Wadebridge
Primary Academy
Head's Blog
WPA WW2 mini-documentary
The curious learners in Year 6 at Wadebridge Primary Academy have been busy creating questions about their topic, ‘Did the Spitfire really spit fire’ and have had them answered in a most unusual manner…
Real-life aviator Pete White, who is one of the Directors at Bodmin Airfield, was inspired by the famous World War 2 pilots – some of whom he has met, and flown with- they inspired him into a long career working with aircraft.
Our very own Mrs Smerdon (Year 6 teacher) and Mrs Towe (English Lead at Bridge Schools) took the children’s questions to Pete, who provided the children with fascinating information about the history of aviation in World War 2, whilst showing them his beautiful 1940’s plane, ‘Ivor’. He talks comprehensively about the most iconic plane of that time – the Spitfire, whilst recounting stories of his own adventures and special memories.
Watch the mini-documentary here to find out more… and look out for two familiar faces, who are ‘in costume’ to explain more about the role of women in World War 2… Mrs Smerdon gives us an excellent account of what it would have been like to be in the Land Army, whilst Mrs Towe explains why women in the WAAF also played a vital role.
We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude once more to Pete White and his team at Bodmin Airfield for bringing the learning to life for our children this term.
Friday 9 December
Friday 2 December
I thought last
week was busy. This week has been busier still. On Tuesday, we were wowed by
5W’s excellent Class Assembly, telling us all about the Egyptians. It had
information; stories; acting; singing; dancing and a precise and exacting
demonstration of how to mummify a body. All very entertaining and very
enjoyable indeed.
Santa Run
Today, we had our
Santa Run, where we were raising money for Children’s Hospice South West. It
was BRILLIANT. Fantastic running, camaraderie and jollity in huge amounts. Well
done to all – there will be pictures to follow!
There is a still an opportunity to give money
on the Just Giving page where, just like previous fun runs, you can sponsor as
much or as little as you are able. This is the link: - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/wadebridge-primary-academy2
Thank you too to all who have brought in coin
collection sheets – they are hugely appreciated. Again, there is still time, so
if you are half way through completing the sheet or still have it in your bag,
do please bring it in next week.
So far we have raised over £500 – go Team
Wadebridge and keep it coming!
Shining Stars
Shining Stars
this week were awarded for excellent Home Learning. I have been shown some
super examples this week and all of the winners were definitely very deserving.
Thank you too for all of your support with home Learning; it is much
appreciated.
Staff
Shining Stars this week were awarded to Mrs Hill for her tireless and cheery
work in her classroom and across school as our SENCo and for her dedication to
the school and to Mrs Channing, who is relatively new to us as one of our
Lunchtime Supervisors, but who has also been helping us out in school too when
needed - she is fab and we love her!
Poppy Appeal
A
MASSIVE thank you for your support with this – WPA raised a whopping £519.49 –
which is amazing.
Next Week: Trips, Christmas & Discos
Next
week sees the start of lots of Christmas things! On Tuesday and Wednesday,
Years R, 1 and 2 are performing their Nativity to families (they are performing
to the school on Monday so no siblings will miss it!). Big Nursery are performing to their families
on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, Years 3 and 4 are going to Egloshayle Church
for their Christmas Carol Service and Years 5 and 6 are doing the same. For information, the Choir will be attending
and singing at both.
On
Monday and Tuesday, Year 6 are visiting Bodmin Military Museum and on
Wednesday, Year 5 are going to Newquay Spaceport, which is VERY exciting. We also have the school discos on Wednesday
and we cannot wait! Phew…
Nearly
there.
Parking
Three
things for parking this week: from MONDAY 5 DECEMBER, we will be coning off the
top bend of the corner going out of school next to the Tennis Courts. This is
because the congestion there in the afternoon causes many hold ups and
disruption. I know that this is not ideal, so we will see how we get on, but we
would like to try this please. The
second thing is a reminder to please leave the disabled parking spaces free –
this means not blocking them with your car when you drop off or pick up. The third thing is to please turn off your
engine when you are dropping off or waiting for your child/ren as this will
reduce the pollution outside the school.
Happy December Weekend! We look forward to seeing you on Monday.
Kindest regards,
Ms Whitlock
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Documents
Friday 25 November
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Friday 18 November
My goodness – what a week. We have had Parents’ Evenings; Odd Socks Day;
Viking Day; Girls’ Football Finals tournament today and the Children In Need
Spotacular. All went really, really well and we appreciate your support with everything
we do very much.
We also took a team 10-pin bowling and they came
second overall in the whole county, which is a massive achievement and we are
very proud of them - whoop!
SHINING STARS
Shining Stars this week celebrated tolerance and
kindness. We again had wonderful winners and are very proud to share our school
with such lovely humans!
This week was Anti-Bullying Week (which is why
we wore odd socks on Wednesday) and the theme was ‘Reach Out’. In assembly on
Monday, we talked about reaching out to family, to friends and to adults in
school if we need to, but also the importance of reaching out if we see someone
else being upset or hurt by others. Pupils came up with super ideas of how we
could help each other be supportive and we have seen some fabulous examples of
this, this week. One that stood out for me was someone saying that they felt a
bit worried when they were walking to and from school on their own, as some of
the older Comp Students were not kind to them, but when they walked in a group
of friends, they felt safe and looked after.
FOWPA QUIZ NIGHT
Was
brilliant! They raised a grand total of £652 for
the school and were
so very grateful to everybody who came to Friday's sell out Quiz evening.
They would like to extend big THANK YOUs to the following
people for making this fundraising event so enjoyable and
successful:
- Rob and the team at The
Swan for hosting the quiz and kindly donating a raffle
prize.
- Emma Taylor for donating a
raffle prize of one night's stay at the beautiful Trewithian
Farm Cottages.
·
Ruth
Wilden at Cornwall Detailing for supplying the lovely hampers for raffle
prizes.
·
Rebecca
Vetori from the FOWPA team for taking the lead in
organising the quiz and Kristina Glibbery for organising all the monies.
- And last but by no means least,
to everyone who attended: your support was amazing.
The
money raised will help provide facilities and equipment which will enhance the
education of the pupils.
The
FOWPA team are already busy planning the next quiz for the New Year, so watch
this space.
Lastly;
if you would like to join the FOWPA team, please contact Gemma Lloyd-Jones on
07875649221.
A MASSIVE THANK YOU FROM US AT WPA TO ALL WHO
ATTENDED AND ALSO TO THE EPIC FOWPA TEAM FOR ALL OF THEIR HARD WORK IN
ORGANISING THE EVENT.
Next week is busy too! We look forward to seeing
parents at the Year 6 assemblies and at Carnglaze Caverns.
A reminder of this Half Term’s Dates. Anything new is in italics.
BOLD means whole school
event/relevant to more than one year group.
DATE EVENT TIME
Tuesday
22 November 6W
Class Assembly 0900
Wednesday 23 November 6B
Class Assembly 0900
Thursday 24 November WPA
Choir Trip to Carnglaze Caverns am
Monday 28 November Year
R and 6 Height and Weight Measuring am
Monday 28 November Year
R Vision Screening All
day
Tuesday 29 November 5W
Class Assembly 0900
Wednesday 30 November Reception
Open Morning & Evening 1000 & 1700
Monday 5
December 6B
Trip to Bodmin Military Museum ALL
DAY
Tuesday
6 December 6W
Trip to Bodmin Military Museum ALL
DAY
Tuesday 6 December Reception
and KS1 Nativity to families 0915 –
1015
Wednesday 7 December Reception
and KS1 Nativity to families 0915 –
1015
Wednesday 7 December Big
Nursery Performance to families 1315 – 1400
Wednesday 7 December FOWPA
DISCOs! 1630
- 1800
Thursday 8 December Years
3 and 4 Carol Service 0930
– 1030
Friday 9 December Years
5 and 6 Carol Service 0930
– 1030
Monday 12 December Little
Nursery Performance 1000
- 1100
Monday 12 December KS1
Cinema Trip am
Tuesday 13 December KS2
Cinema Trip am
Tuesday 13 December KS1
Christmas Lunch (Christmas Jumpers) Lunchtime
Wednesday 14 December KS2
Christmas Lunch (Christmas Jumpers) Lunchtime
Friday 16 December EARLY
FINISH – END OF TERM (party clothes) 1245/1300
Happy Weekend! We look
forward to seeing you on Monday.
Kindest regards,
Ms Whitlock
Friday 11th November
Friday 4 November
SWIMMING
The
Year 3s had a WONDERFUL week and had the most amazing time in the pool. Thank
you for all of the kits and towels and for your support – the smiles on the
Year 3 faces this morning in assembly when we talked about what a fantastic
week they had had were genuinely priceless.
A
massive thank you too to the Friends of Wadebridge Leisure Centre Team for
their wonderful work. The Centre is an amazing resource and one that we are
very grateful for.
AUTHOR VISIT – CATE MERRIN
Cate Merrin went down an absolute storm (see
what I did there?) on Monday and Tuesday and we all absolutely loved Cate’s
book ‘Captain Seasick’s Royal Appointment’. If there are any families that
would like to order any of Cate’s books, she has said that you can buy them at
any Waterstones and at some online retailers. She has also said that we can
forward any orders to her direct and she can send the books over to us at WPA as
soon as they are paid for. She really
was brilliant and we lobed having her in school.
EXTREME READING
Thank you for all of the wonderful entries and a giant well
done to our winners. Our overall winner was Salvador in Year 3 with his reading
by the Lonely Tree in
Lake Padarn, Snowdonia. It looked epic (and cold). Well done, Salvador!
CAULIFLOWER CHRISTMAS CARDS
We have had some lovely hand-drawn designs in
for the Cauliflower cards – THANK YOU! We can’t wait to see them as cards and
other Christmassy stuff. However, if you
have sent in art work but NOT ordered online, please could you make sure that
you do this at your earliest moment (if you would still like cards and so on).
If you are in doubt, or do not have the code on the sheet to hand, please get
in touch with the school office and we and FOWPA will do what we can to
help.
PARENTS’ CONSULTATIONS
Parents’ Eves are fast approaching. All classes
apart from 5B have their Parents’ Eves on WEDNESDAY 16 and THURSDAY 17 NOVEMBER.
5Bs Parents’ Eves are MONDAY 14 NOVEMBER and THURSDAY 17 NOVEMBER. All of the
booking is online, so please do go onto Arbor to book your appointments if you
have not done so already.
Please note that there are NO CLUBS during
Parents’ Eve week apart from Pro20 and Jason Thomas Dance.
BEDTIME STORIES
Here is a really interesting fact (well, it is a
definite fact): the very best way to counteract a not so good day, or to
enhance a good day, is to read a story just before you go to sleep. Bedtime Stories
are so full of other lives and exciting lands and places that it
leaves the listener’s or reader’s mind more relaxed, calm and more prepared for
sleep. Bedtime
stories are also proven to help foster a bond between parents and children,
lower stress levels and reinforce literacy skills and mastery of language
(which we are super keen on).
POPPIES
for REMEMBRANCE DAY
We are
selling poppy products in school from Monday next week. We have lots in stock
so do feel free to pop in. House Captains will be in the Hall every breaktime
and all pupils are welcome.
CHILDREN IN NEED – FRIDAY 18 NOVEMBER
Children in Need is coming up! If you want to,
you are more than welcome to come to school on Friday 18 November in anything
creative and or spotty. The theme is Spotacular, but we are encouraged to be
creative. Given the extreme creativity that we see on a daily basis, I am
really looking forward to it. You are
welcome to donate, but if you are not able to, that is absolutely fine – please
do dress up and be creative anyway!
COST OF LIVING
The latest rise in interest rates and the
ongoing costs of living makes for a very worrying time, but there is help
available. Please do come and have a look at the board just by the Nursery and
School Reception entrance as there is lots of information to help. Please also
do not hesitate to contact us if you would like help in terms of us signposting
you in the right direction.
PARKING AT PICK UP
We have seen some creative parking this week and
whilst we totally understand that in stormy and dark weather, everyone wants to
pick up their children as quickly as possible, please do not block the staff
car park at the bottom or park in a way that means that you are blocking others.
It really slows things down and once the comp comes out, really blocks up the whole
lane to and from school. If there are cones on the side of the road, please
know that they are there to STOP parking.
VAPING
Please could we ask that there is no vaping when
on school grounds. We are keen to encourage an e-cigarette and entirely smoke
free school.
A reminder of this Half Term’s Dates. Please see
new date for 5W’s assembly (5B’s assembly is in the Summer Term). BOLD means whole school event/relevant to
more than one year group.
DATE EVENT TIME
Friday 11 November FOWPA
QUIZ NIGHT tbc
Monday 14 November 5B Parents Eve 1500
– 1800
Wednesday 16 November Parents’ Evening (all classes
apart from 5B) 1450 – 1800
Thursday 17 November Parents’ Evening (all
classes) 1450 –
1700
Friday 18 November Sports Leader Day (Y6
Sports Leaders) All Day
Friday 18 November Children in Need Day All Day
Friday 18 November Year 4 Viking Visitor All Day
Tuesday 22 November 6W Class Assembly 0900
Wednesday 23 November 6B Class Assembly 0900
Thursday 24 November WPA Choir Trip to Carnglaze
Caverns am
Monday 28 November Year R and 6 Height and
Weight Measuring am
Monday 28 November Year R Vision Screening All day
Tuesday 29 November 5W Class Assembly 0900
*Wednesday 30 November* *Reception Open Morning &
Evening* *1000 & *1700
Tuesday 6 December Reception and KS1
Nativity to families 0915 – 1015
Wednesday 7 December Reception and KS1 Nativity to
families 0915 – 1015
Wednesday 7 December Big Nursery Performance to families
1315
– 1400
Wednesday 7 December FOWPA DISCOs! 1630
- 1800
Thursday 8 December Years 3 and 4 Carol
Service 0930 –
1030
Friday 9 December Years 5 and 6 Carol
Service 0930 –
1030
Monday 12 December Little Nursery
Performance 1000
- 1100
Monday 12 December KS1 Cinema Trip am
Tuesday 13 December KS2 Cinema Trip am
Tuesday 13 December KS1 Christmas Lunch Lunchtime
Wednesday 14 December KS2 Christmas Lunch Lunchtime
Friday 16 December EARLY FINISH – END OF
TERM 1245/1300
*Please note the change
of time to these sessions*
Happy Bonfire Night
Weekend! We look forward to seeing you on Monday.
Kindest regards,
Ms Whitlock
We made it to
Half Term! Whoop! We are so grateful for all of your support since September
and we hope that you have a wonderful break. Don’t forget that the clocks go
back the Sunday before we start back too, so we will go back to having lighter
mornings - hurrah!
SWIMMING
The Year 3s start
their swimming on Monday 31 October – please ensure that if you have a Year 3
child that they wear their PE Kit every day this week for ease of changing.
Please also ensure that all items of clothing and towels are named. I cannot
tell you how similar towels look to children it seems….
AUTHOR VISIT –
CATE MERRIN
We are delighted
to let you know that we will have an author visit in the first week back after
Half Term. Every class from Year R to Year 6 will have the opportunity to meet
Cate and, very excitingly, there will be a sale of the book that Cate will be
reading to us on WEDNESDAY 2 November in the Library. The sale will start at
1430 and the book costs £6.99.
Now, there is
LOTS coming up this next Half Term so please do check the website calendar and
the list below for details. We are quite excited; I will not lie.
For info - BOLD means whole school event/relevant to more than one year
group.
*NB – CLUBS ON
THIS WEEK*
Monday 31 Oct –
Friday 4 Nov Year 3
Swimming
pm
Wednesday 2
November
Author book Sale – Cate Merrin – Library 1430 – 1530
Friday 4 November
Year 1 Trip to Wadebridge Library
am
Friday 11
November
FOWPA QUIZ
NIGHT
tbc
Monday 14
November
5B Parents Eve
1500 – 1800
Wednesday 16
November
Parents’ Evening (all classes apart from 5B) 1450 – 1800
Thursday 17
November
Parents’ Evening (all
classes)
1450 – 1700
Friday 18
November
Sports Leader Day (Y6 Sports Leaders)
All Day
Tuesday 22
November
6W Class
Assembly
0900
Wednesday 23
November
6B Class
Assembly
0900
Thursday 24
November
WPA Choir Trip to Carnglaze Caverns
am
Monday 28
November
Year R and 6 Height and Weight Measuring am
Monday 28
November
Year R Vision
Screening
All day
Wednesday 30
November
Reception Open Morning &
Evening
1000 & 1700
Tuesday 6
December
Reception and KS1 Nativity to Parents
0915 – 1015
Wednesday 7
December
Reception and KS1 Nativity to Parents
0915 – 1015
Wednesday 7
December
Big Nursery Performance to
Parents
1315 – 1400
Wednesday 7
December
FOWPA
DISCOs!
1630 - 1800
Thursday 8
December
Years 3 and 4 Carol Service
0930 – 1030
Friday 9
December
Years 5 and 6 Carol Service
0930 – 1030
Monday 12
December
KS1 Cinema Trip
am
Tuesday 13
December
KS2 Cinema Trip
am
Tuesday 13
December
KS1 Christmas Lunch
Lunchtime
Wednesday 14
December
KS2 Christmas
Lunch
Lunchtime
Friday 16
December
EARLY FINISH – END OF
TERM
1245/1300
Crikey. I
now need a sit down.
There may also be
Year 5 Class Assemblies but the dates are not yet firmed up. We will contact
you all as soon as we have the dates.
FOWPA
quiz night coming up! Please do put the date 11 November in your diary – more
details will follow when we get back.
EXTREME
READING
Please
do send your extreme reading pictures and explanations into school – either to
Mrs Smerdon or to the secretary@wadebridgeprimary.co.uk address. Thank you and
HAPPY EXTREME READING!
We
look forward to seeing you on Monday 31 October at the normal time for a
fun-packed and jam-packed half term!
Kindest regards,
Ms Whitlock
Friday 14 October 2022
We have had a wonderful week in so many ways. We have more cooking apples than we
know what to do with (a MASSIVE THANK YOU to our apple donors) and I have seen SO
much good work - as shown by our marvellous Shining Star winners. My very favourite
things from this week were the Year 1 Bear Caves and the Year 6 Anne Frank diary writing,
which was genuinely remarkable.
SHINING STARS
Shining Stars this week were awarded for pupils who embody our Learning Characters. We
had all manner of wonderful Have a Go Hippos, Keep Going Koalas, Ideas Iguanas,
Teamwork Turtles (I love this one especially) and Find Out Flamingos. Staff Shining Stars
this week were awarded to Miss Warren and Miss Taylor, both of whom are super shining
stars and colleagues.
MUSIC LESSONS
Thank you to all who have contacted the school about music lessons. There may still be
some spaces left if you think that your child might enjoy music lessons - on any instrument,
not just the woodwind family - so please do get in touch with the school
on secretary@wadebridgeprimary.co.uk if this is the case.
COMING UP
No year groups are going swimming next week as we have a four-day week, but we do have
Half Term coming up. Our second INSET day of the year takes place on Friday (21 October)
and the week after next week is Half Term. Please do not come to school next Friday as it is
closed to all pupils on this day.
On a positive note (for most of us), the clocks go back on Sunday 30 October, so at least the
mornings will briefly brighten again.
HARVEST FESTIVAL
LAST CHANCE! We are still collecting for the Food Bank for our Harvest Festival this year.
You are more than welcome to donate something. If you do, please drop it off at the school
office where we will collate it and then make sure that it arrives at the Food Bank.
PARKING
I am keen not to put too many more cones out, but please do not park beyond the zebra
crossing that leads down to the Key Stage 1 and Reception Entrance. There is absolutely no
parking there at all. A reminder too to please not park on the coned-off corner at the top near
the Key Stage 1 and Reception entrance. It makes the entrance to the school very tricky to
manage due to no wriggle room.
A reminder too that Bodmin Old Library have asked us to pass on this message:
BODMIN OLD LIBRARY HALLOWEEN SHOW
Bodmin Old Library is welcoming a Halloween show. It is taking place at the Old Library on
the Sunday 16th October and it starts at 2pm.
It is called Tales from the Haunted Bookshop and is a delightful storytelling show featuring
puppets, music and adventure!
The tickets are on a pay as you feel basis with the lowest ticket price at £6 (both children
and adults). Tickets can be booked at www.intobodmin.co.uk/events
We hope that you have a wonderful weekend and look forward to seeing you on Monday.
PS Feel free to ask in the office for some apples...
Kindest regards,
Ms Whitlock
Friday 07 October 2022
LONDON MARATHON
They only went and smashed it!
Mrs Brier, Mrs Reeve and Miss Taylor completed their marathons in fine style on Sunday. We talked to Mrs Reeve and Miss Taylor about their best and not best bits in Assembly on Friday. Both said that they really loved the support from their family and all of the supporters and the amazing atmosphere as their best bit. Both said that their tricky bits were achy legs and the sheer length of time that they were running for. Lots and lots of Wadebridgers tracked the intrepid trio around the course and I have to admit that when they reached the 20 mile mark, my legs did twinge in sympathy, but it was fantastic to see their tags in action. We are SO proud of them and are glad that they can now walk again without pain.
SHINING STARS
Shining Stars this week were awarded for Excellent Presentation and Pride in Their Work. We had some really deserving winners and I can indeed confirm that their books show great pride and effort. Hurrah! Staff Shining Stars this week were awarded to Mrs Lee Elkins and Mrs Callister for literally being the best of the best.
WOODWIND DEMONSTRATIONS
Our wonderful woodwind teacher, Mrs Elston, and some of our star flautists and clarinettists visited almost all of the Key Stage 2 classes this week to give pupils a musical demonstration. They were really fab and the classes loved them. Did you know that playing a musical instrument uses every part of your brain (totally true by the way) and making music together as part of a group, be that singing or playing an instrument, is one of the most rewarding things that you can do? If you think that your child might enjoy music lessons – on any instrument, not just the woodwind family - please do get in touch with the school on secretary@wadebridgeprimary.co.uk.
COMING UP
Next week we see the Year 6s going swimming every day in the afternoons. We also have the Health Service Team coming in to administer the flu jab to all who have booked one in Reception to Year 6 on Tuesday 11 October.
HARVEST FESTIVAL
We are still collecting for the Food Bank for our Harvest Festival this year. You are more than welcome to donate something. If you do, please drop it off at the school office where we will collate it and then make sure that it arrives at the Food Bank.
PARKING
Thank you very much for not parking in the disabled spaces or on the road leading out of school – it is hugely appreciated. Please could you also not park on the coned-off corner at the top near the Key Stage 1 and Reception entrance. You can tell where not to park by the cones that are placed there to help you.
Last but not least on this rainy Friday afternoon, Bodmin Old Library have asked us to pass on this message:
BODMIN OLD LIBRARY HALLOWEEN SHOW
Bodmin Old Library is welcoming a Halloween show. It is taking place at the Old Library on the Sunday 16th October and it starts at 2pm.
It is called Tales from the Haunted Bookshop and is a delightful storytelling show featuring puppets, music and adventure!
The tickets are on a pay as you feel basis with the lowest ticket price at £6 (both children and adults). Tickets can be booked at www.intobodmin.co.uk/events
We hope that you have a wonderful weekend and look forward to seeing you on Monday.
Kindest regards,
Ms Whitlock
Our Values...
Creative
We are bold and innovative in our approach to find new solutions to the challenges we face.
Curious
We are inspired by the awe and wonder of the world.
Responsible
We take responsibility for our actions in an environment of mutual respect.
Enthusiastic
We are passionate about learning.
Excellent
We are the best we can be.
Determined
We overcome all barriers to reach our potential, developing a capacity to improve further.
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