I don’t know about you, but the sight of the Christmas trees with the white lights makes me feel a little bit skippy inside.
Thank you to the P&F for providing us with the trees and so much more besides. Of course tomorrow we will have the P & F Christmas Fair, which will I’m sure, be a happy, community event. None of the things the P&F does go unnoticed and I am eternally grateful for the cheerful way in which a whole army of helpers swings into action and goes the extra mile.
I hope to see many of you somewhere between Santa’s grotto, the exciting children’s activities in the hall and all the stalls in between.
The Fair starts at 12 noon and the raffle and other prizes are drawn shortly before it finishes at 3pm.
On Friday we gathered together with Year 2 and 3 parents for the Christingle service, presented by children and staff. I love watching the concentration on faces as the children carefully walk with their lit Christingles and blow them out. It was lovely this year to hear the children telling their story, reading prayers they had written themselves and I gather that they also took ownership of the rehearsal schedule in their own free time.
Well done to all of them. It was a special occasion.
In the remaining two weeks of term there will be plenty more to celebrate. Please do look at our calendar and decide when you will come to join us.
Year 8 are coming to the end of their mock examination week. They’ve worked hard and it is almost as important that they learn from their mistakes as that they take stock of what they can remember.
Staff news
I’m sorry to let you know that Mrs Sarah Stokes, Year 4 teacher will be leaving us at the end of this term. The whole family is moving to Copenhagen where Mr Stokes has been working for some time. The Stokes family have been an important part of St Michael’s and we will be sorry to see Sarah and Sophie moving from the school.
Sarah has given much to the English department and then to the Year 4 team which she joined with her job share partner Mrs Newman. Throughout her time, she has run and loved the Junior Journal, offering to the children a voice to be heard way beyond the walls of the school. I have been proud of the way this has developed under her stewardship and it will be one of many legacies to the school.
We will miss Sarah and Sophie a great deal and we hope that through the wonders of modern technology we might continue the special relationship we have through Skype and the Internet. We look forward to hearing all about their adventures in Europe.
I’m delighted to let you know that next week a new school nurse, Mrs Carlton, joins our team She will be working three days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday).
Mrs Carlton told us “I am very much looking forward to joining St Michael’s as School Nurse. I have been qualified as a nurse for 13 years and spent the majority of my career working in the paediatric department at the Royal Brompton Hospital, but I also have experience working in a special needs school.
I have two young children who keep me busy at home and I am also a very keen baker (I won our village bake off this year!). I also enjoy running.”
Whatever you’re doing this weekend make sure it includes coming to St Michael’s for the Christmas Fair. See you there!
Jill Aisher