Friday 16th September
Good afternoon to our lovely community…
As we see the start of a three-day weekend, it is important that we take a moment to reflect on why the country is in a period of mourning. I am sure many of you will be watching the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday. This week, the children have been discussing the Queen and what she meant to them. Many of you will have seen the portraits of the Queen that are displayed in the windows facing the key stage one playground. There are portraits from our nursery children all the way up to our year six cohort. Many of the drawings feature Paddington Bear or the Queen’s corgis.
We continue to be impressed with the high standard of conduct around the school. The reception children have quickly become accustomed to our routines and expectations and they take great delight in meeting different members of staff. Our nursery children are developing their understanding of what it is like to be part of a school, and for some of them, it is the first time they have been away from their parents. Our nursery children love nothing more than to interact with adults and the older children, so some of our year six children have been helping out first thing in the morning. They are doing an excellent job and I believe we may be inspiring the next generation of teachers!
Talking of year six, it is important that we commend them on how seriously they have taken their new responsibilities. As our children reach the final year of their journey in primary education, they take on new responsibilities across the school. This includes: sorting out the recycling bins, delivering messages, supporting the younger children, setting up the hall for assembly, delivering fruit … the list is endless! They all want to carry out their specific job to a high standard - thank you year six children, you are very helpful. Also related to year six, was the secondary transfer meeting held yesterday evening, thank you to all of the parents who came along to the event. We understand that it is a big move for you all. It was great to see the parents who came along, as our year six children are very independent and we no longer see their parents on a daily basis.
Today, some of our year one children went to Northfield Road Primary to meet with the author Jo Lindley. They enjoyed listening to her talk about her career and they even got to do some drawing! The children were exceptionally well behaved throughout the visit.
We are always looking to enhance our children’s experience of school. The current cost of living, that not only impacts on those in our community, but also on the school budget (I have already moaned to you about the increased cost of paper), means we are having to consider even more carefully the potential cost of trips and visitors. If any of our families have connections that may support us with our aim to deliver an amazing wider curriculum offer, we would love to hear from you.
Year four have started their swimming lessons this week. Thank you to all of the parents who managed to produce a swimming kit with very little notice. We had made contingency plans, but we didn’t need to use them.
It is now time for me to sign-off, as the week progresses I leave lots of post-it notes on my desk reminding me of things for the blog. I think I have covered everything (although I could talk endlessly about the Olive Hill community). As you are aware, Monday is a Bank Holiday, so school will remain closed to all children and staff. We look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday.
Wishing you a good weekend.