1. There Is a Season

2. Rowan's Adventures...

3. Hazel's Exploits...

4. Oak's Endeavours...

5. Farewell from Mrs. DP

6. May Bank Holiday

7. Travelling Book Fair

8. The Return Of Bardwell Toddler Group

9. Thorpe Woodlands Trip, Thursday 6th May - Reminder

10. England Does The Daily Mile

11. Half Term Activity Clubs

12. Virtual Pilgrimage To Lourdes Via The Monday Mile

13. Safeguarding & Wellbeing

Good morning all,

It's a prompt newsletter this week - mainly because I have needed to be super organised this week as I will be absent for a few weeks due to having an operation, later this morning. Mrs. Boyd, as shared recently, will be deputising on an interim basis until the end of the year. In the few weeks that I will be absent, Mr. Berry and Mrs. Clark will also be supporting the school and Mrs. Boyd. You're definitely in safe hands!

We've got some more exciting developments to share with our OPAL projects; a brand new outdoor table tennis table arrived this week (I can't wait to have HT challenges on this) and today we are receiving a tennis wall courtesy of an LTA-funded initiative. We're not far away from opening some of our new front garden areas, either. I didn't say this, but, a little more rain would be good so the grass can grow!

We've definitely entered the Summer season and as Ecclesiastes once said 'For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.'

Have a wonderful weekend - I will see you in a few week's time.

Mr. Francksen

Executive Headteacher

Once again, we’ve enjoyed the beautiful weather and managed to take lots of our learning outdoors. Our maths learning this week has taken us into the forest to find sticks of differing lengths. We have become much more confident in using mathematical vocabulary to compare the lengths of objects. We identified more British wildflowers this week, as part of our science topic and have started our booklets on explaining the parts of flowering plants. Our six-paragraph story has finally been completed! Our new English text will be 'The Train Ride' and the children very much enjoyed creating a train out of tyres to help us imagine boarding a steam train. Summer sports were in full swing as we tried out the high jump for the very first time!

We have worked incredibly hard this week. Year 2 has consolidated their learning of fractions by creating wonderful, informative posters showcasing their knowledge. Year 3 have also been brilliant this week, making links in their learning and answering reasoning questions. In computing, we have been learning about coding. This has involved the children following directions and making their own directions to reach different points on a treasure map.

This week we have teamed up in pairs to build teeny tiny rafts to get closer to the characters in our English text ‘The Explorers’. This activity helped the children value the outdoors - they enjoy being outside, feel comfortable in nature, and feel connected to the natural environment. It also helped to develop skills in problem-solving - they find it easier to understand challenges, consider possible options, and find solutions.

We thought about which woods float best – learning that lighter woods such as Cedar usually float better than heavier woods such as Oak. Mrs. DP taught us the clove hitch knot which is quick, adjustable, and easy to untie, and also how to do diagonal lashing. We then sailed our rafts in the Pingo pond.

On Monday it’s the early May Bank holiday; the weather forecast is pretty reasonable so enjoy time with your family and we will see you Tuesday.

Thank you for ordering this week. We hope you enjoy your books and we will let you know how much was raised for the School, once we’ve got the total.

The village Baby & Toddler Group (organised by local parents/carers) was hosted by the school for a number of years until the first lockdown in March 2020. We would very much like to encourage its reinstatement as a Forest School (outdoor) group, so Mrs. Boyd is inviting participants to join with her and her class on a Friday afternoon at 1.30 pm out in the forest. Access to the Green Room (formerly known as the portacabin) will be possible for parents/carers to prepare snacks and drinks and to use the loo.

These sessions would be suitable for anyone local with a baby or pre-school child, including those that are due to start in our Reception year in September.

If you have not already done so, please log in to Arbor to give permission for your child(ren) to attend. If your child is in receipt of income-related Free School Meals, we will supply them with a school-packed lunch on the day. We will be leaving school at 09.30 am and travelling by coach, returning at approximately 4.20 pm. Note that Mr. Hurkett’s Forest School team-building After School Club will not run on this day, but if you are not able to pick up your child until 5 pm, he will be here to supervise them until then.

Children should wear clothing suitable for outdoor activities. Please see the list below for what will be required:

• Waterproof jacket;

• Jogging bottoms/trousers;

• T-shirt;

• School jumper;

• Trainers;

• A spare set of clothes and a spare set of old trainers (for the water-based activities);

• A towel;

• Sun hat and sun-block, insect repellant (hot-weather dependent);

• Plastic water bottle;

• Packed lunch;

• A daysack/bag to carry the above.

Please note: No new or expensive clothing or equipment is required - old sports kits and trainers are best.

We would strongly recommend that pupils are discouraged from bringing mobile phones or any other expensive items which could easily be lost or stolen such as valuable jewellery, electronic items, etc.

No money needed at Thorpe Woodlands!

This morning, we did our additional Daily Mile.

The idea for this was that as many primary schools around England as possible got moving on the same day, to celebrate the positive benefits that daily activity can have on our mental health.

In light of the events in the past year, children’s mental health, and its relation to physical activity, is more important than ever.

Thank you to those who’ve already expressed an interest in this FREE provision, but, unfortunately, due to the low numbers of interest, these clubs will not be possible.

The Gipping Valley Sports Partnership will be running paid-for clubs from Thurston Community College, Beyton Campus at £10 per session (£20 per day). If you are interested, please click on the link below.

Well, we’re not sure what everyone had for breakfast on Monday but we racked up a whopping 33 miles with a HUGE number of children completing a full mile. Well done to Josh, Ted, Tobias, Lily, Ethan, Betsy, Zara, Jake, Albie, Henry, Jacob, Scarlett, Constance, and Sophia.