Time is flying by and the children are amazing. It is such a privilege to be sat in my office and little ones let themselves in the room without so much as a knock. To knock would mean a delay in showing me their work-and waiting is certainly not on their agenda. Bursting with pride, they enter and confidently come straight over to where I am sitting (regardless of whoever else is in the room…a school adviser, a building surveyor or any other member of the wider school team). And then you see it…the breakthrough you have been waiting for. I am talking about the day when the penny drops and they write their first sentences and they finally get it and gain the confidence to carry on and blossom as passionate writers. You all know the feeling when your children have their first break through and there is nothing like it. I have the best job in the world because I get to see many children’s break throughs  and proud moments on a daily basis. Daily is an understatement because it is probably hourly and I now need even more award stickers. What stars! I will begin listening to Reception Class readers after Christmas when I am back in school full time. I can’t believe the progress they have made already and I know you are in for such a treat when you see the infant Nativity.

Parlick Class are thriving and I absolutely love the ‘Paper Bag Princess’ writing. We’ll put some pictures on soon. It was great to go on a trip with Fairsnape Class and the children were in awe of what the whole morning offered. I can’t really pinpoint one curriculum area because it included so many and we thank Harris Museum for such a wonderful learning experience.

Children in all classes are having fun and Beacon Class have produced some more stunning pieces of art work. We are very blessed to have such wonderful and very talented teachers who don’t even realise how amazing they are. Our support staff have talent in equal measure and I really can’t ever thank them enough for all they do. I think you will see from some of the pictures below just how many opportunities are provided for the children.

Mr. Gilmour and I, on the other hand, have not been so useful today! Normally, in a crisis, you find find us to be calm, measured and able to tackle any problem. However…when Miss Silvester came to report an unwanted creature to us that was sighted in the greenhouse, we went to explore. Me , with a small box of fairy lights that I casually thought I would drop off in the library on the way past , and Mr.Gilmour with only bravery to hand. The bravery didn’t last long and I haven’t a clue where I ended up putting the small box of fairy lights. I can only describe the events that followed to be likened to an episode of Tom and Jerry.

Mr Gilmour stands on the table with a brush whilst I am frantically waving my arms in the air as I run out of the greenhouse. Now, you know my history of animal antics but this event had reached another level and it ended up quite an investigation. This investigation is in line with the mystery of the egg that disappeared in Miss Silvester’s room- the egg that was there and then it disappeared without explanation…and the only conclusion was that it bounced through a small hole in the skirting board!

Three vole like creatures scuttled up out of the new plant bedding area and disappeared. One little creature broke away and chased me out of the greenhouse and caused so much commotion that Mrs B-M came outside to see what all the fuss was about. Mr. McGill asked is if we managed to get rid of the ‘tiger’ that was in the greenhouse and children were laughing at us through the window of the classroom.

Although we thoroughly appreciated this support from our colleagues, it really didn’t help at all! We have decided that poly filler is going to be a solution to keep the little family of animals out of the greenhouse – unbelievable! Another day at St.Francis!

We thank Ryan the wrestler for coming and talking to the children about resilience and dreams and we can’t wait for more visitors to come in. I have wrestled a few problems in the past but never wearing the costume! Our new website sections on Kid’s Zone will be finished by next week and we will keep adding to these. Our Girl’s Football team are training hard with PNE and we look forward to their final tournament in the Spring Term. Thank you very much to all who supported our Shoebox appeal and thank you to Mrs Gornall for organising this again. Our Children in Need cake sale raised almost £150 and well done to CAFOD Club children for such a successful fundraiser. Well done to Fairsnape STEM team, who represented school so well at Longridge High School and a round of applause to our Reception Class Bikeability children who are riding their bikes very well and with such growing confidence. We are all very proud of every child in our school.