Thursday 14th May
Good day everyone! I hope you’ve had a lovely day.
We’ve had a very busy day here at Olive Hill: Mr Patel has been very busy in the office and doing lots of IT things; Miss Cooper, Mrs Copson and Mrs Sheasby have been doing a grand job of looking after all the key worker children, Mrs Davies has been phoning parents, Mr Weston has been doing the weeding (we have a lot of weeds at the moment) and I have been busy planning what a phased return to school could look like.
Families, I am sure that you will appreciate how much time needs to go into the planning of a phased return and we are still waiting for the government to answer some questions we have. We are hoping to communicate a detailed plan with you next week. The government has asked that we start with Year 6, Year 1, Reception and Nursery children - parents of these children have been sent a survey to complete by 12pm tomorrow. Thank you to all of the parents who have taken the time to complete the survey, the information that you are providing is really supporting us to be able to produce a detailed response. We want you to be able to make an informed decision about what is best for your child, and we will provide the information for you to be able to do this in due course.
We are now in our eighth week of school closing to the majority of our children, and our eighth week of not being able to visit our loved ones. It is the longest time I have ever gone without seeing my parents - hi mum and dad. Just like me, I know that you will all be finding this really hard. Looking after our own mental health at this time is super important, and Mrs Parker has been providing ideas about how you can do this on the school website. One of the things I like to do is imagine myself in one of my favourite places - I think about what I would hear, see and smell and it puts a smile on my face. Where is your favourite place? Where would you like to go if you could travel freely right now? I have asked your school grown-ups these exact questions and they have messaged me the most wonderful pictures to share with you.
The first picture is of Anglesey, North Wales. Mrs Higgins has so many happy memories there with her family and friends. Fresh air, sun (sometimes!), sea, ice cream and mountains. She always feels truly relaxed when she is there.
The next picture is of Bali. See if you can find it on a map. Miss Wajid finds it really beautiful, she enjoys the time you can spend with nature and time to wind down. It is a place where you can take care of your own mental health.
The third picture is of Barry Island. Have you ever been? Barry is my home town and I love walking to the beach, walking along the cliff tops, playing in the arcades, eating a bag of hot chips (you just have to watch out for the seagulls) and drinking a hot chocolate in the café. As soon as restrictions are lifted, it is the first place I am going to go.
Next is a picture of Brora, in the Highland of Scotland. Miss Macaskill describes it as her home from home.
Miss Raphael loves Cardiff. She went to university there and has lots of happy memories from her time there. Miss Raphael, I agree with you - Cardiff is a pretty awesome city.
Mr Holder went to the Dordogne in France last summer. He said it was absolutely stunning and he and Mrs Holder definitely want to go back and explore it some more. If I remember rightly, he also enjoyed the local cuisine during this trip and was forever eating!
The next picture is a place called Easter Island. Miss Cooper likes to go anywhere on a plane! I am afraid you won’t be going anywhere at the moment Miss Cooper. She was supposed to be visiting Easter Island in August, but like many of us she has had to cancel her holiday. I hope you get to go one day.
Mrs Birch’s favourite place is Florida. They were due to go this year, but it has been cancelled and her son is devastated. Miss Birch says she is happy because it means she won’t be dragged on any scary rides where she screams her head off! There is always next year Mrs Birch, Hudson will be a year older and a bit taller - that means he’ll be able to drag you on rides that are even bigger!
Mr Priest would love to be able to go to Keswick. He said that it is a beautiful place and Mrs Priest’s family live really close, so they’d be able to visit them as well. He would have chosen somewhere more exotic, if he’d won the lottery. You have to be in it, to win it Mr Priest.
Mrs Waters would return to the Lake District. She has been going with Mr Waters and some friends for the last few years. They usually go around the time of her birthday and celebrate together. She loves the drive there and the many walks you can take. The picture shows the view from the house she stayed in last year. Mrs Waters has a big birthday coming up, I bet she is really disappointed that she wont be able to celebrate in her favourite place.
You can see Miss Richardson in this picture. She would like to be anywhere by the sea (I totally agree with that Miss R). This picture was taken at Lands End, Cornwall.
Mrs Waldron would go to Lanzarote. She was meant to be going in April for her birthday and she thinks it is absolutely beautiful. She often went as a child.
Miss Clarke sent a painting of her favourite place, she hasn’t quite learnt how to send a photograph yet - we will get Mr Patel to help you Miss Clarke. The painting is of Saint Paul’s Bay, Lindos.
Mrs Marriott simply loves Looe in Cornwall. It is the shortest response you’ve given Mrs Marriott, and you didn’t try to sneak an extra one in - it must be love! Looe is a great place, the Cornish pasties, delicious!
Mrs Copson loves Mexico. She was supposed to celebrate her birthday in Mexico at Easter with her family. She can’t wait to return and swim with turtles and see the spider monkeys. Paradise.
New Quay, West Wales is a special place for Mrs White and her family. She goes there every year and it is where her son, Charlie, had his first holiday. She has lots of magic memories about this place. I hear it is a good place to spot dolphins!
Miss Grice loves North Devon. She says it is really picturesque and peaceful. She has many happy memories of visiting with her family over the years.
Peppa Land is where Miss Hackett will be visiting …again! Her daughter is driving her mad as it is the one place she wants to go. When she is playing in the house, she pretends she is there and even packed a suitcase ready to go!
Plymouth is Miss Best’s home town. She wants to travel there as soon as she can to reminisce about her childhood and introduce the baby to the sea. Nothing better than growing up by the sea Miss Best!
Mrs Shinner loves anywhere in Cornwall or Devon. The picture is of Polperro, one of her favourite spots on the West coast. She loves the sea and cream tea. Do you have cream on jam, or jam on cream?
Miss Walters would like to go to Saundersfoot, West Wales as she had many lovely holidays there as a child.
Mrs Fawke can’t wait to visit South Devon. She loves the coastal walks and the moors for scenery and peacefulness.
Spain is Miss Homer’s (Y6) second home. She loves the culture, people and way of life. We already know that she plans to move there in the future, but she needs to learn Spanish first.
St Ives is a favourite of Miss Jenkins, Mrs Sheasby and Miss Thacker. Miss Jenkin’s describes St Ives as her happy place, she has been going every year for as long as she can remember. Mrs Sheasby can’t wait to take her daughter there, it will be her first time on the beach. Miss Thacker loves anywhere in Cornwall with a harbour, she often drags her son along to the many fishing villages that can be found in Cornwall (he isn’t always happy about it).
Another picture of St Ives, but from a different angle.
Finally, Mrs Dudley loves the blue seas and coastline of Weymouth. She used to go as a family and has many happy memories. It was also one of the first holidays she went on with her husband.
Hopefully, this blog has made you think about your favourite places and put a smile on your face. The Olive Hill staff certainly love the beach, and who can blame them. The feel of the sand between your toes, the waves lapping at your ankles, seagulls circling above, the sun shinning on your face…just perfect.
We miss you. Stay safe all.
