The Chronicle

Dear Parents

Today has been a very special day in the Crackley Hall calendar of events.  It is the day that some of our students take their First Holy Communion.  Although we could not guarantee the sunshine for today, the warmth inside this church from this occasion was felt by everyone.  I have been lucky enough to be present at a number of these events and each time I feel honoured and grateful to be part of such an important service and milestone in our children’s lives.

I would like to thank everyone for attending especially those who helped make this year’s event possible including Father Kevin, Mrs Jackson-Mayne, Mrs Simmonds, the Catering Team, the Crackley Hall Caretaking team and the School Office.  Each child also had a special treat at the end of the day as they all collected a cake made by Mr Sansum to celebrate Holy Communion.  Thank you to our parents and grandparent for the very important role that you play in your child’s spiritual formation.

Although First Holy Communion may have been the highlight of the week/year, there have been other exciting events during our first week back to school.  On Wednesday, Junior 2 visited the Belgrade Theatre to watch Honk!  This was enjoyed by staff and children alike and is highly recommended.  Thank you to Mrs Olden for organising this visit and to Mrs Hardwick, Mrs Malcolm, Mrs Wild, Mrs Kaur, Mrs Duigan and Mrs Convey for accompanying the children.

Also on Wednesday, Mrs Simmonds and her able volunteers hosted a delightful afternoon tea for grandparents and parishioners.  Our choral group and orchestra entertained our guests while they enjoyed the homemade scones expertly baked by Mrs Simmonds that morning.  Unfortunately, I was unable to attend or sample the delights, but I have received many compliments about the atmosphere, food and entertainment.  My sincere thanks to Mrs Simmonds, Mrs Olden, Mrs Wildey, Mrs Paphitis and the willing helpers for making this an enjoyable afternoon for so many.

On Thursday some of our sporting stars travelled to the Alexander Stadium to participate in the ISA Midlands Athletics.  We enjoyed our most successful meeting ever, with at least 7 of our athletes being selected to represent the Midlands at the ISA Nationals later this term.  Thank you very much to Mrs Vaugahn and her team – she not only trained the athletes but also organised the whole tournament – ever so well from the feedback that I’ve received.

As many of you will know, there was an All About Me meeting in the Hall yesterday afternoon which parents were invited to attend to learn about the new guidance for Relationships Education and Health Education.  For those parents who could not attend or wish to have more information regarding the programme, there will be a separate communication from Mr Cottrill very soon.  This will detail what topics will be taught to specific year groups and when.  There will also be a link to a website, Warwickshire’s Protective Behaviours – Taking Care Programme and the NSPCC Pants rules.  I am sure that there will be questions regarding this initiative but please be reassured that there will be staff available to help you with your queries.

Due to First Holy Communion, this morning’s assembly was shorter than normal and all external trophies, awards and certificates will be celebrated next Friday.  However, I would like to congratulate our stars of the week on their achievements: Isabel, Grace, Thomas, Evie, Amelia, Mairen, Mya, Stephanie, Solon, Noah, Daisymay, Jude and all of Junior 6.

I am hoping that the weather improves tomorrow morning as Crackley Hall will be at the Kenilworth Show; if you are in the area and can attend it would be lovely to see you.  Please do not forget it is Charity Day on Monday and children are invited to attend in non-school uniform for a contribution to this year’s chosen charity – Blind Sports.

Before closing, I would like to remind you that the Leamington Spa Centre Box Office is now open and you can book your tickets for the school production online.  Also, it is my intention to open our holiday club throughout the whole summer this year and you can also now book this online using the normal procedure.  I would urge you to book as soon as possible so that I can confirm it is viable to open this facility to parents throughout the summer.

The cricket world cup is interesting, except if you are a South African supporter!  At least I was able to celebrate Liverpool’s Champions League triumph last week.  They might not have played well and, very often, looked second best to Spurs but the trophy justified a tremendous season for them.  I hope that you enjoy a good sporting weekend – tennis and cricket, in particular and we wish those pupils taking part in the Leamington Festival or the Kenilworth Show the very best.

Have a restful weekend.

God bless,

Robert Duigan