Mrs Holcroft's Daily Blog...
Thursday 16th July 2015
A big thank you for all the lovely messages and gifts that parents and children are starting to bring in to school for both myself and all staff. The kind words of encouragement and thanks means so much!!
Wednesday 15th July 2015
I can't believe we have 2 days to go, staff and children are still working so hard - 'no wind down here!'. This afternoon Y6 are having their leavers barbeque and are so excited!
Tuesday 14th July 2015
Haydock High came in to school to present Y6 with their PE hoodies, ready for September. I will miss them so much!!
A fantastic performance by our amazing Y6 children! The children performed 'Bugsy Malone' and enjoyed every minute of it. It was amazing even the bit at the end when they decided to soak the Headteacher!!!
Monday 13th July 2015
Y6 performed 'Bugsy Malone' for the whole school, their families and the residents of Heyeswood
Friday 10th July 2015
PGL Update... Another great day! Children are due back at school approximately 3pm today.
Thursday 9th July 2015
PGL Update... Children are having a brilliant time! This morning they have been raft building, they are very wet but had lots of fun! Abseiling, low level rope course and campfire later. Children have all been amazing, fantastic trip so far!
Wednesday 8th July 2015
PGL Update... Arrived safely (finally!) All settled in, we've met Josh, our groupie, and the sun is even shinning!
Year 6 are so excited about going on their PGL holiday! I will update my blog with their adventures each day. Children who are not attending PGL have a whole programme of exciting activities over the next 3 days, starting with geocaching (a modern day version to treasure hunting) at Carr Mill dame, this morning! Enjoy year 6 you deserve it!
Year 6 KS2 SAT results are out today! I am so very proud of our current Year 6 children and all staff who have worked incredibly hard this year. All children have made outstanding progress and our results are the best yet! First time we have ever had Level 6 results!
2015 Unvalidated Results (Results for the whole school will be updated and posted via the Parent Info - Data Dashboard tab, above)
| Levels | Reading |
GPS Grammar, Spelling & Punctuation |
Mathematics | Writing |
Reading, Writing & Mathematics Combined |
| Level 4 and above | 97% | 87% | 97% | 100% | 94% |
| Level 5 and above | 71% | 77% | 55% | 55% | 50% |
| Level 6 | / | 3% | 6% | 10% | / |
Year 1 and 2 have had a great time at Knowsley Safari Park!
Monday 6th July 2015
Thank you so much to all parents and friends of Grange Valley for coming to support us at the summer fayre on Saturday. It was an amazing day and we managed to raise a whopping £1200 (£100 more than last year). Money raised will be spent on the children in school, some will go towards resources for the new library and some of it will be put away until the school council, in consultation with all children in school, decide on what they would like to raise money for next.
Friday 3rd July 2015
Looks like it's going to be yet another lovely day, please don't forgot to put all day suncream on before coming to school! I hope the weather stays nice for our Summer Fayre on Saturday (10:30 till 2pm), I am looking forward to seeing you all there!
Thursday 2nd July 2015
The weather held off for our Nursery sports day, this morning but not this afternoon... I am pleased to say the afternoon children had just as much fun running their races in the hall!
Wednesday 1st July 2015
Today we have a very busy day as our Governors are coming in to school to join in with a 'learning walk'. Our school Governors regularly visit us to observe the policies that we put in place for the benefit of all our children. Today we will be focusing on Behaviour and Safety. Behaviour in school is excellent, the overwhelming majority of our children are polite, listen and concentrate during lesson time. Rare conflicts are easily resolved! I will post any updates from the governors later!
Tuesday 30th June 2015
In preparation for this weeks heat wave see read this leaflet, we will also send one home with the children. Heatwave Leaflet.pdf
Monday 29th June 2015
The schools library service came in to assembly to tell the children all about this years 'Summer Reading Challenge'. The library service are Calling all bookworms to join this years theme which is Record Breakers and to mark this, there will be two special performances of 'My Dad - The World's Greatest Failure' on Saturday 11 July at 10:30am and 12:15pm. The play tells the tale of a young boy whose dad is obsessed with trying to achieve a Guinness World Record. He fails at everything, much to the embarrassment of the boy. On the day the dad finally decides to give up on it (after a particularly dangerous fail) a letter comes through the post with a big surprise. Meanwhile, author Rachel Lyon (picture below), will be in Central Library from 11am – 12pm that day for a special story time featuring her book ‘I Wish I’d Been Born a Unicorn’ which is one of this years’ recommended reads for the 2015 Summer Reading Challenge.
Friday 26th June 2015
Year 4 have produced some outstanding pieces of writing today when they were told that I was thinking about stopping last break time and making the children work through the afternoon! They had to write a balanced argument detailing the reasons for and against the decision. I have really enjoyed reading their work today and needless to say they were very relieved when they found out that I had decided not to cancel the break after all!
Thursday 25th June 2015
A big thank you to all those who came to Sports Day, yesterday, it was the biggest crowd I have ever seen at Grange Valley! The children had an amazing day as you can see from the photographs below... (more photographs will be posted on the sports pages)
Well done to all the runners - children, staff, ladies and gents! Greeen team won the overall day on points, Congratulations!
Wednesday 24th June 2015
School is such a busy place today! This morning we have Singapore Maths observations in Year 1, 2 and 3, other teachers from local schools have come to see the approach being taught by our wonderful teachers. We also have an Inspector in school who is observing our Schools Direct students and checking that they have had a suitable and supportive start to their careers as potential teachers. This afternoon we have Sports Day and everyone is so excited. We are starting a little earlier this year at 1:30 and have lots of exciting things planned! Hope to see you all later... with your running shoes on ready for the parents race!
Tuesday 3rd June 2015
Our wonderful girls cricket team have had a fantastic day at the 'Primary Schools Girls County Finals'. The girls played really well and came 9th out of 28 schools. We are so proud of the way they have represented Grange Valley!
Monday 22nd June 2015
This week is National Sports Week and we have lots going on in school this week linked to this including our sports day on Wednesday we hope to see you all there! Mrs Threlkeld kicked our week off in style with an assembly, 'Move it Monday!' Children were reminded about the benefits of exercise and encouraged to move more! Y2 had fun visiting Haydock High, thank you to all the staff and students there who worked with the children.
Friday 19th June 2015
Y4 were so excited today when they won our 'Top of the Pops' award for the class with the highest attendance. Their teachers were so proud of them this as they not only won the award but were in school every day and scored 100%.
Here are Y4 enjoying their award!
Thursday 18th June 2015
What an amazing day! Thank you to Mrs Abbott, our music co-ordinator for organising a fabulous experience for our children today. Today a professional mobile recording studio visited school and each class had the opportunity to record their own song along. The teachers recorded a track along with some whole school songs.
The recording company commented on how fantastic our children were! I’m sure you will agree that this experience has been one that the children will never forget and the price of the CD, £7.99 is a small price to pay for this memory to last forever! We will make a small profit from the experience and this will go towards purchasing much needed, new musical instruments for school.
Thank you to everyone who has ordered CDs so far, if you haven’t there is still time to purchase please fill out the slip below and return it to school as soon as possible.
Wednesday 17th June 2015
Today Jake made me a jam sandwich, it was delicious! Thank you Jake.
Tuesday 16th June 2015
Y6 have had fun investigating!
Monday 15th June 2015
It has been a very exciting start to the week as the children had a surprising visit from Bubbles the clown, during assembly. Bubbles asked the children to help him solve a problem... He was quite upset as he is having great difficulty blowing bubbles during his magic show. Bubbles gave all the classes a different experiment to try so that by the end of the week we could hopefully help him solve his problem!
Friday 12th June 2015
Today the children have been practising new songs for our first school CD which will be recorded professionally next Thursday. The sound from the hall was amazing, I think I'd better get learning the song that Mrs Abbott has written for staff!
Thursday 11th June 2015
Y6 have started practising for their end of year performance of 'Bugsy Malone'. The children are really enjoying the play and I think it is going to be the best yet! Production dates are Monday 13th July at 2pm and Tuesday 14th July at 6pm.
Wednesday 10th June 2015
This morning Mrs Barker, Miss Sheffield and a small group of children went to B&Q to buy some garden supplies. The children loved their outing and couldn't wait to get planting when they returned to school! A big thank you to the staff at B&Q for looking after our children and for giving them an extra £30 to spend.
Just before lunchtime 5 picnic tables were delivered and placed in our 'outside classroom/dining room' area. As the children in year 5 have worked so hard over the last few weeks they were allowed to eat their packed lunch outside, if they wanted to, for the first time. As you can see from the photographs the tables are very popular. Children from Y4 to Y6, who have packed lunches, will be allowed on the new tables if they would like to eat outside. The tables will also be used for classroom activities from time to time.
Now the weather is starting to feel more like summer please ensure you apply sun cream to your child before they come to school, long lasting cream is the best! Children can also bring in hats and sun glasses for outdoor play.
Tuesday 9th June 2015
Year 1 have worked hard in their outdoor area and it is now looking lovely! The children enjoyed investigating the sand to help them come up with similes to describe it, their similes will be used, later in the week,when they write poems about the seaside.
Monday 8th June 2015
Y6 have been having some sessions with Emma our Dance Teacher who is helping them with their end of year performance. It looked like they were enjoying themselves and the music sounds fantastic!
Friday 5th June 2015
I really enjoyed visiting Y5 today to see the children excited about writing to a pen pal in South Korea.
Miss Reed told the children all about a school she had visited there and showed the children some photographs. The children were really interested to see the similarities and differences between their classes. We are all really looking forward to seeing if we get any letters back from South Korea, how exciting!
Have a lovely weekend everyone; let’s hope the sun keeps shining!
Thursday 4th June 2015
What a lovely day, the children have enjoyed playing outside and even managed to go on the field at lunchtime. A big WELL DONE to our netball team organised by Mrs Sharrocks who came fourth in their first ever competition!
Wednesday 3rd June 2015
Lots of KS2 children have joined our new Drama Club which will run after school every Wednesday by Miss Kelly and Mrs Cross. I think you would agree, it looks like fun!
Tuesday 2nd June 2015
Welcome back! Today, Mrs Mavers receiving her Post Graduate Certificate in Special Educational Needs, what I lovely start to the last half term!
Friday 22nd May 2015
It has been a busy and exciting half term and everyone is now ready for a well deserved break. Enjoy the week off and I will see you all on Tuesday 2nd June!
Thursday 21st May 2015
A big thank you to Mrs Threlkeld who has completed my blog over the last 3 days, whilst Miss Hitchen and I attended a Singapore maths conference. Internationally Singapore is one of the best performing countries in Maths. Both Miss Hitchen and I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Yeap Ban Har who lead the 3 day conference focusing on how to successfully teach for maths mastery. The research based approach emphasises problem solving and utilises children's core knowledge to develop their understanding. This method has been in the news lately (see the link below) and over the next half term we will be training staff and trialling the methods to see if it could have an impact on maths at Grange Valley. We are always looking the improve further and are quite excited about this development. I will keep you up to date with how it is going and organise a curriculum meeting for parents in the next half term so that we can keep you informed about further curriculum changes.
Singapore Maths via BBC Skill Wise... http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/0/24925787
Wednesday 20th May 2015
Today we had a visit from Edwina, the Beekeeper from Fir Tree Farm. Edwina spoke to the children in assembly all about keeping bees and how they make their honey. Thank you for the sample of honey it was delicious!
As well as the English honey made by Ormskirk & Croston Beekeepers Association at Fir Tree Farm they stock a range of local organic and fair-trade products,where possible, including fresh fruit and veg, cheeses, meats, frozen meals, ice cream, preserves, environmentally friendly cleaning products and much more.
Lancashire Tea – a range of fruit infusion & classic teas. Made just a few miles away in Newton – le –Willows.
George Wright Beer – Award winning bottled beer from Rainfords’ own micro brewery.
Uncle Joe’s Sweets – an extensive range of the local sweets from Wigan.
Barton's Pickles – a wide range of Bartons products made in St. Helens.
Fentimans – Made locally in Stockport, we have a range of Fentimans botanically brewed traditional drinks in stock.
Home 2 Home Dining – a range of frozen meals prepared using fresh & local produce in Cheshire.
Hawkshead Relish – Award winning jams, pickles & chutneys from the Lake District.
Sedburgh Soap – Gentle soap using natural ingredients handmade on a farm in Cumbria.
Trumpers World Cards – We stock a humorous range of country lovers’ cards for all occasions. Made in the Lake District.
Tuesday 19th May 2015
What a busy day it has been today! We have had all sorts of creatures in Reception, Reece and Ellis were so excited to hold a bearded dragon! Did you know that he changes colour depending on his mood? Today he is happy as the sun was shining so he was a beautiful shade of yellow.
Linked to Eco week we have also had Natalie and Elaine our Community Police in to talk to children about our environment, walking to school and staying safe. Thank you also to Carmel from The Community Arts Citadel for doing drama workshops, working with all classes.
Thank you to Tesco!
Tesco have very kindly donated some gardening supplies for our allotment.
Mrs Barker took Holly and Aiden on a visit to the store to collect the items. They had a great time, having a guided tour and meeting the staff. We really do appreciate Tesco's generosity.
Monday 18th May 2015.
I can't believe it is our last week this week before we break for the half term holiday, this term has gone so quickly! There is lots going on this week in school as it is our Eco week, thank you to everyone who walked / parked and walked to school this morning, keep it up!
Friday 15th May 2015
Y6 have enjoyed a well deserved treat today! Not sure who enjoyed it more the children or the staff!
Next week is Eco Week. We are encouraging children to walk to school for this or leave earlier park away from school and walk a little way.
We have lots of exciting activities planned including gardening, drama workshops with The Community Arts Citadel, a visit from the local farmer, Sankey Valley Rangers and also a Beekeeper, hopefully she will leave his bees at home!
Looking forward to seeing all next week, enjoy your weekend
Thursday 14th May 2015
Well done to Y6 and thank you to all the staff involved for this week, all tests done now, just your writing assessment to finish tomorrow then a special treat to look forward to in the afternoon!
Wednesday 13th May 2015
After a busy morning supporting Y6 with their first maths test, we had great fun walking around the field! 'Walking Wednesday' is now loved by all... even the nursery children joined in the fun!
Reception enjoyed showing me their 'Mini-beast Mansion' they loved building it and even found a dragon fly in the wild area!
Tuesday 12th May 2015
Today has been so busy with Y6 sitting their Grammar and Spelling tests and Nursery having their first school photograph. Y6 were amazing, again!
Monday 11th May 2015
Today, Year 6 have completed their first SATs papers. The children came in early this morning and have worked incredibly hard on the reading paper. I am so proud of all our Year 6 children! Over the weekend, I found a fantastic letter (on a well-known social media site) from a school in Cheshire to their Y6 children. The letter puts the SATs tests into context. At Grange Valley we tell our children how brilliant and talented they are all the time but I though this letter summed up what I believe and therefor wanted to share it with you. I wish I had sent out to our children! I have posted the letter below, please share with your Y6 child.
Friday 8th May 2015
Today we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of VE Day! Parents and children were welcomed into school with music from the era, celebration flags and 
https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/ve-day-70th-anniversary
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/ve_day
I have had lovely little visitors again today! The nursery children love playing and reading in my room, when the door is open, and they really make me smile!
Thursday 7th May 2015
Today our new school gate has arrived which means that the electrics will soon be activated. The gates will be controlled by the office as an extra security measure. Keeping our children safe at all times is so important to us at Grange Valley.
The gates will be locked to cars from 8:40 until 3:40, access within those times will be limited. Staff will have access fobs and visitors will need to speak to the office via the intercom that will be situated by the entrance.
The gates for pedestrians will also be locked and access to school will be limited with permission needed via the office through the new intercom.
Any queries please do not hesitate to contact me or the office.
Wednesday 6th May 2015
The children who attended afterschool club, tonight, had great fun painting with Mrs Campbell! The atmosphere was lovely and calm, which is probably why the club is so popular with children of all ages!
Tuesday 5th May 2015
Well done to Jude who played an important football game on Friday, his team won the tournament in the under 8's category without conceding a goal.
Monday 4th May 2015
Royal princess named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana
Saturday 2nd May 2015
Welcome to the world beautiful princess!
Friday 1st May 2015
The children have had great fun during todays sponsored dance, thank you for supporting them with sponsors! I will let you know what we have raised next week. Have a great bank holiday!
Thursday 30th April 2015
Mrs Barker has had a lovely time, this afternoon, at her 'Pram Party'. The 'Pram Party' will take place on a Thursday at 2pm for a few weeks at a time and is a lovely way for us to get to know parents of children who will be joining us in Nursery. Thank you to those who came, it was a lovely little group! If you didn't manage to get here today don't worry you can still join us next week.
Wednesday 29th April 2015
Nursery enjoyed watching walking Wednesday!
Tuesday 28th April 2015
We have our very own author! Mikey has produced his own book and has agreed to put a copy of it in the new library for the older children to enjoy, well done Mikey I am really proud of you!
Monday 27th April 2015
School Council have been involved in bringing together the children's ideas for a healthy tuck shop at Grange Valley. During the last few weeks they have been busy sourcing products for the shop, wanting only healthy snacks to sell, they compiled a list of suppliers.
This information has all now been handed over to a group of children from Year 5, who have been identified as being able to use their further maths skills in a real life context, to set up and run a small profit making business at Grange Valley.
The children have met with their chosen supplier and after getting the opportunity to taste the products have now ordered the stock. The stock is due to arrive this week in school ( WB 27th April 2015 ) and the shop will officially open next Tuesday 5th May, during school afternoon break for children wanting to buy a healthy snack. The shop will sell items such as spicy noodles, vine fruits, apricot crunchies and lots more!
The children have advertised their products and new business around school already by making posters and visiting classes.
We would like to wish Chelsea, Jarrod, Ellen, Ella, Millie and Niamh the very best of luck in their new adventure!
Friday 24th April 2015
We now have two new librarians Molly and Lauren. The girls will be busy organising and promoting the library in the weeks to come, if you have any good quality books you are willing to donate please bring them in to me at school, Thank you!
Have a lovely weekend!
Thursday 23rd April 2015
Children have had great fun on the field today, I hope the sunshine continues!
Wednesday 22nd April 2015
Keeping fit in the sunshine at lunchtime today. Walking Wednesday!
Nursery were so excited when I gave them a play table, donated by Mr Tinsley. The children enjoyed helping to build it before they could play on it!
Tuesday 21st April 2015
Our lovely new library and entrance!
Monday 20th April 2015
Welcome back! Today has been exciting as we have now moved into the new entrance, library and office! As from tomorrow all parents will be able to use the new entrance. I promise to post some photographs tomorrow.
Today, we also welcomed our new nursery children who settled in beautifully!
Thursday 2nd April 2015
We started the day with a fantastic display from our KS2 dance groups. The children performed in front of their parents and were amazing, well done children! A big thank you to all the parents who came to watch the children.
This morning I have had lots of fun with Nursery! The children love coming into my room and playing with my basket of toys, so much so that I think I'm going to need more! The children also enjoyed sitting on my chair and pretending to be the Headteacher, Lois looks very comfortable! Nursery then went on an Easter egg hunt!
Everyone is excited about Easter and ready for the break. All staff and children have worked incredibly hard this term and I hope that they all manage to get a lovely relaxing break before the summer term. A big thank you also to our wonderful family of parents, grandparents and friends who have supported us this term, I have never seen so many parents in school for different activities before! It creates such a lovely environment and we have lots more planned for the summer term so please keep coming in and helping us to celebrate the childrens achievemnts in lots of different ways!
Have a great Easter!
Wednesday 1st April 2015
Y6 had a great time at Haydock High quiz! Not sure who was the most competitive - children, parents or the teachers!! Well done children for coming forth out of 13 teams!!!
Y5 have had great time showing their parents what they have learnt about 'Minecraft'!
Tuesday 31st March 2015
Today, Nursery and Reception got two new wicker castles. Even today's strong wind didn't put them off building and playing in them!
Monday 30th March 2015
It has been yet another busy day at Grange Valley! It began with Y5 and Y6 children presenting a fantastic assembly this morning, making us think about the true meaning of Easter. This afternoon our Y3 and Y4 children had a tea party! They had great fun showing off their new dance moves that they had learnt l with Emma our dance teacher. The barn dancing was followed by afternoon tea! While our Sunshine Group invited parents to come and join them in class. A great day has been had by all!
Friday 27th March 2015
I love being the Headteacher of Grange Valley and today has been one of those amazing days/weeks, that has made me smile, for so many different reasons!
A huge thank you to all the parents, grandparents and children who came to the PTFA Bingo last night. I have never seen so many parents, grandparents and children at one of our Bingo nights! The money raised will be going towards a new school library for all children, staff and parents to enjoy.
Today, I have seen yet another outstanding lesson, this time in Y5, Miss Hitchen planned a whole writing unit on the popular computer game 'Minecraft'. The children loved it and made incredible progress in their writing! Y4 have become little artists and enjoyed drawing spring flowers, that will accompany their poems on a spring and summer display. Y4 also displayed their musical talents in the brass assembly, for the whole school and their parents.
Today the governors also employed an outstanding teacher (Mrs Paula Sharrocks) who is currently completing her final (and second) teaching practise with us. As well as currently teaching in our year 2 class Mrs Sharrocks has previously taught in our year 6 and has extensive classroom experience. Before she embarked on a teaching degree her previous role was a senior learning assistant for a school in Warrington. I am so pleased she has now accepted a role at our school! Mrs Sharrocks will be with us shortly and as soon as I know the dates and details I will let all parents and children know. Mrs Sarah Abbott, who teaches our year 6 class (2 days a week) with Miss Pritchard will also be staying with us long term as she has done a fantasic job with Miss Pritchard, Mrs Lyon and Mr Robinson in year 6.
Thursday 26th March 2015
Looking forward to seeing you all at the Easter BINGO tonight!
Building Update... The new hatch, for the office, has been put in place as well as new staff toilets! The entrance area looks huge and will be a lovely comfortable space for parents and visitors!
I have had lots of visits from Y1 today, who love my new office because I can see straight into their classroom!
Wednesday 25th March 2015
Today I have seen three amazing lessons... The first in year 1 when the children wrote character descriptions for a new Lego movie, the second in year 6 were the children wrote an amazingly funny diary entry inspired by 'The Diary of a Wimpy Kid' and the last was in year 4, the children loved listening to a Michael Morpurgo book 'The Butterfly Lion' and writing an extract with true emotion!
Tuesday 24th March 2015
All the children in year 5 are very excited about 'Minecraft' They are designing new characters and writing emails to the makers! Take a look at Miss Hitchen's blog at the end of the week for more information.
Monday 23rd March 2015
Today, I watched a great session in Nursery! Miss Prescott found a snake who had lost her eggs, the nursey children had to find the amimals who had the snakes eggs and write them down. I was so impressed with the childrens phonic knowledge and writing!
Friday 20th March 2015
Another busy week at Grange Valley! More progress with the building, pots and trees planted outside the hall, this is going to be a lovely relaxing area when we get our benches.
There was a real buzz around school this morning as children were excited to view the eclipse on the big screen. The older children went into the hall and watched it together while some classes chose to stay in class and watch it there. I know some teachers had planned learning around this theme so have a look at class blogs for more information.
I had a lovey time in Nursery with Parents who came to stay and play with their child this morning. It was lovely to see the children showing parents the progress they have made so far this year.
Thank you to everyone who attended the Book Fair last week, we have now counted the money and the grand total is £611. We get 50% of the total, that’s over £300 to spend on books for our school. Wow! We really appreciate your support once again.
Don't forget we have the Easer Bingo next week, come and join in the fun! Have a lovely weekend everyone.
Thursday 19th March 2015
What a beautiful day! Nursery have taken advantage of the weather, most children had chosen to work outdoors this morning when I visited! The boys were deep in conversation, concentrating on their mission to build a 'Bat Mobile', it had to have the same amount of wheels on each side according to Jack! Then they were off on their mission, Batman and Robin in charge!
Thank you to everyone who
Wednesday 18th March 2015
A big thank you to all the parents who have attended the various parents meetings this week. It was lovely to see so many parents and to receive fantastic feedback!
Building update... Today we have painters!
Tuesday 17th March 2015
Lily, from Nursery, came to show me her fantastic writing, Lily wrote Jungle and Elmer. Clever girl!
Monday 16th March 2015
Happy Monday everyone! Today the electrics are being put in to the new entrance and office. There was lots of noise and dust as the builders cut out the channels for the wiring.
Friday 13th March 2015
We have had such a fabulous day today, learning all about the importance of supporting such a wonderful charity, 'Comic Relief'. The theme this year was to 'Dress funny for money!' Thank you once again to all parents for making such an amazing effort with children's outfits. They all looked brilliant! Mrs Threlkeld set the day off to a fabulous start with a very informative assembly and children were able to show off their funny costumes, whilst we sang to this years Red Nose Day song. Have a look at our funny outfits below. To check out our dance moves have a look at our video on our school twitter, @Grangevalley1.
Thursday 12th March 2015
Today has been a busy day! The builders have plastered some of the new office walls and knocked out the door and window, getting ready for Mrs Bailey and Mrs Loudon to move on soon, we hope!!
Year 1 have had great fun planting, with Mr Rigby. I have enjoyed watching them through my new office window!
Wednesday 11th March
Raiya came to show me her fantastic writing and picture of a princess, she was so excited about showing off her independent writing! Well done Raiya!
Tuesday 10th March 2015
I've had lots of lovely visits from our Nursery children, I'm really enjoying having my office so close to the Early Years! Their music and dancing makes me smile.
Monday 9th March 2015
Welcome back to week 3 of a very busy and exciting term!
Friday 6th March 2015
We have had such an amazing day today, the children have had so much fun learning about books and the importance of reading. The day started with an assembly by Mrs Threlkeld all about World Book Day. The children looked at and discussed their characters and delved into books they hadn't read before. Assembly ended with a great song have a look on our new Grange Valley Twitter page for the link to watch this. Don't forget the children have brought home a book token that they can spend in their local booksellers by 29th March, have a look on WORLDBOOKDAY.COM for information on the £1 books available.
I had a treat from 'Blue Group' this morning! The children came to my room and sang ''When Golilocks went to the house of the bears'. What a lovely treat!
Thursday 5th March 2015
I've had the most amazing morning observing our year 3 and reception classes...
In year 3 the children wrote play scripts and used all their knowledge of the book 'The Twits' by Roald Dahl. I was very impressed with the children's understanding and use of grammar, spelling and punctuation. When looking at their books later in the day they had managed to write very powerful play scripts!
In reception the children had a surprizing visit from aliens! The children found an abandoned spaceship in the playground with lots of underpants scattered around! This created much excitement and great learning opportunities as the children began to count the underpants and write about the space ship. I wish I was 5 again!!
Wednesday 4th March 2015
This morning, I had a lovely surprise when Michael, from Nursery, knocked on my door to show me that he had managed to write his surname! Very clever Michael, well done!
Tuesday 3rd March 2015
Today we have walls!
Monday 2nd March 2015
Lots of building activity going on this morning!
Friday 27th February 2015
We've all had the best day ever! Today started with an assembly in which each class celebrated what they had learnt about their country. From nursery to year 6 we had some fantastic dances, songs and amazing facts. Thank you to all the parents who supported our 'Around the World' day by dressing the children up and coming to the whole school assembly. Even the staff enjoyed dressing up (as you can see below!)
Thursday 26th February 2015
Today our Nursery children had 'Balanceability' training. The little ones loved balancing on bikes and steps both inside and out! Don't forget that tomorrow is our 'Dressing up' around the world day, I can't wait to see everyone's outfits and to travel to all the different countries.
Wednesday 25th February 2015
Many classes have had an afternoon of tasting different foods from around the world. My favourite was the Australian biscuits! It has been an interesting day for me, also, as I have moved offices! My office is now in between nursery and our sunshine room. When the building work is finished I will be closer to new offices and school entrance.
Tuesday 24th February 2015
Very exciting news!... The second phase of the building work will start next week, Monday 2nd March. The builders will fence off the area but could I please ask all to be very vigilant when on school grounds, to prevent any accidents.
This afternoon children and parents from Reception had great fun working together in the 'Charlie & Lola' workshop.
Monday 23rd February 2015
Welcome back everyone; we hope you all had a restful half term as this term is as busy as ever! Mrs Threlkeld introduced our 'Around the Word Week' to the children, during assembly, this morning who were really excited about the week ahead. Classes have lots of exciting work planned linked to their own country. I noticed Y3 this morning having great fun developing their partitioning and column addition skills during maths, buying items from a Greek God's fashion shop while Y1 children were dancing in the Rainforest! Along with themed class activites taking place we have some whole school events planned, have a look at our timetable below.
Friday 13th February 2015
Ben and Joe are our new chicken farmers! The boys have four new chickens to look after, at home. Ben and Joe are so proud of them especially when one of the hens laid an egg!!
Hope you all have a great half term holiday, see you all on Monday 23rd February!
Thursday 12th February 2015
We had a great night tonight at our Valentine's Disco, especially Mrs Threlkeld!
Wednesday 11th February 2015
Today our Rugby team played in a touch rugby competition with other local schools. We were really proud of the team who played four matches, winning three, and the other being a draw. Mark scored three tries, Ben two and Ethan one.
The children were so excited to have their photograph taken with the Super League trophy. Have a look on the Saints website over the weekend as they promised that the photograph would be uploaded soon.
Tuesday 10th February 2015
On Friday 6th February Year 3 and 4 met George Osborne MP at Quarry Bank Mill. George Osborne visited the attraction to reveal the £3.9 Million pound funding boost which will be used to open up previously unseen buildings.
To see more pictures and the news article written by 'The Manchester Evening News' please follow the link below. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/huge-39m-funding-bonanza-transform-8597411
Monday 9th February 2015
We have two new students visiting us this week who will be joining us after the half term break up until Easter. Mrs Williams in Year 5 and Mr Rigby in Year 1, so if you see them around please say hello!
Friday 6th February 2015
I had a number of little visitors today from Nursery. The children brought both me and Mrs Threlkeld a Gingerbread Man each. The children told us all about how they had enjoyed their week and were able to tell us all about the story and how they had made the Gingerbread. We enjoyed them so much with a nice cup of tea!
I have just been informed that our Year 3 and 4 class have just had their photographs taken with MP George Osborne!! They are out today on a trip to Quarry Bank Mill so I have no more information about this at this moment. However if you check the class blogs over the weekend I am sure they will give you more details.
Thursday 5th February 2015
The girls from Y4 wanted to raise money for our chosen charity, Zoe's Place. They have worked really hard at home making bracelets and sold these in school. They raised a total so far of £15.35. The girls want to continue to sell these until they have all gone so they will be on sale again on Monday. Well done girls!
Wednesday 4th February 2015
The children have been enjoying sharing books together again today; Mrs Threlkeld visited the children in Nursery and Reception and took one of her favourite books that she used to read as a child, Rumpelstiltskin! The book was very old!!
Tuesday3rd February 2015
The children were having great fun today when I popped outside at lunchtime. Miss Sheffield and Mr Robinson were running one of our new 'Fit for Life' sessions.
Monday 2nd February 2015
This week is National Storytelling Week and I am aiming to get in all classes to read a story. This afternoon I visited Year 4 and enjoyed reading 'Spider School' by Francesca Simon. The story is about a little girl called Kate and her first day at school which goes from bad to worse! Kate gets out of bed on the wrong side, her brand-new school clothes disappear, her teacher proves to be a gorilla, and the lunch lady serves spider-and-snake soup! Year 4 and I found the story very funny and were quite relieved that our school was not like Kate's! To find out what happened in the story feel free to come and borrow it from me!
Friday 30th January 2015
Another snowy day! Reception had fun building a snow man yesterday, however, were disappointed when they arrived in school today to find his head had disappeared!
We don’t mind the snow sticking around for the weekend as I know the rest of the children are hoping for some time to play out in it, but let’s hope it’s all gone by Monday!!
See you all then.
Thursday 29th January 2015
Due to the unpredictable weather and the likeliness of yet more snow all after school clubs and activities are cancelled. School will stay open until 3:25 but parents have the option of picking children up from 2pm, if concerned about the conditions. Thank you for all your continued support and helping us to keep our children and families safe!
Fun in the snow! The things we do to keep school open...
Wednesday 28th January 2015
As you can see from the weather forecast we are going to have bad weather for the next few days. We will open the school doors as early as possible in the mornings so no parents or children have to wait outside in the rain, please enter school via your usual door, if possible. I wish we could build a tunnel from Grange Road all the way to school!!! A big thank you, also, for not being tempted to drive down to school because of the horrid weather. It is becoming much calmer near the school gates which ultimately ensures our children are safe!
Tuesday 27th January 2015
We have had a very busy day today in school! Year 1 and Year 2 invited Grandparents in this afternoon for a chat about life when they were at school. Thank you to everyone who came and supported this day, the children had lots of fun looking at items brought in such as scrap books, old money and photographs.
In Reception they had a Messy Maths day! Parents were invited into school also to work with their child. Again the children had a lot of fun showing parents how they learn maths at Grange Valley.
Have a look at some of the photographs below.
Monday 26th January 2015
It was very pleasing to see so many children had brought in trophies and certificates, from the clubs they attend outside of school, to share during our Monday morning assembly. We love celebrating children's achievements!
Friday 23rd January 2015
In our assembly today Some of our younger children were excited when Miss Sheffield told them about a new lunchtime club called 'Energy Club' This is for KS1 children starting next week. Have a look at the full list of clubs below.
Monday - Number Fun (KS1) with Mrs White
Athletics (Y3,4,&5) with Miss Sheffield and Mr Robinson
Tuesday - Magazine Club (KS2) with Miss Abbott
Change 4 Life (KS2) with Miss Sheffield and Mr Robinson
Wednesday - Reading (Y4&5) Mrs Lyon
Cricket Club Mr Chambers and Miss Sheffield
Thursday - GV Choir (KS2) with Miss Kelly and Mrs Abbott
Energy Club (KS1) with Miss Sheffield and Mr Robinson
Friday - GV Knitting (Y6) Mrs Mavers
Thursday 22nd January 2015
All classes have had a very busy day! On my walk around, this afternoon, I saw Y5 learning about Buddhism, Y2 learning about algorithms on the ipads and computers, Y4 learning about the Spanish culture, Y6 doing outdoor games and Y3 researching Spanish cities.
Wednesday 21st January 2015
Today Miss Pritchard sent me the photographs from yesterday when Y6 visited Haydock High School as part of their Religious Education Curriculum. The children were given a number of scenarios about Fear, Rejection and Forgiveness. The children worked in pairs on a computer where they had to interact with the story and give their advice and view point, learning about responsible behaviours and actions. It looks like the children enjoyed their visit, have a look at the slideshow below.
Tuesday 20th January 2015
Today's weekly staff meeting focused on our fantastic geography curriculum. Miss Jones proudly displayed the children's project homework for us all to see. I am amazed at how much effort the children have put into their geography work, there is a real buzz around school, children are eager to learn about our wonderful world!
Monday 19th January 2015
During assembly today we reflected on the amazing money, money week the children had last week. We discussed our goals and how to overcome obstacles just like many high profile people have!
Friday 16th January 2015
I would like to say a big thank you to all our parents and family members across the school who have supported our Money Week and all staff for their effort and hard work in order to make the week so successful. The children have got so much out of the week and had fun at the same time!
This morning in assembly the children looked amazing! Children in Year 1 to Year 6 had made a great effort to come to school dressed for business! Reception children came to school dressed as what they want to be when they grow up! We had a range of roles on display have a look at the photographs below.
In assembly we also awarded bronze, silver and gold prizes to children for their efforts this week.
Thank you all once again for your continued support, have a lovely weekend.
Thursday 15th January 2015
We have had lots going on in school again today! The charity Zoe’s Place visited school and talked to the children in assembly about their charity and how they raise money.
Thank you to all parents who visited our Grange Valley Market after school, it was very busy! The children will be working out how much profit their class has made so I will let you know the grand total tomorrow!
Wednesday 14th January 2015
Today our Nursery children were so excited when they wrapped up warm and headed down the lane for a winter walk. Our new nursery children, who only started with us last week, have really settled in well. You can see from the smiles in the photograph below how much they enjoyed themselves!
Don't forget tomorrow we will be holding our Grange Valley Market! Children will be released from school as normal, then you will be able to come back into school to have a look around our market. Children have used their business skills to purchase resources to make items to sell to make a small profit. All the goods on sale will be priced at less than a pound so you will be getting a bargain! Money raised from this sale will go to a charity that the children are going to choose through our school council. We hope to see you there!
Tuesday 13th January 2015
The children are continuing to enjoy our 'Money Week' this week! I bobbed into Year 5 to find some children being challenged to convert foreign currency amounts into pounds as part of their around the world topic.
Monday 12th January 2015
It has been a great start to our 'Money, Money, Money' week with talks and presentations from Mr Rouch a Manager at Norbert Dentressangle UK logistics, Mr Dyer a flight sergeant in the RAF and Mrs Longworth who works for the NHS in a neonatal unit.
Friday 9th January 2015
This afternoon assembly was lead by our 4 JSOs (Junior Road Safety Officers) Max, Jarod, Chloe and Julia. The children talked to the whole school about their role as safety officers and the new St Helen's initiative 'Please park away from our school!'. Starting on Monday, our JSOs will be accompanying myself, Mrs Gribben and Mrs Threlkeld on both morning and evening patrols, outside school, talking to parents and ensuring cars are not putting our children at risk! All children will bring home a special leaflet tonight please take time to read it as it explains the scheme further.
Thursday 8th January 2015
Next week is - Money! Money! Money! Week, linked to the Maths Curriculum we have lots of exciting events planned such as:
- Visits from people with different working backgrounds
- Making and selling items (All items on sale in the school hall on Thursday at 3.30 pm)
- On Friday we are having ‘Business Day’ and children can come dressed in business clothes
More information will be available via the class blogs, please 'check in' next week to see what we got up to.
Wednesday 7th January 2015
Today, I have seen the plans for the next building phase...very exciting! All the planning, ordering and measuring is currently underway so that the new entrance and office area can start early in March 2015. As soon as I get a paper copy of the floor plans I will send out a detailed letter. I am very hopeful that it will be finished for the summer term (end of April 2015).
Tuesday 6th January 2015
This afternoon, Mrs Threlkeld's SEAL (Social & Emotional Aspects of Learning) assembly was all about 'New Year's Resolutions'. The children have been encouraged to think about a promise - to do an act of self-improvement or something slightly nice, such as opening doors for people. Although the national statistics suggest that only 8% of people are successful in achieving their resolutions I'm sure our children will 'stick' to theirs!
Holiday dates for September 2015 to July 2016 have now been added the 'Holiday Dates' tab in the drop down 'Parents Info' menu. If you would like an extra 'paper' copy please let us know and we will print one off and send it home for you.
Monday 5th January 2015
Happy New Year!
Welcome back, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year! It was great to see the children in such high spirits this morning and as a treat we have organised a pantomime for them. The children worked so hard last term I think they deserve it! The panto was Cinderella and all the children loved it... (oh yes they did!!)
Friday 19th December 2014
Today we said goodbye to Mrs Gabbitas who has left Grange Valley after being with us for 26 years. I’m sure lots of mums and dads will remember her from their own school days. We had a lovely assembly this morning and all the children and staff said goodbye. We send our very best wishes and wish her luck for the future!
Finally, I hope all our families have a lovely Christmas and a wonderful New Year! See you all in 2015 for another great year!
Thursday 18th December 2014
Our talented magazine team have just arrived back at school after their visit to PC PRINT in St Helens. The team went to see how the magazine, that they have worked on over the last few weeks, is made. All children will get a copy of the GV Voice Christmas Edition either today or tomorrow, please enjoy!
This morning we had our Christmas assembly, thank you to all the parents who came to help us reflect on the true meaning of Christmas!
Wednesday 17th December 2014
Nursery are ready to party! A big thank you to all the parents for bringing in so much party food and a special thank you to Michael's dad for being the DJ!
Tuesday 16th December 2014
Key Stage 2 enjoyed dancing the afternoon away! Thank you to all the parents for the amazing party food, the children loved it!
Monday 15th December 2014
Today Key Stage 2 children enjoyed performing on stage for our amazing annual X Factor. All the children were fantastic and if Simon Cowell ever came to Haydock he would find the next winner!!!
Friday 12th December 2014
Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children have had a great time at their party, this afternoon! The music and singing could be heard from the other side of the school.
Thursday 11th December 2014
Key Stage 1 children performed their Nativity story 'Prickly Hay' for the last time this morning, the children were fantastic! Parents loved it, well done children!
Wednesday 10th December 2014
Children from Year 1 to Year 6 loved their trip to Gulliver's World today!
Tuesday 9th December 2014
We had an amazing turn out for the Infants Nativity! It was lovely to see so many parents, grandparents and friends supporting the children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. The children have worked so hard to produce such a fantastic play, Well done children!
Tomorrow Year 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are going to Gulliver's World for a fantastic Christmas experience! All children will need to come to school wrapped up
warm as the weather forecast is dry but very cold!
Monday 8th December 2014
It has been a very busy and exciting day! This morning the children enjoyed a Christmas Puppet Show and then at lunch time we all enjoyed our Christmas Dinner!
Our Christmas trees were pick up today to go on display in the church. I think you would agree they are beautiful!
Friday 5th December 2014
What a fantastic day! Thank you to all the parents, grandparents and friends of Grange Valley for supporting us today. The children loved the Tree Lighting and Christmas Fayre!
Thursday 4th December 2014
Tonight, After school Club will be based in our new 'Sunshine Room'. There is a bell at the front door for parents to ring. Children are very excited about using the new room!
Wednesday 3rd December 2014
Nursery and Reception loved their day at Gulliver's World!
Tuesday 2nd December 2014
Today we have taken delivery of 7 Christmas trees, each class will decorate them in a given theme. The trees will then go to the church and be displayed for all to see! Themes are as follows...
- Mary and Angel Gabriel – Year 6
- Mary Joseph and donkey - Year 3
- Angels – Year 1
- Shepherds and lambs – Year 2
- Stars - EYFS
- Crib Scenes – Year 4
- Kings – Year 5
When they are finished I will post some pictures!
Monday 1st December 2014
Today is the first day of Advent, Advent is a season observed in many Western Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. At school, this week is the start of the many christmas events we have planned. I have attached the timetable (below) for parents that was sent out with the children.
Friday 28th November 2014
I am so proud, last night staff and children attended the award ceremony and proudly received the trophy for Health and Wellbeing 2014. We were also presented with 'Highly Commended' certificates for Primary School of the Year and Sporting Achievement.
Tonight staff and children are attending the St Helens Reporter Education Awards!Grange Valley has been nominated for three awards and I will let you know how we get on tomorrow.
Wednesday 26th November 2014
Max, Jarod, Chloe and Julia are our Junior Road Safety Officers. They all enjoyed their training at the Town Hall today.
Tuesday 25th November 2014Building update... The Kitchen and heating is going in today!
Monday 24th November 2014
This week is 'Road Safety Week 2014' all classes will be talking and thinking about how to keep safe near roads. During, this mornings, assembly we watched a video to help us think about why it is important to 'STOP, LOOK, LISTEN and THINK' near roads outside school and our homes.
Friday 21st November 2014
This week we have been recognised as a Basic Skills Quality Mark School. The assessor was very complimentary about our school, staff and children and we will receive our official letter of congratulations from The Alliance for Lifelong Learning very soon, well done to everyone for this excellent achievement!
Thursday 20th November 2014
It is a busy day for everyone... Year 2,3,4 & 5 are taking part in a cooking day with 'Junior Chef'. The children are having a fantastic time and so far Year 3 have made Tiramisu! Junior Chefs' Academy helps children learn all about food and healthy eating through fun workshop activities.
Year 6 have gone to spend the day at Haydock High and will be taking part in their 'Anti-Bullying' workshops. I can't wait to hear what they have been up to, when they get back to school. Throughout the week all children have been taking part in class activities, talking and thinking about this years anti bullying theme 'lets stop bullying for all!'. Tomorrow the classes will share their thoughts and show case the work they have done around this important topic. We are very fortunate at Grange Valley as our children behave beautifullly and the many visitors who come to our school mention this. Eventhough bullying is rare here I feel it is still important to educate our children in an appropriate way so that they can be equipt to deal with different forms of bullying later in life, if they ever come across it. When we talk about bullying we also highlight how important it is be be the best person you can be and have empathy with others at all times. If you want more information on bullying and how to talk to your child about it at home the following website is great!
http://www.bullying.co.uk/anti-bullying-week/anti-bullying-week-2014/
Wednesday 19th November 2014
We've had a fantastic day! An assessor for 'The Basic Skills Quality Mark' has been in school to look at the impact of our provision, practice and performance in literacy and numeracy. The assessor spoke to children and parents, looked at a wide variety for our work, observed teaching, saw displays and scrutinised information given by all our leaders in school. The feedback from the assessor was amazing and we have been awarded the Quality Mark, which made me feel so proud of everyone at Grange Valley. A big thank you to Miss Pritchard who conducted the meeting, gathered the information and organised the day!
Tuesday 18th November 2014
We have lots of decorators in today to start decorating our new Nurture, Breakfast and After School Club room. Hopefully by the end of the week the kitchen and floors will be in. The area outside Nursery is nearly complete and the main building work, on the offices, will commence after Christmas.
Monday 17th November 2014
Today Miss Rimmer from Healthy Schools came to visit and present us with our Health and Well Being Award during morning assembly with Mrs Threlkeld. We worked hard as a school showing our commitment to healthier living and learning. Well done everyone!
Friday 14th November 2014
We are delighted that Grange Valley has been nominated and shortlisted in the St Helens Reporter 2014 Educational Awards. Our shortlistings are in the following categories:-
- Health and Wellbeing Award
- Sport’s Achievement Award
- Primary School of the Year Award
Today I will be drawing 10 Year 6 children's names out of a hat to accompany both myself and Mrs Threlkeld to attend the Education Awards Evening on Thursday November 27th 2014 at Carmel College. Fingers crossed!!
Thursday 13th November 2014
A big thank you to all the parents of Year 4, 5 and 6 children who came to the math's workshop/presentation, last night. The Year 6 classroom was full of eager parents ready to learn!! I have had some fantastic feedback!! The workshops will be repeated in the new year so please don't worry if you were unable to attend. Tonight is our Family Christmas Bingo... please come and join in the fun!
Wednesday 12th November 2014
We have been busy so far this week and I am pleased to say we are making progress with the building work, it won't be long now! Today Miss Mavers started her knitting club and although it was the first time for the children they thoroughly enjoyed it and made great progress! Corrin came down to show me what a good start she had made!
Tuesday 11th November 2014
Today...the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month marks the signing of the Armistice, on 11th November 1918, to signal the end of World War One. At 11 am on 11 November 1918 the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years continuous warfare.
What is Remembrance Day?
Remembrance Day is on 11 November. It is a special day set aside to remember all those men and women who were killed during the two World Wars and other conflicts. At one time the day was known as Armistice Day and was renamed Remembrance Day after the Second World War. Remembrance Sunday is held on the second Sunday in November, which is usually the Sunday nearest to 11 November. Special services are held at war memorials and churches all over Britain.
Follow this link for a Newsround report on 2014 Tower of London Poppy display wins the hearts of millions
Monday 10th November 2014
Welcome back to another busy week! During today's assembly the children enjoyed sharing all the things that they have learnt so far this term.
Friday 7th November 2014
This week Y5 and Y6 had a wonderful experience visiting Christ Church in relation to Rememberence Day, have a look at the teachers' blogs for more information. Poppy sales are going down well at school, we will continue to sell these next week along with other items to buy up to the value of £1. We have hair slides, friendship bracelets, erasers etc, all for a good cause! These items have been very popular with the children.
Message of Thanks!
I have just received the following email of thanks from John Watkinson from Super Ices 'Icecream van'
We would like to say a big thankyou to pupils and parents of Grange Valley Primary School Haydock. On 24th october 2014 we collected money for the charity BREAST CANCER CARE. All takings were donated on that day, the response we had from the pupils and parents of your school was amazing! We all managed to raise £247.40p. It was a combination of my Haydock round and Grange Valley School, the queue to buy ice creams that day was massive and the contribution was overwhelming. It was a great collective community effort and we waere so touched with the kindness. We found that the good and caring nature of the Haydock residents stands out above other areas, yet after serving the kids from Grange Valley over the last few months. A massive part of the credit has to go to your school, as the children are always so respectful,friendly and polite. It is an absolute pleasure to serve these kids...THANK YOU!
What a lovely message to receive about our children, they make me so proud!!!
Thursday 6th November 2014
It has been such an exciting morning!!! A huge JCB digger came to take up the rest of the old tarmac outside what will be our new entrance into school. Year 1 children were so excited to see it ripping up the pavement and benches. Joe noticed that the diggers bucket had 5 extra bits on the end that looked like fingers, he said they must help the digger!
A small group of children went to check on the builders progress inside... they found that doors had been fitted, plug holes were ready and the walls had been plastered. Ethan thought that a new floor and ceiling would be next... watch this space!
Wednesday 5th November 2014
If you are going to a Bonfire display this evening I hope you have a great night but please remember to keep safe! Fireworks and bonfires are dangerous so please be sensible as I want to see everyone in school tomorrow safe and sound!
Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
the Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I see no reason why Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent to blow up King and Parliament.
Three score barrels were laid below to prove old England’s overthrow;
By God’s mercy he was catch’d with a dark lantern and lighted match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
Hip hip hoorah!
Tuesday 4th November 2014
After knocking a hole in the wall for our new doorway, into nursery, the builders are now plastering the walls so they look like new!
Monday 3rd November 2014
The building work has started! Jake, Hollie, Max, Ethan and Aiden talked to the builders and asked lots of questions. Jake was shocked to find the door and ceilings had gone. I will try to upload daily progress pictures for you! A letter has gone home today explaining some of the difficulties we are having with parking, Thank you for your continued support.
I had a lovely birthday surprise from Jake today!
Friday 24th October 2014
I can't believe it's the last day of this half term! It has been a very busy term for everyone in school and I think that both children and staff are ready for the half term break. The work and effort that everyone has put into school over the last 8 weeks has been amazing, all children are making great progress in their learning and the staff have worked incredibly hard to make our school the best. A big thank you, also, to our parents who have been very supportive, without your support throughout the term we would not be making as much progress as we are!! Have a great October half term and I will see you all on Monday 3rd November.
Thursday 23rd October 2014
All the children who came to the Halloween Disco, last night, had a great time!!!
Wednesday 22nd October 2014
It has been quite an exciting day, our new gates arrived and with the help of Ethan and Jake the workmen have put them in place. During the October holidays the electrics will be installed, I personally can't wait to have fully automatic gates!
This afternoon, all Reception parents attended a reading meeting with Miss Daniels, Miss Prescott and Mrs Steele. The Early Years team talked about the importance of early reading and phonics. The children joined in by showing off their skills!! A big thank you to all parents for coming!
Tuesday 21st October 2014
A big thank you to all Year 1 and Year 2 parents for coming in to school this afternoon, in such horrible weather, to watch the children's assembly!
Monday 20th October 2014
Weather warning for tomorrow, Tuesday 18th October - strong winds and rain, please be careful on your way to school!!
I can't believe how quickly Monday morning comes around! During assembly, this morning, I read a story called 'The Biggest, Baddest Wolf' by Nick Ward. The story was about a naughty wolf who was horrible to everyone and even when he promised to change, he didn't! The children enjoyed listening to the story and talking about being nice and keeping promises. Our children also enjoyed showing me how good they can be during lunch time! Well done children, I do love having lunch with you all!!
Friday 17th October 2014
A BIG thank you to all the parent who turned up to support our 'McMillan coffee afternoon' organised by Mrs Barker and our Nurture group children.
Thursday 16th October 2014
What a busy week we have had this week! Nursery have been on an autumn walk and found the most enormous branch that they are currently in the process of decorating, see the Nursery blog for more information. We had our Autumn Assembly yesterday and we were very proud of Y3 and Y4 who presented an excellent assembly, well done children! information. Thanks to Sandra from the Church for organising this event.
Yesterday, we were also very privileged, once again, to have Kate Cross, from the England Women's Cricket team, join us to give some specialised cricket coaching to our girls, see the sport tab for more information.
Wednesday 15th October 2014
On a quick visit into Year 5, I was so impressed with how hard the children were working. They have been learning their times tables and challenging each other to use them rapidly! Tonight, afterschool club said a fond farewell to Mrs Tracey Andrews who has worked at Grange Valley for a number of years. Mrs Andrews has secured extra hours at St James, we all wish you well and hope to see you soon!
Tuesday 14th October 2014
Year 1 and 2 have been rehearsing for their Diwali assembly, Fantastic singing children!!
Monday 13th October 2014
During our assembly today we talked about being healthy. The children knew all about being healthy and came up with some great ideas on how we could make small changes to improve even further!
Friday 10th October 2014
It has been such a busy week in school! Year 3 and 4 have worked had on their Harvest assembly for parents and the sound of their singing has been amazing today. Well done to all the children who received Merits during today's assembly. The children who won have shown bravery in some way this week. Bravery can be shown in many different ways especially when attempting something new and challenging in your school work! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, see you on Monday!
Thursday 9th October 2014
Today Tarley, Lily and Jack came to see me, they brought me a 'Nursery made' biscuit as a treat. The children couldn't wait to show me their Bears!
Tuesday 7th October 2014
Y3 presented a lovely assembly today to parents, along with the Fit for Life Team. They have obviously learnt a lot about healthy food and exercise. I really enjoyed the fruit kebab that the children made for me. Well done Year 3
Monday 6th October 2014
What a horrible start to the day, wet wet, wet!! When it is so wet we will aim to open the classroom doors as soon as possible so that you are not left out in the rain for too long!
Friday 3rd October 2014
Today our talented artists had art club together for the first time. They had great fun creating their own circle artwork based on the artist Wassily Kandinsky.
Thursday 2nd October 2014
School is such a lively and happy place to be with the vast majority of children trying their best in every way, we are so proud of them! Across the whole school (Reception to Year 6) we only have 3 places for children left, 1 in Y2, 1in Y3 and 1 in Y4. School has never been so full, Fantastic!!!
Wednesday 1st October 2014
Football club was fantastic!
Tuesday 30th September 2014
I have been watching lessons today, it was lovely to see so much learning happening!
Monday 29th September 2014
I can't believe it is week 5 of 8, the term is going so quickly! This morning during assembly we talked about making the world a better place. The children thought of some great ideas, such as: keeping tidy, being friendly, more trees and more space to play. We also talked about making our school a better place and again the children had some great ideas such as: make school bigger, start the building work (hopefully I will have more news about this on Friday), help each other more and keep on being friendly. I have asked the children to draw me pictures of any other ideas so that we can share them during Friday celebration assembly. Below is a video to inspire you!
Friday 26th September 2014
I can't believe it's the end of yet another fabulous week at Grange Valley! Please read the class blogs to see what the different classes have been up to. I have lots of photographs to post, which I promise to do next week. Mrs Barker went to Heyeswood today, with a small group of children, and took part in a 'bake off' for Macmillan. The children enjoyed the visit and can not wait for the residents to come&
