Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank you to everyone who came along to our sports day yesterday! For some of you with children across the school, it was a long day, with first the infants, then Year 3 and 4, and then Year 5 and 6 taking part in the afternoon – I really enjoyed spending the whole day outside, celebrating the children’s team-spirited, joyful, and passionate sporty skills! Congratulations to Mandela for a marvellous victory; they really did shine. As did so many of you who took part in the Pewley parent races; I don’t think we’ve ever had so many people racing. The atmosphere was so lovely and I enjoyed every minute. Feedback from the children was also really positive – it was much better to spread the events out across the day, and we even finished in plenty of time!

For me, some of the stand-out moments included watching our most talented athletes cross the line in style, as well as noticing those that find running more difficult being determined and surprising themselves with their success. I also loved spotting little moments of kindness, camaraderie, encouragement and friendship between children from Reception to Year 6; for me, each positive interaction brought a glimpse of “heaven in the moment!”

Thank you as well for making the effort to park respectfully during sports day; we only had one unhappy neighbour phone the school. It was great that I didn’t have to apologise for traffic chaos too many times - I really appreciate it when the school community park carefully and safely. One comment came earlier in the week from Addison Court which is just across the road from the school – it is home for many elderly people and they really do need access in and out all the time in case of medical emergencies, so please be careful not to park there. Unfortunately, on that occasion people had blocked their driveway; I let them know that I’d remind you all about this.

The children in Year 6 are really starting to look ahead to September now, having spent time visiting their secondary schools this week. I’m proud to see them “embracing the future with hope and confidence” and I’m looking forward to sharing these next few days together as we look ahead to big changes at the end of the academic year! They’re inspiring me to look ahead with a smile.

Today, the Year 3 children are exploring Newlands Corner and walking back to school for a long-awaited evening of fun and games with their friends. Huge thanks to the teacher team who are then spending the whole night with them “sleeping-over” at school – let’s hope the children are tired out after a day in the fresh air.

Many of you have already heard the wonderful news that JJ and Nick welcomed little baby Poppy into their family, on Monday 1st July; a beautiful little sister for Orla. They’re all home now and enjoying getting to know each other and we send them our very best wishes. We’re also delighted to welcome Catherine Finniear back to school after her maternity leave – perfect timing for looking after 3N!

You’ll also be pleased to hear that the building project at Pewley is proceeding apace; the ceilings are all stripped out and ready for the arrival of the steel brackets which will then be attached to each concrete tile. For those of you that pray, please ask our heavenly Father to watch over smooth deliveries and guard against any unexpected glitches!

Our mock election was a great success at the juniors – take a look at the notices below for a summary of the results – and well done to all the Year 6 candidates who did such a great job in helping the school learn about democracy and the voting process. I’m going home shortly to settle in for some post-election national news. Enjoy the weekend!

With much love,

Clare

Thought of the week: Bee calm – how do you control anger? “Happy are the meek; they shall inherit the earth.”

Whole School

Holy Trinity Mock Election

Twelve of our Year 6 children volunteered their time to establish and create their own political party, coming up with their unique party name and logo. The parties consisted of: Fresh Future (members: Elodie, Elle, Holly and John-Paul), EqualiTicks (members: Ella, Milly, Edith and Esco) and S.H.I.P Social, Help Independence Party (members: Eloise, Alice, Jools and Ben). Each party created their own manifestos which were shared with the rival parties, and then with KS2 in assembly, considering the following key policy areas: education, cost of living, the environment and health. Fresh Future shared how they would "educate people on the environment and encourage an eco lifestyle" if they were to come into power. EqualiTicks promised to "improve healthcare in the UK for all and make sure everyone is equal". S.H.I.P expressed that they would "make university cheaper so more doctors and teachers would be trained and so NHS waiting times would be shorter" if they were to win. After a busy week of campaigning and speaking to their peers, polls were open on Thursday. Every child in Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 were given a vote, including staff! The results are as follows:

• EqualiTicks: 158
• S.H.I.P: 138 
• Fresh Future: 62

A huge congratulations to the winning party, EqualiTicks! And a special well done to all the candidates for taking part! We have been very impressed with their commitment, maturity and forward-thinking. What a superb example of democracy in action!

After School Playworkers - please see the Vacancies page for details of job openings.

If your child attends after-school clubs, do check the notices below by clicking on the junior or infant section.