Summer Term Update

Be Active Week and Sports Day
Get ready for Be Active Week starting next Monday (27th) including Sports Day on Tuesday 28th (9:15-12:15). We have lots of energetic stuff going on including special visit from inspirational speaker and para-adventurer - Darren Edwards. As usual the children can wear PE Kit to school all week. Be Active Week timetable coming soon.
Goodbye to Mrs Rogers and Mrs Griffith
Rose has been part of Morda School for many years as a parent, lunchtime supervisor and latterly as cleaner. She has put her heart and soul into this place and has always been there to support the team. She is retiring from August for a well-earned rest but I’m hoping to persuade to come back now then to help cover lunchtimes.
Katie has done an amazing job in the kitchen going above and beyond as cook. She has always listened to parents and children to make sure any little changes needed in the menu for individual needs were made. She has kept us all going with Flapjack Friday and Blueberry Tuesday in addition to cooking lovely food for the whole school. Katie finishes this week and we wish her all the best in her new job.
School Dinner Changes
As numbers of children have declined in the last 2 years, the demand for school dinners has reduced. So much so that the cost of making meals onsite has become a drain on the budget. We have therefore (like other schools) decided to “import” dinners; in our case from The Meadows School kitchen through Shire Services (who already provide our meals). This has happened a number of times already this year during periods of staff illness. So in effect we have already tried out the service.
The quality of food is excellent. It arrives in insulated boxes and is temperature checked so that proper food hygiene regulations are adhered to.  So it’s always fresh and hot. The Meadows cook Abbi is wonderful. A new member of Shire Staff is in the process of being recruited, who will bring the dinners over and serve them.
There will be some teething troubles no doubt especially in with the fact that it will be harder for parents to chat about their child’s needs straight to the cook as we could with Katie. Also we will be without Flapjack Friday and Blueberry Tuesday until we can workout a way to bring them back. If you have any issues please catch one of us or Mrs Edwards on the gate and we’ll do our utmost to sort it.
The new menu is on the website here.
Attendance
Last half-term our attendance was 96.7% – well above the pre-covid national average which is amazing! Let’s keep it up. The Government is having a big push on attendance following the pandemic and is expecting the local authority to be issuing fines for unauthorised holidays straight away and for persistent lateness. Please be aware that from September unauthorised holidays will be fined even if it is the first time – a very big change for this school. Do please talk to us before booking or making arrangements – there are still some circumstances which are truly exceptional and could be authorised. However, the price of holidays cannot be accepted as an exceptional circumstance. We really hope we don’t go back to the days of people calling in from abroad saying their child is ill. It is so difficult seeing children having to lie to trusted adults when they come back after week off sick with a sun tan.
Year 6 Transition Days and Move Up Sessions
Year 6 are going to the Marches for 3 transition days on 4th,5th and 6th July. We will be having some Move Up sessions during that time for children to visit their classroom and teacher for next year (if they are moving). Using the children’s current year groups here’s where they are all going.

• All Reception children will stay in the Bluebells with Mrs Butler and Mrs Lunt;
• All Year 1 children will move into the Daffodils Class with Mrs Humphreys and Mrs Kavanagh;
• all Year 2 children will stay in Daffodils;
• all Year 3 children will move into Roses class with Mrs Chapman and Mrs O’Grady;
• The Year 4 cohort  will be split with some staying in the Roses and some moving into the Shamrocks;
• All Year 5 will move into or stay in Mr Darbyshire’s class.

We are working on the split in the year 4 group which will be based on age plus any needs (social, emotional and learning) children that would be best addressed in each class. We always ensure children have at least one good friend in their new class.
Year 6 Funder Raiser
Year 6s (helped by year 5s in Shamrocks) are organising the traditional fundraising event on Friday July 15th (3:00-4:00). They design fun games, activities and stalls to raise money to help pay for their Year 6 Treat Trip to The Crocky Trail. All the children enjoy this event and it’s lovely to be able to put it on again after 2 years without it.
The Last Week
Term ends on 20th July. We have the Leavers’ Service in St Oswald’s on the Tuesday year 6 will be off to the Crocky Trail as one of their Year 6 treats. On the last day (Wednesday) we have the Leavers’ Service at St Oswald’s (2.30 – 3.15) and finally on Wednesday evening we have the Year 6 VIP Leavers’ Disco to which all children from Year 2 – Year 6 are invited. Much experience has shown that most year 1s and reception children do not enjoy this event. Year 6, on the other hand, have a great time as they are treated like royalty for the evening. 

That's all for now.

Mrs C & Mr E :-)