1st March 2007 - Happy World Book Day! Each year we try to find different ways of marking this special occasion. Today, children from Reception through to Year Six attended an assembly where they learnt about their teachers’ favourite childhood reads, as well as books they recommend, having read them either with classes or with their own children. Even our visiting staff, such as instrumental teachers joined in. Reading is a lifelong skill, and it is important to lead this practice by example!
- Please note that all pupils received a £1 Book Token distributed by the charity World Book Day, which celebrates books and reading. It can be exchanged for one of ten specially produced for World Book Day £1 books, or redeemed as part purchase towards any book worth £2.99 or more. The voucher is valid from 26th February to 25th March.
- Book Week will take place at St Peter’s School during the week beginning 19th March. In preparation for this, today the pupils were told about a couple of activities in which we hope they will participate. The first is called Extreme Reading, for which pupils are invited to bring in photographs of themselves reading in the most extreme or unusual locations. Obviously the phrases ‘within reason,’ ‘without risking health and safety’ and ‘within the bounds of decency’ come to mind, but with all of this taken into account, it is hoped that the ensuing fun will also reinforce reading…albeit in a different way! Photographs should be brought to School by 13th March. They will be displayed in an area of Sunnylands Hall so that pupils can view them on the way to and from lunch, during Book Week.
- During Book Week, on Thursday 22nd March Key Stage Two pupils will be asked to dress up as a fictional character from a book. It has been a few years since our Key Stage Two pupils have taken part in such an activity, so it is hoped that advance notice will allow time for some thought to go into the choice of character. It would be good to see an increase in ‘original’ characters turning up to School on that day. There will be a £1 fine payable for the break from school uniform, with all proceeds going to Comic Relief.
- Details of other events and activities for the forthcoming Book Week will follow closer to the date.
- Last Tuesday, an exciting train journey was made over to the New Walk Museum in Leicester, to view the excellent section it has on Ancient Egypt, a history topic studied by Year Six pupils this term. The guide gave an excellent talk on Egyptian life and pupils were able to handle a selection of artefacts. A demonstration of mummification was given using a rag doll, and the children delighted in hearing about how each cadaver was prepared. I am told that there will be many willing Year Six pupils to explain about the disposal of brains! Pupils also enjoyed workshops allowing them to dress up in Egyptian clothes of the time, experience bow drilling, take part in hieroglyphic painting and make amulets.
- St Peter’s School football team played Henry Gotch School in the Floodlit Football Championship earlier last week. A second half penalty kick, taken by Ravi Mehan and a goal from Albertus Van Rensburg earned St P’s a 2-0 win. Well done to the team and coach. This week’s Floodlit game took place yesterday against Park, who took the game with a 2-0 score line.
- On Tuesday the netball match to which our team was invited was cancelled by Avondale School, due to rain. This match will now be played on Thursday 8th March. A netball match will still be played this week, weather permitting, when Hall Meadow visit us.
- Tuesday’s rain did not deter our footballers, who were keen to play their visiting opponents, Havelock, in a non league match. This was an opportunity therefore to give as many of our players a game as possible, and there were consequently a good number of substitutions from St P’s. Despite gentle but steady rain throughout, our teams played on, and the 5-1 defeat did not dampen our team’s spirit.
- Parents are reminded that in the event of inclement weather, sports clubs will always run if they are on the clubs schedule in a particular term. Depending on numbers, the activity may be a physical one, or the time will be spent in another purposeful pursuit. If a match is cancelled then pupils would be supervised by the St Peter’s School staff organising the match, or on the rare occasion where this were not possible, they would be sent to Late Club at no charge for the club time duration.
- The all important Independent Schools’ Association National Football Final takes place on Friday 9th March. This is an excellent opportunity for our pupils to meet and play matches with pupils from other independent schools, and we are already proud that, as a small school our pupils have once again reached this level of competition. I look forward to accompanying the team and coach Mr Anthony Holmes to this event.
- It is always gratifying to receive positive comments from our parents, and the large volume received following the School’s production of The Button Box is testament to the casts’ talents. On behalf of the production team I would like to thank members of the audience for their support of our production. At the end of each performance, there was a tremendous amount of complimentary feedback, which I tried to convey to our pupils. Whether or not this was successful I do not know for sure, but I do know that the cast where wholly committed to the project from Day One, and not even a ‘bit of snow’ was allowed to stop the show from going on! While the memories of this special time linger, there are some mementos that can be enjoyed. The photographs of the cast are on display until Monday 5th March, for which reprint orders can be left at the School Office. DVDs of the performance can be ordered, for which an order form was distributed last week. Please ask for another at the School Office if you have mislaid yours.
- Parents are reminded that children who are dropped off at School between 8am and 8.25am will always be directed to Early Club. At this time, staff in all departments are preparing for the day ahead, and therefore Early Club is the only on-site supervision available between these times.
- Parents of children attending Nursery are asked to enter the building by the far red door, as it is essential that the correct procedure for daily registration takes place. Parents of children in Reception use the usual blue door, whilst children in Year 1 and 2 line up as usual each morning, after parents have left the playground at the sound of the 8.30am bell.
- Last week’s PTAFA Beetle Drive was well attended, with the children particularly enjoying the event, as well as the fish and chip supper that rounded off the proceedings. There will be a Quiz Night held on Saturday 10th March. This promises to be a fun evening, with topical and general knowledge questions posed, for teams of up to 6 people. The entry fee for each team is £10, so think of a name for your team, and book it in at the School Office, by Wednesday 7th March.
- There is a PTAFA meeting tonight, in Sunnylands Hall at 7.30pm which as usual is open to all parents. Please come along, and offer your support in organising social events for fellow parents and children.
- There are a large number of pupils who, in addition to usual school work and homework, are busying themselves preparing for Kettering Eisteddfod, which takes place in two weeks. I would expect that a great deal of work is taking place at home in this all important fortnight, as well as the help that teachers are giving during lunchtimes or after school. Competitions being entered include recorder, ocarina, choir, solo singing, verse speaking and group speaking. I wish all competitors the best of luck, and encourage them to enjoy the experience of competition, for it affords many benefits to their life skills. There will be an Eisteddfod update in the next bulletin, on 15th March.
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