHASVIC. The children will be put into secondary school groupings. This provides them with the opportunity to make new friends before they begin Year 7 together in their new schools.

Nursery and Reception Sports Day

The rain stopped long enough on Tuesday for Reception and Nursery children to enjoy their sports day. Photos of the event can be found on our website.

New Classes

Children will be meeting their new teachers on Monday 14th July. They will spend from 9.30 until 11.30 in their new classroom taking part in activities in preparation for the new term.

Year 6 Leavers Assembly

The Year 6 leaver’s assembly takes place on Monday 21st July at 1.30. Year 6 parents and carers are invited along to help us celebrate this special event.

Class Photos

Class photos are displayed in the school office for you to look at. You may purchase a photo from the office for £8. If you are unable to get into the office to view your child’s class photo please phone the office to make another arrangement. Photos must be paid for before Friday 18th July.

Dinner Money and other Debts

Please could all dinner money and trip payment debts be paid up by the end of next week. These debts impact on the school budget and in turn impact on provision for the children. Please keep up to date with payments.

Lost Property Etc

Please check lost property this week before it is sent off to charity. Please also take home bikes, scooters and skateboards daily. There are a number of scooters and one or two bikes that appear to have been abandoned. Any bikes etc left at the end of term will be donated to charity.

Road Safety

Please could parents and carers take extra care of their children when leaving the school. With the road works and congestion around the school making it difficult to move safely along the pavements at the moment it is very important that children should walk with parents rather than run ahead. Please also be wary of cars backing out of the school car park and leaving other car parks near by.

Roman and Mimi on the Radio

Roman Year 5 and Mimi Year R can be heard on the radio from 11.30 until about 1.00 tomorrow morning. They will be in conversation with CBBs presenter Sid Sloane talking about black community champions and Roman will be also reviewing a book.

Congratulations to…

Eden Nathaniel in Year 1 who has achieved his Blue Belt in Jujitsu. Well done Eden!

End of Term

We close for the summer holidays at 3.05 pm on Tuesday 22nd July and re-open on Monday 8th September.

Nursery Re-opens on Monday 15th September

2008-07-04T14:25:00.001+01:00

Nick Sharratt Presents Award

Nick Sharratt the children’s author and illustrator joined us for assembly this morning. He told some of his stories and then the children helped him choose a page for his new book. Nick then presented our Artsmark Gold Award to Drew Marriott from Year 4 who accepted the award on behalf of the school. Many thanks to Nick Sharratt for giving up some his time to join us for this special celebration assembly.

Little Canada and Year 6

Year 6 had a fabulous time at Little Canada on the Isle of Wight over the weekend. They were all outstanding in their behaviour and their positive attitude to some challenging activities. Mr Dawson, Ms Sinclaire, Mr Collins and I were all extremely proud of them. Well done Year 6!

Year 2 Visit Pavilion

Year 2 enjoyed their visit to the Royal Pavilion on Wednesday. They explored the many rooms and found out lots of interesting facts about the Pavilion’s history

Year 3 Servants

Year 3 children dressed up for a visit to Preston Manor and spent the morning under a strict Edwardian regime working as children and adults did during that time period in the house. They then enjoyed a picnic and games in Preston Park.

Nursery and Reception Sports Day

Nursery and Reception children are looking forward to their Sports Day on Tuesday 8th July.

Year 5 to Visit Preston Manor

Year 5 are visiting Preston Manor on Tuesday 8th July.

Year 6 Picnic

Year 6 children have been invited to join other Year 6 children from local schools for a picnic and games on the field at BAHSVIC on Friday 11th July. They will all need to bring a packed lunch on that day to take with them.

Year 6 Bowling

As their special treat we are taking Year 6 bowling on Wednesday 16th July in the afternoon. They will also have a snack and a trip there on the Volks railway. The children will need collecting at the end of the afternoon from the Bowlplex at the Marina. A contribution of £1 will be greatly appreciated. More info to follow.

Year 6 Leavers Assembly

The Year 6 Leavers Assembly, always a special event, takes place on Monday 21st July at 1.30. Year 6 parents are invited to attend.

Class Photos

The children will be having their class photos taken on this coming Monday.

Health and Safety Message

When you have collected your child at the end of the day please could you ensure they do not come back into school. This is because teachers are worrying that certain children are returning unaccompanied and are putting themselves at risk. It also makes it difficult for the teacher to be sure who has or has not been collected. They worry about the safety of the children which, I am sure you understand how stressful this is when there are so many people around and the gates are open at the end of the day.

Please could we ask that that all parents and children leave the school grounds by 3.30 and not use the play equipment in the front playground. We need to ensure the premises are secure and it is hard to do this if parents are still in the school grounds. Thank you for your co-operation.

Possible Strike Action

There is a strong possibility that members of Unison will be on strike on the 16th and 17th July. We may not have enough staff to open on those dates so pleased be warned of a possible school closure. I will let you know as soon as possible the final decision.

School Association Update

The final amount raised at the School Summer Fair is £3821! Thank you to everyone who came along on the day, bought raffle tickets or contributed in another way it is down to you that we have raised so much money. Well done everyone!

Congratulations to…

Monica Marshall in Year 5 who has achieved the 5th grade in White Crane Kung Fu A grade. Well done Monica!

Mason and Kyle Bohannan and Ella Scott who took part in the ‘Run for Children’ on Saturday at Preston Park. All three children did very well and won medals. Well done Mason, Kyle and Ella!

End of Term

We close for the summer holidays at 3.05 pm on Tuesday 22nd July and re-open on Monday 8th September.

Nursery Re-opens on Monday 15th September

2008-06-27T16:44:00.001+01:00

Sports Day

Fantastic! Another fabulous, sunny Middle Street Sports Day. Every year we are stunned at how many talented athletes we have in the school. Well done to all the children who took part and a special mention to Gabriel Archibald in Year 6 who took part in many events to cover the absence of others in his team. Thank you to all you lovely parents and carers who came and cheered every one on.

School Summer Fair

I am sure you all enjoyed the rather marvellous Summer Fair this year. Thank you to everyone who came along to join in the fun and an extra special round of applause to Mark Williams who compered the Talent Show. Well done to all the members of the School Association.

Athletic Championships

Ms Busby and a large group of Key Stage 2 children attended the Brighton and Hove’s Athletic Championships at Withdean stadium on Tuesday. As always the children representing Middle Street were brilliant and did very well. Between them they won 10 bronze medals, 8 silver medals and 8 gold medals. Well done to all who went along and thank you to the parents who kindly helped on the day.

Smugglers Adventure

Year 3 are off today on an adventure exploring the smugglers caves in Hastings. They are finding out about pirates and smugglers as part of their learning journey.

Blackberry Farm

Nursery and Reception children are spending today at Blackberry Farm. I’m sure they are having a wonderful time exploring and petting the animals.

Little Canada

Year 6 are on their way to the Isle of Wight to enjoy a fun packed weekend of adventures at ‘Little Canada’. They are joined by Mr Dawson, Ms Sinclaire, Mr Collins and I will be joining them later today.

Library Book Amnesty

Please could you check at home for Middle Street library books that need returning to our library. Do not worry if you have had them for some time we won’t be charging an over due fee or scowling at you. We will just be pleased to have the books returned.

School Association Coffee Morning

The next School Association coffee morning takes place on Wednesday 2nd July at 9.00.

Musical Celebration

Unfortunately we will not be able to invite parents and carers in for our end of year musical celebrations. This is, as you have probably guessed due to fire safety regulations, which limit the number of people we can have in the hall. It wasn’t possible to find another venue although we tried very hard to do so. The children will still take part in a musical celebration before the end of term. The highlights will be on the web site for you to enjoy.

Water Works Road Closure

Southern water will be carrying out improvements to the water works in Boyces Street. It is anticipated the work will begin on Monday June 30th. Boyces Street will be closed to traffic for approximately 3 weeks from that date. The school may be without a water supply for periods of time. Hopefully this will not cause any serious problems to the running of the school.

Congratulations to…

Robbie Clancy in year 1 who has achieved his Ninppo grade and been awarded his Green belt. Well done Robbie!

End of Term

We close for the summer holidays at 3.05 pm on Tuesday 22nd July and re-open on Monday 8th September.

Nursery Re-opens on Monday 15th September

2008-06-20T17:10:00.000+01:00

Summer Fair

We are all looking forward to the Summer Fair tomorrow and hope that the weather will be glorious for us. The fun starts at midday and continues until 3.00pm and includes a great many different stalls, a raffle with some fantastic prizes and the highlight of the event – ‘Middle Street’s Got Talent’. This is a wonderful opportunity for our children to show off their talents. So bring lots of money and we’ll see you there to join in the fun.

Year 2 Assembly

On Tuesday Year 2 showed off their sporting skills during their assembly. They have been working on a multi-skills programme led by Dorothy Stringer Sports College during the last two terms. They were awarded certificates during the assembly for all of their hard work.

Arts Mark Awards

On Thursday Sivan and Ella from Year 6 joined Mrs Aldous and Miss Moriarty at the Corn Exchange in order to receive our Artsmark Gold Award. We are extremely pleased to receive this award for our continued commitment to the arts as we value all of the creative work that we do at Middle Street. It is great for us to receive this recognition for the hard work that we do.

On Time Teds

The winners of the On Time Teds for this week are Year 2 and Year 3. Congratulations to those two classes.

Year 4 Trip

On Thursday Year 4 enjoyed their trip to the Fishing Museum on Brighton seafront. This visit was related to their learning journey on shipwrecks.

Year 5 Learning Journey

Year 5 have been learning all about rivers and water for their learning journey over the past two weeks. During this time they have visited Cuckmere Haven and visited the Jubilee Library in order to research the topic even further. They learnt even more with a visit from Southern Water on Monday, where the emphasis was on water conservation.

Class teachers for The Next Academic Year

Here are the teachers and year groups for next year. As you can see there are a few changes.

Reception – Mrs Denyer

Year 1 – Mrs Noble

Year 2 - Miss Busby

Year 3 – Miss Moriarty

Year 4 – Miss Layzell

Miss Hawes

Year 5 – Miss Stewart

Year 6 – Miss Whiting

The teachers are all very excited about meeting their new classes for the morning on Monday the 14th of July.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Roman Stewart who has had two articles printed in the June edition of the Mosaic newsletter. In one article he interviews the CBBC presenter Sid Sloane and in another he gives instructions on how to make a jumper monkey. A career in journalism beckons.

Sports Day Reminder
You should have received a letter about sports day yesterday giving you all of the information you need. Sports day is next Thursday, the 26th June. If you haven’t, for whatever reason, received your letter then please call in at the office for a copy.

Boyces Street Road Closure

Southern water will be carrying out important maintenance work in Boyces Street at the end of this month. The street will be closed to traffic from Monday the 30th of June for 3 weeks during weekdays.

2008-06-13T17:07:00.000+01:00

School Association Summer Fair

We are looking forward to seeing you all here for the Summer Fair on Saturday 21st June. There’s lots going on to thrill and excite you. This year we have managed to have Boyces Street closed off to traffic so events will take place in Boyces Street as well as in the hall and playground. We know you are all very talented so we’ll be expecting some wonderful performances from you in the Talent Contest. Raffle tickets are on sale at the school office. The raffle prizes are fantastic and have been donated by local shops and businesses. The School Association would also like donations of cakes, books, DVDs etc.

Year 5 Visit Cuckmere Haven

Year 5 enjoyed their trip to Cuckmere Haven yesterday despite the weather! They explored the riverbank and the countryside and had a soggy picnic.

On-Time Teds

The winners of the On-Time Teds, this week, are: Year 1 with only 4 late marks in the register and Year 3 with only 3 late marks. Well done to both classes!

Summer Clothing

Children need to wear appropriate clothing for school. We don’t have a school uniform but we would like children to avoid wearing strappy tops (tops that have very thin straps). This to avoid sunburn on exposed shoulders at playtimes. Also very strappy tops are not appropriate clothing for school. Very short skirts should also be avoided as it can cause embarrassing moments for the child when sitting on the carpet or running around the playground. Shorts are fine.

Footwear should be secure (not flopping around and loose) on the feet with a slingback if they are sandals. Flip flops are dangerous and children have had nasty accidents in the past when they have worn them.

Bring a Bear Show You Care

Paddington Bear is 50 this month. To help him celebrate please bring your favourite bear to school on Friday 20th June and give a £1 to Action Medical Research to help sick babies. Please hand your donation to the school office. Thank you.

Governors School Profile

The Governors have completed the School Profile for this year. This as you know replaces the Governors Annual General Meeting with parents and carers. You can read the report online at www.schoolsfinder.direct.gov.uk

Lila is Very Happy!

Lila is very pleased to have her missing DS and games returned following the plea for help in last weeks Friday News.

Events Coming Up:

Summer Fair Saturday 21st June.

Sports Day on 26th June.

Nursery and Reception are holding their sports day on 8th July.

Children meeting their new teacher and visiting new classroom on 14th July.

Open afternoon to view children’s work on 17th July. This event is followed by the School Association’s Afternoon Tea.

End of term is Tuesday 22nd July.

We close for the Summer holidays at 3.05 pm on Tuesday 22nd July.

2008-06-06T16:17:00.000+01:00

Artsmark Award!

I am very proud to share with you that we have been awarded the Arts Council’s Artsmark Gold Award for our outstanding work in the creative arts. 2 members of staff will be attending an awards ceremony at the Corn Exchange on 19th June to receive the award. The school will be listed in local and national press along with other schools who have been awarded the Artsmark.

On Time Teds

The winners of the On-Time Teds this week are Year 2 and Year 3. Both these Year groups win regularly, well done to them!

Keyboards Performance

The children who have been learning the keyboard this year are performing to the rest of the school on Monday afternoon.

Bike It News

Ben our Bike It co-ordinator will be talking in assembly on Monday about a virtual bike race competition. The race starts the week beginning 16th June. 12 schools are taking part and the winning school gets to challenge Ben to ride from Lands End to Brighton. Find out more in Monday’s assembly.

Go-go Figures

As cute as they are the Go-go figures are causing a few problems in school mainly because children are swapping etc. To avoid any further upset children are now only allowed to have Go-go figures in school on a Friday and can only play with them during Golden Time. The figures should not be in school on any other day.

Lost Property and Cloakroom Untidiness

Please could parent/carers check their child’s cloakroom area for clothing, footwear, PE kits, swimming kit etc. There is so much spare unnamed clothing lying around the cloakrooms that must belong to some of you which is making the cloakrooms difficult to keep tidy. For example there is a pair of green wellington boots that have stood around the junior cloakroom area for months. Please check and take away what’s yours and please, please name PE kit and plimsolls. It is ridiculous the amount of unclaimed clothing that ends up going to charity shops.

Missing

Lila in Year 6 is very sad. Her Nintendo DS has gone missing, as has some money from her purse. Please could everyone check they haven’t taken the DS or the money by mistake. We have searched in school but to no avail.

Oscar in Year 4 is also missing his bag of Go-go figures so please could everyone check they haven’t taken Oscar’s figures home by mistake. If any of these items are found please return them to the office and we will pass them on. All children have been spoken to about respecting each other’s property and keeping their property safe.

Keeping Things Safe

Our advice to all children is to avoid bringing precious items into school. If they have to or want to then they must hand whatever it is to the school office for safekeeping. Children should avoid carrying money with them in school. If they do have to bring money into school it should be placed in a named purse or container and handed in to the office.

School Association Summer Fair

The School Association would appreciate donations of the following items for the School Fair to be held on 21st June: unused toys,

Bottles of wine, olive oil etc, sweets and chocolates, books, DVDs, CDs videos and cakes.

Sports Day

Our Sports Day this year is on Thursday 26th June in the morning. It will, as usual take place at Withdean Stadium. More details to follow

Summer Holidays

We close for the Summer holidays at 3.05 pm on Tuesday 22nd July.

2008-05-23T17:08:00.000+01:00

School Association Summer Fair

The School Association Summer Fair takes place on Saturday 21st June. They would very much appreciate donations for the raffle prizes, tombola prizes and second hand books and DVDs in good condition.

Year 4 Residential Fun

Year 4 returned from their residential trip to Telscombe youth hostel. They had a fabulous couple of days. They spent time on a nearby farm cuddling lambs, visited Drusillas and took a trip to Battle where the explored the battle field and heard all about the Battle of Hastings. Thank you Mrs Whiting, Ms Naylor, Mrs Denyer, Mrs Mcgeachin and Mr Massey who all went along too. An extra special thank you goes out to Lawrie’s Mum who made cakes and drinks for all and for making everyone very welcome at Telscombe Manor.

Tag Rugby Team Do Well

The Middle Street tag rugby team have played twice this week. They played earlier in the week and did so well they went through to the finals which took place yesterday. They came third overall which is brilliant as they were playing against bigger schools with more experience (and outdoor space) Well done to all. Thank you to those parents who went along to support and to those who helped Ms Busby out with travel arrangements.

On Time Teds

The winners of the On Time Teds for punctuality this week are Year 2 and Year 6.

Year 4 Swimming

Year 4 has one more swimming session after half term. So please remember to meet Ms Busby at the swimming pool on the first Monday back after half term.

Sports Day

Our Sports Day this year is on Thursday 26th June in the morning. It will, as usual take place at Withdean Stadium. More details to follow

School Association Coffee Morning

The next School Association coffee morning will take place on Wednesday 4th June at 9.00 am in the Family Room.

Congratulations to…

Harvey Walters in Reception who has passed his National Swimming Level One certificate and achieved his 5 metres distance badge. Well done Harvey

Half Term Break

The school closes today for the half term break. We open again on Monday 2nd June.

Summer Holidays

We close for the Summer holidays at the 3.05 pm on Tuesday 22nd July. The school opens for the new academic year on Monday 8th September.

2008-05-16T17:48:00.001+01:00

Hooray SATs Have Been Sat!

Year 6 children are celebrating the end of their SATs tests today. Their final test was this morning. All the children made a huge effort and worked hard on all their tests. Well done Year 6 and now you can look forward to your ‘Little Canada’ residential trip in June.

Year 1 Enjoy Visit to Allotments

Year 1 visited Moulsecoomb Community Project allotments today. They had a great time meeting one of the gardeners and finding out how they can help their plants to grow healthy and strong.

Year 4 Residential Trip

Ms Whiting and Year 4 children are looking forward to their one night stay at Telscombe Youth Hostel. Next week they will be spending a couple of days exploring the local area of Telscombe and enjoying a giant sleepover at the youth hostel on Wednesday 21st May.

Sports Day

Our Sports Day this year is on Thursday 26th June in the morning. It will, as usual take place at Withdean Stadium. More details to follow soon.
School Association Coffee Morning
The next School Association coffee morning will take place on Wednesday 4th June at 9.00 am in the Family Room.

School Association Summer Fair

The School Association are holding a summer fair in school on Saturday 21st June.

Please Use the Bike Racks!

Message for children and adults. Please could everyone who cycles to school lock their bikes upright to the bike racks provided. Lots of children are leaning bikes and scooters against the main gate, lying them on the ground or propped against the seating. The bikes that are not correctly parked are causing problems and are a risk to the children’s and adults safety.
Some bikes appear to have been left sad and alone for a number of days. Please could they be collected and taken home. Thank you.

Outstanding Payments

Please could Year 4 parents please ensure they have paid in full for the trip to Telscombe youth hostel and returned completed medical forms.
Please keep up to date with payments for the Year 6 Little Canada residential trip in June.

Christmas Performance DVDs on Sale

You can now purchase a DVD of the Middle Street December 2007 Christmas shows. You may buy the DVD from the school office for £5. What a bargain for such a wonderful show!

Congratulations to…

Hannah Dunsmore in Year 6 who has won a Gold Medal whilst taking part in the Brighton and Hove Gymnastics competition.

Half Term Break

We finish for the half term break on Friday 23rd May and return to school on Monday 2nd June.

2008-05-09T17:56:00.000+01:00

Children’s Parade

Thank you to everyone who came along and joined us for the Children’s Parade on Saturday. We had a really good turnout and everyone being dressed in black and white ensured we stood out in the crowd. It was wonderful to see the effort everyone went to in creating great and imaginative costumes. The very large crosses, circles and flags looked fabulous too!

Girls Football Tournament

Our Year 5/Year 6 girl’s football team played yesterday in a tournament held at Waterhall. They played extremely well and were awarded certificates in assembly today.

Year 5 Visiting Synagogue

Year 5 children are visiting the Brighton Synagogue on Thursday 15th May as part of their RE topic.

On–Time Teds

The most punctual classes this week were Year 1 and Year 3. Well done to both classes for making the effort to get into school and into class on time.

Year 1 visiting Allotments

Year 1 will be travelling by train to visit the Moulsecoomb Community Project allotments next Friday. They will be meeting one of the gardeners and finding out how they can help their plants to grow healthy and strong.

Tag Rugby Tournament

A team of Year 5 and Year 6 children are taking part in a Tag Rugby tournament on Monday 19th May. The team has been training regularly for this event with a tag rugby coach and Ms Whiting.

Dinner Money Debts

Mrs Walker is wondering if the troubles suffered by Northern Rock are going to happen to us! We have a huge dinner money debt as so many parents are not keeping up to date with payments. Please check at the office what you owe and please keep up to date with payments.

Too Much Jewellery

Please could I remind you that children should not be wearing jewellery in school unless there is a special reason for it. It is a health and safety requirement and the rule is there to ensure your child is not at risk of injury.

Sports Day

Our Sports Day this year is on Thursday 26th June in the morning. It will, as usual take place at Withdean Stadium. More details to follow soon.

School Association Coffee Morning

The next School Association coffee morning will take place on Wednesday 4th June at 9.00 am in the Family Room.

School Association Summer Fair

The School Association are holding a summer fair in school on Saturday 21st June.

Half Term Break

We finish for the half term break on Friday 23rd May and return to school on Monday 2nd June.

2008-05-02T18:35:00.001+01:00

Children’s Parade

Parade takes place tomorrow. The theme for Middle Street is Noughts and Crosses. Everyone attending the parade should wear black and white. Feel free to be as imaginative and flamboyant as you wish. The children have made flags to carry. Thank you to Mrs Holton and Mrs Purdy who have assisted the children with making flags. Our flag (position) number at the parade is 61 and children and families joining the parade should assemble in Gloucester Street by 10.00. The Samba band should meet Mr Brazil in Gloucester Street at 9.45.

Brighton Morris Men

We hope you all enjoyed the start to the month of May, which we celebrated with the Brighton Morris Men. What a wonderful way to start the day with so much dancing and fun. Many children got the opportunity later in the morning to join the Morris men learning and then performing a traditional dance. If you are interested in seeing more of the Brighton Morris Men a list of dates and performances (held at pubs obviously!) is on the notice board in the foyer.

Year 1 Assembly

Lara made a wonderful duck and Eve a great farmer when Year 1 performed the story of ‘Farmer Duck’. The whole of Year 1 put on a stunning performance of the story for their parents and 2 Junior classes. The 3 narrators were also very impressive speaking very clearly so that everyone could here the story.
Well done Year 1!

Football Tournaments

The Year 6 football team played at Varndean College on Wednesday. They played very well. The same team with some additions from Year 5 played in a tournament at Waterhall on Thursday. The team drew 4 and won 2 games. They did very well overall in the tournament. Well done to all who played in the tournaments. The Year 5 and 6 girl’s football team is playing in a tournament on Thursday 8th May.

School Association Coffee Morning

The next School Association coffee morning takes place on Wednesday 7th May at 9.00 am in the Family room as usual.

Governors Resources Committee Meeting

The Governors Resources Committee are meeting on Thursday 8th May. The focus of their meeting will be budget for the next financial year.

Half Term Break

Don’t forget we have a May Day holiday this Monday 5th May. We finish for the half term break on Friday 23rd May and return to school on Monday 2nd June.

2008-04-25T16:40:00.000+01:00

Great Fire of London- Not!

Year 2 were left feeling rather disappointed today. They had planned to safely re-enact the Great Fire of London in the school playground with a model of London. The session had been planned carefully with risk assessments etc and with the agreement (or so we thought, following several discussions on the phone with them) of the Fire Service who were booked to come along to support and ensure the fire was safely extinguished. When the crew arrived they refused to allow the fire to be lit and said they had no knowledge of our plans. We will of course be looking into why we were misinformed. Year 2 did get to explore the fire engine and have a chat with the fire fighters.

Fire Brigade Visit Nursery

The Fire Brigade visited the Nursery today. The children were able to find out all about fire fighters and enjoyed exploring the fire engine. Most of all they enjoyed using the fire hose and squirting water at passers by!

Children’s Festival Parade

The Children’s Festival Parade takes place on Saturday the 3rd of May. The theme for Middle Street is Noughts and Crosses. Everyone attending the parade should wear black and white. Feel free to be as imaginative and flamboyant as you wish. The children will be carrying and waving flags. Many thanks to all those parents and children who have been coming along to the parade workshops. Your creations look wonderful. Our flag number at the parade is 61 and children and families joining the parade should assemble in Gloucester Street by 10.30.

The Samba band will be joining the parade. They are practising with Mr Brazil after school today and next Friday after school.

No Choir after School Club for the next 2 weeks.

School Council to Meet the Mayor

Mr Collins and the School Council will be having tea and biscuits in the Mayors chambers with Brighton’s Mayor Mrs Carol Theobald. The children will be meeting the Mayor for tea on Monday the 28th of April.

Gym Festival

Ms Whiting will be taking along a team of children from Year 4 to represent Middle Street at a Gymnastics Festival to be held at Dorothy Stringer School on Wednesday the 30th of April.

Football tournaments

The Year 6 football team is playing at Varndean College on Wednesday the 30th of April. A team of Year 5 and 6 boys are playing in a football tournament at Waterhall on Thursday the 1st of May. The Year 5 and 6 girls’ football team is playing in a tournament on Thursday the 8th of May.

School Association Coffee Morning

The next School Association coffee morning takes place on Wednesday the 7th of May at 9.00 am in the Family room as usual.

Payments Urgent!

If your child is in Year 6 and going to Little Canada in June or in Year 4 and going to Telscombe Youth Hostel in a couple of weeks we urgently need final payments.

Mrs Walker is also requesting as soon as possible any outstanding dinner money, please.

Congratulations to…

Gabriel Davis-Winstanley in Year 5 who has been signed by Brighton and Hove Albion’s Centre of Excellence. Well done Gabriel!

On Time Ted Winners (Class Punctuality Awards)

This week Year 2 won the Key Stage 1 ‘On Time Ted’ and Year 3 won the Key Stage 2
‘On Time Ted’. Well done to those classes.

Half Term Break

Don’t forget we have a May Day holiday on Monday the 5th of May. We finish for the half term break on Friday the 23rd of May and return to school on Monday the 2nd of June.

2008-04-04T17:44:00.000+01:00

The Green Oscars

Our Climate Change Eco Ambassadors attended the Brighton and Hove Young Environmentalist Awards ceremony last night. They won the Climate Change award for all their hard work helping and encouraging others to play their part in preventing climate change. They were presented with a special trophy (of recycled materials, of course) and a £1000 for the school to spend on future eco friendly initiatives. Well done to Joey, Madeleine, Ruby, Harry, Grace, Emelia, Monica, Georgia, Jessica and Ariel all in Year 5 for doing such a great job! Thank you to Ms Layzell who works with the team and who nominated the team for the award.

Climate Change Eco Ambassadors on Newsround

Our Eco warriors appeared on Thursdays Newsround to discuss the new marine life law. The law is about protecting marine life but unfortunately does not include protecting their habitats. The children were asked to comment on the new law.

Eco Café

Our Eco Warriors raised over £100 from their wonderful Eco Café. The Café was visited by lots of hungry children and adults on Tuesday. They enjoyed a variety of healthy snacks and in doing so helped the Eco Warriors raise awareness of climate change issues. They will be donating half their funds to Oxfam and the other half to Middle Street to put towards future climate change initiatives.

Cross Country

Our cross-country runners were very successful in the Brighton Primary Schools cross country event held last Saturday. In the Year 6 girls event Amelia came 4th. Well done Amelia. Tabby, Lila, Niamh, Leila, Mia, Molly M and Alice also ran and did very well. Kai came 4th and Caine 6th in the Year 6 boys event, Oscar also did well coming in 14th, well done boys. Madeleine came 2nd in the Year 5 girls event, well done Madeleine and Nerissa also ran and did well.
Sam came 8th in the Year 5 boys event. Well done Sam. Louis, Aran and Gabriel also ran and did well. How brilliant that so many children entered and that they did so well. Thank you to Ms Busby for organising the children and being there on the day and thank you to all the parents who went along to support and cheer Middle Street runners on!

Year 6 Meditate

Year 6 returned from their visit to the Brighton Buddhist centre feeling relaxed and calm. They found out about Buddhism and learned to meditate.

On-Time Teds

Our 2 On Time Teds are awarded to the infant and junior classes that have the best punctuality record for the week. This week Year 3 won the Key Stage 2 Ted and Year 2 won the Key Stage 1 Ted.

Festival Parade Workshops

The theme of this year’s parade is ‘Children’s Games’ Middle Street are going as noughts and crosses. Everyone should be dressed in black and white. Please prepare over the holidays and be as flamboyant as you wish dressed in a burlesque or circus style, as a strong man or woman, black berets, black and white faces, I think you get the idea.
Parents/carers are invited to come along to help prepare for the children’s festival parade in May. The workshops take place next week in the school hall on Monday 7th Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th April from 10.00 am – 2.00 pm. Please come along and help to make this the best Middle Street entry yet!

Goodbye to..

We are saying goodbye to our 3 trainee teachers who have spent their second placement with us. Good luck to Ms Anne McConnell, Mr Roger Aldous and Mr Carl Gendre. We would also like to say goodbye to those children leaving us today. They are Ashley and Matthew Loveday and Aiden Dore. Good luck to all of you in your new schools. We will miss you x

Congratulations to..

Nina Steel who has achieved her level 9 Swimming Certificate. Well done Nina!

Early Warning of Possible School Closure!

I thought I should warn you that there is a strong possibility that the school will be closed on Thursday 24th April due to NUT teachers strike action. Please have in place emergency child care arrangements for Thursday. I will keep you up to date and will write to you on Monday 21st April to confirm if the school will be closed on that date.

Holiday Time

We finish today for the Spring Break. School reopens on Monday 21st April. Have an enjoyable and fun break. See you all again in 2 weeks.

2008-03-28T15:06:00.000Z

Middle Street Violinists Perform

A group of children who have been learning the violin were brave enough to perform to the whole school on Tuesday morning. They performed a selection of classical pieces with a little bit of the James Bond theme tune thrown in for fun. The children performed brilliantly and were much admired by us all.

Brighton Primary Schools Cross Country Competition

Middle Street will be represented by a group of excellent runners at this event. The event takes place on Saturday morning at the Brighton Rugby Club at Waterhall. Good luck to all the Middle Street runners.

Year 6 Meditate

The Year 6 children will be visiting the Brighton Buddhist Centre on Tuesday 1st April. They will be finding out about Buddhism and learning a little bit about meditation.

Ecolicious Nutritious Café

Year 5 would like to invite everyone along to their Eco friendly and healthy café. Year 5 parents are invited to join the Year 5 children in the Hall at 2.30 pm and children and their parents/carers from the rest of the school are welcome to pop in for a snack from 3.00 pm. The Year 5 children have prepared the food themselves and will wait on the tables. They have also arranged for a variety of activities for customers to join in with. 50% of the proceeds will be donated to OXFAM and 50% will be donated towards playground equipment.

Festival Parade Workshop

We need more parents/carers to help prepare for the children’s Festival Parade which takes place on 3rd May. A workshop led by Sarah Parsons from Same Sky will be running in school on Monday 31st March from 1.30 pm. Please come along if you are able to help.

New Books in the Library

We are currently in the process of updating our school library, buying books and replacing furniture etc. We also have a (very much appreciated by us all) group of parents who will manage the library and ensure it is kept tidy and well organised. We have recently bought some new books which include the ‘Spiderwick Chronicles’ , titles by the author Sharon Creech, new editions of old favourites such as ‘Huckleberry Finn’ and a selection of scary books to mention but a few! There will be more to follow. Unfortunately some children are unable to borrow books as they are over their limit. Please check at home for overdue library books and return them to us as soon as possible. There is no charge for overdue books.

Easter Afternoon Tea

The School Association raised over £500 at the Afternoon Tea event. A big thank you to everyone who donated eggs, cakes and other prizes. The donations were very impressive and very much appreciated. Look out for more exciting School Association events coming up soon.

School Association Coffee Morning

Our monthly coffee morning takes place next Wednesday 2ND April in the Family Room from 9.00am.

Want to Know More About the Role of the Educational Psychologist?

Vivian Farmy our Educational Psychologist is running an information session on special educational needs for all interested parents at St Martins Church Hall in Lewes Road. Vivian will explain the Code of Practice, the role of the Educational Psychologist and how she works with schools. The session takes place on Tuesday 2nd April at 9.30. The 49 bus will drop you off almost outside the venue.

Opening the Main Gate

We are having lots of problems with our main gate at the moment. This is because the wrong button is being pressed to release the gate by parents/carers and visitors as they leave the school. Please remember to use the black button in the top white box on the wall. The other button is for emergencies only and stops the gate locking again once it’s been used and therefore compromises the security of the school.

Hats

We have 2 beautiful hats, which have been beautifully made by a parent. The hats are presented in a hatbox. If you would like to own one or both of these hats please speak to Vanessa Denyer (Year 1 teacher) or a member of the office staff.

Spring Term Break

We finish for the Spring Break on Friday 4th April and reopen for the new term on 21st April.

2008-03-14T17:11:00.000Z

Parents Evening

Thank you to all those parent/carers who attended the parents evenings this week. If you couldn’t make it this week but would still like to meet with the class teacher please arrange a mutually convenient time directly with the class teacher.

Brazilian Football

Our Brazilian football team are playing in a tournament today at the Sussex University.

Arts Mark Award

We were very pleased to welcome to the school a very special visitor yesterday. Recently we applied for the Arts Council Arts Mark Gold Award and yesterday the assessor arrived and spent the morning in school. She was very, very complimentary about the range of creative opportunities on offer at the school and the children’s work in all aspects of the arts. We will hear in May if we have been successful in achieving the award.

Easter Tea

The School Associations Easter Tea takes place this Thursday at 3.00 in the hall. There has been a request for helpers so please let the office know if you are able to help on the day.
There will of course be an Easter Hat Competition and a raffle. Donations of Easter Eggs and cakes will be gratefully received.

North Street Road Safety Scheme

I had the pleasure of meeting with Mr Owen McElroy on Tuesday. Owen is the project manager for the North Street Road Safety and Urban Enhancement Scheme and came in to discuss with me the issues for pedestrians around Middle Street and Boyce’s Street. This meeting came about as a result of last year’s petition to make Boyce’s Street safer for pedestrians. I will keep you informed of further developments.

New Members of Staff

You may have noticed a few new faces around school recently as we have some new members of staff. Ms Jan Bennett, Mr Andrew Wright and Ms Kelly Martin are new Teaching Assistants supporting in classes across the school. We also have 3 trainee teachers working with us until the Spring Term break. They are Ms Anne McConnell, Mr Roger Aldous and Mr Carl Gendre.

Disability Equality Duty

Next week Ms Whiting will be sending home to all parents/carers a questionnaire that will help us develop our Disability Equality Scheme. We would appreciate it if as many of you could complete it and return it as it provides us with very important information.

Congratulations to…

Joe Foot in Year 4 has achieved his 1500 metres swimming badge. Well done Joe!
Sam Foot in Year 1 has achieved his 10 metres swimming badge. Well done Sam!

Easter Weekend

Next week school finishes on Thursday for the long Easter weekend and reopens on Tuesday 25th March.

Spring Term Break

We finish for the Spring Break on Friday 4th April and reopen for the new term on 21st April.

2008-03-07T17:46:00.001Z

Lets Dance Flamenco!

Year 3 performed their stunning Flamenco dance last night at the Dome. The children were performing in the annual Primary Schools dance festival. As usual the children were true professionals and a credit to their parents and the school. Well done children and thank you to Ms Moriarty and the Year 3 staff and parents. A special thank you to Izzy Mackender, who made all the wonderful costumes.

World Book Day

Years 1 and 2 walked up to Borders Books yesterday to take part in the World Book Day celebrations. They met authors and illustrators, browsed through books and listened to stories. They also had the opportunity to ask questions.

Parents Evening

You should have received the Parents Evening letter on Wednesday. If you did not receive one you should request a copy from the office. Parents Evening takes place on Tuesday 11th and Thursday 13th March, next week.

Easter Eggs Please

We would very much appreciate Easter Egg donations for the Easter Egg raffle. The raffle will take place at the School Association’s Easter Afternoon Tea to be held on Thursday 20th March. The tea takes place in the hall from 3.00 p.m. Raffle tickets can be purchased from the school office.

Family Linx

We are very fortunate to have a family support worker attached to the school. Kathy Egan works for the ‘Family Linx’ service and is able to offer support and guidance in the family home on issues around behaviour, relationships, accessing support and information, practical help and advice. Kathy is also hoping to run some workshops for groups of parents for example: support with tackling children’s issues around bedtime and sleeping. So we’ll look forward to hearing more from Kathy in the near future.

Dinner Money Please

Mrs Walker says, please could all dinner money debts be paid up as soon as possible. Thank you.

Brazilian Football

Some of our Year 6 children will be entering a Brazilian Football competition next Friday morning. Miss Busby will be choosing the team early next week to go and compete at Sussex University.

Spring Term Break

Please remember the Easter holiday is a long weekend this year rather than part of the Spring Term break. The school is closed on Good Friday 21st March and Monday 24th March. The school closes for the Spring Term break from Monday 7th April for 2 weeks reopening on Monday 21st April.

2008-02-29T18:07:00.001Z

Year 5 and the Musical Instruments

Mr Brazil and children in Year 5 enjoyed their first lesson learning a musical instrument. Each child in Year 5 has been loaned an instrument and will receive free tuition as part of the ‘Sound Makers’ programme.

Let's Dance

Year 3 are preparing for their dance performance, which takes place at the Dome next Thursday evening. The children are taking part in the yearly Brighton and Hove Primary Schools ‘Let's Dance’ show.

World Book Day

To celebrate World Book Day Year 1 and 2 are visiting Borders Books on Thursday to meet authors and illustrators.

Works of Art Last Chance

Today is your last chance to purchase your child’s framed work of art as exhibited in the recent art exhibition. Please ask at the office if you wish to make a purchase.

Parents Evening

Parents evening letters will be sent out next week. Please ask at the office if one hasn’t arrived home by the end of the week. Parent’s evenings take place on Tuesday 11th March and Thursday 13th March.

School Association Coffee Morning

Our monthly School Association coffee morning takes place next Wednesday 5th March. Meet in the Family Room at 9.00 am.

North Street Road Safety

You may be aware that the council is currently consulting on the North Street Road Safety and Urban Enhancement Scheme. There is an exhibition on the scheme being held at the Chapel Royal North Street until 13th March. As a result of our petition regarding the issues of traffic in Boyces street the planning officer involved has asked to meet with me to discuss those issues. The aim of the scheme is to make the streets safer for pedestrians.

New Bike-It Co-ordinator

As you are aware Gary Shipp has moved on to a new job. Gary’s replacement is Ben Sharratt. Ben will be visiting the school and meeting the children in the very near future.

Lost Property Mountain

Oh dear! The lost property mountain in growing again. Please check through for any items that belong to your child before we bag it up and donate it to the charity shops. The lost property can be found spread on a table just inside the main entrance. You can’t miss it!

Please Check Cloakrooms

To help us keep lost property to a minimum please could you check your child’s peg and cloakroom area for any items of clothing lying around on shelves etc. Also please write your child’s name in their clothing. It makes it easier for us to return any found items to their owners.

Congratulations to..

To Tyus Thirucheluam in Year 1 who has achieved his level 1 swimming certificate. Well done Tyus!

2008-02-15T09:23:00.001Z

Basic Skills Quality Mark

Hooray we have achieved the Basic Skills Quality Mark for the third time running. We were put through a rigorous assessment process on Tuesday so the award is well earned!

Amazing Art Exhibition

We were all thoroughly stunned by the fantastic art on display during the art exhibition yesterday. The frames really showed off the artwork beautifully.

Investigations Week

We’ve had eggs parachuting from the windows and exploding fountains of fizzy drinks this week as part of Investigations Week. The children (and the grown ups) have had a great time as they worked on their maths and science investigations and experiments. To complete the week each class visited the hall to take part in a variety of activities organised for them by Mr Dyer.

Winners of the Family Challenge

The Family Challenge took place on Tuesday. We had 14 family teams taking part building bridges and towers from drinking straws. The winning team was The Cow Lords. Hardy and his Dad and Jacob from Year 3 have all won a prize. If you would like to take a look at the constructions please check on our web site.

Year 6 Assembly

We enjoyed a wonderful assembly by Year 6 on Wednesday morning. The children made and wore masks for their Penguin Café dance performance.

Parents Consultation Evenings

Parent/carer evenings are coming up soon. They will take place on Tuesday 11th and Thursday 13th March. You will receive a more detailed letter after half term.

Governors Meeting

The full governing body met last night. Minutes of all governors meetings are displayed on the Governors notice board.

Photographic Consent Form

Please could you complete the attached photographic consent from and return to the school office. Thank you.

Pesky Head Lice!

They are so annoying! If your family, are having problems with head lice and you would like some advice then the school nurse might be able to help. You can contact Inga via the school office. Please could you all regularly check your child’s hair, as we do seem to have a persistent head lice problem. Any child with long hair should tie it back and fringes should be clipped back. You would be amazed at how quickly head lice can move from fringe to fringe.

Congratulations to..

Emilia Gibson in Year 5 who is a runner up in the ‘Write around Air Street’ competition. Emilia’s work will form part of a temporary piece of artwork around Air Street. Well done Emilia!

Half Term

We finish for half term today (Friday 15th February) and the children return on Tuesday 26th February (the Monday is a training day for staff).

2008-02-08T16:22:00.000Z

Year 4 Assembly

Year 4 put on a very informative assembly for us this morning. They have been investigating different countries and shared that information and performed a dance for us in their assembly.

Year 6 Assembly

As I write I can hear Year 6 practising their assembly which they will perform for parents on Wednesday 13th February at 9.15 am.

Year 5 Instruments Arrived!

Hooray, the year 5 instruments have arrived! Mr Brazil is getting them organised, and then after half term each year 5 child will have an instrument to learn with the support of a professional musician.

Investigations Week

Next week is our investigations week. All the children will be involved in mathematical and scientific investigations. Don’t forget the Family Challenge on Tuesday afternoon. See Mr Dyer or visit our website if you want to form a team and enter the challenge.

Art Exhibition

The children have produced some artwork which will be framed and exhibited for you to view on Thursday 14th February. The exhibition will be on display in the school hall from 3.00pm.

Chinese Lanterns

Year 5 will be making Chinese lanterns with Mr Brazil next week to celebrate the Chinese New Year. On Sunday they will be able to take their lanterns along to the Chinese New Year celebrations being held in the Pavilion gardens at 5.30 p.m.

School Council

The School Council met with the Black Lion Street artist this week. The Council went through the designs for the ironwork that’s to be created as part of the redevelopment of the area. The final design has not yet been chosen.

Governors Meeting

Last night the Resources committee met. The full governors termly meeting takes place next Thursday 14th February.

School Association News

The School Association’s coffee morning was well attended this Wednesday. Inga, our school nurse gave a short presentation on head lice and thread worms and how to get rid of the little pesky beasties.

The next coffee morning will take place on Wednesday 5th March.

The School Association held their first committee meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss among other things fund raising events.

No Basketball Club

Basketball club is cancelled this coming Thursday 14th February.

Congratulations to…

Caine Lewin- Turner in Year 6 and his football team have reached the Sussex Youth League under 11 knock out cup final. They will be playing in March against a team from Eastbourne.

Half Term

We finish for half term on Friday 15th February and the children return on Tuesday 26th February (the Monday is a training day for staff)

2008-02-01T14:59:00.000Z

Year 5 and an Ensemble of Instruments

Mr Brazil is getting more and more excited as Year 5’s instruments will soon be arriving. After half term every child in Year 5 will be learning an instrument with the support of a professional community musician, a specialist from the Music service, Mr Brazil and Mr Collins. There will be an hour a week for 15 weeks of tuition and then a performance to celebrate. The instruments are given to the school for free. Children in Year 4 should watch closely as they will have a turn to learn an instrument when they move into Year 5.

Year 6 Visit Royal Pavilion

Year 6 enjoyed an interesting visit to the Royal Pavilion on Thursday morning. They listened to lots of fascinating facts about the history of the Pavilion and then enjoyed an opportunity to explore the building.

Year 4 Class Assembly

Parents/carers of Year 4 children are invited to Year 4’s class assembly on Friday 8th February at 9.10 am.

Year 5 and the Chinese Lanterns

Mr Brazil and Year 5 are making Chinese lanterns on Thursday 14th February with help from ‘Same Sky’. Then on Sunday 17th February Mr Brazil and Year 5 (and their lanterns) with their parents have been invited to join the Chinese New Year celebrations being held in the Pavilion gardens at 5.30 pm.

School Association AGM

The School Association held their AGM last night.
Mandy Sullivan is our new Chairperson and we now have several new committee members. The meeting was well attended and an enjoyable evening. Thanks to everyone who came along your support and enthusiasm are very much appreciated by everyone at Middle Street.

Committee Meeting

The School Association Committee is holding its first meeting on Wednesday 8th February

Coffee Morning

The School Association are holding their regular monthly Coffee Morning on Wednesday 6th February at 9.00 am in the Family room. Our school nurse, Inga will also be there for a general chat with you all.

Children’s Festival Parade

The theme of this year’s Festival parade is ‘Children’s Games’. Middle Street’s game is to be noughts and crosses. Mr Brazil has arranged through ‘Same Sky’ for the school to receive support for half a day from an artist and for an adult to attend a master class with ‘Same Sky’ in preparation for the parade. If any parents/carers are interested in helping in the preparations for the parade and would like to attend the master class please let Mr Brazil know via the school office.

Brighton and Hove Albion Special Offer

Middle Street has been offered discounted tickets to attend Albion matches seated in the Family stand. If any parents are interested in organising and supervising a group of families to attend a match and would like further information please ask at the office or Ms Busby and they will give you the the necessary information and a form.

Half Term Break

We finish for half term on Friday 15th February and the children return on Tuesday 26th February (the Monday is a training day for staff)

Easter Holidays
The school is closed for a long weekend on Good Friday 21st March and Easter Monday 24th March then is open again until we finish for 2 weeks on Friday 4th April. We reopen on Monday 21st April

2008-01-25T15:12:00.000Z

Congratulations to Middle Street Footballers and Athletes

Middle Street football team received medals in assembly today as runners up in last Friday’s tournament. Some of our excellent athletes took part in an indoor athletics event at Portslade Community College on Wednesday this week. They had a great time and in assembly today were awarded certificates for their efforts

Year 4 Enjoy a Visit from Father Gareth

Father Gareth, dressed in his full regalia, visited Year 4 and talked to them about Christian leaders and his role in the church.

Councillor Vanessa Brown Visits Middle Street

The Brighton and Hove lead for children’s services Councillor Vanessa Brown visited Middle Street today. She enjoyed hearing about all the wonderful things that make Middle Street extra special but most of all she enjoyed meeting and chatting with the children. Councillor Brown who has taken over from Pat Hawkes is on a mission to visit all the Brighton and Hove schools.

School Association AGM

The School Association are holding their first AGM on Thursday the 31st of January at 7.00 pm in the school library.

School Association Coffee Morning

The School Association are holding their regular monthly Coffee Morning on Wednesday the 6th of February at 9.00 am in the Family room. Our school nurse, Ingar will also be there for a general chat with you all. See below if you would like a one to one chat with Ingar.

School Nurse Drop In

Middle Street school nurse Ingar Griffiths is running a drop in session for parents/carers on Thursday the 14th of February 9.00 till 10.30. If you have any health related issues on which you would like to get informal advice - please drop in between the above times. You will find Ingar in the Meeting room situated next to my office.

Park Your Scooters Safely Please

Please could all children who come to school on their scooters park them by the bicycle racks, rather than against or on the seating in that area.

Plastic Film Canisters Wanted

Mr Dyer would like your empty plastic film canisters please. He needs them for some exciting activities during our investigations week beginning Monday 11th February. Please hand in your canisters to the office.

Half Term Break

We finish for half term on Friday the 15th of February and the children return on Tuesday the 26th of February (the Monday is a training day for staff)

Easter Holidays

The school is closed for a long weekend on Good Friday, the 21st of March and Easter Monday, the 24th of March then is open again until we finish for 2 weeks on Friday the 4th of April. We reopen on Monday the 21st of April.

2008-01-18T19:50:00.000Z

Anti Homophobic Language and Bullying

At Middle Street we are very proud of our wonderfully diverse community and we work hard through the PSHE curriculum to ensure children are respectful and positive about diversity. The staff at Middle Street therefore recently attended a workshop on addressing the use of homophobic language and bullying in schools. We feel very strongly at Middle Street that we are not prepared to tolerate homophobic language and bullying of any sort. Our policy is that when children use homophobic language they will be challenged in an age appropriate manner.

Police Schools Liaison Officer Visits Classes

WPC Lesley Owen is in school again on Monday working in classes across the school exploring rights and responsibilities with the children.

Football Tournament

Ms Busby and the Middle Street football team are playing in a tournament after school at Brighton College. Obviously Ms Busby will be cheering from the sidelines rather than actually kicking the ball around! Good luck team!

Indoor Athletics Event

Ms Busby must be so fit! Here she is again this time taking a group of athletic children to an indoor athletics event at Portslade Community College. Thank you Ms Busby for taking the children along to all these events.

Board Games Please

Do you have any old complete board games at home that you don’t play anymore? If you do and you would like to donate them to the school our Learning Mentors would love to have them for the Quiet room. Drop off any you wish to donate at the office.

Help With Research Request

The University of Sussex are conducting a study of parents’ beliefs about vaccinations. They asking if any parents/carers would be kind enough to complete a research questionnaire either on line by following the link: www.sussex.ac.uk/psychology/profile169775.html or if you would prefer a paper copy please contact Richard: 01273 876585.
The questionnaire takes about 10 minutes to complete.

Lead for Children’s Services Visitor

Next Friday morning Vanessa Brown the new Brighton and Hove councillor who has taken the lead for Children’s Services will be visiting the school with Assistant director Jo Lyons. A great opportunity to show off our fabulous school and amazing children!

Holiday On Ice Ticket Won By..

The winner of the Holiday on Ice tickets is Ruby Don from the Nursery and her mum Hannah.

School Association - New Members Please

We need enthusiastic volunteers to fill the School Association roles of Chair, Secretary, treasurer, fundraiser and events co-ordinator at the School Association’s AGM on 31st January. If you interested please contact David Natha-Gregory via the school office or collect a nomination form and return it via the MSSA post box in the foyer. Closing date 24th January.

Coffee Morning

The next school Association coffee morning takes place in the Family room at 9.00 am on 6th February.

School Nurse Drop In

Our lovely school nurse Ingar Griffiths is running a drop in session for parents/carers on Thursday 14th February 9.00 till 10.30. If you have any health related issues on which you would like to get informal advice on please drop in between the above times. You will find Ingar in the Meeting room situated next to my office.

2008-01-11T21:04:00.000Z

Welcome Back

Welcome back to school after the Christmas holidays. I hope you all had a great time and received lots of wonderful presents. We have several new children joining us this term so an extra special welcome to them all and their families.

Year 4 Visit to Argus

One half of Year 4 visited the Argus newspaper offices on Thursday. They received many compliments for their excellent behaviour. Even the bus driver on the number 26 bus complimented them. Well done to Billy Mitchell who is the only child in 3 years who knew where the Argus name originates. I must ask him. The rest of the class will visit the Argus offices next Thursday.

Police Liaison Officer Visit

Leslie Owen our Police Schools Liaison officer will be leading an assembly and visiting classes on Monday 14th January. Leslie has been working in our school and other local schools for many years covering some areas of the PSHE and Citizenship curriculum.

Football Tournament

Our football team are playing in a local tournament at Brighton College on Friday 18th January.

School Association Meeting

The Middle Street School Association met on Wednesday afternoon to discuss future events and to prepare for their AGM, which takes place on 31st January at 7.00pm. The meeting will be held in the school library. Everyone is welcome so do come along and join us.

Please see the attached letter from the School Association for an opportunity to win tickets to Holiday on Ice.

Parenting Group Coffee Morning

If you are interested in attending parenting group sessions run by Triple P and would like to know more please come along to their coffee morning on Wednesday 16th January at 9.30 in the Family room. The next series of sessions will be focused on supporting your teenage children.

Lost Property

Please could you name your child’s clothing as this will go some way to helping us deal with the large amount of lost property we seem to collect on a daily basis.

Attendance Improvements

Our attendance figures have improved greatly over the last few months. Our Education Welfare Officer smiles more often these days when she visits us. She is now very eager for us to maintain the improved attendance and punctuality so please keep up the excellent time keeping (lateness affects the figures as well as absence) and attendance.

Congratulations to..

Georgia Ousley in Year 6 who has been nominated by her fellow Kudos Martial Arts students as ‘Female Student of the Year’ and ‘Most Improved Student’ of the year and has been awarded certificates in these categories. Well done Georgia!

2007-12-21T10:23:00.000Z

Rainbow Theatre

The Rainbow Theatre joined us this morning putting on a wonderful performance of Cinderella. Children had the opportunity to join in with the performance and enjoyed the show immensely squealing with delight!

Lily Foundation Cake Sale

Thank you to everyone who came along and bought a cake or two from Year 4’s cake sale. The children raised £125 for the Lily Foundation. Well done to Ms Whiting and Year 4 and a special Thank you to all from Sam and William and the rest of the Pearce family.

Mr Pineapple Head

Foundation and Key Stage 1 enjoyed a fun farewell present from Ombaashi and Shanti Grech Cato. They invited Mr Pineapple Head into the school to perform for the children. The children enjoyed mime and magic and had lots of fun. Thank you to Ombaashi and Shanti’s Mum and Dad who paid for the show as a thank you to Ombaashi and Shanti’s friends before they leave the school for a new life in Australia.

Raffle Prize Winners

Mr Collins closed his eyes and picked out the winning tickets. The hamper was won by Mrs Couglan, second prize was won by Mrs Walker in the office and third prize was won by Hannah Buttle in Year 6.

School Association Coffee Morning

The School Association are holding their monthly coffee morning at 9.00am on Wednesday 9th January.

School Association Meeting

The School Association are meeting in school on 9th January at 2.30pm to discuss future fundraising events. Do come along if you would like to join in.

Triple P Parenting Group Coffee Morning

The Triple P parenting group is running a new course in school. If you are interested in finding out more please come along to their coffee morning on Wednesday 16th January at 9.30 till 11.00. Drop in, anytime you wish between those times. The focus of the course will be on teenagers and the guidance and support they and you need through those difficult years.

Congratulations to…

Kitty Philliben in Year 1 who has passed her Angel Fish Level 1 swimming certificate. Well done Kitty!

Half Term Break

Well we have finally reached the Christmas holidays so it’s time to start thinking ahead to half term, which begins on the week beginning 18th February. Staff have a training day on Monday 25th February (we’ll be working on our Spanish lessons!) so children return on Tuesday 26th February.

Hooray It’s Christmas!

Thank you as always for being wonderful parents and carers but most of all thank you for having such brilliant children! I have of course passed on that information to Father Christmas who dropped in today to see me.

Thanks for the cards and pressies and see you all again on Monday January 7th 2008 (Nursery Wednesday 9th).

2007-12-14T21:04:00.000Z

Book Week Dressing Up Day

Lots of us dressed up today to celebrate Book Week. The children looked fantastic in their costumes, which really illustrated their love of books. Staff dressed up as rats and I as the Pied Piper. Although I preferred the more glamorous role I had last time as Cruella De Ville and the staff were much sweeter as dalmations.

Christmas Afternoon Tea

Once again we enjoyed another delicious afternoon tea put on for us by the School Association. Thank you to everyone who helped out either serving the tea and mulled wine or running activities.

Coffee Morning

The School Association are holding their next monthly Coffee Morning on Wednesday 9th January at 9.00am in the Family Room.

Healthy Schools Award

We have successfully renewed our Healthy Schools status. The school was highly commended for the work we do not just around healthy eating and physical activity but also the social and emotional guidance and support Middle Street children receive. Thank you to Mrs Noble who puts together all the evidence for the award and co-ordinates our PSHE curriculum.

Fire Safety Training

You may be wondering what the staff were up to yesterday when the school was closed. Well, we all attended Fire Safety training and reviewed our Evacuation Plan.

Goodbye to Gary Shipp

Sadly we all have to say good bye to Gary Shipp who has been the co-ordinator for the Bike It project. Gary has encouraged lots of children and their families to cycle to school. We’ve enjoyed his projects and assemblies over the last year or so. We shall miss Gary but look forward to meeting his replacement in the New Year.

Christmas Assembly

Father Gareth will be leading a special Christmas Assembly on Tuesday 18th December.

Christmas Dinner

Christmas dinner takes place on Wednesday 19th December.

Anti-Bullying Workshop

Year 4 enjoyed an interesting free workshop today. The workshop explored issues around bullying with a particular focus on racism. The workshop was led by representatives from Mosaic.

Climate Change Ambassadors

Our climate change ambassadors are: Grace Owers, Georgia Marshall, Ariel Matsui-Le- Roy, Emilia Gibson, Harry Ward, Joey Skelton, Madeleine Houghton, Monica Marshall, Jessica Atter and Ruby Smith. Our ambassadors will be working to combat climate change through a number of projects for example: continuing their work on recycling, the school’s involvement with the Bike It project and also looking at ways we can save water.

Year 4 Cake Sale

Year 4 are holding a cake sale on Wednesday 19th December at 3.00pm in the main playground. The children are raising money for the Lily Foundation which raises money to fund research into Mitochondrial disease and other metabolic disorders.

Rainbow Theatre

Next Friday the Rainbow Theatre group will be performing Cinderella for the children. The show is very interactive and great fun for the children as they are encouraged to join in. We have used the proceeds from the Christmas Performance donations to part fund the theatre group but require a further donation of £1 per child.

Stolen Television

Very, very annoyingly two weeks ago a meany burglar decided to break in to the Family Room and steal our lovely new flat screen TV. The TV had been bought for the Breakfast club by the School Association and was greatly appreciated by the children. Sad news but I thought you might like to be aware of it.

Congratulations…

Saffron Collicott in Year 2 for achieving her level 2 swimming certificate. Well done Saffron!

Billy Mitchell in Year 4 passed his drama exam with a merit. Well done Billy!

Don’t Forget..

Please pay dinner money debts before the end of term.

Please take all your child’s belongings from their peg and check lost property before the end of term. Lost property will be disposed of before the end of the holidays.

Christmas Holidays

We close for the Christmas holiday on Friday 21st December. We open again on Monday 7th January. Nursery on Wednesday 9th.

2007-12-10T18:27:00.001Z

Middle Street Perform at the Komedia

I hope you enjoyed our Christmas Performances on Friday as much as I did. We were all so proud of the children. They were absolutely brilliant. We are so grateful to the Komedia for rescuing us and as it turned out the whole event was even more special. Mr Dyer has put some of the highlights from the shows on to the Website so do log on for a lovely reminder of the shows.

Thank you

To all of you who came to the Christmas shows and managed to find childcare for your toddlers and babies. Your support is very much appreciated by the children as they are not having to compete with gurgles, burps and cries when speaking their lines. Also I would also like to say a big thank you for your support and understanding over the last couple of weeks with regard to the Christmas performances. I have sent Father Christmas a text to say how wonderful you have all been!

Choir

Our wonderful school choir sung at the the Brighton Baptist Church on Sunday 2nd December and again at the Brighton Centre on Monday 6th December. Their beautiful singing has been enjoyed by many. Thank you to Mr Brazil for taking the children along to the events and for teaching them the songs.

Book Week

This week is Book Week in school. We have books for sale in the school library and on Friday it’s dressing up day. Children can dress up as a book character for the day.

On Time Teds

Hooray, attendance has improved over the last year (well done everyone) but lateness is still an issue for many children. To encourage everyone to get to school and into class on time our Education Welfare Assistant will reward the class with the least amount of lateness marks over a half term. Part of the reward is to have an ‘On Time Ted’ join the class for a period of time. Lauren, our EWA introduced the ‘On Time Teds’ is a recent assembly.

Congratulations to…

Matilda French, Joe Foot, Poppy Stout, Monica Marshall, Lottie Buttle, Lucy McGeachin, Fabienne Gladwin, Emilia Gibson, Madeline Houghton, Alex Mackender, Jika Edstrom and Amelia Thornton who have all won prizes for their poems in the ‘Young Writers’ competition. Their poems will be published in 2008 in ‘Little Laureates Verses From East Sussex’ publication.

Christmas Afternoon Tea

We are looking forward to seeing you all at the Christmas Afternoon Tea on Tuesday (tomorrow) 11th December. There will be lots to eat and drink and activities for the children. Raffle tickets will be on sale for a Christmas Hamper put together by staff.

Christmas Dinner

The children’s Christmas dinner is served on Wednesday 19th December. Please put your child’s order in if you haven’t already done so.

Polling Day Closure

Please remember we are closed this Thursday 13th December.

Christmas Holidays

We finish for the Christmas holidays on Friday 21st December and open again for the new term on 7th January (Nursery on the 9th).

P.S I actually thought the Ugly Sisters in the Junior Christmas Performance were very beautiful! I meant to say that on the day but my excitement made me forget!
Middle Street Perform at the Komedia

2007-11-30T18:41:00.000Z

Thank You

To everyone for being so understanding and supportive about the tickets for the Christmas show. We will be offering additional tickets next week. Priority will be given to Years 2 and 6. If you have a child in Year 2 or 6 you must claim your additional ticket from the office on Monday. If you have a child in any other year group you can obtain your additional ticket on Tuesday. If you have not collected your first ticket please do so by the end of the day on Monday as any tickets left will be reallocated on Tuesday.

Well Done Middle Street Football Team

Our 7-a-side football team played brilliantly on Monday after school. They won all but one game. We are beginning to build up a bit of a reputation and are clearly a force to be reckoned with!

Martial Arts and Street Surfing

Children throughout the school enjoyed the opportunity to either try out Street Surfing or have a go at some Martial Art moves. Two sport coaches from Dorothy Stringer came in and worked all day on Wednesday with the children and also provided all the equipment.

No Swimming on Wednesday

There will be no Year 6 swimming on Wednesday due to rehearsals. Year 6 children should come to school not to the swimming pool on Wednesday morning.

Choir at Brighton Centre

Our Choir is singing at the Brighton and Hove Primary Schools Christmas Concert on Monday evening at 7.00 pm. The show is on at the Brighton Centre. Tickets can be obtained from the Brighton Centre box office.

Year 4 at Booth Museum

Despite all the excitement of Christmas shows Year 4 are still finding time to visit the Booth Museum as part of their topic work on Tuesday next week.

Cinema Trip

Years 4, 5 and 6 are off to the cinema on Monday. Please could all children ensure they have returned their permission slip and donation of £2 towards the cost of the trip.

School Council Meeting

The school council is meeting next week on Tuesday. They will be discussing their ideas about their part in the development of Black Lion Street.

Coffee Morning..

The school Association will be holding their monthly coffee morning next Wednesday morning 9.00 – 10.00 in the Family room.

.. and Christmas Afternoon Tea

and don’t forget the School Association’s Christmas Tea which takes place on Tuesday 11th December from 3.00 pm. The tea will take place in the hall but we will be spread out in the playground and other rooms in the school.

Full Governors Meeting

The Governing Body met last night and welcomed our 2 new Parent Governors, Benita Matofska and Roger Wardle. The minutes of the meeting will be available for you to read shortly. You will find them on the Governors board.

Animated Advent Calendar

Log on to our Website and check out Mr Dyer’s animated advent calendar. It’s great fun!

Polling Day School Closure

Please remember we will be closed on Thursday 13th December as the school is to be used as a polling station.

Christmas Holidays

We close for the Christmas holiday on Friday 21st December. We open again on Monday 7th January. Nursery reopens on Wednesday 9th January

2007-11-23T13:58:00.000Z

Year 5 Visit Museum

Despite the rain and traffic congestion Year 5 enjoyed their visit to the British Museum in London. They found out lots of important information for their history topic on the Greeks.

Yoga and Year 3

Year 3 joined in with a Yoga session on Wednesday. They enjoyed the calm stretching activities and Ms Moriarty is suppler than she ever has been before! Year 3 tried out Yoga as part of their work on India.

Football 7 a side Match

Our talented football team will be playing at East Brighton Park. The teams will be 7 a side playing after school on Monday. Good Luck!

School Photos

Proofs of photos and orders must be returned by Thursday 29th November not the 30th as originally stated in an earlier Friday News.

Year 6 Deposits for Little Canada

There are still one or two children who have not paid the deposit for their Little Canada trip. Please could the deposit be paid a.s.a.p. as we have to pass on the deposits to Little Canada very soon to secure the booking. Second payments are also now due.

Repeat of Important School Security Message

Please use the main school gate to exit the school in the mornings if you are leaving after 9.00am. Please do not open and exit the school via the small side gate from the main playground. To ensure the school is secure, the caretaker locks this gate at 9.00am. Unfortunately this side gate has been left open again by parents recently and therefore compromises the security of the school.

Christmas Dinner

Christmas dinner takes place on Wednesday 19th December. If you haven’t placed your child’s order please do so as soon as possible.

Christmas Concert at Brighton Centre

The school choir will be performing at the Primary Schools Christmas Concert held at the Brighton Centre on December 3rd at 7.00pm.

Governors Meeting

We have a full Governors meeting on Thursday 29th November. The minutes of the meeting will be displayed on the Governors notice board.

Polling Day School Closure

Please remember we will be closed on Thursday 13th December as the school is to be used as a polling station.

Christmas Holidays

We close for the Christmas holiday on Friday 21st December. We open again on Monday 7th January.

2007-11-16T17:14:00.000Z

Anti-Bullying Week

Next week is Anti-Bullying week. To mark the week next Friday will be ‘Blue Friday’. Everyone is asked to come to school wearing something blue to show our solidarity against bullying.

Sorting the Library
We are having a great big sort out in our school library at the moment. We have cleared out all the old and out of date books and will gradually be replacing them with lovely new books. We have put some money aside from the school budget to buy new books. If you wish to make a donation to our book fund you would be very welcome but we will no longer accept second hand books.

Young Hamlet

Year 5 and Year 6 enjoyed a performance of Young Hamlet at the Dome, this week. Following the performance the children were given a very informative and interesting talk about the play.

School Nurse Assembly

Our school nurse will be introducing herself to the children in an assembly next week. She will explain to the children her role in school and answer any questions. Our school nurse is also eager to offer her services to parents so please don’t hesitate if you have any health concerns about your child please make us aware if you would like a referral to the school nurse.

School Association

The School Association are busy making plans for the Christmas Afternoon Tea on Tuesday 11th December. They would appreciate a few helping hands on the day. Please inform the office if you are able to help.

Photos Today

You should receive the proof of your child’s school photograph today. Please ask at the office if it doesn’t arrive home. Please return orders and proofs by November 30th.

Christmas Dinner

Christmas dinner takes place on Wednesday 19th December. If you haven’t placed your child’s order please do so as soon as possible.

Christmas Concert at Brighton Centre

The school choir will be performing at the Primary Schools Christmas Concert held at the Brighton Centre on December 3rd at 7.00pm.

Christmas Performance

Our Christmas shows will take place on 6th December. Foundation and Key Stage 1: 1.15pm Key Stage 2: 2.15pm
And 7th December: Foundation and Key Stage 1: 9.30am Key Stage 2: 10.30am.
Tickets will be available very soon.

Important School Security Message

Please use the main school gate to exit the school in the mornings if you are leaving after 9.00am. Please do not open and exit the school via the small side gate from the main playground. This gate is locked at 9.00am by the caretaker to ensure the school is secure. Unfortunately this side gate has been left open by parents many times recently and therefore compromises the security of the school.

Congratulations to…

Kai Scott Bridge and Amelia Thornton, both in Year 6 who performed at the Pavilion Theatre last Friday evening. The both had parts in the Bandbazi Youth Circus theatre company’s production of ‘A Place for Us’. The company put on an amazing performance telling true stories of the refugees and asylum seekers who are also members of the company. Well done Kai and Amelia!

Middle Street Road Block

I have been informed that at some point over the next two weeks Middle Street will be blocked again, but this time at the top of the road as it turns towards Ship Street. So you will be able to access the school but you will then have to exit Middle Street via Boyces Street

Mr Brazil Needs Help!

Mr Brazil is busy planning ahead to the Brighton Festival’s Children’s Parade. He would like parent/carer volunteers to form a working party with him to begin preparations for the parade. The theme this year is Children’s Games. The Middle Street game will be ‘What’s the Time Mr Wolf’. Please let Mr Brazil know via the office if you would like to take part in the Children’s Parade working party.

Polling Day School Closure

Please remember we will be closed on Thursday 13th December as the school is to be used as a polling station.

Christmas Holidays

We close for the Christmas holiday on Friday 21st December. We reopen for the new term on Monday 7th January.

2007-11-09T16:04:00.000Z

Children’s Photographs

The photographer was in school last Wednesday. All children have had their photograph taken individually and with brothers and sisters if they have them in school. More information to follow shortly.

Year 5 Visit the Mosque

Year 5 have been inspired by their visit to the Mosque (as part of their topic on Islam). The children have been producing posters and written work about their visit.

Year 4 Visit Anne of Cleves House

Year 4 have been studying the Tudors and probably know all there is to know about Henry VIII following their visit to Anne of Cleves house in Lewes.

Infants Enjoy Strings Recital

Reception and Key Stage 1 children enjoyed listening to a string recital on Thursday morning. They were especially excited to hear the theme tune to Doctor Who and Star Wars.

Electrical Safety Talks

A representative from EDF Energy gave Years 5 and 6 a talk on electrical safety on Monday.

School Council Meeting

The School Council met this week to discuss their role and plans for the coming year.

School Association Coffee Morning

Mr Collins joined in with this month’s School Association’s coffee morning to talk about SEN provision at Middle Street. The next coffee morning will take place on Wednesday 5th December.

Choir Singing at Brighton Centre

Our school choir will be singing at the Primary Schools Christmas Concert held at the Brighton Centre on Monday 3rd December at 7.00pm. They have also been invited back to sing at Brighton Baptist Church on Sunday 2nd December at 10.30am.

Can You Help? - We Need an Art Club volunteer

We would really like to have an Art after school club running after Christmas. At the moment we don’t have any one in school available to run one. We were wondering if there is a parent/carer feeling creative and would like to run a club for us. If you are interested or you have a friend who would like to volunteer please let us know. Materials etc are all provided.

Bike It Assembly

Gary Shipp from Bike It will be leading a ‘Brighten Yourself Up’ assembly on Monday morning discussing keeping safe when cycling especially as the dark afternoons draw in.

Disability Equality Duty

Amendments have been made to the Disability Discrimination Act which now require public bodies to positively and actively promote disability equality. Primary Schools are obligated to have a short and long term plan detailing how they will meet the duty. This plan must be in place by December. At Middle Street we have begun this process and will have a plan in place before the beginning of December. We are very positive about the act and how it fits very well with our school vision of inclusion. There is still a lot for us to do here at Middle Street to promote disability equality and we will be keeping you up to date with progress. In the Spring Term we will asking parents/carers, staff, governors and children to help us identify further areas for development.

Congratulations to…

Lila Rose in Year 6 who was runner up in the Sussex Arts 2007 competition. Lila entered a beautiful painting she had created. Well done Lila! I have also heard that Lila has been auditioning for the ITV show ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and apparently did very well.

Polling Day Closure

Please remember we will be closed on Thursday 13th December as the school is to be used as a polling station.

2007-11-02T17:32:00.000Z

Welcome Back

To a busy half term as we prepare for our Christmas festivities. The children will be preparing for the Christmas shows and shortly you will be receiving letters home regarding costumes etc. Please check your Friday News each week for confirmation of the Christmas Show dates which are provisionally booked for Infants and Juniors on Thursday December 6th in the afternoon and Friday 7th December in the morning. Also check the Friday News for information on tickets for the shows.

Message from Staff at Bignor

Before the half term holiday year 3 visited Bignor Roman villa and had a very enjoyable day. When they returned we received a phone call from the staff at the villa to congratulate the class on their exceptional behaviour. So very well done Year 3 it is so great that your excellent attitude and mature behaviour has been recognised particularly from staff at Bignor who have very high expectations of their visitors.

Migrant Helpline Assembly

Representatives from the Migrant Helpline gave a presentation to Key Stage 2 children on Tuesday morning. They discussed how we could make new comers to our country feel welcomed, safe and comfortable. Years 5 and 6 then attended workshops exploring what it might feel like to leave their home country, what they might leave and what they would take with them.

‘Mischief’ at the Dome

Years 5 and 6 visited the Dome to watch a dance performance of ‘Mischief’ on Thursday. They will be taking part in a follow up workshop next week. They will also be attending a performance of ‘Young Hamlet’ on 14th November and taking a tour backstage of the Dome complex on 3rd December. If parents are interested in joining the class on these visits please let Mr Collins or Mr Dawson know.

The visits and workshops are all part of a programme running in Brighton and Hove encouraging young people to have a broader experience and understanding of the theatre. Sounds brilliant!

Year 5 ‘Do Lunch’ at Nandos

Year 5 must be worn out this week as they have also been on a visit to ‘Nandos’ where they toured the kitchens, had a talk about health and food hygiene and then had lunch. Their visit was all part of their literacy work on writing instructions. Who said the literacy curriculum was boring!

Year 3 Visit Borders

Year 3 enjoyed a visit to Borders Books today to meet the author Joseph Delaney.

Year 2 at the Synagogue

Year 2 enjoyed an informative visit to the synagogue today as part of their RE topic studying Judaism.

Halloween Disco

We all enjoyed the very spooky Halloween disco on Wednesday. Thank you to the School Association for organising the Disco and a special thank you to Izzy Mackender for preparing and serving the food and to all the parents and staff that helped too.

School Association Meeting

The School Association will be holding a meeting to discuss fund raising for the school in the Victory pub at 8.00 p.m. on Tuesday 6th November. Everyone is welcome.

Change of Date

For the School Association Christmas Afternoon Tea which will now take place on Tuesday 11th December 3.00 p.m.

New Parent Governors

I am very pleased to announce we have two new parent Governors joining our Governing Body. They are Mr Roger Wardle and Ms Benita Matofska congratulations to you both.

Congratulations to…

Alice Mudie in Year 6 who did extremely well at a county swimming gala last weekend. Alice came 8th out of 61 competitors. Well done Alice.

School Closure

The school is to be used, as a Polling Station on Thursday 13th December so will be closed on that day. Please make alternative arrangements for childcare and accept my apologies for the inconvenience. Staff will use the day to attend in-house training on fire safety.

Christmas Holidays

We close for the Christmas holiday at 3.05 p.m. on Friday 21st December and reopen for the new term on Monday 7th January.

2007-10-19T16:30:00.000+01:00

Charles the Lion

Charles the Lion (you will find him on our website) would like you to send him your stories. He will then read them aloud to you. If you would like Charles to read your story please email it to charles@middlestreet.org Charles tells me there is a small prize for the best story.

Girls Football Tournament

Our girl’s football team played at Waterhall on Monday afternoon. They did very well winning two games drew three and were very close to making it into the next round. Well done girls!

The Simpsons and Happy Feet

Children from Key Stage 1 enjoyed the film ‘Happy Feet’ today at the Odeon cinema. Key Stage 2 children visited the cinema yesterday and enjoyed ‘The Simpsons Movie’. The children as always were a credit to you and to the school.

Year 3 at Bignor Villa

Year 3 visited Bignor Villa today as part of their topic work studying the Romans.

Halloween Disco

Don’t forget your Halloween disco ticket, which can be purchased from the office. Please remember all children; from Nursery to Year2 should be accompanied by an adult. There will be a quiet room in the Nursery for those younger children who wish to dress up and have fun but find the disco a bit scary and noisy.

Make us an Offer

We have a large step ladder surplus to requirements. If you would like it please make us an offer we can’t refuse and it’s yours!
There must be someone out there that wants a shiny new ladder.

Lost Property

We have finally removed our lost property mountain from the hall and are determined to get control of those pesky lost items of clothing. We will now collect lost property in the office so please ask there if you have lost something.

Lunch Boxes

Several children are bringing their packed lunches in carrier bags and some lunch boxes do not fasten securely Which means food spills out when the lunch box trolleys are moved. Please could you ensure your child’s packed lunch is in a clean lunch box, which is secure and preferably contains an ice block to keep the food cool. Sandwiches etc in carrier bags sweat and can become unpleasant.
We have a healthy food policy at Middle Street and as I am sure you are aware healthy eating is a government priority. Please ensure your child’s lunch box contains a healthy balance of fruit, sandwiches, healthy drinks etc. Try and avoid processed foods containing E numbers. Our only rules regarding packed lunches is that they do not contain sweets or bars of chocolate.

Walk to School Week

Walk to School week will continue into the week following half term. So will in fact be walk to school two weeks!

Parent/Carer Consultation Evenings

Thank you for coming along to our parent/carer consultation evening. Thank you also for all of your very positive and supportive comments, which were much appreciated by the class teachers. All the staff at Middle Street work exceptionally hard to ensure that every child is at the centre of everything we do and are happy and learning. It is always good to know that the care and hard work is recognised.
Do remember too that you do not have to wait until parent/carer consultation evening to discuss any worries or concerns you may have. Teachers are always ready to listen and help with any worries or issues you or your child may have.

Half Term Holiday

School finishes today for half term and reopens again on Tuesday 30th October

2007-10-12T15:37:00.000+01:00

Middle Street Closure

We have been informed that from 7.30am on Wednesday 17th October Brighton and Hove Council will be closing the bottom half of Middle Street to traffic until further notice. This will mean that anyone who usually drives up Middle Street will need to take the bus lane up West Street and turn off into Boyces Street where the traffic will be redirected. We will give you any further information as we receive it.

NSPCC fundraiser

A big thank you to you all for the sponsor money. We managed to raise over £500. The children will be thanked in a special assembly on Monday.

Parents Evening

Just to remind you about the Parent/Carer Consultation Evenings which take place on Tuesday 16th October and Thursday 18th October. You should have received a letter at the beginning of this week with further details. If you haven’t received one please ask at the office or the class teacher.

Music Workshops

We are very privileged and excited to be the first school in Brighton to take part in the Brighton Early Music Festival. Mr Brazil has organised for two workshops run by a baroque music ensemble to take place next Thursday for years 2 and 3. The musicians will be playing and talking about instruments which are at least 200 years old.

Late Arrivals

If for any reason you ring your child into school late, please could you make sure that you report to the office before sending them up to class so that they can be marked in the register and a dinner can be ordered if necessary.

Cinema Trip

Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 have been invited to the cinema to watch ‘The Simpsons’ film on Thursday 18th October. Key Stage 1 children will be watching ‘Happy Feet’ at the cinema on Friday 19th October.

Halloween Disco

The School Association have kindly organised a Halloween Disco for all children after school on 31st October. All children from Nursery to Year 2 who wish to join in, must be accompanied by an adult.
Please ask at the office for further information.

CRB Clearance

If you have received CRB clearance could you please bring your certificate into the office so that we can photocopy it and keep it on file. Anyone helping out in school does need to be CRB checked so if you would like to help out please come to the office for a form.

Step-ladder For Sale

We have a step-ladder for sale. The ladder is brand new. If you are interested please ask at the office. It’s on sale for £25 (RRP £90).

Year 5 Assembly Postponed

Year 5 are postponing their assembly presentation due to take place on Tuesday, to later in the year.

Congratulations to..

Roman Waters Stewart who has had an article published in ‘The Truth’ which is the Young People’s News Letter published by Mosaic. In his article of ‘Helpful Tips’ he gives some advice on what people could do if they felt that they were being bullied. Well done Roman.

Half Term

School finishes on Friday 19th October for half term and reopens again on Tuesday 30th October as we have a training day on Monday 29th October.

2007-10-05T17:14:00.000+01:00

NSPCC Fundraising

All sponsor money for our NSPCC fundraising event should be in today or Monday morning at the very latest. All children from Nursery to Year 6 took part on Monday and completed a circuit of PE activities.

Tag Rugby Tournament

Our Tag Rugby team of ten players competed at a Tag Rugby tournament held at the Brighton Rugby club. They played on Tuesday after school and won a game, drew a game and lost a game so experienced a mixture of emotions. Well done to the team and thank you to Ms Whiting for accompanying the children.

Year 6 Art Walk

Mr Dawson and Year 6 will be exploring Brighton next Tuesday looking for areas of interest to photograph and sketch in preparation for their art topic. Mr Dawson would like more parent/carer helpers to come along. Please let him know if you are able to assist him and the children.

Parent/Carer Consultation Evenings

Parent/Carer Consultation Evenings will take place on Tuesday 16th October and Thursday 18th October. A letter should arrive home very soon with further details.

Parent Governor

A reminder that today is the closing date for Parent Governor applications.

School Association Halloween Disco

The School Association have kindly organised a Halloween Disco for all children after school on 31st October. All children from Nursery to Year 2 who wish to join in, must be accompanied by an adult.
Tickets will be on sale from the office very soon.

New School Nurse

We have a new school nurse who is taking over from Cherry Kahil. Cherry’s replacement is Inger Griffiths.

Please Close the Gate

May I remind you to ensure the school gate is closed if you are exiting the school at lunchtimes (part time Reception parent/carers) or other times in the day other than beginning and end of the school day. To unlock the gate, please ensure you press the black button in the white box in the top right hand corner of the wall by the gate.

Lost Watch

Max Coates in Year 1 is very sad he has lost his watch. If you find a watch with racing cars on the front please return it to the office or Mrs Denyer to pass on.

Half Term

School finishes on Friday 19th October for half term and reopens again on Tuesday 30th October as we have a training day on Monday 29th October.

2007-09-28T15:32:00.000+01:00

Walk to School Month

October is walk to school month so we have decided to celebrate the month by having a focus week beginning the 15th October where every one will be encouraged to walk all or some of the way to school. There will be charts to fill in and stickers to collect. Most of you already walk, cycle or use public transport, which is brilliant!

NSPCC Fund Raising

You will already have received sponsor forms home for our fund raising event. All the children from Nursery to Year 6 will be completing a circuit of PE activities on Monday 1st October to raise funds for the NSPCC. A representative from NSPCC spoke to the children in assembly last Monday and told them a little bit about the NSPCC and how the charity helps children.

Puppets in Year 5

On Tuesday the children in Year 5 enjoyed a creative literacy lesson using puppets. The children had to create characters and tell stories using the puppets. This was an excellent opportunity for the children to further develop their speaking and listening skills.

Magic Lantern

In Thursday’s assembly the children enjoyed a film presentation from the Magic Lantern group who work to inform children about the wonder and beauty of cinema.

Visit to Hove Museum

Year 1 are visiting Hove Museum on Tuesday 2nd October to find out all about toys and to handle old and interesting toys from the past.

Sporting Events

Teams of Middle Street children will be taking part in two sporting events next week. On Tuesday after school our Tag Rugby team will take part in a Tournament. Also on Tuesday our boys 6 a side football team will take part in a football tournament at East Brighton park after school. Thank you Ms Busby and Ms Whiting for accompanying the children to these events.

School Association Coffee Morning

The school association’s monthly coffee mornings resume this term. Our first of the year takes place next Wednesday 3rd October from 9.00 till 10.00. Join us in the Family Room for a coffee and a chat.

Parent Governor Applications

A reminder that the closing date for handing in your parent governor application is Friday 5th October.

Payments

The office staff have asked me to remind you to hand in payments for clubs, dinner money and deposits for Year 6 Little Canada residential. Thank you. Please do let us know if you have difficulties with payments.

Please Pick Up On Time

Once again we seem to have a small group of distressed children who are regularly left waiting in school for a half an hour or more at the end of the day to be collected. If you are persistently having problems collecting on time from school please make arrangements for someone to collect your child.

Kai Scott-Bridge in Year 6 is at it again! Kai is becoming quite a trapeze artist. Kai appeared at the Pavilion theatre last Sunday as part of Brighton’s Youth Aerial circus ‘The Circus of Wonders’. Well done Kai I have certainly heard lots of glowing reports of your performances. Kai very much appreciated his many school friends and teachers that were in the audience to support him.

Half Term
School finishes on Friday 19th October for half term and reopens again on Tuesday 30th October as we have a training day on Monday 29th October.

2007-09-21T20:22:00.000+01:00

FA Charter Standard Awards Evening

Ms Busby and Mr Collins went along to receive our FA Charter Standard School Award on Tuesday evening. We are the county winners of the award beating many schools in the county so we feel very proud. You can take a look at the award, which is displayed in the cabinet situated by the main doors. There are also photographs on our web site of Ms Busby receiving the award. Well done Ms Busby!

School Council Representatives

Well done to the following children who have been elected to represent their class on the School Council.

Year 1: Flynn Smith and Millie Whitfield.
Year 2: Scarlett Clark and Ombaashi Grech Cato.
Year 3: Anna Rubinstein and Max Chandler.
Year 4: Otto Goldsmith and Salty De La Poer Monsell.
Year 5: Louie Nangle and Katy Shirley.
Year 6: Hannah Dunsmore and Caine Lewin Turner.

Meeting for Reception Parents

Mrs Noble is holding a meeting for Reception parents on Wednesday 26th September at 2.30 in the school library. The meeting is to inform parents/carers on daily routines and curriculum coverage.

Punctuality

Our Education Welfare Officer will be monitoring children’s punctuality in the mornings. Just to remind you children should be in school and in class by 9.00 a.m. when the register is taken. If they are later than this then they receive a late mark in the register.

Spanish Club

I have been informed of a Spanish club running for children at the Hanover Community Centre in Southover Street. If you wish to find out more please tel: 323431.

Joyoti and Chetana would like to thank everyone who sponsored their bike ride last term. They raised over hundred pounds half of which they are donating to the Norwood Children and Families Trust and the other half to the School Association. Well done Joyoti and Chetana and thank you very much on behalf of the School Association.

Mr Brazil’s Workshop

As part of Brighton’s car free day this coming Sunday Mr Brazil will be running a drum making workshop outside Brighton Town Hall. Mr Brazil would love it if lots of Middle Street children came along to join in. The workshop will run throughout the afternoon.

Amendment to Your Diary Dates

You may or may not have noticed a clash of dates in the class assembly section. Please amend you dairy dates sheet for Year 2 class assembly which should read Friday 15th February. Sorry if the mistake has caused any confusion.

Half Term

School finishes on Friday 19th October for half term and reopens again on Tuesday 30th October as we have a training day on Monday 29th October

2007-09-14T15:03:00.000+01:00

School Council Elections

Each class will be holding their School Council elections on Tuesday next week (18th September). Reception class hold their elections a bit later in the year when the children have settled in. The newly elected council members will have their first meeting in the very near future.

Parent Governor Vacancy

We have a Parent Governor vacancy at the moment. You should have received a letter containing information on how to apply. If you wish to become a Parent Governor please collect an application form from the school office no later than Friday 21st September. The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on Friday 5th October.

New Course for Parents/Carers

There will be a new course running for parents and carers on Saturdays at the school beginning on 3rd November. The course is aimed at parents/carers of children aged 8 to 10 years and will support parents in developing positive strategies for dealing with some of those difficult moments we all experience with our children. If you would like to find out more and whether this is the course for you then please come along to a coffee morning on Wednesday 26th September in the Family room. You can drop in for a chat about the course any time between 9.00 and 10.30 am. There will be posters up in the school and letters sent home with all children in Years 4, 5 and 6 with further information.

Emergency Contact List

You should find attached to this newsletter an emergency contact form for you to complete and return to the office. Please ensure you return the completed form as soon as possible as we need to update our files.

Water Problems!

Yet again we are dealing with another leak. We have had to switch off the hot water supply and are currently only able to use cold water. This has been fine for the rest of the school but has affected the kitchen. As a result today children having school dinners had to have sandwiches. I have apologised to the children who were kind and understanding when I told them there would be no chips today. I would also like to apologise to you on behalf of the kitchen staff. We hope to have the problem resolved by Monday.

After School Care

If you require your child to be cared for after school please ask for information at the office on the After School Clubs that pick up from Middle Street. I have also been given information about an after school play worker who can offer school pick up and baby sitting in the Southover area. You can contact Rosana on Tel: 07729876085. I am not able to vouch for this person and is therefore your responsibility to ensure this person has been CRB checked, has the relevant references and training and is the right person to care for your child.

Watch Found

A watch has been found in the Year 1 and 2 shared area. Please ask at the office if you have recently lost a watch.

2007-09-07T15:25:00.000+01:00

Hello and welcome back!

A very warm welcome to you all and an extra special welcome to all the new children and their families joining us this year.
I hope you all had a very enjoyable holiday. I don’t know about you but I am still hopeful summer will finally arrive!

Curriculum Letters

Over the next week you will receive a letter from the class teacher outlining the areas of the curriculum your child will be working on this term. You will receive a curriculum letter at the beginning of each term.

Meet the Teacher

There is an opportunity next week for you to meet your child’s teacher and to have a chat about the coming year. You will have the chance to ask questions and find out more about the class routines and expectations. The dates and times are as follows:

Reception: Wednesday 26th September at 2.30.

Year 1 and Year 2: Monday 10th September at 9.10.

Year 3 and Year 4: Thursday 13th September at 9.10.

Year 5 and Year 6:Tuesday 11th September at 9.10.

The meeting will take place in your child’s classroom. Please wait outside the classroom until the teacher has taken the class to assembly. The above information can also be found on the attached ‘Dates for your Diary’ sheet.

Diary Dates

You should hopefully find attached a ‘Dates for Your Diary’ sheet which outlines the main events etc for the year. Please remember the dates are subject to change and you will receive further information regarding the events nearer the time. Please read the Friday News to keep up to date with all the other exciting things that happen through the year.

Hola!

Hopefully as the year progresses I will be able to manage to speak a little more Spanish than Hola and dos cerveza as the whole school will be learning to speak Spanish this year. Children in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 will learn informally a few basic Spanish words and children in Key Stage 2 will have Spanish lessons building up their vocabulary and understanding of the language. Later in the Year we will be holding a ‘Spanish Week’ in school focusing on everything related to the language and to the countries where Spanish is spoken.

Listen to the Friday News

Clever Mr Dyer not only does he have the Friday News for you to read on our web site but he now has a Lion reading the Friday News aloud to you too. Check it out, we were all mesmerised by this very well spoken lion reading to us when we took a look at the web site on Monday.

Lost Property

We currently have a lost property mountain in the hall. Please check the mountain very soon for any lost items before we send it all off to a charity shop.

2007-07-20T17:21:00.000+01:00

Year 2 Assembly

Despite a very soggy start to the day Year 2 put on a wonderful show this morning. Their assembly was all about their favourite author Judy Dunbar. The children met her recently during a visit to Borders Books.

Summer Afternoon Tea

We all enjoyed a sunny afternoon tea put on for us by the School Association. During the Tea the school Governors and parents and carers presented Marie Spencer with some wonderful retirement presents and flowers. Marie has asked me to pass on her thanks for the gifts and very kind messages. She will miss you all very much. Thank you, also the School Association for another fabulous afternoon tea.

Guess How Many Sweeties

A group of parents ran a ‘Guess How Many Sweeties in the Jar’ competition during the afternoon tea. The winner was announced in assembly this morning, he is Jeric from Year 2.

Guess the Teachers Pet

I am so pleased to finally announce the winner of the ‘Guess the Teachers Pet’ competition which has been running for some time. The winner is Em from Year 4 who won a rather gorgeous teddy and a large bar of chocolate.

Meet the Teacher

The children visited their new classrooms and met their new teachers this morning. I am sure they will be excited to tell you all about what they did and what their new teacher is like.

Nursery Visit Fabrica

The afternoon Nursery children visited the Fabrica gallery to look at the new light installation exhibited in a dark and scary cave in the centre of the gallery. They had great fun.

Mrs Dyer on behalf of the Nursery would like to say thank you to the Belcher family for their kind donation of books.

Year 6 Leavers Assembly

Year 6 are busy rehearsing, as I write, for their Leavers Assembly which takes place on Monday afternoon.

Assembly After Show Party

Following the assembly Year 6 and their parents will be gathering on the beach for a class picnic. All year 6 and their parents are invited so do go along with a picnic and something nice to drink. The picnic starts from 3.30 onwards on the beach just down from the small volley ball and basketball courts.

Parent/Carer Group

During the Autumn Term there will be a course running for parents and carers who are interested in learning about how a child’s mind ticks. The course will cover areas such as temper tantrums, refusing to go to bed and all those other little dilemmas you deal with on a daily basis. More information to follow when we return in September.

Please Help

The school has an old fridge that needs dumping. Would a kind parent or carer with a van take it to the dump for us? If you are able to help please let one of the office staff know.

Lost

Roman in Year 4 is very sad at the moment, as he has lost his light grey trilby hat. Please hand it in to the office or directly to Roman if you find it.

Congratulations to…

Zeke in Year 1 who has achieved his 10 metres Swimming Certificate. Well done Zeke!
Callum in Year 2 who won the ‘Super Beaver’ tournament. Callum was awarded a trophy which he keeps until next year.

Last Friday News
This is the last Friday News for this term. So I will take this opportunity to say thank you so much for all your support over the year. You truly are a great and fun bunch of parents and carers. A massively, large, sparkly thank you to all the wonderful Middle Street children. You are simply the BEST!

Goodbye and Good Luck to all the Year 6 children, we are going to miss you very much. Goodbye and Good Luck to children in other Year groups who are moving away, we shall miss you too! Good bye and Good Luck to Ms Hawes and Ms Burbridge in your new jobs, of course we will miss you too and Good Luck on your travels Ms Stewart (don’t forget to come back!). Thank you and good bye Marie, what will we do without you! To everyone else we look forward to seeing you again in September. To all of you have a sunny (ha ha!) and fun summer break!

Summer Holidays

The school closes on Tuesday 24th July and reopens again on Wednesday 5th September (Nursery from 12th September).

2007-07-13T15:25:00.000+01:00

Musical Celebration

I hope you enjoyed our Musical Celebration as much as we did today. The children certainly sang brilliantly. Thank you to every one who was able to join us today. For those of you who couldn’t make it we will have a DVD of the performance on sale for £2 a copy. Please let the office staff know if you would like one.

Cinema Night

The School Association would like to say thank you to everyone who came along to the cinema night last week. Everyone had a great time and in the process of having fun the School Association raised £647 for the school. A huge thank you to Izzy and Joanne who organised the evening.

Year 2 Assembly

Year 2 are holding their assembly performance on Friday 20th July 9.10. Year 2 parents and carers are invited.

Year 6 Leavers Assembly

Year 6 will hold their Leavers Assembly on Monday 23rd July at 1.45 p.m. Year 6 parents are invited and should prepare themselves for lots of fun and maybe just one or two tears. It’s always hard to say goodbye.

Open Afternoon

All parents are welcome to come and look through their child’s work and have a wander round the classroom on Thursday 19th July from 2.00.

Summer Afternoon Tea

When you have finished enjoying your child’s work (Thursday July 19th) you can come along and join us in the hall from 3.00pm for the School Association’s Summer Afternoon Tea. This will be an opportunity to enjoy a cup of tea, a yummy cake and a chat with friends. You will also have an opportunity to say your farewells to Marie Spencer as her retirement draws ever closer.

Last Chance at Guess the Teachers Pet

During the Afternoon Tea you will have one final chance to enter the Guess the Teachers Pet Competition. Winners will be announced in the Friday News the following day.

Reports

If you are reading this Friday News then you should have received your child’s report which has been sent out today. If you are reading this on our web site and haven’t received your child’s report please let the office staff know.

Stolen Bikes

Over the last 2 weeks 2 bikes have been stolen from outside the school. Both bikes were locked and attached to the bike rail. If your child cycles to school please remind them to use the schools bike rails in the school grounds.

Thank you and Goodbye

Cy in Year 2 and Elliott in Nursery are saying their goodbyes as they are moving away from Brighton. Cy and Elliott’s mum and dad asked if I could say thank you to the school staff and to every one else for all that you have done for them during their time at Middle Street.

Do You Read the Friday News?

I hope you do as a lot of information is contained in the weekly newsletter. You should receive a copy every Friday. If one doesn’t arrive home for what ever reason you can access it via our Web Site. Mr Dyer puts it on the Web Site for you every Friday. Please make every effort to read it and that way you won’t miss out on anything.

Please Collect Your Child On Time

Please could you ensure your child is collected from school on time next Friday. There will be no one in school from 3.30 p.m. onwards. All staff will be out of school celebrating Marie’s retirement with her.

Summer Holidays

We finish for the summer holidays on Tuesday 24th July and re-open for the new school year on Wednesday 5th September.Nursery reopens on Wednesday 12th September.

2007-07-06T17:35:00.000+01:00

New Site Manager

I have great pleasure in announcing the appointment of our new Site Manager, Mr Stuart Everard. Stuart takes over from Marie Spencer in August. I know he is looking forward to meeting and getting to know you all.

Tag Rugby

Our Tag Rugby team attended a tournament on Tuesday with Ms Whiting. They played extremely well and came second overall. Well done to all who took part.

Drumming Assembly

The children enjoyed an exciting assembly on Monday. Tribal Groove performed a drumming session using an array of drums. Some children were also able to have a go at drumming themselves.

Little Canada

Year 6 returned from Little Canada on Monday very tired but happy, having enjoyed a fun packed weekend. Thank you to Ms Stewart, Ms Moriarty and Mrs McGeachin who went along for the weekend with the children.
Please could Year 5 parents/carers return their permission slips for next years Little Canada trip by the end of term as we have to book the places.

Street Surfing

Children in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 enjoyed a day of ‘Street Surfing’ in the school playground. You may be wondering what Street Surfing is or you may be super cool and hip and know exactly what is. It involves skate boarding on a new style of board which has only 2 wheels. Looked a bit tricky to me but I’m sure with a bit of practice I’ll soon be whizzing down Middle Street doing all sorts of tricks!

School Association Cinema Night

Finally the big night has arrived! Everything is in place for you to have a great night out. Do come along this evening for a drink or two with friends or even make some new friends while your children watch the film ’Jump In’ in the hall on a large cinema screen.

Help Raise Funds for Middle Street

Two mums are planning to do the 60 mile Capital to Coast Bike Ride on Sunday 15th July. Joyoti and Chetana will give half the money they raise in sponsorship to the Middle Street School Association. The rest of the money goes to various charities. If you would like to sponsor Joyoti and Chetana please catch them in the playground or come in to the school office and sign up there.

Bike It Picnic

We are very pleased to announce that Gary our Bike It co-ordinator will be working with us again next year. Gary is holding a Bike It picnic on Friday 27th July from 11.30 to 2.30 at Somerhill Junior School. Children will be receiving invitations to join the picnic and Gary looks forward to seeing you all there.

Reports

You will be receiving your child’s report next week.
If you require an additional copy of the report (parent/carers only) please inform a member of the office staff as soon as possible.

Lost

Has anyone found a set of 3 keys on an orange ‘Bike It’ key ring? If you have please could you inform a member of office staff or phone 731726.

There will be no Gardening Club this Monday.

Summer Holidays

We finish for the summer holidays on Tuesday 24th July and re-open for the new school year on Wednesday 5th September.
Nursery reopens on Wednesday 12th September.

2007-06-29T17:38:00.000+01:00

Canterbury Capers

Mr Collins, Mrs Walker and I enjoyed our visit to the Teaching Awards ceremony in Canterbury. We were all very nervous and excited so it was a relief when Mr Collins’ name was called out. I am very proud to inform you that Mr Collins was awarded a ‘Distinction’ and received a certificate and a trophy. Mr Collins was just pipped at the post by a teacher from a school in Ramsgate.
In our eyes, of course, Mr Collins is a winner!
Well done Mr Collins everyone at Middle Street is very proud of you.

Sunny Sports Day

There must be something special about Middle Street sports days. We always manage to have a sunny day, which is amazing considering how the weather has been recently. What a fabulous day we had and such fantastic support from Parents and Carers. Thank you so much for all your kind and appreciative comments as you left. It is good to know that all the hard work and organisation that goes in to sports day is appreciated.
The winning teams were in 3rd place: Blue Team, in 2nd place: Yellow Team and the winning team was Red Team. Well done to all the teams and the fantastic sportsmanship demonstrated by all!

Little Canada

Year 6 got off to a soggy start to their weekend in Little Canada. I don’t think they noticed the wind and rain though, as they were so excited about their weekend of adventure. They arrived safely on the Isle of Wight this afternoon.

Blackberry Farm

Nursery and Reception children are a hardy bunch. They certainly didn’t let a bit of rain put them off their trip to Blackberry Farm. Lots of fun was had by all.

Book Machine

‘The Blue and Green Book Machine’ will be displaying books for you to look through during next week.This enables you to browse through the books before ordering from the leaflet. You should receive book title and order leaflets either today or Monday.

Cinema Night

The School Association are holding their annual Cinema Night here at the school on Friday 6th July. The film showing is ‘Jump In’ and has similarities to ‘High School Musical’. The evening begins at 6.00pm and tickets can be purchased from the school office for £3 each for children (drinks and snacks free). Adults can enter free of charge.

Year 6 Leavers Assembly

Year 6 are holding their leavers assembly on Monday 23rd July at 2.00 pm . Year 6 parents are very welcome to join us for this farewell extravaganza.

Help Needed

Danny’s mum; Kate Knight (in Year 5) is in need of a child minder to collect Danny from school starting in October. Danny will need collecting 3 days a week. If you are able to offer your services please contact Kate on Tel: 07985639884.

Lost

Louis Nangle has lost a library book from Brighton Library. The book is ‘True Ghost Stories’ by Terry Dear. If you have found the book please could you return it asap to Louis in Year 4.

Congratulations to…

Anna Rubinstein in Year 2 who walked over 5 miles around London crossing the Thames 6 times on Sunday to help raise money for Kidney Research UK. Anna was taking part in the London Bridges Walk 2007. I hope you wore comfortable shoes Anna. Well Done Anna!

Summer Holidays

We finish for the summer holidays on Tuesday 24th July and re-open for the new school year on Wednesday 5th September (Nursery on Wednesday 12th).

2007-06-22T18:01:00.000+01:00

We Won!

Ms Busby and the children who attended the Brighton Primary/Junior Schools Athletic Championships on Wednesday have been beside themselves with excitement as they were the overall winners in their division and won the cup! Lots of gold medals were also awarded too. Ms Busby could hardly bear to listen to the final results during the announcements. A very big THANK YOU Ms Busby and all the adults who went along to help and a ginormous WELL DONE to all the children from Years 4, 5 and 6 who took part.

Canterbury Tales

There will be a tale to tell I’m sure when Mr Collins, Mrs Walker and I return from the Teaching Awards ceremony on Monday next week. The ceremony is to be held in Canterbury Cathedral and takes place over most of the day. As you know Mr Collins is one of three finalists for the region which is a great achievement and we are very pleased he has reached this stage. The winner of the regional awards then goes forward to the national round. Good Luck Mr Collins from everyone at Middle Street!

Islands in the Hall

We hope you enjoyed the Art Exhibition displayed over Wednesday and Thursday. I am sure you were intrigued by the Metamorphic Islands and their inhabitants. The children had a great time creating the islands and they especially enjoyed working in mixed age groups and family groupings for the week.

Sadly, we have nowhere to store the islands so we would like to offer you the opportunity to take an island home to keep. If you would like to own you very own island please collect it by the end of the day on Monday.

Oh we do like to be Beside the Seaside!

Year One enjoyed a walk along the lower promenade this week. They were exploring the seafront as part of their Seaside History topic.

Royal Pavilion

Year 2 visited the Royal Pavilion on Thursday as part of their Geography topic looking at the local area and famous inhabitants.

A Gathering of Governors

The Governing Body gathered on Wednesday afternoon to discuss their successes and strengths and then discussed developments for the next academic year. As you may be aware our Governing Body is quite newly formed and membership has built up over the year. They are a great team and we are very lucky to have such a knowledgeable and committed Governing Body.

School Association Cinema Night

The School Association are holding their annual Cinema Night here at the school on Friday 6th July. The film showing is ‘Jump In’ and has similarities to ‘High School Musical’. Tickets available from the school office.

Nursery and Reception Sports Day

Nursery and Reception children enjoyed their Sports Day they had their races outside despite the annoying inclement weather. Nothing stops Middle Street children having fun!

Sports Day at Withdean

Sports day for Years 1 to 6 is at Withdean on Thursday morning. We hope you are able to come along and cheer the teams on. There is of course a parents race and I have heard whispers there is to be a staff race too.

Win It on Thursdays

Gary is aware that we will all be at Sports Day on Thursday so he has arranged to miss a week and hold the Win It on Thursday competition on the following Thursday 5th July.

Book Machine Book Fair

‘The Blue and Green Book Machine’ will be displaying books for you to look through during the week beginning 2ndJuly. This enables you to browse through the books before ordering from the leaflet. You should receive book title and order leaflets the week before.

Reminders:

Please could all children with long hair (including boys) tie it back while they are in school. We are having lots of problems with headlice and long loose hair allows headlice to move with ridiculous ease from head to head.

Basketball Club

will take place on Tuesday next week instead of Thursday.

Host Families Needed

If you are interested in accommodating a City College international student and would like to know more please telephone 667710 or read the blue flyer on the Parents noticeboard.

Congratulations to…

Max Schnuppe in Reception who has achieved his Swimming Award for 50 metre front crawl at Level 3. Mum says Max has been over the moon with his achievement and so he should be. Well Done Max!

2007-06-15T17:32:00.000+01:00

Art Week

The children have had a wonderful time this week creating their islands and creatures to inhabit the islands. To celebrate we will be exhibiting the children’s work on Wednesday 20th June in the Hall during the afternoon. Work will still be on display Thursday morning for those who missed it on the Wednesday.

Year 4 Return

Year 4 have enjoyed their residential trip to Pyke House in Battle. Luckily the weather hasn’t been too bad. I’m sure they will have lots to tell their parents about their 2 days. They return this afternoon.

Environment Day at Moulsecoomb

Years 4, 5 and 6 are taking a trip to Moulsecoomb Primary School on Monday for a day of workshops focused on the environment.

School Association Cinema Night

The School Association are holding their annual Cinema Night here at the school on Friday 6th July. The film showing is ‘Jump In’ and has similarities to ‘High School Musical’. There will be more information to follow.

Sainsburys Vouchers

If you have any Sainsburys Vouchers at home please could you hand them in , as we are ready to count and send them off in return for more equipment.

Children’s Information Service

The Children’s Information Service is based at Brighton Town Hall. Tel No: 293545. They can provide you with information on Child Minders, After School Care, Holiday Play Schemes and Activities, Voluntary Organisations, Fun Days, Job Vacancies in childcare and much more. They are open daily and offer a drop in service.

No Sports After School Club on Wednesday (next week)

Dinner Money

Mrs Walker is requesting any outstanding dinner money payments please as soon as possible.

Sports Day

Our school Sports Day takes place, this year on Thursday 28th June in the morning at Withdean Stadium. More information on arrangements will be sent to you shortly but we will follow the usual routine of meeting at Withdean and children going home with Parents/Carers at the end of the event.

Nursery and Reception Sports Day will take place on 22nd June in the school playground.

Well Done Kai!

Kai Scott Bridge in Year 5 performed in a sell out performance of ‘The Last Meeting’ last night at the Pavilion Theatre.
Kai performed with the Brighton and Hove’s Refugee Youth Theatre group ‘Above and Beyond’. Many of the performers are from countries such as Iran and Kurdistan. The show was excellent and included trapeze and songs in Farsi.

Summer Holidays

Last day of school is Tuesday 24th July and school reopens again on Wednesday 5th September (Nursery on 12th September).

2007-06-08T18:35:00.000+01:00

Award for Middle Street

Middle Street has been awarded with a County Achievement Award for the Football Charter Standard Primary category for 2007. This award is in recognition of our outstanding achievements in using football to provide high quality sport both in and out of the school curriculum whilst linking with local football clubs to provide the school to club link. There will be a ceremony later in the year to celebrate this achievement and the school will then be put forward for the regional awards. Well done all our wonderful and talented footballers and to Ms Busby for all your hard work networking and organising.

Bike It Competition

Gary Shipp our Bike It co-ordinator is running a competition throughout June. Children can enter the competition by riding their bike to school every Thursday. Gary can be found in the main playground every Thursday morning of June.

Art Week

Art Week begins next week and work will be exhibited in the school hall on Tuesday 19th June. I won’t spoil the surprise but expect to see some weird and wonderful creations.

Pyke House

Year 4 are off to Pyke House in Battle on Wednesday 13th June and return on Friday 15th June. They have lots of activities and interesting visits planned but best of all they have lots of fun too.

Brighton and Hove Athletics Championships

Children from Years 4, 5 and 6 will be representing the school at the Brighton and Hove Athletics Championships. The event is to be held at Withdean stadium on Wednesday 20th June.

Sports Day

Our school Sports Day takes place, this year on Thursday 28th June in the morning at Withdean Stadium. More information on arrangements will be sent to you shortly but we will follow the usual routine of meeting at Withdean and children going home with Parents/Carers at the end of the event.

Nursery and Reception Sports Day

will take place on 22nd June in the school playground.

Dates for Your Diary:

Music Celebration - will take place in the morning of 13th July. Parents/Carers are welcome to join us for this event.

Open Afternoon - Parents/Carers are are invited into school from 2.00pm onwards on 19th July to spend time with their child looking at their years work. The Open Afternoon will be followed by School Association Afternoon Tea
This will be an extra special occasion as this will be an opportunity for you all to say goodbye to Marie Spencer our caretaker who is retiring this year.

Year 6 Leavers Assembly - Year 6 Parents and Carers are invited to join for the Year 6 Leavers assembly at 2.00pm on 23rd July.

More information on all the above events to follow soon.

Congratulations to…

Romy in Year 1 who has achieved her Level 1 Swimming Certificate. Well done Romy!

Scarlett in Year 1 has achieved her Level 1 Swimming Certificate. Well done Scarlett!

2007-05-25T18:51:00.000+01:00

Grassed Boyces Street!

Mr Collins and I have attempted to super glue the grass to the road in Boyces Street and we’ve padlocked all the plants to the walls and fences. Now we’ve finally got some greenery we don’t want to lose it! What a great start to the day and what a difference a bit of pretend grass makes. It was very amusing to see everyone’s faces as they turned into Boyces Street. Every face turned into a beaming smile which was wonderful to see. Lots of you have walked or cycled to school this week including staff so it has been great to celebrate the end of Walk to School Week with today’s activities. Take a look at BBC South and Meridian tonight we should be on the television.

Visits to Fabrica Exhibition

This week children have been visiting the exhibition at Fabrica. The visit and their observational drawings will provide inspiration for their work during Art Week which begins on 11th June. If you are able to help during Art Week please let the class teacher know.

Tag Rugby Tournament

The Middle Street Tag Rugby team played extremely well on Monday at Hove Rugby Club. The team made it through to the semi- finals Their coach was so impressed with how quickly they learnt the game and how skilled they became despite having little space to practice in at Middle Street he awarded each player a medal as well as a certificate. Well done to them all!

Girl’s Football Tournament

The Middle Street Years 5 and 6 girl’s football team played some stunning football at a Tournament on Tuesday. The team came second in their group. Well done girls you certainly bend it like Beckham!

BBC Orchestra Performance

The BBC Orchestra are visiting Middle Street on Thursday June 7th. They will be performing to classes and running workshops too.

School Association Coffee Morning

The School Association are holding their regular monthly Coffee Morning on Wednesday 6th June 9.00am – 10.00am. Please drop in for a chat and a coffee it will be lovely to see you.

School Nurse Drop In

The school nurse will be available again on Wednesday 6th June during the Coffee Morning if you wish to informally chat over any health issues with her.

Mrs Purdy’s Plant Sale

Mrs Purdy and her helpers did a roaring trade with her plant sale on Wednesday. With the money raised Mrs Purdy is going to purchase more goodies and equipment for the Gardening Club. I hope you have been admiring the Gardening Club’s pots and planters springing up around the playground. There’s more to come. Thank you to Mrs Purdy and the Gardening Club for cheering up the playgrounds.

Half Term Holiday

School closes for half term at 3.05pm today and reopens on Tuesday 5th June. The school staff have a training day on Monday 4th June.

2007-05-11T18:43:00.000+01:00

Children’s Parade

Can we say a big thank you to all of the children and parents who joined us on the children’s parade last Saturday. The costumes were fantastic and everyone helped to create a sunny, carnival atmosphere. Well done to the samba band who not only sounded brilliant but also showed a great deal of resilience by playing the whole length of the route. We also need to say thank you to Mr Brazil for practising with the band in order to get them to such a high standard and to Mrs. Purdey and parents for giving up their own time to make the wonderful Flintstone car.

Tag Rugby Tournament

Our Tag Rugby team has been training very hard and they are looking forward to taking part in a tournament on Monday 21st May at Hove R.F.C. Their last practice before the competition will be held at 2.15 p.m. on Hove Lawns (weather permitting) next Monday 14th May. Those children who are not picked up by parents/carers from the lawns will be walked back to school for 4.00 p.m.

Independent Infants

Firstly can we remind parents/carers of children in Years 1 and 2 to bring their children into school through the entrances to classrooms from the back playground. This really helps us to cut down on congestion in the main corridor of the school.

We would also like our infants to be as independent as possible, so leaving them at the door and giving them the responsibility for hanging their coats and putting their own book bags and water bottles away would really help with this.

Middle Street Choir

Choir starts again today and will take place every Friday after school in the library from 3.05 until 3.45. This was previously only open to Years 5 and 6, but now we would like to offer places to Year 4 as well. If you are interested in joining then please speak to either Mr Brazil or Miss Moriarty.

Athletics at Withdean

It is athletics season again and that means that we have booked Withdean Stadium for our athletics lessons. Years 3 and 4 will be going next week on Friday 18th May. They will need to ensure that they have their Middle Street P.E. kits and either plimsoles or trainers. It is always possible that it could be a sunny day so they will also need to take a water bottle and some sun lotion. The stadium is also booked for our sports day which will take place on Thursday 28th June.

Swimming Lessons

We have been contacted by Adele Hamilton who has competed at a national level in swimming for her native country of Australia for over 10 years. She is now living in Brighton and, in affiliation with Prince Regent Leisure Centre, is running swimming lessons every day of the week as well as intensive courses during school holidays. If you are interested, her contact details are:
Phone: 07942221360 Email: adelernee@hotmail.com

Lost Property

A message went out in last weeks Friday News about checking through before it gets bagged up and donated to a charity shop. This will be happening next week so this really is your last chance to collect any lost items.

Payments for Pyke House and Little Canada

The deadline for final payments has now passed so please come to the office to settle up any outstanding money as soon as possible.

Congratulations!

Well done to Caine Lewin Turner in Year 5 who played for Saltdean United Football Club’s under tens team at the Sovereign Saints ground in Eastbourne. It was a fantastic achievement for his team to win the competition for their age group out of the 21 teams who entered.

2007-05-04T17:30:00.000+01:00

Children’s Parade

We are all looking forward to the Children’s Parade on Saturday. Our number is 35 and we will meet in Pelham Street at 10.00am. The Samba band will meet at 9.30.

Brighton Morris Men

We had great fun on Tuesday morning when the Brighton Morris Men danced for us in the playground. They also performed for us in assembly and taught a very large group of children, ages ranging from 3 years to 11 years a special dance.

School Nurse Drop In

The school nurse will be available again on Wednesday 6th June if you wish to chat over any health issues with her informally.

Polling Day Closure

While the children enjoyed the sunshine during the polling day school closure school staff were hard at work at school updating school policies, discussing the learning environment and working in their classrooms. We did miss the children though.

Massage in School Meeting

Year 3 and Year 4 parents and carers have been invited to attend a meeting with Mrs Noble on Wednesday 9th May. The meeting will outline how we have introduced the massage in school programme with Reception class, the benefits of the programme and introducing the programme to children in Year 3 and Year 4. The programme will be rolled out across the school over the coming months.

EWO and EWA

Sue Fears our Education Welfare Officer and Lauren Wheeler our Education Welfare Assistant are working hard to improve attendance and punctuality in the school. If you do have any difficulties getting to school on time or your child’s attendance record is poor and you would like some advice or support please alert Mrs Walker in the office and she will arrange a meeting with either Sue or Lauren.

Violin Demonstration

Year 2 will have the opportunity to listen and observe the violin teacher and a group of our children who are learning the violin perform for them. They will then have the opportunity to consider if they too wish to learn to play the violin when they move into Year 3. A meeting for parents and carers of interested children will take place in the next few weeks.

Brighton Festival Fringe

On Saturday 5th May following the Children’s Parade a free Brighton Festival Fringe event has been organised for the afternoon. There will be music, theatre, comedy and much more. The event takes place at Jubilee Square (the Library).

Lost Property

Please come and check through the lost property before we bag it up and donate to a charity shop.

Don’t Forget:

It’s Bank Holiday Monday this Monday (7th May).

Half Term

School closes for half term at 3.05pm on Friday 25th May and reopens on Tuesday 5th June. The school staff have a training day on Monday 4th June.

2007-04-27T17:44:00.000+01:00

Our Lovely Caretaker is Retiring

Marie Spencer our wonderful caretaker will be retiring at the end of the term in July. Marie has worked at the school as a cleaner and then as our caretaker for 18 years. She is highly valued member of our team and we will miss her very, very much. I am sure you all know her well as many of you see her on the gate every morning or around school at the end of the day.
More information on Marie’s retirement to follow.

School Dinner Taster

Lots of hungry parents and children enjoyed trying out school dinners yesterday after school. The school dinner service provided a selection of tasty samples for us all to try.

Football Tournament

Well done to our years 3 and 4 football team who played extremely well this week at a local tournament. The children who played were presented with certificates in assembly this morning.

May Day Morris Dancers

On Tuesday May 1st (May Day) Morris dancers will be dancing for you in the playground at 8.45. Later they will take an assembly where children can find out more about the tradition of Morris dancing.

Walk to School Week

Walk to School week takes place the week beginning 21st May. To celebrate the week on Friday 25th May, Boyces street will be closed to traffic and circus performers will be performing for the children throughout the day. In the morning tea and coffee will be handed out to parents/carers as they deliver their children to school. We would like some volunteer parents to help make the tea and coffee and to hand them out. Please let me know if you are able to help do this on the Friday morning.

Festival Parade

The Children’s Festival Parade takes place on Saturday 5th May. Our number is 35 and we will meet in Pelham Street at 10.00am. The Samba band will meet at 9.30.

After School Clubs

We have some spaces in our after school clubs. Please ask at the office and they will tell you which clubs have vacancies.

Gardening Club

Mrs Purdy would like to remind you that Gardening Club finishes at 4.15 pm.

Starfish and Zippies

We have 2 after school care providers who will collect and care for children from Middle Street. They are extremely well organised and take the care and welfare of the children very seriously. Starfish are based at Somerhill school and Zippies are based at St Bartholomews School. You can contact them on the following numbers:
Starfish Tel: 719520
Zippies Tel: 239789
For further information please ask at the office.

School Nurse Drop-in

Cherry Kahil our school nurse will be in school next Tuesday afternoon offering parents/carers the opportunity to come and discuss any health related issues you may have. If you would like to chat with Cherry she will be available from from 2.30pm in the back meeting room. The service is confidential and Cherry is happy to discuss anything however big or small. There is no need to make an appointment, just simply drop in.

Dinner Money Debts

Please keep your school dinner payments up to date. Some families have run up quite a debt! If you are having difficulty paying please enquire as to whether you are entitled to free school meals.

Big Thank You

Mr Needham would like to say a very big thank you to all the families who completed and returned his questionnaire. Your co-operation is very much appreciated.

Congratulations to..

Nathan Davis- Winstanley in Year 6. Nathan’s football team: Withdean FC won the Under 11s Mid Sussex League cup on Wednesday evening. Well Done Nathan!

School Closure

Please remember the school is closed for Polling day next Thursday 3rd May

2007-04-20T18:03:00.000+01:00

Welcome Back

It’s great to see you all again even though it’s hard to return to school in such wonderful weather. I hope the Easter bunny called on you and that you enjoyed the holiday. A warm welcome to the new children and their families who joined the school this term.

Teaching Award

I am very pleased and excited to tell you that Mr Collins has been short-listed for a Teaching Award. He is one of three regional finalists and will attend the award ceremony in June. On Tuesday 2 teaching award judges visited the school to meet with various adults and children to discuss Mr Collins nomination. At the end of the day the judges had beaming smiles on their faces and said what a very brilliant school Middle Street is. They loved everything about it but had particular praise for the confident happy children they met during their time in school. Both judges were extremely impressed so well done to all!

Coffee Morning

The School Association are holding their monthly Coffee Morning on Wednesday May 2nd at 9.00 in the Family Room. Please come along and join us for coffee and a chat. If you are new to the school it’s a great place to meet new friends and get to know other families in the school.

Teachers Pet Competition

There is still time to enter. Please ask at the office for an entry form.

Year 4 Swimming

Year 4 begin their swimming lessons at the Prince Regent pool on Monday morning. Year 4 parent/carers should have received a letter with details and arrangements.

Football Tournament

A team of Year 3 and Year 4 children are representing the school in a football tournament on Tuesday afternoon. Ms Busby will be escorting and cheering the children on.

School Dinner Taster Session

Children and their parent/carers are invited to join us and the kitchen staff in the school hall on Thursday 26th April at 3.00pm for a school dinner taster session. There will lots of sample dishes for you to try and enjoy. The menu sounds delicious and is a varied selection of the dinners served to the children at school.

Baby News

Mrs Jess Goodchild (our Year 2 Teaching Assistant) has given birth to a baby girl, Mia on Wednesday 18th April. We are all looking forward to meeting baby Mia very soon. There seems to be lots of beautiful babies arriving at the moment so well done and congratulations to you if you have a new arrival in your home too.

Samba Band and Choir Important Information

The Samba band will be meeting to practise on Fridays from 3.05 until 3.45 in the hall. The band will be practising for the next three weeks leading up to the Children’s Parade. The choir will not meet again until Friday 11th May. From 11th May Year 4 children will have the opportunity to join the choir.

Children’s Parade Workshops

We are running 2 workshops for children on Wednesday and Friday afternoons next week. We would very much appreciate lots of parent/carer helpers on those afternoons to help the children prepare for the parade. The workshops will take place in the hall from 1.30pm. Please let your class teacher or Mrs Purdy know if you are able to help on one or both of the workshop sessions.

School Closure

Please remember the school will be closed on Thursday May 3rd for Polling Day.

There is also a Bank Holiday on Monday May 7th .

2007-03-31T11:03:00.000+01:00

Body Popping Year 3

Year 3 performed their dance brilliantly at the ‘Lets Dance’ festival on Tuesday evening. Every one was impressed with and very proud of Year 3. Well done to all and thank you to Ms Busby and all those that helped on the night.

Cross Country Runners

Well done to all those children who took part in the Brighton Schools Cross-Country competition on Saturday. Coltrane Chead and Nathan Davis Winstanley from Year 6 and Kai Scott-Bridge, Molly Martin, Tabby Titcombe, Alice Mudie, Mia Ebdon, Georgia Ousley, Oscar Klein, Liela Vilirrubie and Amelia Thornton from Year 5 ran really well and were excellent ambassadors for the school. Thank you to all of you.

Easter Afternoon Tea

Once again we enjoyed a marvellous afternoon tea provided by the School Association. We had many, many Easter eggs donated for the raffle, which meant there were lots of winners. We also had a guess the weight of the cake competition. Two lucky winners took home a delicious cake each. Gary Shipp our Bike-it co-ordinator raised £25 for the school with his Easter Tombola. The winners of the Easter Hat competition are Mimi Waters Stewart, Jed Hughes in Year 2 and Daisy Carville in Reception. Well done!

Teachers Pet Competition

The Guess the teacher’s pet competition will run for a little longer after Easter. It is 50p to enter. Please ask for an entry form at the office.

We Have Worms!

We now have a Wormery in our garden. The worms are very busy making compost for us. Thank you to Paley O Conner, Nisha’s mum who arranged for our school to have the Wormery .

Fair-Trade Recipe Competition Winners

Kai Scott Bridge won the Fair-trade Recipe competition with his recipe for ‘Ren’s Wrap’. The prize was a Fair- Trade bag of Fair-Trade goodies. The class enjoyed a visit from Geoff the Chef who came in to help Kai cook up his recipe. Kai was assisted by Danny and together they produced a very tasty ‘Ren’s Wrap’ which was shared with Kai’s classmates and some staff members who were lured to the hall (where the cooking took place in true Ready Steady Cook style) by the delicious aromas swirling in the air. Runners up in the competition were Harrie Wells, Tabby Titcombe, Hannah Dunsmore, Sivan Schechner and Molly Simmons

After School Care

We now have two after school care providers who will collect from our school. ZiPPies who are based at St Bartholomews School offer after school care with activities, a snack and are open until 6 in the evening. They also offer care in the holidays except the May half term. Your child will bring a leaflet home with details today. You may also ask at the office for more details.

Starfish Kids Club also offer after school care and are based at the Baptist Church in Montpelier Place. Again, if you wish for further information please ask at the office.

Easter Holidays

We break today for the Easter holidays and return to school on Monday 16th April.

The Easter bunny has told me that he will make sure there’s lots of chocolate over Easter for everyone because Middle Street is his favourite school!

2007-03-23T15:09:00.000Z

Year 3 Dance

Year 3 put on a stunning performance for us this morning in assembly. They performed their body popping dance for the whole school and year 3 parents. On Tuesday evening they will perform once again only this time they will do so on stage at the Dome at the very popular school’s dance festival.

School Association Afternoon Tea

We can’t wait until Thursday afternoon. We are already thinking about those delicious sandwiches and cakes. I am sure you feel the same. The School Association and school staff are looking forward to seeing you all at the Afternoon Tea on Thursday from 3.00pm

Easter Hat Competition

Children can enter the Easter hat competition by making an Easter themed hat to wear at the afternoon tea.

Easter Egg Raffle

Donated Easter eggs will be gratefully received at the office for the raffle. Raffle tickets can be purchased from the office at 20p a ticket.

Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Act

You are invited by Brighton and Hove Council in collaboration with BBC Southern Counties Radio to join a symbolic gathering on Brighton seafront to launch the commemorations of the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act.

The commemorations will take place on the beach in the area between the old paddling pool and the Ellipse (Gemini Bar) at 3.00pm. For more details please contact jenni.lewin-turner@brighton-hove.gov.uk (tel no: 293907)

Red Nose Day

Ruby Webber in Year 6 managed to raise £25 selling her delicious homemade chocolate brownies for Red Nose Day. Well done Ruby.

Reminders

A reminder to all children not to bring chewing gum into school. Mrs Spencer is finding chewing gum trod into carpets etc and is finding it difficult to remove. Chewing gum is not allowed in school at anytime.

Please lock your bikes up to the bike racks. Please do not lock bikes to the wooden fence as they cause a dangerous obstruction. Please could scooters also be left out side at the bike racks and not hung on children’s pegs.

Please remember that only fruit or vegetables are permissible snacks at breaktime.

Change of Day for Basketball club

Next week Basket ball Club will take place on Tuesday not Thursday.

Net ball Coaching

Junior netball coaching sessions are available at Kingsway Multiplay in Brighton. The sessions take place evey Monday from 16th April at 5.00pm – 6.00pm. Each session costs £2.50. The sessions are run on a pay as you go basis. For more information please contact Nicky Salmon on 292570

Easter Holidays

School closes for the Easter break at 3.05 on Friday 30th March and reopens on Monday 16th April.

2007-03-16T19:09:00.000Z

Festival Parade

After a few annoying problems we have been told we can now join the Children’s Parade. Mr Brazil will be leading the Samba Band and Mrs Purdy in Reception will be organising costumes etc. Please let Mrs Purdy know if you would like to help.

Violin Concert

We have a very talented group of children who are learning to play the violin. They will be performing with their violin teacher to the rest of the school on Tuesday 20th March at 1.30 Parents of the children performing are invited.

Guitar Teacher

Mr Brazil has arranged for a guitar teacher to come and perform for the children in an assembly. The assembly will take place on Thursday 22nd March. If children are interested in learning to play the guitar they can let Mr Brazil know after the assembly.

No Swimming

The final swimming lesson for year 5 will be on Wednesday 21st March. There will be no lesson on Wednesday 28th March.

Year 3 Class Assembly

Year 3 will be performing their fantastic dance in assembly on Friday 23rd March. They will then perform at the Dome Dance Festival on Tuesday 27th March.

Nursery visiting Fire Station

The morning Nursery children are looking forward to visiting the Fire Station on Thursday 22nd March.

Easter Tea

The School Association is putting on one of the fabulous and delicious afternoon teas on Thursday 29th March from 3.00. There will be Easter activities for the children, an Easter Hat competition and an Easter egg raffle. So please come along and help the school raise funds whilst enjoying yourselves.
We are now accepting Easter egg donations for the raffle.

Gardening Club

Mrs Purdy’s Gardening club will be selling bedding plants, herbs and other plants at the Easter Afternoon Tea.

Scrooge DVD

We have on sale in school DVD of the schools Christmas performance of Scrooge. The money raised from the sale of the DVDs goes to the School Associations fund raising account.

Acting Opportunity

If your child is interested in auditioning for a part in ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ (see last weeks Friday News) Please contact Pippa the casting director on the number supplied on the information sheet. I believe Pippa is holding auditions in the area this Saturday.

Petition for Safety Improvements in Boyces Street

Gary Shipp (Bike It Co-ordinator) and I are eager to make Boyces Street a safer street. We would like the council to make improvements to the street to restrict traffic and make it a safer street for the children of our school. We have put together a petition for staff and parent/carers to sign, which we can then present to the council. You can sign the petition at the office. Please help us to make the environment around the school a safe one.

Unwanted Graffiti!

I am very disappointed to inform you that we have found some rather unpleasant words scrawled on our lovely Story Telling chair in the playground. It happened during parents evening but I have no idea who the culprit is. We all have responsibility for ensuring the children respect school property what ever time of day they happen to be here so please, if you observe children (or adults) behaving inappropriately whilst on school property challenge them or come and ask for help.

INSET dates

A reminder that we have an INSET day (teachers training day) on Monday June 4th and the final INSET on Wednesday 25th July.

School Closure - Polling day 3rd May

On May 3rd the school is being used as a polling station for the elections and will close on that day for obvious security and safety reasons.

Easter Hols

School closes for the Easter break at 3.05 on Friday 30th March and reopens on Monday 16th April.

2007-03-09T18:49:00.000Z

Waving at the Queen

Year 5 and Year 6 did some excellent waving at the Queen yesterday. The Queen had a chat with one or two Middle Street children before moving on to visit the Library. I do hope the Queen had time to return her library books during the visit. Members of the School Council enjoyed a special concert in the Theatre Royal, which the Queen and Prince Phillip also attended. Children and young people from Brighton and Hove’s Music and Performing Arts performed a selection of British music from the last 200 years. Zoe Ward from Year 4 was also at the Theatre as she is a member of the Brighton and Hove’s Music and Performing Arts choir who sung beautifully for the Queen. I believe there are a selection of photographs in today’s Argus, which you may like to take a look at.

Year 4 Assembly

This morning Year 4 entertained us with their well-performed show ‘Book Report.’ They showed us how they, as with so many Middle Street children, take naturally and confidently to the stage. Thank you for giving us all an amusing start to our day!

Bike Exchange

Gary Shipp was a bit sad that he didn’t have many bikes for exchange or to sell but he did enjoy his day with us yesterday. Dr Bike and Gary were able to provide some safety and maintenance tips to a few children at the end of the day. A big thank you from Gary to those families who did bring bikes in for exchange or to sell.

Gary Shipp Bike It co-ordinator will be in school again for Parents evenings.

Parent Consultation Evenings

We will be holding Parent/Carer consultation evenings on the following dates: 13th and 15th March. You should have received a letter from the class teacher with more information. If you have not received the letter please ask for one at the office.

Brazilian Football Tournament 16th March

A team of Year 6 boys and girls will be going to Sussex University Sports Centre next Friday to take part in a Brazilian Football Tournament. The team were picked as a result of their Brazilian Football coaching.

Easter Afternoon Tea 29th March

The School Association are holding an Easter Afternoon Tea on Thursday 29th March at 3.00pm in the school hall. There will be activities for the children to do, a raffle and an Easter hat competition. It’s going to be fun so do come along.

Wanted Library Volunteer

We are in desperate need of a parent/carer volunteer who would like to look after our school Library for us. The volunteer would need to give up a couple of hours a week to come in and tidy the shelves, use the Library computer system (very easy to use) to check in books and place books back on the shelves. If you feel you are able to help please pop in for a chat with either Mr Collins or me.

Congratulations to…

Robbie Clancy in Reception has received a runners up prize in the ‘Seedy Sunday’ Colouring competition.
Hannah Dunsmore in Year 5 won silver in her group at the S.E. Regional Gymnastics Championships and passed her Compulsory Level 4, last Sunday. Well done Hannah – what fantastic achievements!

School Closure - Polling day 3rd May

On May 3rd the school is being used as a polling station for the elections. For security reasons the school will close on that day. Many apologies for the inconvenience but the children’s safety is paramount. With the school gates open all day and the general public in and out of the building it would be extremely hard to guarantee the children’s safety.

Acting Opportunity

I have been asked by a casting director if we have any children who have acting expertise and would like to audition for a film ‘The Boy in Striped Pyjamas’. If you would like to know more I can pass on details to you. I know nothing of the company or of the actual casting director so it would be up to parent/carers to research and check the person and company out. The casting director’s name is Pippa Hall. Please contact me for further information if you wish.

Easter Holidays

School closes for the Easter break at 3.05 on Friday 30th March and reopens on Monday 16th April.

2007-03-02T18:13:00.000Z

Queen’s Visit to Brighton

We are very pleased and excited to tell you that Year 5 and Year 6 will be waving to the Queen during the Queen’s visit to Brighton on Thursday 8th March. The children have a place allocated to them and their teachers in New Road where the Queen and Prince Phillip will be passing through. Mr Collins and I will also be accompanying the older members of the School Council to a musical recital at the Theatre Royal, which the Queen will be attending before her walkabout in New Road.

Scrooge DVD Now Available

Great news! We have on sale copies of DVDs of the Middle Street Christmas production of Scrooge. It’s a fantastic film of the show and well worth the £5 it’s on sale at. If you would like a copy of the DVD please place your order at the school office. Thanks to Brett Fancy for all his hard work and time producing the DVD.

Year 5 visit St Paul’s Church

Year 5 visited St Paul’s church during the week as part of their RE topic. The children lit candles in remembrance of the dead, explored the confession box and discussed prayer and praying.

Year 2 at Borders Books

Year 2 enjoyed their visit to Borders books on Thursday. They meet with Polly Dunbar the author and illustrator. Ms Moriarty tells me the session with Polly was brilliant. The children came back with some illustrations for their classroom and were all given a little bag full of goodies.

Year 5 and Year 6 meet Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

Year 5 and Year 6 have been invited to Borders Books on Tuesday afternoon to meet with the authors Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell.

Year 4 Assembly

Year 4 will be holding their class assembly next Friday (9th March) morning. Year 4 parents are welcome to join us for the assembly.

Coffee Morning

The School Association are holding their monthly coffee morning on Wednesday 7th March. Please come along for a coffee, biscuit and a chat. If you are a new parent/carer to the school it’s a great way to meet new friends and get to know every one.

Parents Consultation Evening

We will be holding Parent/Carer consultation evenings on the following dates: 13th and 15th March. A letter will follow shortly from the class teacher with more information.

Bike It

Gary Shipp our Bike It co-ordinator will be around for Parents evening. Gary is also holding a Bike Swap Day next Thursday 8th March. The plan for the Bike Swap Day is for children and adults to bring bikes to be checked over for safety and at the end of the day from 3.00 people can collect their bikes or sell or swap bikes. Gary has also arranged for Dr Bike to come in from 2.45 who will also give bike checks for free. Gary will send a letter home soon providing you with further information on this exciting event.

Parent Support Group Members Needed

If you are interested in joining a Family Support Group which begins meeting on Wednesday 7th March or want to find out more please contact Heather on tel: 707782 or email: heather.robinson@hoveymca.org.uk

Congratulations to…

Curtis Barrell Shearer in Year 3 has achieved 6th Kyu in the art of Wado-Ryu. Well done Curtis!
Georgia Ousley in Year 5 has achieved her Red Belt in Martial Arts. Well done Georgia!
Coltrane Chead in Year 6 who was on the under 11s rugby tour. They went to Bath and played 3 games. They won all 3 games and obviously a good time was had by all. Well done Coltrane!

2007-02-23T20:50:00.000Z

Magical Playground

I hope you have all had a chance to take a look at our wonderful new playground. We have all been very excited (including the adults) and enjoyed exploring the musical instruments and sitting on the story telling chair. We are looking forward to using the stage area in the summer for some outdoor performances.
Our future plans include putting down some playground markings in the other playground area.

Football Victory

Fantastic news, our very talented Middle Street football team won 3 – 1 in a 7 a side tournament against Brighton College on Wednesday. Ms Busby was so excited she sent me a text immediately after the game to tell me how well the team played. Well done to all!

Presentation to Head Teachers

Courtenay, Hannah, Lucy and Ben from years 5 and 6 gave a presentation at a Head Teacher’s conference today. The children talked about how children are able to share their views, ideas and suggestions on the running of the school. They also talked about the other opportunities there are in school for children to communicate with the adults in school on any issue. The presentation was stunning and all those attending the conference were extremely impressed. Well done and thank you Courtenay, Hannah, Lucy and Ben.

Bling Your Bike Competition

We had some amazing ‘blinged’ bikes in school on Tuesday. Gary Shipp the Bike It co-ordinator came in for the day to talk to each class about safety on the road. At the end of the day he presented prizes to the winners of the competition who were: Ombaashi from Year1, Amelia from Year 5, Meg from Year 1 and Zoe from Year 4. Several children also won prizes in the raffle.

After School Club

As you are aware the Sundance After School club will be closing shortly. Luckily another after school club has come to the rescue and will take over when Sundance finish. If you use the club Sundance will inform you of the new arrangements.

Year 1 and Year 2 Entry to School
Please use the correct entrance doors

Please could you remember to drop your child off, in the mornings at the classroom door leading from the playground. Avoid coming in from the shared area doors. Having so many parents using the wrong doors and coming into the classrooms first thing in the morning is causing a lot of disruption. For some children it is distressing having so many adults milling around the room.

Reminders:

Year 3 parents/carers please collect your Dance at the Dome tickets from the office. Each child performing should have at least one parent/carer in attendance. Tickets must be collected by Wednesday 28th February.
Deadline for return of school photos and orders is Friday 2nd March. Any photos returned late will incur a £4.00 surcharge.
We break for the Easter holidays on Friday 30th March and return to school on Monday 16th April.

Congratulations to….

Maximilian Schnuppe in Reception who has achieved his 25 metre front crawl and 12 metre back crawl certificate from the Brighton Swimming School. Well done Maximilian!
Benjamin Schnuppe in Nursery has achieved his certificate for Teddy Bear swimming. To gain this certificate Benjamin paddled unassisted on his front and back for 5 metres. Well done Benjamin!

2007-02-09T18:09:00.000Z

Touchwood

The children have really enjoyed helping Joe from Touchwood prepare some of the seating for our new playground improvements. Despite the cold they have been outside sawing, chipping and smoothing the wood into shape. The Argus newspaper visited the school yesterday so look out for photos etc in the Argus. We also have pictures on our website if you would like to take a look at work in progress.

Brighton Museum Visit

Year 3 enjoyed a visit to Brighton Museum today. They were finding out all about the Victorians and were able to handle Victorian artefacts.

Bike It

As part of our Bike It project we are holding a ‘Love Your Bike Day’. On Tuesday 20th February. Gary Shipp the Bike It co-ordinator will be in to give bicycle safety talks in each class. Gary will also be running a ‘Bling Your Bike’ competition. Children can enter their bikes if they follow the following rules:

· Spring clean and wash bike and then ‘bling’ or fancy dress the bike.

· The bike must be safe to use , nothing dangling in the wheels or chain, and nothing that stops handlebars turning freely or the brakes from working.

· Each child who enters their bike for the competition will be given a raffle ticket which will be entered into a draw.

· Prizes will be awarded at the end of the day for best ‘blinged’ bike and the raffle will also be drawn.

(A little secret: children using recycled materials to bling their bikes stand a better chance of winning.)

Middle Street 7 a side

Our very talented football team will be playing in a 7 a side tournament on Wednesday 21st February at East Brighton Park.

School Council Presentation

A group of our School Councillors will be telling Head Teachers from Brighton and Hove schools all about our School Council. Their presentation will be on Friday 23rd February at Falmer High School. Mr Collins will be their assistant and in charge of pressing the right buttons on the laptop for their Powerpoint slides.

Coffee Morning

We had lots of fun and laughter at the School Associations coffee morning this Wednesday. Do come along if you haven’t done so yet. The next one takes place on Wednesday 7th March.

Next Violin Lesson

A reminder for those children who have violin lessons, the next lesson is on Tuesday 27th February.

Congratulations to..

Courtenay Hallett and Ben Scarletti in year 6 who have both won scholarships Courtenay to Brighton and Hove Girls School and Ben to Brighton College.

Courtenay won an ‘all rounder’ scholarship for her outstanding ability in all areas of the curriculum and Ben has been awarded an ’Exhibition’ for his excellent maths skills and knowledge. Very well done to Courtenay and Ben.

Goodbye to..

Mrs Jess Goodchild our Teaching Assistant in Year 2. Jess is expecting a baby in April and will return later in the year. We all send our love and best wishes to Jess and look forward to meeting the baby. Jess’ replacement for the next few months is Ms Tamar Vanderhaas. Tamar has been volunteering at Middle Street for sometime so knows the school and the children in year 2 very well.

Have a fabulous half term break and we look forward to seeing you all again on Monday 19th February.

2007-02-02T19:20:00.000Z

Preston Manor Visit

Year 3 thoroughly enjoyed their visit to Preston Manor on Monday afternoon. They dressed up and were given tasks to do around the house which they did in the way of bygone days. They had one or two scary moments being disciplined in the old fashioned ‘stand up straight!’ kind of way but it was all good fun.

Teaching Assistant Swap

Ms Karen Sinclaire our Year 3 Teaching Assistant spent Wednesday and Thursday of this week working at Hillside Special school in Portslade. Ms Sinclaire swapped with Ms Jess Deacon a TA from Hillside who wanted some experience of mainstream education. It was an enjoyable and enlightening experience for both TAs. The year 3 children enjoyed meeting and working with Ms Deacon.

Reception and the Old Toys

Mrs Noble and the Reception class enjoyed looking at and talking about toys from the past. Michael Olden from Brighton museum brought the toys from the museum. The children especially liked the Zoetrope and Spinning Top. They also had the opportunity to make and recreate old fashioned toys.

Coffee Morning

The School Association monthly Coffee Morning takes place again on Wednesday 7th February at 9.00am in the Family Room. Come along and meet some new friends.

Photographs

The photographer was in today taking photographs of individual children and siblings. You will have the opportunity to order photographs shortly.

Attendance and Punctuality

Please find attached information on the school’s attendance and punctuality policy. Hopefully this will help clarify any misunderstandings around attendance and the legal requirements as well as clearly states the school’s procedures.

Please Close the Gate

Please could you remember to check the gate is securely closed when you leave the school premises. Thank you.

Mrs Goodchild and the Bump

You may or may not be aware that Mrs Jess Goodchild is expecting a baby. Mrs Goodchild works as a Teaching Assistant in Year 2 but will be taking maternity leave from next Friday. Mrs Goodchild’s baby is expected in April. We are all very excited and looking forward to meeting the ‘bump’ which is most probably, so Mrs Goodchild tells us a baby girl.

Half Term

We finish for the half term break on Friday 9th February. School begins again on Monday 19th February.