Holiday Greetings

Mr. Griffiths, staff and Governors would like to wish all pupils and their families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Return to School

We return to school on Monday 4th January 2010.

School Dinners

Monday
Sausage & Mash with Broccoli
Pasta Bake (Veggie Option)
Ice Cream Roll

Tuesday
"Mystery Meal"

Wednesday
Roast dinner with carrots & cabbage
Lentil pie (Veggie option)
Jelly

Thursday
Meat pie with mash & broccoli
Jacket potato (veggie option)

Friday
Fish fingers and chips with beans
Chocolate sponge with custard

Fresh homemade bread, a salad bar and water are available every day. Also fresh fruit salad and yoghurts are alternative desserts.

Special Points of Interest

We are looking forward to hearing the choir sing at St. Catherine's Church on Sunday, 20th December at 4pm. (Children to arrive at 3.40pm please). Parents and friends are most welcome to attend the service.

Top attendance this week with 100% was class 5/6SD. Fantastic - well done to you all.

Christmas and New Year Birthdays

Happy Birthday over the Holidays to:

Emily Baker, Louisa Barratt, Brea Bennett, Lily King, Emily Coles, Thomas Gregory, Kieran Atkins-Barker, Connor Booker, Sam Custus, Daniel Harris, Rebecca Boultwood, Ryan Sutton, Harry Byrne, Joe Carson, Maria Daniel, Tia Purkiss, Joshua Foster, Ben Stiff, James Flux, Reece Williams

School Performance

Congratulations to all those who performed in 'The Sorcerer' Christmas production this week. The children performed so confidently and sang so well.

Thank you to all those who gave so generously for our collection. We raised £285 for Little Havens Hospice.

3 Easy Steps to Create New Woods

1. Recycle your Christmas cards at WH Smith, TK Max or M & S
2. Choose where you'd like us to plant more native trees at woodlandtrust.org.uk/cards
3. The area that gets the most votes gets the most trees

Recycle your cards in store before 31st January, 2010

School Closure due to Snow

In the event of adverse weather, please note that Essex FM will broadcast details of schools forced to close this Winter. Tune in and listen to 102.6 or 96.3FM.

Alternatively, visit the school website at www.easttilburyjunior.thurrock.sch.uk and the school will post a notice on the gates.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday this week to:

Stephen Carson

Holly Adams

Georgie Campbell

Jack Robinson

George Whalley

Special Points of Interest

• A reminder that school closes for the Christmas holiday on Friday 18th December, 2009 at 3.10pm.
• Top attendance for this week is 5/6ME with 98.9%. Well done to you all.

After School Clubs Next Week

Monday: Football and netball are on
Tuesday: Tag rugby is on
Wednesday: Ball skills and choir
Thursday: Rugby is cancelled. Art club is finished for this term. It will start again in the New Year.
Friday: Badminton is cancelled

Merit Awards

Merit Awards were presented this week to:

3/4AM - Ethan Ansell - Good drama work
3/4GM - Billy Saunders - Very good literacy work
3/4HW - George Whalley - Good sewing skills in DT
3/4LC - Charlotte Gibbons - Always working hard
3/4TL - Derry Mager - Good sewing skills in DT
5/6AR - Sam Shaw - Trying hard with school play
5/6AW - Katy Bannister - Working well in class
5/6 ME - Reece Williams - Positive attitude in school
5/6PD - Joe Cole - Trying hard in art
5/6SD - Marney Dobson - Working hard in literacy

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday this week to:

Jack Fairman

Drew May

Harry Gregory

Amiee Weston

Special Points of Interest

Thank you for all the shoe boxes, donations and gifts received. We have 57 boxes to send to Operation Christmas Child. Thank you for your generosity.

The class with top attendance this week is 3/4LC with 97%. Well done.

Years 5 and 6 have bought home cast letters for their Christmas Concert. Please ensure you return the forms promptly. Seats will be allocated but no tickets will be issued.

Please note: All swimming payments for Year 4 are extremely overdue. This must be paid before the end of term. Thank you.

Christmas Hats
The children are invited to make a hat to wear at the Christmas Dinner on Thursday, 10th December.

The hat must be no taller than 25cm and no wider than 25cm and be wearable.

It can be based on any Christmas theme: Nativity, Snowman, crackers, angels, presents, Christmas trees, Father Christmas etc.

Purchased or simple hats will also be acceptable.

Merit Awards

Merit Awards were awarded to the following pupils this week:

3/4AM - Maria Daniel - Good PSHCE work
3/4HW - Holly Butcher - Good ICT work
3/4 LC - Megan Weldon - Improved writing
3/4TL - Brandon Carpenter-Prout - Improving his Literacy
3/4GM - Lucy Grover - Improved Literacy skills
5/6PD - Chloe Brown - Always setting a good example
5/6 SD - Frazer Grewal - Trying hard with school play
5/6 ME - Tommy Lawrence - Improvement in Maths and Literacy
5/6 AW - Madeleine Flux - Good work in Maths
5/6 AR - Tegan Stock - For always being enthusiastic and working hard

Swimming Awards

Well done to all those who achieved awards this week:

10 Metres: Katie Knight, Ethan Ansell, Rory Cox, Joshua Ware, Morgan Lowe, Bailey Wilden, Alfie Pacey, Ellie Quinlan, Lewis Ashdown, Justine Baylis, James Flux, Asa Gregory, Harry McInally, Abbie Mott, Jack Robinson, Mia Seeley, Cassandra Aina, Kieran Conoley, Daniel Harris, Luke Pearson, Samantha Umoren

Green Stripe: George Whalley

Red Stripe: Max Jex, Kieran Atkins-Barker

Yellow Stripe: Max Jex, Kieran Atkins-Barker, Bradley Scott, William Derby

Blue Stripe: Max Jex, Kieran Atkins-Barker, Spencer Watling, Emily Stevens, Sophie Gibbons, Olivia Clements-Hendy, Jasmine Yeomans, Elsie Andrews, Toni Case, Ellie Quinlan, Lewis Ashdown, James Flux, Asa Gregory, Harry McInally, Abbie Mott, Jack Robinson, Mia Seeley, Cassandra Aina, Kieran Conoley, Daniel Harris, Luke Pearson, Samantha Umoren

5 Metres: Harry White, Holly Adams, Jake Griffin

PFA News

At the recent Table Top sale, the PFA raised £120. Half of this money will go towards some outdoor musical instruments for the Infant School, the other half will go towards some outdoor bins for the Junior School. Thank you to the people who did come along to support them and the stall holders who had a good time even if they did not sell a great deal.

The PFA would like to thank local businesses for their donated raffle prizes - Park Inn, Top 2 Toe Hairdressers, J York Butchers, Mitchels Hairdressing, Tubby Tel's Seafood Store, East Tilbury Post Office, Lloyds convenience store (Linford) and Liz Pettican. An extra thank you goes to East Tilbury Post Office for help in changing money for floats.

Unfortunately, the Adult Disco scheduled for this Saturday (5th December) has been cancelled due to poor ticket sales. Everyone should have received their refund, but if not, you can contact Julie Willett or Meresa Wilkins.

The next PFA meeting will take place in the New Year on Wednesday, 6th January at 5.30pm in the Junior School. Please feel free to join us and voice your opinion. The PFA are always looking for volunteers and feedback on events and ideas for possible future events.

Puffin Book Club

Did you know you can order Puffin Books online. If you use the account number registered to the school, the school will receive commission for books ordered.

The website has a great selection of books and it's not too late to order books for Christmas. The last date for ordering is Midday on 21st December.

The website address is www.puffinbookclub.co.uk and the school account number is 0007192333.