The New School Year - A Big Welcome Back

Date: 15th Sep 2017 @ 3:07pm

Well we've reached the end of the first full week back at school and what a busy time we have had so far. It's been non-stop!

We started the term by exploring our Core Values of Respect, Integrity, Nurture, Creativity and Passion as well as reviewing our Mission Statement. The children have thought really hard about what our Core Values mean and have suggested different ways that we can live them out in our school. We have also spent time reflecting upon how we can follow in Jesus' footsteps. We recorded our ideas down on feet and our feet are now displayed in the Infant Hall. 

We welcomed our Reception children into school full time this week. It was a big step for them to come to school everyday, but they have been marvellous. They are a lovely bunch of children and I am sure that they will be a great asset to St. Mary's. I am really looking forward to getting to know them all.

We have introduced 'Bucket Filling' to the children and the children are trying hard to be Bucket Fillers rather than Bucket Dippers. (Further explanations can be found on the school's newsletter.) Every week we will be celebrating children who fill other people's buckets by their kind words and actions.

Two new reward systems have been introduced. PASSPORT TO THE PARK for Key Stage 2 and AN AFTERNOON OF FUN for Key Stage 1. These again are explained more fully in the newsletter.

In assembly today we all reflected upon how the start of a new school year can be worrying and we read the story A Bagful of Worries. We found out that if we speak about our worries, they will go away as other people can help us to overcome them. At school we have a Chatter Box and children can write down their worries and put them in the box and a member of staff will talk to them. I have also told the children that my door is always open if they are worried about something and want to chat with me. We all agreed that worries get bigger if we don't share them.

Year 4 have begun their Wider Opportunities Music Lessons and are all learning to play a woodwind instrument. I am expecting beautiful tunes to be drifting out of the Junior Hall by Christmas 

We have many great things planned again for the year and the staff and I are really looking forward to working with our children and their families over the coming  months.

Have a lovely weekend. I'll see you all on Monday.