The Chronicle

Dear Parents (and pupils)

I would like to start by thanking you all so very much for your supportive messages that I have received this week.  Keeping in contact with every one of you is vitally important during this difficult time.  The photographs you have sent have been very uplifting and will be sharing them through the Chronicle.

Your feedback during and on the first week of remote learning is immensely valuable as we learn to negotiate the best way forward for all concerned.  We will have explored the vast choice of online resources available and have been in constant communication with other headteachers in order to fine tune the provision for the children.  We are also monitoring what tends to work best and are looking to provide a mixed and balanced delivery.  Additionally, what works for one family may not suit another.

Teachers have been working incredibly hard each day to ensure that their class has received the correct work.  The extra demand on technology and the internet has resulted in temporary pauses in access to our network but, in the main, communications have been successful.  Frustratingly, I have been unable to have my assembly video uploaded; it was recorded this morning and I was desperately hoping that the pupils would be able to see who was presented the awards in an ‘almost live’ scenario.  I have no doubt that we will be able to improve this aspect of our teaching as we move forward.

I know that some parents have found the level of emails challenging but I am pleased to say that the Easter break has arrived and will provide a respite from deadlines and full in-boxes.  If you need to contact school during the Easter break, please email  Post@crackleyhall.co.uk and Mrs Dyer will endeavour to respond as soon as possible.  There will be some contact between home and school during the holiday period and I will, of course, update you all towards the end of the holiday period, specifically with teaching provision and maintaining our sense of community and pastoral care.  We really must look to stay in contact in any way that we can as this is one of the absolute strengths of our school.  I will be writing to parents of those children who are due to attend residential visits next term.

I am very grateful to those staff who have been able to attend school this week providing a rota of cover so that we can care for children of our critical key workers.  Teachers, teaching assistants, office staff, cleaners, our caretaker and catering manager have enabled the school to function on a very basic level whilst the remainder of teaching staff are teaching remotely.  This has allowed our teachers to work from home in delivering their lessons, responding to emails and maintaining essential contact with our families.  It will be challenging as we start working with the ‘new normal’.

As mentioned, I have recorded an assembly for you this morning and will hopefully be able to share this with you soon.  (Please do excuse the squeaky background noises every time I moved my elbows or arms – I will try not to make the same mistake again).  Congratulations to all our stars of the week: Hugo, Fleur, Angelica, Shuvan, Olivia, Jenson, Esme, Ralph, Hattie, Mikey, Alyx, Caythan, Thomas, and Hugo.  Your certificates have been sent in the post to you.  Congratulations are also afforded to Ellie who is awarded the RE Book of the Week.  Well done to everyone during this very different week of school.

Well done to Venus for winning this week’s house competition (161 points). I think that they have a ‘hat-trick’ of wins!

The following pupils received Headmaster’s Awards:  Sienna (J2H), Josh, (J1H), Eve (J3S), Beatrice (J3S), Archie (J6V) and Esme (J3S).  I have seen so many wonderful pictures, a few videos and many bits of great work online – the teachers have saved work centrally.  Mrs Dyer has passed on the many emails from families, some showing and informing me about work completed, others giving advice and encouragement and others thanking us for what we are trying to do.  It is uplifting and we will continue to do our best and to improve, whilst we take on board some suggestions.  There were some lovely poems from J3V and J3S – thank you for those.  Also, super messages from pupils – the last two I have just received were from Rhoman and Sumhar.  I really appreciated the kind messages – I also hope that Liverpool get the chance to win the league!  Keep working hard but, also, enjoy the holidays.

I hope you will be able to enjoy some sunshine in the garden during the Easter break and I will try to respond to everyone who has contacted me at some point.  Your patience and support during this time is very much appreciated.  Boys and girls, keep up the acts of kindness and help around the house, learn new skills (besides patience and tolerance) and take up the challenge that Conor, our RE Captain, has set – to carry out helpful and kind acts as often as possible.

We will look to keep in touch over the holiday and will provide you with some interesting activities that you may choose to do if you are able or willing.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and the whole school community at this time.

God bless

Mr Duigan 

Our Stars of the Week this week are:

House points for this week are:

1st – Venus 161

2nd – Saturn 137

3rd – Jupiter 117

4th – Mars 114

Well done Venus!!!

Teachers will be awarding house points to those who send evidence of their work to them - keep up the good work!!

As we find ourselves continuing our learning, but in a new way, we are keen to ensure we all stay in touch with our Crackley family.

Every week Mr. Duigan will share his assembly and provide the parents and children with a friendly face and news about what is happening in our virtual school. 

The first video was sent out on Tuesday and appears to have been a great success with everyone. Here are some of the lovely things that have been said;

"Missing the school run, the people, the noise and the bustle and the community.,.. But school hasn’t stopped, Crackley Hall teachers and staff are doing an amazing job of keeping our children learning despite the difficulties. This week we have had video assemblies, PE lessons, in the garden, phone calls from teachers, a squirrel plus Mr Lamprecht was abducted by artificial intelligence.... Crackley Hall are doing a fantastic job - thankyou"

"Thank you to you and all of the staff for providing us with support and updates at this time. A call from Mrs Hill today was also a lovely gesture and a pleasure to receive!"

"Thank you so much for such a wonderful assembly!"

"What a wonderful Headmaster! Thank you for sharing this lovely message, it has been so nice for us to see Mr Duigan and to listen."

"We appreciate all you and your wonderful staff are doing."

Thank you for all the messages of support, we will continue to record and share these assemblies with you all.

This week has been our first week of Home Learning and we have all been so impressed by the wonderful work the children have been doing.

We are so proud of them all for embracing this new style of learning. We have very much enjoyed receiving photos of their work.  Here are just a few photos from across the year groups.  We will be sharing more next week.

Please do continue to send through your learning photos over the Easter break and we will include them in our next edition.

Well done everyone.

Richard Harcourt has been appointed to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
Mr Harcourt lives locally in Stretton on Dunsmore and has three children who all attended Princethorpe College.

After leaving school at the age of 16, Mr Harcourt started an Engineering Apprenticeship at Dunlop Aerospace in Coventry. In a career spanning some 40 years he travelled the world, including a four-year stint based in Canada, before finally retiring in 2018 as the Director of Operations at Rolls Royce. He now splits his time between non-executive work and his hobbies of golf, gardening and travelling.

Mr Harcourt, comments, “My children all attended Princethorpe College and benefitted hugely from the terrific learning environment the Foundation offers. I am therefore thrilled to be asked to join the Board of Trustees and to support the Foundation as it continues to develop and thrive.”

Eddie Tolcher, Foundation Bursar and Clerk to the Trustees said, “Richard will bring a wealth of commercial experience to the Foundation’s Governing Body. His experience, insight and advice will be very much appreciated.”

Mathlete of the week for J1H is Jessie and Lena

Mathlete of the week for J2H is Sara

Mathlete of the week for Mrs Lammas group is Woody

Mathlete of the week for J3V is Kate

Mathlete of the week for J3S is Jack

Mathlete of the week for Mrs Hills J4 group is Merryn 

Mathlete of the week for Mrs Hills J6 group is Lily 

Well done to all!

The Foundation’s senior school Princethorpe College has set up a Twitter account to provide helpful advice and guidance to parents of pupils at the school.  Much of the advice is not specific to secondary aged children so we are inviting all members of our wider school community to follow the account. 

Run by Princethorpe College’s Deputy Head Pastoral, Mrs Beth Sharpe, it is sharing information and links from a variety of official sources and includes useful learning resources as well as advice to keep us all mentally well and safe.

Search for @Parenting@Princethorpe to follow the Twitter account.

Amelia (J3S) receives a da Vinci award for her super Egyptian Cinderella story.

Thank you to all the pupils who have already begun creating their Gardens of Gethsemane. It has been lovely to see you getting out into the sunshine, following instructions and being creative.

Here are a few pictures of some of the creations so far.

Well done everyone.

Mrs Jackson-Mayne

RE Book of the week goes to Ellie in J2H.

A stunning piece of writing on Holy Week and Easter. Ellie has really worked hard with content and presentation, focusing on the interaction with Judas and the Romans. She included a fabulous picture too and edited once it was marked.

Very impressive.

Ms Holmes

Are you ready for a Lego challenge?

Lego fan Ted Higginbotham in J2 certainly is and he has been busy in Lego Club this week, but in quite a different way!  Ted has been involved in the 30-day Lego and already on Day 2 Ted has made a space rocket.  Ted’s rocket was extra special as it had golden rockets on it, as well as a surprise panda to keep a sharp lookout for any space intruders!

Ted enjoyed taking part in this challenge as it reminded him of the Thursday Lego Club with Mrs Hill and all his Lego friends. Mrs Hill said, "This is a fantastic way to keep Lego enthusiasts active.  It is a free 30-day calendar which can be given to your children.  It is inspiring and brings a new direction to building Lego time.  It looks great fun and I would love to see any models which you are able to make.”

If anyone would like to be part of the 30-day Lego Challenge, it is a free Lego printable calendar and each day a specific Lego challenge is presented. The printable calendar is available to download from freehomeschooldeals.com. 

We have loved seeing the pictures of what the children have been doing this week.  Great work everyone, keep smiling, keep in touch and most importantly, have a safe and Happy Easter. 

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