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Dear North Tawton Families, Thank you for your support yesterday when we announced we would be closing the school today. I know for many families, having the children at home today will have been a logistical issue however, the vast majority of parents said that they agreed with our decision and were grateful we had made the choice to err on the side of caution and put safety first. I am grateful that the storm has not hit Devon as hard as it could have done. I know many staff and families have lost electricity today and many have suffered garden fences damaged, I really do hope it has not been worse for anyone. I particularly hope a our farmers have not suffered any livestock and crop losses. I will be checking the school for damage tomorrow. St Valentine This week in assembly we learnt about St Valentine, well we think we did! The truth is that there are a lot of stories and we are not entirely sure which, if any are true! He did live in the 3rd century and he is the Patron Saint of epilepsy and beekeepers but is more widely known for his association with love. It is said that he helped couples marry when the king forbade it as he wanted men to be single and go to war. We took the opportunity to think about love and what it means to us. The Greeks came up with eight different words for the types of love we commonly experience throughout our lifetime.
In the spirit of the modern interpretation of Valentine’s Day, and as a symbol of our appreciation for the love and care the adults in school give us, we gave small gifts to each member of staff. Donuts Continuing the theme of love, we had a very successful Valentines donut sale! Despite the rain, you came out in your droves to treat yourselves (Philautia), partners (Eros) and your families (Philia) to the delicious popcorn, hot chocolate cones and donuts! With great thanks to FONTS for organising this sweet treat and raising money for the school. And by the way, I’m a firm believer that birthday cake calories and charity donut calories don’t count! Geography Quiz Miss Radbourne has challenged the school to a North Tawton Geography Quiz! See Dojo for information and links. While honing your knowledge, please have a family discussion about your experiences. Where have you visited? What was it like? How was it the same and how was it different to here? Where would you most like to visit? Why?  Monday 28th February – return to school
Monday 28th February - 3pm - 5pm Future North Tawton exhibition opening at Ruth Smith Gallery Friday 4th March - On line assembly for families Saturday 5th March 10am – 2pm Gardening Day With best wishes for the half term. Stay safe Tara Penny Ever wanted to test ride an E-bike? Well now you can hire one for the day, free of charge.
Spend the day exploring Okehampton and the granite way on an electronically assisted bike. Whether you’re looking to use the car less, or looking to get yourself back into cycling, why not let an e-bike help get you rolling. Vouchers are limited, so this will be done on a first come first serve basis and you can only apply once. Terms and conditions apply. Register here to apply for a free e-bike voucher, once you have registered on the link, you will receive a unique code from my colleague (please check your junk folder once you have applied). You will then need to book in with the Granite Way Cycles bike shop. The e-bike voucher scheme aims to increase the uptake of e-cycling in Devon, by offering residents in targeted areas a full-day hire e-bike voucher. These vouchers will allow residents to give e-cycling a try from a participating bike shop, for free. Points
Hello, My name is Chris and I work for a company called the AIM group. We work alongside Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust to support all their parents and staff.
We offer a completely free online learning platform in over 50 different topics to help support life as a busy parent including: mental health concerns in children, managing challenging behaviour, pre-diagnosis of adhd or dyslexia, getting an understanding of autism, childhood trauma, to name just a few areas of help available (full list attached). This can help you develop a new skill in the comfort of your own home at times suitable to you, resulting in a fully accredited qualification for your CV. Not only is this helping you, but also the Trust and your children's school, as for every 50 completed courses between now and the end of June, we are donating a completely free laptop to the Trust allowing us to help disadvantaged families who do not have laptop access. If you are interested in being a part of this fantastic project, then please just complete the following link (this is a no obligation register of interest). North Tawton Community Primary School Link Once completed, this will allow ME to contact you via phone and email (look out for a phone number) 0203 900 3091 Please do get in touch sooner than later as this is gov.uk funding and is always subject to change. I am looking forward to speaking with you soon, Christopher Greenfield Level 2 Qualifications Team Leader | The AIM Group Phone: 0203 900 3091 Extension: 213 Email: [email protected] 6 Hoffmanns Way, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1GU www.theaimgroup.co.uk | www.aimgroupfoundation.org What could North Tawton look like in the future? Some of our children drew their ideas for the North Tawton Arts weekend competition. I do like the sound of flying cars, soft play, a pink school, ten pin bowling, a clock tower made of sweets, a zoo and a baker!
Dear North Tawton Families, It was great to see our children as farmers, sports stars, unicorns, party goers, super heroes, dinosaurs and princesses at school today! As part of our Mental Health Awareness Week, we wanted children to be able to express themselves and talk about what makes them feel happy. We have been doing lots of mindfulness activities this week to teach children a range of skills and techniques to have and maintain positive mental health.  Choices This week in assembly we thought about our choices. We particularly thought about how we can start our day with a positive mindset. This starts from how we feel when we wake up, our organisation and attitudes when getting ready and how we greet each other at school. We have reflected upon our behaviour expectations to be Ready, Respectful and Safe not just at school, but also at home. In school we are particularly focusing on our readiness for learning. I shared a great quote from the head teacher Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." What time does school start? A number of parents have asked exactly what time does school start. We open the gates and doors at 8.45am. Staff will be in class with morning activities for the children to do as they come in. Registers are taken at 9am and close at 9.05am. We encourage parents to bring children in as early as possible so that they can settle, any messages can be relayed, and lessons can start promptly. Walking in late can be unsettling for children and the smooth start to the day, especially where we have children moving in to group activities. If you are struggling with morning routines, please let us know as we may be able to offer advice or refer to Early Help for support. Gardening Day Thank you so much to all the families who volunteered to join Miss Prince and myself on Saturday for gardening. On Wednesday the weather forecast for tomorrow was rain, rain, rain, so I decided to postpone. It now looks like the weather won’t be so bad after all! Typical! Enjoy the lie in, or go out and enjoy the morning! I'm hoping lots of you can you can make it for Saturday 5th March. Reports and Targets Over the next month, teachers will be compiling assessments in order to give you an end of Spring term report. This report will give effort grades and targets for the core subjects; reading, writing, maths and science. There will be a comment on learning behaviour, friendships and attitudes. At the end of the school year, the final report will show what we have taught in all subjects over the year. There will be an effort, attainment and progress grade for each subject and again a general comment about attitudes to friendships and learning. We hope you find these reports helpful and will welcome feedback. Didi Rugby Please see attached information about Didi Rugby at Zeal Monachorum and Chulmleigh. Click on the posters to find out more: Dates for the Diary This weekend - North Tawton Art Weekend Monday 14th February – St Valentine’s Day doughnuts after school Friday 18th February 2pm - On Line assembly for families and last day of term Monday 28th February – return to school Saturday 5th March 10am – 2pm Gardening Day With best wishes for the weekend Tara Penny  Dear North Tawton Families, As our Covid numbers have continued to rise this week, please keep an eye on emails for advice. Our latest guidance and risk assessments are available on our website. As always, please contact me if you have any concerns. Chinese New Year In assembly this week, I told a story of how the Chinese Zodiac was invented. The Jade Emperor organised a race for all the animals. 12 animals showed up to the starting line. The emperor said that each animal who came would all have a year named after them, the race was to determine the order. Ask your children how the animals approached the race, in particular the river they had to cross. Why didn’t the dragon win and why is there not a Year of the Cat? We had fun acting out the story in assembly. You can find out your year and what that might mean here: https://kids.kiddle.co/Chinese_Zodiac Happy Chinese New Year in Mandarin: 恭喜发财 “gong-sshee faa-tseye” and in Cantonese: 恭喜發財 “gong-hey faa-chwhy.” Cross County
Our Year 5 and Year 6 cross country team were fantastic on Friday. They showed incredible team work, perseverance and high spirits. We are so proud of them and their sporting attitude. Well done! Music Lessons If your child in KS1 or KS2 would like to have music lessons, strings, piano or singing, please contact the office or Miss Boyce. Job Opportunities Do you, or do you know someone who would like to work for our Trust? Current vacancies include:
Vacancies - Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust (dartmoormat.org.uk) Dates for the Diary Friday 11th Dress to Impress – details to follow! Friday 11th – 13th February North Tawton Art Weekend Saturday 12th February 10am – 2pm Gardening Day Monday 14th February – St Valentine’s Day doughnuts Friday 18th February 2pm - On Line assembly for families and last day of term Monday 28th February – return to school With best wishes for the weekend Tara Penny |
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