Wednesday 15th April

Good day to you all. We hope you are all well. Did you like our video? The school staff had great fun doing their individual parts and Miss Best did an excellent job of putting it together. A big thank you to everyone who got involved.

Although things are little bit difficult at the moment - we can’t come to school, we are missing our family and friends, we can’t spend our money in the shops, we can only leave our houses for daily exercise or essential travel, our holidays have been cancelled and many other things that have changed, there are also many positive things happening in the world. Have you seen the story of the army veteran who has raised £7million for the NHS? Have you heard stories of how communities are coming together to support each other? The reduced pollution across our planet, the kindness of neighbours and the increase in wildlife sightings are just a few of the many good things that are happening in our world.

There are many plants and animals that make the United Kingdom their home. Did you know that there are over 4,000 species of beetles found across the UK? Wow! The Untied Kingdom is known for its diverse wildlife and it is home to countless land, aerial and marine animals. How many can you name? There are around 1.5 million deer in the UK, with red deer being the most popular. There are an estimated 200,000 grey seals in the UK, which is half of the animal’s global population. Red squirrels are native to the UK, but it is unlikely that you will see one as they are outnumbered by grey squirrels (grey squirrels originated in North America). Grey squirrels are much bigger than red squirrels and they carry a disease which is fatal to red squirrels. Scottish wildcats are Britain’s rarest mammals and as few as 100 are thought to remain in the UK. These are just a few of the amazing facts I found whilst researching British wildlife, perhaps you could do some research as well to find out the answers to questions you have about the wildlife of Britain.

There is a lot of wildlife on and around our school grounds. Quite often we see foxes on our school field (bringing great excitement to the children who are watching from the windows) and Mr Weston gets very annoyed at the badger poop! We also have two pheasants who visit when all is quiet, Mr Weston found one hiding behind his shed just the other day. I have had children arrive at my office with all sorts of creatures - worms, slugs, frogs and even a newt. We always make sure we return them to their natural habitat.

Recently Mr Priest has had a badger visit his garden at night - it woke him up at 3am snuffling around outside. He also has a regular visit from a hedgehog - I wonder if he’s given it a name? Mrs Higgins has noticed how loud the dawn chorus is at 5am, and the foxes have been screeching in the night on her front drive - I wonder if she gets any sleep? She also had a goldfinch in her garden for the first time. Mrs Shinner found a nest in her garden with tiny eggs inside, the eggs have now hatched and the chicks have been walking around her garden (she is very cross with Mr Shinner for not taking any pictures, perhaps she’s put him in red zone!). Miss Best also has regular visits from hedgehogs, apparently they like to wind her dog up. Mrs Parker hasn’t seen any wildlife in her garden, but they do seem to have acquired a cat who visits them everyday. Mrs White had a fox in her garden, it came right to the back door, she thinks he was after the cat food. Miss Macaskill has a family of ducks who visit her garden and Miss Homer (Y6) has been building bird tables to attract more wildlife into her garden. We are hoping that she will build some for the school grounds. Mrs Hamblett said that the only wildlife she had seen in her garden was Mr Hamblett laying a new patio! Poor Mr Hamblett, I am not sure he would appreciate being described as ‘wildlife’, but Mrs Hamblett did add that he was doing a grand job.

Spring is a great time to explore nature and maybe you’ll spot some wildlife in your own garden or during your daily exercise. Look out for the lovely flowers that are blooming, the green canopy of the trees, ponds full of frog spawn and birds doing their best to find themselves a mate. Most importantly, remember to look after our wildlife - never harm a living creature or it’s habitat. Be sure to put your litter in the bin and maybe take some time to learn about how you can encourage the wildlife to thrive in your local area.

Stay safe. Watch our video. We miss you.