Newsletter Week 34

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Friday 7th July 2023

Good afternoon, children, Parents, Grandparents, Chair of Governors, Headmaster and our distinguished guests a warm welcome to the St Peter’s 2-8 End of Year Review and Celebration. A chance for us all to review, reflect and celebrate all of the children’s achievements throughout the year. What a fantastic year we have had at St Peter’s School 2-8. The year has been full of exciting adventures for children and staff, even for some of the parents!

At St Peter’s 2-8 throughout our curriculum, we believe experiences are everything; without real life experiences, learning would be a process ‘done’ to children and not an immersive and conceptual experience that develops children.

If our children do not look back on their years of schooling with affection, pride and positivity we have failed them. Schools must help children to broaden their minds, feed their imaginations and develop their love of experiences that in turn will develop self-motivated learners who thoroughly enjoy learning. The staff team, I know, do this at St Peter’s 2-8.

All of the credit must go to the extraordinary people around the outside of this room who make St Peter’s 2-8 such an inspirational and extraordinary place. Every single member of staff works incredibly hard to create such inspirational learning spaces and environments for your children and prepare exciting and innovative lessons that inspire your children to learn. The effort they make for your children is staggering. To everyone your work never goes unnoticed and on behalf of the children and everyone else in the room, a huge thank you and congratulations on achieving a school that is quite remarkable.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the whole school Leadership team lead by Mr Walker for their continued collegiality, friendship, and support. I also would like to take this opportunity to thank the governors lead by Mr Bill Wooley for their time, guidance and support too. Thank you to Phillip Hilling as he retires from the board, for his support as a Governor.

A huge thank you to Antonia Clarke for her generous support, friendship and counsel. I really do appreciate all you do, as do all colleagues, parents and children across the school. Huge thanks and I know you will be amazing as the Head of 2-8 in September.

A huge thank you to Mrs McCurrie and Mrs Fattorini. They have been such a fantastic support to colleagues and to all parents at St Peter’s School.

To the FA’s who open the school every morning at 6am, sweep paths, prepare the school for events such as assemblies, plays and music concerts. They drive minibuses to allow children to go on trips and help coordinate parking in school. They do get to know your children and are always wearing a smiley face whatever the weather is like outside.

Everyday, Stuart our chef, will start preparing our lunches at 6.30am. He has continued to develop our menu attempting to provide that fine balance between healthy food and food that the children will eat, providing them with fuel for the remainder of the day. He is ably supported by Aga, Danielle, Michelle and Moira who know all the children really well. Huge thanks.

We have access to the medical team across the campus. Thank you for patching up the children and offering tremendous pastoral care to them all. Your support doesn’t go unnoticed. Thank you to Sian who is often found in St Peter’s 2-8 and we appreciate her support.

Every morning from 6am the cleaning team come to work and turn the school from a scene that can only be created from 2-8 children to a beautiful environment ready for them to learn. My thanks to Simon and his team, whom many of you will never see, for all they do for the school.

Thank you to the parents for your continued support for the school and the feedback that you provide through school channels that can help to improve the offering for your children at school.

Thank you to our St Peter’s 2-8 Friends, volunteers and everyone else who helps at school organising events, workshops, classroom support and pop up cafes. Thank you. This year they have organised parent socials, Quiz and Curry night, St Peter’s 2-8 Grand Bake Off, a Charity Summer Ball for our school charity Zarach, our summer fair

Clif-fest, bags 2 school donations, they have organised and led the St Peter’s 2-8 uniform shop and supported new parents and families who needed support joining the school and raising valuable funds for Zarach. My thanks to Mrs Smith and for leading the parent, baby, and toddler group on Thursday mornings. It is greatly appreciated. My huge thanks to everyone who has volunteered for whatever role. Particular thanks to Mrs Woolf and Mrs Dolan Bent who have led the St Peter’s 2-8 Friends. On behalf of the school community thank you for all you have done this year not be the place it is for the children today.

Thank you to everyone who has helped in anyway.

We do have a few members of staff who will be leaving us today.

Chloe Hopper started at school as a Sport Graduate in 2020. She has been an excellent member of staff supporting children across the school and most recently successfully completed her PGCE to become a teacher.

Sam Lomax has been our sports grad throughout the year, supporting all of the sporting endeavours at school. Sam is always the first to volunteer to attend trips and extra duties – this has been appreciated by the staff, children, and parents. Sam is off to Loughborough University to study for a Master’s Degree.

Kate Jeffrey started at St Peter’s in September 2017. She has been an excellent class teacher to children in Year 1 and Year 2. Affectionately known as Miss J, her ability to inspire and her care for children has been second to none. She will be hugely missed by all and we wish her well for her new job in Dubai.

Harriet Murray at arrived at St Peter’s as a Sport Graduate in 2014 and it was soon evident that she had all the qualities necessary to be a great teacher. Harriet has worked in Year 1, 2 and 3 and has been outstanding in every respect and has made a lifelong impact on every child she has taught. Harriet is taking some time for herself to fulfil her ambition to go travelling. We look forward to hearing about her adventures.

A huge thank you and congratulations to all the Year 3 children for their incredible ability and excitement for learning. You just surprise me every day at school with your enthusiasm, incredible learning, your achievements, and the sense of fun you have. Always remember that success is not always being the best at something. Success is being that little bit better than yesterday, every day. Thank you for making our job as teachers one of the best jobs in the world.

The Year 3 children leave St Peter’s 2-8 today, most of them moving to St Peter’s 8-13. I know they are going to continue their inspirational learning journey at St Peter’s 8-13 and will continue to impress me in my new role, Mrs Fynn, Mrs Spencer and Mrs Savage by getting immersed in as many opportunities as they can and continue to enjoy and love their learning. All the staff at St Peter’s 2-8 will miss you greatly - good luck.

The Year 3 children received scrolls and House Trophies were presented. The Meaby Rosebowl of Housepoints was awarded to Walmgate. The Interhouse Swimming Gala was awarded to Micklegate, and the Marks Sports Shield for Sports Day was awarded to Monk.

Finally, I just wanted to say the last 12 years at St Peter’s 2-8 have flown by. The school is an incredibly special place because it strives to continue to improve to provide the very best education for your children and be the best version of itself.

I am very proud that we as a whole team at 2-8 have been recognised by being awarded three National awards, including the TES Independent school of the Year, our National profile has led to schools visiting us from the UK and on occasions from overseas. I have been lucky enough to represent the school team at 10 Downing Street meeting Theresa May the PM at the time and most recently to a Royal Garden party. These are all lovely. However, the most important things for me at 2-8, is observing the teachers provide an education that truly inspires children and seeing the smiles on the children’s faces as they arrive excitedly at school every single day which is just magical and heart-warming and the reason, we do what we do.

I hope you all have a wonderful summer and I look forward to welcoming the Year 3 children in September at 8-13 and I wish the whole school community the very best for next year and look forward to seeing you all very soon. Thank you!

Please can I ask Mr Walker to the stage to say a farewell and introduce the whole school for their final performance of the year.

Thank you all!

I hope you all have a wonderful summer.

MUSIC

A huge congratulations to Ethan who took his Grade 1 Clarinet exam on Monday and passed with Distinction. Fabulous work Ethan, you played brilliantly.

Congratulations too to Olivia S, Kate R, Annabel and Amara who took their Initial Violin exam on Wednesday,. They all passed with flying colours, great work girls!

Irwin, Hamish and Caleb also took their Initial Guitar exams on Wednesday. All three boys passed with flying colours, with a Merit for Hamish and Distinctions for Irwin and Caleb, fantastic results!

What a fantastic way to end another musical year!

Mrs Hayden

School Council

The School Council TT challenge came to an end this week.

As a school we collected over 100 empty toothpaste tubes that we will now ensure are recycled correctly.

The winning class was 3C with 26 tubes.

Second was 3S with 24 tubes, and

Third place 2J with 21 tubes.

Well done everyone!

The past few weeks the children continued to work extremely hard on their cricket skills.

Year Two and Three have focused on the correct bowling technique, windmilling their arm around ensuring they brush past their ear to direct the ball straight to the batter. Everybody else has put their batting and fielding skills to the test and displayed wonderful teamwork skills to get the ball back to the bowler, as quickly as possible.

What an incredible sporting year it has been! So lucky to have such incredible sporting talent at the school and most importantly watching children blossom with confidence and show their inner Rita Resilience to develop their physical skills further. I am incredibly proud of all the children this year and it has been wonderful to watch them progress in a range of sports on offer to them. I cannot wait to start teaching back in September to all the children at St Peter’s 2-8. I must however say a big farewell to my lovely Year 3 children! They have shown great deal of potential in their sporting talent, and I hope the sheer determination, resilience, fair play, teamwork and competitiveness carries on through their sporting journey, as they progress through the next stages of their education.

I must also give a massive thank you to my Sport Graduate Mr Lomax, who has worked alongside me this year. Next year he will be undertaking a master’s at Loughborough University. The children have thoroughly enjoyed having Mr Lomax in their PE lessons and helping around school.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the children this year, I hope they've learnt as much as they've taught me... thank you for your support (and patience) this year it's been a wonderful whirlwind of laughter.”

We wish him the best of luck.

Big thank you to all the children and parents for your cards and presents Mr Lomax and I received.

I hope you all have a lovely summer holiday! I can't wait to hear about your summer adventures and all the wild sport you get up to.

Miss Flockhart

PE

Acorns

We have had the most wonderful end to another incredible year.

We cannot believe that the time has come to say goodbye to the youngest little people at St Peter's. They have grown in confidence, in size in stature and in ability. We are so proud of them. It has been a privilege to have shared the first year of school with each one of them.

We hope you all have the most wonderful holiday.

Acorns

Conkers

Hip hip hooray, hip hip hooray, hip hip………HOORAY!!!!!

The Conkers class of 2023 have graduated ready for Reception, the next step in their journey at St Peter’s 2-8.

Congratulations and well done to each and every one of you!

It feels like only yesterday that our little fresh faced Reception children walked into our classrooms and here we are on our final day. This last week has been jam packed with party games, playing at St Olaves play area, making gifts and cards and sharing board games with our friends.

We finished our week in style with a special performance from Josh Benson, magician and DJ. The children were amazed watching the juggling, balloon animals and crazy tricks. And of course, they loved showing off their dance moves in the disco!

We can't quite believe that the end of year is here and our little stars are going up to Year One. We are all so proud of them and we are going to miss each and everyone of them so much! They have been superstars this year and we hope you all have a lovely summer!

Reception

Reception

Year One you have been the best and we have had the most wonderful year teaching all of you.

We have enjoyed every second we have spent with you all; learning, laughing and of course dancing!

We are so proud of each and every one of you and it has been the privilege to watch you grow and flourish into the individuals you are.

You make this job the best in the world.

Love

Miss Evans, Mr Allen, Miss Carless, Mrs D’Arcy, Mrs Bateson and Mrs Stanley

What a wonderful Year we have had in Year 2! We are going to miss you all and know that you will be amazing in YeaR 3.

We hope you all have a wonderful summer.

Year 3

YEAR 3

We would like to say a huge thank you to all children, parents and the wider St Peter’s community for the amazing support you have given all FOSP events this year. We are extremely grateful for all your help and generosity.

MacMillan coffee

Bake-off

Autumn social

Wreath making

Film night

Christmas cards

Leavers hoodies

Spring disco

Curry and quiz

Wine tasting

Y3 tea towel

The Gatsby Ball

New Starters welcome Clif Fest

Uniform sales Bag2School

Together we have raised a whopping £7500 for Zarach.

https://www.mattressonline.co.uk/Zarach-Charity-Partnershi

We have also raised money for other charities such as MacMillan Cancer Support as well as funds for our school.

None of this could happen without the support from Mr Hardy, teachers and support staff at 28, thank you. And of course, a huge thank you to our brilliant team of volunteers! No matter how many events you have been part of, your help has been much appreciated. We are incredibly lucky to have you all and a very dedicated FOSP committee but always welcome new members - if you are interested in joining us, please contact Victoria victoriawoolf@hotmail.co.uk

We must say an extra thank you to Sarah Binks (Treasurer), Olivia Houlston (Secretary), Rebecca Lee-Bursnall and Harriet Dryden who are all long standing members and are moving on. We have particularly appreciated your help over the years and will miss you on the committee!

Finally, we would like to wish you all a wonderful summer, safe travels and we look forward to seeing you for more charity fun in September!

The Friends of St Peters 2-8

PS: Save the date: first FOSP meeting 20 September!