Good afternoon,

It is hard to believe that we only have one full week of the year left.  We have coped well this week with the heat and whilst we have had to adapt, we have certainly made the most of every moment.

I begin with the amazing opportunity we were able to provide for a select group of children to attend a day at Wimbledon.  We were grateful to have the support of Luckley House School, lending us a minibus. It was a long hot day for the children and adults, but one I am sure they will treasure.

Wimbledon was such an inspirational trip and our children continued to inspire us through our sports achievement assembly.  We had 40 certificates awarded for participation, commitment, progress, achievement, courage, respect and determination.  It was such a long assembly but worth every moment to celebrate our children and staff with the wide range of sports they participate in.  Thank you for your support.  We were also proud to present certificates to our Chaffinch swimmers.  Chaffinch children have approached their swimming lessons with a great attitude; children have overcome fears and pushed themselves to achieve.  Thank you, Mrs Dodds, Mr Dodds, Mrs Baker and Mrs Gan for accompanying them.

Yesterday afternoon, Mrs Wirth and I had the privilege of interviewing our Year 5 children for the Prefect role next year.  There were nerves, but most importantly there was excitement, energy, commitment, kindness.  

Well done to the Year 5s, we will meet with them on Monday afternoon to let them know the outcome!

Whilst it was unbearably hot, it didn’t slow us down.  We went straight from these wonderful interviews to welcome our new Reception children for September.  Due to the weather, we spread out over the garden, nest and classroom.  It was such a pleasure to welcome our new families.  Next Thursday, the children will be back and will be introduced to their buddies.

In one of the hottest weeks, our Year 6 are finding it hard to take off their lovely leavers’ hoodies!  As they prepare for the end of their time with us, we are also transitioning through the school to prepare the children for their new classes for September.  We have held another transition afternoon today, and we have more informal transitions planned over the rest of the term.

I have sent out a few emails this week and I hope they have been helpful.  I hope the information regarding uniform has provided clarity.  If you have any questions, please email me.  We understand this transition period is not completely straightforward, but as a school we have invested in our uniform stock, and we really want to minimise waste. I am confident that the decisions the governors and I have made are the most practical and cost-effective decisions whilst adhering to the new government guidance and ensuring our children are smart and comfortable.

I emailed details regarding next week. Please remember that we have Bags2School on Monday with a drop-off at the Memorial car park. Thank you FOFSA.  We have Bikeability for Year 6, Advocacy afternoon on Tuesday, KS1 trip on Wednesday and our Music assembly on Thursday.

I finish my update with Soak the teacher – we were absolutely soaked, and the children loved it!  Thank you so much for your support.

Thank you for your support and that of the staff.  We are very proud of the children for their hard work, positive attitudes and kindness.  Can I remind parents of the Music assembly form, the parent survey and the annual report feedback form?  We are grateful for your feedback and your appreciation means a great deal.

The end of term is always busy and this year we will be saying goodbye to Mrs Dodds and Mrs Gan which will be very hard to do.   Tuesday this week will be Mr Valsan’s last day with us.  Mr Valsan has been such an asset to our team and has been a great support to Goldfinch.  I am sure you will join me in wishing him every success as he goes on to train as a teacher in Maths and Physics for Further Education.  Thank you, Mr Valsan for the positive impact you have had.

As we head towards next week, the forecast is still showing high temperatures.  With a busy week of events, PE days may change next week, so we would like the children to come into school in PE kit each day please.

With kind regards

Jacquie Vanstone