Newsletter 1st July

Thank you!
Thank you to everyone for your patience and understanding this week as we have dealt with a confluence of staff sickness and staff training days leading to some issues. On eof the biggest impactors has been the absence of our brilliant administrator, Elaine, who has been poorly at home for the last few days. We've certainly learned how hard she works and the myriad little things she does to keep the school open and operating effectively. Fingers crossed she'll be well enough to return on Monday.

A handful of the staff absences have been down to covid but by no means all. We've had a tummy bug going around which has effected staff as well as children and some staff have been attending necessary first aid training which ensures we can keep the children safe. It has been a challenging week but we have got through it with our smiles intact and with gratitude that it didn't happen last week when we needed all hands on deck to work on our wonderful show! The children have impressed me with their resilience and flexibility as they ahve behaved well for the supply teachers and other staff working with them. Change is not always easy for children and they have shown themselves well.

We are hoping very much that things will be back to normal on Monday.;

​We very much hope that you can join us for our School Summer Fayre next Friday after school. There will be games, stalls, music and refreshments on offer plus a special grand finale that may involve some teachers getting a bit soggy!

The PTFA are looking for donations of chocolates, bottles, jars, gifts etc for the ever popular Tombola. Items can be left in the box in school reception or The Fat Mouse Dairy. Thank you!

Rainbow Day
To add to the fun of next Friday, as well as the Summer fayre, we will be holding our first Chagford Primary School 'Rainbow Day'. Children in every calss in the school will be sharing books and taking part in activities to help us celebrate the wonderful diversity of the world and trhe people in it. Big people and small people. People of different races, reliions and philosophies. People with all manner of family shapes and sizes. People who are good at different things or face different challenges. People of different genders and sexualities. Each calss will approach the thme of diversity at a level which is appropraite to their own stage of development, the day will be fun and celebratory.
Children are invioted to wear bringht colours to represent the breadth of the rainbow.
We will have a special 'Rainbow Assembly' at the end of the day to celebrate what the children have done in class. parents are welcome to join us for this assembly if they would like to - just come to reception at twenty to three to get signed in before the assembly starts at ten to. The assembly will finish in good time for us all to be prepared for the Summer Fayre.

NITS NITS NITS
Yes, I'm sorry but it's that message again.
There's been a definite uptick in the number of children with headlice and nits in the school. Not just in one class alas.
Do check your children, comb through with a drop of conditioner on the comb. Use tea tree shampoo. Buy the nasty stuff from the chemist or go the whole hog and give them a buzz cut. IU remember from my years spent as a child how itchy, unpleasant and shaming the whole nit thing was so do please have a check and take some action if needed.

School Dinner Bookings
Thank you to everyone who is booking those school meals in advance. Letting us know what your child is having - whether it's a lunch packed at home or one of our options - really speeds up and streamlines the process for us meaning the kitchen staff can get going quicker and cook with less waste.
If you are stil struggling to get your head around the app pop in and ask Elaine for help - she'll be glad to give assistance.
We are very nearly there with only a very small proportion of children now not having a preference booked in advance. It would be great to get that to zero by the end of term.

Sports Day
As we said last week, Sports Day will be Friday 15th. There will be an event for the younger children in the morning and a sepearate event for the older children in the afternoon before all the children come together for the finale including the famous Year Six Spectacular. Parents are welocme to attend the morning, the afternoon or both. 
We would be enorously grateful for the loan of gazebos and event shelters so we can keep the children in the shade if the weather is hot.

Leavers' Assembly
Parents, carers, grandparents and all associated well wishers are very welcome to join us for the Year Six's Leavers Assembly at 10:30 on Friday 22nd July at the church of St Michael the Archangel in  Chagford. There will be songs, poems and a great graduation ceremony and a team including some of our own Year Six children will ring the bells in celebration. We do hope that some of you will be able to make it along. It will no doubt be a very special and moving occasion.  This is especially lovely as some of our year six pupils have been learning bell ringing in the tower at St Michael's this year and this will be a great opportunity for them to showcase what they have learned to their classmates. Well done!

Affordable Housing Survey
Do you live in Chagford, Throwleigh, Gidleigh and Drewsteignton Villages? Are you being priced out of your local housing market?


A high-quality and affordably priced community housing scheme is being brought forward on land at Lamb Park, Chagford - which is allocated for development in the Dartmoor Local Plan.


We have been commissioned to undertake an independent Housing Needs Survey, working with residents to determine the requirement for affordable housing in the area.


Please complete the survey online by 24th July 2022: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ChagfordHNS


All information will remain confidential.