We started this week with a wonderful assembly by Rev Richard all about Cornwall and St Piran's day. The children shared what they knew and liked about Cornwall and then learned the story of St Piran.

We have had a very busy week and have a busy time ahead:

Parent Consultations We really hope you will join us for our parent consultations which will take place during the weeks commencing 20th and 27th March. Please see attached letter for details.

Easter Egg Hunt and Disco, Thursday 30th March Thursday 30th March is the last day of the Spring term (Friday 31st March is an INSET day). We will be having a visit from the Easter bunny and holding a disco after school.

The disco for Reception, Year 1 and year 2 will be from 3:30-4:45. Pupils should bring a change of clothes and will be able to change after school.KS2 children should go home at the usual time of 3:15pm and then return to school for their disco which will be from 5-6:30pm. Tickets cost £2 and this includes a small snack. All profits will go to school. They will be on sale in school from Monday.

Comic Relief Reminder that Red Nose Day is on Friday, 17th March. This year we would like the children to come to school in the brightest, most colourful and funniest clothes they can find. Nothing needs to match. To raise money please send your child in with a minimum donation of £1 for this MUFTI day. We now have one box of the new design Red Noses on sale – these are £2.50 each and are not recommended for children under the age of seven because of small parts. We will be selling these next week.

Bags for School You will have received a flyer this week regarding a ‘Bags to School’ fundraiser for Nursery. The deadline to bring your bags in is 9:00am on Monday 27th March. Please drop your bags at the Nursery.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Hillman

World Book Day

Thank you so much for sending your children in today in their amazing word costumes. There were some fascinating words chosen from the shortest, ‘Boo!’, to the longest ‘pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis’. Every costume promoted a really good vocabulary discussion.

We had some fantastic entries to our ‘Create a Fruit or Vegetable Character’ competition and were pleased with the wonderful ideas and level of detail. Well done to Lucy, Thomas, Noah and Ania, for being awarded 1st place for their vegetable/fruit characters and to Amelia, Frankie, Jack G and Sophie for being awarded 1st place for their ‘Dress as a Word’ entries.

Comic Relief Red Nose Day is on Friday, 17th March. We would like to raise money for Comic Relief. Comic Relief believes that a just world, free from poverty is possible and that those closest to the issues have the best solutions. So they partner with amazing projects and organisations that are working to tackle some of the biggest challenges society faces today. This year we would like the children to come to school in the brightest, most colourful and funniest clothes they can find. Nothing needs to match. To raise money please send your child in with a minimum donation of £1 for this MUFTI day. We will have one box of the new design Red Noses on sale – these are £2.50 each and are not recommended for children under the age of seven because of small parts.

Cross Country Landrake Fun Run – Friday 10th March If your child regularly enters the cross country league races, they may wish to enter the Landrake Fun Run next week. Please look out for a letter with details which will be sent out on Monday.

Have a great weekend

Mrs Hillman

I hope you all had a good half term break. This half term has already got off to a good start with Penhallow Class making pancakes in the school garden on the fire and Rev Richard coming in to give a fun assembly about Shrove Tuesday. The chairs in Landaviddy Class quit today which caused quite a stir in their English lesson. Exciting new class enquiries have been launched: Penhallow are asking ‘How shall we get there?’ Landaviddy would like to know ‘Can we always see things grow?’ and Talland are wondering ‘What’s the Point of Fashion?’. Chaipel are continuing to find out ‘What was life like in Tudor Times?’

Important Date Change for World Book Day As there may be industrial action on the official World Book Day date of Thursday 2nd March, we will now hold our World Book Day celebrations, including both competitions, on Friday 3rd March. Please see revised letter for competition details.

Planned industrial action for teachers The teaching union NEU is calling its members to join in with industrial action in the form of a strike on Thursday 2nd March with two further days of action planned for 15th and 16th March. I will write to you next week with details of how our school may be affected on 2nd March, once I know more. 

Fundraising for School I am really pleased to let you know that funds raised for school this year have so far been spent on:
• A class set of BBC micro:bits (pocket-sized computers that introduce pupils to how software and hardware work together (see photo). They have an LED light display, buttons, sensors and many input/output features that, when programmed, let it interact with you and your world.)
• a range of nativity costumes for each class for Christmas performances.
• a class set of recorders.

We will be holding more fundraisers to help us raise money for more much-needed resources; details to follow. If you are interested in helping out at any of our future fundraising events, please let us know by emailing us.

Have lovely weekend

Mrs Hillman

This week and this half term have flown and the children have experienced a range of exciting and fun activities. Year 5 had a fun sports afternoon at Duloe school yesterday where they experienced boxing, cross fit, archery and tag rugby. Years 5 and 6 tried their hand at coding using BBC Micro-bits, courtesy of Software Cornwall who visited the school on Wednesday. Photographs of these and other learning opportunities are on the class blogs.

We have focused on children’s mental health this week and staying safe on the internet. On Safer Internet Day we focused on the theme ‘Want to Talk About It’ and celebrated everything good about being online and discussed what to do if things do wrong online. Each class sent home an activity for children to do with their parents which we hope you have seen. This link takes you to more information about the day and how to keep your child safe when using the internet https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/saferinternet-day-2023/parents-and-carers

Cross Country Well done to our wonderful and confident cross-country team who not only navigated a new course well last Friday at Landrake, but managed some personal best places too.

World Book Day Please see attached to this blog a letter regarding competitions we are holding for World Book Day this year.

Have a lovely half term.  We look forward to seeing the children back in school at 8:40 on Monday 20th February.

 Mrs Hillman

Because of the rain this week, nearly all of our PE lessons have been inside.  The children have enjoyed a range of PE lessons in the hall including some amazing gymnastics lessons.  Well done on your rolls and counter balances Chaipel Class.

Bridge Stories Congratulations to Jazz, Sophie and Bowyn who have been busy training to become young journalists to tell you all about their learning in the style of a news story. They have written an article ‘Polperro, Pilchards and Paint’ for Bridge Stories which is on the Bridge Schools website and can be accessed via this link https://www.bridgeschools.co.uk/Bridge-Stories_Issue2

Arbor Reminder that if any of your contact details have changed such as address, emails or phone numbers, please update them on Arbor.  

Clubs There is still time to join clubs which start next week. Just sign up by email.
Monday Lunchtime: Construction Club with Mrs Fernie (years Reception, Yr1, Yr2 and Yr3) Monday After School: Football Club for years 3-6 Tuesday After School: Art Club with Miss Pilcher for years 5 and 6 Wednesday After School: Knitting Club (by invitation only) Thursday After School: Running Club Y3, Y4, Y5 and Y6 Thursday After School: WHEELIES CLUB for R, Y1, Y2 and Y3 with Mrs Counsell.

Have a great, and hopefully dry, weekend.Mrs Hillman

A warm welcome back and Happy New Year to you all.

The children have settled into their learning quickly this week and have started their enquiries as follows: Are Humans Animals too? Penhallow Class; 

Merry Christmas Everyone

It has been lovely to see so many families in school this week and last during the Christmas school plays and the various fundraising events which have taken place. We raised over £420 for the School at the Christmas Fair and a very generous £240 for the School Council’s chosen charities (RNLI, Cancer Research, MND Association, RSPCA Cornwall, Cornwall Air Ambulance).

The children have all enjoyed a busy week rounding off their enquiries and enjoying Christmas Art Day on Tuesday, Christmas Lunch and a guitar concert on Wednesday and parties today. Our choir sang beautifully at Atlantis Care Home this afternoon.

The new term starts on Tuesday 3rd January. Half term will be from Monday 13th – Friday 17th February with an INSET Day on Friday 31st March. The last day of the Spring term is Thursday 30th March and the Summer Term starts on Monday 17th April.

A huge thank you to everyone for all your support so far this academic year – the children have worked incredibly hard.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas from Mrs Hillman and all of the staff at Polperro.

It’s been a wonderful festive week. Landaviddy’s Christmas performance in the Chapel was fantastic. They sang and danced and obviously enjoyed themselves. Very well done also to Penhallow who have delivered two wonderful performances of their Baarmy Bethlehem play, remembering their lines and the songs brilliantly. We are all looking forward to seeing Talland and Chaipel classes perform on Monday at 2pm and 6pm.

Save the Children Thank you for sending your children in in Christmas Jumpers yesterday. We raised £65 for Save the Children.

Fundraising for School Thanks to our elves for wrapping the gifts in our Christmas Gift Shop on Tuesday. The children had fun choosing your gifts and we raised over £130 for school. Reminder that it is our Christmas Fair next Thursday 15th December at 2pm. We look forward to seeing you all at this child-led event. There is still time to send in raffle prizes and good condition toys and books to sell if you have not already done so.

Concert Wednesday 14th December, 2:40pm This is for parents/carers of pupils who learn guitar in school with Matt Arundell. We look forward to seeing you here from 2:30

National Sleep Helpline Attached to this blog is some information about this wonderful free resource that can help parents and children to learn more about their sleep and develop better bedtime routines. Sleep is essential to brain function and by helping children to sleep better we can help them to succeed in school.

End of Term The last day of this term is next Friday and school ends at 3:15. Each class will have a party to celebrate Christmas. Please send your child in in Christmas MUFTI or party clothes (warm enough to play outside at breaktimes) with some party food to share. If your child has any allergies that we do not already know about, please email us on secretary@polperroprimary.co.uk by Wednesday 14th December.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Hillman

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

As the end of term races towards us, the children have been busy rehearsing their Christmas performances. On Monday and Tuesday Chaipel Class and Penhallow Class worked wonderfully together this week to make plenty of lanterns for the Christmas Lantern Parade tomorrow in Polperro. Then the other classes all helped decorate the lanterns which look amazing. Children should be at Coffee Cake Create for 4pm tomorrow (Saturday) to collect a lantern to carry on the parade to Big Green. We look forward to seeing you there!

Thank you for sending your children in in Christmas MUFTI today. We now have a lovely assortment of gifts for the elves to wrap for your children to buy at the Christmas shop on Tuesday (£1 per gift).

Christmas Jumper Day We are having our Christmas Jumper day on Thursday 8th December this year. As a school, we would like to take part in this charity event which raises money for Save the Children and we are therefore asking the children to bring in a donation (any amount you can spare) if they would like to wear a Christmas jumper to school. We will also provide opportunities for children to add some sparkle to a plain jumper if they do not already have a Christmas top to wear.

Time2Move Holiday Programme – Christmas 2022 The programme offers fun physical activities, games and wider activities plus a funded meal for every child. Activities this Christmas will be taking place across Cornwall throughout the first week of the Christmas Holidays, please see attached.

Cornwall Cricket are again running Christmas Cricket Camps! Please see attached flyer for information to book.

Caterlink Christmas menu Please see attached this year’s Christmas Lunch menu for Wednesday 14th December. This can be booked for your child via ParentPay by Friday 9th December.

Citizens Advice Newsletter Please see the attached the winter edition of Citizens, the newsletter from Citizens Advice Cornwall. This month's edition includes lots of practical information on saving energy and where to turn to for help at this difficult time.

Have a lovely weekend

Mrs Hillman

What a fantastic week!

Our amazing choir came a creditable third place in the Trust Arts Event on Thursday at Carnglaze Caverns. They sang a medley from the Greatest Showman brilliantly and it was a pleasure to be there and watch them perform so well. We could only take 18 pupils to the event but now, because the choir has been so popular, we will be opening it to all pupils very soon. Thank you to Mrs Butlin for all of your help.

We had great success in Cross Country too. Well done to our intrepid  team who did the school proud, running a difficult course at Lanhydrock last Friday. All of the children did their absolute best with some of the children joining the cross country season at the hardest course, but all came back smiling and keen to run again next time! Jazz ran an amazing race, she was the first girl back in the 5-6 race, beating the next girl by a couple of minutes and giving the adult pace maker a hard run, especially coming up the hill towards the end. Well done to them all! Thank you to Mrs Dewe for the photos and this race report.

Christmas Gift Room fundraiser – Christmas MUFTI next Friday, 2nd December We are holding a Christmas-themed Mufti day on Friday 2nd December. In exchange for wearing Christmas MUFTI, we are asking that your child brings in any new or unused items such as chocolates, toiletries, socks, notebooks or items you’d be happy to receive as a gift. (No alcohol or DVD’s please). The following Tuesday (December 6th) during school time, Santa’s workshop will be open for children to choose a special gift or two. Each gift will cost £1 (max 2 gifts per child). The elves will then help to wrap the gifts, which will be brought home at the end of the day to go under your tree.

Lantern Parade – 4pm Saturday 3rd December The Lantern Parade in Polperro to which all of our pupils are invited is on Saturday 3rd December . Children should be at Coffee Cake Create for 4pm to collect a lantern to carry on the parade to Big Green. There is also a Christmas fancy dress competition where the theme is to wear anything Christmassy. The winner will receive a golden ticket inviting them to switch on the tree in the village this year. Please note that although staff from school will present at the procession, children will remain the responsibility of their parents at all times and parents should walk with their children. We look forward to seeing you there.

Road Safety at Drop off and Pick Up Times As you will be aware the road to school and outside school is very busy at drop off and pick up times. Please ensure that you drive very slowly at this time as children may be crossing the road or walking to and from school.

Clubs Next week clubs will run as usual. For the final 2 weeks of term there will be no clubs except for football on the 5th of December. Afterschool wraparound club and Breakfast Club will continue as usual. Clubs will restart in January and we will send a letter out about which ones will be running.

Christmas service for the Church of England Rev Richard Allen is recording a Christmas service for the Church of England which will be aired on their website on New Year’s Day. It reaches a wide audience across the world and the school has been asked to sing a couple of songs for the service. We will be recording the songs on the afternoon of Monday, 5th December. If you do not consent to your child being recorded, please inform us by email secretary@polperroprimary.co.uk by Friday 2nd December.

Have a lovely weekend!

Mrs Hillman