The spring term is traditionally a quiet one following the very busy autumn term. However this year, much has already happened in our first few weeks at school. The Year 1 and 2 classes went to Brooklands Museum as part of their topic on transport. We were accompanied by a record number of dads for this trip who regaled their children with memories from their childhood. The racing cars were a favourite with the children and they were all excited to see Concorde although they could not go inside this exhibit. Year R were thrilled to have a visit from local firemen and their fire engine. The children sat in the cab and the firemen answered all their questions about how everything worked. A few days later these children "flew" to India for the day. They made passports and took their suitcases to the school hall where the aeroplane was waiting to take off. Once in India, they cooked some traditional Indian food for their lunch and learnt how a sari is worn, helped by one of our parents. Year 3 are studying the Tudors and they spent a rather cold but very interesting day at Hampton Court Palace. They explored the kitchens with staff who were "in role" and the children came back with a good idea about what life was like in Tudor times.

Merlin the Wizard came for an afternoon to work with the KS1 classes on a quest to find the sword in the stone. The children were very involved in this drama session and had to contribute their ideas on their journey with Merlin. The Pied Piper Theatre Company performed "Laura's Star" to the whole school. This favourite children's book is about a young lonely girl befriending a star and it was hugely enjoyed by everyone. This theatre group are known for their use of live music in their productions and this time they used the cello to contribute to the atmosphere of the play. Visits such as these make a huge difference to children's learning as well as making learning fun.

Farmers Georgina and John Emerson from Hunts Hill Farm cooked breakfast for us all one Friday. Parents joined their children for a Big Breakfast of sausages, eggs, bacon and mushrooms in a freshly baked bap. This was part of National Farmers Breakfast Week which promotes the eating of healthy breakfasts. The meat was traditionally reared and very tasty. I was disappointed to discover that many of our children either eat a sugary cereal or have no breakfast at all which does not contribute towards a healthy diet. Staff particularly noticed how much calmer in class the children were after the cooked breakfast and research shows how children's brain function significantly improves after eating a healthy breakfast.

Last term, the children decided to sponsor a child and after much discussion, they chose to sponsor a child in Pakistan. In January, we were delighted to receive photos of Roha, an eight year old girl who lives in Islamabad. She lives in a mud bricked house with her mother, father and younger sister. We know that she enjoys school and we are looking forward to writing to her to find out more about her life. The School Council must find ways to raise money to keep up our sponsorship payments and they have already come up with lots of ideas, a cake sale being one of the most popular.

Last month, I reported our joy in funding for the school building project being agreed. Our first fundraising event was a celebration of the Chinese New Year in the Village Hall which was very successful. You will soon find posters about our next event, the Sing Along Sound of Music on 25^th March in the Village Hall. This promises to be great fun and I hope to see you there.

Ann Tann