Newsletter 7 Autumn 2020

​It's time for our half term break. Well done to all our staff and children for managing a long and unusual half term in true South Tawton style! Despite the restrictions around trips, visitors and volunteers, we've enjoyed some lovely learning activities and have adapted to all the challenges as best we can.

With case numbers rising across the country, please help us to do all we can to keep our community safe by wearing a mask at school drop off and pick up points. As ever, please only come to school in your designated time slot and observe a 2 metre distance from other families. 

New Menu for KS1
The new menu for next half term can be found here. The KS2 sandwich options remain as ham, egg, cheese or tuna each day. 

Free School Meals Vouchers
As you may have seen from the mainstream media and social media, the motion to extend the free school meals voucher scheme over the half-term was defeated this week.
However, the Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust is resolute that none of its children, eligible for free school meals during term time, should go without during their holiday next week. We would like to reassure you that all families eligible for free school meals in the Three Hares have been contacted and should now be in receipt of their food vouchers.

If your child is in receipt of free school meals and you have not yet received your voucher, please do get in touch. 

Reading 
There's no written homework over half term as we'd like everyone to have a good rest. However, please keep reading and talking about books with your children every night for at least 15 minutes. Reading a wide variety of books with your children is not only a great way to spend time with them, but can also help hugely with their vocabulary, writing and progress across the curriculum. 

Some lovely ideas for talking about books with your children can be found here.
A variety of free books from Oxford Owls can be found here.
Free children's kindle books can be found here.
A huge list of free children's ebooks can be found here.
Don't have the free kindle app? Download it here.

The South Tawton Lockdown Recipe Collection
The thought process behind creating this delectable treat was inspired by all the wonderful photographs and art work that our pupils sent to us during lockdown.  Our mouths were simply watering as the school blog posts were looking like something out of a plush foodie magazine or gallery visit! Peggy Chalcraft, the Yr4 Teacher, thought "I want to make those dishes and I'm sure others do too". So, she went about collating a super collection of Art, Poetry and Recipes to remember the rather different Summer term of 2020 for everyone to enjoy.
Alex Thomas, a parent at the school and a Graphic Designer, volunteered his time and expertise to help produce our recipe collection in a very stylish manner!  From the funds raised, we hope to buy a friendship bench with a difference for our playground.
Thank you again to our school community for helping to make this happen.

Bon apetit / ¡buen provecho! / Dig in!
Peggy Chalcraft

Have you bought your recipe book yet?
Can't make up your mind? Here's some lovely feedback from families who have already received theirs:
"I just wanted to say thank you for our recipe book
It’s fantastic. Thank you for your hard work in creating this.
My daughter has already book marked several recipe pages"

"Just wanted to let you know how fabulous  I think the children’s cook book is - such a lovely positive (and useful!) keepsake for us of our time in lockdown. Thank you for all your hard work in organising it for us."

"Oh we are already enjoying the recipe book!
We even cycled to Sticklepath stores to get the ingredients!!
Lava biscuits 😋"

"Our daughter has planned out our menu for Half Term already. Thank you!"

"Just to say how amazing I think the recipe books are, they look great and have been so well put together, they will be such a great keepsake from such a difficult time. Thanks to all involved."

"The recipe book is fantastic - the quality is great and it looks amazing so thank you and a huge well done for putting it together 🎉👏😊 "

It's not too late! If you would like to purchase a copy, please email SouthTawtonPTA@gmail.com with your child’s surname/year/number of books in the subject line of the email E.g. Chalcraft/year4/2 books
  *   Please also let us know how you would like to pay i.e. Cash or Paypal in your order.

Autumn Trail
Did you know that South Tawton PTA have a Facebook page? Please search for and like our page to keep up to date with all our PTA news and events.

South Tawton Primary School PTA are running an Autumn Trail this half term holiday. It takes in the villages of South Zeal, South Tawton and Sticklepath and you can purchase a trail sheet for £2 from PTA members or South Zeal and Stickepath shops. The trail starts and finishes by the South Zeal shop and the questions on the sheet are about things you will see on a walk around the villages, so keep your eyes open!  There are three sections to the trail so you can do as much or as little walking as you feel able to. Hand your completed sheets in to a teacher by November 9th to receive a reward and a Team Point!

Update from Devon County Council
You may find it interesting to read this latest update from Devon County Council about Covid-19
Click here

​One of the recommendations is that families do not go out trick or treating this year. The message is copied below:
The Halloween season is fast approaching, and families may be wondering whether trick or treating is worth the risk this year. 
It’s really not. Please just stay at home and don’t turn Halloween into a COVID-19 “nightmare on your street.
There are plenty of ways to enjoy Halloween safely at home, from spooky window dressings to ghostly film nights.
This year public health teams in Devon are asking families to forget the usual trick or treat plans and instead celebrate safely indoors.
We've got some 'low risk' celebration ideas on our website, along with a list of things to avoid doing this Halloween.

Happy half term
Have a lovely week off and we look forward to seeing all children back in school on Monday 2nd November.

Best wishes,
​Sarah Marvin