I always like to returning to school after the February half term because the days are getting longer and the days always seem brighter. This has definitely been the case this week and we have had some quite extended periods of sunshine which is good and certainly helps to lift the spirits. However, it appears that winter has not left us completely and the forecast for next week is not good. May I remind you that if the operating of the school is affected in any way we will contact you at the earliest opportunity but could you please ensure that you do have a contingency plan in place in case we have to close the school. I have looked at the long -term forecast and do not think that this is likely but it is better to be prepared in case the weather does change – the long term forecast is not always correct.

I know a lot of the children were feeling a little nervous today because today is the day the school reports go home. I have read them all and do not think that the children should be concerned because all the reports have been written with the view of supporting the children so they can improve their learning and I hope that you all can view them in that way as well. They are very detailed but if you would like further clarification about any part of the report please do not hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher.

Looking at the diary for next week there is certainly a lot going on. Year 4 are going on a trip to the British Museum and Year 2 have an activity day planned for next Thursday. This also happens to be ‘World Book Day’ when all the children are able to come to school dressed as their favourite book character and can bring in their favourite book to share with all the members of their class. Year 2 will be dressed for their ‘Fire of London’ day so will not be dressed as a book character.  The children really enjoy this day and I think it is great to promote the enjoyment of reading at all times because it is such a vital skill to leading an enjoyable and fulfilling life.

I hope you have an enjoyable weekend and I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday.

 

My ears are still ringing from the all the music last night. We had two Valentine’s Discos at the school for KS1 and KS2. All those that attended enjoyed them enormously and I think I enjoyed them a little too much myself because I am feeling a little tired today. I obviously cannot party like I used to. I would like to thank all the members of the PTA and all my staff who helped to make the discos such a success – without all their support such events would not be possible. The next big event run by the PTA is the ‘Spring Fayre. To be able to run this event takes a huge amount of volunteers so if you would like it to go ahead please sign up on the volunteer sheets which are in the school foyer.  Last year’s fayre was very popular and I know this year’s will be as well as long as there are enough people to allow it to run. There are many activities set to take place such as an Easter Egg Hunt and an Easter bonnet parade so sign up to make sure that your child does not miss out on the fun.

I need to have a little moan about uniform. I am noticing more and more children with items of uniform missing  - especially ties. Can you please ensure that your child is in  their complete uniform after half term. I do have children coming into school saying that they are not in full uniform because they had PE the day before. This does baffle me as children are meant to go home in their uniform and leave their PE kit at school. Ensuring that they do not lose uniform is the very reason why we make them change before they leave school. May I also remind you that the only colour socks that can be worn in school are white, grey or navy and not some of the multi coloured neon creations that I am seeing at the moment.

Our sporting calendar is in full swing and many of the older children have been taking part in many football and netball matches. Obviously, it is good to win but as a school we tend not to put too much emphasis on this as we want the children to enjoy the experience and not to be put off if they experience a loss. However, there is a pupil that I do think deserves a special mention for an outstanding sporting performance this week. The girls football teams had some football matches this week and Ellie in Year 5 scored 6 goals in one game  - that is a double hat trick. If she were a premier league footballer the school could not afford to keep her.

All that is left for me to do now is wish you all a lovely half term holiday. I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday, February 19^th.

I am recovering today after a very exciting night at the O2. I was accompanying the choir to a ‘Young Voices‘ concert. This is where many schools come together to put on a performance for their families and friends. They are joined by other artists and it is a really great night for everyone. The choir have been rehearsing for months so it was really good for them to finally put on their performance and they did themselves proud. They were prepared for the concert by Mrs Robinson and Mr Spring and I would like to thank them for all their hard work in preparing the children. Unfortunately, Mr Spring has been unwell this week and so was not able to attend the show and see ‘the fruits of his labour’. We did take some pictures and there is a DVD of the event coming out so he will have to watch that to see how well the children did.

Next week there is a lot going on in school so it is just as well that it is half term at the end because we will have time to recover from all our exertions.  On Monday it is another Sharing Assembly and those children who are taking part will have been already notified by letter. Tuesday is ‘Safer Internet Day’, which we think is extremely important. Social Media is now an integral part of life and it is essential that the children know how to use it safely. On Wednesday it is our ‘Open Afternoon’ from 3.00pm – 4.30pm when parents are invited in to have a look at the work their children have completed over the last half term. This is followed by the Valentine’s Disco on Thursday which is run by the PTA.  Nursery and Reception children are having a disco during the day but there are two discos after school for the rest of the school. The disco for the KS1 children runs from 5.00pm -6.00pm and the KS2 disco runs from 6.15pm – 7.15pm. These discos are lots of fun and include games, spot prizes and a raffle. More details about the event are included in the flyer that was sent to you by the PTA.

Have a great weekend. I look forward to seeing many of you next week at one of our events.