Friday 18 December 2015

Only 7 sleeps to go



Here at POWSA Towers we feel thoroughly smug in our readiness for the forthcoming celebrations, a prime Turkey has been selected and secured (the fact it’s the same size as a Brachiosaurus and has the same odds of survival are issues we’ll have to deal with), the tree is resplendent and bedecked with illuminations and the bunting is well and truly.....bunted.

Despite this overwhelming feeling of smugness it is hard to ignore the fact that this is now the last day of term and the last chance for us all to celebrate at the school with Mr Farrington as Head Teacher. (For anyone who didn’t know Mr Farrington was retiring I hope this hasn’t come as too much of a shock, I didn’t want to be the one to tell you the sad news but there you go, try reading a newsletter once in a while).

We don’t wish to dwell too much on the past and have made every effort to ensure that our gratitude to him has been a matter of record and fact (how many other people have had a surprise festival named after them, it’s not like you’ve ever heard of Jesus Fest) but we do hope that as many of you as possible can come to the Carol Concert this afternoon to help celebrate the end of another great term at school.

As it’s Christmas it only feels right to remind us of the wise words penned by Chuck D about this wonderful time;

“For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.” 
 
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

And to Mr Farrington we wish you a long and wonderful retirement, you will always be welcome here at POWSA Towers, just make sure you wipe your feet on the way in.


So come and join the whole school as we sing our little socks off, it’s today at 2:45pm in the school hall and Christmas jumpers are not compulsory but do come highly recommended.

Wednesday 2 December 2015

Christmas Cheer


Here at Powsa Towers the halls are bedecked with boughs of holly, there are small groups of ruddy faced urchins singing carols for a copper penny and there's many a leaping lord giving it a tra-la-la which just makes me feel so festive I want to shout Ho! Ho! Holy mackerel it's the Christmas Fair on Friday and I haven't

  • booked a spot to go and see Santa (sign up sheets are outside of the office in the main school)
  • booked a spot for the kids to go and see Santa
  • Made any bids on the silent auction lots
  • Cleared space by throwing out all the old knick knacks and heirlooms for the amazing range of crafted goods that will be on sale
  • Set a budget to win THAT prize on the Chinese Raffle
  • Practiced my skills for the "fun" games, not that I'm competitive or anything
As if that's not enough there will be refreshments available at the Christmas Cafe, the Tombolas will be out with prizes suitable for all you cheeky boys and girls. Did I mention Santa will be there?

As if that's not enough to get you in the festive mood I heard that song for the first time this year, you know the really cheery Christmas on, how does it go? "You scumbag, you maggot, you cheap lazy......"

It could hve been worse, it could have been Noddy Holder shouting IT'S CHRISTMAS

See you Friday, straight after school til 5:30 in the main hall, bring a donation for the Tombola in by the start of lessons on Friday if you have anything to spare.

And finally, if you managed to avoid the temptation to complete all of your online shopping for the festive period last Friday, don't forgot to log on via easy fundraising, it's free, it's easy and benefits everyone at the school.


Thursday 26 November 2015

Situations Vacant


There's definitely a frosty atmosphere here at POWSA Towers following the revelation that, due to my advancing years and ever expanding middle age spread, I will no longer be considered for the role of Elf at this years Christmas Fair.

Apparently my new found "maturity and cuddliness" make me a more suitable candidate for the role of Santa's understudy than his assistant. Which leaves us with a slight problem, who can help the main man at the fair?

The ideal candidate would be someone who is young, funny, caring, considerate, confident, gregarious and likes to dress up in loud clothes, pointy shoes and fun hats. If you have pointy ears that would be considered a bonus but those of us mere mortals with rounded appendages may still apply.

If you know anyone who would be willing to help out, full training will be provided (Open Door, smile, say hello, introduce Santa, smile some more, open door, say goodbye and then repeat).

If any of the Prince of Wales children have an older sibling who you would just love to see dressed as an elf then feel free to ask them if they would be willing to help.

Please don't send us your CV, just stop one of us POWSA people and have a chat, we could really use your help.

Right, that's enough from me for now, I have to practice for my role as understudy............ pass the mince pies Rudolph, no don't worry you can have the carrot,

Sunday 8 November 2015

T.F.I. Flapjack


Here at POWSA Towers we see that the winter festivities are closing fast as the nights are getting darker and the family calendar resembles a Jackson Pollock with random lines seeming to fill every space. Rehearsals here, parties there, clubs and activities everywhere and, yes, my handwriting is that bad.

We have the delights of Autumn Fest to look forward to (that's next Saturday in case you have missed it), a cake sale on Friday for Children in Need and then the build up to Christmas starts in earnest. This is on top of a full half term for the school, I don't know if anyone else had grumpy monkeys on Friday but we all knew they had been back to school.

Which brings me back to the title of this blog, the eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed that on Friday there was a small sale of carrot cake and flapjacks outside of years 1 & 2. This was the first run of Thank Friday It's Flapjack where we will be selling small snippets of cake to help fundraising. The plan is this will occur every Friday (if the school have a cake sale on the same week we will donate our profits to the schools cause) from now on until the weather becomes glorious enough for the sale of ice creams and lollies again.

The cakes are all supplied to POWSA by a local day care centre and are prepared and made freshly every Friday by the staff and the people who attend and use the services there. As we are a school that actively seeks to improve the educational offering of our own pupils within the SEND framework it is great that we can also offer adults with similar challenges an outlet for their culinary skills.

As a result of the provenance of our cakes we cannot guarantee that they will be suitable for anyone who suffers from allergies, the kitchen they are prepared in is used for a variety of culinary assignments throughout the week. If you need any advice please ask us and we will always give you any information that we have.

Right , it's time now to go and find something red, white and blue for the monkeys to wear next week, practice their spellings, encourage them to undertake their home learning and find a cupcake recipe for Friday. After that I will definitely need to sit down with a warm cuppa and a slice of cake to help me recover. TFI Flapjack indeed!

Monday 2 November 2015

Easy Fundraising - who are you calling an oxymoron?



Here at Powsa Towers we are once again reminded that the festive season is approaching, which means it's time to crack out the old Amazon passwords, log onto help_me_im_a_man_and_i_need_a_present.com and then forget about everything until the day before when I go into a blind panic and buy whatever seems unusual (cement mixer anyone?) and proves impossible to wrap discreetly.

I am assured that other people do not experience life in the same way, rather they plan ahead and start their buying weeks, if not months, in advance. Whilst this is clearly n alien concept it does seem that the time is right to remind you all of Easy Fundraising, the online portal that allows you to help the school whilst shopping with your preferred partners.

What's even more amazing is it's easy, I set up an account in less than 5 minutes and I'm a bit of a techno-phobe.

To login and set up just read below;

PC or laptop users follow this link https://new.easyfundraising.org.uk and raise a donation for us every time you shop online this Christmas

Shop on your mobile or tablet? Get the free easyfundraising app and raise a donation for us every time you shop online this Christmas http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/raise-more/easyfundraising-app

Tuesday 27 October 2015

6937?


No, don't worry it's not the entry code to the off street parking here at POWSA towers and nor is it the first three numbers to be drawn in this Fridays EuroMillions draw (that would be freaky if it did happen though. 6, 9, 37, you heard it here first!), it's actually the reason why I am saying THANKYOU once again.

Last year through POWSA fundraising we contributed £6,937 to the Prince of Wales School, every penny of it was donated by you in regards to your time, your generosity and your support. The money has been used to purchase so many things from books to interactive screens, some xylophones and even a giant tooth, each of which has been used in the school and will help the staff and pupils for many years to come. So THANKYOU or should I say Dankie, Qaĝaasakung, shukrān, Obrigadu, 唔該, Dĕkuji vám mnohokrát, Dank u, Dankon, Merci, Danke, धन्यवाद ,  Grazie, ありがとう, 고맙습니다, Gratias vobis ago, Dzięki, Спасибо!, Muchas gracias, Diolch or just plain and simple TA VERY MUCH.

Monday 19 October 2015

Only 67 sleeps until Christmas


Which means that here at POWSA Towers we are preparing the grand hall for Halloween (12 sleeps), the grounds are being turned into a huge pyrotechnic delight for Bonfire night (17 sleeps) the candles and chandeliers are lit to celebrate Diwali (23 sleeps) and, most importantly, we check the post every morning to see if the tickets to this years Autumn Fest have arrived.

(The number of sleeps has not been independently verified, it was merely a whimsy to make this blog seem somehow more interesting and is in no way meant to be accurate)

Yes, that's right, Autumn Fest 2015 has now been confirmed, it's 26 sleeps until the big day and most of the afternoons activities and entertainment is in place, so here's the low down on the plan so far;

In the afternoon we have a magic show and balloon modelling, courtesy of Andy the Magic man, we have storytelling and singing, games and entertainment for all of the family. We will then have a break for an hour to allow everyone to have something to eat, before the evenings live musical entertainment kicks off and we are pleased to announce that the headliners this year will once again be Quinns Quinny. In short, for those who have missed any of our recent festivities, bring your dancing shoes, the kids dancing shoes and be prepared to enjoy an afternoon and evening where schools definitely the place where all the cool kids are.

As a special treat this year we will also have a dressing up opportunity for all you secret divas, don't worry we will let you know a little more nearer the time. It's safe to say there will be photographic evidence and, if necessary, it can be used in a court of law.

What's that I hear you cry, "When is this reasonably priced family festival of fun and entertainment?" Well that's a good question and no mistake.

The date for your diary is Saturday 14th November, and the fun starts from 2pm. There is no cost if you are under the age of 2, however for the rest of us it's £2.50 per child (under 16's) and £5 per adult. Tickets will be on sale on a first come first serve basis so look out for the letters coming home soon

We do not have a licenced bar, however, you're welcome to bring your own refreshments but please remember there will be lots of families present and you will be expected to maintain a modicum of self control.

We are also going to operate an open buffet this year, so bring along a plate of food or 2 (disposable plates please) and we will put them all out for everyone to share. There will be no prizes for the most original entries to the buffet but if everyone brings sausage rolls and crisps it may not be the most appetizing feast so go crazy and show us your buffet favourites (cheese & pineapple hedgehog, anyone?)

We will publish a complete schedule before the big day but hopefully this has been enough to wet your appetites.

Monday 12 October 2015

What is charity?



As I sit here in POWSA Towers I ask myself this question. I know it's a big question and I suspect it's even bigger answer, so I turn to Google. According to Google, who's very clever and knows lots of things, the second most common answer is;

"the voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money"

which is pretty close to the nub of it in my opinion, but it doesn't quite tell the whole story.

The reason I am thinking of this at this time is that the POWSA AGM is rapidly approaching, the annual meeting to satisfy the constitution of POWSA as a charity and elect the leaders, movers and shakers for the schools PTA for the next 12 months. Excitingly this will be the first year the whole school and pre-school have been represented by a single body so we have more opportunity to make a difference.

As a group we regularly ask you for your money, we try to make these appeals as entertaining and enlivening as possible (as anyone who's seen us cook a BBQ will be able to understand) but what do we give?

The honest answer is time, which can feel far more precious than money, but is equally available from everyone to give to the benefit of everyone. At POWSA no one is made to give their time, we all volunteer it. Helping us with 30 minutes once in a while would make a massive contribution and just as welcome would be helping at any events that we hold

What do we gain for this gift of time? I'd like to say we get access to Mr Farrington's secret cave under the school where he has super computers that can understand 8 year olds, but I would be lying. There's no computer capable of such a feat. I don't want to speak for any of the other people who regularly help out at POWSA but personally it helped me to meet people when the children started at the school. It's allowed me to make friends (not just on Facebook although you can like POWSA there), show my children that there's more to school than their own classroom / roundhouse / farm / Fairthorne experiences and be part of a group who give their time for no tangible personal benefit, which is charitable, isn't it?

So what about you? Can you spare half an hour a week (that's less time than an episode of Dr Who, the same as an episode of Corrie and it's the last series of Downton so you'll need something to fill the void). If so come along to the AGM, or just say hello and see what we do. I can't promise you the keys to POWSA towers but we do tend to have mighty fine scones which you will be welcome to try.

The AGM will be held this Thursday in the staffroom at the school, it starts at 7:45pm and all are welcome. Come along and see who we are and what we do, there's no pressure and we won't bite.


Sunday 13 September 2015

Maggie's Den + Two Little Ducks+ Doctors Orders+ Here Comes Herbie+ Kelly's Eye + Man Alive = Top Of The Shop?

So you thought that the summer was over and you could safely put the Big Bingo Blotter away until next years visit to the happy holiday camp. Well think again.....

This Friday POWSA presents Family Prize Bingo at the school, 5:30 for a 6pm start. As it's the first event of the school year we would love to welcome new & old families and give everyone a chance to meet . The kids are more than welcome as long as they promise not to win all of the games as this will only upset Grandma and she'll choke on her dentures, which is never a pretty sight.

It's £2 a book, may the odds be ever in your favour and if anyone is interested there's a full list of Bingo Lingo here

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_bingo_nicknames

Let's see how many we can drop into conversation this week

Thursday 4 June 2015

No School Uniform - Bring a Prize Instead


Don't forget that it's non uniform day tomorrow, bring in some choccies or a prize for the raffle instead.....


Wednesday 3 June 2015

Summer Fair Sizzler?



Only a few days to go until the annual Summer Fair and the schools netball & football tournaments and, according to the seaweed hung up and the bones that we have cast here at POWSA towers the weather is going to be great, not too hot but perfect for an early summers BBQ.

As a reminder to anyone who has missed our previous posts, the Fair starts at 11am this Saturday and we are delighted to let you know that this year all of the meat for the BBQ will be provided by local producers with close links to the school. Maiden Castle Farm & Brace of Butchers (Poundbury) have kindly offered to support the event this year and our thanks go out to them. For the children this will help their understanding of the whole Farm to Fork ethos as they regularly visit the farm as part of their studies.


Whilst we can promise, therefore, that the burgers and sausages supplied will be of exceptionally high quality the same cannot be said of the skills of our resident BBQ master so if you can spare any time to help him learn how to cook without setting fire to everything (no that's not Flambe, it's burning) or man any of the other great stalls and games your support will be greatly appreciated. The sign up sheet will be outside of school for the next 2 days, make your mark and join in the fun.

We'd also like to thank all of you and the local businesses whose kind donations provide the prizes for the many raffles and auctions that we hold throughout the year, your support really does have a major impact on what we can achieve.

We look forward to seeing you all on Saturday, the fun starts at 11am and continues until 2pm.

Friday 29 May 2015

Here Today, Scone Tomorrow


Now we can't favour any one scone recipe ahead of any other but this is a savoury scone that has been well received and should give you a good start if you're struggling for ideas........

 
Savoury Cheese & Mustard Scones
 
(Makes 12)

  • 225g Plain white flour
  • 1tsp  Baking powder
  • 50g Butter (unsalted)
  • 1tbsp Thyme
  • ½tsp Mustard powder
  • pinch Salt
  • pinch  Pepper
  • 50g Cheddar cheese extra mature, grated
  • 25g Parmesan grated
  • 3tbsp  Buttermilk plus a little extra to glaze
  • Egg(s) (free range) medium

The Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180°c (fan 160°c, gas mark 4).

Step 2

Place the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the butter and using your fingertips rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. You could also do this in a food processor.

Step 3

Add the thyme, mustard powder, salt, pepper, the grated cheddar and three quarters of the parmesan and mix lightly.

Step 4

Add the eggs and buttermilk and using a round blade knife mix gently until all the mixture is combined into a dough, but do not overwork the mix.

Step 5

Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and lightly roll or pat the dough to a thickness of 2-3cm. Cut the scones using a 5cm round cutter and place onto a baking sheet.

Step 6

Lightly brush the scones with a little additional buttermilk and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan.

Bake for 20 minutes. Let the scones cool
 
EAT THEM ALL.....


Minecraft Craft


So Minecraft Craft, for the uninitiated here are 8 things you might like to know about Minecraft;

1) This is Steve, he's the hero of Minecraft. He's like a normal guy but he's made out of blocks

2) Creepers....... these are Green, have 3 legs and are the basic baddies. Think thing from the Swamp but made out of blocks

3) Pigs. You know pigs, they're pink, they go oink and they are made out of blocks.
In fact why stop at pigs, you can have the whole farming experience, there are cows and chickens to look after, fruit & veg to grow and wheat to harvest.


4) Endermen. These are the super baddies, tall, black, purple eyes. Not only can these guys move blocks around they are made from them

5) You're imagination is the only limit....honestly look at YouTube, the creations that have been made (virtually) are amazing if a little, well....blocky

6) Wolves may sound scary but give them a bone in minecraft and you've got a virtual Lassie on your hands, well in block form that is.

7) Gold, Diamonds & Obsidian. No not the gifts from the three wise men but precious metals you can mine and use to make weapons, armour and implements to help you in your block shaped world.

8) Ever wanted to live in the arctic tundra, how about a place in the sun? No, you want a swamp home? Once again in minecraft you can start your world in one of many Biomes each of which has it's own climate and landscape. Oh and they are all blocky too.

So as you can see, the world is your Oyster. Go crazy and craft to your blocky hearts content.


Sunday 17 May 2015

Summer Fair 2015 - Come Join the Fun



At POWSA Towers we've been working hard to prepare for the Summer Fair. On Saturday 6th June we have the annual inter - school football & netball tournaments and running alongside these the chance for you to all enjoy yourselves, have fun and support the school. There will be games to play, candyfloss, burgers and juices to keep you going as well as the chance to cheer on the teams from years 3 & 4

We have already received some initial donations of crockery and will welcome any more donations that you can spare. Please don't donate anything that might make an appearance on Antiques Roadshow but if you have any plates or bowls that are old, chipped or just unloved we will put them to a smashing new use.

There is a sign up sheet at the schools reception, if you can spare some time to help us on the day, be it flipping burgers on the BBQ (we'll supply the apron) or running a game for an hour please let us know, your help and support is greatly appreciated.

We look forward to seeing you there, the football  & netball kick off at 11am

Thursday 12 March 2015

Do you ever wonder where all of the money goes?

Here at POWSA we are acutely aware that we are always asking people to support the school through donations, be it your time, your unwanted linens, jumble sale goods and even your good old fashioned cash and we thought it was time to share with you all how this has been used to support the school.

In the last few months we have been able to contribute the following items to the school thanks to your help and support;

  • The musical licences for the Christmas productions
  • Library books and display cases
  • Big teeth for Year 4 (yes, BIG TEETH, I don't know maybe they have big sandwiches?)
  • Group reading books for Reception & Year 1
  • Xylophones
  • Seating cushions for the reading area
  • RE Resources
  • Forest school equipment
  • Be Bots & a data logger
  • The wooden frame materials for the Reception Class greenhouse.
  • A Laminator
  • Literacy & Grammar Box of Books
  • An interactive screen for the Year 3 Classroom.
So thanks for your help, these items have cost more than £3,500 and this has only been possible thanks to your generosity.

We hope to see you all at Springfest next week, don't forget to order your jacket potatoes if you haven't done so already.

Wednesday 11 March 2015

1 Potato, 2 Potato, 3 Potato, 4, 5 potato, 6 potatoes, 7 potatoes,....more


Last chance to order your food for Springfest 2015, please complete your forms and return them to school no later than tomorrow.

Did we also mention that it's Springfest 2015 on Friday 20th March, the fun starts at 5pm and goes on until 7:30pm and then, just when you thought it couldn't get any better we have Quinns Quinny on stage live in the hall from 8 til late.

Entrance is £2 per person unless you are under 3, in which case there's no charge.

Tuesday 10 February 2015

Fill Your Bags


Jumble sale: Saturday 28th February 2-4pm

Hopefully you have received your designer yellow donation bags decorated with the wonderful images provided by Mr McBean and Year 3. Please have a look and see if there is anything that you would like to donate (in a saleable condition) and return these in the bags to the school office by Wednesday 25th January.

Invite your friends, your neighbours, your neighbours neighbours friends.....

Hopefully you get the idea, invite everyone you know. We're doing our bit and posters will be appearing around town as well as Wessex FM promoting the event but you can help too so please invite everyone that you know.

Come to school on a Saturday.

OK, I'll admit it's not something I would normally advocate but pop down for half an hour, bring some pennies and pick up a bargain or 2

We hope to see you on Saturday 28th @ 2pm