Dear Families,
OCTOBER HOLIDAY CLUB It isn’t too late- there are still some spaces left in the October Holiday Club! We have lots of fun activities planned, such as making trick or treat bags, face painting and Halloween baking. We will also be taking the children off site to the cinema and park. As always, we will have lots of toys and games available all week, including table football, air hockey, table tennis, football, drawing table and den building. We will also have lots of opportunities for running and climbing outside, as well as a quiet area and the Wii. The full programme of activities is on our website and bookings can be made by logging into your Libacura account.
AGM Our AGM is on November 12th at 8pm. Please do come along- all School’s Out Henleaze parents and carers are welcome. It is important to us that our parents and carers are involved and have an opportunity to give us their feedback and ask questions, as well as hearing what has gone on behind the scenes over the last year. We are always looking for new committee members, if you would like more information about joining the committee please contact Roberta who will be happy to answer any questions you may have. You are warmly invited to attend the AGM whether or not you feel able to join the Management Committee. And don’t forget Committee members get priority for After School Club places.
WEBSITE As many of you are probably aware our website has had some problems over the last couple of months. We are taking the opportunity to upgrade it- thanks for bearing with us as this takes place. In the meantime if there is any information you would like please get in touch with either Roberta or Jenny.
AFTER SCHOOL CLUB PLACES As most of you are aware the After School Club is really popular and most days remain heavily oversubscribed. You can have your name added to the waiting list. The current waiting lists are between 6 months to a year long. We would love to increase the number of children we accept but unfortunately unless we are given additional space this is not something we can consider. Please ensure that mg@mg.libacura.co.uk is on your accepted email address list so that your statement does not go into your junk file. Thank you.
KEEPING YOUR CHILD SAFE ONLINE Do you know the age restrictions on social media sites? To set up an account on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat or Instagram you have to be at least 13 years old. To set up an account on Whatsapp you must be 16 years old. We would always recommend sticking to the advised age restrictions and would be concerned if a child was accessing social media below the age of 13. If your child is 13 years old, and you are considering letting them set up a social media account, the most important piece of advice we can give you is starting a dialogue with your child, and keeping it going. It is important that your child understands how to keep themselves and their information safe on line, and that they feel they can talk to you if anything goes wrong, or if there is something they are unsure of. If you would like further advice, we recommend visiting the NSPCC website. They also have a phone number 0808 800 5002 for advice on setting up parental controls and privacy settings, as well as everything else related to online safety. There is no way to make the internet completely safe, but having appropriate controls in place, and keeping a dialogue going with your child is a good place to start. ASC Next time you come in to collect your children, please take a look at the display boards in the Dining Room. There are 8 display boards around the room, which have all been made by our children. You can see their Bristol balloon collages, kites flying through the sky, as well as lots and lots of photos. There is also a large map of the world, which is covered in speech bubbles the children have filled out answering the question ‘Where in the world is important to you?’. It is worth spending a couple of minutes reading their answers- they are great!
WHO’S WHO Bernie is one of our newest playworkers. Bernie is just 17 years old and is currently studying A Levels in Spanish, Psychology and Sociology. After her A Levels she is going to go travelling and then on to university. Bernie attended School’s Out Henleaze as a child. Her favourite memory is spending Year 6 sat at Jenny’s desk chatting to Jenny! Bernie loved her time at After School Club and is hoping to make sure all the current children have an experience as positive as hers was. Bernie has been volunteering with us for the last couple of years and is a familiar face for many of the children. So far Bernie’s favourite part of the job is making the children laugh and joining in with their imaginative games. Next time you are in, please stop and say hello!
STAFF NEWS Congratulations to Cal, who has been promoted to Deputy Manager, working alongside Liam and Jenny in running the After School and Holiday Clubs. Cal is currently working towards his Level 3 in Playwork, having completed his Level 2 qualification last year. We would like to welcome Emma W and Liz to the team. Many children will know Emma W already- she is a Teaching Assistant in Henleaze Junior School. Liz has recently moved back to Bristol from Nottingham (where she owns her own holiday club). Liz has two boys of her own and is having lots of fun getting to know the children.
FACEBOOK PAGE Please do check out our Facebook page! It is a great way to keep up to date with our news, and to see what your children get up to whilst you are at work.
ABSENCE If your child won’t be attending a session or is attending an extracurricular club it is really important you let Jenny know in advance on 07847479626. Thank you for your help!
CAN ANYONE HELP?? Does anyone have any old Wii games lurking around at home they are no longer using that are age appropriate for use in the Holiday Club? If you do, would you consider donating them to us? I can promise they will be extremely well used! We would also be very grateful for any donations of old clothes- particularly shorts/leggings/joggers suitable for children aged 4-11. We are always in need of spare clothes! We would also like to say a huge thank you to the families that always think of us when they have a clear out and send lots of exciting toys and games our way. We are very grateful to you!
YOU SAID, WE DID Each newsletter we will share with you how we have responded to feedback from either an adult or a child. Your feedback is very important to us, and we welcome your comments.
YOU SAID: Please can we have more death rope and scratch art? (Child request) Death rope is a large group game played with a skipping rope that Liam invented and allowed the children to name!
WE DID: We are putting both death rope and scratch art onto the activity plans each week, varying the day so everyone can have a turn. We are always keen to hear your views. There is a suggestions box at the back of the dining hall or pop in for a chat.
THANK YOU for your continued support.