Remembrance We were very impressed and moved by our pupils' respect for the two minute silence on Thursday. At the end of playtime - just before eleven - we gathered them together and stood together to observe the act of remembrance. Some of the more keen eared children were able to hear The Last Post drifting down the hill from town. The school will be represented at the church on Sunday by a group of Year Sixes who have practiced a poem to read. Mrs Armstrong will be there with them and would be very glad indeed to see any other children from the school who would like to attend the service of remembrance led by the Reverend Paul. Children in Need Next Friday is Children in Need Day. We are asking everyone to wear something that makes them happy and to bring a donation for the charity. What makes you happy can be different for everyone - some people might like bright colourful colours, other people might like comfy tracky trousers, another person might feel happiest in their school uniform - whatever makes you happy is fine with us. At the end of the day we will have a Cake Sale organised by Oak Class - all other families are very welcome to bring cake along too! Do bring a little money along at pick up time to buy a little snack. Come and Work at Chagford Primary We will very shortly be advertising for a new teaching assistant and for two new Mealtime Assistants to join the team at the school. We would be immensely grateful if you could put the word out far and wide so we can get some great applicants in. The teaching assistant job is being advertised as one one year fixed term contract, they would most likely be working with Key Stage One (that's Year One and Two) and would need to be a very flexible person able to work with groups large and small and turning their hand from teaching phonics to helping with PE to sorting book bags - every day is different. You don't necessarily need experience to do this job but you do need an ability to get on with people and a positive 'can do' attitude. Mealtime Assistants work through the children's lunch times to supervise the hall, watch over play and ensure everyone is safe. Work Party/Volunteering We have a work party organised for tomorrow morning - there's a good few jobs to do so do come along if you can. If the weather is dry bring a paint brush or gloves and secateurs. If you have any outdoor paint in really bright colours - even just the end of a pot - do bring it along and we will try to rainbowify the EYFS area's fence. If the weather is really foul we might give it a miss. COP26 You will know that the church has been filled with light and sound these last few weeks creating an environment for contemplation on our responsibility to our planet. Oak Class took a trip to the church to look at the art installations that have been created and to add their thoughts and wishes for the future. They were so enthused by the visit that my heart sang a little. Well done Oak Class and thank you to the church for the warm welcome. Composter and Litter Picking We are super proud of our Litter Picking volunteers who managed to gather a whole sack of litter and rubbish from around the school playfield this week. Especial thanks to Benji who brought the group together and even brought his own litter picker to school. Thanks also to Surfers Against Sewage for the gloves and rubbish sacks. Also this week old friend of the school Nicky Scott got the Ridan Composter going again with the help of our new 'Little Rotters Club'. All the food waste in the school - from potato peelings to half eaten fish fingers, can go into the big magic Ridan which is insulated such that the composting food waste can get to a really good temperature. It's great to think we'll be putting far less waste into landfill and that we'll be able to produce our own, rich, soil conditioner. Disabled Parking Space A very passionate plea here. PLEASE can people leave the two parking spaces marked as disabled free. We do have members of the school community who need access to these spaces and if someone parks there 'just for five minutes' and that is the time that the people who need the space arrive then it causes real distress. We have looked into purchasing more signage but if you just remember that the two spaces nearest to the school reception are out of bounds except for the people with blue badges then it should be simple. Please leave those spaces free for those who really do need them. Devon Wildlife Trust We've been really lucky to have Paul Martin from Devon Wildlife Trust working with us to help the children learn about the rich natural life around and about in our grounds. Paul worked with groups of pupils on Monday. They became nature detectives to work out what had happened to the green woodpecker whose feathers Paul had found on the ground. The evidence pointed towards a sad end in a foxes jaws. They also investigated some of trees in the grounds including our friend the big old oak. We thought of questions we could ask about the oak - how old is it? How did it come to be planted there? How many creatures live amongst it's branches and leaves? Paul will be back regularly for a while culminating, we hope, in a grand tree planting day as we create a mixed native hedgerow along the fence protecting us from the drop into the amphitheatre. Sports!! Fantastic to see Chagford children out and about taking part in sporting fixtures. Just a few months ago it seemed impossible that these things would ever start up again and now they have - it's great a great experience for the children. This week Mr Frewin took one group of children from Year Three and Four to a football competition in Tavistock. On Thursday he took another group of children to a Cross Country competition at Castle Drogo. I don't think I've ever seen a teacher as proud as Mr Frewin was when he got back to school after those events. Absolutely splendid effort from the children - they are true #ChagfordChampions. PTFA News Thank you to those that attended our PTFA AGM on Wednesday. It was heartening to put together what we all managed to achieve over the 2019-20 academic year despite many challenges. It was wonderful to see some new faces too. If you’d like to be involved in any way please contact Chloe ([email protected]), everybody is welcome! This Christmas will see the return of Santa’s Grotto on Chagford’s Late Night Shopping evening on 9th December alongside a school lantern parade. We will also be running a Grand Christmas Raffle, if you are able to donate a prize or have a contact who may donate a prize please get in touch. We will be asking for smaller donations to make up the popular Christmas hampers also. Thank you! Parents – Your school needs YOU! There is a vacancy for one Parent governor to join the Local Stakeholder Board for the Three Hares. Local governors are a vital part of the Trust’s connection with schools and community and Parents are an important voice within the governance structure. To qualify as a Parent governor, you must have at least one child on the school roll and must be eligible under the national governing body rules. Nominations are now open, until close of business on Friday 26th November. All nominations will then be put forward to a parent vote, which will take place electronically. The nomination form must be completed in full, and can be found on the Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust website: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=kG0HO7J4vUqeBcIPJiicRgleRjEa8rtFmqDbcaa1oYlUNDVEQkJPNktORURPQTlSVk1KM1c5NlRPMyQlQCN0PWcu Margo and Mr Whatsit: Paddleboat Theatre Company
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