Newsletter - 13th November 2020

 Dear Chagford Families,
 
I do hope you are all well.  This week I had the unfortunate experience of suffering migraine and spent Thursday under my duvet.  My greatest sympathies to anyone who suffers this as it was most unpleasant. I’m back to work today and feel fine.
  
Hope
Our value last half term was hope. In assemblies and PSHE, we spoke about our hopes for ourselves, our families and for the world. In art lessons, children created mosaics with Mr Dray. He has created a wonderful display with the children’s work.

​Remembrance
In our Monday assembly (which I lead on line so we can all join in) we found out why poppies are worn this time of year. The children listened intently to Cornelia telling us about the Remembrance Sunday Service at the Church, and the Year Six children who recited the poem In Flanders Fields.
 
On Tuesday in our class assemblies, the key stage two children learnt more about soldiers of World War One and Two, and other people who have sacrificed their lives for others in the past and present. The younger children focussed upon thinking about people who help u’ and thought about people in their own lives who look after them. They even clapped the staff in the room!
 
On Wednesday we met outside for our own Remembrance Service. The children stood and listened to the roll call of Chagford’s fallen.  Children were invited to also say the names of people who they wanted to remember.  We all said ‘we will remember them.’  We stood in sombre silence thinking about these people and waited to hear our church bells.  It was a very moving ceremony and I was so proud and grateful to the whole school for understanding and respecting this important time.
 
 Children in Need
Today we have a very different atmosphere in school! Children are wearing a whole range of clothes from sparkly dresses to pyjamas, football kits to three piece suits! This is of course because we are raising money for the charity Children in Need. I have been complimented upon my ears, not something I am accustomed to (I have my Pudsey ears on! ). Do tune in to BBC1 this evening for the special programmes. Thank you for your generosity, School Council will help me count our collection on Monday.
 
West Devon Primary school Quad Kids Championships 2020
Covid-19 put a stop to the Primary Schools sports programme from March to July so, when the schools went back in September, OCRA invited 26 Schools to take part in the Quad Kids Athletics Championships. In normal circumstances, the schools would have been invited to send a team of 4 girls and 4 boys from years 3 & 4 and the same amount from years 5 & 6 to the track at Tavistock for a mixed school competition to decide the West Devon champions. With the schools not able to come together due to the Covid restrictions, OCRA decided to go to the schools and run individual heats, allowing all pupils from years 3-6 to take part and putting the top 8 athletes into the virtual West Devon Championships at both age groups.
From Monday 14th September to Wednesday 14th October, 1257 children took part in their school heats, running 50/75m sprint, throwing the vortex, jumping from a standing start and running 400/600m.
I’m delighted to report that our Y3 / Y4 team came 7th and our Y5 / Y6 team came 3rd
Bertie and Luca were awarded top individual places.
Well done indeed!
 
Respect
This term our school value is Respect.  Next week we will be reviewing our behaviour policy with the children and talking about bullying and why it is not acceptable in our school and community.
There are some really useful resources on line which I know parents have found helpful in the past.
Every parent needs to be clued up about on line issues. I have found the NSPCC website to be particularly helpful; www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/bullying-and-cyberbullying
Sometimes we misdiagnose children’s behaviour and jump straight to thinking children are being bullied. This article helps think about the behaviours, and therefore how to support our children. Rude Vs. Mean Vs. Bullying: Defining The Differences https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bullying
It is a very hard situation to come to terms with if your child has been a victim of bullying, but also if they have been a perpetrator. I know parents who have found this useful https://childmind.org/article/what-to-do-if-your-child-is-bullying
 
PTFA update From Chloe Brooks-Warner
We have a PTFA meeting scheduled for Tuesday 17th November at 8pm via zoom (link below). Please feel free to join, anyone connected to the school is very welcome. If you can’t make the meeting but have any ideas for fundraising or events please do get in touch by emailing [email protected] 
 
We would like to run our popular Christmas Raffle this year so are looking for prize donations! If you have anything (prize item, voucher, service) you’d like to donate or have contacts who may be willing to donate a great prize, please get in touch. We are also in the process of making up a Chagford School canvas shopping bag with the children’s self-portraits on, they will be ready to purchase in a few weeks and I can tell you there are some great pictures! 
 
Topic: Chagford School PTFA Zoom Meeting 
Time: Nov 17, 2020 08:00 PM London 
 
Join Zoom Meeting 
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/7826764157?pwd=eVM3bk1mVW55V1hGcVNoeldtd2lsUT09 
 
 
All the very best
Tara Penny
Head of School