Newsletter 21st October

It was our Harvest Festival yesterday and that made me think about all the people I have to thank for the smooth, safe and joyful half term that we have just had.
Thank you to the parents and carers who send their children to our school. Teaching your children is a privilege that we don't take lightly. Your trust in us to do the best we can for your children means a lot.
Thank you to all the teachers, teaching assistants, kitchen, cleaning and office staff - every day throws up challenges and every day we find a way to keep going and to do so with a smile. I honestly don't think that there can be a school in the country with a kinder, more inclusive team. Even on the days when obstacles are thrown at us, I know we'll meet the challenge as a team and put the children first.
Thank you to all those people who give time to support us - our governors, the team who care for the garden, people volunteering their time to help supervise the playground, to come in and help create our sensory garden, to do little fixing-up jobs or to walk children up to the church - I love the way this community gathers around the school to support and give us strength. You don't know how much it means.
I could go on and list more and more people - the people who drive the buses, the estates team - but I think you know what I am saying. 
A school is a community of learners and it exists within a wider community of care and support. Our school's vision 'Community, Challenge, Care' is very real to me and, reflecting on this last term, it's clear that it is truly lived by the community around this school. Thank you.

Harvest Festival - St Michael the Archangel - Thursday 20th October

It's another harvest festival
When we bring out fruit and vegetables
'Cause we want to share the best of all
The good things that we've been given

We had a beautiful time together up at the church of St Michael the Archangel on Thursday. We took time to give thanks for all we have - food certainly, but also homes, families, friendship, love and - above all - community. We enjoyed singing The Harvest Samba and Cauliflowers Fluffy together and it was wonderful to be joined by so many friends and family - we really filled the church up. Look out for the Christmas Service in a few weeks' time - I'd really like that to be another packed and joyful occasion.
Thanks to the many families who brought donations for the Chagford Eco Pantry. Please remember that this resource is available to all. You don't need to be in any particular circumstances to use it - the food has been freely given and it can be freely taken. Just pop in to reception when you are dropping off, picking up or passing by. Whether money is tight or you have just forgotten to get to the shop today, the pantry is there for you. You'll be helping us divert food from the waste stream, so we'll be grateful if you'll help out by taking items away to use.

Halloween Bake Sale
The children in Year Six have asked to run a Bake Sale after school on Monday 31st October - the day we return to school after half term. The children want to raise some funds for the PTFA to say a 'thank you' for the kind funding that helped them have their brilliant trip to Morwellham Quay a couple of weeks ago. They say that there will be a range of sweet and savoury treats available for sale at reasonable prices. If you like cakes, biscuits and buns, bring a few coins when you come to school at pick up time and hopefully we'll have a stall out for you.
Thank you for this Year Five - what a nice treat to welcome us back to school.

Celebrating the Earth - Honouring Our Ancestors
The next in the series of 'Celebrating the Earth' events which have been held regularly since the COP26 meeting in Glasgow last year is 'Honouring Our Ancestors' which takes place on Tuesday 1st November.
Year Five have learned 'The Old Lych Way' to sing at the event. A beautiful song by Chris Hoban which meditates on the path from Bellever to Lydford which used to be walked by people carrying loved ones and companions from the heart of the moor to Lydford so that they could be buried in consecrated ground. We would love to welcome as many people from the school community to join us for the event and we'd be moved if people could join in with the song - even if they just join in on the refrain (Lay me down, gently down) and the chorus. I have popped the words to the song below and you'll find a link to Show of Hands singing the song below. I would love to be joined by a great choir for this event with the children - do join us if you can.

The Old Lych Way - Chris Hoban

They'll lift me up and lay me down
(Lay me down, gently down)
Till I reach consecrated ground
(Along the old Lych Way)

On six strong shoulders I will sway
(Lay me down, gently down)
Till six feet under I'll be laid
(Along the old Lych Way)

Requiem aeternam
(Requiem aeternam)
Dona eis requiem
Along the old Lych Way

From Bellever to Lydford town
(Lay me down, gently down)
Through Sandy Ford & Conies Down
(Along the old Lych Way)

At every mile a marking stone
(Lay me down, gently down)
So they can rest their weary bones
(Along the old Lych Way)

Requiem aeternam
(Requiem aeternam)
Dona eis requiem
Along the old Lych Way

At Lydford church I'll make my end
(Lay me down, gently down)
And I'll never cross the Dart again
Along the old Lych Way

A Christian man could do no less
(Lay me down, gently down)
Than ask his friends this last request
(Along the old Lych Way)

Oh, Requiem aeternam
(Requiem aeternam)
Dona eis requiem
Along the old Lych Way

They'll lift me up and lay me down
(Lay me down, gently down)
Till I reach consecrated ground
Along the old Lych Way

Along the old Lych Way
Along the old Lych Way

The Old Lych Way - YouTube

Mini Monster Bash
Another call out for the Mini Monster Bash on Friday 4th November. Children can come dressed up in fancy dress if they choose to - or not if they prefer. There will be refreshments on sale and prizes for the best costumes and for the best decorated pumpkin. Each child must be accompanied by a responsible adult but a classroom will be set aside for adults to relax in if, for some unearthly reason, they don't want to spend two hours trapped in the hall with loud music and a hundred and fifty sugar-fuelled tots.

Woodland School
To make sure we get back in the habit of using our fabulous outdoor spaces, the PTFA have kindly funded sessions for each class to work with an experienced outdoor educator within our 'Woodland School' area at the back of the field. The first of these sessions will be on Friday 4th November and will go ahead whatever the weather - children will need their coats and good outdoor shoes (or, for preference, wellies).
If this session goes as well as we hope, we will try to make this a regular thing. We love our beautiful grounds and we want to get better at using them to enrich the life of every child.

Look out for our 'Stories Around the Fire' evening coming soon.  Children have been badgering Mr Finch to tell 'the donkey story' for weeks now and it's time to deliver on the promise...

Parent Evenings
A heads up that parent evenings are on November 16th and 17th. You'll be able to sign up as soon as we get back from half term. We will offer 'in person' meetings for people who can make them and telephone appointments for anyone for whom getting here in person is difficult or inconvenient.

Friday Celebration
Our daily act of worship on a Friday is our joyful Celebration Assembly. If you are passing by, or would like to see what goes on, you are welcome each and every week - just come along to the school a few minutes before three to give time to get you signed in and join us.
We always start with our 'Attitude of Gratitude' - we think of things we are grateful for in the last week and share them - pupils, teachers, parents and carers all ghet to joinin and we hear thanks for friends and family, the food we eat, games we've played, expericnes and achallenges and much more. This week there was a strong sense of thankfulness that we have got through to half term!
Next on the agenda is rewarding our #Chagford Champions - we give certifcates to childen who have lived out our school values 'Community, Challnge, Care through their actions within and beyond school in the past week. This week George was given a community champion certificate to awknowledge his representation of us at the Torquay Chess Tournament where he won the under tens competition. We said well done to people who have shown real care to others in thier class and said 'well done' to children who have taken on challenges in friendship or in acadmic work.
We usually finish with a song but this week was extra packed - we had started with a performance by three Year Four pupils on recorder. Their first ever public performance, and they made us very proud indeed. Year Five finished the afternoon off with an inspiring choral rendition of Martin Luthor King's 'I have a Dream' speech to mark the end of Black History Month. IT was passionate and heart felt and spoke volumes about their prode in themselves and the work that Ms SImpson has put in to help them riase their expectations of themselves. Well done Year Five.
Our Friay assembly is always entertaining and thought provoking - you don't need to wait until a day when one of your children is getting a certificate, just come along and join us.