The SAS children led a very special Trooping The Colour worship on Wednesday morning in the presence of Her Majesty (see pic!) when they taught us all about the history of the Queen's Birthday Parade.

We also welcomed Colonel Lincoln Jopp, who kindly came in to talk about when he commanded the parade in 2011.

The whole school was captivated by his experience - including enjoying learning how to salute - and there were some very thought provoking questions asked by the children at the end.

Thank you to both the SAS children and Colonel Jopp for leading such an engaging worship.

We were delighted to welcome members of our local community to a special coffee morning while they watched our Year 5 pupils rehearse for their assembly.

The ladies from 'Sparkle' also enjoyed some delicious eats thanks to the kitchen ladies and also had a lovely chance to peruse our beautiful Art Exhibition.

Thank you to Mrs Chisholm for faciliating this visit. The Year 5 pupils really enjoyed hosting them.

Peter Duncan Theatre Workshops:

Peter and his team led a series of workshops for Middle Phase this week as a way of encouraging creativity and imagination for primary school children. They based it on how life was in the 1950’s because of the Jubilee celebrations and are hoping that other schools might be able to participate.

The children have really enjoyed their participation in these workshops and have felt so lucky to have this opportunity.

For the last two years Peter and his team have made online pantomime films (Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella) and workshops based on curricula work have accompanied the films.

pantoonline.co.uk

(Peter will also be singing the National Anthem in front of Buckingham Palace on June 5th and riding atop a bus down the the Mall. Keep your eyes peeled for him on TV!)

Congratulations to Year 5 for leading such an incredible Assembly for us all.

Thank you for taking us on a musical journey through the decades of Her Majesty's reign in such style.

Well done to all the children and staff who worked so hard to make it such a precious and memorable occasion for everyone.

The Royal Tea Party was a huge success this afternoon, with lots of very glamorous costumes on display and plenty of yummy party food for all!

Thank you to Leisha and the kitchen ladies for making some delicious extra treats to go with our packed lunches.

The sun shone and the red, white and blue tables and copious bunting really reflected the sense of occasion in this special week of Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

What a perfect way to end the half term.

Time Capsule:

We buried our (ninth) time capsule today.

There were so many items donated from across the school community. The children each wrote a letter for future generations to read and there were plenty of extra contributions from many others, including drawings, cards, flags, medals, pictures, newspapers - and even a Blue Peter badge from ex presenter Peter Duncan!

Our Jubilee Tree:

We commissioned a tree sculpture to mark Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee and we were so proud to unveil it to the children this afternoon.

Isn't it fabulous? And what a wonderful way to mark such a very special occasion.

4S have been really embracing the Jubilee celebrations.

One pupil has created a Google Slide presentation about the Queens state visit to Pakistan. Additionally, another has found out her grandfather served the Queen in the army and has found his certificate of service to share in class!

Year 6 School Journey:

Last week, Year 6 enjoyed an amazing excursion away from school and home. Pupils enjoyed (and teachers endured) an energetic coach ride to the PGL Osmington Bay adventure centre in Dorset. Here we enjoyed five days of fun and excitement, waking up most mornings to warm summer weather and a gorgeous view of the ocean.

The day-to-day activities were varied, each offering a different way for children to test themselves and their teamwork. One group might find themselves building a buggy as a team or blindly guiding each other through an obstacle course one day, then zip-lining or wall-climbing the next.

Throughout, pupils demonstrated incredible bravery and made inspirational shows of support for their peers. It was a joy to see children surprise themselves, overcoming fears and obstacles they never thought they could through sheer determination and bolstered by the encouragement of their friends.

CHRIS ACQUAH

Butterfly Freedom:

Reception enjoyed saying goodbye to our butterflies, which we released into the sensory garden. As we carried the net outside the butterflies were flying around and getting very excited. We thought that they could smell all the lovely flowers and wanted to eat the nectar!

The children have enjoyed watching the tiny caterpillars that arrived in the post grow bigger and bigger until they eventually formed chrysalis'.

They stayed in their chrysalis for over a week before they hatched one weekend. We were very excited and gave them fruit and sugar water to eat.

HANNAH PULLINGER

"Pupils are comfortable as the person God made them to be"

(SIAMS Inspection Report: February 2019)

Greetings from the library!

We have sincerely enjoyed celebrating our ‘record-breaking’ Queen this half term, and are looking forward to completing our school year together as we return from our mid-term break in June! With some lovely new books on display in the library celebrating our Queen and a display of Commonwealth flags there has been much to inspire us all at this very special time!

Once more, there has been a lovely flow of children and classes making their regular weekly visits to the library and this time is enjoyed by all. As well, Nelson, our Pets as Therapy dog has popped in to meet with the children, he is as always, very warmly welcomed by our wonderful St Michael’s students.

A little reminder to all the children to return your books each week to avoid receiving an overdue letter. Any concerns over a missing or damaged book please speak to your class teacher in the first instance.

We look forward to hearing of all the books you have read over the half-term! Keep on reading!

NATALIE MITCHELL

"Pupils are inspired by RE and recognise it as a challenging but safe space to explore their own and others' religious, spiritual and philosophical convictions critically and responsibly"

(SIAMS Inspection Report: February 2019)

In the week that we celebrate her 70 year reign, we are thankful for the service of Her Majesty The Queen

"Pupils have high attendance, come to school on time and are punctual to lessons"

(SIAMS Inspection Report: February 2019)