The last day is finally upon us –and as always it has been a roller coaster of emotions. I am typing this just before the Year 6 Leaver’s Parade and then the holiday can truly begin. When we return in September Little Heath is going to seem like a very different place because we have a lot of teachers leaving this year as well as Year 6. I know I have already thanked them in my newsletter but I would like to thank again Mrs Zegallo, Mr Spring, Mrs Costi. Mrs Aldridge and Mrs McFarlane for all they have done for Little Heath – they are certainly going to be missed. While I am thanking people I would l also like to thank everyone who has sent me gifts – they are much appreciated.

All that is left for me to do now is to wish you all a lovely holiday. If the weather remains like it has been for the last few weeks it should be a very enjoyable one although a little rain would not be a bad thing –I felt very nervous typing that as I certainly do not want six weeks of storms. I look forward to seeing everyone again on Wednesday, 5^th September.

We are flying towards the end of term –I honestly cannot believe that a year has passed since the end of the last academic year. It does not seem like 2 minutes since we were saying goodbye to last year’s Year 6 and here we are ready to say goodbye to our current Year 6 –we will be getting ready for Christmas before we know it. This end of year is going to have extra sadness attached to it because as well as losing our Year 6 we are also losing a lot of staff which is unusual for us. Mrs Zegallo is retiring and Mr. Spring, Mrs Costi, Mrs Aldridge and Mrs McFarlane are all going to pastures new. We are going to miss them and I will find it very strange because Mr Spring and Mrs Zegallo have always been here since I started. However, I am really pleased with all the staff that I have appointed and I know you will give them lots of support when they start in September. Those of you who attended the ‘Meet the Teacher’ sessions last night will have already met a lot of our new staff.

Next week, as it is the last week of term, is not a normal week as we have lots of activities taking place in school. On Monday it is our last ‘Sharing Assembly’ of the year when all the children who have not taken part in one will present their work to the rest of the school and their parents. The letters have already gone out about this. On Wednesday we have a steel pan band coming into school to carry out sessions with all of the children which I know everyone one will find really enjoyable. On Thursday it is the annual rounders match where the teachers take on the Year 6. All the children really enjoy watching this but the teachers face it with a little trepidation as the Year 6 are so eager to beat us and show us no mercy. Our track record in this competition is not good and as our children are district champions in this event I do not think that a victory for us is on the cards this year.

On Thursday the children are also going to watch the Year 6 production in the morning and this year the Year Six are performing ‘A Midsummer’s Night Dream’ with one or two alterations. This is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays so I am really looking forward to watching it. I will also be fortunate to see it twice because the Year 6 will be performing it again in the evening for their families and friends before they have their leavers party which I know they are really looking forward to. They cannot celebrate too much though because they have to come in bright and fresh the next day for their ‘Leavers Assembly’. This can be quite an emotional time for them because they can get very sad at the thought of leaving us after so many years but we try to make it a celebration of their time here so they leave us with lots of happy memories.

On the Friday afternoon, as it is their last day, we have a leavers parade. For those of you who have been at the school for a while you will know that this consists of the whole school (apart from Year 6) forming two lines and then Year 6 (and any other people who are leaving the school) march down the middle to music and wave goodbye to everyone before they leave the school for good. The rest of the children then leave behind them so it means that all the children leave from the KS2 entrance on Friday so all parents need to come to this area. (Nursery and Reception children will still need to be collected from the Foundation block). It can appear a little crowded but all the teachers are present and Mr Spena and I stand on the main gates to ensure that none of the children escape.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. The good weather is still with us which is great. If it is going to be like this every summer we will not need to go abroad for our holidays. I am going to Wimbledon this weekend so I am very excited about that. I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday morning.

As I predicted last week we have had a very quiet week in school because the Year 6 have been in Kingswood. It is the same every year and you would not think that by having one class out that it would make such a difference but it has. I will be staying late in school to welcome them back and I expect they will all look very tired after their busy week. Mrs Zegallo has been keeping in close contact with the school and I know that all the children have had a wonderful time and will have made memories to last for the rest of their lives.

You will have received the information about our changes to the dates for next year. We do not make these changes lightly and have had to bring them in as we have had to alter some of our training as we have so many new members of staff. There are still the same amount of INSET days but it just means that our last day or term will now be July 23^rd instead of July 19^th.

As it is getting towards the end of term we have another busy week in school next week. On Monday we have a theatre company visiting us who will be reinforcing the importance of internet safety for the children through a play called ‘Where are you Johnny James?’. The Year 4 are going to be having an Anglo Saxon Day on Tuesday and on Thursday most of the Year 6 will be visiting their new secondary schools. We also take the opportunity to use this day for the children to meet the teachers that they will be having next year– our new Nursery and Reception children will also be joining us.

On Thursday evening parents will have the opportunity to meet their child’s next teacher at the ‘Meet the Teacher’ sessions which are at 4.30pm and 6.00pm. The letters have already gone out for these but I would like reinforce the fact that these meetings are for parents only. In the past some parents have tried to bring their children in but as all the staff are busy and there is no-one to supervise them this is not acceptable. I have had to send parents away from these meetings if they have brought children with them so I hope that I do not have to do it this year. Kids ’n’ Clubs are offering childcare for parents who attend the 4.30pm session but they will need to know by Tuesday, 10^th July to guarantee your child a place.

The good weather is still with us and it is forecast to get even hotter over the weekend. However, no matter how hot it gets I am sure that there will only be a handful of people outside at 3.00pm on Saturday as England try and get through to the semi-finals of the World Cup. Even if football does ‘not come home’ though we will still be here on Monday morning. I look forward to seeing you all again then.