Happy Easter 2022!]

Well what a busy term it’s been!

A huge well done to everyone for their ongoing focus and determination to return slowly but surely to more normality now we are coming out of Covid restrictions.

It’s been great to see parents coming into school to sign off our Y6 group passport applications and to host more visitors in school for a lots of different activities for the children as well as support for staff.

Five stars to Chef Lynn and her team

We welcomed in the local Food Safety Team to complete an unannounced kitchen inspection this week. We were delighted that Chef Lynn and her wonderful team achieved 5 star rating once again, (That’s the best!) Well done to Lynn and the team – who received a rousing unprompted round of applause from the children when I told them!

Dr Bike was in again this week finishing off the checks on the remaining bikes that didn’t make it last time. Hopefully all children who wanted it have now been seen!

And as I write Elizabeth Grieve from Wilder Northumberland is visiting Y4 to support the Y3/4 application for an Eco Award. The classes have been looking at lots of school based opportunities to recycle, use clean energy and protect the wildlife in our outdoor areas.

New gate arrangements Y3/4

From the first Monday returning after the holidays, we would like to trial the Y3/4 children coming into school via the same gate as the rest of school.
Y3/4 staff will be positioned on the pathways outside school to show where to wait, until the rest of the children are already in. Then around 8.25 the Y3/4 children will come in through the same gate as everyone else.
We will maintain the one way system in school for the foreseeable future as it is less congested this way.

Punctuality in school

We are so grateful to all families for working so hard to be in school on time every day. This has a hugely positive impact on the calmness at the start of the day allowing lessons to start promptly and ensuring that there are well established routines. These help our most vulnerable children to settle more quickly. As a result of this we have decided to continue with the current morning arrangements for drop off into the summer term with the exception of the change to the Y3/4 as stated above.

Easter Club next week Mon to Thurs 8.45am to 12.45

All parents should have now received confirmation that they have a place at the Easter Camp next week. There are lots of exciting things planned so try and be on time for an 8.45 start collecting at 12.45 Monday to Thursday in the first week. We’re looking forward to some amazing art from Daniel Weatheritt, football coaching from Cramlington Football Club, Timestep Activity Centre and Kelly Jamieson’s Musical Theatre and Talent Show! With Chef Tim from Little Angels overseeing the food – the children are in for a great week! Can’t wait to see the photos.

Learning expeditions next half term

Each class next term has set up some amazing learning experiences and we are so pleased to have all the plans coming together for the three residential experiences we have planned too.

Y5/6 Richard Kidd Shakespearian Actor will be in school the first day back to deliver an amazing workshop – please don’t miss this as it forms the basis for the whole summer’s study! There are also some fencing activities planned to support the mock fights that are choreographed for the Romeo and Juliet play.

Y3/4 are heading to Moat House which is the Scottish National Centre for Literacy, and also the home of DM Barrie – author of Peter Pan! Who thought that this was so close to us – just in Dumfries? Another trip to Scotland in the offing.
Y1/2 are off to St James’s Park on Weds of the first week back for a stadium tour. Again – how exciting for them to see our local football team heroes as they compare recent football legends with those of the past!

And our early years children will be enjoying some circus performer visits leading up to their focus on The Wizard of Oz next half term.

Book Look – Friday the 29th April from 1-1.45pm

We can’t wait to show you some of the learning that the children have achieved over the past year! One parent/family member (per child) is welcome to come into school to be able to review your child’s books when we return to school after Easter on the Friday afternoon.
We are asking families from children in early years, Y1 and Y2 to come through the usual gate and for everyone else (Y3 to Y6) to come through the front entrance.
If you have siblings please see the older children first, and then leave them in their classes while you go to see the younger children, collecting the older ones, once you are ready to leave. For safeguarding reasons we are asking that all the children stay in their classes until their usual time to go home.

We were delighted to hear that despite a huge amount of competition to do well in the entrance exams – David Gowing in Y6 has secured a place at Newcastle’s prestigious Royal Grammar School to start in September this year. There were over 450 applicants for just 120 places so we are delighted that he was able to impress them with his academic prowess and his fantastic social skills. Congratulations David – we are so proud of you!

Paul’s Outdoor Idea

To begin with I would like to wish everyone a very happy and healthy Easter break. Thank you for engaging in the outdoor ideas this term – your support has been appreciated.

Over the next two weeks we would love you to get outside as much as possible whatever the weather.
Nature Easter Eggs : Inspired by Year 1 forest school this week.

These are so easy and fun to make! There’s only a few steps you’ll need to follow but really, you can just get your creative juices flowing and have fun with this project!

1. Cut out your egg shapes from the cardboard. I just happened to have an egg cookie cutter that I traced to make my egg shapes but you can also just draw them freehand if you don’t have something to trace. You then carefully cut them out. Sharp scissors are nice when cutting cardboard, if you have them, just to be safe.
2. Go out and collect your nature items! Make it into a fun activity where you go for a little walk around the neighbourhood and collect your items. You can use stones or flowers or anything natural.
3. Grab some glue! Think of your patterns and glue them on. If you have a glue gun then they work brilliantly.

Family Support Worker Amy’s Update

WOW Y2 – what a way to end the term, with 100% attendance! Today we celebrated our attendance achievements in assembly. We had our attendance awards, Attendance HERO awards for the half-term and a special trophy for those children that have been Here, Everyday, Ready and On time for the whole term. What a fantastic achievement in a really tricky year. I can’t wait to see who gets the awards next term!

We’ve now got two weeks off to look forward to! I thought it would be a good idea to share some activities families can do over the holidays:

• Visit Northumberlandia – it’s free!
• Bake an Easter treat!
• Create a time capsule
• Decorate an egg
• Write a story to share with friends and family
• Go for a walk and make a journey stick
• Spend time with loved ones
• Relax
It would be lovely for families to take some pictures to share on the class Facebook pages of whatever they get up to in the holidays! See you all in 2 weeks!

Easter Egg Competitions

We have decided to run our annual Easter Egg competition again – allowing the Easter holidays for competitors to prepare their entries. Categories are as follows:

Please allow the children the opportunity to decorate their egg independently and if families are itching to get involved you can enter the parent category!

Bring your eggs in on the first few days we return after the holidays and we will announce the winners on Friday in Achievement assembly

Easter Egg Competition Categories – PLEASE ENSURE ALL ENTRIES ARE NAMED

• EYFS
• Y1/2
• Y3/4
• Y5/6
• Parent category

Uniform reminders

Please take some time if you can before the children return to school to remind them they need black school shoes (not trainers) ideally that they can take off and put on independently. Any hairbands being worn should be plain and without the extras which cause health and safety issues as well as upset when they are damaged.
(Including springy wires, unicorn horns and bows.) Thank you for helping all our children keep safe in school and for following the school uniform policy – copies of which are available on the school website or from the school office.

Ear piercing: It’s also coming closer to the longer 4 week holiday in the summer when we encourage ear piercing for those looking for pierced ears. Even when ears are just pierced earrings in school are not allowed – in line with all other primaries and secondary schools in the town. Anyone with pierced ears is expected to wear ‘spacers’ and not earrings in school – again for safety reasons during PE and outdoor play/forest school.

Achievement Awards

Kindness champions – Y5 – Tegan Laing Y6 – Katherine Doris, Elizabeth Rutherford, Lola Welford and Fearne Piriz
Swimmer of the week – Rosie Gillespie

Gold celebrations – YR – Theia Black, Megan Cooper, Lennox Clarke x 2, Mia
Younger and Eliza Lister Y1 – Matilda Charlton x 2 and Bethany Fitzsimmons
Y2 – Harry Judd, Ella Hewitt and Grace Cooper Y3 – Elijah Reynolds and Ellie
Rowlandson Y5 – Max Pearson, Amelia Hudson, Emily Taws-Bertram, Erin
Wraith, Zara Wallace, Amelia Tobin and Ruby Lewis