News
Children at Fressingfield Primary School have been learning about the First World War this term to coincide with the centenary of the signing of the armistice at 11am on the 11th November 1918. This culminated on 8th November in their participation in the ‘Remembering War, Praying for Peace’ commemoration, a Suffolk-wide event, organised by the Royal British Legion to remember all the servicemen killed during the war and buried in Suffolk churchyards.
There are three soldiers buried at St Peter and St Paul’s Church – Pte Herbert Vincent, Pte James Rumsby and Deckhand John White. The children learnt about each of them and laid poppy wreathes at their graves. Three children – Jacob, Sam and Jessica – also read about how members of their own families had been affected by the war, following research conducted as part of their homework. Jessica explained that her great, great uncle Charles Mayhew died of TB contracted whilst serving on the Western Front as a driver for the Royal Artillery.
As part of the service, every child in Key Stage 2 laid a hand-sewn felt heart on the altar of the church, similar to those sewn by injured servicemen to send to their loved-ones at home. For this project – called 100 Hearts for 100 Years – the children were supported by Mrs Lindsey and other members of the Fressingfield Craft Club, who also created hearts of their own and which now decorate the pulpit in a beautiful tribute to those who sacrificed their lives.
At school, the children have been learning about the First World War throughout the term. They wrote newspaper reports about the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the event which catapulted Europe into war, and are now writing diary entries about life in the trenches. They were also visited by Mr B Stephenson who kindly brought in his collection of WW1 memorabilia, including a machine gun.
The children also retold the story of ‘The Great War’ by creating a quilt in the style of Harriet Powers, a African-American artist who was born a slave in the 19th Century and who used her quilts to tell Bible Stories and stories of slavery. This project, which was linked to Black History Month, has created a powerful and moving tribute to the fallen and is on display in the school atrium.
It has been an honour to participate in the village’s commemoration events this term; the children have found the topic interesting and inspiring and have been deeply moved by the sacrifice made by people in this village to safeguard their futures.
As part of Black History Month, Key Stage 2 children have been finding out about the life of Harriet Powers, who was an African American textile artist from Georgia.
Salary: £16,495 (pro rata)
Job Term: Part Time
KS2 – 18:00 hours per week (Monday to Friday) – Term time only
Appointment: Fixed Term until 31st August 2019 (with potential for continuation)
Start Date: October 2018
We are seeking to appoint a skilful and experienced Teaching Assistant to work across the KS2 stage supporting our children and teachers. The successful candidate will be working in both a class setting and with small groups or individual pupils. Experience of delivering interventions with children in a primary school setting, is desirable but not essential. There will the potential for covering staff absences.
We are looking for:
- an enthusiastic individual and team member
- experience of supporting children in a professional setting
- excellent communications skills
- the ability to think flexibly and use initiative to support learning & development
- a patient and nurturing personality
- NVQ Level 2 Teaching Assistant desirable, but not essential
Fressingfield Primary is a friendly, community school with enthusiastic children and committed staff who are well supported by parents and governors. Located on the Norfolk/Suffolk boarder the school is easily accessible from the A143. We are part of the All Saints Schools Trust, which formed in April 2018.
Our school is committed to confidentiality, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and staff. Our expectations are that all staff and volunteers share this commitment. The successful applicant will be appointed on completion of DBS checks and references.
We would prefer completed applications to be emailed to Mark Taylor at admin@fressingfield.suffolk.sch.uk . If applicants do not have access to email please post to the school. Visits are welcomed.
For an application form and further information please email admin@fressingfield.suffolk.sch.uk
Closing date: 12th October 2018 or earlier if sufficient applications are received.
Interviews are to be arranged with candidates on an individual basis.
Hollowford’s Got Talent!
It was great to wake up fresh and breezy this morning, to banish any lingering sense of disappointment and to get things back on track with the business of just having a really good time.
It was another activities day, so Kyle and Brajan, Grace and Pheobe built two impressive looking rafts that actually stayed in one piece long enough to compete in the races against each other, despite being massively overloaded with 12 people – well done!
In the afternoon Brajan and Kyle went weaselling up on Higger Tor with Amelia, Rebecca, Stanley and George’s group, squeezing and twisting themselves through tiny gaps and climbing over jumbles of rocks. Stanley put it best when sharing one of his moments of the week in the evening: “I was really impressed with Amelia, because even though she had been really worried in the cave and had decided to come out, she was one of the best at weaselling and she did absolutely everything.” Well done Amelia.
Tom, Henry, Maisy, Gaia and Jade went off to Bagshaw Cavern this morning with Captain Dave – one of the most highly qualified cave instructors in the country. He was so impressed with the group (his favourite), that he led them into ‘the Glory Hole’ – a difficult descent, slither and climb that he only visits with children he can trust completely – and, needless-to-say, they tackled it incredibly well. Go Team 4!
In the afternoon, they were on the high ropes, where nerves and adrenalin created a kind of manic hilarity with Gaia, Maisy and Tom. We learnt that when they get nervous, Tom kind of barks, Gaia squeaks and Maisy whinnies like a horse. Despite this farmyard of noises, they all managed to climb to the top of the post for the ‘lean of faith!’
This evening was the long-anticipated talent show and it didn’t disappoint; the standard was incredibly high this year, with singing, comedy routines, magic tricks, a trumpet recital of James Bond and Star Wars, some strange water drinking antics and a song about trifle that brought the house down (you had to be there). Well done to Grace and Phoebe who came second (out of 15) with a beautifully sung and danced version of ‘Right Where I Belong.’ Enjoy the sweets girls!
Well done all – it really has been a fantastic week and Mrs Sheldrake and I have enjoyed every minute. Thank you.
The crushing sense of disappointment – an unusual feeling to experience at Hollowford – but one that, thanks to the football, the children all went to bed feeling! Still, I suppose it’s all just a part of learning to be English!
Thankfully, the day had been balanced with lots of the other: the uplifting joy of success and victory! Today was the day we walked up Mam Tor, the large hill (not a mountain, we’ve been told) that looms over the town of Castleton. It’s a long way up and a very steep walk in places, but we set off this afternoon with enthusiasm and gusto, carrying extra water and taking extra rests to combat the heat. At least it clouded over during our walk – the morning group had contended with blazing sunshine too. The views from the top were stunning and we were able to watch a pair of paragliders taking off from the top too. The world-record-breaking paraglider – Carter (who is famous for having paraglided over 200 miles from Castleton to the Thames estuary) – was above us, and waved when we cheered his name.
George’s nose unfortunately started leaking once again as we set off back to base, so he was medevacked back to the centre. He was disappointed that the rescue vehicle was a minibus rather than a helicopter. He is all patched up again now. Other injuries today included a grazed knee for Rebecca and a sore ankle for Grace, but they are bearing all with good humour and it certainly didn’t stop them from shouting at the football for 120 minutes along with everyone else!
This morning we went for a walk around Hollowford, where we visited Peveril Castle and spent our £10: it’s amazing just quite how many presents can be bought for £10 (and quite how many sweets). When we got back to the centre we were met by signs put up by the centre staff who were so delighted with the clean and tidy state of our rooms they awarded us with certificates – so well done especially Kyle, Jaydan, Finlay and Brajan who won the tidiest room on their corridor: bet you weren’t expecting that, mums and dads!
Tomorrow, hopefully, we can put this evening’s game behind us, remember that football’s only a game (sorry!) and start having fun again. We have another day of activities, followed by Hollowford’s Got Talent!
[Sorry there are no photos today – I have had a technical issue with my memory stick, so can’t download all the lovely pictures of the children in the castle and on the top of Mam Tor. Perhaps someone will be able to sort it out for me when I get back to school. I will use the other SD card tomorrow.]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY REBECCA!
Rebecca has been a bundle of joy all day long – smiling and laughing with a Cheshire-cat grin from ear to ear. The boys had made her a homemade card, and she had a present of extra sweets from us all, but the thing that she really enjoyed today was getting soaking wet in the raft-race.
Indeed, almost half of us got soaked to the bone today during the raft race. Henry (who made an excellent foreman, guiding, helping and directing the building of the raft), Gaia, Maisy, Tom and Jade’s craft – variously named Dory, Nemo, the invincible, the Titanic and Harry Kane went to Spain… competed against Stanley, George, Rebecca and Amelia’s (less well constructed) boat called ‘The Titanic on a budget.’ Whilst the first group prepared boarding parties, cannon operators and rowers, the second group’s boat collapsed on the slipway. A few emergency repairs later, she was launched, only to throw her sailors into the murky water as she slowly came apart. Cue everyone deciding to abandon ship and leap into the pond. Merriment ensued.
Kyle and Brajan adventured onto the high ropes this morning and then went caving in the afternoon – they have loved both the highs and the lows! They say that the caving was their favourite activity of the day, but I know they also loved the mammoth 2 hour long football match played on the field this evening; we lost count of the number of goals Kyle scored.
Finlay and Jaydan have got on really well in Mrs Sheldrake’s group. Jaydan was really helpful with some of the less confident members of his group this morning doing the weaselling – which involves squeezing yourself through a series of tiny spaces on the top of Higger Tor. Well done Jaydan. Mrs Sheldrake was also impressed with Finlay’s manners – the first member of the group to thank the instructor: “Thank you. That was really good – I loved that!”
This afternoon, it was Jaydan and Finlay’s turn to build a disintegrating raft: mission accomplished! They were very happy to spend twenty minutes thrashing around in the pond next to all the pieces of their raft though!
Also this afternoon, Gaia, Maisy, Jade, Henry and Tom’s group drove up to Higger Tor with instructor Dave for their turn at weaselling. Dave has three rules: 1 – no dying, 2 – listen really carefully (which helps with rule 1), and 3 –have fun. They followed all three rules so well that he took them up to the doughnut, a natural hole in the highest rock on the peak – he said it was the first group he had trusted enough to take there in 12 months: well done Team 4 (the best team!)
Phoebe and Grace have really impressed their team leader too – they weaselled this morning and were on the high ropes this afternoon. Phoebe was described as being, ‘Amazing – she did everything. Super confident, really encouraging of others, and really happy.’ And Grace, despite telling me three months ago that she didn’t like heights and she didn’t like small spaces did all the weaselling and went to the very top of the high ropes this afternoon. What a star.
Well done Team Fressingfield!
Tomorrow we go and spend our pocket money in Castleton and visit Peveril Castle, before climbing Mam Tor in the afternoon. Can’t wait.
The epic journey is over and the children are all safely snuggled up in their beds, having dropped off in record time in under 20 minutes. Mind you, we have tried our very best to exhaust them as much as we could in the five hours we have so far had here.
The journey was long and loud…. very loud! Gaia, Jade and Maisy entertained themselves making up a song about Harry Kane – he lives in Spain, flies in a plane, plays in the rain… you get the gist. Kyle was happy about spotting a Ferrari something-or-other (sorry Kyle – I can’t remember what you said it was).
And Jaydan found a peacock feather at Sacrewell Farm where we stopped for lunch.
There were the familiar oohs and aahs as we dropped into the Hope Valley and saw the hills and mountains , and the mounting excitement as we got closer.
There’s a short walk from the bus to the centre, then the children had to sort out their bags and make their beds before coming down for dinner.
After dinner we walked up to Odin’s Mine to see the view. Grace set a blistering pace at the front, determined that her ankle would not slow her down. Tom regaled us by telling us, many, many times what happens to people the moment they turn 13 – OMG! And we all enjoyed watching the paragliders jumping off Mam Tor.
When we got back we had a quick game of capture the flag – organised by Mr Hepburn. So that’s why they’ve all dropped off to sleep so quickly.
Tomorrow we split up into our day groups, so some will be rafting, others caving, weaselling or testing themselves on the high ropes. The weather’s great, and the best news of all is that there’s a giant screen here that we can use to watch the football on Wednesday!
