Garswood - an extended family

“Garswood is one big community that feels like an extended family.”

Thank you to our parents for such amazing feedback on our recent survey. We have been overwhelmed. We are in the process of collating this information and will share with you the outcomes. Watch this space!

In the meantime, the festivities have begun, with the community Christmas Tree Lighting Event on Friday 24^th November. It was such a chilly evening, but it was lovely to see the children and families singing together and enjoying the visit from Santa. Don’t worry if you didn’t get to take part because on Thursday 30^th December, we are holding our very own Christmas fair and the big man in red is sure to make an appearance! We will be preparing the grotto in anticipation – “Santa Claus is coming to town!”

Despite the festivities almost being upon us, school continues to be a hive of activity with curriculum and extra curricula activities. We ‘made a noise’ about bullying this last week and following our odd socks Monday – thinking about our uniqueness – we then spoke about the British Values and how we live these through our actions at school.  We talked about how our school values, to be kind, be ambitious and be respectful - help us to live in harmony together.

As this week was Inter-faith week, we reflected on our RE curriculum. We welcomed an Imam to Y3 and Y5 who helped with the children’s learning and understanding about Islam. Y6 continue to build on their understanding of Hinduism. The infants have started studying one of the most significant events for Christianity, the birth of Jesus, as they prepare for a nativity performance.  

One thing we see which features in all religions is the importance of charity and thinking of others. As a school we have been so grateful to our community for helping us to fundraise with donations for the fair. It’s sure to be a super event and will raise much needed funds for our school. Our community  also proudly supported Children in Need and raised an amazing £181 for this charity. Great achievement!

Finally, I was so proud of our Y6 children earlier this month when they gathered with other local schools at the local Remembrance Service. On Remembrance Day, people from all backgrounds come together to remember and pay their respects. It's a day when we unite to honour a common cause – peace and gratitude for those who served and hope for a peaceful future. Remembrance Day reminds us that peace is precious and encourages us to be peacemakers, to stand up against injustice, and to strive for a more harmonious world.  We hope that the sacrifice that has been made by others, inspires us to be better, kinder, and more united.

Thank you for your ongoing support,

Pamela Potter

Head teacher