January 2021

15 Buckden Roundabout January 2021 School & Pre - School By the time you read this, Christmas we will be nearly over, and you will all be looking to a New Year with hopes that it will be a better one! We are hoping that too—and looking forward to a time when taking the children ’ s temperatures every day, along with all of our other COVID - 19 precautions, can be a thing of the past. In the meantime, we continue to do every- thing we can to keep our staff, children and their families safe. Back here in December, though, the children are getting ex- tremely excited about Christmas and their Christmas Concert, which we ’ re hoping to let everyone experience via the magic of Zoom. The children have been practising their songs and we know there are lots of parents and grandparents looking for- ward to enjoying it virtually. The children have also been help- ing out in Santa ’ s workshop and decorating the Christmas tree and Christmas stockings made by Debs, our treasurer. They have also enjoyed getting back to Tuesday circuits sessions. It ’ s been a very busy time for them! They ’ ve really loved our sparkling Christmas lights and we will be adapting the sensory area to provide a cosy, dark den for them, with low, colourful lighting, providing a calming space where they can relax. Our January theme will be winter, with lots of materials and activities to explore in our sensory stuff trays and a look at animals that are in their element in this chilly season. By then, we will have some new starters to join in the fun, and we look forward to welcoming them and their families to our Pre- school community. Finally, the children, staff and committee members at Pre- school would like to wish everyone … A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR! Committee enquiries: contact Jo Chillmaid (Chairperson) at buckdenpreschoolchairperson@gmail.com or on 07393650084. To enrol your child or arrange a visit, contact the Manager, Nicola Henge, at the Preschool on 01480 810600 . For more information, visit www.buckdenpreschool.co.uk or see our Facebook updates at https://www.facebook.com/ www.buckdenpreschool.co.uk/. BUCKDEN CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL (Primary Academy Trust) January 2021 As we come to end of another year we have to reflect on what a strange year it has been. Our usual Christmas events have taken a back seat this year but we have tried to carry on with some of them the best way we can. Our Reception children performed their Christmas play over Zoom. Parents were invited to watch as the children made their acting debuts. The staff in the unit had a very lim- ited time to prepare the children for the performances but everyone worked hard to perfect their roles and it was well received by the parents. The children enjoyed their Christmas dinner, provided by Mrs Bigg and her team with the usual enthusiasm and good hu- mour. Christmas carols added to the atmosphere. To com- plete the Christmas theme the children wore their Christmas jumpers. What a variety of Christmas themes were all saw!! Our PTA have been very busy raising funds for the school by arranging virtual activities. They have sold tea towels, which every child in the school contributed too. Each child drew their picture which have been transposed onto the tea towels. A popular Christmas gift for mums and grandmas. The PTA have also arranged for luxury Christmas hampers to be given to local families who maybe struggling as Christmas approach- es. All donations for the hampers have been sent into the school – thank you to those who have given to the project. Thank you to the PTA for their hard work in raising funds for our school projects - they have more fund raising events planned for 2021. A reminder to prospective parents – 15 th January 2021 is the final date for applications for admission to primary school in September 2021. To apply for a place you need to go to https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/schooladmissions. Our Foundation Stage teachers will be giving a virtual tour of the school, followed by a short question and answer session. The date of the session is Thursday 7 th January at 4.00 pm – the log - in details are Meeting ID: 821 0239 3467 Passcode: tm3ZWE The staff, pupils and members of the school family would like to take the opportunity to wish the residents of Buckden a very Happy Christmas and a safe New Year. 2020 will be a year to remember for many reasons, some happy memories, some not so happy memories - we all hope for a more settled time next year. The school re - opens for the Spring Term on Monday 4 th Janu- ary 2021 . ( See term dates for 2021 on page 10)