Headmaster's Welcome
Headmaster's News, Friday 7th July, 2023
Jul 7, 2023
7th July 2023
Dear Parents
Reception Assembly
Thank you, Reception, for a very special assembly this morning. It was your first assembly at Highfield and the focus was on superheroes in our everyday lives. You talked about vets, policemen and women, teachers, and guide dogs. You highlighted how they help us and I particularly enjoyed your song about superheroes at the end. Thank you, Mrs Bennett and Mrs Hayes, for organising this assembly.
Year 1 Assembly
Thank you, Year 1, for an excellent assembly last Friday, which was all about plants, the subject you have been studying in science this term. You shared how you have walked around the grounds, identifying plants and exploring wild flowers in The Haven. You also explained the importance of different parts of the plant, from the stem to the petals. I was truly impressed by the collage you created in forest school, and I learned so much.
Congratulations on delivering your lines with confidence and clarity. Thank you, Mrs Wilson and Miss Wright, for organising the assembly. I look forward to visiting your classroom to learn more.
Pre-School Sports Day
Last Thursday, our wonderful Pre-School children were filled with excitement for Sports Day. The anticipation built as soon as they entered their classroom. They divided into two groups and participated in a range of events on the all-weather pitch, including throwing, running, and the traditional egg and spoon race. All the children were fully engaged, cheering each other on and showcasing what they have learned and practised in lessons. The morning concluded with sprint races, where they all displayed athleticism and gave the event their all. Afterwards, the children received medals and well-deserved ice lollies. A big thank you to Mrs Botton for organising the event and to all the parents who supported on the day.
Year 1 Field Trip
I had the pleasure of accompanying Year 1 to Grimsargh play park last week. As part of their design and technology lesson, the children explored playground equipment before designing and making their own. They examined the materials used and identified the moving parts. They used this information to draw and label pictures which will assist them in creating their own play equipment when they return to school. The lesson concluded with some time to play on the equipment before heading back to school. Thank you, Year 1! I thoroughly enjoyed our trip out.
Summer Fayre
Sunday saw the Highfield community gather for the final and biggest PTA led event of year: the summer fayre.
Thank you everyone for making the day a great success. From everyone who came along, joined in, and helped; to those who braved the chaos on the roads only to have to return home. Everyone’s efforts were greatly appreciated. Without your commitment and help, we could not run these events. The opportunities they give us to spend time together, and the experiences and enjoyment they give our children, are certainly as important as the vital fund-raising opportunity they provide.
It is wonderful to see so many former pupils come to the fayre each year and get involved: catching up with old friends and teachers and even rolling up their sleeves and running stalls for the younger children to enjoy.
We are delighted to say that, through your generosity and kindness, the revenue raised was nearly £2,200.
The PTA revenue from all activities for this school year will be just over £9,000. This has allowed us to run the Halloween, winter and summer events, the Winter Party for the children, the Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day Shops and the Easter Egg Raffle. All activities that you will agree the children have greatly enjoyed.
After funds have been set aside to help with next year’s activities, our community will be able to donate £3,000 to the school.
What is this money used for?
This school year, the money from PTA donations has been put to extensive use:
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Following the fire at the Nursery, funds were immediately made available to buy replacement equipment so that the children could continue to enjoy themselves playing and learning outside, especially in Highfield Haven.
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14 iPads have been bought to help support learning for all the children, from Nursery to year 6.
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The school now has a new piano, used for music lessons, assemblies and school productions.
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Each class has picked some board games for their classroom, to use when they have to stay inside at breaktimes due to rain.
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To mark the occasion of the Coronation, every child was presented with a special commemorative plaque.
Since the break in fundraising activities caused by COVID, our efforts as a community have helped to provide new PE equipment, toys for the children to use in the playground, a new digital camera that has been of great service at school events and additional equipment for the classrooms such as smart boards, projectors and a large touch screen TV.
All the events the PTA runs throughout the year are planned with the children at their heart; to raise money to provide equipment or activities to enhance school life and provide lots of fun throughout the year.
None of this would be possible without the support of the teachers and parents who get involved in organising, setting up and running the events throughout the year. Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard throughout the year to support all the events, your efforts are so very greatly appreciated, by the school community as a whole and the children especially.
To the school community as a whole, thank you once more for all your kindness, generosity and support throughout the year. Without it, none of the events would be possible.
If you would like to get involved, please watch out for notices from the school about meetings at the beginning of next term or drop the PTA a quick note at PTA@highfieldpriory.co.uk, we would love to hear from you.
Wishing you all a great summer break,
HPPTA.
I would like to extend my appreciation to Mr Desai and his team for providing numerous
opportunities and resources throughout the year through the PTA. It makes a tremendous difference to the children and the community as a whole. Despite the traffic problems, the summer fayre was a hugely successful event. The number of returning pupils is a testament to the connection they still have with the school, as well as with the PTA and the events they organise. Thank you.
CancerCare
The Year 5 children ran a stall at the fayre to raise money for our school charity, CancerCare. They planned everything themselves during their PSHE lessons and supervised the stall on the day. The stall raised £105.50 and the children were delighted to contribute to such a good cause. Well done, Year 5!
Merit Awards 30.6.23
RB: Finlay 1W: The Whole Class 2E: Emily
3D: Mohini 4J: William 4M: Zarlala 5H: Wei Ann 5M: Samira 6P: Georgia
Merit Awards 7.7.23
RB: The Whole Class 1W: Isabella 2E: Wei Yi
3D: Freddie 4J: Vihaan 4M: Khadijah 5H: Aidan 5M: Scarlett 6P: Aibhlin
Calendar
| Tuesday 11th July | Musical Performance 2pm |
| Tuesday 11th July | Y1 Curriculum Evening 6pm |
| Wednesday 12th July | Musical Performance 6pm |
| Thursday 13th July | Reception Curriculum Evening 6pm |
| Friday 14th July | Y6 Leavers’ Assembly |
| Tuesday 18th July | Prizegiving 2pm |
Survey
I would be very grateful if you could take the time to complete the parent survey, about your child’s experiences at Highfield.
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/highfieldpriory/
Finally, I would like to give you advance warning of our inset day which is a training day for all staff on Monday 4th September. Nursery and Holiday Club will be closed on that day.
Yours sincerely
J M Duke
Headmaster
