Friday 6th January 2023
Happy New Year!
Welcome to the first blog of the new year - 2023! We hope you all had a good festive break and a good start to the new year. We have loved hearing about the children’s adventures over the two week break. We started the week by thinking about the memories they created with their friends and family over the holidays, and we discussed the commitments they had made to their new year resolutions. Not surprisingly, many of us have already broken our new resolutions (I made one about not eating chocolate for breakfast, it didn’t even last a day!).
The children have returned refreshed and ready to learn. The theme for each year group’s curriculum changes at the start of each term and the children have been busy thinking about their learning intentions for the term. We look forward to sharing their learning outcomes with you at our parent’s evenings at the start of spring term 2.
On Monday, you will receive your child’s attendance summary for the autumn term. Apologies they have not gone out this week, we have been waiting for the envelopes to arrive. Where attendance is excellent or good, your child will receive a certificate - I am pleased to report that this is the case for lots of our children. If your child’s attendance has fallen below 80% you will be invited to an attendance clinic - this will be a supportive discussion between home and school aimed at removing any barriers to regular attendance. For our children to gain the most from their education it is imperative that they are in school, and as we always say, we miss them when they are not here. We do understand that children, just like adults, will sometimes be too unwell to attend school. If this is the case, please phone or email the school office on the morning of the first day of absence.
Every week, we have lots and lots of highlights - this is the result of working in a school with such wonderful children and committed adults. One of the highlight’s from this week was our new after school club for those children who play an instrument, otherwise known as the ‘Raphael Family Band’. We have lots of talented musicians at Olive Hill, and on a Thursday after school they now come together in their very own orchestra, conducted by Miss Raphael, with her parents supporting. Thanking Mr and Mrs Raphael for supporting our school in this way. Personally, I am in awe of Miss Raphael’s talents - to bring together a large group of children, with different instruments and differing levels of experience, to create music together is memorising. Oh, how I wish I could play an instrument! I may be able to support year two with their recorder lessons, and I would like to join year four’s ukulele lessons.
The computer is about to switch off. We wish you all a lovely weekend and look forward to seeing you on Monday.