Enjoy your Summer Break
Dear Parents and Carers
What an emotional end of term that was for all of us. I am really pleased that I got to see every Year 2 leaver and tell you how amazing you have been. This was never the end of your time we envisaged with you but I hope you found it special and liked your books. We loved your video- it is beautiful. Thank you also for all your lovely cards and gifts and our bench for outside the classroom. We really have been spoiled!
Thank you also to all the Year 1 parents and children who came to say goodbye to your teachers too. I know many of you joined in your zoom story time with your new teachers. Everyone knows Miss Salter and Miss Apsey from assembly time, who are looking forward to getting to know you properly in September. Miss Whitehead stayed with Mrs Charles for the day, so children could meet her. Mrs Moth sends her best wishes to Otter class and hopefully you all managed to chat to Mrs Belton and Mrs Campone our Year 1 Leader. I would like to say a special thank you to Mrs Campone as she collated the Otter reports and made sure you all had well being zoom calls.
Thank you, also, to our Year R parents who came to say goodbye to our Year R team on your last day. It was also Mrs Wombell’s last day for now, as she is going on maternity leave from the beginning of September. She has been overwhelmed by your kind wishes.
We also bade Mrs Anderson farewell, with a socially distanced tea party at the end of the day. She has been a brilliant team member at BWIS and is one of the happiest, hardworking members of staff I have ever known in my teaching career. We wish her all the best for her retirement, and hope she manages to go away for a holiday in a term time soon!
It has been the strangest of times, and we all, children and staff, got used to our new way of working in school pretty quickly. We cannot wait to see you all again and to welcome our new children in September. We will keep you updated with any guidance, but will try not to overload you with information during this break. All your children were happy and we will continue to build on this when we come back. Their well being, setting in to new classrooms and changes, will be our priority. Although we cannot have long discussions at the door, with our new staggered drop offs and closed to visitors office, we are still available by email in September or call and we will get back to you. Please read the large FAQ document posted last week and the summary sheet as many of you asked questions about the new arrangements. Everything is in those 2 documents and Mrs Charles has also posted a risk assessment with them too.
We would all like to thank the many parents and children for the kind words and gifts you gave us at the end of term. We were quite overwhelmed and grateful. I would also like to thank my amazing staff. Every single member played an important part during our time working with keyworkers and opening wider. Mrs Palmer answered every query along with her office team, Mrs Ely, Miss Ely and team made sure the school was clean and looked after our wraparound care, our Senior Leadership Team, Mrs Charles, Miss Salter, Miss Turner, Mrs Campone and Miss Turner helped make decisions and organised their teams. Our younger members of staff helped teach everybody new IT skills (quickly). Every single member of staff have all been amazing. I cannot praise them enough and they were all superstars, putting our children first in every decision. They also surprised me (and made me cry) with a gardening gift card and a beautiful card with very kind words for leading them through the last few months. I have said it many times, but I do not mind saying it again. I am very lucky to work with such a brilliant staff, amazing inquisitive children and supportive parents and governors. BWIS is a unique and special school, where we all learn together, sprinkled with happiness.
On that note, I would like to wish you all a lovely summer.
Best wishes
Mrs Riches
