Another HUGE well done to our amazing Dance Club for an incredible performance at the "School's Alive" Festival at The Grand Theatre on Wednesday evening. You are all stars and really stole the show last night.
(I know I'm biased... but I was so proud!!!!)
Also a huge thank you to Mrs Ormerod. Your hard work and dedication made this an unforgettable performance. (And also to Mrs Ormerod's Mum - for those AMAZING costumes!)
Thank you and congratulations everyone!
Miss Haggerty
We are so proud of all of our children here at Our Lady's!
Last week we held our own school 'Spelling Bee' and children learned spelling words from their own curriculum and from across school. Heats were then held in each class in order to find 2 ambassadors from each class who would go forward to the School Semi-Finals!
From Year 3 - Eva and Gabrielle
Year 4 - Olivia and Isabella
Year 5 - Jack and Thomas
Year 6 - Sam and Katie
These children were amazing! They bravely came out to the front of the hall ( in front of KS2) and confidently spelled the trickiest words Miss Haggerty could find!!!! Everyone in school was supporting the children and cheering them on - but in the end we could only have 2 representatives for our school.
The triumphant pair were Sam and Olivia. They then went to the CLC on Friday with Mrs Gudgeon and took part in the finals against children from each of the other 29 schools in Blackpool. We couldn't be prouder of them and the other children who learned their spelling words and took part in the competition!
We'll now have to remember to use these words in our amazing writing this term!
To inform all parents...
There is currently a vacancy for a Parent Governor following our Governing Body recent reconstitution. We only have 1 vacancy at this time but welcome nominations for this position.
You may not know much about the work of the Governing Body, or you may simply want to share some of your skills to support our strategic work here at Our Lady's.
If you click on the links below you can read a letter from our Chair of Governors, who will explain a little more about the position in an introductory letter. This letter also contains the nomination form you would have to complete and return to school by Friday 12th February 2016. This document also explains the disqualifications to becoming a Governor.
Parent Governor Nomination Form
The following document displays Our Lady's procedures for electing a parent governor. You may find this useful to explain the steps our Governing Body takes to ensure a fair and transparent election system.
Procedures for election of a Parent Governor
As half-term falls upon the closing date for nominations, we will inform nominees if there is to be a ballot or not when we return on Tuesday 23rd February.
Well 2016 has certainly started in the way we expect, with some amazing learning already taking place in all classes! (Just can't believe we only returned 2 weeks ago!!!)
As you can see on our class pages, our curriculum themes and topics have changed for science, geography, R.E, etc; and we continue to develop our skills in English and Maths in every area of the curriculum - with many exciting challenges ahead!
The New Curriculum we are now undertaking in all schools throughout England and Wales has had many changes and has meant slight changes to aspects of learning in almost all year groups. Expectations have been raised for all children across school and this will be evident in your child's programme of study for their year (see your child's class page for English and Maths overviews)
This has also meant changes to attainment expectations of all children and the way that schools measure this attainment. You will previously have been aware that at the end of each Key Stage, expectations for children were measured in 'Levels' - with a Level 2 being the expected level for a child to reach by the end of Year 2 and a Level 4 by the end of Year 6. Well, just as everyone was beginning to understand these - 2016 is to see the end of such 'levels of attainment' and instead a child will successfully attain achievement 'at national expectations', 'working towards national expectations' or 'working at greater depth'. (In fact, this should actually make your child's progress and attainment much easier to understand - but it also has meant that these 'National Expectations' are now higher expectations than the previous levels!)
Activities this half-term
Already this half-term we have celebrated Epiphany at a beautiful school mass and have had auditions for our new 'Shakespeare Club'. The children are already busy rehearsing for an exciting opportunity to perform a scene from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' with support from The Royal Shakespeare Company! We will have visits from RSC practitioners over the next few weeks.
Our Year 5 class have been involved in Top Secret Space Missions, designing and making their Space Buggies and are keeping a close eye on Tim Peake and his adventures on the Space Station!
Our Year 6 class are studying Justice in their RE topic currently. They will also be undertaking a special 'School Sleepover' as they try out their survival techniques with the help of our own 'Bear Grylls' - Mr Sharrock, in the school hall on Friday.
Year 3 are looking at recycling and ways we can improve the amount we waste. They will also look at the devastating effects this is having upon our planet. They will be visiting a local Recycling Plant next week.
Throughout the next few weeks we will also be working with parents and also our wider community (other schools, Parish etc) as we will be having a 'book swap' and hosting a school 'Spelling Bee' in order to further improve our reading and spelling skills across school. We are also working on some lovely pieces of artwork for the annual 'Young Seasiders' Art Exhibition which will be displayed at Blackpool & Fylde College during March this year. (Further details will follow shortly)
Sacramental Programme 2016
On 26th February at 5.30pm we will be holding a meeting for parents of children from Year 3 upwards who may be interested in their child joining this years church programme for children to undertake the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. We hope you will be able to attend this meeting as there are lots of pieces of information you will need to know before embarking upon the programme. Children MUST be baptised if they are to join the programme and there will also be an expectation that your child attends all sessions and also that your family will help your child understand more about the mass by attending mass at Our Lady of the Assumption weekly.
School's Alive 2016
Our Lady of the Assumption Dance Club will be performing their 'Bond' Dance on Wednesday 10th February at 7pm at The Grand Theatre Backpool as part of The School's Alive Festival. Tickets must be purchased by parents who wish to attend and are available at The Grand Theatre Box Office.
Half-Term Reports
Your child's half-term report will be coming out just as we break for half term. These short reports comment upon the effort, behaviour and attendance of your child and also mention their determination at completing homework tasks aimed to develop and support skills learned in class.These will be sent home on Thursday/Friday, 11th/12th February.
Before the end of this half-term we will have approached the season of Lent. Ash Wednesday is on Wednesday February 10th and school will be attending 9.30am mass to receive our ashes on this solemn day.
Unfortunately it has been brought to my attention that parents have been parking without due care or concern for other car users when it comes to bringing children to school and collecting by car at home-time.
As you will be aware, we are allowed to use the church car park due only to the kindness of the Parish Priests we have had here at Our Lady's. Yesterday two larger vehicles were left parked across the entrances to the church car park, blocking access to other parents who could not enter the car park.
This is really sad as it means we are forgetting about the needs of others. As a Catholic Community, we should be the people who always give consideration to others and think about the feelings and needs of our neighbours.
I really hope in this New Year, we can try to make a real effort to consider the needs of others; in this case other parents who are in the same situation as ourselves and trying to park to bring children safely into school. Please let us be good role-models in all our actions.
Many thanks
Miss Haggerty (Headteacher)
A very happy and peaceful New Year to all our families, friends and parish at Our Lady of the Assumption!
Huge congratulations to all of our Key Stage 1 children and their teachers for their outstanding nativities this year...
On Friday our Reception class performed 'Fishing for Stars' so beautifully. We could hardly believe this was the first performance they had done since joining Our Lady's - and how wonderful they were!
Last night Year 1 and Year 2 presented their 'Wriggly Nativity' to parents, families and friends. Another delight!!!! They all sang, spoke and danced with such amazing confidence. Well done to each and everyone one of you.
This has obviously put us all in the Christmas Spirit - and yet we still have more exciting events for everyone before we stop for our Christmas break on Friday.
Tuesday is our Christmas Dinner in school and we always look forward to Judy's amazing cooking! (Children and staff alike!)
On Wednesday our Key Stage 2 children will be continuing to put us in the Christmas mood by leading school in a Carol Concert in Our Lady of the Assumption Church at 2.30pm. It is always a truly lovely way to lead us to Christmas as our whole school joins together to sing some familiar and traditional Christmas Carols in the presence of God in our church, an opportunity for us all to pray together as a community, to see and feel that sense of Christmas hope and love in a world of darkness. We pray that we all may be truly 'present' to share the joy and peace that Christ was born to bring.
Following the carols, we ask that parents, family and parish who join us on this afternoon will remain in church while the children are taken back to school by their teachers. We will then draw the winners of our HAMPER RAFFLE! Therefore, you have only 2 more days to buy raffle tickets for these stunning hampers which would make an amazing gift for anyone this Christmas! (For some images of the hampers see the previous news)
On Thursday Mrs Ormerod's Dance Club will be performing their incredible 'James Bond' themed dance at the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool. This is an amazing opportunity for the children to perform in this prestigious event and this dance looks to be a real 'show-stopper'. Good luck everyone! I'm sure this will be an amazing evening!
Friday 18th December is our last day at school in 2015. (Not to be confused with the 2016/17 holiday list issued last week)
To note: School closes at 2pm on this date. When we return we have so many things to pack into the new year, including a school 'Spelling Bee', rehearsal for 'Midsummer Night's Dream', art work for the 'Young Seasiders' competition amongst many other things... I think we'll all need a good rest over the hoildays!!!!
We return to school at 8.45am on Monday 4th January 2016. Keep checking on the calendar on this website for future dates and events.
I would like to wish all of our families and friends a very happy and holy Christmas and peace in 2016.
TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT... of our Christmas Fair and also our Arts Projection outside on the school building at 6pm!!!!!
We are all very excited and everyone hopes you will be able to join us for the Fair at 4.30pm and then our incredible Arts Projection at 6pm. This is a 'first' for any school in the country - so we hope you can join us for this groundbreaking event tonight!
I also want to thank parents, families and friends for all your wonderful contributions to the amazing hampers for this year's Christmas Raffle prizes. Your kindness has been overwhelming (not to mention your imagination) and because of this; I'm sure anyone would be delighted to win one of these incredible prizes. In each hamper alone there must be over £60 worth of gifts - so well worth buying some tickets for.....
Have a look...
Don't they look amazing?????
All the hampers are on display in the entrance - so you can have a look as you come in to the Fair tonight!
Well done everyone and thank you!
