We received news this week that our Y4 team won the recent Festival of Hope Indoor Athletics tournament against all of the other Trust schools. The children had to take part in a variety of running, jumping and throwing activities with the points from all events for the whole team totalled. Well done, to all who took part! On Friday, the rest of the school had the wonderful experience of watching the Years 3 and 4 dress rehearsal of their Oliver production. We all enjoyed it enormously and are sure you will too. The performances are on Monday at 4pm and Tuesday at 6pm and all parents should have received their ticket confirmations on Friday. Little Beacons, Year R and years 1 and 2 all thoroughly enjoyed a visit from the North Dartmoor Search and Rescue team earlier this week. Little Beacons children enjoyed looking at the Landrover and lots of interesting equipment. They then used maps in Preschool to plan their own rescue missions. They also learnt about the Coastguard, made their own rescue boats and mixed red and yellow paint so they could paint their Lifeboats orange. Mr Wilkins took the children from tag rugby club to the recreation ground on Friday afternoon for a very wet and windy tag rugby tournament against other local schools. The children played brilliantly and had lots of fun. Message from Mel Holyoak, Chair of LSBThree Hares Local Stakeholder Board Many of our pupils will have participated in the Festival of Hope week, organised by the Dartmoor MAT. We had children attend sporting and art events, amongst other things. Part of our role as governors is to gather pupil and parent voice, so that your feedback can be provided to the Trust via us. With that in mind, may I ask you for your and your children’s feedback in relation to the Festival of Hope? It can be as detailed or as minimal as you wish, but to be able to provide something from the Three Hares schools would be really great. If your child attended an event, did they get value from it (and if so, what?), did they enjoy it (why?), did they understand the connection between the Trust and them as individuals? Did they love the Festival of Hope song and video? Anything along those lines would be enormously useful. Please send any comments and feedback to me at [email protected]. Thank you! Mel Chair of the Three Hares LSB PTA NewsPTA news The PTA are organising raffles for the two year 3/4 shows this week - so don't forget to bring a pound or 2 to be in with a chancing of winning some great prizes!! Decorate an Easter egg competition It's not too late to buy an egg from your teacher, decorate it and return it to your teacher on Wednesday 29th March! Also you could buy and decorate more than one egg if you wanted to! Decorate them however you like - let your imaginations run wild! Mrs Marvin and her team of judges will pick the best one from each year (including pre-school!). The winning decorated eggs will then be displayed in South Zeal village shop window...plus the winners will win a chocolatey treat!! Egg hunt The PTA are providing small chocolate eggs, so that each class can enjoy and Easter egg hunt this week! Pop up tuck shop We will be having a pop up tuck shop to celebrate the last day of term - Friday 31st! Don't forget to bring some money to pick up! Dates to remember Monday 17th April - Our next meeting via teams. Tuesday 6th June - Bags to School collection Thank you all for continuing to support our fundraising efforts. Upcoming EventsMonday 27th 4pm and Tuesday 28th March 6pm - Y3/4 performances of Oliver Thursday 30th March - Festival of Hope football tournament at Okehampton College Thursday 30th March - OCRA Futsal tournament for years 3/4 Monday 3rd April - Friday 14th April - Easter holiday Monday 17th April 6pm - French Trip meeting for parents about the Y6 French residential at Okehampton College Friday 21st April - Final round of Cross Country competition at Chagford Cricket Club. Monday 8th May - School closed for Coronation Tuesday 9th - Friday 12th May - Year 6 SATS week Sunday 14th - Friday 19th May - Year 6 residential to France Monday 29th May - Friday 2nd June - Half term Monday 5th June - Friday 16th June - Year 4 Multiplication Check Monday 12th June - Friday 16th June - Year 1 Phonics screening check Tuesday 23rd June - Trust Rainbow Day. Details to follow Wednesday 5th July - proposed Sports' Day TBC Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th July - proposed Y5/6 production Friday 21st July - Year 6 Leavers' assembly Friday 21st July - Last day of the academic year. Many calendar and term dates can be found in the calendar at the bottom of our website home page. 2022 23 Term dates can be found here. 2023 24 Term dates can be found here. South Zeal BeaversFree Courses for staff and parentsThe AIM Group are working together with DMAT schools to support staff and parents access FREE children's wellbeing support courses (already helped 55 people this year) How does this work? By using government funding, they offer free learning resources designed to learn and complete in your own time on a laptop of tablet What is involved? You will learn all about the subject, and answer a number of questions to show your understanding (only requires a few paragraphs) Courses available to start in March/April? Adverse Childhood Experiences, Distressed Behaviour in Children, Specific Learning Difficulties, Understanding Autism, Children's Mental Health Funding Criteria? Aged 19 or over on or before 31st August 2022 / UK/EU residency for 3+ years / Not already on a free online course (Apprenticeship for example) Application Deadline [31st March] funding changes expected so we want to make sure as many people get on before that happens. If you are interested, click the link below Chris Greenfield will be in touch once you have registered interest so he can explain more and confirm if you would like to go ahead DMAT Schools [March applications] - link to register course interest Looking forward to hearing from you all Palm Sunday Church ServiceHere's some of the news from across the school this week: Little Beacons - Last week in Preschool, we enjoyed a visit from Police Officer Matt as part of our 'People Who Help Us' topic. We turned into detectives for the day on Friday and solved the mystery of the missing number 3's. We followed clues to find a naughty Scarecrow had taken them and hidden them in the Forest School! We also had lots of fun playing in our own Police Station in the role play area. Year 3 - We are authors! This week in English, we have been writing our own versions of the story ‘A River’ by Marc Martin. The children have worked hard to think of their own mode of transport and where they would travel to. We use storyboards to plan and map out our journeys. The children have spent today writing and editing their stories. You can watch the original story below and, if you are lucky, the children may give you a sneak peak to their version! Year R - This week we have planted three trees in our school field. The children learnt about the differences between the Silver Birch, Hazel and Oak trees. To accompany them, we made our own signs in the woodwork area. We look forward to watching them grow as the children move along their journey through school. Year 6 have had a full set of practice tests this week which they have taken very calmly and successfully. Ten children from Year 4 took part in the Festival of Hope Indoor Athletics tournament at Holsworthy Community College - photos and results to follow. Year R and Little Beacons had a visit from an Early Years consultant who praised the good practice and children's behaviour in both settings. The whole school wore red on Friday to raise money for Comic Relief. Upcoming EventsMonday 20th March - Years 1-6 Pupil reports to parents Thursday 23rd March - Festival of Hope netball tournament at Tavistock College Friday 24th March - Tag Rugby competition at South Zeal Recreation ground Monday 27th 4pm and Tuesday 28th March 6pm - Y3/4 performances of Oliver Monday 27th March - 2nd round of Cross Country competition at Sleekers' Farm, Sourton. Thursday 30th March - Festival of Hope football tournament at Okehampton College Thursday 30th March - OCRA Futsal tournament for years 3/4 Monday 3rd April - Friday 14th April - Easter holiday Monday 17th April 6pm - French Trip meeting for parents about the Y6 French residential at Okehampton College Friday 21st April - 3rd and final round of Cross Country competition at Chagford Cricket Club. Tuesday 23rd June - Trust Rainbow Day. Details to follow Many calendar and term dates can be found in the calendar at the bottom of our website home page. 2022 23 Term dates can be found here. 2023 24 Term dates can be found here. Attendance UpdateWe seem to have been hit by a variety of illnesses this year and the whole school attendance for the year to date is a little below our target of 96%. As the days become longer, lighter and (possibly) warmer, we hope to see this figure rise. Please help your child to maximise their learning by ensuring that they are attend school every day they are well enough. Y1-6 Reports to parents - we're hoping to send home your child's report tomorrow. Please look out for large envelopes coming home in book bags. Alongside the report will be an attendance certificate showing your child's attendance for the year so far. Later in the week, we will also be sending home letters about attendance to the parents of children whose attendance is causing concern. The purpose of these letters are to ensure that parents are aware when attendnace is dipping so that we can work together to improve this where possible. School UniformSchool uniform can be purchased from Schoolwear Direct, Mole Avon and Thomas Moore. The links to the uniform available at Schoolwear Direct are below. Don't forget that our PTA also sell a large range of pre-worn school uniform in great condition for just £1 per garment. Little Beacons https://www.schoolweardirect.co.uk/product-category/find-my-school/little-beacons-preschool/ South Tawton https://www.schoolweardirect.co.uk/product-category/find-my-school/south-tawton-primary-school/ PTA News
Decorate an Easter egg competition Eggs have been so popular we sold out last week. A fresh supply will be back with the teachers tomorrow. Decorate them however you like - let your imaginations run wild! Hand them back to your teachers by Wednesday 29th March and then Mrs Marvin and her team of judges will pick the best one from each year. The winning decorated eggs will then be displayed in South Zeal village shop window...plus the winners will win a chocolatey treat!! Dates to remember…. Monday 17th April - Our next meeting via teams. Tuesday 6th June - Bags to School collection Thank you all for continuing to support our fundraising efforts. Summer Term Clubs from SAINTs SouthwestGreat news, our Summer Term Extra-Curricular Clubs are now available for parents to book on to!
Parents/Guardians need to simply follow the link below and find the correct school and day they would like to book on to. Class for Kids Booking Link - https://saints-southwest.class4kids.co.uk/term/87 Welcome, baby JudeGood Luck, Miss BennettChloe Bennett, our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator across the Three Hares Schools, has successfully applied for a new job and will be leaving our schools at Easter. Chloe has been part of the Three Hares for a very long time, having started her career as a teacher at South Tawton Primary School back in 2008. We are very happy for Chloe as her new job will be a step forward in her career - we wish her all the best in her new role. At South Tawton Primary School, Liz Davidson will be leading on SEND for the Summer Term, supported by the Trust SEND team. We know she will do an excellent job. From September, a new hub SENDCo will be in place. We know that parents and carers will want to join us in giving Chloe Bennett their very best wishes for this next step in her journey. South Tawton Primary School will not be closed due to strike action this weekFollowing on from previous correspondence regarding the National Education Union (NEU) calling their members to strike, in accordance with the provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992, we are writing to inform you of our school plans should the industrial action go ahead as planned. To determine if there will be the need for a full or partial closure on some or all of these days, we have undertaken a risk assessment and I am writing to confirm our arrangements for Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th March 2023. The school will be fully open to all year groups on both days. Staff Car Park Gate The wooden gates into the staff car park have recently been fixed and will now once more be closed during the school day. This is an important aspect of our safeguarding procedures and ensures that only school staff, pupils and signed in visitors are on the school site at any time. If you are collecting pupils from after-school clubs, please do not use the staff car park as having cars moving around the carpark when children are crossing it from the field presents an unnecessary risk. Children will be brought to the playground gates and handed over to parents at the end of clubs. Thank you for your help in keeping our pupils safe. Make Our Future BrightHopefully, your children will have told you about our Trust song for the Festival of Hope. Pupils across all Trust schools were recently recorded singing this song and the digital team have put together a wonderful video showcasing this. The video can be viewed on YouTube by following the link below. Watch here! Upcoming EventsWednesday 15th and Thursday 16th March - Possible NEU Strike Action. South Tawton Primary School will be fully open Friday 17th March - PTA Chocolate Bingo Monday 20th March - Years 1-6 Pupil reports to parents Friday 24th March - Tag Rugby competition at South Zeal Recreation ground Monday 27th 4pm and Tuesday 28th March 6pm - Y3/4 performances of Oliver Monday 27th March - 3rd and final round of Cross Country competition at Sleekers' Farm, Sourton. Monday 3rd April - Friday 14th April - Easter holiday Monday 17th April 6pm - French Trip meeting for parents about the Y6 French residential Tuesday 23rd June - Trust Rainbow Day. Details to follow Many calendar and term dates can be found in the calendar at the bottom of our website home page. 2022 23 Term dates can be found here. 2023 24 Term dates can be found here. PTA NewsThank you so much for everyone's support and participation in the Books Bingo! Not only did a lot of the children really challenge themselves by reading a variety of books, it raised £175 for the PTA ! And it is with great pleasure that we can announce that Saffron in Year 2 won the toy shop voucher!! Chocolate Bingo! Friday 17th March, in the school hall. Doors open 6pm and eyes down at 6.30pm. £5 for a book, refreshments will be available to purchase and of course a great raffle at half time! Please can we ask for donations of chocolate eggs - big or small - to be dropped off to the school office by pick up on Monday 13th! Decorate an Easter egg competition Blank eggs will be available to buy for £1, from your teachers from Monday 13th. Decorate them however you like - let your imaginations run wild! Hand them back to your teachers by Wednesday 29th March and then Mrs Marvin will pick the best one from each year. The winning decorated eggs will then be displayed in South Zeal village shop window...plus the winners will win a chocolatey treat!! Once again, thank you for your ongoing support - the PTA couldn't function without you!! Message from Okehampton Library
We had such fun on Thursday celebrating World Book Day. The children (and staff!) looked amazing in their costumes and many of them were able to talk eloquently about their characters and favourite books. Most of the classes got together for some buddy reading time which is always enjoyable. Thank you to everyone who has sent in photos of their children reading in usual places or to unusual friends. If anyone else would like to participate, please email photos to me by 4pm on Monday 6th March. Below is a sneak preview of some of the wonderful photos received so far. To keep the excitement and buzz around reading going a little longer, here is some information from the official website: World Book Day changes lives through a love of books and shared reading. Our mission is to promote reading for pleasure, offering every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own. Reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success – more than their family circumstances, their parents’ educational background or their income. We want to see more children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, with a life-long habit of reading for pleasure and the improved life chances this brings them. World Book Day was created by UNESCO on 23rd April 1995 as a worldwide celebration of books and reading. It is marked in over 100 countries around the globe. The first World Book Day in the UK and Ireland took place in 1997 to encourage young people to discover the pleasure of reading. As World Book Day founder, Baroness Gail Rebuck, recalls “We wanted to do something to reposition reading and our message is the same today as it was then – that reading is fun, relevant, accessible, exciting, and has the power to transform lives.” Spending just 10 minutes a day reading and sharing stories with children can make a crucial difference to their future success and it’s fun for all involved. That’s why World Book Day continues to encourage children and young people to read for pleasure through its work with authors, illustrators, publishers, bookshops and libraries. Use these resources to share stories at home or in schools, nurseries, bookshops and libraries:
Year 4 Trip to EscotOn Tuesday, we visited Escot to take part in their History program (Anglo-Saxon’s experience). The weather was fantastic and the members of staff had a full list of activities for us to participate in. We started by completing a maze before heading to the Anglo - Saxon village and engaging in the daily routines and jobs that the Anglo - Saxons would have done. These included: baking bread, metal work (making a roach), woodwork and writing by carving into wood. After lunch, we explored the park and learnt about the animals that were living in England at that time. As the children were so brilliantly behaved, we spent the last 20 minutes of the day playing and having fun in the park. The members of staff at Escot were amazed at the children’s behaviour and mentioned that they were a credit to the school. They also kindly gifted us the materials and artefacts that we had made which are now on display in the classroom. We'd like to say a huge thank you to the PTA for contributing towards the cost of our trip. It's very much appreciated and a good day was had by all! Upcoming EventsThese events are updated regularly and sometimes need to be changed: Monday 6th - Friday 31st March - DMAT Festival of Hope Wednesday 8th March - 2nd round Cross Country competition at Chagford Cricket club Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th March - Possible NEU Strike Action Friday 17th March - PTA Chocolate Bingo Monday 20th March - Years 1-6 Pupil reports to parents Friday 24th March - Tag Rugby competition at South Zeal Recreation ground Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th March - Y3/4 performances (to be confirmed) Monday 27th March - 3rd and final round of Cross Country competition at Sleekers' Farm, Sourton. Monday 3rd April - Friday 14th April - Easter holiday Monday 17th April 6pm - French Trip meeting for parents about the Y6 French residential Tuesday 23rd June - Trust Rainbow Day. Details to follow Many calendar and term dates can be found in the calendar at the bottom of our website home page. 2022 23 Term dates can be found here. 2023 24 Term dates can be found here. PTA 100 Club There was excitement in Year R this week as they helped with February's 100 Club draw! The winners were: 88 Tom Powell 42 Fiona Passmore 66 Mike Mills Congratulations! Many thanks to all for supporting the 100 Club. If you'd like to join and be in with a chance to win then please get in touch via [email protected] The Book Bingo draw will take place on Monday 6th March. Please bring any more slips and sponsorship money in to be in with a chance of winning the big prize.
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