Flourishing!
Thank you to all the families who came to the church on Tuesday night to join in with 'Celebrating the Earth' together. We loved the poem that Year Four children had written and which they performed so beautifully - the participants at the event were very moved.
I was delighted to have so many pupils to sing with and they really made us proud. Lots of people have told me how much they enjoyed the children's singing - what an absolute pleasure and thank you to everyone who came along. The next event will be on the subject of birdsong - we shall have to think of a song to perform at that one.

​Year Four – Peace in Nature Poem
I smell green plants around me
I hear jenny wren singing in the branches.
I feel long grass brush my thigh.
I smell the sweet scent of flowers.
I taste the warm summer breeze.
 
I feel calm and relaxed in my heart.
I feel peace in the woodlands.
This is a place where I feel safe
 
The river delivers the salmon to pray
As the water comes to the beat of the dancing fish that wish for eggs to lay.
Upstream,  Down stream – the rocks tumble and the river slows.
I hear the water rushing
I see the darting fish
 
It gives me joy to be outside.
I feel one with the wild.
I feel free.

Burns Night
Children in Years Five and Six took a break from the curriculum this week to learn a little about the great Rabbie Burns. Year Five learned his poem 'Up In The Morning Early' and performed it in assembly on Friday. Year Six were given a Burns Supper in thier classroom - the Haggis was piped in and served with neeps and tatties. I was very pleased and impressed to see every child trying the food - no one turned thisr noses up at it and almost every scrap was eaten. Some had even had seconds! 

Industrial Action by The National Education Union

Parents wil know that members of the National Education Union voted to take strike action a few weeks ago, that the ballot suprapssed the benchmarks required and that union have called out for members to take action on four days over hte next few weeks. The first of those days is next Wednesday, 1st February.
As all members of the teaching staff at Chagford Primary are members of the NEU and intend to follow their union's call for action, that means that we will not be able to open the school to pupils on Wednesday. Teachers regret the inconvenience to parents and carers and are very mindful of the disruption to routine and to children's education. They feel that issues in the state education system at the moment which are impacting on thier pay and conditions are also impacting, perhaps with greater effect, on the education and wellbeing of the pupils that they care for.
Colleagues would want you to know that this strike action is taken reluctantly but with clear intent. They hope that this action will bring the attention of the government and of the public to bear on the issues of funding in general which are making it more difficult for teachers to teach and children to learn.
The school will be closed to all pupils on February 1st. We will need to look at the other forthcoming dates as they come.

Flourishing!
Well it has been a hard week for many of us with travel on the roads worrying and problematic and with footpaths treacherous. The buses that bring so many of our children to and from school could not operate as usual and parents had that and other challenges to deal with. 
Well done and thank you to everyone who managed to keep things ticking over and helped to keep our children safe and happy.

Of course, for the children, a little snow was pretty much a treat. We lvoed watching the youngest enjoiying what was for many of the their first 'proper' snow. It's hard to stay grumpy about the weather when so many little faces are shining so brightly.

Chinese New Year
We enjoyed celebrating Chinese New Year on Friday. Children worre red for good luck or something with a bunny on to remembr the Year of the Rabbit.
We loved seeing the effort some families had gone to - we had traditional clothes, chinese banners and a brilliant head dress. 
In class children heard the story of 'The Great Race', made lanterns and learned to say 'Happy New Year' in Chinese.
It was such a fun and positive day and, hopefully, the children reflected on a valuable lesson - people around the world are very different, and people around the world are very much the same, and it's great to celebrate those similarities and differences as that's what makes us all special and unique.

Celebrating the Earth
Year Four have written a wonderful poem to perform, the school have rehearsed 'Roller in the Coaster' to sing. It will be a beautiful evening in the Church. Please do come along and join us from 5:30 to clebrate our Earth and our very special place on it. I'm looking forward to seeing lots of children and families there.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea
Our pre-school and reception children have been enjoying the classic 'Tiger Who Came to Tea' and had a brillaint time today having thier very own tea party. They loved making and eating their jam sandwiches and they loved playing 'Musical Statues', 'Simon Says' and (more uniquely) 'Pass the Clownfish'. Fortunately, no one drank all the water in the taps.
​There are few parts of my job as headteacher that enjoy more than spending time with our youngest pupils. They make me smile every single day. Thank you to Miss Pollard and her team for making such lovely opportunities for these children.

Attendance
Attendance today was 94%, for the year so far we have an average of 94.2%. That is just a shade above the national average which is currently sitting at 93.4%.
Back before the pandemic we would have expected a typical school to have an average of around 97% so, as in so many orher parts of our lives, we really aren't 'back to normal' yet.
Sickness has certainly palyed a part in this - there have been some really horrible coughs, colds and bugs around. However, that's not the only reason that numbers are down. We are seeing term time holidays happening far more than we used to and that does make me worry. Children who are away from school for a chunk of time are missing a chunk of learning and it's not easy to see how a teacher, with the best will in the world, is going to catch up a whole unit on fractions, or those four great lessons when we designed and made our automata, while conbtinuing to teach the rest of the class. Teaching is planned and delivered in sequences - it is progressive - not cumulative.
Added to which, childrren who are aay in term time are missing elements of the social aspect of schooling.  Bits of the shared experience that builds community.
I would dearly love to see our attendance creep back up towards 97% as the year goes on - there's my challenge!

Next Tuesday, 24th Janurary, is the 'Celebrating the Earth' event at the Church of St Michael the Archangel in Chagford. Each of these events has been an inclusive, multi faith celebration of the people of this community and our connection to the land. They have been fun and uplifting. We have been involved as a school since the very fitst event and it would be absoluteoly lovely to see more children and fmailies getting involved. This month's event focusses on the role of the natural world in promoting health and wellbeing.

Children in Year Four have written beautiful poetry to share at the event and all children in Years one to six have been practicing 'Roller in the Coaster' by Justin Roberts to sing together. It's a lovely song which the children have been enjoying learning. I will bring song sheets in case anyone feels nervous about remembring them buit, remember, it's fine to come along and just join in on the chorus. The Song is available on Youtube here. Roller in the Coaster - YouTube and the lyrics are below if anyone would like to help their children to remember them or just to sing along with the video at home.

Flourishing!
I wonder if any children have come home and told you about our new 'Chagford Blessing' which we are closing every assembly and act of daily worship with. It's a short prayer which sends us out from the hall calm and peaceful and ready for the world.
Children are invited to join in with the blessing but no one is ever made to join in if they don't feel comfortable doing so. Some children like to stay quiet then join in with the 'amen' at the end. Our blessing is adapted from a blessing that the Reverend Paul likes and uses regularly so, even when he has gone, we will have a daily reminder of him. Why not ask your child if they can remember the words to our blessing?

Year Four children entertained us hugely in assembly on Wednesday. They had written and practiced their own version of 'Going to the Volcano' by Andy Stanton which they performed with great confidence and enjoyment. They made us smile and made us proud. I love 'Going to the Volcano' - it's a funny, silly rhyming book which is lots of fun for children to chant along with you but it is also a really good reminder of how we can work together as a community to challenge each other, to support each other and to care for each other - it's like a bright, colourful aide memoire for our school vision - Community - Challenge - Care.

Wildlife Champions' Bake Sale
Our brilliant school Wildlife Champions came to me and asked if they could run a Bake Sale to rasie funds to improve our grounds for wildlife. They want to raise enough money to buy a good quality pond liner so we can create a habitat for frogs, newts and water loving invertebrates. It was short notice but we put the word out and now we await the results. I wonder how much they will raise.
If you are not a big fan of cake or cake sales but you would like to donate towards the pond liner, Elaine will very happily accept donations at the school reception.

PTFA Open Meeting - all welcome
The PTFA are holding a meeting next Tuesday 17th January at 3.40pm in Mr Newland's class room.
This will be to discuss new ideas and planning of events over the next term.
The PTFA are always looking for new members so please feel free to come along.

Celebrating the Earth
Our next Celebrating the Earth event, on Tuesday 24th January, will take a focus on Health and Wellbeing - specifically the positive impact on wellbeing of being in nature.
We very much hope that a group of Chagford children will be involved to sing. 
Everyone is welcome to this event - it will be family friendly and not too long.  It starts at 5:30 and be all finished by 6:30 at the latest - the second half of the event is time for meditation and reflection, with a break beforehand so you can leave without any trouble at approximately 6:00.
We do hope that a lot of our children and their families will want to attend. It should be a lovely event.
​

Farewell to Reverend Paul
I am sure that you already know that the Revd. Paul is due to leave us at the end of January to take up a position in Cambridgeshire, I am also sure that even though it is tinged with a little sadness, we will all wish him well in his new life. Paul will be officiating his last church service in Devon on Sunday 29th January at St Michael’s commencing at 9.30 am.

To ensure that everyone has an opportunity to thank him for his friendship help and guidance over the last 11 years, we will be able to say goodbye at an informal ‘bring and share’ leaving Party on Saturday 28th January in the Jubilee Hall from 5.30pm until 10.30pm. There will be a ‘pay’ bar and background music provided by a variety of local people.

We are also planning to create a ‘Memory Book’ of his time with us in Devon to which everyone is invited to contribute. To make this easy we are inviting you give us your memory of Paul whether it be a few simple words, a memory of an event, a piece of poetry, a photograph, or a mixture of these. They can be handwritten or typed but the paper should not be bigger than 25cm square and of a thickness that will allow them to be mounted into a bound book. Contributions need to be with Rosemary Bleakman ([email protected] or Roseland Parely Hill Chagford TQ13 8HZ) before Monday 23rd January 2023.

We also plan to present Paul with a significant gift that that will be a constant memory of his happy times in these parts, and we would welcome any contributions that you feel able to give.
Contributions can be made;
1. in cash or cheque, made payable to Chagford Parochial Church council and endorsed ‘Pauls Gift’ on the reverse. These should be given to Rosemary Bleakman or put, in a sealed envelope marked Paul Gift, into the donation box in the Church entrance
2. by bank transfer to Chagford Parochial Church Council, Lloyds Bank Sort Code 30-96-23, Account No 25587068. Please reference your transfer as ‘PAUL’S GIFT’, or
3. by card by following either the link below or by scanning the QR Code https://givealittle.co/campaigns/642dd67b-18e1-464d-8f7a-c155dab9bf67 

Flourishing!
Welcome back to school everyone. I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable Christmas break. As ever, it immediately feels as if we were never away. Children have returned to school very happily and the atmosphere around the school has been calm and pruposeful with learning carrying on just as normal - well done everyone.
In Collective Worship this week we've been thinking a great deal about New Year's Resolutions. Some of the staff have shared their resolutions and invoted  children to hold them to account for them. Mr Finch has resolved to keep doing art activities at least weekly and asked the children to check up on him to make sure he keeps that up. Mr Newland has resolved to keep up his Korean language lessons - the children will keep tabs on that too.
As a school we have made some New Years Resolutions too - we have linked them to our school vision and agreed to have a check up conversation weekly. For our 'Community' strand we have decided we will run at least three events to welcome our community into the school this year - look out for those. For 'Challenge' we have agreed that all of us will challenge ourselves to try something new. I'm looking forward to hearing about all the new activities and experiences that the children (and adults) take on to deliver on this resolution. In 'Care', the children decided they wanted to take Care of the environmant - not just around the school but globally so there will be work to do to figure out how we can deliver on that. These are great resolutions - great thinking and discussion from the children!

Staffing Changes
We are very sad that our friend and colleague Emily Coleman will be moving across to our sister school South Tawton in a few weeks. Miss Coleman has been at Chagford for some time and is a very much liked and respected member of the staff body and the school community. She will be very much missed but we are glad she is staying within the Thre Hares family of schools and that she will remian within Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust. 

We are very glad indeed to announce that we will be welcoming Katherine LLoyd back to take the Year One Class. Mrs Lloyd taught our Year Twos while Miss Robertson was on maternity leave and impressed us all with her hard work and her kind and friendly personality. She did a great job with the Year Two children and I am sure she will be terrific with the Year Ones. While I am very sorry that Miss Coleman is leaving us, I am delighted that we will be welcoming Mrs Lloyd back on a permanent basis, she will be a valuable addition to the staff team.

Families with children in Year Four will be aware that Ms Barton has been unable to attend work for some time now. Sadly, she has made the decision to make that a permanent decision.  We are very sorry to lose her and wish her very well in her new role. Mr Frewin has agreed to teach an extra day each week which is good news and will give the children more continuity. The Fridays in Year Four will be taught by Julia Denny, a very experienced and reliable teacher who has taught in this area for many years. 
​

Thank you!
A huge thank you to our PTFA for all the brilliant events they ran and facilitated last term. Children enjoyed the Mini Monster bash, the Christmas Fayre, Woodland School, help wioth funding for trips and much much more.

A project that you might not have heard about is the work to make the group room upstairs more suitable for use as a nurture space. This room, the one we used to call The Pancake Room and now call The Nest had been undersued for a while, it was unnattractive and filled with mismatched furtniture. With help and funding from the PTFA it has been decorated, furnished with rugs and beanbags, equipped with sensory equipment and genrally made in to a place that is a pleasure to be in and which creates a much more suitable environment fro children to calm or to work on social and emotional skills. 

Thanks to everyone who has been involved - especially to Zoe and Adam.

Volunteering at Chagford Primary
We now have six parents and carers regularly volunteering at the school to support the children. They are reading with children, supporting learning and helping to supervise breaks and lunch times. Two more people are currently finishing up their training prior to starting in role.
Volunteers really make a huge diference to what we can offer our children. Hopefully, it is also an enjoyable and satisfying role to play.

If you're considering giving some time to help out, have a word with Lennie McGowan or Elaine in the office to see about the next step forward. We would very much like to have you. 

Chagford Eco-Pantry
A reminder that the Eco-Pantry is still very much open for business and that everyone is welcome to make use of it. You do not need to be signposted from another organisation or to be in receipt of benefits to take items from the pantry - everyone is welcome.

Use of the pantry is gradually increasing as more people get to know of it and get used to it being there. We love to see this as, otherwise, that food would go to waste.

If you have excess food, hygeine or cleaning products do please donate too - at the moment most of our stock is brought from the church. That's fine but it would be great if we could become a little more self sustaining.

Next time you are in the school reception area do take a look and, if youre short of food or something catches your eye, poleas do know that the pantry is there for everyone.

We would like to make you aware, through our partnership with The AIM Group, of 2 fully funded and FREE courses which are available to any adults within our school communities, whether you are a member of staff, a parent/carer/guardian, volunteer, governor etc. 

1. Advanced Child Development (Neuroscience in children) Level Two Qualification [25 Questions] completed online over 4-6 weeks.

The AIM Group have partnered with the UK's leading colleges to provide a brand new fully funded (free) level 2 qualification, which is the first of its kind!


What Is Neuroscience?


Neuroscience is the study of the brain and its impact on behaviour.
It is an exciting field of research that has huge significance to anyone who supports babies or young children. This qualification is designed to give learners an introduction to the subject and to share with them some of the remarkable insights it has given us in terms of how the infant's brain develops, and how this is affected by a range of external influences.

Course Information


This is a brand-new qualification, launching in January which will look to provide learners with practical advice on how to promote healthy brain development in the critical first seven years of their life.
This course will also support how children develop vital self-regulation skills, such as learning how to deal with emotions such as fear, anger and sadness in the correct way.
Typically, a qualification of this level would cost a learner £100's to enrol onto.

The only criteria you must meet to be eligible, is:

Aged 19 or over on or before 31st August 2022    
Have lived in the UK/EU for 3+ years    
Not already on a Government funded course
Ready to complete the course which will be starting from 23rd January  
 

If you are interested in undertaking this free online course or would like further information, then please complete the following link.

DMAT Schools: Neuroscience in Early Years Qualification Application Link > This will then allow The AIM Group to contact you to discuss and get you started on your chosen course


Take care when scrolling for the course and be sure to select either - Neuroscience in Early Years - Level 2 (you will find it right at the bottom of the list)

If you have any questions prior to expressing interest, call Chris Greenfield on 0203 900 3091 extension 213 or drop him an email at [email protected]


Please Note: This must be applied for before the end of January (to ensure we do not surpass funding capacity)

1. Functional Skills in English or Maths Level 2

Are you looking for a flexible, achievable, and manageable way to retake your GCSE English and Maths?

This alternative GCSE retake can provide just that.

Online classes are designed to develop your confidence and the foundations to progress on to higher level English qualifications.
It can also enable you to use your skills in everyday life, both personally and professionally.


Functional Skills English Level 2: Eastleigh College: 

Reading | Writing | Speaking | Listening | Communication

Functional Skills Mathematics Level 2: Eastleigh College: 
Whole Numbers | Fractions | Decimals | Percentages | Using Common Measures | Shape and Space | Handling Information and Data | Solving Mathematical Problems
 
So, what to do if you are interested? 


Course delivery:

• This is very much tailored to the individual. The online tutor will work with learners on an individual basis, so there are no set "taught" sessions for the learners to attend.
• All work is supplied on the learning platform and learners can have calls and teams' meetings with their tutor to support with progress.
• Completion time is 12-20 weeks dependent on learner ability (this is accessible 24/7 online) 
• learners WILL have a virtual exam at the end to complete their qualification and will be allowed one free resit per qualification
• For any subsequent resits, the learner will be charged the examination administration fee plus the Examination Board fee (handled by Eastleigh College)

 Eligibility Criteria: 


·        Does not have a GCSE C or above already in the chosen subject (example, if you have a B in English, you would not be able to access this)
·        Over the age of 19 as of 31st August 2022, and have lived in UK for the past three years with a Valid Passport or Driving License 
·        Not currently be enrolled onto any other gov funded course.

 
To register your interest please click this link > DMAT Schools: English and Mathematics Functional Skills Level Two Qualifications

Take care when scrolling for the course and be sure to select either - Functional Skills English-Level 2 or Functional Skills Mathematics-Level 2


If you have any questions prior to expressing interest, call Chris Greenfield on 0203 900 3091 extension 213 or drop him an email at [email protected]

If you are interested in either the Neuroscience or the Functional Skills courses, please get in touch with Chris Greenfield ASAP as there is limited capacity to access on both of these courses. ​