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Dear Families,
January is nearly over and it is definitely too late to say “Happy New Year!” (whoops). For some, and certainly in the media, January is proclaimed to be the most depressing month of the year – I am pleased to say that does not appear to be the case within school. We began the term looking at the origins of January and how it is named after the Roman god Janus. Janus is always shown having two heads – one to look back on the year just gone and one to look forward to the year ahead. January is often a reflective month with resolutions being made to help us be better versions of ourselves and we have challenged the children to do just that across friendships and school work – to be the best they can be.
Assemblies have resumed as weekly separate key stage assemblies. It has been good to have the children in the hall to be able to share with them messages about mental health, British Values, growth mindset to name but a few. I am hopeful that soon we will be able to safely hold full school assemblies but for now this has been a good compromise.
School feels a very busy place, full of purpose and an excited buzz about the themes and topics being taught. Children are demonstrating their curiosity about their learning and researching of their own accord at home. I know the class teachers enjoy hearing what the children have discovered and I have been privileged to see some of their work too – it is lovely to see that their class work has inspired them in this manner. Our school vision states: We want all our children to leave Snitterfield as curious, inspired young people who have a sense of their own self-worth and are able to contribute positively to society it is so fantastic to see this being lived out in this way.
Thank you for your continued support of the children’s education and the school; I am looking forward to a future time when masks can be gone and we can once again welcome visitors into school. Rest assured, I will let you all know when this is possible!
Have a good weekend; I truly hope that for you, January was not the depressing month the media suggested it would be.
Best wishes,
Rowena Silk
January has passed in such a blur that it hardly seems two seconds since I pushed 'send' on the last newsletter... As Mrs Silk said, School has been a busy place and as we start the steady climb towards Spring things are getting busier!
Mercifully, we have been (*crosses fingers*) relatively undisrupted by Omicron this term and attendance has been as high as at government "work events" (allegedly...ahem). It's been great to start the year with the school buzzing.
After a two year break, we've been able to take our Key Stage 2 children back to the Leisure Centre for their weekly swimming lessons. I hope the children are all enjoying the experience. We are also staring to plan School Trips for the first time since the start of the pandemic - stay tuned for details in the coming weeks!
We are continuing with our ambitious renovation plans for the school this term. The play equipment at the bottom corner of the field has been repaired (and in some cases replaced) and will be available to be used once the weather dries up a bit. Plans are being put together for the removal and replacement of the play equipment adjacent to the Nursery building in the near future. Next month, new carpets will be fitted in the main school corridor and the library area. Most exciting of all is the renovation of our pond area - funded by a grant secured by FOSS. This was due to be completed in the February half-term, but due to logistical issues, it now looks like it will be Easter-time. Whilst the delay is a bit frustrating, once the work is complete the school will have a fabulous new outdoor resource that will be of benefit to the children for decades to come!
Parents Evenings are coming up next month - over Microsoft Teams again. I will be sending out appointment details by email in the next week or so. Please look out for the email and take a moment to check that you can still access your child's welearn account. Please drop me a line if you need passwords reset, etc!
And finally, just as the first stirrings of spring signal optimism and new plans for the future, they also signal (*shudders*...ominous music plays) the end of the financial year! (Thunder crashes! Lightning flashes!) If you see me around school looking more dazed and confused than normal - don't worry! - it's just a case of 'spreadsheetitis' and it will pass! If you could please take a look at you Parent Pay account and ensure that any outstanding bills are paid it would make my life very much easier! Thanks in advance.
Here's to the Spring!
Stay Safe!
Mr Berry (aka Wayne)
Class One have been walking in a winter wonderland this month. As well as frosty winter walks and forest schools, they have been exploring and investigating ice! They have experimented on how to chip and melt ice and have learnt about Ernest Shackleton (he did not play inside left for Preston North End in the 1950s, apparently) and his exploration of the Antarctic. The children even designed their own ships to make they're own vayage to the South Pole. The children have also been learning about the Inuit people of the Arctic Region and built their own igloos!
Class Two have been welcoming new faces this month. A big hello and welcome to Pippa and her family! And of course a welcome back to Mrs Butcher who is teaching Class two on Fridays and hello to Mrs Bevan who is assisting in Class 2 in the mornings.
Class Two have been learning about the Great Fire of London this month - its inspired some wonderful art work which is decorating Mr Berry's windows and the children even set about building their own Jacobean buildings!
The great faux-cockney sage Dick Van Dyke once sang, "Let's go fly a kite! Up to the highest height! Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring! Up through the atmosphere! Up where the air is clear! Oh, let's go fly a kite! When you send it flyin' up there, All at once you're lighter than air! You can dance on the breeze, Over 'ouses and trees! With your first 'olding tight, To the string of your kite!" Well, if its good enough for Mary Poppins and the Banks children - its good enough for Class 3! They kicked off the New Year with a DT project focussed on kites...
Report & Photography by Class Creporters Esme & Meisha:
In DT we are working on marble runs. Yesterday afternoon, Mrs Laxhman (Arjan's mum) from Young Engineers came to Class Four and we used Lego to build a lift and a conveyor belt. We made the lift and conveyor belts the using Lego sets and instruction books that we were given. We used the lift and the conveyor belts to move marbles. We asked a couple children which one they liked best, the conveyor belt or the lift. It was 50/50 - some said that they liked the lift but some said the conveyor belt. It was a fantastic time!
In Art in Class 4, we have been doing brick walls. We took a piece of A3 paper and drew some bricks which wer 6cm by 2 1/2cm and then painted them.
In Science we have been making animal habitats which were made out of cardboard and coloured paper. In Maths we have been doing fractions, percentages and decimals - converting numbers into fractions, then decimals and then percentages. In English we have been reading a book called "Treason" and writing our own interpretations.
A request from Ben in Year 6 on behalf of the School Council:
Please may we have donations for Stratford Foodbank again this month, as when we visited we were told there was always shortages of food after Christmas. Thank you.
Sincerely,
The School Council
Collections can be left outside my office from Monday 31st Jan until Friday 18th February. A list of the most needed items is below.
An opportunity has arisen for a Co-opted Governor on the Federation Governing Body. If you feel you have a specific skill which could be useful and an interest in the strategic direction of the Federation, then please do speak to one of our existing governors from Snitterfield. They are: Sally Curson, Lucy Smith, Jon Queralt and Cate Hawkes. More information about the Governing Body can also be found on the school's website.
Make a difference to the lives of children and young people
Warwickshire County Council is looking to all members of the community to ask them what they can do to help make the county the best place for children and young people to grow up and learn. The council is looking to businesses, organisations and individuals for ideas, no matter how small, which will nurture the next generation.
This will be key to the success of Child Friendly Warwickshire, an exciting programme bringing the county together in a collective mission to create opportunities and lasting and positive change for young people. It will ensure their voices are heard, that they are safe, happy and healthy and equipped with the skills to lead the best lives they can.
Having the best start in life does not happen by accident and every person or experience in a child’s world will have an influence. The programme needs the support of everyone in the community so that every child and young person, no matter their background, has every chance to flourish in all aspects of their lives.
From small ideas like keeping our parks clean so children have a safe environment to play in or supporting a local young person’s football team, to bigger contributions like fostering a child or providing education and employment opportunities, everyone can play a part. Working together to put the future of Warwickshire at the heart of the activities will have an enormous impact.
Watch the brand-new Child Friendly Warwickshire video here which introduces the campaign to the wider community through the voices of young people: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAko_AL6Z7Y
For all the latest updates from Child Friendly Warwickshire, visit https://www.childfriendlywarwickshire.co.uk/ and follow the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChildFriendlyWarwickshire
Send ideas and updates about any good news across the county related to children and young people to [email protected].
Local businesses, charities or other third sector organisations are being asked to sign up as a Child Friendly Warwickshire friend. Friends of the programme are committed to putting children and young people at the heart of what they do and setting inspiring examples that make a positive difference to their lives. Find out how to get involved at www.childfriendlywarwickshire.co.uk/our-friends
This is a future we can all believe in. This is Child Friendly Warwickshire.
We have welcomed six new children to School this week - Sara, Siobhan and Keren & Paul, Morten and Magne *. You may have seen them around the outside of school? They have been kindly lent to us by Stratford District Council and Warwickshire Police's 'Safer Neighbourhoods Team'. Hopefully they will provide a useful reminder to drive and park with care around the school.
*Gold star to anyone who can name the bands!