The Carswell
Times 23rd November 2018
Stars in our School day! We celebrated all the hard work of our teaching assistants and office, lunch and support
staff today (21st November). There was a special assembly where they were given kind-
ness ‘stars in our schools’ certificates and all the children stood as they left the hall to
rapturous applause. Later, they were invited to a continental brunch (and waited on by
Gatekeeper class); the feedback was it was delicious and it should happen everyday!
In the afternoon two groups had relaxation sessions with a therapist to help them re-
charge their batteries. Hopefully they returned to class revived and refreshed and ready
to continue the sterling work they do. Well done and a huge thank you to all our support
staff!
The festive season begins at Carswell with our traditional Decorations Day, this year on Friday 30th November
from nine till ten. Parents are invited to come and join in the craft fun in their child’s (or children’s) classes. It’ll
also be our non-uniform day to gather donations for our tombola (toiletries, books, gifts etc) and to support the
Young Carers charity by bringing in a small chocolate bar. It’s a great chance to dust off those Christmas jumpers
and I look forward to seeing you all there!
Comic book heroes! Holly and Cameron brought me their comic to read this week. It was a project they
started during Golden Time and continued at home. What dedication! It was
packed full of great illustrations and the story was left on a cliff hanger. They will be
working on the next issue over the coming weeks and I look forward to reading
what happens to ‘Collin’ the main character.
Who knows , they may one day be working for DC, Marvel or the Phoenix comic!
Well done to both of you!
Children in Need!
What a brightly –
coloured day we
had last Friday!
We enjoyed our
assembly and re-
flected on children
in Britain and all
round the world
who need our help.
A huge thank
you to everyone.
We raised £285!
Mystery bear! A well-loved cuddly bear has been found in the Gardenorama
recently by Jayne Martin. It may have been lost last year dur-
ing the summer fair. If anyone owns it or recognises it please
contact the office and we’ll return it to its rightful owner. If no
one claims it it’ll be well-looked after in EYFS.
If you are touched by this story I recommend reading the book
‘Dogger’ by Shirley Hughes.
Cool picture of the week
Below is a sculpture by two artists using light, junk and shadows. What makes it cool? How do you think they made it? How many mistakes do you think
they made before getting it as perfect as this?
Artwork by Tim noble and Sue Webster
Next week: Where to find support
What's new in gaming?
Virtual reality games: Devices such as Google Cardboard or Occulus Rift add another dimension to gaming which allows users to immerse themselves into what feels like a real-life experience by stimu-lating their hearing or vision. Typically, a gamer will need to wear a headset to experience virtual real-ity games.
Augmented reality games: These types of games are also becoming increasingly popular, with games like Pokemon Go making the environment around us part of the gaming experi-ence. Augmented reality games work by layering computer-generated enhancements on top of an existing reality to allow gamers to interact with it. Gamers will ‘see’ things that they understand are not real, but will be incorporated into the game.
Things to know about gaming:
Just like offline games, these games and apps can have educational benefits, and be used, for ex-ample, to develop problem-solving, team-working skills and understanding.
Traditionally, games were bought from shops, often in the form of a disc for use on a PC or con-sole. Increasingly games are now purchased and downloaded online.
Games are played on many platforms, with those bought in shops often having an online compo-nent to them. Internet connectivity in a game adds a new opportunity for gamers as it allows players to find and play against, or with, other players from around the world (in a multi-player game).
Multi-player games allow someone to chat to and play against a player they may or may not know. This has many advantages, but can also present issues, such as when young people are play-ing against others who are in a different time zone to them, it can put pressure on them to stay up late. Furthermore, these people can be strangers and when chatting and playing with them, it is important not to reveal personal information and to talk only about the game.
We here at Carswell are proud to support the ‘Young Carers’ charity . As a school we have many children
who look after their siblings, parents and extended families as part of their everyday lives and this chari-
ty supports them in making sure they get access to the life experiences and time for themselves.
As part of our collection for our annual Christmas tombola we are asking for a donation (on non-uniform
Christmas decorations day Friday 30th November) of a small bar of chocolate as well as the usual array
of prizes to support this charity.
Thanks you for supporting our school and we wish the Young Carers charity every success in the future!
Nearly £450 has been raised for Friends of Carswell School from just ten parents/teachers using
this app.
If all parents/teachers started using Easy Fundraising, we could be raising £thousands for Car-
swell School each year - which would be used directly to improve the children's environment
and school experience.
There's absolutely no cost to using Easy Fundraising - the shops donate the money!
Friends of Carswell School (FOCS) (also known as the PTA)
FOCS mission statement
Working together and supporting school life through fundraising, spending and effort”.
Key dates for 2018/19
Want to help us raise funds immediately? Easyfundraising is a great website where you can help Friends of Carswell School – Abingdon. Raise funds simply by doing your everyday online shopping with over 3,300 big name retailers like Amazon, Argos, John Lewis, ASOS, Booking.com, eBay, Boden, and M&S. Every time you shop, we receive a small donation to say ‘thank you’ and it’s completely free too! We want to raise as much as possible so please sign up and help us at https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/focarswell/ or download the app by visiting your app store (iphone and Android) and searching for Easyfundraising. Thanks for all your support!
FOCS is a group of parents, carers and staff who volunteer to help raise funds for the school, run the monthly coffee
mornings and second-hand uniform stall, and maintain Gardenorama.
We welcome new members who’d like to get involved in any way to support FOCS. Without the support of volunteers,
we would be unable to run these fundraising events.
If you’d like more information, please email [email protected] (current chair) or come along to one of our
coffee mornings to meet some of the committee and find out more. We will also be having our AGM after the Vision
Evening on 8th November
FOCS Coffee Morning (FREE COFFEE!) Friday 12 October, school dining hall immediately after drop off
FOCS AGM (FREE CHEESE & WINE!) Thursday 8 November, immediately after the Vision Evening (7pm—9pm)
Family Bingo & Pizza Evening Friday 16 November 6pm—7.30pm
Committee Meeting Tuesday 20 November, 7pm The Brewery Tap
Christmas Fair Friday 7 December 3pm—5pm
FOCS Coffee Morning (FREE COFFEE!) Friday 14 December, school dining hall immediately after drop off
Committee Meeting Thursday 24 January, 7pm The Brewery Tap
Cinema Night Date TBC, term 3
Committee Meeting Thursday 7 March, 7pm The Brewery Tap
Quiz Night (over 18s only, bar available) Friday 15 March
Committee Meeting Tuesday 30 April, 7pm The Brewery Tap
School Disco Date TBC, term 4
Summer Fair Saturday 22nd June
FOCS End of Year Social Friday 12 July
Influenza (Flu)
Flu is a highly infectious virus which is spread by coughing and sneezing. Symptoms of flu include fever, cough, blocked nose,
headache, tiredness and aching joints. The symptoms of flu tend to come on a lot quicker than the common cold and tend to
be more severe. Most people recover from flu but it has the potential to cause serious illness, hospitalisation and even
death.
It is important to ensure children are vaccinated if they are eligible for vaccination. This year, vaccination is being offered to the following children:
Those aged 2 and 3
Those in school years: reception, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Those with underlying long-term health conditions
The following simple steps will help prevent children catching or spreading flu:
Encourage children to wash their hands regularly with warm water and soap
Catch any coughs or sneezes in a tissue covering both the nose and mouth and put tissues in the bin immediately
after use
Ensure that children have been vaccinated, if eligible.
If a child is in: reception, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, but has missed their flu vaccination in school, please be advised that there are flu
catch up clinics available as follows:
31 October 2018 - Witney Hospital, Room 2, 3.30pm (Call 01865 904845 to book)
8 November 2018 - East Oxford Health Centre, 3.00pm (Call 01865 904225 to book)
9 November 2018 - Orchard Health Centre, Banbury, 3.00pm (Call 01865 904234 to book)
13 November 2018 - St Edburg’s School, Bicester, 3.30pm (Call 01869 604095 to book)
16 November 2018 - Witney Hospital, Room 3, 3.30pm (Call 01865 904845 to book)
20 November 2018 - East Oxford Health Centre, 3pm (Call 01865 904225 to book)
28 November 2018 - East Oxford Health Centre, 3pm (Call 01865 904225 to book)
30 November 2018 - Orchard Health Centre, Banbury, 3.30pm (Call 01865 904234 to book)
4 December 2018 - Thame Cottage Hospital, time tbc (Call 01865 904225 to book)
4 December 2018 - St Edburg’s School, Bicester, 3.30pm (Call 01869 604095 to book)
10 December 2018 - Abingdon Hospital, Outpatients Department, 9.00am (Call 01865 904890 to book)
11 December 2018 - Wallingford Hospital, School Nurse's Office, 9.00am (Call 01865 904845 to book)
11 December 2018 - St Edburg’s School, Bicester, 3pm (Call 01869 604095 to book)
12.December 2018 - Chipping Norton Hospital, Clinic Room 1, 3.30pm (Call 01993 677149 to book)
12 December 2018 - Orchard Health Centre, Banbury, 3.30pm (Call 01865 904234 to book)
13 December 2018 - Wantage Health Centre, Mably Way, 9.30am (Call 01865 904845 to book)
14 December 2018 - Didcot Health Centre, 9.00am (Call 01235 515503 to book)
18 December 2018 - Witney Hospital, Room 7, 3.30pm (Call 01865 904845 to book)
Norovirus Norovirus, also known as the winter vomiting bug, is a highly infectious virus that causes diarrhoea and vomiting. It can be caught by close contact with an infectious person or by simply touching objects that have been handled by an infectious per-son. Symptoms can be severe but usually only last for a few days. The following simple steps will help prevent children catching or spreading norovirus:
Encourage children to wash their hands regularly with warm water and soap
Do not allow children to share toys or other items with other children
If a child has symptoms of norovirus they will need to stay home from school until they have been symptom free for 48
hours
Please find details below of the school nurse led Flu clinics for children who were unable to be vaccinated in school, or
who require a second dose because they are in a clinical risk group e.g. diabetic, asthmatic etc. and this is the first time
they have ever received a flu immunisation, and they are under the age of nine.
Area Date Time Contact number
East Oxford Health Centre 20.11.18 15:00-17:00 01865 904225
East Oxford Health Centre 28.11.18 15:00-17:00 01865 904225
Thame Cottage Hospital 4.12.18 tbc 01865 904225
Bicester 13.11.18 15:30 01869 604095
Witney Hospital Rm 3 16.11.18 15:30-17:30 01865 901295
Banbury 30.11.18 15:30 01865 904234
Bicester 4.12.18 15:30 01869 604095
Witney Hospital Room 7 18.12.18 15:30-17:30 01865 901295
Bicester 11.12.18 15:30 01869 604095
Chipping Norton Hospital Room 1 12.12.18 15:30 01865 901295
Banbury 12.12.18 15:30 01865 904234
Abingdon Community Hospital 10.12.18 am 01865 904890
Wallingford Community Hospital 11.12.18 am 01865 904845
Wantage 13.12.18 am 01865 901586
Didcot 14.12.18 am 01235 515503
To contact the SHN Team in your locality Phone: 01865 904890 or Email: [email protected]
The School Health Nurse website https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/school-health-nurses/
School Nurse Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/oxschoolnurses/
SEND Information https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/children-education-and-families/education-and-
learning/special-educational-needs-and-disability-local-offer
Time off school due to sickness https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/schools/school/absence-due-sickness
Infection Control guidance on keeping children off school following a specific illness http://
www.publichealth.hscni.net/sites/default/files/Guidance_on_infection_control_in%20schools_poster.pdf
Oxfordshire CAMHS offers a single point of access for students and parents/carers, who have concerns around
mental health. Single Point of Access (SPA): 01865 902515 www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/camhs/oxon
For help with finding an NHS dentist please phone the Oxford Health Dental Helpline on: 08000 113 824 or 01865 337 267. For general enquiries email: [email protected]
Monday 7th January 2019—Term 3 starts
Friday 15th February 2019—Term 3 ends at 3:05pm
Monday 25th February 2019—Term 4 starts
Friday 5th April 2019—Term 4 ends at 1:15pm
Tuesday 23rd April 2019—Term 5 starts
Friday 24th May 2019—Term 5 ends at 3:05pm
Monday 3rd June 2019—INSET school closed
Tuesday 4th June 2019—term 6 starts 8.45am
Wednesday 24th July—Term 6 ends at 1:15pm
Tuesday 4th September 2018—INSET: school closed
Wednesday 5th September 2018 INSET school closed
Thursday 6th September 2018—Term 1 starts at 8.45am
Friday 5th October 2018 —INSET school closed
Friday 19th October 2018—Term 1 ends at 3:05pm
Monday 29th October 2018—Term 2 starts at 8.45am
Thursday 20th December 2018—Term 2 ends at 1:15pm
Friday 21st December 2018—INSET school closed
Start of Term 2 Mon 29th October
Vision eve and FOCS AGM (Free Cheese and Wine)
Thursday 8th November (7-9pm) Carswell School
Children in Need Dress Up Day 16th November - all day At school
Family Bingo & Pizza Evening Friday 16th November (6pm-7.30pm) Carswell School Hall
FOCS Committee Meeting Tuesday 20th November 7PM Brewery Tap
Engage e-Safety Wednesday 21st November (7pm-8.30pm) Carswell School Hall
FOCS Coffee Morning Friday 14th December Dining Hall
Christmas Fair Friday 7th December (3pm -5pm) School Playground
Family Decorations Day Friday 30th November (9am -10am) Classrooms
Nativity Wednesday 12th December (9.30-10.30) Trinity Church
Year 4/5 Purple Emperor, Gatekeeper and Swallowtail Project Outcome
Friday 7th December 2pm Hall/Classroom (Year 6 if raining and FOCS need to use the hall for the fair)
Year 3 Project Outcome Tues 11th December 2pm Hall
Year 6 Project Outcome Thurs 13th December 2pm Hall/Classroom
KS2 Carol Concert Thursday 20th December (9.30am-10.30am)
Trinity Church (refreshments from 9am)
End of Term 2 Tues 20th December 1:15pm
A warm hello to all,
It’s been a satisfying week here at Carswell, I’ve seen so many things that make me proud to be part of this community.
I have realised an important part of my job is showing prospective parents around the school and I’m always amazed at how happy and warm everyone is as I walk around with them.
The children are polite and welcoming and often stop to add something to my conversation or remind me to mention our gallery for example. The parents are often surprised at how much music, art and sport goes on here and they always love to hear about our scrap pod and the creative play we encourage during break times.
It is the children and the hard work of the staff that make this an easy and en-joyable part of my job so thanks!
I felt a little like a hotel manager today (another part of this job I hadn't real-ised!) as I helped the Gatekeeper class prepare and serve brunch to our TAs and support staff. To the sounds of soothing classical music they brunched (is that a word?) on hot bagels, croissants, smoked salmon, fresh fruit, cold meats and cheese. The waiters were on hand to top up their drinks of fresh fruit juice and offered pastries and coffee to finish. Well done to the Gate-keeper waiters, they put to use the skills learnt in Year 3 in their Italian restaurant and were particu-larly good when cleaning up!
Lastly, the Christmas fair is in a couple of weeks and I’d like to encourage everyone to bring in a donation, whenever they can, for our tom-bola as well as chocolate for the Young Car-
ers charity (see article on page 6).
Also, if you can lend a hand on a stall for any amount of time please contact the office or me.
Best wishes,
Portrait of Mr Crandon By Sophie