Dear North Tawton Families,
With so many children, staff and parents testing positive with covid this week, it has been a challenging week. Unfortunately this new variant is really spreading quickly around our community and indeed across Devon, and we do have a number of people who have been very ill with it. From a school point of view, it has been incredibly challenging as seven of our staff have been unable to come to work this week. This has had a huge impact upon our normal routines and systems. A huge thank you to all of the staff team who have supported the school this week. Staff have worked extra days and hours, missed breaks and their planning time so that ratios could be covered and therefore we have not had to close any classes. I am so grateful as I am sure you are too. I think we all agree that remote learning is a very last resort and must be avoided if at all possible. If you or your child has symptoms of Covid, please take a test. If you or they test positive, please do not come to school. We really can’t continue to have such high levels of contagion. Many of our children and staff have family members who are medically vulnerable and could become critically ill they contract the virus. Absence from school had a detrimental effect to learning so I urge everyone to pull together to reduce this. Please wear masks at the drop off and collection as well as in the community in shops and at work. Please continue to have good hand hygiene at home, washing hands and sanitizing. Also remember the ‘catch it, kill it, bin it’ advice, with tissues being disposed of to stop germs spreading. FONTS A huge thank you to FONTS for organising the Bags To School collection – a very impressive £408 raised! See the Fonts update for more details. Watch this space for an opportunity to buy a once in a lifetime tea towel, and raise money for our school… Bake Sale for Ukraine On Friday 25th March, Year 4 will be organising a Bake Sale to raise funds for Ukraine. If you are able to bake a cake, cup cakes or provide something special to sell, please bring to school on Friday. Please avoid nuts and jot down the ingredients so we can be clear what each treat contains. We will have tables out from 3.15 – 3.45 for in the playground where KS2 are collected. Wishing all of our children, staff and parents who are isolating a very speedy recovery. With best wishes for the weekend, Tara Penny Bag2school- DROP OFF POINT OPPOSITE THE SCHOOL IN THE BLUE GAZEBO IS NOW OPEN!!!. Now is the time to have a de-clutter of those wardrobes. This is a free fundraising collection service for all your good quality unwanted items, such as clothing, bags, shoes, bedding, curtains, towels etc. 😊 Collection is on Monday so please have all bags at the drop off point by 8.30am. 📚 WBD- Thank you for all of your donations for World Book Day. All of the children got to create their very own t-shirt and chose a book to take home. The T-shirt’s looked amazing and those who chose to dress up last Friday looked wonderful.
🤡 COMIC RELIEF- Friday 18th March Donate £1 and come to school dressed in something Red and bring your best joke to give everyone a laugh 😆 🗓 Next FONTS meeting is Friday 25th March at 9am in the school Hall. Please do come along and see what exciting things we’ve got planned or maybe you have a fundraising idea you’d like to share. Everyone welcome. Thank you for your continued support FONTS committee Email [email protected] Or message FONTS on Class Dojo Dear North Tawton Families, I hope this newsletter finds you well. We do have a number of families with Covid this week, as far as I’m aware, none are too poorly. Do let me know if you or your children test positive over the weekend. Gardening Day On Saturday a team of volunteers were working hard at school. Between us we
International Women’s Day
In assembly this week I read The Paper Bag princess to Year 1 and Two. I was surprised so few knew the story. It’s one of my favourites as it challenges stereotypes. In this story the princess uses her wits to defeat the dragon and when the rescued prince is rude to her, she makes a decision as to how she is going to live happily ever after! With the older children I introduced the Bechdel Test. This is a test devised to look at how women are portrayed in films (it can be applied to books too) There are three criteria: (1) It has to have at least two women in it, (2) They must have names and (3) They must talk to each other, but it must be about something other than a man. You’d be surprised how many films do not pass this test! Children’s films that do not pass include: Toy Story, Luca, Lion King, Finding Nemo, Jungle Book and Aladdin. This doesn’t mean that these are bad films, but does provoke some discussion about what role models we are showing our girls and boys. In assembly I asked the children what other criteria they what to see in films. They suggested: To have female characters who are not evil. To have characters that are not always white. To have boys who like to be princesses. To have boys and girls as friends. This weekend, if you watch a movie, please talk to your children about the men and women in the story. Who has the most lines, makes the most decisions and has the most action? Also look out for how boys are portrayed. Are they shown as having fears and feelings? Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality. Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias. Cross Country It was a privilege to host the OCRA Cross Country event here on Wednesday. We had teams from eight local schools here competing. They ran a mile and a half, which was three laps around our fields and orchard. It was great to see so many happy, muddy, children! Geography Quiz Before half term, Mss Radbourne challenged children to revise their geography knowledge for a quiz. Congratulations to our winners Y2 – 1st Abel 2nd Ned 3rd Evie Y3 – 1st Juno 2nd Ashton 3rd Brook Y4 – 1st Tam 2nd Ben S-S 3rd Sonny & Ivy Y5 – 1st Alfie 2nd Charlie 3rd Jack Y6 – 1st Ollie 2nd Maya 3rd Eva Please do spend some time looking at maps and globes with your children and learning the continents, oceans and capitals of countries, this is great knowledge to have and will help them in future learning. With best wishes for the weekend, Tara Penny Dear North Tawton Families, I can definitely feel Spring in the air today! The sun is shining, our school daffodils are in bloom and I certainly am enjoying lighter mornings and evenings. It has been a very busy week here at North Tawton and a great start to the new half term. Fabulous Art Work I was delighted to visit the Ruth Smith Gallery on Monday and see all of the wonderful art work our community have created for the Future North Tawton exhibition. Do pop in and have a look if you have not already done so. Congratulations to all who entered and especially to our winners Rebecca Simms and her mum Philippa Simms for their winning entries. Future North Tawton - Ruth Smith Gallery Lent This week we have been learning about Lent and finding out why so many of us enjoyed pancakes on Tuesday. Mr Cutler held a pancake tossing competition in assembly and told us all about the Christian significance of this time of year. Many Christians give something up for Lent and use the time to focus on prayer or reading the Bible. Children have been encouraged to take something up for the weeks ahead. We will be learning more about this as we approach Easter. Family Time Thinking about Lent, why not have a conversation at home about things you can do as a family at this time of year, for example watch a TV programme together then turn off the TV and talk about it, or spend some time gardening or colouring together, or writing to or calling a family member. My yoga and mindfulness club children could lead a family yoga session. It would be good for us all to use this time of year to focus on mindfulness and family time. Devon Wildlife Trust On Thursday our Wildlife Ambassadors started working with the Devon Wildlife Trust on a well being project. We will be sharing more about this as the term progresses. World Book Day Please look at our class blogs to see photographs of children dressed up. They looked amazing! Each child has chosen a preloved book to keep and has decorated a t-shirt with their favourite book characters to keep as well. Many thanks to Mrs Ware for organising this and FONTs for funding the initial outlay of t-shirts and fabric pens. Assembly It was great to have so many of you log on for our sharing assembly today. I really enjoyed seeing the children proudly present their learning. What an array of exciting knowledge and skills they displayed for us! Scientific and historic facts, songs, a poetry recital, art work, models, drama in the form of weather presenters and even Picasso dropped by! We saw some excellent home learning as well as the work children do at school. The children spoke clearly and confidently – well done to them all! Unfortunately we were not able to share the Y3 video, but do look on Dojo to see what they were up to in Forest School! Ukraine In assembly on Monday, I spoke to KS1 and KS2 children about conflict being a normal part of human behaviour. We thought about different scenarios which could happen at school or at home where there is difference of opinion. We looked at different ways we can respond when someone has a different view to us and how we can respond to conflict. This led to a conversation about the current war on Ukraine. Older children have been watching Newsround and discussing the news with their teachers. I led this prayer for our children: Dear God, We pray for the people of Ukraine and the people of Russia to be safe and have peace. We pray that their leaders listen and make good decisions. We pray for all those who are afraid; that they may feel comfort and safety. We pray for those who choose conflict; that they will learn to make peace. Amen There will be an event at St Peters on Wednesday next week, which you are welcome to attend. With best wishes for the weekend
Tara Penny Also known as The Paper Bag Princess! Dear North Tawton Families, Thank you for your support yesterday when we announced we would be closing the school today. I know for many families, having the children at home today will have been a logistical issue however, the vast majority of parents said that they agreed with our decision and were grateful we had made the choice to err on the side of caution and put safety first. I am grateful that the storm has not hit Devon as hard as it could have done. I know many staff and families have lost electricity today and many have suffered garden fences damaged, I really do hope it has not been worse for anyone. I particularly hope a our farmers have not suffered any livestock and crop losses. I will be checking the school for damage tomorrow. St Valentine This week in assembly we learnt about St Valentine, well we think we did! The truth is that there are a lot of stories and we are not entirely sure which, if any are true! He did live in the 3rd century and he is the Patron Saint of epilepsy and beekeepers but is more widely known for his association with love. It is said that he helped couples marry when the king forbade it as he wanted men to be single and go to war. We took the opportunity to think about love and what it means to us. The Greeks came up with eight different words for the types of love we commonly experience throughout our lifetime.
In the spirit of the modern interpretation of Valentine’s Day, and as a symbol of our appreciation for the love and care the adults in school give us, we gave small gifts to each member of staff. Donuts Continuing the theme of love, we had a very successful Valentines donut sale! Despite the rain, you came out in your droves to treat yourselves (Philautia), partners (Eros) and your families (Philia) to the delicious popcorn, hot chocolate cones and donuts! With great thanks to FONTS for organising this sweet treat and raising money for the school. And by the way, I’m a firm believer that birthday cake calories and charity donut calories don’t count! Geography Quiz Miss Radbourne has challenged the school to a North Tawton Geography Quiz! See Dojo for information and links. While honing your knowledge, please have a family discussion about your experiences. Where have you visited? What was it like? How was it the same and how was it different to here? Where would you most like to visit? Why? Monday 28th February – return to school
Monday 28th February - 3pm - 5pm Future North Tawton exhibition opening at Ruth Smith Gallery Friday 4th March - On line assembly for families Saturday 5th March 10am – 2pm Gardening Day With best wishes for the half term. Stay safe Tara Penny Ever wanted to test ride an E-bike? Well now you can hire one for the day, free of charge.
Spend the day exploring Okehampton and the granite way on an electronically assisted bike. Whether you’re looking to use the car less, or looking to get yourself back into cycling, why not let an e-bike help get you rolling. Vouchers are limited, so this will be done on a first come first serve basis and you can only apply once. Terms and conditions apply. Register here to apply for a free e-bike voucher, once you have registered on the link, you will receive a unique code from my colleague (please check your junk folder once you have applied). You will then need to book in with the Granite Way Cycles bike shop. The e-bike voucher scheme aims to increase the uptake of e-cycling in Devon, by offering residents in targeted areas a full-day hire e-bike voucher. These vouchers will allow residents to give e-cycling a try from a participating bike shop, for free. Points
Hello, My name is Chris and I work for a company called the AIM group. We work alongside Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust to support all their parents and staff.
We offer a completely free online learning platform in over 50 different topics to help support life as a busy parent including: mental health concerns in children, managing challenging behaviour, pre-diagnosis of adhd or dyslexia, getting an understanding of autism, childhood trauma, to name just a few areas of help available (full list attached). This can help you develop a new skill in the comfort of your own home at times suitable to you, resulting in a fully accredited qualification for your CV. Not only is this helping you, but also the Trust and your children's school, as for every 50 completed courses between now and the end of June, we are donating a completely free laptop to the Trust allowing us to help disadvantaged families who do not have laptop access. If you are interested in being a part of this fantastic project, then please just complete the following link (this is a no obligation register of interest). North Tawton Community Primary School Link Once completed, this will allow ME to contact you via phone and email (look out for a phone number) 0203 900 3091 Please do get in touch sooner than later as this is gov.uk funding and is always subject to change. I am looking forward to speaking with you soon, Christopher Greenfield Level 2 Qualifications Team Leader | The AIM Group Phone: 0203 900 3091 Extension: 213 Email: [email protected] 6 Hoffmanns Way, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1GU www.theaimgroup.co.uk | www.aimgroupfoundation.org What could North Tawton look like in the future? Some of our children drew their ideas for the North Tawton Arts weekend competition. I do like the sound of flying cars, soft play, a pink school, ten pin bowling, a clock tower made of sweets, a zoo and a baker!
Dear North Tawton Families, It was great to see our children as farmers, sports stars, unicorns, party goers, super heroes, dinosaurs and princesses at school today! As part of our Mental Health Awareness Week, we wanted children to be able to express themselves and talk about what makes them feel happy. We have been doing lots of mindfulness activities this week to teach children a range of skills and techniques to have and maintain positive mental health. Choices This week in assembly we thought about our choices. We particularly thought about how we can start our day with a positive mindset. This starts from how we feel when we wake up, our organisation and attitudes when getting ready and how we greet each other at school. We have reflected upon our behaviour expectations to be Ready, Respectful and Safe not just at school, but also at home. In school we are particularly focusing on our readiness for learning. I shared a great quote from the head teacher Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." What time does school start? A number of parents have asked exactly what time does school start. We open the gates and doors at 8.45am. Staff will be in class with morning activities for the children to do as they come in. Registers are taken at 9am and close at 9.05am. We encourage parents to bring children in as early as possible so that they can settle, any messages can be relayed, and lessons can start promptly. Walking in late can be unsettling for children and the smooth start to the day, especially where we have children moving in to group activities. If you are struggling with morning routines, please let us know as we may be able to offer advice or refer to Early Help for support. Gardening Day Thank you so much to all the families who volunteered to join Miss Prince and myself on Saturday for gardening. On Wednesday the weather forecast for tomorrow was rain, rain, rain, so I decided to postpone. It now looks like the weather won’t be so bad after all! Typical! Enjoy the lie in, or go out and enjoy the morning! I'm hoping lots of you can you can make it for Saturday 5th March. Reports and Targets Over the next month, teachers will be compiling assessments in order to give you an end of Spring term report. This report will give effort grades and targets for the core subjects; reading, writing, maths and science. There will be a comment on learning behaviour, friendships and attitudes. At the end of the school year, the final report will show what we have taught in all subjects over the year. There will be an effort, attainment and progress grade for each subject and again a general comment about attitudes to friendships and learning. We hope you find these reports helpful and will welcome feedback. Didi Rugby Please see attached information about Didi Rugby at Zeal Monachorum and Chulmleigh. Click on the posters to find out more: Dates for the Diary
This weekend - North Tawton Art Weekend Monday 14th February – St Valentine’s Day doughnuts after school Friday 18th February 2pm - On Line assembly for families and last day of term Monday 28th February – return to school Saturday 5th March 10am – 2pm Gardening Day With best wishes for the weekend Tara Penny Dear North Tawton Families, As our Covid numbers have continued to rise this week, please keep an eye on emails for advice. Our latest guidance and risk assessments are available on our website. As always, please contact me if you have any concerns. Chinese New Year In assembly this week, I told a story of how the Chinese Zodiac was invented. The Jade Emperor organised a race for all the animals. 12 animals showed up to the starting line. The emperor said that each animal who came would all have a year named after them, the race was to determine the order. Ask your children how the animals approached the race, in particular the river they had to cross. Why didn’t the dragon win and why is there not a Year of the Cat? We had fun acting out the story in assembly. You can find out your year and what that might mean here: https://kids.kiddle.co/Chinese_Zodiac Happy Chinese New Year in Mandarin: 恭喜发财 “gong-sshee faa-tseye” and in Cantonese: 恭喜發財 “gong-hey faa-chwhy.” Cross County
Our Year 5 and Year 6 cross country team were fantastic on Friday. They showed incredible team work, perseverance and high spirits. We are so proud of them and their sporting attitude. Well done! Music Lessons If your child in KS1 or KS2 would like to have music lessons, strings, piano or singing, please contact the office or Miss Boyce. Job Opportunities Do you, or do you know someone who would like to work for our Trust? Current vacancies include:
Vacancies - Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust (dartmoormat.org.uk) Dates for the Diary Friday 11th Dress to Impress – details to follow! Friday 11th – 13th February North Tawton Art Weekend Saturday 12th February 10am – 2pm Gardening Day Monday 14th February – St Valentine’s Day doughnuts Friday 18th February 2pm - On Line assembly for families and last day of term Monday 28th February – return to school With best wishes for the weekend Tara Penny |
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