We celebrated STEM Week (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in January. Within their mixed age family groups, the whole school took part in a number of practical activities and challenges using many different STEM skills whilst also focusing on our values for the week ‘Patience and Tolerance.'
This year Class One and Two performed the Nativity Play ‘Rock the Baby’ and we raised £172.10 for Play2Give’s Christmas Appeal ‘Sleigh2Give.’ This charity provides presents to children in hospital, low income families, vulnerable children and those with disabilities throughout Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Berkshire. Our Christmas Service at St Faith’s church was held at the very end of the term. The children in Class 3 led the service and used shadow puppets to re-tell the birth of Jesus. We sang several carols, the Choir performed, the staff read Bible readings and led the whole school in pray. It was a joyous occasion.
Our School Choir visited Feredune Care Home in Faringdon, to perform a Carol Concert to the residents. The Choir also performed at the Carols by Candlelight Service held at St Faith’s Church in Shellingford.
On Friday 17th November the whole school had a great time walking across the fields, and taking part in the exercise challenges! We raised £80.00 for the appeal, thank you.
We had a very positive Anti-Bullying Week which focused on this year’s message ‘Make a Noise about Bullying.’ Across the school we have been delivering lessons, assemblies and different cross-activities to remind everyone whether it’s in school, at home or in the community to make a noise and put a stop to bullying.
We all enjoyed our visit to the Watermill Theatre to see The Wizard of Oz. It was a charming musical adventure full of surprises, laughter and wonder. The children are always captivated by the stage set, the actors and actresses in their wonderful costumes and all the different musical instruments that the cast play. We would like to thank FoSS for covering the cost of the coach transport for this event.
Thank you for supporting THE POPPY APPEAL; The Royal British Legion wish to send their heartful thanks for your very generous donations. Our recent service of REMEMBRANCE AND DEDICATION AT ST FAITH’S CHURCH was a very poignant occasion for the school community. We would like to give a very special thanks to Mr Tom Scrivens, and Mr Wally Priest from The Royal British Legion who were in attendance and to The Reverend Jeremy Goulston for leading the service. The school sang three moving songs, each class presented a wreath and poppies were laid as a mark of respect:
FoSS have worked tirelessly over the last 12 months re-developing the pond area for the children to use. It is now completed and looks fantastic. The pond has been cleared of debris, a storyteller chair, stools and benches purchased, a storage shed and seasonal information boards installed which will be rotated throughout the year. A huge thank you from the school to Mrs Jo Perkins who instigated the project and to everyone who helped. Our thanks are also extended to the Tesco Community Grant Scheme, The Faringdon and District Rotary Club, WEBBS Building Merchants for the donation of cement, Tessa Bevan for the donation of plants, and Mr Rob Dorey for designing the information boards.
We celebrated National Poetry on Thursday 5th October. The children and teaching staff shared their favourite poems. The children created poetry of our own and each class performed their poetry to parents at our Whole School Celebration Assembly.
Our school has entered The National Gallery’s Take One Picture programme. Primary schools nationwide have been invited to complete cross-curricular projects based on Henri Rousseau’s ‘Surprised!’ The National Gallery selects a number of these projects for an exhibition at the gallery which we hope to be visiting as a whole school in the Summer Term. Classes 1, 2 and 3 produced artworks: Class 4 created a soundscape and used a clip from a David Attenborough programme as the inspiration. They considered how to use natural materials, such as leaves, grasses and water, as well as their own voices and musical instruments, to create the sounds of the environments in which tigers hunt their prey. The children found out that monkeys alert deer to the threat posed by a stalking tiger and they composed the sound of the warning calls and the frantic responses.
