Dear families and friends,

We thank you very much for your patience today.

Since starting at our school, I have contacted the Highways Agency and County Council every year about our roads. As you are all aware, Horns Lane is treacherous in freezing conditions but I am always told that our roads cannot be gritted because they are remote. Councillor Wilkins and the police have tried to help us but we are constantly refused attention to the road leading to our school. If you have any time to spare, please could you write a letter, send an email or phone the Highways Agency to lodge a complaint and ask that something is done for the safety of our children, familes and staff?  You can find information on the Lancashire County Council website. We are mindful of children who need to use our breakfast club in the morning  and we aim to inform you all whether or not school is open tomorrow morning by 7.30am.

I took the time to walk round an empty school today and thought it might be worth posting some pictures of our striking classrooms for you all to see. The ‘Beast from the East’ may be causing disruption but the ‘beauty’ of our school continues. I always think you know when teachers really love teaching because they take such pride in classroom appearance. Visiting our classrooms (usually with the children in) is one of my favourite things to do. It is exciting to see new displays and organised working areas created for the children that change on a regular basis. Every inch of a classroom should be all about the children and all about extending, challenging and celebrating learning. You really never know what you will find inside a St.Francis’ classroom and that keeps the excitement alive! The project work that our children have been undertaking is absoutely stunning and it speaks for itself.

The past month has been quite a busy one. Clearing the attic hasn’t been the most pleasant job I have undertaken so far but orchestrating the outside project and observing the progress has been amazing. It was unbelievable how many hats we found in the attic. Obviously, I had to try on each hat as I found one and I favoured this Laurel and Hardy ‘Sons of the Desert’ hat. Worryingly so, a good friend of mine had found a picture of me back in my Deputy Head days and it seems I haven’t changed-still wearing a variety of hats and wellies…

 

The outside area is wonderful and we will invite you all to see it when all of the new resources have arrived. It has been another interesting project with a range of finishing timescales. Again, the weather has added delay. We will be creating a new tarmac and  colourful path leading up to the cottage door, planting colourful flowers and removing the over flowing water butt, which now seems such an eye sore!

I was delighted to add the final few pebbles to the rill. You won’t believe that they are the only ones that didn’t settle into the concrete but it certainly hasn’t detracted from the overall effect. The children have been busy retelling traditional tales and engaging in puddle play. Big ‘sit on’ diggers are on their way for the mud pit and the painting window arrived yesterday.

Internal building works continue and all is progressing well. The corridors were plastered on Sunday and new secure door frames have been installed…

A  ‘Rabbit Kingdom’ is being constructed for our new little friends and the children will look after them alongside the chickens in our animal welfare UFA group. This animal care area will form part of our new outdoor classroom project.

You will find a new section on our homepage that tells you all about the Longridge Cluster ‘ WW1 Armistice Project’ led and directed by Simon Wallis from Barnacre School. Please support this in whatever way you can. We desperately need knitted poppies. These can be dropped off at school or at ‘Sew Crafty’ in Longridge. Any families interested in sponsoring the project can find information by clicking on the link to the facebook page. From September, our Year 4 children and school band will be involved.

We are having a non uniform day on Thursday 8th March for our PTFA Chocolate Bingo event. Tickets for the Spring Social are still available from school. We really do value your support with these events. I believe that we have nearly reached our goal of raising £6,500 for the outdoor amphitheatre with shade sails. This is absolutely incredible!

Please be alert to Groupcall text messages in the morning and thank you, again, for your understanding.