Mrs La Farge's blog

19th May 2017

Dear Parents

Another week has flown by and Gateway children have enjoyed many challenges and opportunities organised for them by the hardworking staff team here. The Year 5s are currently on their way home from three days away with their friends and teachers in Ironbridge. This trip provides plenty of valuable on-site learning about the Industrial Revolution and Victorian Britain, but importantly it also gives the children a chance to develop their independence and their social skills in a supportive environment away from their immediate families. I expect that a lie in will be necessary on Saturday morning. Thank you to all the staff who looked after the children whilst they were away.

In their absence, Mrs Rowe ran a super Maths Challenge morning for our younger pupils in the hall. Our Year 6 children were brilliant with the younger children and although obviously keen to give them all the answers, they were very aware that their role was to support and guide the children to find their own answers. There are definitely some budding teachers amongst them!

Our summer sports programme is developing and as long as the weather remains kind, the sports department have organised an impressive number of events and matches over the term. This week our Year 5 and 6 pupils took part in a local athletics competition at Dr Challoner’s High School and managed to win many of the events, and on Thursday the U9 pupils played their first rounders match at Westbrook Hay.

Our blue tit chicks continue to enthrall and Mr Bridges thinks that they may be getting ready to leave the nest in the next week or so. They are certainly a healthy size and are starting to flex their wings.

I am delighted that the Gateway School Spring Ball was such a success last Saturday. My thanks to Mrs Grant for all her hard work and fantastic organisational skills to bring the event to fruition, but also to all the parents who attended the ball and have helped to support the school charity ‘Ronald McDonald House’ and the school’s fundraising efforts. I hope you all enjoyed the evening as much as I did.

A reminder that ALL pupils should have a named red sunhat in school this term, which might help ensure we get more sunshine, and that all children must be in summer uniform after half term.

Mrs La Farge