3^rd May 2024

It was lovely to see some children sing at All Saints Church for Sandygate Sunday last weekend. The children sang 'Our God is a Great Big God' beautifully and Ethan from Butterfly read one of our school prayers. Thank you to Mrs Downing for preparing the children and coming along to the service to support them.

Our school governors do an amazing job taking responsibility for the strategic direction of the school. As a volunteer role, their involvement in the school is crucial and rewarding. One of our governors, Austin Dorsett, has stepped down from his role this week and I would like to thank him for his contribution to the school over the last 2 years.  

If you think that being involved in the school governing body would be something that would interest you, or if you would like to know more about a governor's role, please contact either the school office or governors@marlow-infant.bucks.sch.uk.

Mrs Reynolds

A message from the Eco Warriors...

Turn off the lights

Turning off the lights when you aren't in a room is one of the easiest ways to save energy. This week our Eco Warriors stuck stickers on the light switches throughout school to remind us to turn off the lights when we leave a room.

Bird feeders

They put up bird feeders outside Year 1 and Reception areas.

Garden beds

They enriched our raised garden beds  by digging in the compost we have made at school.

History – Year 2

Year 2 have been studying the lives of significant individuals in history this half-term. We would love to have some children's grandparents visit the school to tell us about what life was like in the past and discuss the differences they have seen.

We would like them to come on Tuesday 14^th May in the afternoon from 1.15pm-2.15pm. Please let us know here if your child's grandparent is happy to share their knowledge with us.

Lint from tumble dryer – Whole school

In Design & Technology this half-term, the Year 1s have been designing bug hotels. They have been thinking about the materials they could use to make their hotels, and they have had a great idea. They would like to add some 'fluff' from the tumble dryer!

Did you know that dryer lint is also a good source of fibre for your compost, which is crucial to helping the soil stay aerated and smooth? A soft, fluffy texture keeps air moving through the soil, which lowers the risk of your plants developing diseases like root rot. Fibre from dryer lint is also an excellent ingredient to help soil lock in moisture. Because it is lightweight and fluffy, water molecules can quickly accumulate in the lint particles without bogging down your garden bed. 

Marlow Infants bird box – Whole school

We've been keeping an eye on our bird box this week – mummy has been busy keeping her eggs warm.

Golf Fundraising Event – THANK YOU

We would like to thank Patrick Tomnie for organising another VERY successful golf fundraising event last week. A staggering £6,600 profit was made which will be divided between both us and Holy Trinity PTA, for which we are extremely grateful. Thank you to everyone who took part in this event and also to the sponsors, who were extremely generous. 

May Fair: Saturday 11^th May 11am–2pm

We are now making the final preparations for our annual May Summer Fair, being held next week! It is set to be a fun-filled day for all the family, and we are really looking forward to seeing you all there. Thank you SO MUCH for the donations of second-hand toys and tombola prizes; everyone has been very generous. A couple of final reminders for next week...

• Cakes donations Friday 10^th May – we would love your cakes, bakes and biscuits (home-made or shop bought) - please bring them at drop off in the morning
• Hat decorating competition – these are available to buy on ParentPay until Monday 6^th May. We are welcoming children to decorate their knights and maidens' hats ready for the May Fair hat parade at 1.30pm on the day - there are lots of prizes available, so it's worth having a go and entering!

Running order for the day:

• 11am – Fair Opens
• 11.30am – Sandygate Singers
• 12 midday – Marlow School of Dance
• 12.30pm – Maypole
• 1pm – Youth Moves
• 1.30pm – Hat Parade

Silent Auction

Our summer silent auction will be running in June, and we are looking for donations of prizes from our Sandygate community. No prize is too big or too small. Could you or your employer donate products, services, vouchers, tickets or experiences as prizes and auction lots? Do you have your own business that could donate a prize? Do you have clients or business contacts who might be able to donate a prize or two?

Please contact Charlotte on pfa@marlow-infant.bucks.sch.uk

Sandygate Summer Parents Ball: 22^nd June 7.30pm–11.30pm

Tickets are selling well for our Sandygate Parents Summer Ball. Dust off your dancing shoes and put on your glad rags to party the night away. This is a lovely social fun evening. Seating is fluid with indoor and outdoor seating (no table plan or need to come 'as a whole table'). Tickets are now £65pp and available to buy on ParentPay. You are also welcome to buy tickets for friends and family outside of school. Please consider buying a ticket to join us and help raise crucial funds for the school.

Plea for Financial Support

We still have several events upcoming this term, but so far this year, we have made around £15,000. Despite our hard work and fundraising efforts (38 fundraising events this year), it looks like we will still miss our fundraising target of £30,800.

With ongoing huge pressures on school finances and funding, the money the school community and PFA fundraising team make is more important than ever.

We appreciate that not everyone is in a position to financially give money to the school, but if you are able to, please consider giving a financial donation to the PFA.

This goes directly to the school to fund its upkeep, through:

• Buying books and art supplies
• Painting and decorating the school
• Upgrading the toilets and building work
• Building the new outdoor areas
• Buying curriculum resources
• Upgrading IT equipment
• Paying for enrichment activities and school trips

As an example, if every family in the school directly paid £220 every year, we would meet this target without the pressure of having to run so many events. 

If you feel you are able to contribute a one-off donation or set up a standing order, our bank details are below:

• Account Name: Marlow C of E Infant School Parents & Friends Association 
• Sort Code: 20-40-71 
• Account No: 80031992 

Please let us know if you are a taxpayer and can fill in a gift aid form as this also makes a big difference!

Dates for your diary

• May Fair: Saturday 11^th May
• End of term treats: Friday 24^th May
• Bag2School: Friday 7^th June
• Parents Summer Ball: Saturday 22^nd June
• School Camp Night: Saturday/Sunday 13-14^th July
• Happy's Circus: Sunday 22^nd September

A message from Youth Moves

Huge congratulations to the children who performed in our dance show on Sunday. They were superstars.

We look forward to showing you our show at the May Fayre.

Jane & Natasha