Dear Parents/Guardians

 

All the staff at Farringtons wish you a Happy New Year.  I very much hope that the Christmas holiday was a peaceful and positive break for everyone, despite it being relatively short.  I am sure we all benefit from the rest from school routine even though we are often busier than ever in the days leading up to Christmas.

 

I would like to extend a very warm welcome to the new students who have joined us in both the Junior and Senior Departments. We have also been very fortunate in appointing two ladies, Mrs Cox and Mrs Sinclair who will support the junior administration work as a job share.  I very much hope that they will feel at home and part of the Farringtons team. 

 

Despite the holiday period being short, the maintenance team at school worked hard to accomplish various works.  These included the re-decoration of the History teaching room in East House, further enhancement of IT facilities by installing projectors in the Junior and Senior IT teaching rooms and the re-organisation of the Junior Staff common room facilities to accommodate increased space for the Foundation Stage pupils.  We are in the process of drawing up plans for submission to Bromley for a more permanent building to replace the remaining Cedar Wood classrooms which are close to the end of their life.  I very much hope that this will form part of our summer works for 2007 and that we will then be able to remove the temporary buildings in front of the Junior Gym.

 

Having just returned from a holiday period, naturally one looks forward to the next.  The intervening period this term is significantly shorter than the Autumn term and I remind all parents of the need to try and ensure that their child is present at school on every day possible.  Please arrange medical appointments out of school hours and try to resist those special long weekend bargains that necessitate taking an extra day or two as an extension to the weekends.  I remind all parents of girls in Year 9 that the week beginning 7 May is KS3 SATS examination week and there is no possibility of re-arranging these papers to take account of a girl’s absence. 

 

There will, of course, be the usual educational visits and activities planned; visits to the theatre, museums and places of interest.  I am as always grateful to you for your support of these events and to the staff who organise and run them so successfully for the pupils.  The winter ski trip for younger pupils was a great success and it was very pleasing to know that they found snow.  

 

The Parents’ Association will be running another of its very successful Quiz Nights on the 27 January.  Each year teams compete in good natured fashion to try and be top of the league by the end of the evening.  It is usually well supported and is an opportunity to come and meet with parents from across all sectors of the School community.  I encourage you to get together with friends, family and make up tables (usually 8) and come along and support this initiative. 

 

There will also be many other events during the term when staff and parents will have the opportunity to meet on formal and less formal occasions: Presentation and Consultative Evenings, School Play, Concerts to mention but a few.  In addition, on Saturday 3 March, all the Methodist Schools in the group will be meeting for a joint Concert in Central Hall Westminster, when Choirs and Orchestras will all combine in one great musical extravaganza.  Tickets will become available through the School and I encourage you to put this date in your diaries and come and be part of the bigger Methodist School family.  I am sure there will be Junior and Senior aged pupils from Farringtons who will be invited to be part of this performance.

 

I look forward to meeting you at one of the many events that will be on offer this term and hope that we all enjoy a good spring term and that the weather stays set fair!

 

With every good wish,