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Posted on: December 18th 2020

A message from Mr Nation

Welcome to the final newsletter of 2020. The staff and children have achieved so much this term despite the challenges we have faced. 

Christingles, nativites, performances - you name it, but all in bubbles and shared virtually! In addition, Mrs Knobbs and the members of FoCs organised a ‘Nativity Walk’ around the village where parents and children decorated their windows for advent. Our Discovery topic focused on Design and Technology and has taken a different angle on 'Performance' to ensure the children still have such experiences, albeit in a different way this year. While learning the craft of designers they have been busy planning innovative and appealing products to meet their design briefs while utilising new skills linked to woodwork, electricity, music, cooking and nutrition. The children are very proud of their outcomes, and so they should be. We have seen over 30 different bread rolls, watched wonderful theatres come to life and listened to a range of musical instruments made from everyday items. Most importantly, the children have enjoyed their learning experiences and have been eager to share what they have been up to which is credit to the adults in their classes.

Rev Annie has provided the school with wonderful acts of Collective Worship which we have shared on a weekly basis along with Values Assemblies and Celebration Assemblies. Life is certainly different and virtual assemblies are commonplace. The children also enjoyed a visiting pantomime of Dick Whittington organised by Mrs Liddell, it was lovely to see the children getting in the festive spirit...oh yes it was!

We are also hugely grateful to FoCS this term who have been busy finding new ways to fundraise. They have still managed to raise money for our school through new ventures along with making some regular school events safe to continue. This has meant we have been able to invite professionals in to the work with the children and have been able to put on a pantomime to help get children in the festive spirit.

Finally, my thanks to you as parents/carers for your continued support of the school. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

 

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A Message from Mr Morton Posted on: 18/10/2024

A Message from Mr Morton

Welcome to the first newsletter of the year. This term seems to have flown by, but we haven’t missed a moment or an opportunity to cram in as much learning and enjoyment as we can. All the children have returned to school full of energy and enthusiasm. Everywhere around our school children have settled into their new classes and built relationships with their new classmates. The Reception children are certainly keeping their Year 6 buddies on their toes as they navigate their first term of ‘big school’. International Languages Day and World Poetry Day kicked off our wider curriculum learning for the term. All the children sang and spoke in our assembly to the school in a multitude of languages from around the world. This was swiftly followed by Years 5 & 6 collaborating with children from all over Great Britain in a Guinness World Record attempt for the most people collaborating in a poetry lesson at the same time. The lesson was live streamed, and all our children and the teachers joined in. We will let you know if we get a mention in the record book! World Mental Heath Awareness Day (Wear a bright colour) was a hit, with all the children filling our school with colour and smiles. Sessions throughout the day gave the children time to focus on their own mental health and to understand how to keep themselves well, whilst being aware of those around them. Ending the day with our second golden ticket event made the day even more special. Thank you to everyone who purchased a bar. I can’t wait to see who is joining the King and Queen for a private lunch this time. We have spent some time introducing our new Castle values focus for the year. The Castle 4 C’s. The poster attached shares with everyone in our school community what we value and how we help to make our school and the wider world better. Lots more information to follow on this over the coming terms. ‘Project Playtime’ is off to a great start. The new play equipment and the structure of each daily play session is allowing for all the children to get involved in play that they are interested in. Adults around the playground are facilitating team games, role-play, crafts and a variety of physical activities. The new gigantic sandpit is a hit with, on average, 15 children tunnelling and building daily. Please do continue to donate any dress up clothes, buckets and spades, large cardboard boxes, plastic tarpaulins etc to keep it all evolving. Our next project is to remove the tin shed from the corner of the playground and to build an outdoor stage area for all our budding performers. We are looking for volunteers who are motivated to help with this over a weekend next half term. Please let the office know if you are willing and able to help. Enjoy your half term break and we look forward to welcoming you all back in November.Categories: 1 CategorySchool News
A message from Mr Morton Posted on: 19/07/2024

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I can’t believe it’s this time of year again so soon! What a marvellous year we have all had here at Castle Primary School. The summer term is always a whirlwind of busy and exciting activities, trips and school-based events. Thank you to everyone who has been able to join us to support the children in all their endeavours. As always, we strive to offer the children a diet of educational experiences that enhance and enrich their curriculum. We see each experience as an opportunity to feed into each child’s wider experiences of the world as well as to offer real-life experiences linked to their curriculum. We appreciate that the current economic climate brings with it challenges for all families and we have looked to maximise every contribution to our trips to ensure the children get the most out of everything we have offered. As I look back over the experiences this year, I am astounded as to how we managed to fit it all in! Here are just a few of the trips this year: Fleet Air Arm, Longleat Wildlife Park, Weymouth Sealife Centre, Bristol Aquarium, ROAM and our Year 6 Bristol Residential.  Thank you to all the members of FoCS for helping to coordinate and fundraise throughout the school year. It is through your support that so many of these events are made more accessible to all families. You are all amazing!  We also look to bring experiences into school for the children too. These have ranged from talks from firefighters and vets to local and famous authors. The children have participated in a judging panel for a national shortlisting for new books for children. They have competed in, and won, a regional bake-off held between local schools and held our own, in-school version run by two of our fantastic Year 5 students. They have learnt to ride their bikes safely through Bikeability and have even met a duckling and a gosling! All in all, we have loved teaching your children and we are grateful that you share their learning and development with us every day.  To our Year 6 children, we are so very proud of you for all your achievements and your growth as learners towards becoming young adults. If you multiply the above activities over 7 years and add in all the daily experiences and lessons that you have devoured over your time with us, then it becomes clear why you leave Castle Primary School so ready and prepared for the wider world. We know that you will make the right choices, be a voice for positive change, and make our world a better place because you are in it just being you! We will miss you all very much.  We also say a big thank you to Mrs Gosney who has decided to hand over lunch duty and leading our after-school care. We are very grateful for everything that you have done for our children over the years. From September Mrs Newman will lead our after-school provision.  Finally, to you all. Thank you for making me smile each and every day as you greet me at the gates. You brighten up the greyest of skies with your beaming smiles. Have an amazing break. Do marvellous things and come back to us safe and sound in September, ready for our next adventure together.   Categories: 1 CategorySchool News
A message from Mr Morton Posted on: 25/03/2024

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My goodness, this term has flown by! So many exciting experiences have been had and wonderful adventures the children have been part of, inside and outside of the classroom. Despite the weather seeming determined to rain on every single Forest School session, our spirits have remained high and where others would see grey skies, we saw an opportunity to splash in the puddles.     It is always a privilege to speak with our children about the activities and experiences that they are offered throughout each term. I have thoroughly enjoyed spending my lunchtime dining experiences with Sophie, Olivia and their guests, as part of our Charlie Castle ‘Wonka Bar’ golden ticket prizes. The dinner table conversations have been delightful.     We have been able offer trips to the top of Ham Hill to experience iron age living, visits to the tank museum followed by VE Day experiences. Live writing webcasts with Micheal Rosen to enhance our creative writing and opportunities to join a national celebration of new books for children as part of the judging panel. Also, not forgetting that our team representing the school in the ‘Big Bake’ won their heat (pardon the pun). The team were so highly motivated by their experience that they have agreed to create our own ‘in -school’ version of the competition next term. Watch this space for how to take part and hopefully eat some delicious cakes!    We are also proud of how our teachers drive to find new ways to enhance our school offer and experiences to the children. Mrs Abbott is now part of a programme set up by Westminster to bring a better understanding of government, democracy and how our voices and actions can make a powerful difference for change. We are already working together to build a new parliament in our school setting. There is a strong possibility that we may have a future PM in our school!    Finally, a huge thank you to FoCS and all of you for the amazing support and energy that you bring to our school every day. Greeting you all at the gate each morning is a real treat and a wonderful start to my day. Thank you for your support and kindness for all that we do. Have a restful Easter and we look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday 16th of April.    Categories: 1 CategorySchool News
Castle teacher privileged to join Parliamentary ambassador programme Posted on: 9/02/2024

Castle teacher privileged to join Parliamentary ambassador programme

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A message from Mr Morton Posted on: 11/12/2023

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