Dear Parents,
This year has been the most difficult I have experienced in my many decades of working in schools. It has been a particularly hard year for parents, balancing work and unexpected childcare and teaching responsibilities, hard for teachers shifting at short notice to online provision, then back again. It has been difficult for children adapting to homeschooling, then school again but not as they previously knew it. Every single person in the school community, has had to show adaptability and resilience.
We have been at the mercy of covid and ever-changing guidelines that have left all of us frustrated. Thank you for supporting the school through such a turbulent time. The good news is that by September, most of those guidelines will have been removed. The bubble system will no longer exist and double vaccinated staff will not have to self-isolate. I hope we will have a full and settled year of school with parents in the playground and a full round of social events where we can all meet.
Happily, the children have continued to thrive, and their end of year progress scores are stunning. Well done parents and a huge thank you to teachers and staff for maintaining the children's love of learning. It will be wonderful to see all of our year-groups mixing in one large playground in September and to have the whole school come together for weekly assemblies.
We have just held our 'step-up' morning. The Year 2 children paid a nostalgic visit to Reception, Reception children met with Aisha and Year 1 children met Sinead. The Reception and Year 1 children seemed instantly older in their new classrooms, whilst our Year 2 children immediately reverted to their younger selves. We welcome Sinead Holt to the staff as we say a sad farewell to Jade. We wish her all the very best for her new life in Oxfordshire.
Whilst parents have been sadly absent from end of year events, the children have been having an enjoyable end of term behind the scenes. The violin concerts were recorded for parents and Year 2 parents watched the tap-dancing concert via zoom. We held our first (socially distanced) whole-school assembly of the year to say farewell to our leavers who are heading in all directions, from Henley on Thames to the Netherlands. Goodbye to our wonderful Year 2 children and to the few Year 1 and Reception children who are leaving. You will always be part of the Children's House family and we want to hear from you next year and in the future. We will miss you all but look forward to the Year 2 reunion tea party next October.
The new Reception children visited the Upper School for an out-of-doors tea party. Within minutes they had taken over the playground and seemed completely at home. I look forward to seeing parents in the playground tomorrow morning for the class singing performances. These will be brief, but we will be together for the first time this year. If the weather is wet the children will stand under a gazebo, but parents will have to shelter beneath umbrellas. A reminder that Reception children will sing at 10.00am, Year 1 at 10.45am and Year 2 at 11.30am.
We have opened a gallery section in the parent portal of the school website, in which you will find a regular selection of photographs showing children involved in school activities. There are Wheelies, sports day, Safari Pete, bee workshop, outreach sale and leavers' assembly photos posted already, so please have a look. Thank you for your generosity in supporting Wheelies, which raised an impressive £1,250 for Cpotential. The Year 2 children held their outreach stall yesterday and raised nearly £500 for the marine conservation society. The children's artwork, as displayed on the tote bags, could be sold commercially. Well done Aisha and children for a magnificent effort.
Everyone deserves a relaxing holiday after such a tough year. I hope you all manage to find time for a family holiday, even if it is close to home; fingers crossed for sunshine. I look forward to seeing you and your children, fully refreshed, in September.
Warm wishes,
Kate