Plastic pollution has been the focus of assemblies this week. Pupils followed the journey of a plastic bag, that ended up as rubbish in the ocean and learned about the dangers of single-use plastics, to the environment and wildlife. The Bowmansgreen Eco-committee is helping staff and pupils to reduce the use of non-recyclable materials at school and increase the amount of waste that is recycled. Please talk to your child about what they have learnt and how your family is supporting this climate action.
Bowmansgreen is taking part in the Eat Them to Defeat Them schools’ programme which is part of a campaign to encourage children to eat more vegetables. Each week there is a focus vegetable which pupils are encouraged to try – this week it was the turn of the tomato! If pupils eat a portion of the focus vegetable, they will receive a sticker from staff working in the dining hall. Lots of pupils tried tomato juice for the first time yesterday and were surprised at how good it tasted! Thank you to our dining room MSAs and HCL catering staff who have been encouraging and tempting pupils to take part in the programme and try something new!
Pupils were excited to see Miss Golding visit their classrooms this week, as she returned to Bowmansgreen from maternity leave. She has already set to work checking in with classes across the school, seeing how hard pupils have been working throughout this very challenging year and planning with teachers to maximise teaching and learning opportunities during this busy half-term. Welcome back, Miss Golding!
Please could I remind families that the earlier school start and finish times, reflecting government COVID-19 guidance and measures, apply to Year 1, Year 5 and Year 6 only. Unless you have arranged with the school office and class staff to drop siblings off at the same, agreed time, into the care of school staff, pupils in all other year groups should arrive at school at the usual time, between 8.35 and 8.45am. Pupils are unsupervised before this time and should not be on the school site. Unfortunately, we will have to start asking families to wait off-site with their children, if pupils continue to arrive too early.
We have provisionally planned a range of activities to take place this half term, involving parents and carers, in the hope that further national restrictions will be lifted on June 21st, for example sports days, Year 6 performances and Reception 2021 transition activities. We will continue to monitor the guidance and keep families informed – further government announcements are expected next week. Unless further restrictions are introduced, we intend for all of the events to take place, with or without other family members present, as they are an important part of your child’s curriculum and provision.
We can, however, confirm that we will be maintaining staggered start and finish times and the current gate arrangements, until the end of term. Even if government guidance allows for a change in these measures from June 21st, with just over four weeks left of the school year at that point, we have decided that it would be simpler and safer to maintain these measures for the rest of the term. We will then review the situation and any updated guidance, for the start of the new school year, in September.
Please could we remind all adult family members to continue to carry out social distancing and wear face masks whilst on the school site. We have been very lucky with the low number of coronavirus cases that have affected our school community and have worked hard to ensure that appropriate, effective, protective measures have been put in place. As the number of COVID cases has begun to rise again nationally, including in St Albans, we would like staff, pupils and families to continue to keep each other as safe as possible, during these last few weeks of term.
I am very sad to announce that former Bowmansgreen staff member, Debbie Cooper, died during half-term, after a short illness. Debbie had worked at Bowmansgreen for more than a decade, in various roles, including breakfast club assistant and as a teaching assistant in the Primary Support Base, before leaving in 2017, to take up a position at another local primary school. Debbie was well liked and respected within our school community and she will be sadly missed by the staff, pupils and families who knew her.
Bowmansgreen has had the pleasure of ‘duck-sitting’ a brood of very cute ducklings, for the last few weeks. Pupils have enjoyed looking after them, watching (and hearing!) them grow and change. A special ‘thank you’ to the Webb family who took great care of the ducklings during the half-term break. Next week, the ducklings will leave Bowmansgreen for their new, permanent home in Norfolk.
Next week, our first Bowmansgreen Reading (books, not music!) Festival takes place. All pupils will take part in a range of activities to encourage interest and enjoyment in reading for pleasure. Activities include live streamed author events; an introduction to new authors and illustrators; and discussion and recommendations through book reviews. It promises to be a really enjoyable week and a great opportunity to inspire and motivate pupils to discover and read books that capture and challenge their imaginations.
Enjoy your weekend, the sunshine… and the Euros!