Head's Blog

A fun packed week!

It’s been another wonderful week at Darite. The children have been working hard in all their lessons and have bee proudly showing me what they have been doing. Next week we will also be sending home codes for you to share the learning that the children have been doing on our seesaw platform. The children are looking forward to sharing what they have been doing with you all.

This week, KS2 childre were all given two books that were donated from The Book Trust Presents as a thank-you for taking part in their live event. The children were delighted by the stories.

We have continued our series of special assemblies this week with the East Cornwall Search and Rescue team coming in on Wednesday to talk to the children about their role in keeping people safe when out walking. It was a fascinating glimpse into a job that many of the children were unaware of and we are really grateful to the team for giving up their time to share with us.

“Toasty Thursday” was a great success yesterday, with lots of children bringing in their 25p and enjoyed to warm snack. To quote one child “That was so nice, I’m going to bring in 50p next week to get two pieces!” Those children who won star of the week were also treated to a luxury hot chocolate during this time. It did look very tasty and is a reward we will be continuing. "Toasty Thursday" will continue to raise some money for both school and charities that are close to the children’s heart. The first charity who will benefit will be the Search and Rescue Team.

There are lots of things upcoming in the next week or so and I wanted to remind you of what is happening. Next Tuesday, Class 3 will be visiting Eden as part of their wider curriculum enquiry. On Wednesday, Class 2 and Year 2 are visiting Cabilla as part of the prize for winning the “Re-wilding” competition last year. Thursday is World Book Day and we are again holding our very popular reading breakfast. Please come in from 8.50 until 9.45 to share a favourite book, piece of toast (or breakfast muffin from Lisa our cook) with the children.

Finally, Friday sees the first “Break the rules day” organised by the school council. The children are able to “break” up to 4 rules from the list selected by the school council for 50p per rule. More details will go out early next week but the children are looking forward to it.

As you can see, there is lots to look forward to as always at Darite. Thank-you for your continued support. Have a fantastic weekend.

Half Term

Fond goodbyes

In the blink of an eye this half term has come to an end. It has been a whistle-stop half term but with so much crammed in, a very memorable one.

We capped it off with a visit from the Liskeard Fire Station who came to talk to children about fire safety and even brought an appliance to show. Thank you very much to the team for taking time out to come and see us.

The end of term is always a chance to rest and relax with family. This half term however is bittersweet as we bit a very fond farewell to Mrs Evett and Mrs Thomas, both of whom are leaving Darite for new adventures. Mrs Evett has been at Darite for 5 years now and has been a fantastic administrator, always happy to help with a smile. If she doesn’t know the answer to something, it’s not worth knowing! Mrs Thomas has been a wonderful teacher and mentor to the children and I know that they have become the amazing learners they are in no small part because of her. We will miss both of them a lot and, wherever they end up, we hope they will remember the smiling faces of the children at Darite. I am sure that you will join with us in wishing them luck in the next steps of their journeys.

To end on a happier note, this week we held an interview process to find a replacement for Mrs Evett as administrator. It was a tough process but I am delighted to let you know that we have appointed Mrs S Norris as our new administrator. She has already been into the school to meet the staff and children and is really looking forward to starting at school after half term. With the departure of Mrs Evett, we are re-advertising the post for our Breakfast Club supervisor. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the Darite team and make sure that all children are able to start the day well. If you are interested in the position or have any questions, please let the office know and we will arrange a time to talk about what the job entails.

We are looking forward to seeing the children again on the 19th February but in the meantime, I hope you have a relaxing half term holiday. Thank-you again for your continued support of the school.

Weekly Update

Another busy week!

It’s been another busy week at Darite. We welcomed Kernow King and the Cornish Caretakers in on Monday to talk about Cornish mining heritage. Class 2 were lucky enough to have a workshop with the team and then there was a show that the children really enjoyed! Thank-you to the Cornish Caretakers for coming in to see us.

Wednesday saw Class 3 joining with other schools from all over the country to enjoy a virtual session from Book Trust Represents called, “Bookmaker Like You” with Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho, Sabine Adeyinka and Jasmine Richards. ‘Bookmaker Like You’ highlights the artistry of book creatives from under-represented communities and backgrounds. After the session, several pupils expressed a wish to write, create writer’s notebooks and to enter writing competitions . They were really inspired! The class found out about writers, publishers and editors working to ensure children of all ages can see themselves represented in books. This prompted a rich discussion in class about why representation is important and book recommendations. To the delight of the class, the school received a shout out from the authors as the questions submitted by the class, were answered! The class asked the three writers what their book recommendations would be for our age group and their recommendations will be headed to our reading corner along with some books from Coelho, Adeyinka and Richards.

Not to be left out, Class 1 very proudly showed me their learning in maths and English this week. It is always fantastic to see the pride that the youngest children in school take in their work and their progress is fantastic to see.

We only have two weeks left of this half term before the break. There is a lot going on at Darite, so please keep checking back for updates and news.

What a busy week!

What a week at Darite! First we have world famous BBC stars in our midst and then we finish the week with a visit from our MP. The children were really excited to see the school and their friends on the CBeebies show Fred and Pete’s treasure tales. The BBC came to film way back in March and the episode finally aired this week. The children performed amazingly and we were all so proud of them. Make sure you check iPlayer for the episode “The Storyteller’s Hook” if you haven’t seen it.

We also welcomed Sheryll Murray MP to school today. She spoke to the children about how parliament and government works and had time for photos and questions. She met the school council and was able to give them some advice. Thank-you to Ms Murray for taking the time to visit us.

This week we also took time to reflect on the remembrance services that will be happening this weekend. As always, the level of respect, thoughtfulness and kindness shown by the children was wonderful to see.

This term continues to race towards Christmas with lots of activities planned. Please make sure that you keep up to date with key events on the website and newsletter.

Weekly update

Where has the time gone!

Just like that we’re 1/6 of the way through the year! We have certainly finished strongly with Mrs Alberts return to Class 2 on Wednesday, some amazing learning and plenty of smiles. Thank-you to those parents and carers who were able to attend the first Head’s Forum of the year on Monday. I will be running these every half term and they are an opportunity to bring questions and suggestions to me and then to the staff. These are of course voluntary and if you have any questions in the meantime, your child’s teacher is always the first port of call.

You may have remembered that in the summer term last year, Mrs Saberton entered a competition to “re-wild” the school. She put together a very comprehensive plan to improve the wild tribe area. The children worked hard to create the first of a series of bug hotels (made to look like the school) and attach it to a newly painted and decorated section of area. We were absolutely delighted to receive news on Tuesday that of all the schools both large and small who entered, Darite won! The judges were very impressed with the planning, input and building of the bug hotel along with the improvement to the area of the school. We are so proud of Mrs Saberton for leading this and, of course, the children whose ideas made the change happen. We have also won a prize but more about that next half term!

Also this week, Class 3 welcomed Claire Newman to school. We were incredibly lucky to be able to have her visit as she works for NASA! Claire is a senior research scientist working to understand the atmospheres of Mars and Titan and looking at weather patterns! Her work had been carried out by the Curiosity Rover on Mars – making the first measurements of winds around the Martian dunes. The children were fascinated and horizons were definitely broadened in the afternoon. Huge thanks to Claire for making time to come and talk about her work with us.

In other exciting news, series 2 of “Fred and Pete’s Treasure Tales” will air at 3.55 each afternoon on CBeebies, starting on the 23rd October. This is due to high demand and has been moved forward from an original air date of February! You may remember that way back in April, the BBC came to film one of the episodes in school – featuring some of our pupils! Unfortunately, I do not know the order that the episodes will be shown in but make sure you stay tuned to catch our pupils on the big screen! As you can see, it’s been a very busy and exciting week!

On the 20th October, school is closed to children as the staff have a training day along with all the other staff from all 14 bridge schools! We are looking forward to welcoming the children back on Monday the 30th October. Everyone at Darite hopes that you all have a relaxing break ready for the exciting lead up to Christmas.

Welcome back

Week two already!

As we enter the second week of the new school year, can I first thank those of you who were able to come to the “Meet the Teacher” sessions this week. It was lovely to see everyone and have an opportunity to answer your questions about the year ahead. For those of you who were unable to come, the details will be on the Class Blog pages of the website.

As we are now two weeks into the term, we are building up a great collection of photos and videos of the amazing learning that is going on in school. We would love to be able to share them on the website but we are still waiting on some families to login to Arbor and answer the questions in the permission section. Please, if you have not done this yet, can you login and complete the form so that we can share the amazing things that are happening at Darite.

There are lots of exciting things going on in the next few weeks so please make sure that you keep checking the newsletter and the calendar.

Finally, I would like to give a huge thanks to Bradfords for their kind donations of materials to help enhance the outdoor learning for the school. We are so grateful for their donation and the children can't wait to get stuck in with using the bits.

Have a superb weekend.

What a busy week!

Another packed week!

Well, what a week it’s been! Year 5 have had an amazing activity week. They have had Nerf battles, played Zorb football, built rockets and then jumped off a cliff at Adrenalin Quarry! They were a credit to themselves and the school and we are proud of them facing their fears.

The whole school had a fantastic trip to Upton Cross yesterday morning to see Squashbox Theatre. The children had a great time and made lots of new friends. Thank-you to Miss Goodey, the staff and children at Upton Cross for making us feel so welcome.

Today, Year 6 joined children from lots of other schools in the area at Dutchy College for their activity day. They had great fun milking pretend animals, sporting activities and obstacle courses. They had a great time and again, were a credit to themselves.

The whole school took part in the Bridge School Games this week. This inter-school competition pits the children of all 14 schools in the trust against each other in a series of frendly sporting activities. Last year Darite came second overall! We were desperate to knock Polperro off the top spot this year!

The children have also been hard at work this week creating their entries for the Liskeard show. We are entering the collage competition this year and hopes are high for an award. The children in Class 3 chose to do a tapestry based on the local area and work they have been doing with Mazed Tales. It is a work in progress but the skills on show are very clear!

The Mazed Tales podcast that we did has also been released! Listen to it here and let us know what you think!

We only have four weeks left of the school year now and with reports, sports days, transition and assemblies, there is so much more to come. If you haven’t yet been able to, please can you spare 5 minutes to complete the parent questionnaire here. This is an important way that we can gather views of what everyone thinks of the school – both what we are doing well and if there are any areas that you think we could improve. Again, thanks to those of you who have completed it and those who contact school for a chat if there are questions that you have.

Have a lovely weekend

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Summer Fun

Summer Fun!

What an week! The children had a brilliant day at the beach yesterday. The art was stunning and they had an amazing time. Ultimate frisbee was a particular hit. Days like yesterday really make us all appreciate where we live. Thank-you for your support with hats, drinks and sun cream yesterday and thank-you to Arena for arranging the day.

Today was a VERY casual Friday as we supported the Book Trust’s “Pyjamarama” day. The range of Pyjamas on display was great and we raised nearly £100 for this very worthwhile charity. One in five children in the UK don’t own a book of their own and anything that we can do to support and improve this is key to education, enjoyment and mental wellbeing.

We continue the busy events calendar next week. Year 5 have their activity week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Please make sure you have given permission for the trips. We also have our morning to see Squashbox Theatre at Upton Cross school. The children are looking forward to making new friends and enjoying the show. Year 6 have their activity day at Duchy College next Friday. This is the first time it has run since before COVID and is a great opportunity to meet people with whom they could be attending secondary school with.

If you have any questions about the upcoming events, please let us know.
Thanks again for your support of the school.

Welcome back

Welcome Back

Welcome to the first week of the final half term of this academic year! This year has flown by and with only 6 weeks left until the summer, there is so much for the children to look forward to. The improving weather means we are able to get outside more and enjoy the amazing location that the school is in.

Next week has two big events occuring. Thursday sees our Beach day at Seaton. The children will have a full day of amazing activities on the beach including art, fitness and wellbeing. They (and the staff) are really looking forward to it. Friday is “Pyjama Day” in support of the Book Trust. This wonderful charity supports schools and children with books and reading.

There are lots more events and activities planned, so please check the diary and newsletters for when these are happening. You will remember that following on from CBeebies filming with Class 1, that Sue from Mazed Tales came to tell Class 3 some traditional stories which were then being turned into the first episode of a new podcast series. I am delighted to say that the first edit of the stories has been produced. The link here will allow you to hear them. The children enjoyed hearning it (although hearing your own voice always sounds strange) and should be proud of the work they did. Thanks again to Sue and Stuart for their hard work.

Have a lovely weekend whatever you do – enjoy the Royal Cornwall Show if you are going and we will see the children back at school on Monday.

Half term

Where has the time gone!

Just like that we find ourselves at the end of the penultimate half term of the year! Where has the time gone?!

The children have been working really hard this week, with Class 1 making the Cornish Times with their coronation party! Class 2 have been hard at work with their English. The quality of the handwriting in Class 2 is superb – they all really want their pen licences! Class 3 spent today recording podcasts with Mazed Tales. They have learnt some traditional stories based in this area of Cornwall and today told them verbally. These recordings will be turned into podcasts that can be downloaded for your listening enjoyment. We will let you know when and were these will be available. Thank-you to Sue and Mr Chorlton for their support with this project.

The sunshine always makes people smile. Lunchtimes and breaktimes have been extra enjoyable this week, but please make sure that you send you children with suncream and hats to protect them in the glorious weather. A reminder that the spare uniform that has been outside this week is still there and if you find yourself in need of uniform, please come and claim something. If you are able to make a small donation for items you take, we would be very grateful but we would rather that the clothes go to a good home than be disposed of.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank you all for your continued support of the school. The comments in the playground and through communication with staff highlight the strengths of the school. This half term has been a busy one with both KS1 and 2 SATs (we are so proud of all the children), lots of learning, trips and experiences and, as we move into the final half term, there are lots more exiting things planned. Make sure you stay up to date through the website and newsletter. There are a few photos below this post that sum up the term at Darite. It really is a wonderful school to go to and teach at.

The weather promises to be great for the half term break and we all hope that you manage to find some time to relax, enjoy the break or even go away on holiday! We will see you all back here on the 5th June for the final 7 weeks before the summer.