End of term reflections

The Christmas term is always one of the busiest in school and we hope many of you have been able to see the Christmas concert at the end of term. It's always great to see the children and young people taking part so enthusiastically and authentically.

This has been a busy term for fund-raising too. The Bake 'n' Take on Monday raised £63.89; many thanks to all of you for providing such lovely home baking. We managed to sell 10 more mugs at the concerts and the total raised from Peel2Save is £160 so far. All of these events and projects are well supported by parents and friends and we are grateful for all the money raised so far this term.




In addition to our own fund-raising, FBCS acts as a conduit in school for the charity Adopt-A-Child which we support. Primary children often bring in money each week to support the boy we sponsor (Edgar, who lives in Guatemala). They raised £35.09 this term for him. We also take donations for Adopt-A-Child at the Christmas concert and raised £509.52 this year. For this, we are very grateful; this money will be sent to the charity which aims to 'change the world... one child at a time'. If you want to know more about the charity, visit their website at http://www.adopt-a-child.com/

December news

Many thanks to all who made the Beauty Evening such a success. This event raised £430 for school.

We have just bought a projector and a TV monitor for two of the Senior classrooms, so we are glad to see that funds raised are being used in school to help provide new resources. We aim ultimately to have multimedia resources in all classrooms.

The next event is the Christmas Bake 'n' Take, to be held next Monday (12th December) at 3 p.m. Please bring in your contributions of home baking that morning and try and come a little bit earlier to school that day to savour the goodies on offer. Refreshments will be on sale as well as home baking, and there will be another opportunity to buy anniversary mugs (these would make an ideal stocking filler!)

Beauty Evening

Many thanks to all who attended the House of Beauty evening last night and to all the staff there who worked hard to make it such an enjoyable event!

The shop looked magnificent with its Christmas decorations:

Julie and all the staff worked hard to put on this event for us:

Refreshments were included in the ticket price:

First arrivals:

Waiting for treatments:



Prizes were won by Rebecca, Jan, Annette, Tracey and Clair. Our thanks to the House of Beauty for donating these Clarins beauty products for prizes.



All in all, it was a very successful evening which raised £430 for the school. Thanks so much!

Beauty Evening coming up...!

Many thanks to all of you who brought in clothing etc. for the Bag2School Recycling Day. I will let you know how much this raised once we hear back from the company.

The Beauty Evening is this coming Wednesday, 23rd November, starting at 6 p.m. at the House of Beauty on Pitt Street (just around the corner from school.) If you've booked a beauty slot, you should have received a card giving you details of time and the name of your therapist. Please try to arrive a few minutes earlier so we can keep to the appointment times. Don't forget that refreshments will also be available and that we will be selling anniversary mugs and Peel2Save vouchers on the evening, so bring plenty of money with you!

Peel2Save

We're pleased to be able to announce a new fund-raising venture called Peel2Save. Peel2save cards are credit-card sized (so they fit neatly into a purse or wallet) and contain 64 individual peel off coupons, each one promoting a great local business. In total the offers are typically worth well over £300 – and all the offers are local to you. You pay £10 to get one of these cards with 64 offers and school receives £5 of that price towards fund-raising targets.

A £10 set of stickers includes:
• 4 vouchers valid at Pizza Hut (25% off food bills, excluding drinks, at the Pizza Hut at Cortonwood or Harborough Hill)
• 4 vouchers valid at the KFCs on Manvers Way, Peel Street and Wakefield Road (offers apply to different items available)
• 4 vouchers valid at Mezzaluna in Mapplewell (20% off food bills, excluding drinks, valid Sundays to Thursdays only)
• 4 vouchers valid at Curry Mahal in Dodworth (20% of food bills)
• 4 vouchers giving 1 free entry at Cannon Hall Farm when 1 adult or child entry is purchased
• 2 vouchers offering free puncture repair at Challenger in Hoyland Common
• 2 vouchers valid at the Rob Royd Café in Worsbrough (20% off food bill)
• 2 vouchers valid at Barnsley Bowl (£1 per game on Mondays –Fridays between 9 a.m. and 12 noon)
• 2 vouchers valid at Jeunesse in Wombwell (various offers)
• 4 vouchers for Elachi restaurant in Hoyland (20% off food bills on Tuesdays)
• 2 vouchers valid at Momento Cards in Barnsley (20% off when spending £10 or more or buy 3 cards for the price of 2)
• 2 vouchers valid at Rehab in the Arcade (10% off any purchase)
• 2 vouchers valid at Oo La La lingerie boutique on Pitt Street (£5 off when spending £50 or more)
• 2 vouchers valid at Parkway Cinema (2 for 1 tickets on Tuesdays and Thursdays)
• 2 vouchers valid at Woody’s Fish & Chip restaurant in Barnsley (Free bottle of pop when spending £15 or more)
• 4 vouchers valid at Coopland’s (offers on different foods sold there)
• 2 vouchers valid at Elsecar Heritage Centre
• 2 vouchers valid at Elsecar Heritage Railway (1 child free with paying adult)
• 2 vouchers valid at Elsecar Heritage Café
• 2 vouchers valid at Waterfront Golf (2 for the price of 1 Monday –Friday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
• 1 voucher valid at Potter’s (1 free pork pie when £10 spent)
• 1 voucher valid at First Bite Photography (free portrait sitting)
• 1 voucher valid at C & S Pet Store (10% discount)
• 1 voucher valid at Oakwell Flower Corner (10 free button holes when purchasing bride & 3 bridesmaid bouquets)

Letters will go out with order forms this week and you can buy as many of these cards as you wish. All you have to do is send in £10 with the order form and we will give you the set of 64 stickers (cheques should be made payable to 'Friends of Barnsley Christian School'). The great thing is that these are valid until 15th September 2012, so you have plenty of time to enjoy the offers!

If you'd like any further information about this scheme, why not have a look at the Peel2Save website?
http://www.peel2save.co.uk/index.php

Coming shortly...

The Bag2School Recycling Day is on Wednesday 16th November. Please bring in your bags of unwanted clothes, bedding, curtains, bags, belts and shoes and raise money for the school at the same time as tidying your house! All bags should be brought to school on that morning.

The Beauty Evening is on Wednesday 23rd November from 6-8 p.m. at the House of Beauty Salon on Pitt Street (just around the corner from school.) Included in the £18 ticket is a half-hour beauty treatment, goody bag, money off voucher for future treatments and a chance to win Clarins beauty products in a prize draw as well as refreshments for the evening.

The Christmas Bake 'n' Take will be on Monday 12th December at 3 p.m. Home baking is required for this event, so please do help out - we had a lot of hungry children at the last Bake 'n' Take since it was sold out so quickly! Anniversary mugs will also be on sale at this event, and hot and cold drinks will be served.

This week at BCS

The FBCS Planning meeting is on Monday 7th November at 7.30 p.m. Please do come along to this and help us to organise events to raise funds.

There are only 5 slots left for the Beauty Evening on Wednesday 23rd November, so please do get in touch by Friday 11th November if you want to book a treatment. Treatments cost £18 and cheques should be made payable to 'Friends of Barnsley Christian School'. Please let me know what treatment you would like and remember to give me contact details.

The Christmas cards have arrived in school! They look great and have been distributed to pupils. It is possible to order extra cards from these, but I do need to know this as soon as possible.

Updates

Thank you to all who supported the Bake 'n' Take today. Despite not having our usual amount of baking, we raised £53.50 from this event. Thank you to all who did bake or provide goods for this event.

There are not many places left for the Beauty Evening on 23rd November, so if you're still interested in booking a treatment for this, please contact me as soon as possible. Treatments cost £18 each and give you the chance to win Clarins beauty products as well as giving you a goody bag of items to use after the treatment itself! Refreshments are included in the price of the ticket.

Don't forget also the Planning meeting on Monday 7th November at 7.30 p.m. and the Bag2School Recycling Day on Wednesday 16th November.

Bonfire Bake 'n' Take

The Bonfire themed Bake 'n' Take will be on Tuesday 1st November, starting at 3 p.m. Please bring in all your lovely home baking in the morning and come and buy food from 3 p.m. onwards. Refreshments will be served, so you can have a drink and something tasty to eat while you wait for school to finish!

Hopefully we will have delicious food to serve...

New year... new updates

Each new academic year brings new pupils and new families into school, many of whom have never heard of 'Friends of Barnsley Christian School' and have little idea about what goes on behind the scenes in school. This post is an attempt to fill everyone in on the nuts and bolts of this group of willing workers.

'Friends of Barnsley Christian School' is the school's PTA - except we felt 'Parent Teacher Association' didn't really include all the grandparents, aunts, uncles, former pupils, former staff and friends of the above who are involved in the group, hence the name we chose. There's a small regular committee of volunteers who meet once or twice a term to plan events and fund-raising ideas. The Chair is currently Jayne Wagstaff (who works in school as a Teaching Assistant), Secretary and blogger is Julie Turner (French Teacher & Exams Officer) and the Treasurer is Julie Stead (looking after all the school's finances for us very capably!) Other members include staff members and parents of pupils in school.

We aim to raise funds to buy equipment that might be considered luxuries; we've also been involved in a number of building projects over the years, including the refurbishment of the Science Lab. and the Sports Hall (mammoth projects which took years and cost thousands of pounds, all raised by YOU!) Recently we've just bought some new PE mats as the conclusion to the Sports Hall project; this was kindly helped by a donation from Mr & Mrs Japp (parents of a Y6 pupil, to whom we are very grateful.)

Each year we hold a number of events, ranging from Bake 'n' Takes to talent shows, murder mystery plays, concerts and sponsored walks. We are involved in other things to raise money such as the Bag2School Recycling Day (bringing in unwanted clothes and bedding can raise money for school!) and the Beauty Evening (where having beauty treatments can raise money for school!) We are always open to new ideas and everyone is welcome to attend our planning meetings.

Speaking of which... the next Planning meeting is on Monday 7th November at 7.30 p.m. in school. Come along and find out more about this friendly group - part of our aims are to host social events which help people in school to get to know each other, so you'd be very welcome at one of these meetings.

Back by popular demand...

The FBCS Beauty Evening will be on Wednesday 23rd November from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the House of Beauty on Pitt Street, Barnsley. We are very grateful to the House of Beauty for their generosity in hosting these events and are sure you will be keen to book the available therapies as soon as possible!

As last time, it will be possible to have 1 treatment per person, with each treatment lasting 25 minutes and costing £18. This price includes the cost of the treatment (normally priced at £25), a Clarins Goody Bag, entry into a prize draw to win other Clarins beauty products and refreshments, plus a voucher off future treatments. It really is a bargain! All treatments must be paid for at the time of booking. Treatments can be booked via school and if paying by cheque, cheques should be made payable to 'Friends of Barnsley Christian School.'

Treatments available include:

CLARINS EXPRESS FACIAL
A great pick-me-up for any skin type, thorough cleansing and exfoliation is
followed by an aromatic mask to complement your skin type.
Good For: Boosting the skin

NATURAL ATLANTIC SEA SALT BODY SCRUB
Invigorating exfoliation and removal of skin cells encourage good circulation and the regeneration of new skin. This fantastic salt scrub balances the skin's PH levels leaving it feeling smooth, looking radiant, and in great condition. A layer of warm oils are used to nourish the skin.

GROOMING MANICURE
Treat your hands to a House Of Beauty Manicure, includes nail file, sugar and essential oil scrub and finished with nail strengtheners.

FLOATING FEET PEDICURE
Relax in our Spa Pedicure chairs while your back, shoulders and neck are gently
manipulated with the motorised massage movements while your feet are treated
to a skin smoothing exfoliation and massage with warm oils (paint not included)

SHELLAC TOE
The newest longer lasting nail paint; in fact it can last up to three weeks without
losing shine or shimmer, no scratching or smudging, great for summer sandals.

HOPI EAR CANDLES
A relaxing and gentle ancient therapy used by the Hopi Indians to treat ear and sinus conditions, tinnitus and vertigo and headaches.

DEEP TISSUE BACK MASSAGE
A relaxing back and shoulder treatment using deep pressure massage and healing
essential oils, soothes tired muscles.
Good For: Stress relief and muscle fatigue

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Christmas card winners

We have winners from the Christmas card competition! - though as you can see from the photo below, these were not easy decisions!

The overall winner was Cordelia Ball (Y7) from Aylward House. The PCSOs also chose 3 winning cards from each house and prizes and points were distributed!


Aylward
1. Luke Doughty (Y9)
2. Jacob Grummett (y5)
3. Paige Gibbons (Y9)

Wilberforce
1. Grace Barnes (Y4)
2. Edward Alsop (Y8)
3. Joe Hamer (Y2)

Hudson-Taylor
1. Tristan Harlow (Y3)
2. Jack Adnitt (Y7)
3. Alyssia McMahon (Y6)

Many thanks to all who took part in the competition, to the staff who encouraged pupils in their artwork, to parents who have ordered cards and to the PCSOs who had the unenviable task of choosing winners!

Next on the agenda

After the flurry of activity last weekend, what's next on the agenda?

Well, the Christmas cards are being collected and will be sent off to the company this week to be produced into the works of art they were clearly meant to be. Before then, the Police Community Support Officer, who is often in school, is going to judge a House competition, choosing the best cards from each house (Hudson-Taylor, Wilberforce and Aylward.) The winning cards will earn house points and there will be prizes for the children.

This week on Wednesday (12th October), the House of Beauty is running a 'Beauty Extravaganza' evening from 6 p.m. until 9.30 p.m. This is not an FBCS event (the Beauty Evening we are organising there will be held in November, further details to follow when they have confirmed the date for us), but if you like this kind of event, it would be a great evening. Tickets cost only £10 and are redeemable against any treatment booked on the night; the ticket also entitles you to a complimentary Clarins Goody Bag worth £30 and discounts off further treatments. You need to book your place before the event, which can be done by phoning 01226 296646. For further details, see their website (http://www.houseofbeauty.org.uk/)

The next FBCS event will be the Bonfire Bake 'n' Take on Tuesday 1st November at 3 p.m. in school. All home baking for this will be gratefully received, and anything with a Bonfire theme (parkin, toffee apples etc.) particularly so. Another Bake 'n' Take on a Christmas theme will be held on Wednesday 12th December at 3 p.m.

The next Bag2School recycling day will be held on Wednesday 16th November. You will be getting bags for this soon, but could be starting your clearouts in anticipation! Clothes, curtains, bedding, soft toys, bags and belts are all welcome. Please only bring your items in on the day itself, as there is no room to store these in school.

And last, but definitely not least, the next FBCS Planning meeting will be on Monday 7th November at 7.30 p.m. and you are all most welcome to attend.

More birthday party photos

Preparing for the evening's entertainment...

Pondering the quiz questions:




Listening to music:



We are grateful for all who were involved in making the evening a success - to the Governors of school for their help, for all who helped to provide food or set up and tidy away, to all FBCS members and to all who supported the event. About 140 people attended in total, so thank you very much for your support!

25th birthday party

People arrived for the party from 5 p.m. onwards.

Paul Bedford (Hope House Church Senior Pastor & school governor) welcomed everyone there, as did Dave Wagstaff (Chair of Governors):

Old friends got to meet up with each other:

After the food, we went upstairs for music and quizzes. The music was provided by the Hope House Church band:

... and by Mike Stead's 1980s band:

Deborah won the 'Name the Staff' quiz and seemed pleased enough with her Rubik's cube prize:

Mrs Wake's team won the fiendishly difficult 1980s music quiz, organised by Mike Stead:

We also had a 1980s film quiz... hard to believe some of these clips were from films which won Oscars!
All in all, a trip down memory lane and a very enjoyable evening...

25th birthday party

Saturday 1st October 2011 was the day we celebrated the school's 25th birthday with a party. We'd already celebrated the day itself (22nd September) with an assembly in school. On that occasion, Dennis Bavister (leader of Barnsley Christian Fellowship at the time and one of the school's headmasters) and Sarah Dodd (former pupil) had come into school to talk about that first year:

... and to cut the birthday cake:


Now we were busy celebrating in style! There was plenty of food:




... and plenty of people!: