Cheriton Bishop Community Primary School

Snippets from the Classroom and Beyond

No W73 December 2008

“Christmas comes but once a year…” Yet it only seems like yesterday when we last celebrated Christmas. Is it part of the ageing process I ask myself? It probably is but I’m not prepared to go any further along that tack! We’ll start this edition of Snippets on a serious note. Cherry B school is a member of the Crediton Learning Community which is formed from all the schools in the Crediton area. Recently, all the Head Teachers involved have been meeting to set out an agreement of principles on when or when not to authorise absence requests , so that there is a common and united policy across all the schools. We all know that absence can be a really emotive subject especially at holiday time so it will be good to know that all the schools will be speaking with one voice! Expect to know the outcome of these discussions in January next year.

Moving on to staff matters and Liz Watkins is now qualified as a Mentor for Devon Teachers and Community Musicians covering Wider Opportunities Instrumental Teaching as part of their continuing professional development. Well done Liz on passing this milestone – it was a course run by the Open University with Trinity Guildhall Colleges of Music. The only problem with these Mentors is that they have to spend some of their time mentoring at other schools!

Now, what’s this photograph on the left? It looks like children molesting a poor bear! No, it’s one of the ingenious ways the children raised money for the BBC’s Children in Need charity. Mrs Tracey Wood and the School Council organised the day which saw the children attending the school in their nightwear What with this, a naming the Bear competition and covering Pudsey Bear with money (see above) they raised a staggering £135.00. Very well done to all involved.

On the sporting front both soccer and netball featured in matches against Bow Primary School. Despite giving of their all, the outcome for Cherry B was not too good. Years 5/6 won their netball match whilst the years 3/4 team lost. At soccer, the years 5/6 team lost but the years 3/4 managed a creditable draw. Well done to all who participated. I know you all tried your best.

As you can see by the calendar, the Christmas Fayre is almost upon us. Mrs Leyman’s raffle stall has a red and green theme this year. She is looking for donations for this stall so, please, if you can find something to donate, give them to Mrs. Leyman.

The Walking Bus is suffering from a lack of drivers especially on Thursday afternoons. Come on, there must be somebody who could spare the time to escort the children up the lane. As well as giving the children the exercise they need, you could gain from the very same exercise. If you can find the time please let Mrs Shearer or Mrs Leyman know. It would help enormously. And while I’m on the subject of transport, this very afternoon I was passed by a mother driving her vehicle with her daughter in the front seat. They had only just turned into the lane from the school car park and the mother was already driving one-handed whilst using her mobile phone. Let’s get real about this. Not only does she put her own daughter in danger but has the potential to endanger all the other children and parents leaving the school at the time!

And the word time tells me it’s time to get back to the subject of music. Tuesday afternoons has seen the re-instatement of violin lessons. Drum lessons are held on Wednesday afternoons. Guitar lessons continue on Thursday mornings and, of course, Taiko lessons have continued on Friday afternoons. What a musical lot you are! AND musical instruments are being used in science to explain sound and sonics. The two photographs on this page are amusing with the instrument in question considerably larger than the pupils. I really wish that I could handle the double bass!

To the calendar where the Christmas season is taking hold. It looks like this:

4^th December – Visit by Road Safety Officer

5^th December – School Christmas Fayre

10^th December – School Christmas Lunch

12^th December – Carol Service – St Mary’s Church – 1400 and 1830

17^th December – Whole School Pantomime – Northcott Theatre

17^th December – End of Autumn Term

6^th January 2009 – Start of the Spring Term

16^th-20^th February – Half Term

3^rd April – End of Spring Term

20^th April – Summer Term Begins.

That should give you enough information to be getting along with.

A reminder, then, that we are approaching Christmas. Amidst all the bustle and stress don’t lose sight of that small child born just over 2 thousand years ago. It’s his birth that we are really celebrating. Have a Very Happy Christmas and a Happy, Peaceful and (if at all possible in these straitened times) Prosperous New Year.
PGR