Weeks 7 & 8

Dear Parent/ Carer,
Last week was spent in Australia.  I had been invited to speak and host workshops at a conference for School Principals from Melbourne.  During the trip I visited five Primary Schools and met with the school leadership at each.  I saw innovation in building design and use - that included a single classroom housing one hundred Year 6 pupils and five teachers - excellent sporting facilities that are supporting exceptional sporting performance, specialist teachers who are achieving great things in terms of creative and performing arts, great facilities, innovative teacher practice - that included use of an iPhone and bluetooth device that enables teachers to self-evaluate their teaching by recording their lessons - and leading edge use of technologies - that included 1:1 pupil:iPad schemes.  I had the privilege of spending time with Jim Wilson, Principal of Woodlands Primary School, Langwarrin  http://www.woodlandsps.vic.edu.au and Russell Gascoigne, Principal of Linbrook Primary  http://www.lynbrookps.vic.edu.au
I have brought many ideas back from the trip and hope also to develop close and sustainable ties between our partnership schools and the Australian schools in the coming weeks, months and years that will benefit children in all of our schools.

We have had Parents Evenings at all of our partnership schools this past week.  I have spent some time in each and have continued to meet parents.  I have also had my son with me this week.  He has done a week of work experience in a Reception class at Kilmorie, and has thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  Joe was able to sample the delicious School Dinners that I've been telling him about at Kilmorie - our children certainly do enjoy fabulous lunchtimes there.  We have enjoyed a range of community events at all three schools this past week.  The community spiritedness at each of our schools is a source of great strength and great inspiration.  My sincere thanks to all of those people who make a contribution to the planning, preparation and management of those events... and to everyone who 'makes' them by actually turning up to participate.

I feel that at each of our schools we can reflect upon a great first Half Term.  We can look forward with excitement and eager anticipation to next Half Term which will, of course, culminate with our Christmas Performances.  A magical time of year....

Have a wonderful Half Term.

Mark Wilson

Week 6

Dear Parent/ Carer,

I have met with more parents from the schools this week and we have had a great and a very busy week in all of our schools.

Fairlawn:

The Fairlawn Fun Run took place on Sunday.  The weather really helped and there was great support for the event from the community.  For anyone wanting to see them, there are photographs of the event on the Fairlawn facebook and twitter pages, and on the school website.  Our thanks to the many parents and volunteers who helped organise and run the event and to everyone who took part.

In school we have begun our whole school Explorers topic. Each KS1 class is buddied up with a KS2 class. They have each chosen a country that a child in their class has links with. The Juniors are then reading the stories in assembly and the Infant class is providing the illustrations. They look great on the big screen.  Some of the illustrations are on the Year Group blogs, which can be accessed via the website.  Staff held a reading meeting for Year 3 parents this week.  Our thanks to the staff and to the parents who attended.

Haseltine:

First, a 'thank you' to parents of our KS1 children for their patience as the children spent time in a spare classroom while their rooms were being re-wired last week.  We have a rolling programme of re-wiring that will be ongoing in school for some months to come.  On Thursday this week we had Beth Gill (an elite Ballet Dancer from the American Ballet Theatre) and three of her dance troupe from the USA working with our Year 6 pupils.  The visit was arranged in association with the American Embassy, who we have worked quite closely with on previous projects.  Next week, we are having an open morning on Wednesday.  Parents are invited to go into class and spend the first thirty minutes observing a writing lesson, then join Ms Brumby for refreshments and a discussion about what they've seen and how to support at home. 

Kilmorie:

I enjoyed leading an Assembly at Kilmorie on Monday this week.  The link for the Will.i.am video that I used is ow.ly/ed4uE.  We had a full meeting of the Governing Body on Monday and I enjoyed meeting the Parent Council on Wednesday.  I am looking forward to meeting more parents next Wednesday during the Parents Evening and Liz has been offering tours to parents around our fabulous new building after school.  Pupils from both Kilmorie and Haseltine competed in the  Sydenham & Forest Hill Primary Football Festival 2012 this week.  Below is a copy of the report from the event.

Report on Sydenham & Forest Hill Primary Football Festival 2012

What a way to continue the year of sport, competition and festivals! The football festival organised in conjunction with Glen Burt (Sports Coordinator) and Millwall Football Club was a great success. Approximately 100 year 5 & 6 girls and boys played some amazing football. Six primary schools took part, three of which entered a boys and a girls team. The weather was not brilliant but no one complained about the rain!
The boys teams each played five matches, 7 minutes longs at Elm Lane Fields. The standard of passing, shooting and working as a team was outstanding and the competition was very close indeed. Rathfern won the boys competition with Haseltine a close second. Rathfern will now look forward to competing in the Lewisham Borough finals on 29th November. Well done!
The girls also played really well on grass and again the standard was very good. They only played two matches each, but the matches were 10 minutes long. It was great to see the girls passing and controlling the ball before attempting to score a goal. They all enjoyed playing and watching each other during their rest game. Dalmain won the competition with Kilmorie a close second and Perrymount third. Dalmain girls will also look forward to competing in the Borough finals on 29th November. Well done!
All pupils received a Millwall certificate and and a ‘kick racism out of football’ sticker. The winning teams were awarded a medal from Glen Burt and a trophy from Millwall. The teams who came second received a ‘kick it out’ rubber wrist band from Millwall. All other teams received a metal badge. One other award was given out during the afternoon for exceptional play, this was awarded to David from Rathfern and Tiana from Dalmain.
It was also fantastic to see so many parents and carers supporting this event. It is so important to see people enjoying sport whether they are playing or watching. I would like to thank all teachers, teaching assistants and Millwall referees for making the festival so memorable.

Week 5

Dear Parent/ Carer,

It has been another busy and very productive week in our schools this week.  We are in the midst of our first round of lesson observations in each of the schools.  I have had the pleasure, and will have the pleasure this coming week also, of observing lessons alongside the Heads and senior members of the school teams.  Lesson observations are a key tool for us in helping to improve standards and enhance the quality of teaching in all classrooms.

The real value of our partnership is really showing itself in the opportunities it creates for colleagues from each of our schools to work with one another and to broaden their experience and worldview by observing and working in one another’s school.  Every day this week we’ve had colleagues from one of the schools in the others schools.  I am very excited by the TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) ethos that we are creating and the enhanced opportunities that this presents for our children.

I was pleased to meet Governors at the two Body meetings last week at Fairlawn and Haseltine and am looking forward to the two meetings at Kilmorie and Fairlawn this week.  This coming week finds me at Kilmorie all day on Monday, Haseltine and Fairlawn on Tuesday,  Fairlawn and Kilmorie on Wednesday, Kilmorie and Haseltine on Thursday, and Haseltine and Fairlawn on Friday… so another busy week ahead!

I was pleased to see the community events that have taken place in our schools this week.  All three schools have a strong, and very distinct, identity that is underpinned by a very strong community spirit.  The coffee morning and singsong for parents of our Reception children at Fairlawn was a great success.  I was very disappointed that I was not able to attend, but aim to be at one of the Fairlawn Monday Coffee Mornings in the coming weeks as I continue to build a picture of our schools from parents point of view.  It is very important to me that we engage fully with our parents and keep you as informed about your child in school as we possibly can.  I am attending the Kilmorie Parent Council meeting on Wednesday evening this week and am looking forward to conversations there.

Have a great weekend,

Mark Wilson