Dear Parents,

 There were a couple of highlights this week. One was undoubtedly our open Worship and Praise on Thursday morning. Despite the tight squeeze (apologies again if you missed out this time) the children’s exuberance couldn’t be quashed and it was so lovely to have the whole school singing together with such gusto. It followed hot on the heels of the choir’s special trip to sing at Rochester Cathedral. We were invited to sing as part of their annual Education Service, celebrating the role of education within the Diocese, long service of some staff and the retirement of others. Our children not only sang beautifully and joyfully (Don’t build your house on the sandy land) but a few also had the opportunity to speak and lead the gathered congregation. Bonnie read from Corinthians (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) – Love is patient, love is kind. She read with wisdom and clarity beyond her years. Jonjo, Beth and Penny also stepped up with very little notice to lead everybody in the Proclamation of Faith. To say that Mrs Bateup, Mr Hills and I were proud is an understatement. All 40 of the children were respectful, perfectly behaved and enthusiastic. Thank you.

Also a great source of pride were our children who took part in a football tournament at St Gregory’s school. The boys report: On Thursday, some boys from Year 4 and 5 (Theo, Luca, Jonathan, Keaton, Zander, Thomas and Finley) played in a football tournament. In the group there were eight schools and if you got into the top four, you go through to the semi-finals. Our games were great. First, we played Beechwood and lost 1-0. In our other games, we beat Woodlands, Temple Grove, St Augustine’s, Speldhurst and Groombridge. We lost to Southborough as well. We came second and lost on penalties to Woodlands. In the end, we finished thired after overcoming Groombridge once more in our final game. It was a great day and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. Well done to the boys and keep an eye on the website for some photos!

We were again impressed to see the efforts of the children in their Home Learning. From Vicking long boats to power point presentations regarding different types of rocks – it looks like the children were able to find something that they were able to engage in. Thank you for all your support in extending the children’s learning at home.

The last couple of weeks are certainly jam-packed with sporting events and transition opportunities. The children will all be spending time in their new classrooms next Thursday (including Year 6 at their secondary schools – good luck to you!). This year, we are letting the children be the first to know who their new teachers are. I understand that whilst this is exciting for most children, the change can be worrying for other children and their parents. Please be assured that the transitions are handled carefully and the children are generally more robust than we anticipate. We will be encouraging our children to think about what will be the same in their new classes rather than emphasise the changes. Your support in this will help the children as they get used to their new surroundings.

So, the weather is warming up and looks set to be just right for our Sports Day next week. Please do look back at the information we sent you regarding this event. It is usually one of the highlights of the year and we a chance for the whole school community to come together. Remember, in any of the warmer days, send your children in with sun lotion applied, summer hats and a refillable water bottle. And yet, it is England, so ensure they have a waterproof coat tucked away in a bag!

Year 6 have been incredible this last 2 weeks as they (and Year 5) have coped with the disruption to their toilet facilities. I am delighted to say that these works are almost complete and our children will soon be able to benefit from the updated facilities. Thanks again to all of you as members of the PTA for the fundraising that has made this all possible.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

 Kind regards,

Julie Burton
Headteacher

Dates:

 4^th July – Move up Morning
5^th July – Sports Day (KS1 a.m., KS2 p.m.)
8^th July – Year 6 production week (details to follow)
12^th July – RockSteady concert
12^th July – Open Classrooms and reports home
18^th July – Bidborough’s Got Talent
22^nd July – Year 6 Service at St Lawrence (Y6 Parents welcome, 9a.m.)
23^rd July – Leavers’ Assembly and end of term