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Manchester Evening News, November 24, 2011

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Connie Lupton, 6 ,Ciara Hurrell, 6, Sinead O'Connor, Mark Lupton. Picture from Manchester Evening News

A young girl has started a petition to save the job of a lollipop lady at their school after one saved her brother’s life.

Little Aedan Hurrell, five, was stopped from cycling straight into traffic when the lollipop lady threw herself between his bike and the road – causing him to swerve safely back towards the pavement.

Now Aedan’s sister Cíara, six, is campaigning to keep a lollipop lady at Alma Park Primary in Levenshulme after the MEN revealed that all 156 crossing patrols in Manchester were under review and could face the axe in a town hall savings drive.

Ciara has teamed up with friends Emily Hall, 7, and Ella Fernando, 7, and their little sisters Anna Hall, 4, and Hima Fernando, 4, to write the petition and draw pictures and posters.

Their petition, called ‘We want to keep the Lollipop ladies: We want to be safe’, already has more than 200 signatures. It says:

•Lollipop ladies are important because they help us cross the road.

•We should still have them because it will be more safe.

•We like walking, cycling and scooting to school without crossing busy roads.

•We want to carry on and have someone help us to cross the road.

Mum Sinéad O’Connor, 38, from Levenshulme, said:”The lollipop lady leapt forward and barricaded the way with her own body. This caused my son to swerve safely along the pavement and away from the cars.

“Because she was there it allowed him to make a mistake without any serious consequences. He has learnt from it and is a lot more careful now. I would like to thank the lady for doing her job so well and for stepping in to save my son.”

Ms O’Connor said the lollipop lady was a ‘true local hero’.

She said: “There is no safe place to cross at my children’s school. I want my children to be independent and responsible but they are still very young and need somebody to make it safe for them.

“My children both look forward to seeing the lollipop lady every morning and evening. They understand she helps them to cross the road safely and they trust her to look out for them on their way to and from school.

“She has taken a key role in teaching both of my children about road safety. She even spent time in the reception class telling all the children how to be safe while they are around traffic.

“Government spend lots of money on road safety campaigns but it is local heroes who make this meaningful for children.”

Ffion Kippen, whose children Evans and Griff also go to Alma Park, said their lollipop lady was an inspiration.

She said: “She is a total local legend, a lovely person and really brilliant with the school
children. The children of Alma Park all love her very much. She knows all their names and never fails to say a cheery hello.

“She is much more than a road safety worker as she watches out for the younger ones leaving the school gate to make sure they are with a trusted adult.”
Signatures from Cíara’s petition will be added to those collected by the MEN Save Our Crossings campaign.

Manchester council is reviewing all crossings to rate them according to the level of risk: red, amber and green – high, medium and low risk. Already, 36 ‘low-risk’ crossings and 24 which did not have regular cover have been scrapped, with decisions on the fate of the others expected in mid-December.

Dear Parents and Carers

Reminder – School closed for teacher training on

Monday 7th November

On Tuesday 8th November 2011 will be having our Eid party and assembly!

Our Eid Assembly will be at 11am – parents are welcome but please be aware it may be standing room only.

We are also having an entertainer – Lucia who is a firm favourite of the children.

We would be grateful for a voluntary contribution of £1.00 per child towards this cost – many thanks.

The children will be having a party tea and we would be grateful of any contributions of a few biscuits, crisps, samosas, pakora, bhajis. (Please no nuts). Please bring in your food contributions to your child’s classroom on the day of the party. (If your child brings a packed lunch they will still need it on this day)

We wish all of our families who are celebrating…….

a Happy Eid!

Yours sincerely

Pat Treanor

Headteacher

Dear Parents, Carers and Children

Welcome back to a New School Year!

All of the children have settled back in to their new classes really well and are already busy with their activities. They all look very smart too in their uniforms so thank you for that – Please could I ask that you make sure everything has your child’s name in it as so many sweatshirts get left in lost property and are never claimed. We appreciate the cost so want to make sure we can return them to their rightful owners.

New Staff

We would like to welcome some new staff to Alma Park:

Ms Wheeler – teaching assistant in Year 5

Ms Wainwright and Ms Clark working in Reception

Angela Bousfield – Family Worker

Just a few reminders for you

School dinners cost £2.16 per day / £10.80 per week. Please pay dinner money at the beginning of each week and place it in an envelope with your child’s name and class.

Milk is £4.00 for the term and must be paid by 10am on Friday 9th September. Unfortunately no orders can be taken after this date.

PE Kits

We have made this as simple as possible but ask that your child has this basic kit in school.

Gym and Dance – Black shorts/leggings and a white t-shirt Games – same or track suit bottoms and sweatshirts for when it is cooler / Trainers.

Absence from School

If your child is away from school please ring school before 10am. Also new arrangements mean that any child arriving after 9.25am will get an absence mark – this will be unauthorised. Please try and make appointments for after school.

Website

You can check for information on our website where copies of letters and calendar dates are available. Please visit www.almapark.manchester.sch.uk

Reminders – Car Park and Parking

For Health and Safety reasons parents are not permitted to park in the staff car park. Special needs transport buses and taxis have access and a few parents who have children who have a hearing impairment have been given a permit. Gates to the car park will be closed at 8.50 pm & 3 pm

Junior Entrances

As you know corridors in the Juniors are quite narrow and we need to make sure children can get in and out as easily as possible. Therefore please can we ask that only parents and carers for Year 3 come into the building on a daily basis. Parents and carers of children in Year 4, 5 and 6 are still welcome to come in if you need to speak to the teacher but otherwise please say your goodbyes at the entrance to the building.

If parents need to see teachers at the end of the day please could we ask you to wait until the majority of children have come out before you come through and this will ease the congestion for everyone.

Individual and Family Photographs

Monday 3rd October – more information to follow

Parents’ Evening – Advance notice.

Our first Parents’ Evening this year will be on Thursday 13th October 4-6pm.

Monday Morning Reading

This will start on 19th September – Parents & Carers are invited to come into class at the beginning of the day and read with children (usually until 9.15 am). All Parents & Carers are then asked to leave via the office entrance.

You will receive information from your child’s teacher about class topics, visits, PE days and class routines.

We hope this is helpful to you. On behalf of all the staff we look forward to working with you again closely this year and in order to ensure your child has a happy and successful year.

Yours sincerely

Pat Treanor

Headteacher

 Thank you very much for your help on Saturday which enabled the Fair to be such a big success.

There was a lovely atmosphere and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. I know how much planning goes into the fair and you have a well oiled organisational machine – but I appreciate the time and effort that goes into making it run so smoothly.

The funds raised will all be spent on buying additional resources for music in school so all children will benefit. As important is creating an Alma Park community of parents and carers which greatly adds to our whole school ethos.

The fantastic sum of £2184 was raised which is £16 more than last year!

A huge thank you to you all,

Best regards

Mrs Treanor

Early Years / KS1 –

Monday 11th July at 1.30pm

KS2 –

Wednesday 13th July at 1.30pm

On Monday we will be sending out your child’s report along with their attendance sheet and who their class teacher will be for next year. We are also sending out a sheet for you to fill in with your child called ‘All About Me’. This is so that you feel you have the opportunity to give your child’s new teacher any information that you might want them to be aware of. Please return that to your child’s current teacher and we will pass them on for you.

You are welcome to come and meet your child’s/children’s new teacher on Thursday 14th July between 3.30-4.15pm.

Please ensure you collect your child as usual at 3.15pm on that day as all staff will be busy meeting parents.

We hope you like the new style reports and if there is anything that you wish to discuss with their current class teacher please make arrangements to call in to see them.

Dates for your diary:

Reminder – School closed on Thursday 30th June for all children except Nursery and 1JT due to strike action by NUT/ATL.

Sports Day –
Early Years / KS1 – Monday 11th July at 1.30pm &
KS2 – Wednesday 13th July at 1.30pm – at school

School closes for the Summer Holidays on Thursday 21st July at 2.15pm and re-opens on Monday 5th September 2011.

Yours sincerely

Pat Treanor
Headteacher

Keep an eye out for photos here!

Find more out by visiting the National School Grounds week website.

Friends of Alma Park PTA present

Alma Park Summer Fair 2011 – Saturday 9th July, 2PM