Welcome back!

Many of the photos above are from our new reception children who have started school and settled in exceptionally well. They are curious explorers who have been able to investigate a host of different things in their classrooms this week including natural materials in their dough such as flowers, leaves and pine cones; storytelling to Pi in the enchanted light corner; create surfboards for dinosaurs, and fill teapots and kettles with bubbly water and enjoy a sand tray with pirate treasure! They have indeed been a really busy bunch and it’s been wonderful to see how well they have all settled with a highlight of the week being the Tiddlywinks session on Monday morning! Thanks to families for entrusting them in our care – we will be looking after them all well!

And in the rest of school – the children looked wonderful when they returned in their new uniforms! They have been polite and well mannered to the adults and their friends and are fast getting to grips with the bulk of routines. We are still encouraging (well really we’re expecting!) home reading every night in every year group and look forward to hosting an information event for parents about early reading skills on the morning of Weds 22nd September at 8.45 in the school hall, straight after drop off. This is targeted especially at families in early years and Y1 but we appreciate that there are a number of families who have joined us since the last reading event are welcome to attend. The session will be streamed and recorded, and the recorded version will be uploaded onto the class facebook pages. Please inform your child’s class teacher if you would like to attend. Our first staff training day was spent reviewing the new child protection guidelines which were updated to include a lot of additional research and increased expectations about addressing sexual harassment in schools. Children in primary schools are being regularly subjected to sexual harassment – particularly from peers, and especially online. This is something that all primary schools are being asked to address as part of their personal and social education programmes.

We are also tasked to challenge gender biases as part of our everyday programmes of learning. Please let us know if there are any aspects of our provision which you feel hinder

inclusion and equality in any way. Your feedback is really important to us as we look to giving all our children the best start in life and the best aspirations they can access.

Some new staff also toasted marshmallows, and made flatbread pizzas while being refreshed on their fire training! They now know how to create tepee fire lays as well as criss-cross and are all itching to create fires!

Covid Update

Guidance for the new term was published on August 27th and so we are currently reviewing all our current school arrangements in light of this.
We are hopeful to see the reintroduction of assembly times, and international visits as part of this which we are consulting with our staff about and how to provide as close to normal school life as possible.
If you have any questions or concerns about this – please contact your class teacher.
Most of our staff team are now double vaccinated and we know that the risks of Covid for those who are vaccinated are much reduced which is great news.
We are still vigilant about any Covid symptoms which require isolation for 10 days, and NHS Test and Trace speak to you following a positive test. The local health protection teams still request that we inform them of any positive Covid test results. We are grateful and pleased that whole bubble closures no longer exist and we will continue to implement most of the previous Covid control measures to minimise risks. We are in the process of completing an ‘outbreak/contingency’ plan should there be a number of cases at school. We will share this with you when it has been through the usual approval and consultation routes.
A huge thank you to everyone for continuing to be vigilant and respond appropriately to situations when we are required to send children home.

Parent governor role

We are delighted to have welcomed Andy Childs (parent of a child in Y1) to the governing body. We are really pleased to welcome Andy’s skills into school life and look forward to him getting to know us. A governor acts as a ‘critical friend’ challenging and supporting the school to continue in its journey to meet its mission statement. Anyone interested in serving in this way, please let your class teacher know and one of us will get in touch.
Our chair of governors Patsie Beaton continues into her second year as chair, ably supported by Samantha Harrison as the vice chair. Please check out the school website if you are interested in seeing more information about the governors.

Bye Bye Alison Malcolm

We are really grateful to Alison Malcolm who has served the school now for over ten years as a governor, dedicating significant time and commitment during that period, especially prior and just after we opened. Due to a new work role, Alison is stepping down from her governor role. She has been our chair of governors, a vice chair and led the finance committee (and the education committee) throughout these past ten years. Alison will be sorely missed but we are so so grateful to her for fulfilling such a dedicated and valuable position giving up hours of her time voluntarily to see the school start on its journey, and achieve so much as a result of her input. Alison will continue as a ‘member’ of the Trust of Cramlington Village Primary School, the entity that the governing body reports into.

Bye Bye Pinky

We are so sad to have to share that in August, Pinky our resident pig, has been really poorly. After much discussion and advice from his vet, it was decided between those who know Pinky best that it was time for him to be put down. We know that Pinky has been a really important character to many of the children and so we will create a special memory box for the children to note down favourite memories. Thank you so much to everyone who has played a part in caring for him so well, and showing him such patience when he refused to return to his pen! He was a rascal at times, but was overall a really smart creature who gave a lot of children (and adults) a lot of joy! Rest in peace Pinky – we’ll miss you!

Paul’s outdoor idea

I am really excited to be taking over the weekly Forest School activity, I love the outdoors and can’t wait for you to share your outdoor activities with me.
For our activity this week I would like you to consider the trees all around (there are lots of them and often we don’t notice them). Could you choose a special tree in your garden or surrounding area and then either draw a picture of it, take a leaf rubbing of a leaf or a piece of bark and think about who (or what) might live in the tree.

Achievement Awards

Kindness Champion – Miles Straker

Swimmer of the week – Jayden Thirlwell