Newsletter 23.4.21

Dear Parents/ Carers,

I hope you are enjoying the good spell of weather we are having. The children have been using the opportunity for more outdoor learning which is a lovely contrast to the remote learning we were engaging with before Easter.

Poetry Competition update

We are pleased to be able to advise that copies of our poetry book, comprising winners’ and runners’-up poems in our Ebor schools poetry competition, are now available to buy online. 

As well as the poems, our budding poets from schools across Ebor Academy Trust also have their photograph next to them. The theme is ‘looking forwards’ to life after lockdown and the books will be a permanent but optimistic reminder of this historic time. There is some beautiful poetry from children of all ages as well as staff.

Priced at £5 including postage, all proceeds go to the vital work carried out by children’s charity the NSPCC. Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3dsRMxs – note, while it says ‘Tickets’ on the website, this is actually to make a purchase of the book.

The NSPCC tell us they will despatch books within a week of receiving the order.

Books are only being sold online because of continuing Covid restrictions, which rules out money changing hands. It is not possible to buy books any other way. The NSPCC’s Childline telephone help service, for children and young people, costs £4 per call. Every poetry book bought pays for a call which helps a child.

We are grateful to Agilico Workplace Technology for sponsoring the book token prizes awarded to winners and runners-up and for the professional production of the poetry books.

We are very proud to announce that Mrs Messruther won a staff award for her poem and Y5 pupil Joana Sola-Farrus also a special award. We are so proud of both. 

What are we looking forward to?

Are you sure you’ve got the time…

These lists they could go on and on,

But here are some of mine:

What I’m looking forward to (in no particular order!)

Number 1: Engagement parties, of these there’s at least two.

Number 2: Meeting my friend’s babies. Now these, there’s been a few!

It’s such a shame that months have passed without seeing them at all.

One’s getting to the stage now that he can even crawl.

Number 3: A belated birthday party, I think this would be fun!

For all the milestones that we’ve missed. Everyone – old and young.

Number 4: Nipping to see my colleagues and gossip in their room.

There’s something just not quite the same seeing them on zoom.

Number 5: Going on my honeymoon. It was due to be last summer.

Missing out on this, well, that was quite a bummer.

I’ve enjoyed this time with the hubby and he can be a cutie

But I’m getting pretty bored now of hearing ‘Call of Duty!’

Number 6: I think I’d like to end my list

With all the people that I’ve missed.

I most look forward to the days when

I’ll see and hug them all again.

Mrs Messruther Staff winner

The Anger Inside

When two sticks strike together,

They both erupt in flames.

When two feelings hit each other,

Anger wins the claim.

Spreading through your limbs,

The fire reaches your mind,

And no longer can you think straight,

Because anger has made you blind.

A fire feeds on oxygen,

Unlike the one inside.

This one feeds on bad thoughts,

That spread inside your mind.

Not only does he infect your mind,

He corrupts your words too.

You say things you shouldn’t,

You’re no longer you.

He lingers in the back of your throat,

Waiting for a chance to be heard.

Then he jumps at your surprised listener,

When you try to say a word.

Lockdown is the perfect time,

For him to go his way.

With everyone already down,

He finds it easy prey.

And despite the guilty conscience,

Anger has never had respect.

So he tries to poison everyone,

In a world of no regrets.

So everyone should remember,

He mustn’t win the war.

Try to be happy,

And positive once more.

And even if the present,

Doesn’t seem that bright.

Always remember,

The future will be alright.

At the end of the tunnel,

There will always be light.

And when you have found it,

Anger has lost the fight.

The tunnel cannot,

Go on forever,

But we’ll end it quicker,

If we do it together.

So breathe in deeply,

And find the power inside.

Breathe out slowly,

And the anger now has died.

And as everyone in the whole world should know,

Together we can make evil anger go.

Special award: Joana Sola Farrus (8-11 category), Osbaldwick:

Nursery Seed Planting

We have been digging up lots of soil to bring into our outside classroom to plant vegetables seeds in. They’ve all worked really hard!

2HM Geography

Children are completing world map jigsaws and labelling the continents & oceans.

3JP Maths

In 3JP we have been looking at different ways to display data in Maths. This week we were trying to find all the pictures Miss Pigg had hidden around the classroom by creating a Tally Chart. There is still one unicorn left to find!

Captain Tom

Friday 30 April would have been Captain Tom’s 101st birthday and to celebrate his life, the hope and joy he brought to millions, and his sense of fun, The Captain Tom Foundation is inviting everyone, of all ages and abilities, to take part in the Captain Tom 100.  Next week in school we will be doing activities based around things 100.

Y6 ‘Team Earth’

Our Y6s have been meeting with myself, Mr Thompson (facilities manager) and Mrs Christie (Business Partner) in order to make some environmental changes within school. It’s lovely to see that our young people want to look after our school, community and world we live in. They have called themselves ‘Team Earth’. They will be providing their own update in our school newsletter.

Reminder: Training Day Friday 30th April

Reminder school is closed on Friday 30th April for a teacher training day and we are also closed on Monday 3rd May for the bank holiday.

Have a lovely sunny weekend!

Mr Brown