Thank you all for your warm welcome to Bowmansgreen Primary. It has been a true pleasure meeting you all and getting to know everyone in the community. Thank you to everyone who has taken a few moments to introduce themselves; gradually I will get to know you all – already there are many familiar faces and smiles each morning. I am very mindful that many of our parents and carers work and so can’t be at the school gate or attend events during the day – I look forward to meeting you at the after school events which we have planned for later in the term. This week’s blog is rather lengthy, there is so much to say. Please be assured that they will not always be so long!
Last week was a whirlwind of sporting activity. Our Year 4 Girls’ Football Team played their first ever match. The final 6-0 score to Skyswood does not reflect how close the game was with our team really driving the ball forward and attacking well. Well done to all the girls who played tirelessly, with a real hunger for the ball, and to Teddy and Henry, two of our Year 6 pupils, who referee-ed the match. On Wednesday, our Year 5 Boys’ Football Team also represented our school, playing a match against Prae Wood. They played tremendously as a team with great footwork and, after a stunning goal scored by Leo McCabe, finished with a 1-1 draw Well done to all of the team for showing such sportsmanship – we were very proud of you! A big thank you to Mr Sanders who arranged the matches and co-ordinated the teams.
We ended the week with our first coffee afternoon of 2024. We hope that this will become a regular event and it was really encouraging to welcome so many parents and family members – there was a wonderful buzz in the hall as everyone caught up on each others’ news. Our Year 6 researchers did a wonderful job circulating around all of our guests asking them about communication to and from the school. Their findings will now be analysed and used to inform decisions in the future. Whilst we are on the topic of communication, please look out for a list of this term’s dates which will be sent out to all parents later this week.
There was no escape last week from the Government’s focus on school attendance. With this in mind, we will be looking at our school procedures and identifying ways in which we can improve our pupils’ attendance at Bowmansgreen. Mrs Clark will be sending me a report each day at 9:30am of all the pupils who are absent from school. We miss your children when they are not in – it is like a piece of our Bowmansgreen puzzle is missing – and so we want to work together to help them be in school as much as possible. Of course, there are times when children are just too sick to be in school. To help parents and carers make that decision there is advice on the NHS website which they can refer to. This can be found by clicking here and on our school website. With the cold weather now upon us and the cost of living still high, Hertfordshire County Council are keen for families to know that there is support available if they are struggling financially. If you would like to know more about accessing help or advice with trained councillors about energy bills, childcare costs, debt or your happiness and wellbeing, amongst other things, please click here for more information.
I end this first blog of January 2024 with the happy news that Mrs May is expecting her first baby at the end of March. She will be with us for a few more weeks and during that time will be working with members of the senior leadership team to ensure that there is a smooth transition when she begins her maternity leave. I wish you all a good week and look forward to working with all of your children over the next few weeks and months.