It was so lovely to welcome everyone back on Tuesday refreshed and recharged after the school break. This final summer term is always a very special one and often the term when the most progress is made. The children are very settled now and the year's learning comes together to demonstrate each child's unique and incredible journeys.  All opportunities to enhance this are explored in class, and you'll be aware that several additional intervention groups have been set up. Wherever possible, it would be good for your child to join these if they receive an invitation. 

Support at home is also very important and hopefully, the recent parent/carer meetings and reports shared lots of information about how we can work in partnership. If you would like further help to know how you can support at home, please don't hesitate to make contact with your child's teacher.

As you read through this rather mammoth newsletter, sorry, you'll also see that we are keen to have volunteers in school supporting learning in multiple ways. We know that this might not be possible for many of you with your own work roles, but help wherever possible is always very much appreciated. 

Showcasing the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

As a school we are keen to involve ourselves in the celebration of the Platinum Jubilee milestone.  The children will be busy in school creating artwork to celebrate this momentous occasion. We are also keen to participate in an environmentally friendly project organised by West and North Northamptonshire Councils. This is where you come in…

Children and young people in Northamptonshire are being asked to display their creative skills ahead of the Platinum Jubilee in June by taking part in the countywide Queen of Arts Activity.

With the dual aims of including as many people as possible and having a minimal impact on the environment, West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) and North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) are challenging everyone to up-cycle household items by decorating them in honour of Her Majesty.

WNC Chairman Cllr Ann Addison, said: “The possibilities are endless: old t-shirts, tea towels, old sheets, scrap wood, you’re limited only by your imagination.

“Instead of clicking on the internet to have some plastic bunting shipped around the world to be used once, make your own. Paint a picture, create a collage, express what the Queen means to you with a personalised t-shirt, hat or poster.

“Being Northamptonshire I expect we’ll see plenty of old shoes and boots given new life, and I really hope our embroiderers and lacemakers are already busy.

“And if you’re not creative with your hands, write a poem or a song.”

Over the next month we ask that you get creative at home with your children upcycling to produce your own Platinum Jubilee memorabilia.  The financial and environmental impact should be minimal so please don’t rush out and spend a fortune on new art materials, try to be creative with the items you already have.  The work should be the child’s but with support where necessary. 

Before you send your creation into school to form part of our Jubilee celebrations a photograph of your creation needs to be sent to queensjubilee@westnorthants.gov.uk by Friday, 13 May 2022 and include the entrant’s name, age and a couple of lines stating ‘what the Queen means to you. 

The councils will display all entries in a digital Jubilee exhibition which will tour the county’s libraries, starting in the West before moving on to the North. Judges will select their overall favourite and the winning entrant will be invited to attend the Big Lunch as a special guest on Sunday, 5 June 2022.

Jubilee bunting

In addition to the council project, as a school we are also asking you to help us create upcycled Jubilee bunting.  If you have any old (clean) bedsheets, towels, tea towels etc sitting around could we please ask that you cut these into triangles measuring 25cm along each edge. The brighter, the better! We will collect these in at the school office and create celebratory bunting from them with groups of children adding designs and illustrations to each bunting flag.  Could we please have these by Friday 6^th May?

We recently recognised Neurodiversity Week - an opportunity to celebrate our uniqueness and continue to develop a growing awareness and support for the different ways that we think and learn. In one of our assemblies, the children very eloquently showcased their understanding of our neurodiversity.

Olivia Clark in Y6, has written this article to expertly explain what neurodiversity is. Thank you so much, Olivia. 

Neurodiversity is a term used to describe the differences in somebody’s brain and behaviour. Some differences are caused by these traits, there are many of these but some you may know include dyslexia, autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and epilepsy. These should not be considered as unusual or not normal for anybody to have. If you do have any of these traits you should not be worried or anxious to tell somebody that you do not understand or may need more support in this area of learning. As we are all unique and have different strategies and ways of learning.