Dear Parents,
I cannot believe the first term of 2023 is done and dusted! And what a fun filled and exciting term we have had at CPS.
It has been wonderful to welcome new children and parents to the CPS family. As our school grows so too does the spirit of community. Every morning as we greet the children at the gate I am reminded of just how special our school is. Your child’s happiness is of paramount importance to us and we are so grateful for the commitment and support you the parent offer to the teachers and staff.
This year we celebrated Brenda’s 20 year of service at CPS. The children and staff honoured Brenda for her wonderful contribution to CPS. Brenda’s quiet, consistent and unassuming way of reaching each child at their level ensures that the children know they can always count on her to be there for them. She is truly loved by her colleagues and all the children at CPS.
The children have enjoyed their Fun Friday’s this term. They made some delicious treats which never seem to make it home as they are enjoyed at school, the Science experiments always bring a touch of magic to the day and of course a touch of crazy dress up is always a highlight. During our Assembly we celebrate the children who have had birthdays, give an award to children in each class for a particular skill or something special the teacher has noticed they have done and impart a life lesson to the children for e.g., how to be kind, share , manners etc.
As we celebrate so many birthdays in each class, please may we request that you only send a cupcake to school and not party packs as well. Ideally a small cupcake is more than sufficient as we find the children do not finish the big ones, many only lick the icing off!
Our Blue and Yellow Groups went on their first outings for the year. The Blue Group took a walk to the sports field for a Teddy Bears picnic. They were treated to a cricket match on the field while enjoying their snack.
The Yellow group visited the library, many for the first time. We did have a few who thought that Readers Warehouse was the library! The Tokai library has a wonderful selection of books and resources, and the staff are so welcoming. Hopefully through the visit their membership grows.
The teachers were so proud of how well behaved and polite all the children were and most importantly how much they enjoyed the excursion.
It is so lovely to see the children “reading” during DEAR ( drop everything and read) time. I am always interested to see their choice of books brought from home and recognise many that I too used to read to my children when they were younger.
Our Music curriculum continues to be a source of delight for the children. We follow a progressive Music curriculum whereby skills and concepts taught are carried over to the next age group, reinforced and added to. Each age group is told the life story of a composer, focuses on a different genre of music, learns different instruments and music concepts and an array of English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, and a few songs from other nationalities too.
What a treat it was to watch the children do their Easter Bonnet Parade yesterday. We really do have very creative parents in our school – we were blown away by the amount of effort and expertise that went into the children’s Easter Bonnets. Of course, the highlight for the children is the Easter Bunny hopping through the garden unnoticed but leaving his footprints all over the school as he delivers a little treat for each of the children.
Our Parent teacher meetings were well attended and will continue to be at the end of each term. This is just one of the platforms for you to discuss any concerns, have your questions answered and find out more about how your child is doing at school. However, should there be any issues or concerns during the term can address this immediately with your teacher or myself and do not need to wait for the end of term meeting. We have an open-door policy at CPS and encourage you to address any of your concerns with us.
I had the pleasure of hosting a tea for the children who started Grade 1 this year. They were so excited to visit their old school and tell me all about their new school. They all looked so grown up in their school uniforms.
We are excited for our Fun Walk next term and hope to see you all there. We have some amazing prizes for the raffle so don’t forget to fill in those raffle sheets. You are welcome to bring your family and friends as it is a lovely morning for both children and adults. Our famous egg and bacon roll and Folk coffee ensure a good start to the day!
After such a full and exciting term, we can enjoy a short break to recharge and spend some quality time with friends and family. As always, we look forward to welcoming you back on the 18 April.
Warmest regards,
Lara
