| This is a GOOD school which is OUTSTANDING at meeting the needs of all learners. (Inspection 2011) Welcome back to the new term, we hope you all had a good christmas and new year and are ready for 2012. Miss Towers Returns I have it on good authority that after many weeks away doing God’s work in Thailand and Burma, Miss Towers has finally returned safely to our green pastures. We are very proud of her efforts and are most thankful that she has managed to keep safe and well on her travels. The children have missed her greatly and are looking forward to hearing about her adventures. Once Miss Towers has had time to settle back in to school life, I will ask her to write a brief article for the website and upload some of her favourite photographs...... so watch this space. When’s Whitehough? It’s that time of year again when every other question in the classroom is ‘How long is it until we go on the trip?’ The anticipation is building and the children are already getting excited about the adventures that lie ahead. Mr Neville, Mrs Morey and I have begun our preparations (scaling walls, building rafts and finding our way to school using only a compass and a map) and are ready to get stuck in with the children. There is a meeting in school tonight (Tuesday 8th May) for parents of the children who will be attending. The meeting will be run by Mrs Robinson and will give parents the opportunity to ask any questions they may have about the trip and activities. ......Oh and for those who were wondering; 19 more sleeps until Whitehough | | Little Oaks Pre School/ Nursery We are pleased to announce that the Little Oaks Pre School and Nursery is now open! They cater for children aged 2 to school age and run from 7:30am to 6:00pm. There are still places available but hurry as new children are joining all the time! If you are interested in securing a place for your child then please contact Kerry at Shortys Ltd on 07815930160 St Pauls Sports Round-up It's been a busy time for the sports-stars of St Paul's School as their winter sports seasons came to a close with the annual inter-school tournaments. First up was the school rugby team who had so valiantly fought their way to title of Kirkham and Fylde Rural Champions. This accolade meant that we were automatically entered into the Fylde championship tournament at Carr Hill against some tough Lytham School competitors. Our children's effort was epic and the spirit definitely showed willing but despite some fantastic individual tries, the experience of the Lytham players (many of whom play club rugby at Fylde) proved too much for our relatively new team. Our children left with their heads held high, however, safe in the knowledge that they had performed in accordance with the school motto by believing, belonging and being the best that they could be. Mr Penney from Carr Hill also pointed out that finishing 3rd out of the 12 best schools on the Fylde coast was nothing to be sniffed at! Next came the greatly anticipated Football tournament at Carr Hill High School which happened to fall on a Super Learning Science Day. I was dressed as Spiderman and creating homemade lava lamps (all in a day's work) so Mrs Baer and Mr Mason kindly agreed to step in and coach the children. Our children performed well and after narrowly losing out in the first two games, they sprang back to win their final two quite confidently. Despite a confident finish, however, it was a little too late to get through to the final but our team finished middle of the table in a respectable position. Special mention has to go to James Sidebottom and Madison Hadley for their contribution to the score card. I'd also like to thank Mr Mason and Mrs Baer for their contribution as without their help, our children wouldn't have been able to attend. A full match report by Mr Mason can be viewed by clicking the following link. Match report Finally, our netball team attended the High Fives tournament at Carr Hill School. The girls have trained hard all year under the guidance and supervision of our coaches Mrs Gregoire and Miss Richmond who give up their time week in, week out to train our girls. After an awesome display last year resulting in a silver medal position, expectations were high and nerves were even higher. In the first match against Newton, the St Paul's girls' nerves got the better of them and it looked as though we were going to be in for a difficult afternoon. Mrs Gregoire's vocal chords were being stretched to their limits and Miss Richmond was chomping at the bit to don her netball skirt and get stuck in. The game was lost and the girls were disappointed to say the least. Despondence was soon replaced with determination, however, as our two netball coaches rallied the troops and spared no feelings in their inspirational team talk. The second match began and improvements were made. It was still 0-0 at half time but confidence was beginning to grow in the girls. The second half was soon underway and St Michael's attack was relentless but Katie-the Basher-Britt's aggressive and tireless defensive play was keeping St Paul's in the game. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the attacking pair of Kate Tomes and Jasmine Spence were charging down the court, slicing through their opposition's defense like a hot knife through butter. Cheers resounded around the court as Kate's shot found the net and the final whistle marked our first victory. The team confidence was back and the girls went from strength to strength, showing their resolve with a 3-1 win over Strike Lane to make it into the final. The final match was a repeat of last year's final against our old foes Newton Bluecoat. Tensions were running high and the players knew it was now or never if they were going to clinch the title. The match was underway and Newton showed us why they had been so successful thus far with a relentless attack and very quick passing. Despite the pressure, however, our girls played well, with Elleanor-the Assassin-Sanders intercepting passes left right and centre. Soon the ball was in their D and Jasmine Spence fired one home to make it 1-0 to St Paul's. Several Newton attacks later and our girls were 2-1 down and were beginning to tire after an exhausting afternoon. Naomi and Kate weren't ready to give up yet though and darted up and down the court, desperate for that all important point. Their efforts were to no avail, however, as the final whistle blew and the game was confirmed as a win for Newton. After a fantastic afternoon of netball, our girls walked away with a well-deserved 2nd place, each of them receiving a medal for their efforts. As always, I'd like to end with a big thank you to all the parents who turned up to show their support to our school teams. I know the children really do appreciate it and it shows how dedicated the St Paul's family is to supporting and enriching our children's education. As I write this, the sun is blazing through the window and reminds me that as our winter sports season closes, our summer sports open. With the inter-school cricket, rounders and athletics tournaments still to come, there are plenty of opportunities for St Paul's students to shine. I look forward to updating you on our successes in the Summer term. Mr A Scholz Competition Time Congratulations go to Kate Tomes in Year Six for winning the colouring competition run by Lancashire Schools Catering Service.  |
