Newsletter January and February 2020 - Primary School Highlights from Mrs Lebihan

It was lovely to see the children back at school after the Christmas break, and also to welcome some new families to the Primary School. I enjoyed meeting many of new families at Orientation Day and also at our more informal coffee morning. Hopefully, all our students are well settled into their routines now and are enjoying being a part of our Dover Court community.

Despite having to cancel some events this term, due to the precautions we are taking around the Coronavirus, we have managed to enjoy some fun activities. The Years 3 and 4 swimming galas were a great success and certainly something to splash about! I enjoyed watching some of the races and was astonished at the speed and technique of our swimmers. The atmosphere at the galas couldn’t be beaten and I know the children (and parents!) enjoyed a good cheer. A big thank you (and an equally big cheer!) goes to the PE team and also to the year group teams who supported the smooth running of the day.

Our next big event was the Temple Fair which our fantastic Mandarin Team spend many weeks preparing. This was a great way to celebrate Chinese New Year but also to share a range of cultural activities with the children. There was much activity and excitement in the hall and the children had a great time learning new skills and finding out about the festival. A great deal of work goes into an activity such as this so a big thank you goes to the Mandarin Team and also to the parents who gave up their time to support the event.

We were delighted the host the children’s author Abie Longstaff this week. Abie presented many workshops across the school to our eager young readers and I know each one was well received. As well as this, our EYFS students enjoyed a series of mystery readers who popped by the share a book and a smile. Thanks to our mystery readers for sharing their passion for reading with the children; we are very grateful for your support. Our two librarians, Ms Rachna and Mrs Smart ensured everything ran smoothly, and we thank them for their preparation and attention to detail!

We excitedly introduced ‘At the Splat’ this term. On Tuesday mornings a selected student will perform in our Garden, ‘At the Splat’. In the inaugural event, Kai played New York New York beautifully on the keyboard and this week we watched Haley play Beauty and the Beast on the violin. Any students interested in performing should see their music teacher for an audition.

Sadly, we have had to postpone some of our activities this term; this has included our Thailand and Kota residentials for Years 6 and 4. Some of our day trips have also been affected – we know the children have been disappointed and we have been talking to them about this. We will let you know which events we are having to cancel as they come up on the calendar.

As you know, we have been recording our class assemblies and sending the link out to parents to watch at home with their children. Although we can invite a limited number of children to watch the assemblies, we will continue to record them for parents. We are delighted that the children have still had the opportunity to perform and develop their presentation skills.

As we roll into half term, I hope you all have a relaxing half term break. Safe travels for those heading overseas - please do remember to complete the Travel Declaration form. Rest up everyone, and I look forward to seeing you all back at school after the break.

Best wishes.