10 May 2013

• The Easter break worked its magic; after healthy doses of chocolate children and staff returned refreshed and ready to begin the summer term. With the relative thaw in temperatures our frog population returned to the pond and spawned in short order. Off set against a backdrop of different daffodil varieties that formed the subject of our initial art and science work. Where did they all come from? Describing domestication and the work of Charles Darwin in explaining (simply) variation amongst species seemed to satisfy most.
   
• Clubs also blossomed around the school. That hardy perennial, Recorder Club, started with the ever spring like Lydia. We hosted a training session for Energy Club an initiative to help children stay fit and healthy in a fun way. Parents and staff will use this experience in extra-curricula ways to enhance our provision.
   


• Gardening Club re-emerged from hibernation to catch up with planting in the veg beds and starting our pumpkins and salads in seed modules indoors.
   
• And of course it wouldn't be spring without the cheerful tones of Maypole music being heard between gusty showers and the always cheerful exhortations of Mrs Betty Feasey reminding us all of the correct steps. How does Mrs Feasey remember all this, Mr Storey? Lets ask her shall we Nell? Probably because I've been doing this for 36 years! 36 years, WOW! We hope to see you on the Knoll on May Day.
   
• The star of this first very busy week was however an enduring classic. Mr Jim Fleming kindly brought his 1961 Bentley for the children to study as part of their Vehicles topic with student Mr Simon Spillings. We all marvelled at the well maintained luxury of the car and at how many advanced features it had for its time and design. Children then went on to make designs for their own constructions.

  Colin R Storey
  AST & Assistant Headteacher
  Sherington CE School
    Footnote; Fairies doing well and Moshis in production. CS

  31 March 2013

• We waited anxiously to see the first frogs in our pond as harbingers of spring; they came on a lovely warm sunny Tuesday only to be frozen in by a cold snap. At the time of writing a snow flurry whirls around the school, ice covers the pond and we rediscover the need to remember hats, gloves and scarves for the walk to school and playtimes.
   
• It was such a day that our Reception group walked to the playpark to investigate materials and structures; fairly easy to distinguish cold metal from wood or plastic and to appreciate the need for safety and caution on slippery surfaces. "It was a good walk in the cold sunshine." "Yes why is it cold and sunny at the same time?" "It can be sunny and raining then you get a rainbow!" "Where's the rainbow?" Leaving the classroom for outdoor activities can multiply the opportunities for diverse learning.
   


• Not to be out done by the search for 100 pink fairies the 'Moshi Club' sprung into existence to create 1000 mini-monsters for the greatest Sherington School hunt of all time (the photocopier might help 10 X 100 + 1000!). So far we have 50 + original and derivative designs. We'll keep you posted. Anyone finding our remaining pink fairy is advised to give her a warm drink (dandelion nectar sweetened with daisy honey), a snack (iced party ring crumbs) and send her toward home. They definitiely don't respond well to prolonged captivity.
   
• Our Child Reach project linking us with Poonam's school in Nepal continues to develop with a Partnership Day alongside our sister school St Andrew's. A day of Literacy and creative activities were planned to allow our small cohorts to experience short and long community cohesion in a supportive environment.
   
• Mothers' Day was celebrated with cards, presents and a special assembly at which the children sung and recited heartfelt sentiments; smiles aplenty and a few moist eyes. We now look forward to Easter with bonnets and egg-rolling and the final arrival of Spring. We'll keep you posted on those frogs, fairies and monsters in our school grounds.

  3 March 2013

• The Spring Term progresses with only the barest signs of the season - a few snowdrops seen outside the Reception Class door. The Reception class celebrated the Chinese New Year with vegetable stir-fry, traditional money envelopes containing gold (chocolate) coins, research into real snakes and some fierce-looking dragon puppets for role-play and story making.
   
• A pink fairy hunt was organized and conducted by Y1 whereby 100 numbered pink fairies were hidden around the playground and when collected reassembled into a number line or grid for work in Numeracy. Key Stage 1 have been enjoying Literacy activities based around traditional tales from other cultures such as Siegfied the Dragonslayer (echoes of Wagner) or Robin Hood. Additionally KS1 Design Technology has involved designing and making winding mechanisms. History has been the warming topic of The Great Fire of London with amazement that Samuel Pepys safeguarded his favourite cheese and wine by burying them in the garden!
   
• Mrs Betty Feasey continues to support the school in many ways (lately a date with pancakes on Shrove Tuesday) while Rev's Mandy (Jewish dancing in assembly) and Pam (construction of a sewn and embroidered banner) also add their community support. Mrs Jane Castle from the Bridgebuilder Trust has lent her expertise to the latter project as well as illuminating bible stories with her `magic' painting the style of which has been added to the children's artistic repertoire. We welcome Bed student Simon Spillings who will work within the KS1 team.
   
• Before Christmas the children wrote heartfelt 'get well' letters to Malala Yousafzai who, injured by the Taliban for promoting the rights of girls to go to school, has been much in the news. We all made a 'Kite for Malala' on Universal Children's Day and gave a great degree of thought to how lucky we are at Sherington to enjoy a good education.
   
• Our future citizens have followed this remarkable girl's recovery with a continuing interest in current affairs. Now we just need to find those last few fairies!

  18 December 2012

• The Autumn Term was completed with a new partnership underway. An assembly by representatives of the charity Child Reach enlightened the children describing the life and schooling of a little girl in Nepal. This laid the foundation for what we hope will be an ongoing topic through which to develop not only the writing and communication skills of the children but also their 'voice' as citizens within our schools and the wider community. We began at Sherington by celebrating International Children's Day and reflecting on how lucky we were to have such a lovely school to go to every day. In the future we will work with colleagues from St Andrew's School in a series of jointly planned art and writing workshops.
   
• Our Christmas play, as usual a Nativity seen from a different angle, was Humph the Camel. This is a tale of a grumpy camel whose outlook on life was remarkably changed by meeting the infant Jesus in the stable in Bethlehem. All members of the cast, many in their first term at school, rose to the challenge admirably.
   
• The PTFA provided a seasonal celebratory dinner as well as the funds to attend the pantomime at Milton Keynes Theatre. To these fine folk and our many supporters and helpers from the community we say thank you once again and have a happy Christmas with our best wishes for the challenges of the coming new year. CS

  20 October 2012

• Our first public engagement of the year was our annual Harvest Celebration, Shining things, conducted in St Laud's Church to an appreciative audience of the parents and congregation in Sherington. We celebrated the harvest of the land, the sea, the ground and of our imaginations. A hot school harvest lunch was served by the PTFA and eaten with our thanks.
   

• We finally held our 2012 Sports Day which had been cancelled in the summer due to the persistent rain. More of a fun sports occasion than a competitive event the PTFA provided food and we invited last year's leavers to rejoin their friends. And the rain held off until it was over and the field was cleared!
   
• The school held two open day sessions; one in the middle of the week with children working as usual and one at the weekend with a variety of activities for visitors and a chance to meet all the staff informally. Governor Mrs. Margaret Broadhurst commented;
  I was particularly struck by how well integrated all the children were in the different year groups, their ease with each other when all together, the relaxed way they moved from one area to another and interacted with adults. All the areas in the school were in use and ... It was a treat to see the industry of the children, their concentration and the variety of work they were undertaking.