Happy Harvest everyone! The children have been excitedly preparing for our annual harvest thanksgiving service which we hosted this morning. A huge thank you for all the donations of dry food – it has been much appreciated – particularly in this year of challenging circumstances when many families have had to deal with reduced salaries due to furloughing. Photos in next week’s newsletter. Last date for bringing in donations for The Centre for Hope food bank will be Friday the 20th November.
Parent partnership at CVPS
From June this year we have been exceptionally proud of the staff team and the support that has been offered throughout our school that has ensured that CVPS has been able to stay open to all year groups. This has included some hugely challenging and time consuming new practices that staff follow routinely now in school which are all covered in 38 pages of the Covid risk assessment on the school website!
Without complaint every member of the CVPS team understands the necessity of these measures to safeguard and protect the children and staff at CVPS as well as other adults in our community. I couldn’t ask for them to have given more of their time, their enthusiasm, their commitment and dedication. The challenges and obstacles that they overcome daily while providing excellent education and care to the children has been significant.
The ‘new normal’ for this academic year is different to our ideals and very different from our usual practice, and I’m aware that the usual opportunities for partnering with our parents has changed dramatically.
We would like to assure families that by the end of last half term, we knew which children in each class needed additional support to ‘catch up’ with the position they were in prior to lockdown. Parents of children with whom we have concerns have been contacted and are aware of the extra work we are giving to those identified children.
A huge thank you to those who are busy supporting the children with their bespoke learning programmes that are most definitely being effective at helping the catch up process.
By this time of the school year we would have usually had the following events that cement the working partnership between home and school but which have not taken place due to Covid.
- stay and play sessions in class
- book look afternoon
- reception parents meetings about reading
- Whole school harvest festival at St Nicholas Church
- volunteering opportunities on school learning expeditions
- structured conversations
- parent face to face consultations
- visits to the previous Y6 children at CLV
Although these events have not been possible this year, I won’t need to reassure you that the children throughout school show us positivity and an overarching enjoyment to be in school, with excellent (non Covid related) attendance. They show excitement and enthusiasm in lessons and delight in telling me what they have learned when I see them. We know they are enthused because the quality of their work is strong and shows positive progress.
If you do have a concern or want to learn more about your child’s learning from their class teacher, and have not yet done so, we ask that you contact the teachers directly to arrange a telephone conversation over the next few weeks.
This week in school you will see from the photos that there have been some astonishingly art work. Well done Poppy in Y6 for producing such a superb painting – at home as well. The two minutes silence was observed beautifully by our youngest children in Y1 and Y2 when I observed one of their lessons on Wednesday. TT Rock Stars competition got off to a bang on Monday in Y4 as they had a real ‘Rockstar’ visitor complete with lights out and music blaring in the hall. And our older pupils have been very engaged in learning about Space, food poverty and how harvest happens in the Deep South of the USA.
Staffing update
We have welcomed Julie Slater into Y3 this week and we are delighted to have appointed Cheree McGowan to the assistant teacher role in early years. Cheree will start in December 2020 and brings some excellent experience to the team having worked in Y2 since the start of September and previously in other early years provision.
Covid update
We are aware that there has been a slight increase in the incidence of Covid in the community at the moment. As a
result we are asking families to use the online reading system throughout school including YR, Y1 and Y2. Please try and ensure that your child only brings anything into school from home that is required for medical reasons. We are continuing to accept donations of food into the plastic boxes used by each class. These donations are only
touched by one member of staff who washes hands thoroughly before and after touching.
Flu Immunisations
Two NHS nurses visited school on Tuesday this week to immunise those children with the nasal flu vaccination. Huge thanks to Gertie who coordinated the batches of paperwork on the day that was brought in by the nursing team. It was a mammoth effort to get the paperwork in order but as always she did us proud. Thank you Gertie for making the day go so smoothly. Other than absent pupils all vaccinations were delivered to those with forms.
Attendance and Punctuality
- YN 96%(1)
- Y3 96%(2)
- YR 99%(4)
- Y4 95%(2)
- Y1 100%(2)
- Y5 97%(3)
- Y2 99%(2)
- Y6 93%(1)
Well done to Y1 this week for excellent attendance.
Ashleigh’s outdoor idea
Christmas is fast approaching and we want you to create a Christmas decoration that will make someone smile. You could create a Christmas star using twigs – younger children could tie hem together using elastic bands and older children could practise using their knots. Add some tinsel and glitter to make it sparkle. I would like you to hang this special Christmas star on your neighbour’s or family member’s door for them to find with a label attached explaining why they are so special to you. Don’t forget to share your photos!
Achievement Awards
Kindness champions – Aston Anderson and Tallula Dowden
Dates for your diary
