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Dear North Tawton Families and Friends,
It has been another fabulous week at North Tawton Primary School. My highlight was climbing into a huge tractor! Many thanks to Charlie’s mum Helen for driving it in for our Reception topic Farms and Farming. I have done some other important work too, I promise! Dear North Tawton Families and Friends,
I have had a very busy but very enjoyable first week at North Tawton. I have to say what an incredible welcome I have had from the staff and the children. The staff have gone out of their way to make me feel part of the team, and I know that they are committed to supporting me and each other to give the children opportunities and experiences they will enjoy, learn from and remember. Throughout the week I have been popping in to classrooms to see the children at work, as well as going outside for playtimes and in the hall for lunch sittings. What hardworking and polite children they are! I am very lucky indeed to be here. THANK YOU Thursday marked my last day at North Tawton after more than 17 years. The staff had planned a lovely day of celebrations. In the morning I was led into the hall where all the staff were assembled and together we watched a short video (thank you Rob!) which included some memorable moments of my time at the school. The video clips were from all the children in the school, the staff, past students (with beards!!), past colleagues and even my dear parents all the way from Birmingham. I was, as you can imagine, completely overwhelmed with love. It was very humbling to see that so many people remembered their time at the school so fondly and had been influenced positively from the experience. At lunchtime all the children had an outdoor picnic followed by some superb Ska dancing. In the afternoon there were bunting and balloons on the drive (thank you to all the parents involved!) as I did my last gate duty, and Nick Weldon climbed on the bank to say farewell. Afterwards, the staff organised a gathering in the hall (socially distanced of course), with more presents and a wonderful cake. I am looking forward to a short break with the kind donations just as soon as the restrictions are lifted. Thank you to all of you who contributed towards this and for the support you have given me over the years. The cards, messages and the North Tawton community will remain with me forever and I will keep in touch with you. I am sorry that I did not have a chance to see your extended families, so please pass on my farewells to grandparents and other family members who I have not been able to see recently. THANK YOU and sorry about the Ska influence! The years have gone by quickly. I joined the school in 2004 and my son was born in 2005. He turns 16 in June! Much has happened in that span of time. We have shared many, many good times but have seen our way through times that were not so good. We have dealt with tragedy and lost dear friends along the way. These experiences and the current Covid pandemic have reinforced my personal belief that as humans, big and small, we are constantly dealing with what life presents. These experiences make us richer and stronger, and should be viewed positively in our quest to become better people. I want my children to say that they are more resilient, more adaptable, more determined to succeed, and not be victims to the challenges that life presents. I can honestly say that the staff team at North Tawton is the most committed and professional group of caring individuals you could ever wish your children to be entrusted to. I have made lifelong friends. I have had the absolute pleasure of leading this school for the last two years. My colleagues have been resolute and unwavering in their support both for me and for the children and for what they believe is right for our community. The leadership transformation has happened very quickly and I am aware that for some the timing has been difficult to comprehend when the children have only just returned to school. The children have again shown us how adaptable and resilient they are! They have settled back into school life and have very much enjoyed being back with their bubbled friends. This term is like no other and we are going to end the Summer Term with many of our normal pursuits cancelled. So, I say, why not have all the changes now!? The Trust has a renewed energy and we are keen to drive forward while it is fresh and exciting. Miss Penny will step into the role and I will move to my two new schools. We will remain in contact and we have already established the links that will be forged between the three schools. I will try to attend all the celebrations in the Summer Term and will be as familiar a face as time allows, using technology and virtual meetings more regularly too. Wishing you and your very special families a lovely Easter break and a fond farewell to you all. With my love and best wishes Sunita Chauhan Happy Maternity LeaveMrs Nuthall arrived to join our party and say farewell to us all as she starts her maternity leave. She is keeping very well and was pleased to see all the children and her friends. We wish her all the very best and we can't wait to welcome the new little Nuthall soon.  The Foundation for Education DevelopmentThe Foundation for Education Development (FED) is dedicated to promoting a long-term vision and plan for education in England, and is launching their National Consultation Report at the end of April 2021. More information is available on their website here. As part of this consultation report the FED have launched a short survey which we would like to encourage staff, parents, and students to complete. Their plan is to capture '100,000 Voices' in the next 3 weeks from across the education spectrum. Please see the message below: Do you want to help shape the future of our Education System? Please take 60 seconds to answer these simple questions and support The Foundation for Education Development https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/EducationSystem or go straight to our website Fed Education – Foundation for education development. Autism Awareness WeekClick on the image to find out more.  Get Set Tokyo FONTS UpdateToday we say ‘Goodbye’ to Miss Chauhan. It’s been great to work with her as Head of School. Always enthusiastic and supportive of our fundraising, she has made sure that the money we raise is used to support the school's requirements. Even though recently, we’ve had lockdowns, remote learning and enormous amounts of disruption, Miss Chauhan has held strong, kept a positive outlook, and helped us to keep going with our support for the school. Thank you and best wishes for your new role. Have a safe and restful Easter break, and we look forward to planning some fundraising events and activities in the new term, working with our new Principal Miss Penny. Keep safe and thank you for your continued support, FONTS Committee email[email protected]/ or message FONTS on Dojo |
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