I can hardly believe we are almost at the end of this academic year…. I don’t think we’ll forget 2020 in a hurry!!!! I am still saddened by the fact that we have been unable to welcome all classes back to school until September; we miss you all. For those classes still at home teachers will provide online learning for these final three weeks, but there will be a few special editions…
Next week Monday 6th - Wednesday 8th July we hope families will all join us to participate in our home/school ‘Sports Event’ for 2020. Miss Dixon has designed and published instructions for a range of different events AND a score sheet so that everyone can take part in at least some of the activities! (I do hope parents can also participate and send us some photos of your achievements too!) You can find the details on the Parents tab on our homepage under the PE & Sports section.
Also on the week beginning 6th July, your child’s next class teacher will be posting an activity for your child to return to them ready for September. This will be a great way for your child to let their next teacher know about their ambitions, anxieties and aspirations for their next class; so this is a lovely way to ‘virtually meet’ your next teacher and let them know something about yourself before you return to school.
Some sad ‘Goodbye’s’…
In the midst of all the changes and adaptations during this past few months, it seems even harder that we should be having to say goodbye during these strange conditions; but unfortunately we have to say farewell to 2 wonderful staff members!
I can’t quite believe it myself, but after more than 20 years of music teaching to (dare I say it..) a few generations of Our Lady’s staff and families, our amazing Mrs Bird has announced her retirement. This I know, was a very difficult decision for her as she has thoroughly loved every minute of her playing, directing, singing, composing, conducting (and many, many other aspects of music teaching!) Mrs Bird will be HUGELY MISSED by every single one of us here at Our Lady’s - in fact - school certainly will never be the same without her!
I know you would like to join me in thanking her from the bottom of our hearts for the love, support and most of all, musical inspiration, she has given us through the years. You will never be replaced in our hearts or our minds Mrs Bird. Thank you for sharing your love and passion for music with all of Our Lady of the Assumption through the years! We will miss you more than words can say…
We also bid a fond farewell to Mrs Cunningham-Kay. As you will know, Mrs Cunningham-Kay is only at the start of her teaching career and has a lifetime of adventures and wonderful experiences ahead of her! She is taking up a new post at a school in Preston from September. It has been our privilege to be part of the start of someone’s teaching journey, and I know that Year 4 will miss her very, very much; but everyone in our school community want to thank her for the time she spent with us and the cheer and exuberance she has brought to our school. We will all miss you and send you our very best wishes for every success in your future teaching career. If you make everyone as happy as you made our Year 4 class, then you will have a glittering career ahead of you!
Goodbye and Good Luck Mrs Cunningham-Kay!
More Music News!
Pop Idol & Young Musician of the Year 2020
This year, the Pop Idol and Young Musician competitions have become virtual ones! For the first round of Pop Idol we received lots of auditions of a very high quality, so as you can imagine the competition was fierce!
The judges were very impressed with all the performances received. It was obvious that each candidate had put a lot of thought into the choice of song and how it was presented. The judges had the extremely difficult task of choosing just 2 performances to go through to the final and they struggled to come to a decision. But finally, they have made their choice.
After much deliberation our 2 pop stars to go through to the final are: Alana - Y6 and Megan - Y5
The 2 Young Musician finalists are Reuban - Y5 and Claire - Y5
Thank you to everyone who took part in this round of auditions. You make us very proud at Our Lady’s. Good luck to our successful applicants! The Pop Idol Final 2020 will be judged by adjudicators for Blackpool Music Service (as will the Young Musician) and the winners will published before the end of term - so watch this space…
And remember…keep singing AND playing!!!
Blackpool Catholic Schools Cluster Mass
A word of thanks to Fr Jim from all of the Blackpool Catholic schools for his wonderful mass which brought together readers, music, art and dance from each of the Blackpool Catholic Schools for a special mass for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. Fr Jim spent much time collecting, editing and collating an array of contributions from children across the Blackpool Catholic Family to put together into a beautiful mass celebrating these wonderful saints. (This lockdown has certainly highlighlighted Father Jim’s technical expertise and kept our Catholic family together by supporting us as a prayerful community. Well done Fr Jim!)
You can see the mass by clicking on the ‘Church’ tab on our home page. The mass can be found on the church ‘Children’s Page’ or you can click here…
Finally… I know this has been a challenging time for us all, a time when everything we have taken for granted seemed to disappear overnight. However, I do want to thank you for everything you have done to support your children during this difficult time. Please don’t underestimate just what you have achieved in your makeshift classrooms where tables have become desks and gardens science treasure troves waiting to be explored. You have all inspired me and I know your children will look back at this time with fond memories; a time they shared with their families, a time when the world seemed to change.
Thank you for your support and your patience and for engaging with us at every turn. You have made me smile so much this week with your wonderful photos of your work and friendships. You should all feel very proud!
I look forward to your sports day pictures - I know how competitive you all are!
