Dear Parents and Carers

The end of our first half term finally draws to a close.  The teachers are very pleased with the way the children have settled into classroom routines and they are all working extremely hard, but most importantly enjoying school.  Attendance is good but can always improve and I ask that you ensure that you do your very best to ensure that your child’s attendance is as high as it can possibly be.  You should all have received an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress with their teachers and I would like to thank you for your positive responses and the support that you give to your children.  Any areas that you feel could be improved are taken very seriously and an audit of your feedback responses will be considered as we continually look for ways to improve our provision and work together in a true partnership of collaboration to ensure that all our children receive the very best start in life. 

Much has happened throughout this half term and I would urge you to share these experiences which we place on our Twitter pages.  The many pictures and comments paint a picture of the rich provision that our children enjoy.

Last Friday afternoon, Mr Parry and I took a group of Year 3 children to compete in the Multi Skills Tournament at Chesterfield High.  Once again, their effort and behaviour were exemplary and the afternoon was simply a joy to be a part of.  Thirteen primary schools were in attendance and we came 5^th with the top few schools separated by only a few points. 

Monday evening was particularly busy with the majority of parents attending their child’s meeting with their teachers.  The first Maghull and District Cross Country Event took place at Maricourt High School.  This normally takes place on a Wednesday which would clearly have been more convenient, however, the turn out of nearly 40 children from Years 4, 5 & 6 was amazing and made me feel extremely proud of the support and commitment that you have given.  All the children received a medal which is something that I have pushed for and I was even more pleased that every child completed their race.  Of course, we have some amazing runners who won their races but the whole group photograph that Mr Parry posted on Twitter said it all for me as the children encouraged each other to try their very best when representing their school.

Although we were only able to run our School Book Fair on Tuesday, our Head and Deputy Head boys and girls did a fantastic job and we raised over £300 which will enable us to purchase even more books to support our curriculum delivery. 

We were finally able to celebrate St Bernadette in a beautiful collective worship that was led by our Year 3 children.  Their readings helped to tell the story of Bernadette’s vision at Lourdes and went on to explain how she became such a special person.  I know that Fr Grant would be particularly pleased and I am sure that he will enjoy questioning the children when he visits school after our break.

Thursday was a day dedicated to our Reception children.  What a fantastic day they had.  In the morning we all went to Church View Farm in the school minibus (2 trips) and the children not only got to run over the pumpkin fields and choose some pumpkins to take back to school, but they learned about the things that pumpkins need to grow.  We also took full advantage of the colourful lights and ice cream banners and used them for the children to show how well their counting had developed.  The afternoon saw their parents and family members attend a beautiful Welcome Assembly where they were supported by their Year 6 Chummies and gave their parents a memorable afternoon of songs and readings as they were officially welcomed into our school family.  The teachers were so proud of all the children and I do hope that you enjoined this special event which will become one of many wonderful memories as your child grows throughout the school.

Today our Year 6 boys and girls will be taking part in a Tag Rugby Competition and I know that they have enjoyed and benefited from their PE sessions led by Mr Parry and Mrs Boynton.  We have contacted a number of local primary schools and look forward to providing opportunities for both our girls and boys football teams to enjoy competitive games played in the spirit of participation and friendship. 

I would like to thank all the teachers and support staff for their hard work and dedication throughout this extremely busy first half term.  We are most fortunate to have such a dedicated group of teachers and support staff who do everything in their power to provide a rich and exciting learning experience for all our children.   I know from talking to  Fr Grant and our School Board of Governors that they too would like to join me in thanking them and wish them all a peaceful and restful half term break. 

I hope you all have a wonderful half term and are able to enjoy spending some time with your children.

I look forward to welcoming you all back on Monday 31^st October.

Yours sincerely

Mr D MacAreavy - Headteacher