Dear Parents,
It’s been an emotional week, as we say goodbye to our lovely Year 2s, who are moving to the Junior School in September. Their celebration assembly was a fitting tribute, as they took us on a journey back in time to remember their favourite moments from their days at Writtle Infant School. The Doctor Who theme was played out by a brilliant series of Doctors and their companions and the children performed with such confidence, it really was a pleasure to see. Everyone was amazed when a real-life Doctor Who, Matt Smith, delivered a very special message to our Dolphins and Sharks to wish them well as they begin their next school adventure. Thank you so much to Mrs Duff for organising this incredible surprise for us!! We are also very grateful to WISPA for funding t-shirts and ice creams for all the Year 2 children yesterday.
Today we said goodbye to Mrs Espinosa Pardo and Mrs Robertson, two exceptionally talented teachers who will be much missed. We wish them well in their next adventures and we hope to see them soon. We also sent our best wishes to Mrs Homer, as she retires after 30 years at the helm of The Duckling Nursery. She has nurtured hundreds of children over that time, helping them to grow into the wonderful young people that we and many other local schools take into our care every year.
At the end of a school year, we thank the many unsung heroes who contribute so much to the life of our school. Our governing body guides us and holds us all to account, to ensure that we are doing the very best to support each and every child and give them the best possible start to their educational journey. WISPA and the Juniors PTA have been outstanding this year, raising thousands of pounds to enhance the children’s learning experience at both schools. They are all busy mums and dads, working their usual jobs as well tirelessly volunteering to organise huge events for our community, so they have our endless gratitude.
We are also lucky to have many other volunteers who come into school regularly to read with the children or help in class. Thank you to those parents, grandparents, friends of the school and even animals (Lola the reading dog!) who give up their time to benefit our children. We love to support young adults who are developing their careers in education, so we have been fortunate to welcome into class a number of work experience students from local schools, as well as trainees from Chelmsford College (Miss Cross) and the Essex Primary SCITT scheme (Miss Palmer), who have all spent a lot of time with us this year. We hope we have passed on our passion for working with children and we have certainly benefited from their dedication.
We thank those teams who look after the children at the beginning, middle and end of the day. The crossing patrol team keeps the children safe on their journey to and from school, while our caterers and midday team ensure that the children have a nutritious meal and play safely at lunchtime. Our club coaches, The Duckling Nursery and the YMCA look after children before and after school and we are so grateful for their care and expertise. The children have also been very lucky to receive PE teaching from talented sports professionals - Chris Michaelides and the CMXSC team, Sue Easteal for yoga lessons and Jane Gowers for everything from tag rugby to tennis!
Last but not least, we thank all our children and staff for showing once again that Writtle Infant School is a place of hard work, good humour and compassion for everyone around us. The first year of our partnership with the Juniors has been a great success, with both schools working closely together to share our expertise and ensure a consistent approach, so that your child has a seamless journey from one school to the next. It’s also helped Mr Taylor to complete his 10,000 steps, as he runs between both schools throughout the day! Can I also say a huge thank you on behalf of the staff to all our families for your very kind messages, cards and gifts this week. You have been so generous, particularly at a time when costs are increasing for everyone. You have also been so supportive of both me and Mr Taylor in our new roles this year. We know you all have busy lives, so when you take the time to chat to us, read our endless emails or attend school events, it really is appreciated, as it builds the community that is so precious to us all and so important for your children. It really does take a village to raise a child, and what a village we have.
Wishing you all a fabulous summer break and we look forward to seeing you again on Wednesday 4th September.
Best wishes
Tracey Wilson
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