28 Mar 2008 - Newsletter No 26
No 26 -
Dear Parents
We hope that you managed to make the most of the Easter break, despite the somewhat uninspiring weather.
School Association News
As always the School Association has been working very hard on our behalf. Already this year the children have benefited from the new surface in the play area, which they love, and cameras and DVD players in every class. Already we are planning for the Summer Fair so if you are able to help in any way please hand your name in at the office.
Cake
Easter / End of Term service
We will be carrying on the theme of Easter at our end of term service at
The Easter Egg Hunt
This had to be slightly curtailed due to the cold weather however the event was still successful and enjoyed by all. This was followed by the very popular Easter Egg Raffle, which raised £205 which we are donating to Sports Relief.
Writing Week
This week has been really exciting in school and we would particularly like to thank both the School Association and Mrs Beardsley from the Bristol Fine Arts Decorative Society for enabling us to fund this week. The visiting writers have really inspired both the children and the staff. To do this justice we will be publishing an additional newsletter in Term 5.
On Tuesday children in classes 7 and 9 had the pleasure of working with the writer and illustrator Rebecca Griffin. She began by explaining to the classes how she creates her wonderful illustrations. Once given the story she employs a variety of collage techniques to create colourful and vivid effects. The children used some of her ideas to make bookmarks out of felt. They chose characters out of books, cut them out, decorated them with all sorts of different bits and pieces and stitched them to create a 3d effect. They are really stunning.
Linda Tanner - an education journalist from the Evening Post came in the afternoon and worked with a group from Year 5 and 6. She has been a journalist for 32 years and worked for the Evening Post for 25 years. First of all they looked at articles from the Evening Post and had a discussion about their views on the front cover and how to make it better. Then the children set off to go and interview some of the teachers and children about how the Easter holiday was different this year and how it affects people. At the end Lily May and
On Wednesday Year 3 heard from Heather Dyer about how she writes, for example when she started writing, where her ideas come from, strategies she uses and generally how she has developed her writing career. The children had already read a couple of her novels and were fascinated by the whole process of writing. I think that a couple of them were a little disappointed to discover that being an author, however gifted you are, can actually be very hard work.
Kathryn White read Year 2 The Nutty Nut Chase and the children were still laughing when they told me about it. They made squirrel masks.
On Thursday Year five had great fun in the hall with a playwright called Toby Hulse. They played games which taught them that they are all stars as a group rather than certain individuals taking the limelight. Toby also showed them to how create a play from scratch!
In Reception John Doherty kept the younger children enthralled by reading his story – not yet published - The little boy who didn’t want to go to bed. In the hall he kept the children and staff highly entertained with his poem about how teachers behaved when the children weren’t there!
In Year 6, Rebecca Lisle gave us an insight into how she developed the characters in her own books by exaggerating the behaviour and habits of people that she knew well! The children in Class 13 then attempted this to describe members of their own families!
After school senior members of the School Council reported to the full governing body about Writing Week. They were very articulate and were a credit to the school.
On Friday the whole school shared their work and ideas in assembly and said thank you to Mr Parr for all his hard work.
Mini Saga Writing Competition. The results of this will be published on Monday. Thank you for your entries.
Spelling
Any adults who have been sponsored for spelling can be tested next week if you leave your name at the office.
Band
Stop press! We are going to be able to start our own Horfield Band for parents and children at the beginning of Term 5. This will initially be for up to ten children and any interested parents. There will be a small weekly cost and the band will be run by Josh Stopford who will come in next Friday (the last day of term) from
to meet anyone interested and talk about ideas. To secure your place please see Miss Graham as children’s places will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis.
Eden Grove Playgroup has recently closed and there is a Celebration Event on March 30th
at
Spanish and Polish visitors
The Spanish students who have been in school for the last month leave school today and head home for Malaga on Sunday. It’s been a delight to have had them helping out in school and I’m sure the children have enjoyed the opportunity to practise their Spanish and find out more about what it is really like in
Year 6 Students of the Week
Assembly Theme
Our theme for assemblies next week is Easter.
British Summer Time
Just a reminder that the clocks go forward when we go to bed on Saturday night.
E Lewis