28th February 2008

• It is always good to learn of our old students’ successes!  Francesca Bowers, Jessica Todd and Elizabeth Fedorowycz, who were in Year Six last year, featured on a Radio 4 children’s programme called Go4It.  The girls interviewed author Julia Golding, who has written a series of novels about Cat, a girl living in eighteenth century England.  You can listen to the programme on BBC i-player up until Sunday morning on http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/ and by then navigating to Radio 4. The girls asked intelligent and probing questions and came across as articulate and keen readers. The programme itself is well worth a listen each week, as it provides an opportunity for pupils to do just that…listen without visual props, and therefore exercise thinking skills and creativity in the process.
   
• Hot on the heels of Year Six 2006-07, pupils in 6LD and 6PP returned after half term firmly focussed on the fact that they have less than half an academic year left, to achieve their aim to do their very best in the end of Key Stage Two SATs.  The half term break returned our pupils to St P’s with a glint in the eye, and a renewed determination, refuelled after a good rest.  Now it is time to rally and push on, pupils!
   
• I am aware that parents are eagerly awaiting letters from Northamptonshire County Council regarding state school options.  Added to this we already have a very happy group of youngsters who have sought and been offered places at selective independent schools, and some who have also been awarded scholarships after performing exceptionally well in entrance exams.  More of this at Founders’ Day!
   
• Humanities Week took place before half term. In Foundation Stage children focussed particularly upon the Chinese New Year. Nursery children used chopsticks for some noodle-tasting and made dragons, lanterns and lucky red money envelopes.  Reception Class and Nursery performed a Dragon Dance and there was evidence of spontaneous cross-year participation too, when Mrs Cruickshank spied all of this going on whilst teaching Year Six.  Within moments, the class was out with her providing some pentatonic scale based musical accompaniment.
   
  Key Stage One also chose China as their Humanities Week focus.  They created a large dragon wall display, using egg boxes to make the scales.  A dragon puppet design was drafted by each pupil and was then realised as a 3D puppet using a yoghurt pot.  Pupils in 1KS also used clay to create their own terracotta warrior.
   
  Key Stage Two pupils were given daily facts, figures and other data relating to countries that were originally featured in Food Week: Great Britain, China, USA, Italy and Kenya.  At the end of Humanities Week there was a house quiz to see who had remembered the most information, and there was an added general knowledge round. Teachers were impressed by pupils’ enthusiasm and determination, and the quiz proved to be a huge success.
   
• It was fitting that during Humanities Week Mrs Dreyer and pupils were putting the finishing touches to the work created by pupils and their teachers that formed the St. Peter’s School entry to the Young Artist Exhibition at the Alfred East Gallery. It was titled “Growing Together As One” and was depicted by a ten foot tree adorned with pupils’ artwork. Each class had chosen a country, researched this country in terms of textiles, clothes, colours, culture, landmarks, food, people, flags and national icons.  The branches bearing the weight of our differences are kept intact by a healthy root system made up of compassion, love, perseverance, tolerance, kindness, faith and acceptance.
   
  I do hope that you will find the time to visit Alfred East Art Gallery before the end of this weekend when our installation has to leave the Gallery. Enjoy and be proud of this art work.  It is a “larger than life” way to celebrate our different cultures, countries and artistic styles.   A big thank you is extended to all pupils for their commitment and creativity. Keep your eyes open – our tree might appear somewhere in School in the very near future.
   
• Pupils in Key Stage Two thoroughly enjoyed the performance of Hamlet, which took place earlier this week at The Derngate Theatre in Northampton.  Yet again ‘Shakespeare 4 Kidz’ succeeded in conveying appropriately the plot and characters of a play dense with imagery and characterisation, without oversimplifying the complexity of this masterpiece. 
   
• Well done to pupils in Year Four, Five and Six on their achievements in the Young First Aider course undertaken before half term, and led by St John Ambulance. The course consisted of the following topics: asthma, choking, communication and casualty care, coping in an emergency, primary survey and recovery position.  It formed part of the Personal, Social and Health Education element of our curriculum.
   
• Improved light at the end of the school day has meant that a number of after school sports clubs have resumed.  It was marvellous to see our Running Club about the school’s grounds, and Sports Evolution were certainly holding our younger pupils’ attention too, as they took on a range of ball skill activities on Tuesday.  With Netball Club and Football Club also starting up again and matches along the way too, there is everything to play for, and it is good to see our pupils taking on the challenge.
   
• Pupils who took part in the Barnardo’s Egg Care Challenge are asked to return their sponsor money to the School Office in the envelope provided.  It seems that there were some interesting designs and egg names, as well as some rather unique places the eggs visited. If you participated in this-thank you!
   
• Please note that Mrs Thompson has not contacted parents about the Ballet Open Day because she needs to schedule it for later in the year.  She will be in touch regarding a date in due course.
   
• Mrs Payne has distributed slips to all Eisteddfod competitors, confirming competition, time and venue.  An accompanying letter explains the procedure for collection from and return to School.    Good luck to all our participants.  I hope that you are practicing daily at home.  Practice makes perfect.
   
• The PTAFA Bingo Night was very well attended, and this event was clearly a hit with our intended audience: the pupils!  Thanks to our Bingo Caller Extraordinaire Mr Steve Bowers, his trusty assistant Charlotte, the all important ‘bingo kit’ loaner: Mrs Dunlop-Drage, and Mrs Ager who ran around making it all happen, whilst Mr Fountain and a small group of novice waitresses tried their best to feed the thousands!  It was a great night.  Thanks to all who supported, and well done to Olivia Delaney, who won the Design A Mini Bus Competition.  This means that she has won a BIG TREAT for her class 2SW, courtesy of the PTAFA.  They are off to see Alvin and the Chipmunks on Wednesday afternoon at The Odeon.
   
• The PTAFA Mothers’ Day Stall will be open to pupils who have brought in their £1 and a gift for the stall.  The last chance to join in is tomorrow.  Thanks in advance to all ‘mummy’ wrappers and sellers who are coming in tomorrow to make it all happen!
   
• A PTAFA meeting takes place on Wednesday 5th March at 7.30pm in the School Hall.  Arrangements will be discussed relating to the forthcoming Auction of Promises on Saturday March 29th.  Further ‘promises’ for the Auction would be very helpful, so do please have a think and see if there is something you can offer.
   
• The next bulletin will be issued on Thursday 13th March, when there will be reports about World Maths Day, World Book Day and an update on Kettering Eisteddfod.