Anthony Curton Challenge Updates

Week Six - Gold

For the last week of the lent challenge we completed the following activities in preparation for Easter:

• We designated the whole week as a special RE week. Children were awarded with special certificates at the end of the week for their RE work.

• We started the week on Monday with a special assembly lead by the Head Teacher in which we thought not only about the true meaning of Easter, but also the traditions and customs that have sprung up around the world as a result of the special celebration.  We investigated the special ‘Legend of the Easter bells, from Italy’.

• On Tuesday children in Year 2 delivered a very special assembly to the whole school, and also to their parents, friends and relatives, where they shared many special Easter  activities they had completed, and looked again at the true meaning of Easter.

• We had a special visitor, The Rural Dean, who delivered a very special Easter Assembly for us, attended by many of our Governors, on Wednesday. 

• On Thursday all children were involved in looking at how Easter is celebrated in different countries.

• The whole school learnt a new song, ‘All in an Easter Garden’ for our special Easter service, held in Walpole St Peter’s church on Friday morning.

• The school choir learnt TWO new Easter songs to sing at the Service, and did so beautifully. 

• The ‘Early Birds’ club, which offers care from 7.15am wrote their own poem and made special cards which they shared with us all in the Church service. This was the first time they had been involved as a separate group.

• Our ‘Walpole Wallabies’ Club , who offer care to children after school until 5.45 pm also contributed to the Service, with a poem about Easter they had written.

• All classes contributed to the service – particularly moving was the song about Spring Chickens which was performed by the children in Reception Class, and Years One and two. Year three made beautiful models of Spring Chickens, and also made lovely clay representations of Easter symbols. 

• Special prayers were written and read by children in Years 5 and 6.

• FINALLY – our Crowning Glory – we were delighted when Bishop David of Huntingdon agreed to come and share our Service with us, and give us all his blessing

Week Five - Gold

We focussed on remembering children in Third World Countries, and also supporting a local Charity – closer to home.

WE :

• Started the week with a whole school Assembly where we thought about the contrast between our own school and home lives, and those experienced by children in Third World Countries.

• Learnt to say ‘Good Morning’ in French, German and Spanish

• Undertook a fund raising event to raise money for Sport Relief  and also a local charity chosen by the School Council– with all children involved

• Undertook a ‘Staff ‘ sponsored indoor cycle ride – to raise money for Sport Relief and the chosen local charity  

• Invited our local MP to school to discuss issues around our own school. and also  for the school Council to ask pertinent issues about the Government’s support and aid for children in the ‘Third World’

• We have awarded ourselves a Gold for this one because we managed to get the local MP to come to listen to us, and also were supported by many of the Foundation Governors.

Week Four - Silver

This week we focussed on the Mothering Sunday remember your families challenge.

The focus in the Head Teacher’s assembly started the week thinking about Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Children in Year 1 held a special parent assembly and discussed the special jobs their mummies did  ranging from being an accountant – to ‘Looking after me very well!’ (Picture attached in second e mail)

Children in Year 1 and year 2 made ‘Thankyou’ cards for mothers and any female relatives and carers.

Children in the Reception Class made Tea Pot cards of thanks for their mummies and female cares, and also made special Diplomas for their mummies.  (Pictures attached)

Children in Year 6 investigated the saints of our  two local Mother Churches – St Peter’s and St Andrew’s.  They will be feeding back their thoughts to the whole school in our special RE week in two weeks time.

Children at the Wallabies After School Club made paper flowers and cards for their mothers.  They also made leather key rings and handbag charms as ‘thank you’ gifts. (Picture sent in second e mail as they won’t all fit with this one!).

Year 5 considered the story of Mother Theresa and her works.

Week Three - Gold

This week we focussed on improving and sustaining our environment.

Activities include:

School Council worked with the County Groundsmen to design and build a new Willow feature.

Gardening Club drew pictures of the feature and are keeping a weekly diary to record its progress. They have also taken on responsibility for keeping it well watered.

After School Club have planted flowers and bulbs around the school grounds.

Head’s assembly was based on the story of ‘The Problem Field’ – we thought about the positive impact of sharing responsibility for Common Ground.

Year 6 spent the whole day without electricity – with surprising results. (Overhead lighting excepted).  Next week they will feed back to the rest of the school about their experience, and their thoughts on how their actions have helped the environment.

Year 5 held a special Parents Assembly based on the natural environment of the planet Earth – and how it differs from those of other planets. A brilliant presentation through Drama and the use of technical visual aids!

The weekly pupil of the Week special celebration awards were given this week to recognise Caring for the environment – ranging from looking after our classroom, school and grounds, to thinking about the wider environment and the people in it.

We also invited Henry Bellingham MP to visit our school – sp we could show him how proud we are of our school and its environment, and how well we look after it.

Week Two - Gold

Our aim for this week was to invite someone ‘special’ to school to talk about Lent as a time of preparation, and to try to get more of our governors into the school We:

• -          invited the Rural Dean Father Matthew Bradbury to take a whole school assembly – Wednesday Feb 29th
• -          invited our Governors to attend – seven Governors were able to attend, including the Chair.
• -          Invited some of the volunteers in school, from the wider community, to share the assembly.
• -          Used one of our Doodle prayers from last weeks’s Lent Challenge as the focus for the act of collective worship in the assembly
• -          Involved the School council who gave the governors and the Father Matthew a guided tour of the school – and gave them the children’s perspective.
• -          Have asked the governors who attended to feed back to other governors at the next meeting

Week One - Gold

For our first Lent challenge we

-had a special assembly lead by the head teacher where the focus was the meaning of Lent and what it means to us in school, at home and in our wider environment.

- we focussed on the Lords prayer.

- The children produced their own prayers, based on the Lord’s prayer, and presented them as special ‘Doodle Prayers’

-many of these Doodle Prayers were then displayed around the school.

-One of the doodle prayers will be the focus of our collective each week – a different one each week – and is displayed in a position of prominence in the school entrance.