19 October 2009

Dear Parents

Half Term Travel Arrangements

Half Term begins on Thursday 22 October at 12.30pm and ends on Monday 2 November at 8.00pm (for Boarders) or Tuesday 3^rd November at 8.25am (for Day Pupils). Please find enclosed the Travel Arrangements for Half Term and inform Gina as soon as possible of any changes. 

Form V Parents’ Meeting – Saturday 7 November

Parents of children in Form V are invited to a Parents’ Meeting at 10.30am on Saturday 7 November.  This will take place in the School Hall and there will be a Buffet Lunch afterwards for all Form V Parents.  Please will you tell Gina if you can attend (if you are unable to be there then we can make alternative arrangements).

Bonfire Night and “Friends” Social Evening – Saturday 7 November

The annual Bonfire and Fireworks Party will take place at 6.30pm on Saturday 7 November on the Field. Everyone is welcome, please bring relatives and friends.  After the display children are welcome to tuck into hot dogs and hot chocolate, whilst adults may find the mulled wine more desirable! Given the expense of this event, I hope it is reasonable for me to suggest a small donation of £5.00 per family might be appropriate.  Collection buckets will be available on the evening. This should be a very enjoyable occasion, can I please ask that you do not bring any fireworks/sparklers for your children. 

The “Friends” Committee will be holding a Social/Quiz after the Bonfire at 7.30pm.  Tickets for the quiz will be £10 each and food is included.  There will also be a Bar selling wine and soft drinks.  This is one of the Bramcote “social musts” of the year!

St Martin’s Church (Remembrance Service)

The boarders made their first visit of the term to St Martin’s Church on Sunday. A number of children took part in the service and Emily Smyth was commended by several present for her reading of the lesson.

The school has a long association with St Martin’s on the Hill and I am very keen to maintain and strengthen this link. As usual, we will be attending the Remembrance Sunday Service on Sunday 8^th November, which starts at 10.30am.  During the service the Bramcote Roll of Honour will be read.  I know that any families of Day children, who might wish to attend a Remembrance Service, would be most welcome to join us there.

Drinks Parties for Prospective Parents

Some supportive parents have kindly offered to host a Drinks Party for prospective parents.  The first one is being held by Dougy and Dagmar Moederle-Lumb on Friday 13 November.  Dougy wondered if you could let him have contact details of anyone you know who may be interested in sending their child(ren) to Bramcote and he will then invite them to the event.  His e-mail address is dougy@doctors.org.uk or home phone number is 01723 863426.

Later this term, Simon and Katie Fairbank will be hosting a Drinks Party on Friday 4 December for prospective parents from the Beverley and Driffield area and their contact details are katie.fairbank@yahoo.com home phone number 01430 810665.  Once again, if any of you can supply them with details of people you know who may wish to be invited, please could you contact Simon and Katie.

Two more drinks parties are planned for the new year.

Chamber Choir – Invitations

The Chamber Choir have been asked to sing at two venues in Scarborough:

17 November            7.30 pm at the YMCA Theatre in aid of St Catherine’s Hospice finishing at 8.30 pm

28 November 11.00 am at St Columba’s Church in aid of the RSPCA, finishing at (exeat weekend)            11.45 am

I do hope that it will be possible to accept these invitations, and we would so welcome your support at these events.

Interim Reports

Enclosed is your child’s first interim report of the academic year together with a brief explanation of the system.  If you have any questions on this, please feel free to contact your child’s tutor in the first instance.

Pre-Prep Harvest Assembly

The Pre-Prep Harvest Assembly will take place on Thursday 22 October at 11.45 am in the Pre-Prep.  I am sure that in addition to all Pre-Prep parents any other parents who would like to attend would be most welcome.

Head Checks

Would parents please check their child(ren) for uninvited guests directly before they return for the second half of term.

Andrew R A Snow

Headmaster