Dear Parents.
Please click here for our Parents’ Handbook for 2010-11
The handbook is also accessible by clicking on the right hand of this message, in the Pages category. There you will also find information about our curriculum.
All parents should have received a letter by email about ordering School Lunches. If you did not receive it, you can download a copy here. Please can we ask that all requests for school lunches for this half term are sent to j.tresidder at britams.nl by this coming Friday (10th September 2010)
Many thanks.
Good morning everyone!
Today’s date is a bit like the moment before a race begins - that seems very fitting, as yesterday children returned and settled into their new classes, and today we’re starting all of our specialist subjects as well.
It was great to see so many smiling faces yesterday morning, it made the rain disappear, and we managed to get out into the playground for a well-deserved breaktime. We held a special ‘New Beginnings’ assembly in the morning, and then children were with their class teachers all day, getting to know routines and their new peers.
Next Wednesday evening after school there will be a special ‘Welcome’ Evening for all parents of children in the Upper Junior School, where parents will have a chance to meet the teachers their children work with, and also other parents, so a good opportunity for networking! At that meeting we will be asking for volunteers for Class Parent reps - if you’re keen to help out, you might like to think about volunteering for this important job.
Just a quick reminder that this week we are offering a cooked lunch to all students, so that they can make a decision later in the week about whether or not to sign up for lunches this term. A letter will go out to parents later today by email. Please let us know if you are not receiving emails from the school - all of our mail is electronic, and we need to make sure we have the most up-to-date addresses.
Have a great day!
Mr May
Welcome back everyone!
Today is the start of the brand new school year at the British School of Amsterdam, and here at the Upper Juniors we are all ready to welcome in our new classes. Today is a chance for you to get to know the children and teachers you will be working with this year, as well as all of the routines in Year 4, 5 and 6. We welcome four new members of staff: Mrs Davies, Miss Aitken and Miss Graves in Year 4, and Mrs Hamersma at lunchtime and on Reception. We also welcome lots of new children into year 4, plus some new children in year 5 and 6 too - we’re all keen to make sure you have a really good first day at school.
School lunch this week will be a cooked lunch for everyone, although of course you can always bring sandwiches if you would prefer. During this week, parents will receive a letter asking them to choose whether they would like to sign up for school dinners this half term or provide a packed lunch.
Later today, we will post the updated Upper Junior School Handbook for this year on this weblog.
In the meantime, have a great day, and I look forward to working with you all over the next twelve months!
Mr May
Welcome back to the Upper Junior School!
We’re almost ready for the start of a brand new school year, with many children returning, and new children joining us. The teachers and staff have all been working hard over the last few weeks to get ready for term time, and we hope you are all looking forward to a really exciting time, learning new skills, making new friends, and getting to know all of the classes.
This year we welcome three new staff in Year 4 - Mrs Davies, Miss Aitken and Miss Graves, alongside Mrs Hamsersma who will work at lunchtime and part time in Reception with Mrs Tresidder.
Please note that from this term on, we are a nut-free school which means that no food containing nuts or nut products may be brought in to school.
There will be a uniform sale on Monday 6th from 09.30-14.30 in the Upper Junior School Music Room, and School begins on Tuesday 7th September at 8.40 a.m. the gates will be open at 8.15 - look forward to seeing you all then!
Mr May
Morning bloggers!
Well, we’ve reached the end of another academic year. The second year of the Upper Junior School is almost behind us and this morning we will be meeting together for the last time before the summer holiday. I do hope that as many of you as possible are able to join us for our final assembly which starts at 09:00.
Thank you all for your generous gifts, kind words, cards and Emails. I wish you all a fabulous summer holiday, a truly wonderful year ahead and I look forward to seeing you all again in September 2011.
Love, Mr H x
Last night the rains really DID come down and three of the playground drains were blocked! I was worried that perhaps the floods (or should that be fluddes?) would come up and wash us all away! The cast, chorus and orchestra of Noye’s Fludde fought the naturally real stormy rain beating down on the glass roof of the Ark, (I mean Hall!), and projected their voices above the all the din. A first rate production and a fantastic example of successful team work. Well done all!
Year 5 have an Aztec afternoon today… hope we are avoiding certain aspects of Aztecs culture! I’m sure that the costumes and food will be colourful and delicious, looking forward to joining in the fun.
Year 6 have an activity morning at Amsterdamse Bos today. Although the rain was very heavy yesterday, this event will go ahead to mark the end of their primary school years. We hope the rain stays away at least until this afternoon when they will return to have lunch today with their new peers from the secondary school. Hope the morning is fun and don’t forget to bring a rain coat!
Well done to the cast, chorus and orchestra last night on their production of the opera of Noye’s Fludde by Benjamin Britten. I think Miss Kennedy and Emiel have given you all the biggest musical challenge yet, but with cooperation and teamwork from everyone involved from Year 4 to 12, all putting in a huge amount of time and effort really paid off. Congtraulations to you all.
A belated thank you to the staff who also gave up their time to watch and feed everyone who was unable to get home and back again between end of school and the performance yesterday because of the football celebrations. Looking forward to tonight’s final performance at 19:00. See you all there!
With the storms from yesterday and the rains really did come down, we are now well prepared for our production of Noye’s Fludde. There is a dress rehearsal this morning which we have been invited to watch and then performances tonight and tomorrow both starting at 19:00. Hope to see you there!
Welcome back to our Competition Choir who had a fantastic time in the UK last week. Now full steam ahead for today’s final rehearsal for Noye’s Fludde which will be performed on Tuesday and Wednesday this week at 19:00. Because of today’s rehearsal there will be no assembly this morning. Our last assembly of the term will be on Friday 16th at 09:00. Hope that as many parents as possible take up the opportunity to join us and bid farewell to those staff and children leaving our school.
Year 4 will be visiting the Anne Frank Huis this afternoon. Hope that everyone is feeling positive for the last week of the academic year and not too disappointed by last night’s World Cup final result? Please check Email later today to see if the team’s return to Amsterdam tomorrow will affect school.
First Experience news from Mrs Cowie…
“What a day! We did not even nearly win our competition but what an experience. There were choirs from China, Wales and England, each one singing beautifully and doing their best. We did our absolute best and Miss Kennedy and I were so proud of our kids. We were 10th but after the initial
disappointment, we realised we had done a great job. You should be proud of the way your children
have joined in the spirit of the festival. Some of them sitting with others at tables, talking with
the other choirs backstage, joining in with the dance groups and much more. This evening 10 of our choir joined with 100 other children to sing at the evening concert. They rehearsed in the
afternoon while the others climbed the local hill to visit a castle. The evening event was very
moving. The children taking part had an unforgetable experience. For those listening it was equally
memorable. It is very late so I must stop now - sounds like there is a midnight feast going on in
one of the rooms…”
Other Experience news from Mr Pritchard
YEAR TWO EXPERIENCE EVENING: This takes place tonight from 7.00pm to 9.30pm at the Upper School for the Year 2 children. A reminder letter with all the details went home yesterday in book bags with ‘drop off’ and ‘pick up’ instructions.
Your Experience this year…
Today’s the day our end of year annual reports are sent home. In the envelope you will also find news of next year’s class teacher. Wishing you all a good weekend!
