|
Dear North Tawton Families,
Welcome back! This is my favourite term because although the days are getting colder, shorter and wetter, we get to enjoy the exciting build up to Christmas! I’m looking forward to the songs, nativity, decorations, and festivities. This week we had a Christmassy sneak preview as the children have been designing their Christmas cards. Please bring these back on Monday if you wish to purchase some. Diwali We have a very exciting curriculum through which we learn about Christianity and the other main religions followed in our country and across the world. This week children across the school have been learning about the Hindu festival of Diwali. A group of children in year one helped me tell the story of Rama and Sita in assembly and Year four found out more about the story and its significance in their RE lesson. Nursery and Reception children designed mehndi patterns and made diva pots, and on Friday ate samosas, pakoras and bhajis in their Diwali celebration. Phonics and Early Reading On Thursday three Trust leaders came to assess our teaching of phonics and early reading. We were really proud to show them how hard the children have been working at school and at home to improve their reading. The team were really impressed with children’s progress, the love of reading we are instilling and the quality and pace of staff lessons. Well done team NT! FONTS Plans It was really exciting to meet with our FONTs committee today and start planning for the year ahead. I am delighted that we can continue to work together to provide the best opportunities for our children. Covid is of course still a present concern, with cases rising and a number of our families with members isolating, we really can’t risk having whole school events just yet. We are continuing to think creatively to find ways to celebrate, come together, and raise money. In school we are back to holding whole school assemblies on line, but do bubble up so we can be together for some assemblies and activities together in paired classes and Key Stages. Staffing News Our school administrator Kay Aston was temporally filling the post until we can advertise for a permanent post following Trust wide restructure. She has secured a permanent post elsewhere which is great for her, but very sad for us as she has been a wonderful addition to our team. Even sadder, she contracted Covid 19 and has had to isolate so we didn’t get to say a proper thank you and farewell to her. I am sure you will join me in wishing her a speedy recovery and all the best in her new post. We have a new administrator joining us on Tuesday. Her name is Clare Burnett, she is very experienced in administration roles, and I know will soon learn our school systems. Please be patient as she gets to know us! Remembrance Next week we will be observing the tradition of two minutes of silence on Armistice Day at 11am. We do have poppies and other poppy themed goodies from the Royal British Legion. Please bring your donations to school Flu Jab We were due to have flu jabs in school this term, but the team are understandably busy with the covid jab programme. We will have flu jabs given in school in January, date to be confirmed. There will be a permission link emailed to families before the date. Reminders Christmas card orders and payments on Monday Please return photo and local trip permission slips Wishing you a safe and happy weekend. If you are attending firework displays, please keep your children supervised. All the very best, Tara Penny Comments are closed.
|
Categories |
RSS Feed
