Weekly Newsletter
Friday 26th March 2021
This week
What a busy 'is it really Easter already?' kind of week!
Phew! We made it to the Spring and a little better weather. For us that means good news - less chance of indoor playtimes, more use of the field and more lessons out of doors. All these things make life easier and more enjoyable at school.
We had our whole school Art Week and the work produced was really amazing. We also had a lovely Easter Worship with Rev Pete, a chocolate tombola and lots of Easter activities.
View from this side of the term
As far as it is professional and appropriate for me to do so, you parents know that I always tell you about the tribulations as well as the triumphs of school life! With that in mind I don't mind telling you that although it has been truly wonderful to be back at work after my time off last term, this term has been particularly challenging with all the issues that the ongoing Pandemic has thrown at us.
First and foremost, we've obviously had to keep teaching in school safe and effective for keyworker and vulnerable children, whilst delivering constant communication and online education at the same time. This is not what we teachers trained for and we've had to learn as we go. I hope you can all see that we've come a long way in this respect since the first lockdown.
Organisational matters throughout have always had to take account of Risk Assessment - even a single visitor to the school has to be assessed for risk. Again, this isn't what school leaders trained for but we've had excellent support from the MAT so I'm really grateful for that support which has helped us to keep as safe as possible. I'll be glad when we no longer have to stagger the school day and wear masks though!
When I joined the school I spent the first year and half working hard on bringing us all closely working together and the school feels like a real family. I really believe in the Biblical inspiration of our strap line 'together we shine as one.' The fact that I've had to spend the last year keeping us all apart has been and continues to be difficult at times. We've really missed all of those members of our school family who haven't been with us at different points this term. It was so lovely to see some families thriving in lockdown but so hard to know that others were struggling. We wanted everyone back under the same roof and continue to look forward to the time when we can all be back in the same room!
Speaking personally, as one who has actually had severe illness from the virus, I am so aware of the physical and emotional toll it can take for a very long time after initial recovery and I'm feeling blessed to be up and about on two feet when others we know and love clearly are not. Obviously my case was made more complicated due to the personal tragedy involved, but even without that unhappy event, it proves to be a difficult illness to recover from fully for some people. At school, while we seek to support each other's physical and emotional recovery, we are all trying to focus on the positives - the vaccination programme, the new skills we have learned and the sense of community we have maintained against all the barriers of isolation and separation. I cannot tell you how valuable your positive emails and messages have been throughout this last year. Knowing we have your full support and warm regards has actually kept the staff uplifted and inspired us to give even more back to our school. You are an incredibly supportive group of parents and carers. Not all Headteachers can say that.
You've done a brilliant job with your children at home. How you kept going despite the difficulties of home working as well is nothing short of inspirational to us. Being a parent doesn't make you a teacher, in the same way as being able to change a light bulb doesn't make you an electrician!
After the first lockdown, the returning children recovered very quickly and settled immediately as though they had never been away. That's not been the case this time. Some children have indeed carried on where they left off and have settled brilliantly, but others have really struggled with the expectations, the relationships and the imposed routines. Some children have thrived and learned new skills at home with the close attention and 1-1 help given but others have lost motivation to learn, some have lost concentration and some have lost independence. Some have obviously practised their reading and mental maths a great deal but others have lost the key skills they had. Some have returned and relished being back amongst their friends but some have lost patience and tolerance of others and are finding all the group dynamics difficult to navigate.
We are dealing with a myriad of needs in the children and are supporting one another in the process. You've all had enough of home learning so I don't want to burden you any further but if you feel like helping your child to keep up those key skills of reading, writing and number - that would be great. After Easter, newsletters will contain weekly ideas, tasks and information on how to do that.
So - in short - the term has been wonderful and challenging, rewarding and exacting, positive and frustrating. But I guess it isn't just our school - hasn't everything about this Pandemic year been this way?!
This week in classrooms
Stars
We have had a very ‘eggciting’ time in Stars this week, exploring Easter across the provision, making Easter cards, matching patterned eggs, making Easter baskets, as well as other arts and crafts. In Phonics, we have explored ‘v’ and ‘w’, and have continued to develop our oral blending and segmenting and tricky word knowledge. Whilst in maths, we have explored the number 10, recognising ten in a variety of models and images.
FS/Y1
Wow what a busy last week of term we have had. The children have created some fantastic pieces of art inspired by Georges Seurat who is best known devising the pointillism technique.
We have also had lots of fun egg rolling on the field whilst discussing that egg rolling reminds us that the stone was rolled away and thinking about how Easter is celebrated. On Friday afternoon we had our birthday celebration which was a lovely way to end the term.
Year 2
We have had such a busy week finishing our class book - You Wouldn't Want to be on Shackleton's Polar Expedition and finding out how fact files can be used to research and present information. We have completed our whistle stop tour of the oceans of the world and learnt about the smallest ocean - the Arctic Ocean. We thoroughly enjoyed our whole-school art afternoon learning about the work of Georges Seurat and created our own Easter symbols using his technique of pointillism. Finally, we finished the week with Easter activities including an egg hunt and crafts. Happy Easter everyone!
Year 3
Year 4
Spring has definitely sprung in both Asteroid and Neptune this week, with the children showing their mastery of pointillism- a painting technique favoured by this term's chosen artist, Georges Seurat. An array of colourfully painted, seasonal blooms brighten each classroom.
From flying church bells to sumptuous chocolate treats, the children have enjoyed comparing Easter celebrations, customs and traditions, in France with our own, in England. Just beware though , as the children have also learned how April Fool's Day is celebrated across the channel. You have been warned... :)
As always, Year 4 children have written some very thoughtful Easter prayers as we finish another different, but busy term. From all in Year 4, Joyeuses Pâques - Happy Easter!
Year 5/6
In year 5 and 6 this week we have come to the end of our literary journey; a journey that has had its huge highs and even bigger lows... but at the end of the day, the Ickabog is real and Cornucopia has been saved! In English, we have focussed on subordinating conjunctions - this skill was then applied in their English, as well as within our science investigation writing. The scene is set. We shall see how many microbes grow on our return. Have a great Easter break everyone!
St Wilf's
Easter isn't just about chocolate and chicks!
Find out what's on at St Wilf's
Don't forget to check out Pete in Touch!
YouTube account: BraytonParishSelby
Or search Pete in Touch on YouTube
Superstar Awards
Isla Harris, Leo Richmond, Emily Westwood, Logan Gibbard, Thomas Wilford, Joshua Lane, Finlay Donaldson, James Thackery, Ava O'Brien, Summer Claydon, Jessica Bradley, Oliver Short, Lucy Thompson.
The new school run system
If the new system throws up any issues for you please do get in touch with admin about it - we can easily sort out any glitches.
The only problems we had on the day was partly down to the fact that a very small number of parents were unaware of the change. Please could we urge you to keep a regular check on the email address that you have given us? That is the one we will naturally use for anything through teachers to parents.