August 2023

15 Buckden Roundabout August 2023 School & Pre - School BUCKDEN CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY ACADEMY July 2023 At the time of writing we only have one full week left until the children break up for the summer holidays and I can say that both students, staff and parents are looking forward to the summer break. In June, the whole school took part in Science Week, which was very exciting for the children, with lots of activities planned. At the beginning of the week the whole school conducted an in- vestigation to answer the question - Does the size or shape of an aeroplane ’ s wings affect the distance that it flies? We were very lucky to have two visitors come into school and explain the science behind how aeroplanes fly. Then the children investi- gated to try and answer the question by making planes and launching them to test the distance that they flew. We also had a visitor come and deliver some really interesting work- shops about fossils and unusual plants and animals. A huge thank you to all of our volunteers for coming in to support us. On the last day of June, we had a fantastic Sports Day with per- fect weather this year where it was not too hot for the children taking part and we escaped the recent showers that we have been having. Parents were invited to watch their children take part in the morning for all the track events. Many of the field events were done either in PE lessons or later on in the after- noon. All the children tried their best and were all supporting each other, you may have heard the cheering around the vil- lage! We have just finished Transition week for the children whereby our Year 6’ s went off to experience their first taste of secondary school and in contrast we welcomed our new parents and new Reception children for September with morning taster sessions and a new parents welcome evening. The rest of the school all relocated to their new classrooms and everyone is looking for- ward to joining their new class in September. With the Year 6’ s preparing to leave Primary school very soon they have been very busy this term. They have been preparing for Enterprise week, with the aim to raise money for a chosen charity, rehearsing and performing their Year 6 production ‘ Peter Pan ’ to perform it in front of parents and carers over two evenings and an afternoon at the end of term. The PTA have spent a lot of time planning a leaver ’ s party for the Year 6’ s, all taking place outside in line with a festival theme, all the children are very much looking forward to it. As with previous years ’ leavers, the majority of Year 6’ s bought a Leaver ’ s Hoody with all the current Year 6 children ’ s names on as a keepsake of their final year at Buckden Primary. So expect to see quite a lot of children around the village over the next few weeks wearing their much prized hoodie! Once again we will be holding our Leavers ’ Assembly at St Mary's Church next Monday morning. Our Year 6 parents have been invited along for the service and have the opportunity to stay after the event for tea and cake served by the children. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the PTA ’ s Fam- ily Fun Day on Saturday 1 st July, we hope everyone had a great day, and a big thank you to everyone that helped, volunteered and prizes that were donated to make the day a success. The day raised over £1700 for the PTA funds which will go towards finishing off the school pond. As we come to the end of term we also would like to take this opportunity to say a sincere thank you to those members of staff that are moving on. They have contributed significantly during their time at Buckden and we will always be thankful for the impact that they have had on the children during their time at our school. They will be missed and we wish them every success in their new endeavours. We wish everyone a safe and happy summer break and we look forward to seeing everyone in September, no doubt all the chil- dren being a little bit taller! By the time you read this, Preschool will be closed for the holi- days. Preschool staff will be busy making changes and improve- ments for the new school year, focusing on 'continuous provi- sion' (resources and activities that are always available for the children to play with as they wish, helping them follow their interests and develop creativity). The committee will be busy too, planning new fundraising opportunities. One member, Nikki Stamford, has already had the brilliant (or bonkers?) idea of doing a skydive in September! Rest assured, if you ’ re thinking of joining the committee, sky- diving isn't something we demand of our committee members! Nikki has always wanted to try skydiving and decided to raise money for Preschool at the same time. Please help her reach her £1,250 target by sponsoring her at https:// www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ buckdenpreschoolplaygroup Buckden Preschool is also one of the charities in the poll to receive a donation from the Mad Hatter's Party. The poll, which closes on 31 st July, can be found on the Buckden Com- munity Events Facebook page and the Buckden Residents page). In July, we had a brilliant visit from PC Palmer from Hunts Po- lice. The children tried on hats, looked at equipment such as road signs, handcuffs and door rams, and sat in the police car. Coincidentally, the Cambs fire department was also at the vil- lage hall, so the children were able to look around the fire en- gine too, causing a lively spirit of competition between the emergency services! We also had an emotional graduation and party for our leavers. While we thanked all our supporters last month, we're saying an extra thank you to Sally, Buckden' s librarian, who ran a book sale to raise funds for us. We would also like to thank: • the people of Buckden for engaging with the children and staff and for being so supportive of the Preschool. We aim always to be an integral part of the village and gain so much from belonging to this wonderful community. (Continued on page 16)