Term 1 Newsletter – October 2024
What a busy and exciting first term! It has been wonderful getting to know all our new children and for them to settle in so well to our school community. This new academic year will bring lots of new opportunities and new experiences .. for us all! As you already know, I have accepted a new appointment and will be leaving to take up my new role at Christmas. My seven years at Wilmington Primary have been amongst the happiest in my career, and as we all know, Wilmington Primary School is a very special school indeed. Our new Headteacher Mr Jack Curry will, I have no doubt, take our school from strength to strength and will take time to meet all of our parents and carers in due course. As you can see, Mr Curry has been spending time in school, getting to know our pupils and staff .. and has made quite an impact at lunch break with his extensive football knowledge and skipping skills!
Mr Curry added “I am thrilled and honoured to be appointed the new Headteacher of Wilmington Primary School. Upon visiting the school in September, it was clear that Wilmington is a special school, with lovely pupils and staff. The whole school feels like one big family and one that I am very excited to join and lead on the next step of its journey.
I believe that high expectations for behaviour, academic achievement and all-round enrichment are keys to ensuring all pupils grow up to lead a life of genuine choice. This is coupled with a belief that the best way to ensure this is for pupils and staff to feel happy and supported when at school. I have always striven to improve myself, my teammates and the pupils in my care and I look forward to bringing the same ambition and dedication to Wilmington.
Working with Mrs Scott on the handover has been a pleasure and will secure a smooth transition between the two of us. I am happy to say that we have similar views and attitudes in many areas. Overall, the welcome and support I have received so far from the whole team at Endeavour MAT and Wilmington has been heart-warming and inspiring.
I look forward to joining the family properly in January, 2025. I wish everyone a restful and well-deserved half term break.”
Mr White’s Year 4 class are on a mission .. a mission to get moving! Every pupil has been given a free new MOKI band, which is an activity tracker (a bit like a Fitbit) as an engaging and fun way to make sure we are all active throughout the day. The MOKI technology is a great way to deliver our PE curriculum, with the focus on fun ways to keep healthy! Every week before PE pupils scan their MOKIs to see their latest step score as they plan their PE activities.
Mrs Keech’s Year 3 students have been learning about healthy eating and lifestyles this term. Pupils put their knowledge and creativity to the test with a special forest school ‘Bake-Off’ where they planned a menu and ‘made’ a nutritious and appealing starter, main and desert! Pupils competed with options that included kebabs cooked over coals, seasonal salads and fruit and chocolate brownies. Excellent work!
Our pupils and staff have been enjoying the increased meal and snack options offered by our new Caterers. All the food is freshly prepared using seasonal produce from local suppliers, cooking from scratch to provide healthy, balanced nutritious meals. Our new caterers are working with our school to ensure that they mirror our curriculum.
Our Reception class are absolutely delighted with their ten new balance bikes which have been provided by out wonderful PTA. Ms Ullah has incorporated the bikes into our PE lessons, building strength, motor skills development, agility and more importantly to the pupils .. a fun way to exercise!
Miss Finch’s Year 5 pupils have been exploring graffiti art and artists in their art lessons this term. Pupils are pictured below creating a series of graffiti style artworks of their own using stylised imagery and bold colour schemes. Our plan is to create a temporary outside installation with all our wonderful bold designs.
Mrs Cooper’s Year 6 pupils have been taking part in an eco-project! Using their learnt woodwork skills they have been constructing prototype birdhouses! Each group researched local birds, their habitat and what conditions they prefer to ensure that their birdhouses were tailored to their chosen bird, and as you can see, their designs are wonderful!
Our Forest School is going from strength to strength and pupils really look forward to ‘taking the lessons outside’. Our Year 1 and 2 classes enjoyed their time collecting autumnal leaves of different colours before identifying them and then making leaf rubbings. Research supports our findings – that pupils are stimulated by forest school, indeed all time spent outside, and in time, experience an increase in their self-belief, confidence, learning capacity, problem solving and emotional wellbeing!
We recently welcomed students from our WG6 Wilmington Grammar School who joined us for work experience – and what a lovely experience it was too! Each student worked with a different class offering support in lessons to the classroom teacher or one-to-one bespoke maths and English support.
Our Year 4 football team took part in their first tournament of the football season and are really enjoying training together.
Introducing Mrs Yvonne Wicks. Hi, I am Mrs Wicks, and I have joined Wilmington Primary School this academic year. I enjoy history as it is an opportunity to learn about the past and how things have changed over time. I enjoy maths and seeing how children go about solving problems. In my spare time I enjoy going abroad and exploring the history and culture. I love spending time with my family and having fun. I like reading and am interested in crime books (fiction and nonfiction).
Forthcoming Dates;
Flu Vaccinations – 25 October
End of Term 1 – 25 October
First Day of Term 2 – Thursday 7 November
Parent Consultations – 11 & 13 November 3.30-6pm
Open Day tours for new parents/carers – 19 November, 26 November & 5 December
Carol Concert Rehearsal – 16 December
Infant nativity – 17 December
Christmas Lunch – 18 December
Carol Concert KS2 – 18 December
Reception Christmas Songs – 19 December
End of term Christmas parties (Junior & infant) – 20 December
End of Term 2 – 20 December
First Day of Term 3 – 6 January
Best wishes,
Mrs Scott
Headteacher
