Time to Draw

I am delighted to let you know that thanks to funding from the Polperro Arts Foundation, we have started an exciting Art Project in school. Sean Hewitt, a local artist, has started working with all of the children on this project and this week he demonstrated and taught them drawing skills.  The results have been impressive so far in all year groups. The top two pictures on this blog were drawn by pupils in year 6 while the bottom two were drawn by pupils in Reception. Such fantastic talent! Over the coming weeks Sean will continue to work with all of our classes and each child will be creating their own masterpiece which will be exhibited later in the year in a gallery in Polperro for everyone to see. More information to follow.

Staying Safe As you may be aware, the number of Covid cases in the community is on the rise. Please remember that regular lateral flow testing can help us catch cases. Although many restrictions have been lifted, our protocols within school will remain the same in order to limit the spread as much as possible and allow the children’s education to be as uninterrupted as possible. 

Internet Safety Tuesday 8th February is Safer Internet Day and we will be working with the children on this year’s theme of ‘All fun and games? Exploring respect and relationships online’. From gaming and chat, to streaming and video, young people are shaping the interactive entertainment spaces they are a part of. Safer Internet Day 2022 celebrates young people’s role in creating a safer internet, whether that is whilst gaming and creating content, or interacting with their friends and peers. We will also be reminding the children how to stay safe online which is more important than ever at the moment. This link https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/esafety-leaflets-resources/
will take you to information and advice on a range of online issues that your child may face to help them enjoy the digital world safely and smartly.

Upcoming dates:
• Cross Country - Friday 4th February for years 3-6
• Half term - 21st to 25th February
• INSET day - Monday 28th February

Have a lovely weekend

Mrs Hillman

Happy Christmas from Everyone at Polperro Primary Academy

We end the year with mixed emotions. It has been lovely to have parents in to see class performances but sad that not everyone has been able to be here.

This week the children have enjoyed our Christmas Art Day, Christmas lunch, Christmas Performances and parties, both in school and virtual.

Thank you for your support this term and during 2021. Your children continue to amaze us in the way they deal with changes and challenges at school. They have worked extremely hard since their first day back in September and their good humour and resilience and amazingly positive attitude to learning has been wonderful to see.

We look forward very much to seeing everyone back in school on Tuesday 4th January.

With all best wishes for a very safe and very happy Christmas.

Mrs Hillman and everyone at Polperro Primary Academy

As the end of term races towards us, the children have been busy rehearsing their Christmas performances. Years 4 and 5 have made some amazing lanterns for the parade in Polperro on Saturday. The Christmas tree is up in the hall and the classrooms are decorated. We are sorry you are not yet able to join us in school, however we do look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the upcoming outside performances.

Your tickets for the performances are going home with the children today. Please wrap up warm when you come and make sure your children wear an extra layer on the day. If it rains, we will be in touch on the morning of the performances by text. Please don’t forget, as part of our ongoing fundraising for the school we will be selling hot drinks and mince pies and biscuits. Please bring cash with you if you would like to buy something. We will also be holding a raffle with prizes for children and adults and selling Christmas cards. We will draw the winning tickets on Thursday 16th December.

Safety arrangements. You are welcome to wear a mask at the performances. Please note that we have been advised to ask anyone attending an event to test with a Lateral Flow Device (LFD) in advance.



Polperro Christmas Lights and Lantern Procession Saturday 4th December Please note that the Lantern Parade now starts at 4:00pm on Saturday. Please meet at 3:45pm at the Village Hall in preparation for a 4.00pm start. Fancy dress for the parade is optional. Children from the school will be reading Christmas poems before the light switch on and helping the special guest switch on the lights. 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.

Christmas Jumper Day This is on Friday 10th 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 of at least £1 if they would like to wear a Christmas jumper to school on Friday 10th. 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.

Christmas Lunch The Christmas lunch will be held on 15th December this year. If your child would like a Christmas dinner, please ensure you have booked their meal by Monday 6th December on Parentpay, even if you do not need to pay for their lunches.

Have a lovely weekend

Mrs Hillman

Dear Parents and Carers

We have had another busy week which has included Year 6 doing Bikeability on the playground at first and then on the roads.

During the week, throughout the school I have heard Christmas songs on most days which has been really uplifting to hear and has made me realise how quickly
Christmas is approaching.  For the performances, we are hoping you will wrap up warmly and join us for Christmas singing and performances outdoors along with mince pies and hot drinks to keep you warm while you are entertained. Performances will be in the afternoons (see dates below) and we will have reserve dates in case it rains. A maximum of 2 tickets per family per performance will be issued.  

Tickets: If you would like to come to see your child’s Christmas performance, please return the slip sent out on the Head's Update today.

Dates:
*Penhallow Class: Thursday 9th December. Join us for mince pies and hot drinks at 1:15 for a 1:30 start; Reserve date: Friday 10th December.
*Landaviddy Class: Thursday 9th December. Join us for mince pies and hot drinks at 2:15 for a 2:30 start; Reserve date: Friday 10th December.
*Talland Class: Tuesday 14th December. Join us for mince pies and hot drinks at 1:15 for a 1:30 start; Reserve date: Wednesday 15th December.
*Chaipel Class: Tuesday 14th December. Join us for mince pies and hot drinks at 2:15 for a 2:30 start; Reserve date: Wednesday 15th December.

Fundraising: Before each performance, we will be raising money for school by having a raffle and selling hot drinks and mince pies. Please bring cash with you if you would like to buy something. Our Plastic Free Group has asked that if you are thinking of buying a hot drink, please feel free to bring your own lidded cup as we are trying to reduce our use of single use plastics as part of our work towards becoming Plastic Free School. We will also be holding a raffle with prizes for children and adults. If you have any prizes for adults you would like to donate, please send them into school with your child. We will ask the children to draw the winning tickets on Thursday 16th December.

Christmas Jumper Day This is on Friday 10th 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 of at least £1 if they would like to wear a Christmas jumper to school on Friday 10th. 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.

Polperro Christmas Lights and Lantern Procession Saturday 4th December On Saturday 4th December Polperro will be switching on the Christmas Lights in Big Green at 6pm. Before the lights switch on, there will be a lantern procession leaving the village hall at 4:30pm. Willow lanterns, made by children from Polperro School, will be available for children to carry. The materials for the lanterns have kindly been paid for by the Christmas Light Committee. Please meet at 4:15 at the Village Hall in preparation for a 4.30pm start. Fancy dress for the parade is optional. 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.

Clubs Please note that there will be no clubs the week beginning 6 December apart from football which will be the last club of the term. There will be no Art Club on 30th November due to staff training. 

Have a lovely weekend

Mrs Hillman

Welcome back to another busy half term. 

Poetry Winners We start this half term with good news about a Poetry Competition that Chaipel Class pupils entered before half term. Chaipel Class learned about Wilfred Owen and WW1 and created amazingly powerful poems about the war. Very well done to Eloise, Poppy and Acen who have won 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes respectively. The competition was judged by Poet Sally Crabtree who, at half term, took all of the poems to the Wilfred Owen Museum at Ors in France where they are now on display.

Staying Safe I am pleased to say that we have been able to relax our bubble system in school and are operating more normally at the moment. Please continue to look out for covid symptoms, if unsure then please test, and if in doubt then call the school office.

Clubs Please note that there will be no running club or art club on Tuesday 9th November because of staff training. Clubs will continue the same for the year groups as last half term.

Anti-Bullying Week 2021will be taking place from Monday 15th - Friday 19th November and the theme is One Kind Word. We will be joining in with Odd Socks Day which is part of AB Week - All the children need to do is wear odd socks! It's a great way to celebrate what makes us all unique in Anti-Bullying Week! It will be held on Monday 15th November 2021.

Lunches Reminder that all Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils are entitled to free school lunches, regardless of family income. To access these meals you need a ParentPay account but do not need to pay for them. Thank you for persevering with the new system. We are quickly ironing out any issues but please call Mrs Dourass if you are having problems with booking.

PE With the weather getting colder, please send your child in with joggers for PE as each class does at least one outside PE session each week.

Cross Country The next Cross-Country race is taking place on the 12th November, a letter with more details went out yesterday to the relevant year groups.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Hillman

Half Term is Here

What an amazing half term. The children have worked very hard and their ability to deal with change and their resilience has impressed us all. 

Cross Country Very well done to our cross-country team who took part in the first race of the year last Friday and did extremely well, as they have jumped from the shorter distance when in year 3, into the longer distance. There were star performances from Alex (6th overall) and Jazz (7th overall) and Eloise (22nd overall). Mrs Williams said that it was lovely to see them enjoying their running and they had great team spirit - really supporting each other at the start line and cheering each other on during the races.

Visible Learners This half term we have been discussing how everyone can help themselves learn by knowing what to do when they are stuck, whether it’s finding the right resources independently, using the displays in the classroom or asking a friend or a grown up. Visible Learner certificates were awarded to Sophie, Jowan, Thomas and Callum today for knowing exactly to do to help themselves. 

New Class Signs A massive thank you to Tippers Classic and Vintage Plates for making and donating new signs for our classes. The children have made some amazing cards to say thank you.

African Drumming The children in Landaviddy, Talland and Chaipel Classes have enjoyed music lessons this week where they have played African drums.   Thank you Mrs Butlin. 

Y3 football club opportunity Following the success of our Monday Football club for years 4-6 we would like to invite Year 3 to attend. The club runs from 3:15 to 4:15 every Monday and is run by an external coach, Mr Hancock. If you would like your child to attend, please email Mrs Dourass on secretary@polperroprimary.co.uk

Clubs Reminder that if your child has signed up to a club they should attend every session unless they are unwell.

Lunches You will have received a letter earlier in the week about a change to ordering lunches on Parent Pay. Please remember that if you would like your child to have a school meal, you will now need to order two days in advance.

Anti-Bullying Week 2021 Anti-Bullying Week 2021 will be taking place from Monday 15th - Friday 19th November and the theme is One Kind Word. Odd Socks Day is part of AB Week - All the children need to do is wear odd socks! It's a great way to celebrate what makes us all unique in Anti-Bullying Week! It will be held on Monday 15th November 2021.

Wishing you all a lovely half term.
Best wishes

Mrs Hillman

Dear Parents and Carers

I hope you have had a lovely summer.

Staff have been in school getting ready for the new term and we are really looking forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday, 7th September.

Below are some important messages regarding arrangements for the beginning of term.

Staying Safe Cornwall is currently experiencing high transmission rates of Covid-19 and has been moved to an Enhanced Support Area until at least 4th October by the Government. In light of this and our new Trust risk assessment, we are staggering pick up times at the end of the day for the time being (see below for details).

Staff will continue to test twice weekly and we will also be wearing masks in communal areas. To keep everyone as safe as possible, please wear a mask if you come onto the site.

Dropping off and picking up your child For the time being, one parent only should drop off and pick up. Please leave promptly once you have dropped your child in the morning and once you have collected your child at the end of the day. Please observe social distancing at drop off and pick up.

DROP OFF All children should arrive at school between 8.45 and 8.55.

Penhallow Class children should be taken to the side gate (by the car park) where a member of staff will welcome them into school. A separate communication has been sent out to our Reception parents and carers with details of arrangements for their first week.

Landaviddy, Talland and Chaipel pupils should enter the school by the main gate and go to the playground where they will be directed into their class.

If you have any messages for teachers or the office, please inform the member of staff on the gate or contact the office by phone or email (secretary@polperroprimary.co.uk). If your child is new to the school, we will ensure there is someone available to take them to the playground.

PICK UP The school day will end at 3:10 for Penhallow and Landaviddy Classes and 3:15 for Chaipel and Talland classes.

Penhallow Class. Pupils will be taken to the side gate at 3:10 to meet their parents/carers.

Chaipel Class pupils will leave by the side gate at 3:15. Many of our Chaipel children walk home independently. If you are collecting your child, one parent/carer per child should wait on the pavement.

Landaviddy Class will leave via the main gate at 3:10. One parent/carer per child should wait on the left-hand pavement.

Talland Class pupils will leave via the main gate at 3:15. One parent/carer per child should wait on the right-hand pavement.

Please bear with us while we implement these measures. We hope that they will be temporary and that we can move to a 3:15 end of day for everyone. We will keep these arrangements under review and contact you if and when there are any changes.

Breakfast Club If you wish your child to arrive earlier than 8:45, Breakfast Club is open every day from 8am. Please email secretary@polperroprimary.co.uk if you would like your child to attend. If they are attending Breakfast Club, please walk your child to the back door where Mr Bishop will sign them in.

PE and Swimming Kits On the first day, please send your child in with a named PE kit and named swimming kit. We are hoping the weather will hold and that we can use the pool in PE lessons.

We look forward to seeing everyone very soon.

Best wishes

Mrs Hillman

Years 4 and 5 Lead the way 

We have had yet another wonderful week at Polperro.

All of our year 4s and year 5s have been learning how to be Sugar Smart and have enjoyed a day of training to become ‘Sugar Snap’ playground leaders. They will be setting up and running playground games at lunchtime play next year for all year groups and running some practice sessions in their bubbles in the meantime. This is part of an initiative to educate children regarding making healthy choices in their lives.

The children have continued their music lessons and we have all been very proud of how quickly they are learning. Their version of Mamma Mia has been especially lovely to listen to.

Sport at Polperro Our sports day this year will be held in separate bubbles on 13th July unless it rains. Unfortunately, due to the current situation, we will not be inviting parents in so please look out for photographs on the website. We recognize this is a poor substitute for cheering on your child in person and look forward very much to the time when we can invite you in properly. We also will be holding an Alternative Sports Day on 21 July for our pupils to try out a range of different sports and activities.

Change of INSET days for 2021-2022 To accommodate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee we have had to make some alterations to our INSET days. INSET days will now be on: Monday 6 th September, Monday 1st November 2021, Monday 28th February 2022, Friday the 10th June 2022, Monday the 25th July and Tuesday the 26th July 2022.

Payment reminder Please make sure payments are made in advance for Breakfast Club, school meals etc.

Best wishes for a lovely weekend.

Mrs Hillman

Chaipel Class visits the labyrinth

In 2019 the school became involved with the Kerdroya project, a project celebrating 60 years of the Cornwall AONB.  Our school is one of 12 partners chosen to work in AONB sections across Cornwall to celebrate one of the most special aspects of what makes our landscape so unique – the Cornish hedge.  Children who were then in Talland Class learned all about Cornish hedges, their importance as a habitat, and how to build and look after them becoming hedge stewards in the process.

This week, Chaipel Class represented the school when they visited the Kerdroya Site at Colliford Lake on  Bodmin Moor. KERDROYA is a major new piece of permanent public art – a 56m diameter classical labyrinth which is being built of Cornish stone hedging. When completed, visitors will walk a single, meandering path through stretches of artisan stonework celebrating the aesthetics of distinct hedging styles from 12 Cornish locations. 

The Chief Hedger, Polperro parent Sean Williams, explained to the Class all about how the hedge is being built.  The children then set off through the labyrinth to reach the centre. They then buried a time capsule and made a wish for generations who might find their Treasure Capsule, perhaps 4000 years from now. Well done to Sophie and Olly who had the well-deserved honour of placing the time capsule in the hole before each child placed soil on top of it to bury it. 

After a picnic by the lake, the children explored the wider site and learned some Cornish words such as 'Lynn' for lake.  This was their first school trip in a long time and I was so proud of the way they enthusiastically involved themselves in everything that was going on, learning a huge amount in the process. Well done Chaipel Class.

I am pleased to let you know that the other classes will be able to visit the labyrinth next year once it is completed. Meanwhile, you can find out more about the project here.

Mrs Hillman

Swimming Lessons

Welcome back to the Summer term.

Thank you for ensuring that the children have their swimming kit in school every day so that we can make the most of the sunny weather.

The children have come back full of energy and Talland and Penhallow Classes both enjoyed their swimming lessons in our pool today. We hope this weather holds so that all  of our classes can have PE lessons outside and in the pool over the coming weeks.