Headteacher Message

Another exceptionally busy week at Darell!

We started the week with our year 4 residential to Thames Young Mariners. A wonderful time was had by all and the children lived our school values, fears were conquered and new experiences had. We want to say a huge thank you to the parents for preparing the children so well, but also to the staff who went with them. The staff at Darell go over and above for our school and this is a very fine example - sleeping in tents and leading by example, conquering their own fears in the water - thank you. Here are some comments from the children to show why we do it:

I really liked TYM because it was a really great experience. My favourite parts were kayaking and archery. At first, I was nervous, but I was looking forward to it. I liked our instructor, Scott, because he was friendly and helpful. The food was absolutely amazing and delicious. I would love to go again and TYM will always hold a special place in my heart.  Kate 

I liked TYM because it was amazing. The most enjoyable thing was the stand-up paddle boarding. At first, I was scared, but I enjoyed it once I got used to it. The instructors were very kind and the food was very yummy. I would love to go a second time.  From Ruairi

Monday was also the day our Eco Team took part in the Eco Summit at the Wetlands Centre. This gave them a valuable insight into sustainability and what that means for us. They took part in a variety of activities; pond dipping and exploring habitats and learning about different ecosystems. 

Year 2 (not year 6!!) went to the National Archives to enhance their topic on the Great Fire of London and year 5 followed them with a visit to develop their knowledge of Tutankhamun. 

We have been welcoming different visitors to Darell this week. We have an excellent relationship with Roehampton University and have welcomed two students to our SRP. They are completing a SEND focus observation as part of their course. We look forward to having them back next week and, using Olly's words, 'It's so lovely to have you here'; couldn't agree more, Olly! On that note, I would like to thank Olly's mum and grandma for taking the time to come and plant herbs and seeds with our Walker class this morning - the children really enjoyed themselves; thank you!

Kelly took our football team out on Wednesday for the Battle of the Boroughs - winning is not everything - participation and team spirits is! The team lived our values of kindness and aspiration all day - they didn't give up!

The PSA have been busy behind the scenes organising the stall at the May Fair. Please support them in any way you can and look below for the information, and we thank them for their hard work.

Next week we will be marking the 80th anniversary of VE day. There is information below but a big shout-out to Tipene, one of our year 6 pupils who attended a remembrance service for New Zealand war heroes last Friday at Westminster Abbey. He read a prayer in front of thousands of people, including the Duchess of Edinburgh. What an achievement! We are so proud of you, Tipene.

The diary is getting busy, so please keep an eye on the dates below. I do want to draw your attention to a coffee morning that has been arranged for the 16th May at 9am with the Mental Health Support Team from AFC:

SEND Coffee Morning

Friday 16^th May  Straight after drop off.

As well as providing an opportunity for parents to catch up with each other, we have Steph attending, who is an Education and Mental Health Practitioner from the Mental Health Support Team.  She is coming with a focus on anxiety in young minds.  She will be discussing what anxiety is, how to support young minds, how parents can support at home, as well as exploring techniques and strategies and recommendations around helpful resources.  

All are very welcome – you do not need to be a parent of a child with an identified SEND need.     

That was a longer message than usual, but we wish you a very lovely long weekend with your families, and we will see you all on Tuesday!