23rd March 2006

• Kettering Eisteddfod brought with it numerous successes to both individual pupils and groups of children representing the School.  The trophy cupboard therefore remains well filled! Groups entered in the Year 3/4 category and Year 5/6 category of group speaking both came first, with the younger group also being awarded the Druid’s Chair, the prize awarded for the highest score given in all the group speaking competitions at this year’s Kettering and District Eisteddfod.  St Peter’s School Choir entered two competitions, winning the ‘hymn singing’ class and coming second in the ‘own choice’ category.  On Saturday the choir thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity of singing at the Eisteddfod Prize Winners’ Concert in Toller Church, leaving both teachers and parents very proud of their achievement.
   
• On a final note regarding the Eisteddfod, I would like to congratulate all of the competitors from our School.  Regardless of position or mark awarded, the notion of committing oneself to something that is public and is furthermore judged very publicly, is one that some adults would find challenging!  The reality of practicing diligently each day in addition to the rigors of regular School homework and attendance of after–school clubs is a mark of the confidence and good discipline of these children – well done to you all!
   
• Sport at St Peter’s also holds more good news this week.  There was a netball 9:1 win against St Mary’s, Burton Latimer last week, and next week matches are planned for Tuesday, at home against Meadowside, and on Thursday away at Broughton.  The winning streak of our netballers continues, so we wait with hopeful anticipation for news of further success.
   
• Last week St Peter’s School took part in a Kettering and District Junior School 6 a-side Kwik Cricket tournament.  Due to the desire to promote girls’ cricket, there were also year 7 and 8 girls involved, from Bishop Stopford School and Southfield School for Girls, indicating also the high standard of the competition.  There was an exciting bowl off at the end of the first round of the tournament, with Harry Dennis-Jones of 5DF taking the winning wicket.  Later that week, our team played in the deciding round of the tournament, securing 3rd place overall.  Well done boys and girls!
   
• There was a welcome delivery of even more sports equipment at School this week as a result of the Tesco Sports vouchers kindly donated to the School earlier in the year.  I would like to add my thanks to those of Miss Farrant and Mr Holmes for the support in this collection.
   
• A letter will be sent out before the end of the week outlining the organisation of next week’s Key Stage Two Winter Games Day.  Key Stage One hope to hold a games afternoon on Friday, but the weather forecast may mean that this will take place next week instead – we will wait and see.
   
• Last week’s theme day in Nursery was ‘cats and dogs’, which brought with it face painting, role play, songs, stories and poems based upon the topic.  Egg Day followed earlier this week, with children decorating hard boiled eggs and involving themselves in art work relevant to the theme.  Next week sees an Easter Bonnet parade, and exploring the School grounds for signs of Spring – a delight we are all waiting to behold!
   
• The Scholastic Book Fair has been the focus of this week’s Book Week, with parents also helping teaching staff out at the stall each day after School.  The Book Fair continues today, tomorrow and Monday after School, and there really is some super, high quality fiction and non fiction on the display cases.  3CVR presented a class assembly to the School and to their parents that explained the various processes by which a book is made.  The assembly ended with an effective poem composed by the class, which listed the different sorts of books that are available to read. 
   
• A letter regarding a one day rugby camp that will run at St Peter’s School on Monday 3rd April was distributed earlier this week.    The session starts at 9.30am and ends at 4pm, and is being organised on our site by the company Sport Evolution. The day is open to St Peter’s School pupils, and it will also be advertised by Sport Evolution at local rugby clubs and other schools in the area. I hope that our pupils will make up the majority of children attending on the day, so that future ventures such as this one could be considered. The age range for which the day is geared towards is 6 to 14, which means that old boys and girls of St Peter’s School can join in too! 
   
• The PTAFA Mothers’ day Gift Stall takes place tomorrow, and all children who came in mufti and brought a donation of a present for the Stall are encouraged to bring £1 to School tomorrow, so that they can visit the stall, choose a present and have it wrapped by our team of volunteer mums, who will take care not to end up wrapping their own present in the process!  If there are any presents remaining, then pupils who did not contribute to the stall on Tuesday’s mufti day will be given an opportunity to visit the stall too.  All of the arrangements for this initiative were set out in a letter sent out last week.
   
• As usual, there is a great deal of work going on in the PTAFA.  The Cake Stall will run tomorrow after School, with proceeds donated to Lakeland Hospice. The next Used Book stall will take place on Friday 28th April, and the only books required, if you have any to donate, are those that are suitable for 7’s and over.  Easter Quiz sheets have been kindly organised by Mrs McCallum, and are available from the School office for £1.  The questions are based upon the theme of confectionary, so the only swotting needed is in the form of furious chocolate eating, or wishful thinking, in the case of those awaiting the end of Lent!  The closing date for completed quiz sheets to be handed in to the School Office is Friday 21st April. 
   
• As we approach the Summer Term it is worth noting that we enter also into our Diamond Jubilee term.  St Peter’s School’s ‘articles of association’ are dated 9th July 1946.  The week beginning 10th July will be our special Diamond Jubilee Week.  There are treats planned for the pupils, and of course Founders’ Day will take place on Thursday 13th July.  Details of this will follow after the Easter holiday.   The week ends with our Diamond Jubilee Ball, on Saturday 15th July, and a letter and leaflet advertising the event was posted out earlier this week I do hope that many of you will support this special occasion, which has been so carefully planned by parents in the PTAFA.  Please invite your friends and work colleagues.  If you are an old boy or girl who is in contact with former pupils, do please either copy the details to them, or call into the School office with names and addresses, so that forms can be sent out to them.  I hope that this will be an event made up faces of the past, present and future of St Peter’s School.