Issue 431: 7th July 2023

Dear Parents and Carers,

Another very positive week in school leading us up to the penultimate week of the academic year. You always know we are nearing the end of the summer term as there are lots of clues. There are some impressive-looking props and scenery being prepared for the Year Six production, lots of deliveries being made with resources ready for September and some trophies have disappeared from the cabinet as they need engraving. An exciting time of the year at OWPS! 

Transition Week

All of our transition arrangements this week went very smoothly. I saw happy and excited children spending time in their new classes with their teachers for September. Miss. Carters and Mr. Nolan, our two new teachers joined us for those days and are already becoming part of the Wistow team. I have spoken to several Year Six children who also spoke very positively about their days at their new secondary schools. We then had an impressive number of parents come to school on Wednesday evening for the transition evening presentations. It was great to see so many of you here, I'm sure you found the information shared very useful and it was a good chance for you to meet your children's new teachers. We will share the presentations with you all. 

Reports and Open Day

On Tuesday, the children's end-of-year reports will be uploaded to the parent portal for you to access. There is also a chance to pop into school on Thursday between 3.15pm and 4.00pm if you have any questions about the reports or if you would like to speak to your child's current teacher or say hello to their new teacher. 

I hope you all have a lovely weekend and I will see you on Monday morning.

Mr. Marks

Headteacher

^{Photo by MIO ITO on Unsplash}

Each week, we publish the latest achievements of the children at Orton Wistow Primary School.

Virador Recycling Plant Visit

Virador Recycling Plant invited Mrs Porter and the Eco Warriors to their recycling plant to see how waste is disposed of. They had a great time. 

Celebrating Success

Here at Orton Wistow Primary School, we recognise that success comes in all different shapes and sizes! We celebrate the children's achievements in school in the Achievements section of the newsletter and website.

Many of the children, however, are also achieving things outside of school.  We would like to recognise these successes too.

It might be that your child has passed a music or dance exam, gained a karate belt, starred in a show, volunteered, taken part in a sporting event, or done something that they didn't think was possible!

If you would like to share your child's achievements with us so that we can celebrate their success, please complete the Celebrating Success form which can also be found below.  Contributions will be considered for inclusion in upcoming editions of the newsletter.

We look forward to hearing about your children's extracurricular achievements!

This Week's Successes!

These girls did a great job of litter picking in their local area. Keep up the good work!

This year 5 student loves anything musical, especially singing and piano, and is supporting a nursing home specialising in dementia, end of life and respite care by singing to the residents and care staff. On her most recent visit, she sang 5 solo songs and brought many smiles to the audience. Well done! 

Summer Fair and Match Funders

Last Fridays Summer Fair brought together students, parents, and the community for a fun filled couple of hours.  The playground was transformed into a bustling hive of activity with food, inflatables, and games for everyone.

We were fortunate to have been joined by both the fire brigade and local police and while the game stalls challenged participants with friendly competitions and enticing prizes the food and drink stall was a great hit with lots of homemade cakes and treats as well as delicious pizza.

Over the course of the fair, we were treated to performances by the school choir and Chloe’s dance group and as the rain set in, we announced the winners of the school raffle.  Congratulations to Miss Ellis who won £ in a bucket for the 2^nd year in a row (she should play the lotto).  The office staff are now contacting raffle prize winners, congratulations if you were a winner, we had some fantastic prizes donated this year from local businesses and supporters.                                                                                                       

Beyond the entertainment, the fair served as a unifying force, bringing together the school community. The FOWS committee, the office staff, the kitchen team, parents, and teachers worked together to create an event that celebrated the spirit and unity of Orton Wistow Primary and we also raised £3,051.35 which will go toward providing 'extra' resources that can improve the experiences of the children at our school. 

If you work for an organisation who offers match funding the FOWS team would love to hear from you, so we can bump up that grand total

Last day of term disco

As a celebration of the end of the school year and a final farewell to our year 6 students FOWS are delighted to be able to put on a disco during the school day on Tuesday 18^th July.  There will be no charge, its FOWS way of saying thank you for the continued support throughout the school year of all the parents and carers, we know sometimes it can feel like a continual barrage of donation requests, but we do it to raise vital funds for the school and improve the experiences of your children, making their time at OWPS as enjoyable and memorable as we can.  Further details will come out shortly as to the arrangements.

School uniform rail

Whilst most of us are just limping toward the finish line that is the summer holidays some of the more organised will already be thinking about having to get school uniform for the September term.  Please do check out the uniform rail situated in the school reception area.  Its crammed full of uniform which is of good quality and needs a new home.  Items are free, however we would ask for a donation of £1 per item if you can, which will go directly into the FOWS fundraising pot

Stickins Name Labels

If you need some new name labels for your child's belongings in September, consider using Stikins labels and if you use the fundraising number 36254, FOWS will get a commission on your purchase. It's another easy way to support the school. Click here to order Stikins name labels and raise money for the school.

Find out how you can get involved next year – 12^th July, 7.30pm at the Granary, Orton Meadows

FOWS will be meeting on Wednesday 12^th July at 7.30pm in The Granary, Pub.  We will be discussing the plans for the 23/24 school year and having a well-earned glass of wine (or 3).  If you would like to find out about getting involved next year, please feel free to pop along.  If you can’t make it then you can contact us in the usual ways, or watch this space for details of our September meeting and AGM

Email: fows@owps.org.uk

Facebook: FOWS (Friends of Orton Wistow Primary School) | Facebook

Twitter: @OWPSfows

Discover what is coming up in the OWPS Dining Car, and don't forget, parents and carers are welcome to Join Your Child for Lunch at any time, just call the office on 01733 370646 to book.