The Hamlet Herald - Dulwich Hamlet Junior School

The Hamlet Herald
Answerphone for Absence reports: 020 8693 3705 Telephone: 020 7525 9188/9
www.dulwichhamlet.southwark.sch.uk
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scase@dulwichhamlet.southwark.sch.uk
office@dulwichhamlet.southwark.sch.uk
January 2011 Number 126
I hope your Christmas holidays were less event-filled than mine:–snowbound in Heathrow for two
days, typhoon hitting the Queensland coast to where we were due to travel, then hitting a pothole on
the Bruce Highway resulting in a flat tyre and a couple of scary hours in 35 degree heat – coming back
to school seems like a holiday in itself!
Hopefully your Christmas breaks were relaxed and you were able to enjoy time with family and
friends. We are glad to see so many children back and in fine health but please do not send them in if
they appear to be suffering with flu-like or sickness symptoms – germs spread so easily and we want
to avoid a repeat of the considerable absence levels in the last weeks of term.
Important January dates for
your diaries
Fri 7 th Peer Mediation Training starts
Mon 10 th After School clubs start
Wed 12 th Igospel rehearsal at Kingsdale
Thurs 13 th Mexicolore visits Y5
Fri 14 th Lamda classes start
Thurs 20 th 6.15pm Community
Consultation re Academies
Wed 26 th 4.30pm South of the River
Swimming Gala
Thurs 27 th 2pm Area Heat for Inter-
Schools Quiz at Tubbenden School
Thurs 27 th Y5 and Y6 Hockey tournament
v Alleyns
Works over the holidays
As usual, Jim Purcell has been busy
during the holidays, maintaining the
buildings and the school
infrastructure. New lighting has
been installed under the shelter and
in Village playground which is
automatically tripped when children
are crossing the playground to
access the toilets during After
School Club sessions.
The school now has wi-fi throughout
making access to the internet even
easier for pupils when using the
laptops in their daily lessons.
He has also been busy with an
additional cleaning programme –
using a product called C-Difficile
that is designed to eliminate the
norovirus, as well as many flu like
viruses. We have decided to
continue with this product whilst
there are so many bugs around and
are investing more in additional
cleaning hours. Please do your bit
by reminding your children to wash
their hands and use handkerchiefs if
they have coughs and colds. Thanks
Jim, for all your hard work during
the festive period!
Clubs
After school clubs begin next
Monday 10 th and will run for 10
consecutive weeks with a break at
half term. All clubs must be paid for
in advance.
Parents’ Evenings in February
Please set aside either Wednesday
9 th February or Thursday 10 th
February from 3.40pm to meet with
both your class and your child’s set
teachers. Letters will come out at
the end of January for you to
indicate preferred time slots.
Please note that children who have
Statements of Special Need will be
contacted separately to arrange
additional Pupil Profile Meetings to
the parents’ evening appointments.
IMPORTANT
Applications for Year 3
September 2011
Don’t forget that even though you
might currently have a child at the
Hamlet, if you have a younger child
that is transferring, you MUST still
submit an application form. All
application forms for September
2011 Year 3 must be received by the
school office by January 12 th and by
15 th January at the latest to
Southwark Admissions Team
Exciting author event at
Alleyns
On Friday 14 th January at 4pm
Patrick Dillon the author of The
Story of Britain will give a 45minute
platform talk originally developed
for the Bath Festival of Children’s
Literature. The talk will take place
in the Michael Croft theatre and
consists of story telling and plenty
of involvement for children. Tickets
will be available at the door at a
cost of £4 per head. The book will
be available to buy at a 30%
discount.
If you require further information
about the book visit
http://www.thestoryofbritain.com
School Lunch
Please could the office be informed
if your child is changing their
arrangements so that the dinner
numbers can be maintained
correctly All school dinners must be
paid in advance.
Did you know your child could
qualify for free school meals
If you receive Income Support,
Income based Jobseekers
Allowance, Child Tax Credit
provided your annual income does
not exceed £16,190, then you may
be eligible. The direct.gov website
helps you to find out more or
alternatively contact us and we can
provide you with an application
form.

Access for All
If you are on Income Support or
entitled to Free School Meals then
we can subsidise your club fees or
the costs of the School friend Etc
club which is open daily until
5.45pm. Please contact the Head
Teacher or Mrs S. Arkell for further
information.
We might also be able to help
subsidise music tuition fees. Please
contact Mrs Case for further
information.
Music News
Music lessons and ensembles are all
up and running for this term.
Timetables are available for the
children to collect outside the main
music room and to download from
our website. Please note that there
have been group and day changes
for some pupils. As always, children
are kept fully informed of any
changes in assemblies and singing
sessions on several occasions!
Choir will re-start in February. (Mrs
Purcell is taking a break while she
researches new repertoire!) It will
take place on a Friday lunchtime in
Turney Hall. New members will be
welcome; the choir is fully inclusive
and there are no auditions. Please
do not expect a letter home about
this, the children will be kept fully
informed of the details in
assemblies.
Our Spring Term Music Calendar
flyer will be available by the end of
this week outlining all of our
musical events and activities for this
term. You will be able to download
a copy from the website, as well as
pick-up a flyer from the office or
outside the main music room.
The window has now opened for
Year 6 parents and carers of
children who learn an instrument
with us at school to take advantage
of the Assisted Purchase Scheme.
Once again, please either download
a copy from the website, or collect
a leaflet from the office or outside
the music room. The deadline for
applying for this scheme is Friday
25 th March.
Our Trinity Guildhall brass exams
are to take place here at school this
term: Wednesday 23 rd March and
Thursday 24 th March. Letters went
out at the end of last term to those
children who are already wellprepared
and at the stage required
for entrance. The deadline for
returning exam fees is Monday 17 th
January. Associated Board
woodwind and string exams, for
children learning with us at school
only, will take place at the Hamlet
in the summer term; further details
will follow after half-term.
As always, please do not hesitate to
contact Mrs (Music) Purcell, via the
school office if you should have any
musical queries.
Community Consultation
There will be a consultation
regarding the school’s application to
convert to Academy status, on
Thursday January 20 th at 6.15pm in
Turney Hall. If you have not already
done so, please indicate whether
you intend to come so we can
calculate numbers.
Year 6 applications to the
Independent sector
For those of you who have recently
sat or are about to sit entrance
examinations for the Independent
schools, please be aware that you
will shortly be informed about
whether your child will be called for
interview or offered a place.
This can be an emotionally
demanding time for you, your child
and your child’s friends, particularly
if one is more “successful” than the
other. Please talk to your child
about the sensitivity around this
topic: as parents we have a
responsibility to prepare our
children for disappointments as well
as achievements, and discuss with
them how they communicate their
responses to their results to their
friends.