HERON HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL
4
learning together, playing together, growing together Dear Parents and Carers After what has been such an eventful and turbulent year, it was lovely to be able to end it with some ‘festive normality’ during the past few weeks. We were incredibly fortunate that none of the events and celebrations that we had planned, fell foul of Covid conditions and guidance and were able to go ahead. I am sure that those of you who were lucky enough to attend any of the live events would agree that the children were incredible and were a real credit to you all. After all the cancellations and disappointments of last Christmas, this year the children will go into the Christmas holidays with lifelong memories of a ‘proper school Christmas’ – just as it should be. This is my final newsletter message to you as Interim Headteacher before I go back to my ‘day job’ of being Deputy Head. I would like to take this opportunity to show my gratitude to you all for your support during the past 12 months. In so many ways, this year has been a difficult one for every Headteacher in the country. However, I have been incredibly lucky that, as well as having an amazing staff on my team, I have been working with such a compassionate, understanding and adaptable group of parents and carers. You really have made my job easier than it might otherwise have been. Thank you! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year. Ian Murphy Interim Headteacher Staffing We welcome Mrs Trish Merritt (photograph) as our new Headteacher from the beginning of January. Mrs Merritt has been coming into Heron Hill School about once a week this term, so she already has a good understanding of the school. She will introduce herself to you in the New Year. We look forward to Mrs Patti Moorhouse returning to Year 1 from maternity leave on a part-time basis in January. Our caretaker, Mr Andy Morris, is leaving us today. He has looked after the school and staff well for almost 6 years, we will miss him. Date for your Diary Wednesday 5 th January 2022 Return to school www.heronhill.cumbria.sch.uk [email protected] @heronhillschool HERON HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER NO. 4 17 th December 2021 Kendal Parish Church Christmas Tree Festival Please visit the Christmas Tree Festival in the Parish Church this weekend (Saturday 11.00 am-4.00 pm, Sunday 2.00 pm-4.00 pm). There are two trees in the Festival connected to the school: Our Nursery children have decorated this tree (photograph) to celebrate our link with Open Arms in Kenya. We have also decorated a wellbeeing tree, co-ordinated by the Bee Team, to which many of our school pupils have made a written contribution. Please use your tokens to vote for us!
Transcript of HERON HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL
l e a r n i n g t o g e t h e r , p l a y i n g t o g e t h e r , g r o w i n g t o g e t h e r
Dear Parents and Carers
After what has been such an eventful and turbulent year, it was lovely to be able to end it with some
‘festive normality’ during the past few weeks. We were incredibly fortunate that none of the events and
celebrations that we had planned, fell foul of Covid conditions and guidance and were able to go ahead.
I am sure that those of you who were lucky enough to attend any of the live events would agree that the
children were incredible and were a real credit to you all. After all the cancellations and disappointments of
last Christmas, this year the children will go into the Christmas holidays with lifelong memories of a ‘proper
school Christmas’ – just as it should be.
This is my final newsletter message to you as Interim Headteacher before I go back to my ‘day job’ of
being Deputy Head. I would like to take this opportunity to show my gratitude to you all for your support
during the past 12 months. In so many ways, this year has been a difficult one for every Headteacher in
the country. However, I have been incredibly lucky that, as well as having an amazing staff on my team, I
have been working with such a compassionate, understanding and adaptable group of parents and carers.
You really have made my job easier than it might otherwise have been. Thank you!
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year.
Ian Murphy
Interim Headteacher
Staffing
We welcome Mrs Trish Merritt (photograph) as our new Headteacher from the
beginning of January. Mrs Merritt has been coming into Heron Hill School about
once a week this term, so she already has a good understanding of the school.
She will introduce herself to you in the New Year.
We look forward to Mrs Patti Moorhouse returning to Year 1 from maternity leave
on a part-time basis in January.
Our caretaker, Mr Andy Morris, is leaving us today. He has looked after the school
and staff well for almost 6 years, we will miss him.
Date for your Diary
Wednesday 5th January 2022 Return to school
www.heronhill.cumbria.sch.uk
@heronhillschool
HERON HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER NO. 4
17th December 2021
Kendal Parish Church Christmas Tree Festival
Please visit the Christmas Tree Festival in the Parish Church this weekend (Saturday
11.00 am-4.00 pm, Sunday 2.00 pm-4.00 pm). There are two trees in the Festival
connected to the school: Our Nursery children have decorated this tree (photograph) to
celebrate our link with Open Arms in Kenya. We have also decorated a wellbeeing tree,
co-ordinated by the Bee Team, to which many of our school pupils have made a written
contribution. Please use your tokens to vote for us!
l e a r n i n g t o g e t h e r , p l a y i n g t o g e t h e r , g r o w i n g t o g e t h e r
Year 1 and Year 2 Carol Service
Our first ever outdoor Carol Service could not have gone better. We had a fabulous time, the children
enjoyed making Christmas lanterns and Year 2 gave a wonderful ukulele performance of ‘Silent Night’.
Reception Carol Service During our Parish Church service, Reverend Shanti retold the Christmas story in a beautiful way and the children sang songs from their ’Cheeky Cherubs’ production.
Reception Nativity
Our ‘Cheeky Cherubs’ production included
spoken words by every child, angelic angels
and as usual, bossy teachers!
l e a r n i n g t o g e t h e r , p l a y i n g t o g e t h e r , g r o w i n g t o g e t h e r
Nursery: Christmas Parish Church Service and Christmas Party with Santa!
We wish you a Happy Chr istmas !
Relief MDS
Do you love the sound of children laughing? Do you like working outdoors? Would you like to be able to
help out the school? We need to have a bank of relief Mid-Day Supervisors who come into school for an
hour and a quarter, any day we have a Mid-Day Supervisor absent. The rate of pay is £9.62 per hour. If
you are interested in being a relief MDS, please email Mrs Roberts at [email protected] or
call into the office in January.
Governor Insight - Ian Vermeulen
It is Christmas time again and with the New Year comes a new Headteacher, Trish
Merritt. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Trish every success in her new
role here at Heron Hill. The governors are sure that she will be a great addition to
the school.
I would however like to focus my attention on the work that the interim leadership
have put in, to keep the school running smoothly over the past year since our last
Headteacher retired. Ian Murphy, our Deputy Head, stepped up and agreed to run the school, until such a
time as a new Head could be found. Little did he know that due to COVID-19 regulations, this would be a
far longer process than anyone imagined. Michelle Wilkinson took over Ian’s role as Deputy Head and
together they have done a magnificent job of running the school during an extremely difficult and
challenging year. As a school community, we all owe them a great debt of gratitude for all the work and
responsibility they have taken on.
Yet this task could not have been completed without the support of their management team as well as
every member of staff. All staff pulled together to ensure that the school kept running and that the children
were able to continue their education as normally as is possible during the past difficult year. It has been
heartening to see how everyone has pulled together during this time to give the children as much normality
as possible.
I would like to wish all the staff a happy and relaxing holiday, you all deserve the time off. Merry Christmas
to all of you in the Heron Hill School community.
Royal British Legion
As you may be aware, Heron Hill pupils really like the poppies and other merchandise
the Royal British Legion provides in the days up to Remembrance Day. We have
received a letter asking us to pass on to you RBL’s gratitude for your support and the
£540.99 the school raised. We have been assured that every penny raised will go towards helping Armed
Forces Veterans and their families. In total, the Kendal District raised £24,500 this year.
