News

The gardening club have found a pair of socks at the very bottom of the compost heap!

During the holiday, Mr Roome came into school to take away the huge pile of garden waste at the back of the school garden (for which we are very grateful). This has allowed the gardening group to start a Big-Clean-Up and Sort-Out.

Last week, as the school gardeners were emptying the compost heaps to use on the raised beds, they were surprised to find an old pair of grey socks buried under many years of garden waste. There is no telling quite how old they are, but Mr Leicester thinks they predate his arrival at the school some 8 years ago because the compost bins haven’t been emptied in that time. Mrs Lindsey, who helps the gardeners each week, took them home to wash.

So, if you attended the school more than 8 years ago and remember losing a pair of grey socks, please contact the school so we can reunite you with them!

Poppy and Arieanna represented the school with great dignity and respect at the Fressingfield Remembrance Day Parade, laying a wreath on behalf of all the children and staff at the village war memorial. The event included representatives of the armed forces, the British Legion, the Guides and Scouting movement, and other village groups, including our school. The names of service people from Fressingfield, Cratfield, Weybread, Metfield and Withersdale Street who lost their lives during the First and Second World Wars were read out both at the church and at the war memorial and two-minutes’ silence was held.

Thank you girls.

Well done and thank you to so many of you who enjoyed our recent maths SHARE morning on calculations.  It was a pleasure to have you all.  The children really enjoyed it, and we hope you also learned about more about how we teach maths in school.  The PowerPoint used is here if you would like to spend more time going through examples of each number operation.

SHARE-morning-CALCULATIONS

This morning, the children of KS2 walked down to the Parish Church to pay tribute to the three servicemen buried in the churchyard.

The children in Year 6 introduced the activity by reminding us about the First World War and the importance of remembering those that left their families and friends to go and fight on the battlefields of France and Belgium. Many of them were never to return again and are buried near to where they fell overseas. However, there are also over 800 servicemen buried in churchyards in Suffolk: these are the servicemen who came back to Britain but who later died of their wounds.

We then visited the three graves of Private James Rumsby, Private Herbert Vincent and Deckhand John White and learnt more about their lives. Private Rumsby grew up in the Old Workhouse on Chediston Street and joined the Gloucestershire Regiment, whose soldiers were famed for their courage; Herbert Vincent had been a furniture maker and dealer based in the White House on Laxfield Road (a house that his father had built); and John White had been a farm labourer and had married Mary Carter, the daughter of the village postman in 1915.

The children then gathered together again for an Act of Remembrance: Year 6 children read a short prayer and the Ode of Remembrance before listening to the Last Post and sharing a minute’s silence, which the children observed perfectly.

The children of Key Stage 2 had ‘A Day To Remember’ when they visited Norwich Cathedral yesterday. The visit was the culmination of their learning in History – The First World War – and RE – Reconciliation.

The day began with an opportunity to meet Edith Cavell, the Norfolk-born nurse who was shot for nursing soldiers on both sides of the conflict during World War I. We learnt about her life story, and how her faith in God had given her strength following her trial in Belgium.

The children then split into three workshops. The first, called The Cathedral Remembers, was a tour of the Cathedral and Cloisters looking at the symbols and memorials of remembrance. The children were fascinated by the bronze pelican, the crucifixes and the stained-glass windows. The second focused on the theme of ‘Reconciliation’ and the children explored this concept through freeze-frame drama and model-making. The third focused on the life of Edith Cavell and gave the children an opportunity to visit her grave and see the amazing paintings of her life by Brian Whelan. In this workshop, we also looked at the clothes worn by the Bishop and the symbolism of the Bishop’s crook.

The children were fantastic all day: they were polite, engaged and active with their questions and contributions. Several members of the public approached us to comment on their respectful behaviour. So well done all.

Today was our final day (or half day), and we know we’d saved the best until last!  Just as we found we had got used to our morning routine, it was bedrooms tidied and baggage wheeled to the packing area. 

This morning was our climbing day. Climbing requires, above all, co-operation and trust. In fact, it’s so full on, that there is barely time to be taking pictures. So today’s pictures are simply to give you an idea of scale. 

A big well done to everybody for challenging themselves on the climbing wall, with so many of you managing to exceed your own targets. 

On the Power Fan, everybody climbed to the top, and many even stepped off and took the plunge downwards!  

After a(nother) hearty and energising lunch, the sight of our coach waiting to return to Fressingfield was a bittersweet moment. We were all disappointed to be going home, but just a little relieved, as we were somewhat weary from our amazing experience. 

The Year 4 children this year have been awesome in their behaviour, attitude and willingness to try a little bit more. Many thanks to parents/carers who have supported us with organising our trip. And we also want to say thank you to everyone, at school and at Hilltop, who has worked so hard to make this residential so memorable. 

Today was our main day, and has really lived up to our expectations. After a hearty breakfast, we divided into two groups. One group learned bushcraft skills (including how to make a fire) and the other group learned how to use a huge zip wire.  Half way through the morning, we all swapped over.  Well done to everyone with your firelighting skills. One needs to find great kindling before attempting a fire, and so everyone’s eyes were peeled for silver birch. Marshmallows were then roasted by all. 

After a warming lunch of jacket potatoes with cheese and beans, plus birthday cake (yummy), we had our best session yet on the climbing ropes. Fantastic work was seen all round, with children all pushing themselves, Kayden, Caleb, Rio and Eden especially, and great collaborative work from children supporting the climbers. That took 100% concentration!  We are all so proud of Fressingfield children today. They rose to a massive challenge and did us all proud!

Just before tea, we opened the tuck shop. Mrs Tooley and Ms Perry had learned from our last Hilltop visit, and so managed to make this as painless as possible (for the adults). 

We will be celebrating our last evening with a disco, although will keep the ‘quiet room’ open, for anyone who’s not so keen.