Newsletters

24.5.2021

Well we're nearly there... one week to go until half term... and so far it's been a full half term with no bubble closures! How great is that?!  A good, solid half term in school was just what the kids needed, what the staff needed and I'm sure what we all needed to get back into the swing of school life and learning again. It has been absolutely brilliant and it couldn't have been done without everyone's diligence, sacrifice and willingness to play by the rules. A mega effort from everyone and I, for one, couldn't be any prouder of our school community.  Saying all this I've probably jinxed it and we'll be popping bubbles by 8am tomorrow morning... 

We were chatting as a staff last week about our journey as a school since March 2020... and although it was turbulent and at times very draining indeed... a lot has happened in school during this past year and a bit... here is a little lowdown of what's been happening since Boris first closed our doors until now... 

  • Dragon fm was installed and is being enjoyed daily.
  • The greenhouse... well, need I say any more! Just have a look next time you are picking up at the completely transformed 'quiet area' that is now in full bloom...
  • Our reading river was created to run over our new home readers - every child in school came back to after the second lockdown to a fantastic selection of brand new books to choose from.
  • Our phonics scheme was overhauled with a new system (making life a little easier for teachers assigning phonics books) and again many new books for the children to enjoy.
  • Trouts and chickens! We were always going to be hatching chicks but this year class 5 watched around 15 trout hatch from eggs and be released into our local river... an amazing experience... I'd certainly never seen a fish hatch before!
  • Zool... we were all chucked head first into remote learning which I can assure you was as unnerving for us as teachers as it was for you at home... but with this came an influx in technology to school... each class has since received a batch of brand new ipads so we can continue to build on our technology skills in school....
  • As an addition to this we are currently in the process of setting up a 'zoom zone' in school... not only can this be used for any teachers who have to self-isolate and teach from home but can be used moving forward in allowing the children to visit places and speak to people out of reach of a school trip... 
  • Prags has joined us to deliver a fantastic cooking club on a Friday after school which has been so popular it is continuing after half term...more on that later...
  • Cake and Hot Chocolate Days during lockdown - they were great weren't they...
  • We did the community marathon and walk from lands end to John o Groats... both real feel good events
  • The infant playground got a bit of a facelift with the installation of a climbing wall, basketball nets, talking tubes, musical corridor and of course those slides...
  • We held World Book Day  and each teacher read a bedtime story to the kids on facebook...

All in all, I'd say that's not too bad for one little primary school during a global pandemic... 

St George's "Big Dig" - Friday 28th May

Anonymous Sarah is now "branching out" and wants to finish the term with a great "Big Dig"

On Friday the 28th all kids should come in their scruffs. Why? Well, they're going to be part of a "Big Dig" 

We are going to dig huge areas for wild flower seeds so the school can become bee friendly. This part of the environmental project in Chorley scheme - (EPIC)

If infant kids can bring a trowel in each that would be great, but don't worry if they can't we do have spares.

Junior kids - can you bring a gardening fork, or spade they can use, if not a trowel will suffice..

Then throughout the day we'll dig up the ground so that we can plant some wildflower seeds. 

Adults very welcome to come and join the "fun"

The fun starts at 9.00am! see you there! 

Sarah also informs me the Mayor of Chorley has been invited to the big dig so fingers crossed they have room in their diary...

St George's Beehive! 

Well... we are making the school 'bee friendly' on Friday with the 'big dig' so we thought - in for a penny in for a pound - let's create a buzz around the place. We will soon be installing our very own St George's bee hive ! This will be happening at some point next half term...

This is an exciting opportunity for our kids to play an active role in tackling the decline in bee population and make a real impact on their environment.

As it stands the hive will be located behind the muga, in the far corner of the school grounds on the slope running parallel to Fountains Close, with the flight path of the bees being directed towards Duxbury. Once we have found our confidence with bee management, the children, should they wish, will be actively involved in maintaining the bee hive and collecting the honey - naturally only if they wish to bee (couldn't resist) and they will always be fully kitted out in protective gear should they wish to bee involved. 

Bee hives in primary schools is not a new thing, many across the country have been successfully installed and maintained. It is of real benefit to the school and community... indeed it's not really a new thing for us as we tend to have a wasp nest or two around the place each year... despite our best efforts. 

We will of course make the venture as safe as possible and as such have invested in a batch of epi pens for school just incase... but let's give it a go! If it becomes too troublesome or doesn't work out we can always find the bees a new home somewhere else...

So... if we have any established bee keepers out there as parents or grandparents, or kids do get in touch! Any and all help/advice would be greatly received... 

Mrs Hitchen, Anonymous Sarah and Mrs Brown will be our Bee Keepers. 

St George's Farm Shop!

Once the fresh fruits, vegetables herbs, honey, wax and sopa in our wonderful greenhouse and incoming bee hive have grown to maturity, we will be setting out a school farm shop and the kids will be selling the fruits (vegetables and herbs...) of their labours on the junior yard... more details of this to come nearer the time.

Wow! What a Year!

As it stands...the Year 6 production will be going ahead this year. The title of the production is 'Wow! What a year!'.... well quite! Naturally, if cases rise and the June 21st lifting of restrictions doesn't go ahead we will have to adapt our plans... 

Planning for the best case scenario, the production will be held on Wednesday 14th July at 7pm. It will be outdoors so year 6 parents - incase of a bit of light rain, bring a waterproof and a brolly. Incase of storm/torrential rain the kids will perform in the hall it will be zoomed out to you in the dryness and comfort of your own homes. 

What's coming up...

Confirmation Class
3:30pm – 4:30pm
From 22 Apr and on Thursday each week until 28 May except for 06 May
27
May

The Friday Cookathon Continues...

The cooking club led by Prags on a Friday after school is back after half term by popular demand. If you would like to take part after half term please let Sharon in the office know. All are welcome whether you have been involved previously or not... 

And to our final piece of news on what has turned out to be a mammoth newsletter...

We are planning a whole school visit to Martin Mere on Monday 13th September! 

Why? For many, many reasons...

  1. All being well, this is the first day the whole school will be together for the first time (until this date the new reception children will be part time) and what a way to start a new year...
  2. Who knows where we will be in terms of restrictions by then...we might heading into the start of a third wave so we want to get a visit in before we go back to a time of winter restrictions... it could be a celebration of the end of all restrictions and we can breathe a sigh of relief that it's all over with... and of course there is the possibility that we will be under some form of restrictions by then and we won't be able to go ahead... however, if we planned for the worst case scenario we would never get anything done and as you can see from the first part of the newsletter, that's just not how we do things...
  3. We will have the whole place to ourselves and having done the same trip to Martin Mere a few years back, we know that it will be a great day for the kids that they will enjoy and learn so much from...
  4. We will lead our first whole school worship of the year in amongst nature and the wonderful world God has created... does it get any better than that?!
  5. School saved a fortune over the lockdowns on things like heating and photocopying bills so we can take all the kids on a visit at absolutely no cost to you at home... brilliant!
  6. We will use this as part of the children's transition into the next year. We ordinarily have a 'meet the teacher' afternoon that, for obvious reasons, this year won't be going ahead. The trip will take place after the children have been in school for 7 school days. These 7 days will form a prolonged transition period in which the children will have chance to settle in to their new classroom, get to know their new teacher and new classmates and have something really exciting to look forward to...and don't they just deserve that after the year they've had!?

 

So, for now, that's all from us. I'm going to end the newsletter the way I started, with another great big thank you to you all, for your relentless support and unwavering dedication to the school, it wouldn't be the school it is without you and for that, I can't thank you enough.

Take it easy, have a wonderful half term and we will see you all on Wednesday 9th June for the final half term of the year.

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