One big learning journey…a Paralympic, National Braille Week and a canal boat!

Not to mention Diwali, hot chocolate, The Plague, legends, field work, Mrs Nuttall’s head getting stuck in a 4 year old’s paper mache space helmet, space week scrap booking and inventions, Black History Month art work, Gruffallo crumble (and party-to which I was not invited!), reading ropes, and amazing classroom displays.

We really have had a packed half term and we are already looking forward to the next. Yes, Nativity discussions have been had and we are ready for action!

The children have had some super learning opportunities already and I am excited to let KS2 children know that they will all be having fencing lessons again beginning next half term. This school year, we are gaining our Science Mark Award and Arts Mark Award and we have a big band music concert planned for Christmas time. You may be able to see from the pictures below that the quality of displays and happy faces around school just show what fantastic learning has taken place in every year group. The children are flying and I love it when they come by my office to show me their work.

Ms Silvester and I have chosen our science ambassadors and, between them and the school council, they have a budget to spend on further improving our outdoor science areas! Following the visit from the education department from parliament, the school council will be visiting the council chambers to further their understanding of our council. We’ll keep you posted.

Yesterday, we had a wonderful visit from Beverly, a Paralympic winner, who came to talk to the children about her goals and successes through determination and perseverance. Thank you to all who sponsored the children and raised so much money for the charity. We also had Mrs Pattern in school, one of our highly supportive parents who came to talk to the children in a whole school assembly to learn about Braille and the history of Braille; we thank her very much for giving the children such specialist knowledge. We always welcome parents, families and friends to talk to us about careers and unique skills we have and it was very kind of her to give us her time.

Now then, something very exciting happened on Wednesday, well Tuesday also, so I’ll start there. This week, Mr Gilmour has attended two very important training days. We have joined The Linking Network and our Year 4 children have been linked with Year 4 children in Deepdale Primary School, Preston. It will be wonderful linking with a contrasting school to ours and we look forward to working with Deepdale’s staff team and children. We will give you more information about this and you will be able to see our partnership progress and develop over this school year.

I was thrilled that Mr Gilmour had a productive training day on this and I was equally as thrilled when Mr Gilmour went on a PE course on Wednesday. It wasn’t because I got some peace and quiet (if you can call it that) but he had informed me that ‘Eddie the Eagle’ was at the course as a speaker. WELL! That really was it for me-a big fan! I always say that there are only two answers to a question and you can only ask! Ask he did and I have Eddie the Eagle’s autograph! Not only this, I asked Mr Gilmour to ask Eddie the Eagle if he would come into school to provide our children with inspiration on going for goals and achieving your dreams and it seems you can ask him to come into school. Today, I contacted Eddie and we will hopefully be able to have him in school to inspire our children. We will keep our fingers crossed!

We always appreciate your feedback and I would like to inform you all that the next parents meetings will be in classrooms again. We trialled having all meetings in our hall to keep timings running smoothly but we appreciate, even with background music on, that this was not as personal as within your child’s classroom.

In case anybody is interested, or knows of anybody, we are looking for an after school club leader, Grade 4 for 12.5 hours per week Monday -Friday at St.Mary’s Claughton. Please contact us at head@st-marysclaughton.lancs.sch.uk to find out more. The post will be advertised again on the Lancashire County Council website.

I hope you enjoy seeing the pictures below and we wish you all a lovely half term break. Thank you for your continued support.