13 July 2009 - Summer News

• "I suppose you're beginning to wind down for the summer at school" a casual acquaintance asked your correspondent while watering the allotment. Where to begin!
   
• As there are few things more boring than an excited teacher relaying the joys of the profession to a retired outsider the reply was an affirmative nod and deflecting question about Asparagus beetle. This is far from the literal truth.
   
• Scarecrow Steve graced the orchard on the mini-Knoll at the front of the school during the village competition. Rather a benign and friendly figure he did little to deter avian pests looking remarkably like several ex-pupils in his smart school uniform. Many thanks are due to Sue Temple and the children in the scarecrow workforce for completing Steve in time.
   
• Our planned 'big-bang', the Arts Council funded Creative Partnership Project, which will roll on until October has proven to be the end-of-term lift that we had anticipated. Artist and Creative Partner Pippa North has really inspired children and parents alike in her initial workshops. As well as smiles aplenty at the enjoyment of learning and achieving there have been brows furrowed with concentration and eyes popping wide at Eureka! moments of discovery and realization. Many quiet reflective times and much cooperative work within and between year groups have made the project an enormous success so far. The feedback on both sides has been most heartening. "Sherington is already a very creative school" - Vicky Hope-Walker, Creative Agent. Building upon and extending the children's learning in all areas of creativity is proving exciting and rewarding for all concerned. An invigorating Blackcurrant smoothie made from home-grown fruit gave us a healthy energy boost during busy days.
   
• Our School Sport's Festival was a joyfully and hard fought celebration of physical skills, team efforts and sportsmanship. Betty Feasey, assisted by Joyce Tranter, once again acted as Referee and score keeper and presented this year's joint winners, the blue and yellow teams, with the Feasey Cup for most points only just beating the red team. All competitors did very well in sporting and personal efforts.
   
• Key Stage 1 children (Years 1 & 2) attended the Milton Keynes School's Music Festival along the way singing some interesting songs which were reprised later in school, along with a hand bell concert, when we said a fond farewell to our Year 2 'graduates' at their Leaver�s Assembly.
   
• After a series of successful visits to their next schools Amity, Alice, Philippa, Emily, Aaron, Kain, Douglas, Natasha and Jay received a parting gift from Governor Pat Seymour and all our best wishes for the future. Pat herself steps down this year after sixteen years as a Sherington Governor (amongst other civic duties). She was presented with a memento from us all by Councilor Sandra Clarke, Chair of the Children's Trust and Cabinet Member for Children. The full Governing Body had already recorded its profound thanks and best wishes.
   
• Correspondingly we welcomed Alex, Thomas, Eliza, Jodi, Oscar, Oliver, Jess, Cressida, Theo, Reanne and Grace into our Reception cohort after a series of induction visits and meetings with parents at home and in school. With a near 50% change in children each year our school 'family' is always changing and excitingly different. The Creative Partnership 'wrap-around' Project next term will include these new children, promote 'mentoring' by the newly promoted Years 1 & 2 children and allow continuity and progression in school life.
   
• PCSO's Tom Booth and Matt Wareham came to visit and were part of an outdoor assembly. They talked about their roles in keeping us safe, very useful with the long holiday coming up and showed all the children around their van with lights flashing and siren wailing. A remarkable imitation of the latter by one boy led to a job offer should the siren ever break down!
   
• Our Partnership with Emberton School continues to flourish at all levels. The early years children from Emberton visited us for a day of Snails, trails and spirals with inspiration taken from 'The Snail' by Henri Matisse. Friendships were renewed and new working groups established to be continued into the future.
   
• End-of-year thanks are due to all the Governors, staff, parents, community helpers and, of course, children who have written another year into Sherington School's history with commitment and joy.

  School Uniform

• The school uniform is available to purchase online from http://www.yourschooluniform.com

  21 June 2009

• This month the school would like to express its appreciation and thanks to Rev Mandy Marriott for her weekly assemblies and termly sessions of Godly Play this year. The children always respond with immediate lively interest and subsequent thoughtfulness to her efforts.
   
• This term we have a Sherington winner to celebrate! Year 1 pupil Natasha entered an art competition to design an T-Shirt with proceeds to Willen Hospice. Proud Mother Paula writes, "Earlier this month, the Milton Keynes Society of Arts held an exhibition of paintings at Debenhams to raise funds for Willen Hospice. Alongside this event school children were encouraged to exhibit their artwork too. The three winning designs would have their pictures printed onto t-shirts. Natasha was one of the lucky winners!"
   
• With our Pre-School visits completed for the year our formal Induction Programme for new children and parents is underway. With a third of our children and parents changing each year the school is always responsive to change and development and we will say a fond farewell to our Year 2 leavers at their special assembly in July. Further news of developments will follow in future news notes.
   
• Furthering our Healthy School status and PSHE Curriculum School Nurse Agnes and two colleagues conducted a special assembly on hand-washing and hygiene with the children singing an impromptu ditty "Wash your hands now, nice and clean..." to the tune of Happy Birthday to you (try it!). The serious points were made too in an enjoyable and memorable refresher in these times of needing to avoid bugs, colds and flu.
   
• A gift of willow trimmings from Emberton School was much appreciated and we have begun to use them for outdoor creative constructions.

• The city-wide event 'MK Reads Together' was celebrated at Sherington School with the expert help of Mrs Elsa Steel formerly Headteacher of our current Partnership School and now part of the MK Literacy Team promoting the Everyone a Reader project. We were lucky to secure the services of Elsa and capitalized on her expertise and the enthusiasm and reading skills of our children across the school age-range. The reading opportunities ranged from story books, poetry, information material, comics, e-books on CD, websites, pamphlets, leaflets, letters and postcards.
   
• We now prepare for our Sport's Evening on Friday 10th July at 6pm; team Captains chosen, training underway and 2012 in our sights.

  16 May 2009

• The summer term started with many smiles and a mixed weather outlook. At the traditional Village May Day celebrations all the children attending distinguished themselves through dancing around the Maypole. They were ably tutored by Betty Feasey to whom we owe thanks for this and other efforts at school.
   
• Children in Year 1 and Reception enjoyed a stimulating Jamaican Week with traditional Jamaican hot lunch and tropical fruit salad prepared with the help of Collette Johnson, again with our thanks.
   
• The new playground markings have proved a great success with the children necessitating a relaxing of the 'No cycling after school' rule. Many games and sports challenges can be met with the new painted templates. Governor Donna Leahy, who coordinated the project writes; "I would like to say the playground markings provide a fun environment during playtime for the children to enjoy and play imaginary games. I have heard that some boys use the different coloured circles to play Power-Rangers and also the road and parking spaces to play Cars - the movie. All the children love jumping on the colours and lines. The markings are heat treated and not just painted on. They are guaranteed for several years. Later this term staff will be trained on how to further enrich the curriculum with particular activities using the markings and how different aspects of children's development are focused on. The markings were designed by a child professor at Leeds University. The small yellow feet from the gate and across the playground are for the children to follow into and out of school. The larger blue feet are for parents and carers to follow when collecting children. These feet follow a different direction and stop in the playground near the patio. This is to remind people collecting children that they should wait in the playground and avoid waiting on the drive."
   
• Our Partnership with Emberton School continues to develop with Reception and Year 1 children visiting them for an exciting "Pirate Day". Thank you Mrs Minter and Emberton staff for a fun-filled day of educational and social opportunities for our youngest children who will be the hosts when Emberton visit us.
   
• With the second half of the summer term approaching we will be working with artist Pippa North on an extended creative project. The school has been able to fund this exciting venture with an Arts Council Grant from Creative Junction of £3,000 supplemented by the Governors decision to allocate money in the school budget. Pippa will work with us later this term and again in September when our new cohort of Reception children can join in. The project will be developmental aiming to facilitate children's individual learning journeys as they explore sculpture, storytelling and writing in a variety of creative media. Pippa was chosen from three very talented submissions after the practitioners presented their ideas and gathered the views of the children themselves.
   
• We say a fond farewell to Sarah Glover our student who returns to college with our thanks and admiration for the high quality of work she accomplished with our Reception children.

  4 May 2009

• The children were once again the centre of attraction dancing around the maypole in the traditional manner at the village May Day festivities on The Knoll on Monday 4 May 2009. Photos

  Videos:    Maypole Dance 1 -- Maypole Dance 2