15th May 2020

Dear Parents, Carers and Children Newsletter no 31 If any of you have walked past the school today, you will have seen some of the beautiful rainbow spirals that have been created by our children. We think they look fantastic and would love to fill up the railings, so please keep on sending them in. Covid-19: As you can appreciate after Sunday’s announcement from the government, we have again got lots of challenges, decisions and actions to take if we are to be fully ready to open for our Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 children as well as support the children of keyworkers from 1st June. We all unreservedly want to keep children safe and this makes it additionally important to take time and make all appropriate assessments to prepare for an increase in numbers in school. The Government advice at the moment has not changed: children are safest if they remain at home and indoors. I sent earlier an additional letter concerning reopening school and will be sending further information as it becomes available. Thank you to parents in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 for completing our on-line questionnaire. To help us have a clearer picture, may I request that all remaining, unanswered surveys be completed by Tuesday 19th May, thank you. This is just to ascertain numbers at this time and we will be asking for a definite decision once we have sent out our plans for 1st June. Also, please could keyworkers let us know any days they would like their children in school for the next two weeks, commencing 18th May and 25th May. The school will be closed on Monday Bank Holiday, although will be open through the rest of half term. With the rain holding off this week, it has been lovely to see some of our children walking past school. Please help yourself to the books left out the front of school – take as many as you like and we do not need them returned. The Year 6s have also been spotted out keeping fit in their new hoodies! Thank you to Pafots for contributing half of the cost of these leaver’s tops this year from their fundraising events. Your contribution is always appreciated. Thank you also to those who support these events. Let’s hope we all get to enjoy one of these events when it is safe to do so.

Whole school project: Blessed with the NHS - We are hoping to prepare a video of our children singing the NHS song: Blessed with the NHS. The link below will take you to the music and then we would love to see your child’s uploaded video of the whole song or a snippet of the song (lyrics attached to the newsletter). Please send it to the homelearning email address, subject: NHS Song, thanks. We will eventually be uploading this to the school website. Download Link: https://www.theschoolmusicalscompany.com/a/downloads/-/a88c9eaf47684fe8/22d2a79b1f7f9158 Y6 Transition to Holyrood We would just like to update you with the latest information that we received form Holyrood today regarding Year 6’s transition to Holyrood. They have expressed their disappointment, however following guidance issued by the Government, they will be unable to offer the usual transition days after half term, they do, however, have some ideas around inviting children and their parents in for socially distanced meetings with key staff and virtual transition for others. They are working these through at the moment and will be back in touch with any further details. We fully understand that many parents and children will feel anxious and have many questions and we will do our best to discuss and work through these with the children over the next few weeks. Chard Clothes Bank If any families need support with clothing, they can contact school via the Home Learning email, if they title the email Chard Clothes Bank then one member of staff will look at those emails, like for the Food Bank. We have a criteria and referral form which we can complete to request items required. Thanks.

Lord's Larder Update Thank you for continuing to support the Lord's Larder with food and finance. Although demand is fluctuating it is significantly greater than usual for this time of year. They are happy to receive all donations but at the moment they need more tinned peas, carrots and potatoes as well as empty egg boxes. These can be dropped into Forefront or the Methodist Church between 11 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. weekdays or be left with us for delivery on a Monday. They no longer need Long Life Milk, as a local supplier has given them a supply. Please remember, anyone wishing to receive a delivery of food on a Monday afternoon simply has to send an email via homelearning and add Food Donation in the subject bar.

Wellbeing Passport Congratulations to Megan in Y5 as she has completed her passport and

can now order her tracksuit bottoms.

Stars this week:

BLUE badges YELLOW badges

Year 3 Archie, Lily E Frankie and Archie Year 4 David, Leyland Year 5 Jasper Chris, Megan, Rebekah

Acorn Class Here's Ava with her nature journey stick from one of the many fantastic walks she's been on. Isla has made these beautiful 'nature wands' - which have inspired the latest Acorn class challenge. Alfred and his impressive home-made dinosaur. For maths, we've been practicing our doubling in reception this week and here are a couple of lovely examples of that work from Cameron and Isla.

Exciting news! – Mr Johnston has recorded The Enormous Crocodile, click here for part one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBXDirQ25iM part two and three are also there to view and we will add these on to the website soon too. Beech Class - Sophia harvesting her first bunch of radishes and Chloe’s giraffe artwork.

Willow Class Some lovely pictures of our celebration awards and our work on mass and poetry this week.

Can you solve Erin’s riddles…? What has a head and tail but no body?

I am a red ball that doesn’t bounce,

I am squishy but don’t squish me. What am I?

I am orange, but I am not an orange I am round like a football, but don’t kick me,

You can carve me, but I am not wood. What am I? Hawthorn Class

Brooke’s ‘The Eagle’

Gracie’s Poem, Leyland Potting Up and Meme’s Positive Words!

Hazel Class have been busy learning about China and the Shang Dynasty this week, as well as writing and reading aloud some wonderful sound poems and sharing pictures of their beloved pets. After reading about the main character enjoying a meal in their class reader, "Wolf Brother," they wrote a description of their favourite meal. Here are Ellie's, Izzie's and Jamie's pieces of writing. Be prepared: they will make your mouths water. Year 5 have also been doing a recap of their forces topic from science earlier in the year, making parachutes for an egg. Here are Megan's, Summer's and Theo's. I have seen video evidence that these, and Harry F's, arrived to the floor from an upstairs window unscathed. Well done!

Yew Class - have continued to find out about the rainforest and shown their learning through a variety

creative of mediums: Rainforest in a shoebox model by Abigail, a terrarium planted with chilli seeds to

recreate the biodome of the rainforest by Holly, a tourist leaflet about visiting the Amazon by Poppy, ‘How

the sloth is adapted to life in the Amazon’ by Leon and Keegan with his sculpture of a person.

Kind regards

Tracey Hart Headteacher