Week Ending 20th July 2016

So another school year has ended, and in a year that saw children go on three residential trips, run a French restaurant, and take part in lots of sports tournaments, we have many fabulous memories to look back on!

This has been a short week but we have been really quite busy.  On Monday, we had another visit from PC Basra - the children all drew a picture of a police officer, and PC Basra came into school to award a prize for his favourite one.

There were lots of trips in the minibus and staff cars on Monday, to collect some "new" furniture.  Sadly, Ashton Middle School in Dunstable is closing at the end of this week, and they have all sorts of furniture and equipment looking for a new home, which we have been happy to provide.  We now have several lovely new-to-us tables and chair sets, colourful comfy seats for the staff room and reception area, and plenty of cabinets, bookcases and drawer units to see us into the new school year.

On Monday afternoon, children in Otters and Squirrels Class enjoyed a special assembly with Mrs Khan, who talked to them about the celebration of Eid, and other aspects of the Islam faith.  Everyone found this very interesting and informative - thank you Mrs Khan for giving a valuable insight into what it means to be Muslim.

Tuesday was a day for lots of memories, and a fond farewell to our wonderful Year 6 children, who celebrated their time at EBA with a Leavers' Assembly for parents, staff and children.  This year group includes children who joined us when we first opened our Pre-School in 2008, so some of them have been with us since the age of two!  Others have joined along the way, to form a happy group of children who are all great friends, hard workers and a real credit to Eaton Bray Academy.  We will miss them very much, but wish them every success as they move on to the next exciting stage of their lives.

The children showcased the samba drumming skills that they have learnt this year during music lessons, and talked about their time at EBA, sharing some of their happiest, proudest and funniest moments.  Parents were entertained with a very funny music video created by the children with the help of Mrs Young, and a slide show of photos showing the children throughout their time with us.  There were lots of "Ooohs" and "Aaahs" as parents viewed pictures of their children as tiny pre-schoolers, and maybe also a few embarrassed laughs from the children themselves!

Fun awards were given out to all the children for a variety of different categories, such as "Most Dapper Dresser" and "Cheekiest Joker", and then there was a very special surprise award for one of our pupils.  Earlier this year, the Year 6 children entered the "Get Set to Ace It" competition, run by the National Tennis Centre.  They had to write a motivational speech for Team GB Olympic and Paralympic tennis players, and this week we heard that one of our pupils was the main national prize winner in the Primary category!  Very well done to Nathaniel!

On Tuesday afternoon, everyone enjoyed a wonderful Talent Show, organised and presented by members of the School Council.  Performances included singing, dancing, gymnastics and displays of football skills!  School Council members acted as judges, and got the audience cheering and clapping.  Medals were awarded to all participants and a fun time was had by all!

And so to Wednesday - our last day of term!  This was non-uniform and games day as usual, and an awards assembly was held in the morning to round off the school year.  There was one more fabulous final surprise and proud moment - a magnificent shield has been awarded to Eaton Bray Academy, for winning the most tournaments in the All Saints Academy sports programme in 2015-16!  Well done children, and well done to Mrs Hawkes and Mr Potton, who have coached and encouraged them so well.

What a great celebration to end the year!  Have a lovely summer, and best of luck and success to all our children and families who are moving on.  See you in September!

Week Ending 15th July 2016

The last full week of the school year has been one of fun, outdoor activities and picnics!

Monday was Sports Day for our younger children, with Hamsters' events taking place in the morning.   Parents came to watch their children take part in running, egg and spoon and obstacle races, then took part in races themselves!  Afterwards there was an awards ceremony, with children receiving well deserved medals and applause for their participation.

In the afternoon it was the turn of children in Hedgehogs, Otters and Squirrels.  The children ran sprints and relays with hurdles and obstacles, as well as a distance run around the school grounds.  Our Year 4 Sports Leaders acted as marshals, and were also responsible for awarding trophies to the winning team in each year group.  Despite some ominous looking dark clouds, the weather remained dry and a great time was had by all - participants and spectators!

Back in the classroom, Squirrels Class very cleverly combined History, Science and Design Technology this week, by researching, designing and creating their own Olympic torches that actually lit up!  They used electrical wire to connect a light bulb to a battery, and incorporated this into their creations.  What a wonderful idea!

On Wednesday morning, parents were invited to "Meet the Teacher" which was an opportunity to come in to school and find out all about the class that their child will be moving into in September.  Afterwards, the children spent the morning in their new classroom with their new teacher, which was very exciting for them all!  In the afternoon, Pre-School welcomed the new children that will be starting with them in September - it was lovely to see lots of new faces!

Also on Wednesday afternoon, the Year 5 children celebrated the end of their EBA Enterprise year with a picnic on the field, with a variety of sandwiches that they made themselves, crisps, cakes and juice.  Delicious!

Thursday was very exciting for Hedgehogs children, who enjoyed a lovely trip to Ashridge Forest.  The sun shone as they played football on the wide open space in front of the monument, and ventured through long grass to explore the woodland.  Parents, grandparents and younger siblings were invited to join the children for a picnic at lunchtime, which really made the day feel extra special for everyone.

On Thursday morning, the School Choir entertained the rest of the school with a lovely rendition of some of the songs they have been learning with Mrs Copeland this term.  They sounded wonderful and really seemed to be full of the joy that comes from singing together.

More picnicking on Thursday, this time a special end of term treat for the Hiking Club, who trekked cross country from school to the top of Totternhoe Knolls, to enjoy blue skies, beautiful views across Bedfordshire, and an outdoor feast as a reward for the climb!

Week Ending 8th July 2016

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!