Carnival day dawned bright and sunny on Saturday, with a bit of a breeze, and the promise of showers later in the afternoon. A team of willing parents and staff were at school nice and early to decorate the float, and by mid morning, the lorry (kindly donated once again by S and J Pierce Transport) resembled a Ancient Greek temple, complete with colourful Gods and Goddesses, vine leaves and a quite fabulous cardboard Trojan Horse!
The children arrived and the procession got underway just after midday... and so did the rain! Everyone and everything got soaked and soggy as the heavens opened, but this did not dampen anyone's spirits in any way, and the carnival atmosphere reigned as the parade went through the streets of Eaton Bray and Edlesborough.
There were some fantastic "best dressed house" displays along the way, and we were really lucky that the winning house display, featuring the Gruffalo and all the other characters from this popular children's book, was created by a member of school staff, meaning that we have inherited the amazing figures, which have found a new home at EBA!
On Monday, we held a special assembly for Coralie McCluskey, our vicar, who is retiring this summer. Coralie has been greatly involved with the school throughout her time as vicar of St Mary's in Eaton Bray, serving as a governor as well as coming in often to speak to the children, and welcoming us regularly to the church. She is greatly loved and we will miss her, though we all wish her well for her retirement in Wales.
It has been a fun and exciting week for some of the children in Rabbits and Badgers Class, who enjoyed a two day stay at Green Park Residential Centre in Aston Clinton on Wednesday and Thursday.
They took part in all sorts of activities, including archery, high ropes, climbing wall and team challenges. In the evening, the children had a movie night, watching "Alvin and the Chipmunks" while munching on popcorn and other goodies, before the excitement of bedtime! Some children had a shared room with bunk beds, and some had a room entirely to themselves - they couldn't decide which was best!
The weather was very kind on both days, and the children made the most of their time together, before being collected by their parents, tired but happy, on Thursday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the children that stayed at school also had a lovely couple of days, with one Year 4 boy describing it as "the best week ever!" They enjoyed plenty of fun activities, including helping younger children practice for their Sports Day, and going on a hike with Mrs Hawkes and Mrs Blake, around the country lanes and footpaths surrounding Eaton Bray. The children were shown how to read a map and use a compass to find their way around - they were very keen to learn these useful orienteering skills!
Next week: Sports Day for our youngest children, and a trip to Ashridge Forest for Hedgehogs, as we count off the days before the end of term, and look forward to the summer holiday!