Welcome to The Chronicle, Crackley Hall School's electronic newsletter.

Do take a look at the article and photographs of the children’s amazing half term Junior da Vinci projects on ‘Sustainability’. They really were very good. 

Our cover photo this week is of our four Gold certificate winners in the Primary Maths Challenge, a huge well done to all the children who took part.

Do read on to see what else the children have been doing this week.

Preview

Headmaster's Message

Headmaster's Welcome

Dear Parents

Through the dark nights and rainy weather causing traffic delays lately, we are mindful of trying to ensure the timely return of fixtures. We understand the importance of keeping parents informed via text of late returns and we kindly request, should you have new contact details, that you have updated your contact number with the office.

Over the half-term break, pupils embarked on a project that explored the issue of sustainability, with a focus on the impact of food production on our planet. With the world's population growing at an unprecedented rate, sustainable food production has never been more important, and the students rose to the challenge admirably. Their creativity and ingenuity were on full display as they investigated where our food comes from, planned mini-farms, and learned about sustainable farming practices. The results of their efforts are now on display in The Gables, where everyone can see the passion and dedication that went into each project. I am thrilled to congratulate all the participants on their outstanding work. Every pupil received a creativity strand for a Geography Junior da Vinci, and the most exceptional entries were rewarded with a full award. Their hard work and commitment to this important issue inspire us all to do better, and we are grateful for their contributions.

On a bright autumn Saturday morning, the U9 Boys Football team journeyed to Repton Prep for their eagerly awaited annual festival. The boys played five matches against schools from across the Midlands, showcasing their skills, trying new positions, and scoring goals from all over the pitch. Each boy gave it their all and should be proud of their performance. As the festival progressed, they improved and demonstrated some amazing skills. Finally, a heartfelt thank you to the supportive parents who cheered them on throughout the day and to Mr Stedeford and Mr Matthew Duigan who accompanied the team.

It's always inspiring to see young children taking a stand against bullying. Junior 2's assembly message on anti-bullying was truly inspiring, and their passion and commitment were felt by all in their assembly. Their chant "Make noise against Bullying, loud and clear. Let kindness and respect always be near," was powerful and resonated with everyone. It is amazing to see the school come together to make a positive change and create a safer and kinder place for everyone. Mr. Cottrill's assembly was also informative, and his words urged us all to step up and speak out against bullying. It's important to remember that we can all make a difference by telling someone we trust. Let's continue to carry this message throughout the year and beyond.

The children of Little Crackers Nursery were truly inspiring as they celebrated Diwali by creating beautiful diva lamps out of salt dough. Each unique masterpiece was carefully adorned with a dazzling array of sparkles that shone like tiny stars. It was a wonderful sight to see the children completely immersed in the vibrant and colourful culture, devoting their time and energy to this activity.

Wednesday's visit to St. John's Museum was enjoyed by all in Junior 1. The museum staff praised our children for their impeccable behaviour and expressed their enjoyment in hosting us. It was a wonderful compliment that we received and a testament to the values we instil in our children. I am proud of our Junior 1 pupils and thank the J1 staff and front office team for making this visit a highlight of the term.

Junior 6 has embarked on a cross-subject journey of exploration, as they delve into the depths of World War One during the Remembrance month. In history, they have been examining the start of the war and the events that led to the conflict, while also learning about Europe's military strength and alliances at the dawn of the 20th century. In English, they have been honing their descriptive writing skills by exploring the experiences of soldiers in the trenches during the Christmas truce, and watched "Wargames," an animation that follows three village boys who enlist in the British Army. Through their discussions, they have shown maturity and curiosity as they imagined themselves in the soldiers' shoes. We are all impressed by their dedication and hard work. Keep it up, Junior 6!

Our neighbours have expressed concerns about traffic congestion created by parents who do not vacate the lower car park after dropping off their children. Our goal is to build a safe and welcoming environment for our pupils and parents, which requires us to work together in following our car parking requests. By doing so, we demonstrate our commitment to safety and respect for our neighbours and set a positive example for our children. Any interactions with neighbours should, please, always be courteous, even when faced with unpleasantness.

If you are accompanying your child to the school, please use the Lower Playground or the Sports Field. On Assembly Days, please avoid parking your car in the lower playground after drop-off to prevent congestion in the Carline drop-off area. I appreciate your cooperation and thank you for your continued support in ensuring a safe and welcoming school environment for everyone – thank you so much for your help with this.

I am deeply grateful for your generous contributions to the Shoebox appeal. Your selflessness and compassion will not only make a difference in the lives of those in need but will also inspire the next generation to act and make a positive impact in the world. Thanks to you, we have received a certificate of appreciation from Operation Christmas Child, and the shoeboxes are on their way to bringing hope and joy to those less fortunate around the globe this holiday season. Thank you again for your kindness and generosity.

Make sure you don't miss the chance to display your creativity by submitting your entries for the Christmas Tree Decoration contest before November 17th. I am eagerly anticipating seeing your unique and innovative designs that focus on sustainable practices. Let's spread the word about being sustainability this holiday season through your art.

Well done to all of our Junior 6 pupils for their hard work in preparation for the Year 7 entrance exams to a number of schools. I am sure that all the hard work will be worth it.

 Congratulations to our Stars of the Week from each year group who have shown exceptional performance and dedication; Nursery: Ralph and Alpha - Reception: Yubo and Eva - Junior 1: Ethan and Tobias - Junior 2: Jessica and Matteo - Junior 3: Fiorella and Jai - Junior 4: Aaryan and Angelica - Junior 5: Felix and Jacob - Junior 6: Alexa and Sienna L (and Amy from last week).

 During assembly, Daiya from Junior 5 wowed us with her piano-playing skills, while Jessica from Junior 4 touched our hearts with her beautiful singing. Keep up the great work, both of you. Thank you for sharing your super talent with the school.

 May your weekend be filled with lots of rest and time with your families.

 

God bless,

Rob Duigan

Quote Of The Week

“Students don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” 
- John C Maxwell 

Important Information

New Inter-House Art Challenge

This half term, Ms Holmes has set a new challenge for you to get your creative juices flowing! The theme for this half-term is ‘GIFT’.

You can work in any medium you like (pencil, pen, paint, crayon, pastel, junk box, paper, charcoal) – it’s up to you. It could be 2D or 3D but work should be no larger than A3.

Work should be your own, completed and handed in with your name, year group and most importantly your House, before the closing date.

You can choose what sort of gift it might be. Could be a thing, a person, a pet or something with a religious significance? You choose.

Please deliver any entries to Ms Holmes by no later than Friday 15 December.

Judging will take place during the Christmas holidays and the winners announced in the first assembly back. 25 house points awarded for first, 20 for second and 10 for third place and if you drop us an entry you gain 5 points for your house.

Get creative!

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Christmas Tree Decoration Competition

It’s time to get Christmasy!

The St Nicholas Christmas Tree festival will be happening next weekend and we are entering a tree with the theme of sustainability. We have received some very creative Christmas Tree decorations already for our entry to the Christmas Tree Festival.

Please send in any remaining decorations made from recycling and on the theme of 'Peace' no later than Tuesday 21 November.

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News

Stars Of The Week

Our Stars of the Week this week are:

Nursery  Ralph
Nursery  Alpha
Reception M  Yubo
Reception O  Eva
J1G  Ethan
J1H  Tobias
J2B  Jessica
J2R  Matteo
J3V  Jai
J3W  Fiorella
J4A  Angelica
J4R  Aaryan
J5L  Felix
J5S  Jacob
J6H  Alexa
J6V  Sienna L


Congratulations to them all!

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Four Pupils Awarded Gold In Primary Maths Challenge

The Primary Mathematics Challenge is a fun and exciting mathematical Challenge aimed at pupils in Years 5 and 6.

The PMC is not designed to be just another test in the school year instead it encourages enthusiasm, boosts confidence in mathematics and shows the different way questions can be asked. Problem Solving is hugely important as a means of helping pupils develop their reasoning skills.

The PMC is designed to make pupils think outside the box. The questions asked are not necessarily subjects that have been covered in the curriculum by this time, but the questions can create a great starting point and lead to discussions later in the year. The questions are not heavily reliant on formal mathematical knowledge but can be solved by logical reasoning.

At Crackley this year we had 20 Junior 6 pupils and 10 Junior 5 pupils take the Primary Maths Challenge and we are delighted with the results.

Gold – Ding, Arthur, Beatrice, Elizabeth,
Silver – Ben, Isaac, Sara, Darcey, Elora, Finley, Molly, Fergus
Bronze – Charlotte, Eleanor, Harrison, Harry, Jessie, Jenson, Ted, Felix, Sebastian, Sienna.

The Gold and Silver winners have had their scores submitted to go through to the next round, but this will depend on what the threshold score is this year. Hopefully we will have some pupils who qualify.

A huge well done to all pupils who took part!

Crackley Hall Takes Part In Anti-Bullying Week

Crackley Hall School marked Anti-Bullying Week with the children taking part in lots of different learning activities.

The week began with Deputy Head, Mr Cottrill delivering a special assembly to the whole school introducing this year’s theme of ‘Make A Noise’. On Monday, pupils and staff all wore odd socks to celebrate that we are all unique as the school participated in Odd Socks Day.

During the week, every class has created their own poem on the 2023 theme. Their poems encourage everyone to make a noise against bullying and the message that they won’t accept or tolerate bullying comes through loud and clear. You can hear Junior 5L performing their poem here and Junior 2B performing their poem here.

Junior 2 performed an assembly to their parents and the whole school, and wowed their audience with a fantastic delivery of a very special message about anti-bullying, ‘Make noise against Bullying, loud and clear. Let kindness and respect always be near.’

Well done to the whole school for embracing this important issue.

As parents we all want our children to be happy and safe, and it is natural to worry about bullying - particularly if we have experienced bullying ourselves or think our child may be more vulnerable to bullying. The good news is you are not alone! The Anti-Bullying Alliance and its members are here to work with children, families, and schools to help keep children safe. You can find more information here

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Reception Have Had A Fabulous Start

Introducing Reception 2023!

Our two Reception classes have successfully completed their first half term at Crackley Hall School and we thought it was high time we introduced these amazing young pupils to you all.

Reception have settled into their new school routines superbly and are enjoying plenty of fabulous lessons, whether with their own form teachers or our specialist subject staff. They have also been making friends, playing outside, sitting down for lunch together and hanging up their blazers on the right pegs.

What an exciting adventure they have ahead of them as they grow and develop over the next seven years. They are a perfect addition to our wonderful school community.

Whole School Junior Da Vinci Sustainability Challenge

Over the Michaelmas half term pupils were challenged to create their own project on the topic of Sustainability. Mrs Cowlishaw asked pupils to explore ‘How does the food we eat directly impact the world around us?’ With more than half of habitable space on Earth currently used for food production and the world’s population likely to grow by 25% by the year 2050, sustainable food production is a key issue for the world to address.

Pupils were asked to explore the issue by examining the theme through one of three tasks:
1. Where does our food come from?
2. Plan a mini farm
3. Find out about sustainable farming methods

There were lots of entries from pupils from Reception up to Junior 6 and they focused on many different aspects and ideas, from considering food waste, exploring where food comes from, looking at the impact of food miles to even one which turned the school grounds into a farm. Pupils’ projects are on display in The Gables – if you get the chance, please do take a look. You can see some of them in the gallery here.

A huge well done to all who took part in our latest Junior da Vinci challenge, every pupil who submitted a project has been awarded a creativity strand for a Geography Junior da Vinci and some of the most outstanding entries will receive a full Junior da Vinci award. These will be presented during upcoming assemblies.

It was fantastic to see so many pupils taking on the JdV challenge, developing and stretching their learning skills on this important issue.

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Shoe Box Appeal

Thank you for your generous contributions to the Shoebox appeal. It has been lovely to see pupils thinking about those less fortunate than they are and using these shoeboxes as a tangible way to express their faith and desire to help. We were delighted to receive a certificate of thanks from Operation Christmas Child and the boxes are on their way to making Christmas extra special for those in need around the world.

Events

Events - Week Beginning Monday 20 November

 

Monday 20 November 15:30 U10A and B Girls Hockey v Warwick & Bablake (A) at Bablake
     
Tuesday 21 November 10:00 - 15:00 Choral Workshop Day
  14:30 U9A, B and C Boys Rugby v Warwick & Bablake (A) at Warwick
     
Wednesday 22 November 11:30 - 12:00 Junior 3 & 4 Swimming
  15:00 U10A and B Boys Football V Repton Prep (H)
     
Thursday 23 November 14:30 U9 A & B Girls Hockey v Warwick (A)
  All Day U11 Mixed Gymnastics ISA Midlands - Adcote School
     
Friday 24 November 08:40 - 09:00 Key Stage One Assembly
  17:30 - 18:00 Kenilworth High Street Christmas Lights Switch On
     

 

 

Awards and Celebrations

Celebration Assembly - 17 November

We love to celebrate our pupils' talents, so every week in Celebration Assembly we hear of the childrens' successes and achievements and we watch performances by some of our pupils. Here are photos from this morning.

A huge well done to all!

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Learning In Action

Junior 6

Junior 6 have started their cross-subject investigation into World War One. In History we began thinking about the start of the war and paid particular attention to the events that led to conflict, as well as the state of Europe at the start of the 20th Century in terms of military strength and alliances. In English, the children started thinking about the Christmas truce and using their descriptive writing skills they began to explore the experiences of soldiers in the trenches during this terrible period of history. We also watched Wargames; an animation based on the book by Michael Foreman. The story follows the experiences of three village boys who enlist in the British Army. We thought about how we might feel if we were enlisted and what effect it might have on us and our families. The children have approached this topic with maturity and curiosity and we have all been so impressed. Keep up the hard work Junior 6!

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Junior 5

During Science, Junior 5 have been continuing to learn about different materials and their properties. Last week, Junior 5 investigated to find out which bag would be best to carry their shopping. They tested a paper bag, plastic bag and jute bag using weights, and were enthusiastic to see how much each bag could hold before it showed signs of breaking, or it broke. This week, they are conducting another investigation to discover what kind of material is the best insulator for their lunch box design. Using plastic cups, thermometers, stopwatches, ice cubes and different materials, the children have been investigating how quickly the ice cube will melt with different materials like felt, tin foil, etc.

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Junior 4

This week, Junior 4 have been classifying invertebrates by their visible characteristics and features. We planned out a classification key with diagrams, then went out to the forest school area to hunt down as many invertebrates as possible. We found a large variety of different invertebrates and discussed their characteristics which made easily identifiable.  What a great way to learn more about invertebrates!

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Junior 3

In Junior 3V we have been exploring recording our learning on ipads using the Seesaw app. In our English lessons we have been learning about synonyms and how we can use a thesaurus to expand our vocabulary. We have spent time, both in school and at home, looking up new words and then using these in our writing. This culminated in writing poems to describe the hot, dry Kenyan landscape. We then practiced reading our poems aloud and recorded them using the video function on Seesaw. In mathematics, we have been finding bonds to 100 using a digital rekenrek. This clever tool helps us to visualise numbers to 100 and find the corresponding bonds. It’s been a week filled with fun and digital developments.

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Junior 2

Junior 2 amazed the teachers this week with their commitment to their year group assembly. They wowed their audience with a fantastic delivery of a very special message about anti-bullying. ‘Make noise against Bullying, loud and clear. Let kindness and respect always be near, ‘ was the chant that could be heard and we hope that this message is taken by all throughout the year. Well done Junior 2; you have been fantastic yet again this week. Now to get rehearsing for our nativity!

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Junior 1

What an amazing time we had at St John’s Museum on Wednesday; it certainly has been another highlight of this term. The Junior 1 team were so proud when the museum staff commented on how impeccably behaved our children were and said how much they had enjoyed hosting us. What a wonderful compliment to receive! We spent the day going back in time to the Victorian era, working in the kitchen and school room, as well as being transported back to the age of gentry and servants. The children had so much fun doing the washing; they grated the soap, pumped the water and used the mangle before hanging their washing out to dry. The Victorian school room was such a revelation to all the children with the girls and boys sitting separately in rows whilst using their slates to write. They then marched up and down outside before coming back in to recite numbers aloud together, for maths. Everyone soon realised how strict the teacher was!

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Reception

Reception have been busy learning new letters again this week – their enthusiasm as we move into Level 3 sounds is lovely to see as the children busily blend sounds to read, and segment sounds to write single words, captions and simple sentences. They are working hard, and spending time last week to reinforce letter formation and pencil grip has really helped. The maths work proved equally interesting as we got tied up in some lovely mathematical language. We explored the concepts of 1 more and 1 less this week… and whilst the question, “if you have 3 biscuits, and I give you 1 more… how many will you have?” is SUPER easy… the reverse statement, “4 is 1 more than…?” is much harder!!!  Luckily, we used frogs, bricks and blocks to work it all out, and didn’t need to eat biscuits in the process! 

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Nursery

This week in Nursery the children have been learning about Diwali. They each made their own diva lamp out of salt dough, which they then painted and adorned with sparkles galore.

During Phonics, the children have been listening to the traditional tale of Little Red Riding Hood. They have loved using the masks in class to act out this story. The children were understandably keen to decorate a biscuit with icing sugar and sprinkles, to place in Little Red Riding Hood’s basket, to cheer up poorly Grandma.

They have also been practising their scissor skills, cutting out pictures of food to put in the basket for Granny. We have a special scissor mantra to help us cut efficiently: ‘keep your thumb on top; tuck your elbow in; spare hand turns the paper’.

The autumn weather was glorious on Wednesday, which gave us chance to cook porridge for Goldilocks after last week’s damp squib of a day. We sat together on the forest floor and chose from a selection of toppings: goji berries, crystallised ginger, golden syrup, cinnamon sugar, chocolate chips. How did it taste? Absolutely delicious!

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Spiritual

Junior 2 In The Hot Seat!

Junior 2 have been launched into the hot seat this week as we looked at the feelings of Mary at each stage of Jesus' life on earth. We started from when Mary was told she would be having baby Jesus and who she was excited to tell, to when she saw Jesus die on the cross.  Pupils took it in turns to pretend to be Mary as they answered questions and talked about Mary's feelings at each stage of Jesus' life, including when, as a young boy, He went to the temple on His own without Mary!

 

 

 

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Children's Liturgy

Please find information below:

Children's Liturgy

Sunday, 19 November - Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
Today we hear that we must make the best use of the talents we have been given by God.

Activity Sheet

Anti-Bullying Assembly

Mr Cottrill led the school assembly on Monday on Anti-Bullying.  This was linked with Odd Socks day which were worn by pupils and staff to heighten awareness and to celebrate that we are all different and unique.  Mr Cottrill talked about the meaning of bullying and remarked that too often when we see or hear about bullying, we can become silent about it.  One of the reasons could be because we are frightened to say anything, but together we can stop bullying.  We can make a difference by telling a trusted friend, parent, student councillors, or any adult within our school who will listen.  Mr Cottrill highlighted that all of the values on the Crackley Compass are involved in stopping bullying from happening. 

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Weekly Mission

Please click on the link below for this week's Weekly Mission:

Weekly Mission

 

Sport

U11 ISA Girls Hockey

On Tuesday, the U11 Girls Hockey team travelled to London to compete in the ISA Tournament.

During the day the girls got to meet Holly Hunt, who won a Gold medal for England at last year's Commonwealth Games. One of the girls is holding the Gold medal in the photo. She was really lovely with the team and spent a lot of time talking with them and answering questions, then watched them in their next game. It was very inspirational for the girls.

Elsie and Sienna have written a report on the day.

ELSIE: On Tuesday 14 November we travelled to London for the ISA Under 11 National Hockey Competition. We left Crackley at 6am, but despite the early start and long journey, we were pumped up and ready to go by the time we got to the Lee Valley Olympic Stadium.

SIENNA: We started with our two qualifying matches, narrowly losing 1-0 to Claremont School, before drawing 0-0 with Chafyn Grove School. After the qualifying games we were entered into the Bowl Competition, starting with another round of group matches against three other schools. We drew two of these group matches 0-0 against Ipswich High School and Malvern St James.

ELSIE: To make sure that we could progress to the final playoff match in the Bowl Competition we needed to pick up a win, and we were able to do so, beating Claires Court School narrowly 1-0. Our playoff match was against Weston Green School and we came away with another close 1-0 victory, and with it the Third Place Bowl.

SIENNA: It was a fantastic effort by the whole squad made up of Elsie, Alexa, Amy, Elora, Issy, Darcey and myself from J6 and Scarlet, Elena and Harriet from J5. Elsie scored our two goals in the competition, with assists coming from Scarlet and Elora.

ELSIE: Thank you to all players, and to Mrs Vaughan and Miss Eve, for coaching us and making it an exciting, but long, day. Thank you.

U9 Football Team Take Silver At The ISA Midlands Tournament

Many congratulations to our Junior 4 boys who took part in the U9 Midlands ISA Football Tournament on Tuesday 14 November. The team had a fantastic day and played incredibly well. The boys won or drew the majority of their nine games and finished second overall to claim the Silver Medal. Well done everyone, we are very proud of you all!

ISA Midlands Swimming

A team of swimmers from Juniors 3, 4, 5 and 6 pupils made the journey to Walsall Baths on Thursday 9 November to compete against 32 schools in the Independent Schools Association’s (ISA) Midlands Junior Swimming Gala.

The children swam 25m in the pool and the races included both individual events and exciting team relays. For some of the children it was their very first experience of competitive galas but as always Crackley Hall’s pupils encouraged each other, from the start through to the finish of every single race.

Across the team, Crackley’s swimmers put in strong performances with a number just missing out on medals when they finished in fourth place, but their performances all helped Crackley Hall to achieve a Bronze medal for Junior 5 girls - Charlotte, Jessie, Grace and Harriet.

Well done to all of Crackley Hall’s swimmers for their excellent effort.

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U9 Football Festival At Repton Prep

On Saturday 11 November, the U9 Boys Football team travelled to Repton Prep for their annual festival. Under the gleaming autumnal sunshine, the boys excitedly played five matches against schools from across the Midlands. As it was a festival, the event offered the perfect opportunity to try new skills, play in different positions and attempt to score from everywhere on the pitch!

Overall, the team were excellent and each boy should be very proud of their individual performances. They scored lots of goals, showed off some amazing skills and improved as the festival went on. Well done to everyone and thank you to all the parents who gave up their Saturday morning to support the team.

 

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Sports Fixtures - Week Beginning Monday 20 November

Please remember to check team sheets and find further fixture information on www.crackleyhallsport.co.uk

 

Monday 20 November  15:30 U10A and B Girls Hockey v Warwick Prep & Bablake (A) at Bablake
     
Tuesday 21 November  14:30 U9A, B and C Boys Rugby v Warwick & Bablake (A) at Warwick
     
Wednesday 22 November 11:30 - 12:00 Junior 3 & 4 Swimming
  15:00 U10A and B Boys Football V Repton Prep (H)
     
Thursday 23 November  14:30 U9 A & B Girls Hockey v Warwick Prep (A)
  All Day U11 Mixed Gymnastics ISA Midlands - Adcote School
     
Friday 24 November    
     

 

 

Clubs

STEM Club Made Drumming Machines

Our Young Engineers were hard at work in the Art Room in STEM Club on Tuesday. They were busy assembling a Drumming Machine and their finished models were super impressive.

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Lego Club

Creative and versatile, our Lego Club continues to inspire and this week was no exception.  We had a confident, powerful and kind princess whose BFF was a dragon. We realised that princesses can be anyone, come from anywhere and do anything – heroes in tiaras!   Princess Aurora shone in her signature pink and blue gown, accompanied by a bridge, water mill, bunny and squirrel. What could possibly disrupt the bliss of Sleeping Beauty’s enchanted forest? A king and queen playing chess armed with cool weapons could! Did you know a well placed pawn is more powerful than a king? Until next week...

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Extra Curricular Clubs Update - Reminder - After School Clubs

Please note - due to the nights drawing in, and with the safety of the children in mind, the following after school Sports Clubs now finish at 16:15.

Day Year Group - Activity Location Time Collection from
Tuesday J3/J4 Hockey Club  Astro 15:45 - 16:15 16:15 - Lower Car Park
Wednesday J5/J6 Football Club Sports Field 15:45 - 16:15 16:15 - Sports Field
Thursday J3/4 Football Club Sports Field 15:45 - 16:15 16:15 - Sports Field

Could we please request that children are collected promptly at 16:15. If you require Aftercare from 16:15, please notify the school office no later than lunchtime on that day.

Please also note, Hockey Club on Monday will continue to run from 16.00 - 17.00 (Collection will be at 17:00 from North Leamington School or at 17:30 from Crackley Hall).

Extra Curricular Clubs Updates

As a reminder, please find attached the Extra-Curricular Club Timetable:

Michaelmas Term Clubs

Afterschool Clubs - pick up locations and times

Mondays

J1 Rugby Tots - 3.45pm - Lower Playground

J3 to J6 Move It Shake It - 4.45pm - Gables

J4 STEAM Club - 4.45pm - Front Steps

J5 and J6 Girls Hockey Club - 5.00pm at North Leam School or 5.30pm at Crackley Hall

Tuesdays

J1 and J2 Eco Club - 4.15pm - Front Steps

J1 and J2 Coding Club - 4.15pm - Front Steps

J3 and J4 Hockey Club - 4.15pm - Lower Playground

J4 to J6 Fencing Club - 4.45pm - Gables

Rec to J6 Bayleaf Cookery - 4.45pm - Front Steps

J3 to J6 STEM Young Engineers - 5.00pm - Science Room Door 

Wednesdays

Rec to J2 Move It Shake It - 4.15pm - Gables

J5 and J6 Girls Football Club - 4.15pm - Crackley Hall Playing Fields

J5 and J6 Boys Football Club - 4.15pm - Crackley Hall Playing Fields

Thursdays

J3 and J4 Girls Football Club - 4.15pm - Crackley Hall Playing Fields

J3 and J4 Boys Football Club - 4.15pm - Crackley Hall Playing Fields

Fridays

J1 and J2 ATMA Karate - 4.00pm - Gables

J1 to J6 Complete Cricket - 4.30pm - Lower Playground

J5 Art and DT Workshop - 4.45pm - Science Room Door

J3 to J6 ATMA Karate - 5.00pm - Gables

PTA

PTA Christmas Fair 2023

Saturday 2 December - 1.00pm to 4.00pm

Join us for a heart warming afternoon filled with laughter, festive delights and a celebration of our school community. Get ready to enjoy a wonderful time with your family at our Christmas Fair! From Santa’s Grotto to face painting, we’ve got it all covered.

The Fair is only three weeks away and there are few things for your diaries we would be very grateful for your assistance with:

Raffle tickets will be coming home this week. From Lego to experience vouchers, there are some fantastic prizes up for grabs. Please fill in the stubs and send them into school with the requisite money in a named envelope so they can be entered into the draw.

Friday 1 December will be a non uniform day. In exchange for non-uniform please send your child with either chocolate or a bottle (depending on year group) for our very popular chocolate and bottle tombola.

Reception - J3: chocolate
J4-J6: a bottle

Soft Toys: we are happy to rehome teddies and other cuddly friends for our teddy tombola. Please place these in a bag and leave in the reception foyer for PTA collection.

Unwanted and unused gifts: We hope to run a ‘secret’ parent gift stall where children can shop for parent presents and have us wrap it for them. For this we need any unwanted and unused gifts you may have. For example unopened soaps, toiletries, good quality ornaments etc.

Finally, if there are any bakers out there, we would very much welcome any home made (nut free) cakes/cookies/mince pies. Your home-made goods will be gladly received on Friday 1st December non-uniform day prior to the fair.

Parent Stall volunteering - we are delighted to say that we have a fabulous band of merry parent helpers running the class stalls and the children are very excited in anticipation of our Christmas event built around them. Thank you so much for your support to make it a lovely afternoon for everyone,

Your PTA

Housekeeping

Web Link To Chronicle

Please click here to access the web version of the Chronicle.

The latest version of the Chronicle will be available to view online each Friday during term time from 6.00pm onwards. 

 

Term Dates 2023/24

Please click here to view the term dates for 2023/24.

School Contact Information And Links

Crackley Hall School Office
01926 514 444
Email: post@crackleyhall.co.uk
Postal address: St Jospeph's Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2FT
SATNAV: Use CV8 2FT

Little Crackers Nursery; Nursery Manager - Emma Birch
01926 514 456

After Care
Collection contact no; 07732 036 625
Email: aftercare@crackleyhall.co.uk

Office Manager/Headmaster’s Personal Assistant – Sharon Davis-Harris
01926 514 444
Email: receptionist@crackleyhall.co.uk

Bills, Fees and Online Payment
01926 634 273
Email: georginamalin@princethorpe.co.uk

Registrar - Jenny Vaughan
01926 514 410
Email: admissions@crackleyhall.co.uk 
 
Princethorpe College General Office
01926 634 200
Email: post@princethorpe.co.uk
 
website: www.crackleyhall.co.uk
twitter: @CrackleyHallSch  
facebook: @crackleyhallandlittlecrackersofficial
instagram:@crackleyhall_littlecrackers

Email Communications

If you believe you are not receiving some or all emails from the school, then there are a number of steps you can take, as follows:

  • Ensure the school has your correct email address. If you change your email address, please ensure the school is promptly updated.
  • Check your spam/junk email. Email providers scan email as it arrives and if it meets criteria as spam/junk then it will go into that folder automatically. Emails can be marked as spam/junk if emails from a certain address are not interacted with on a regular basis. So if, for instance, you generally don't open the Chronicle email, then it may begin to be moved to your spam/junk folder in future.
  • How to check your spam/junk will differ dependant on the email provider and app, but in general there will be a folder called spam or junk. If you open this you can see all email marked as spam/junk. If there are any emails which should have been delivered to your inbox, you can either mark these as 'not spam' or move them to your inbox. This process should mean future emails from that address go straight to your inbox.
  • If you can’t find the weekly Chronicle Newsletter in the junk folder, please create a contact. The contact email for the Newsletter is chronicle@crackleyhall.co.uk
  • Finally you can create a filter rule to keep an email from being sent to the junk folder.                                               

After taking these steps, if you are still unable to find the email in the spam/junk folder, please email the school to let us know so we can investigate further.

Junior Da Vinci Programme

The Crackley Hall Junior Da Vinci programme encourages all pupils to be inspired to be the best that they can be. The Junior Da Vinci programme embraces three adapted principles - Creativity, Practice and Mastery - that the children demonstrate in their learning.

This year we are ensuring that all pupils in the school have opportunities to achieve Junior Da Vinci awards. The attached leaflet gives more information about this programme.

Da Vinci Leaflet

Look out for children achieving Junior Da Vinci's in the Chronicle over the year.

School Uniform Ordering

To order uniform please use the electronic form.

New Uniform Order 

Please also note the following items are stocked in the School Office and can be added to your account. Do pop in to collect any items.

Winter hats
Scarves
Gloves
Ties
Swimming hats
Hair bands
Hair scrunchies

School Uniform Shop 
Tel: 01926 634272
Email: uniform@princethorpe.co.uk

Aftercare Booking Information

If you require either permanent or occassional Aftercare for the new Term you will need to book in your intentions by emailing aftercare@crackleyhall.co.uk or receptionist@crackleyhall.co.uk with as much notice as possible to ensure the children attending receive tea.

If you have booked an Aftercare session, it would also be helpful to let your child know.

Please also note that permanent bookings are only valid for the term, due to club and activity changes.

Any children who are not collected from carline, for example if parents are stuck in traffic, will be taken to Aftercare at 4.15pm, when carline finishes and charged accordingly.

Aftercare runs from 3.45pm until 6:00pm, with charges being £5.00 per hour or part thereof.

Childcare vouchers can be used as payment or part payment for Aftercare.

The office closes at 4.30pm, please call Aftercare directly on 07732 036625 if you need the staff after this time.

Menus For Michaelmas Term 2023

Please see the attached menus for the Michaelmas Term. These rotate on a five weekly basis.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

 

Music And Singing Lessons

If your child is interested in taking music or singing lessons at school, please complete the below Expression of Interest Form and hand in to the school office

Expression of Interest Form

The Princethorpe Foundation Employment Opportunities

We regularly recruit for a variety of roles, please do share news of the vacancies with interested friends and family. Current vacancies include:

Princethorpe College

  • Learning Support Assistant
  • Graduate Teaching Assistant
  • Casual Estates Assistant

Crescent School

  • Teaching Assistant Key Stage 2
  • Lunchtime Supervisor

Further information and application forms on all roles are available on the Foundation's website - www.princethorpe.co.uk/join-us

Lost Property

Please ensure that all items of school uniform and sports kits are named.

Could you please regularly check all uniform and sports kits at home – if it does not belong to your child, please return them to the School Office as soon as possible.

Lost Property

Otto (J1H) - School cap

Ava (J5L) - School jumper, sports trousers and fleece

Casper (J4R) - School sports trousers

Angelica (J4A) - School sports fleece

Savannah (J4A) - School sports trousers

 

 

School Drop Off And Collection Arrangements

When dropping off in the morning, if you are using carline, please move round the roundabout before dropping off and do not leave your car unattended. Carline can cause traffic issues on the Kenilworth Road, so please be mindful.

If you are dropping off and wish to walk your child up to the school or are coming into school please use the Lower Playground or the Sports Field. Please remember to park considerately as parking is at a premium.

We would ask that if you use the lower playground at morning drop off, that you leave the school site promptly, as parking is at a premium, and it has been causing traffic congestion.

Please do not park on the Grasscrete Parking area or on the left hand side when you enter the school main carline, as these are both staff parking areas.

Where possible, please avoid parking on the local residential roads, and if you do, please park considerately and legally. 

When collecting in the evening, please adhere to the collection times, as if you arrive too early, this causes traffic congestion. If you are early, we would suggest parking on the Sports Field and walking up to school.

If you are unsure or wish to clarify any points, please call the School Office.

Please see below the carline locations and collections for the Michaelmas Term:

Reception Lower Playground 3:15
Junior 1 Main Carline Collection Point (around flagpole) 3:15
Junior 2 Main Carline Collection Point (around flagpole) 3:35
Junior 3 Lower Playground 3:40
Junior 4 Main Carline Collection Point (around flagpole) 3:45
Junior 5 Lower Playground 3:55
Junior 6 Main Carline Collection Point (around flagpole) 4:05

Please see below collection locations for after games lessons (but not clubs):

Junior 3 Girls Lower Playground (usual collection) 3:40
Junior 3 Boys Lower Playground (usual collection) 3:40
Junior 4 Girls Main Carline (usual collection) 3:45
Junior 4 Boys Sports Field 3:45
Junior 5 Girls Lower Playground (usual collection) 3:55
Junior 5 Boys Sports Field 3:45
Junior 6 Girls Main Carline (usual collection) 4:05
Junior 6 Boys Sports Field 3:45