long crendon is leaving lock-down learning at long last ......★year 2 had a great time with...
TRANSCRIPT
Headteacher’s Newsletter 6.3.21
Long Crendon is Leaving Lock-down Learning at Long Last!
Full school opening Monday 8th March!
This Tuesday was National Offer Day: Congratulations to our Year 6 pupils who have received confirmation of their next school. This is an exciting
development in the next stage of their education and we are very proud of them! In the next few months the Year 6
staff team will be working closely with the children on their transition, including developing their independence with
plenty of discussion and activities. This approach will help our Year 6 students to build confidence, resilience and
develop their skills ready for the final stages of their Long Crendon School education. We are excited to support them in
taking their next steps.
Curriculum updates: Here is our refreshed Curriculum Policy which sets out the whole-school approach to
the curriculum and homework. http://www.longcrendon.bucks.sch.uk/about-us/curriculum/
World Book Day:
Lots of fun activities took place on World Book Day for each class:
★ Foundation Stage children built 'Story Dens' and were encouraged to get comfy and share/read a book or more!
★ Year 1 had lots of fun with a Tiger Who Came to Tea quiz. The children also asked their favourite tea guest
questions.
★ Year 2 had a great time with numerous activities including a book scavenger hunt, origami bookmarks, solving
the mystery of the story ending and saving Humpty by conducting an eggcellent eggsperiment!
★ Year 3 loved being able to write creatively and designed their own book covers. The variety of costumes in the
live lesson were brilliant and Miss Nolan and the children all shared their favourite books.
★ Year 4 dressed up as their favourite characters, designed book covers and wrote about their favourite books. It
has been a fun week and the class are looking forward to voting for their favourite book which will become the
class reader next week.
★ Year 5 built a den to read in and they created cartoon comic books. They were challenged to answer the
question: ‘what is the point of reading?’ The class also did World Book Day themed Maths and made
space-themed origami cartoon books.
★ Year 6 took part in the Masked Reader - all children created a video behind the mask of a book, gave a brief
synopsis of the book and why they liked it. Miss Brown held a World Book Day quiz for children and a member
of their bubble!
Wellbeing:
● Parents can find a new letter from Mrs Fleming parents anticipating the wobbles of returning to school
http://www.longcrendon.bucks.sch.uk/about-us/running-a-mentally-healthy-school/
Mrs Fleming is contactable [email protected]
Our teachers have been working with the children this week to prepare them to return to school:
❖ Foundation Stage: Mr Poote created a 'video - walkthrough' of the Foundation Area (inside/outside including
Wild Area) to remind children of what it looks like and that it hasn't changed! He also reminded children of
timetables and routines such as lunchtimes etc. in response to questions asked by children and parents.
❖ Year 1: Mrs Brooks talked to the class about how we can feel lots of different feelings at the same time and that
it’s okay to be feeling big feelings. Mrs Brooks encouraged the class to keep talking to each other and to Mrs
Ward and Mrs Parking, and how communicating our feelings is important. In Mrs Ward’s my circle time session
they talked about how feeling nervous and a bit anxious is to be expected and that the adults feel like that too.
They also talked about how it's okay to miss your family, what they are looking forward to - everyone said
seeing their friends!
❖ Year 2: Reflected on the journey they have had these few months and celebrated! Mrs Auster is incredibly
proud of what everyone has achieved. The class is so excited to get back together in the classroom for our
Rumble in the Jungle!
❖ Year 3: Discussed coming back to school and what the school day will look like. The children were quite keen to
know the routine so they knew what was happening and when, so they talked through the shape of the day to
give them confidence for their first day back!
❖ Year 4: Children were really keen to learn if they would have forest school sessions in their first week back and
were reassured that they will be! They discussed what they can expect over the first week back and got excited
about their new art project - Impressionism and the term’s Topic is France. The children were very excited to
return to school next week and Mrs Woodward and Mr Van Der Leeuw can’t wait to see them!
❖ Year 5 Pupils were generally excited to see friends and wanted to know the logistics of being back in school.
They discussed getting into school, where to sit, lunches, playtimes etc. The class all agreed that they have
enjoyed having a quiet working space at home so will try to bring that to the classroom. The class also talked
about being patient again and having to wait our turn, which children haven’t necessarily had to do at home but
with a bit of practice everyone will be able to get back into the swing of it. Teachers spoke about how they are
the same as the children and everyone has butterflies about returning, but that they would all try their best to
work together as a team.
❖ Year 6 discussed the idea of taking it one day at a time, enjoy the moment; yesterday is history and tomorrow is
a mystery but today is a gift and that is why we call it the present. The class discussed how coming back to
school means something different to everyone, no one’s feelings are wrong. All of the children are excited to
come back to school and see their friends and they will be preparing for their next school, so building up focus
on their school work steadily over the coming weeks is important! Here are some of their heartwarming
preparation oak leaves and acorns:
PTA, fundraising and gifts from the community:
Maths Shop Wish Lists - thank you to everyone who has contributed! Over Christmas we received many generous
donations of both money and resources that has allowed us to equip the Maths Shops.
Across the school we are setting up Maths Shops in every classroom. All shops will be equipped with manipulatives that
support and develop children’s learning in Maths. Over the next few weeks we are purchasing the rest of the
equipment that each class requires and then we will introduce the children to the Maths Shop. The children will have
ownership of the equipment they choose to use and will be able to select equipment they feel is best to support their
learning.
We will send you updates as staff receive training and children begin to use the equipment.
Our School Kitchen: Over February half-term the kitchen was refitted with commercial stainless steel counters. Our
thanks to Stuart Barr (Long Crendon School Parent & Director of construction, design and renovation company) for the
renovation works and to our catering company Fresh Start for contributing the counters. It will hugely improve the
ergonomic working environment for our catering team.
Thank you to Fisher German the Estate Agents who contribute to the PTA every time they sell a house in Long Crendon:
their latest contribution allowed us to put down fresh indoor sport lines in our Hall and they look sharp!
We have also received kind donations from Year 6 parent Sandra Brookes of exercise videos and Maths test books, 2
hockey sticks from a Long Crendon resident and a van full of new office style furniture from The Partnering Initiative, and the Ethical Property Company in Oxford.
A big thanks to Sainsburys in Thame who gave our key worker childcare the juices and jams for our French breakfast
and un immense merci to The Cottage Bakery who kindly contributed 30 freshly baked croissants - délicieux!
Parent Teacher Association Virgin Giving Fund Reading & Classroom IT Appeal
★ We have reached 5% of our target - £600 out of £12,000 so far raised - thank you!
★ Here is the link…. And you can read about our new appeal. 40 families have already signed up - thank you!
Please have a look at how you can help:
https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/finalCharityHomepage.action?charityId=1020026
Honoring Terry Miles
On Wednesday 10th March, we will honour the world’s sweetest Lollipop Man by having an art and craft session in
classrooms and every child will participate in making and decorating a lollipop on card. Due to the rain forecast on
Wednesday, we will wait until Friday 12th March to display them on the railings at the front of the school. In the
afternoon you will be able to see the lollipops when you pick up your child, and importantly, Terry’s wife and daughters
will see them later that afternoon.
Terry’s funeral is on Thursday 11th March and Mrs Quinton, by invitation of his wife Wendy, will be representing the
school. Mrs Miles was very moved by the outpouring of kind support in the cards from LCS families which were
delivered to her last week.
Diary Dates:
❖ Monday 8th March - children return to school!
❖ Wednesday 10th March - children make their art and craft lollipops in class
❖ Thursday 11th March - Maple House Treat: Please send children in Maple House (blue) in mufti that is suitable
for PE or Forest School if they are doing those lessons on the day.
❖ Friday 12th March - Lollipops are displayed on the school railings to honour Terry
Before and After School Club: http://www.longcrendonpreschool.co.uk/outofschoolclub/ for more information
contact: [email protected]
Communications: If there are any aspects of your child’s education that you want to discuss, please contact your child’s
class teacher in the first instance. For more general information you can contact the Office, and should you wish to
discuss any issues or raise any concerns with me please use the contact details below.
Mrs Polly Quinton
Headteacher, Long Crendon School
Tel: 01844 208225