As news items are replaced on the home page, they will be added to the top of this file
Poetic licence To mark National Poetry Day on October 4, a special Poetry Assembly was held on October 3 (problems with staff availability etc) where each class performed a poem. Throughout that week the children also produced worked connected with poetry and even wrote some verses themselves.
Posted: 15th October 2007
Prospective parents should note that the present ad hoc system of showing them around is to be replaced with a series of open days, the first of which will be on Thursday, November 15. But they are not entirely open – please ring the school in advance if you want to come along.
Posted: 15th October 2007
Say hello to Kit Somers, left, and Bernadette Curry, who took up appointments in the staff room at the beginning of term. Bernadette is in charge of Year 3, while Kit, who is also a Sheringdale parent, joins as a Teaching Assistant. We bid them welcome and wish them each a long and rewarding career at Sheringdale.
Posted: 18th September 2007
Welcome back Staff and children returned for the Autumn term and the new school year this week to find a few subtle improvements to the school environment. The most obvious is a wheelchair ramp to the side entrance by the staffroom, together with a handsome set of handrails which naturally function as a minimalist climbing frame at playtime. The kitchen equipment has been renewed and more of the external doors replaced in our continuing programme of making the school more energy-efficient.
There have been a few staff changes and Mrs Morgan, the Head, is still finalising names and responsibilities, which is why the website's staff list has not yet been updated. But we are delighted to report the return from maternity leave of Jo Robinson, Deputy Head.
Posted: 5th September 2007
Call to the bar A notable absentee at Sports Day on Friday was the rain. Though the wind was a little frisky at times,
fortunately the wet stuff held off and we enjoyed a full and thoroughly entertaining programme of events at St Michael's field. It was
especially enjoyable for the Yellow team, who won overall with 116 points. Green came second, Blue third and Red fourth.
We are now rushing towards the end of term and, coincidentally, the end of the school year. On Thursday there is a Governors' reportback function for parents at 7pm in the hall (dress: casual) and then on Friday it's the Year 6 Leavers' Party (dress: formal). The Leavers' Assembly is on Wednesday next week at 2pm, and then it's all over bar the shouting, which is on Friday the 20th at 3pm.
See more pictures from Sports Day
Posted: 9th July 2007
Sports Day venue Contrary to what you may read in Mrs Morgan's latest newsletter, Sports Day on July 6 will be held at the St Michael's field, Viewfield Road, and not at Southfields Community College. The reasons for the change are arcane and tedious, having to do with administrative technicalities. Or something.
Once upon a time, of course, we always held Sports Day at the St Michael's field, so the venue will be familiar to those pupils who've been at Sheringdale for about 15 years, or more.
Meanwhile, don't forget the Summer Fayre on Saturday this week. The SSA is expecting an enthusiastic turn-out. Let's face it, there probably won't be anything else to do if the weather forecast is right!
Posted: 28th June 2007
Howzat! This very week Sheringdale's cricketers, drawn from Years 5 and 6, won the Shield in the Putney schools
tournament. This triumph came hot on the heels of last week's solid showing – in the absence of Year 6 at PGL – by the Year
5s in the first round of the Wandsworth Cricket Tournament, when the team defeated West Hill and St Joseph's, losing only to Fircroft. We
wish them the best of luck in the final next week.
Sheringdale athletes have also done very well in inter-school competition this term, and certificates for those achievements as well as for the cricketers (plus, of course, the Shield) were handed out by Fiona Morgan, the headteacher, at a special open-air assembly on Wednesday.
As it turned out we were very fortunate it was outdoors, because it meant the children were right on the spot to form up for the "Walking Bus" exercise at 10am. This was part of a much wider attempt to set a world record for the greatest number of children walking five hundred metres simultaneously in "bus" formation. Or something like that. At all events, the whole school (except Reception, who were on a real bus, or coach if you prefer, for an outing) walked in two-by-two formation around the school grounds, following a course previously measured out by members of Year 6 who, being on the brink of transfer to secondary schools, can be relied on for this sort of thing.
Three independent witnesses were on hand to solemnise the occasion, and the final tally will be dispatched with supporting evidence to the organisers at Brake, the road safety charity.
Posted: 14th June 2007
Revolving door We welcome everybody back from the half-term break. Well, not quite everybody, perhaps – Fauzia Ahmad is now on maternity leave, and we wish her every joyful prospect there. However, we do welcome the return of Carolyn Bellak from her maternity leave. She is back in the Year 1 driving seat from today.
Year 6 have set off on their school trip to Devon. With them is the headteacher, Fiona Morgan, so Wendy Lambert is holding the fort this week.
Posted: 4th June 2007
Healthy prospects In a project linking the Healthy Schools initiative with the Extended Schools scheme, children in
Years 6, 5 and 4 receive expert football coaching on Mondays after school in the splendid facilities down at Southfields Community
College. In these photographs taken this week, members of the Sheringdale "squad" practise in the gym while Year 4 pupils
take advantage of the sunshine to play a game outside.
Posted: 3rd May 2007
Being a parent is not always easy. So says the helping-hand charity Home-Start, and it is certainly on to something there, though there are those (ie parents) who will tell you that it is never easy. But of course what is true, and what Home-Start is all about, is that there are times when the difficult tips over into the impossible. Sometimes it can be the gradual aggregation of hostile circumstance – a rising debt burden, for example – while at others it might be a catastrophic event that turns the family's world upside down: bereavement, perhaps, divorce or redundancy. Either way, Home-Start's system of parent volunteers offers a way to help such families halt the spiral into despair and and get themselves back on to their feet.
Now, with help from Waitrose, Home-Start is coming to Wandsworth, and Sheringdale is due to play a significant role in getting the
local scheme up and running. The school will be hosting a get-together, or "Family Taster Session", on Wednesday May 23, when Emma
Richards of Home-Start London will introduce the work of the charity and explain the different roles played by home-visiting
volunteers and trustees. To cast it in an improbably purple light, trustees are M and Q to the volunteer Bonds. Well, they might not
be saving the world but to a desperate parent it sure can look that way.
The session, which is from 10am-12noon, with refreshments, is also to gauge the likely level of interest among potential volunteers with a view to showing Wandsworth that the project deserves council support. So if you think that you might have something to offer either as a visiting volunteer or as a trustee – or for that matter that you might benefit from the charity's services – do come along.
It will be followed in June by a two-day workshop – again at Sheringdale – mainly on visiting and support. The families Home-Start works with almost always come forward themselves to ask for help and the chief task of the visitors is to spend time with them and provide emotional and practical support. The chief stipulation for volunteers is that they must have experience as parents themselves (current or once upon a time). They will also be asked to go through a training programme.
On the other hand, there is no particular requirement (other than, perhaps, common sense) for the trustees who actually run the local schemes, but expertise is always welcome – financial, legal, management, IT, to name but a few. Emma Richards said the minimum number of trustees to a scheme was four, though it could be as many as eight. "Not that that's a maximum," she added. "It's just that we can never get more than eight."
Home-Start has been around since 1973, when the first scheme was launched in Leicester, and now has 345 active schemes across Britain (Wandsworth will be number 346), plus an armed forces division and an international sister organisation. In 2004 under the Every Child Matters initiative it was chosen to receive government funding to support an additional 5,000 families a year up to 2006-7.
There's lots more information, including brief case histories and contributions by volunteers and beneficiaries, on Home-Start's own website at www.home-start.org.uk/.
Posted: 25th April 2007
While our backs were turned, Jo Robinson pulled a fast one and gave the world a honey of an Easter gift. Dru Mabel weighed in at 4lb 12oz over the holidays, a trifle earlier than expected, but we are delighted to report that both mother and daughter are doing well. Congratulations, Jo!
Posted: 25th April 2007
Feeling broody... These chicks hatched in Jo Robinson's Year 1 classroom as part of a Science Week "Living Eggs"
investigation of the life cycle and have been observed and handled (gently, under supervision) by all the children. They will now be
going to a farm where they can grow and live in the sort of space, conditions and attention to welfare that we can't really provide
long-term at Sheringdale. An appropriate image for the start of the Easter break: remember, school ends today at 3pm and the children are
due back on April 23. Happy Easter, everybody!
Posted: 4th April 2007
Tawny owl
The Hawkshead website address is:
home.btconnect.com/hawkshead-falcon/.
Posted: 1st April 2007
Science Week kicked off today (Monday) with a visit from healthy-eating expert Karen Marshall who took over the Year 1 classroom to give every class in turn a workshop on creating a nourishing-but-fun sandwich. Being scientific, Science Week lasts all week with attractions that include visits by snakes and other reptiles. The website just remembered an urgent appointment with Hadrian's Wall.
You can find out more about Karen on her website, www.cookingwithchildren.co.uk.
Posted: 19th March 2007
Red appetite The Big Breakfast for Red Nose Day last Friday was a great success, the brief spell of spring weather offering a great excuse to take the tables out into the Infants playground, which made it much easier to manage than in previous years when they have all been strung out down the length of the hall, an arrangement that can provide an interesting test of one's sense of humour. Staff and parents alike pitched in with a will and gave the children a breakfast to remember. And what's more, we raised £570 for Comic Relief.
Posted: 19th March 2007
Soccer stars Sheringdale's football team, pictured, is having a great season. Last week at Dover House Road they defeated in quick succession Heathmere (1-0), Brandlehow (2-0) and Roehampton Church School (2-1). They are coached by Paul Glover and sponsored by Barnard Marcus, the estate agent, who generously paid for the kit. Well done, guys and gals – keep up the good work!
Posted: 15th March 2007
Funny day For Red Nose Day on Friday, the annual fund-raising effort by Comic Relief principally aimed at helping the victims of starvation, Aids and poverty in the Third World, Sheringdale and the SSA will be pitching in with their usual enthusiasm. There will be the regular breakfast where the children occupy tables set up down the length of the corridor and are served corn flakes and orange juice by volunteers from among parents and staff. Everybody wears strange red costumes and face-paint, including the kids and generally a great time is had by all.
Stop press Voters have chosen Andy Hamilton to co-present Radio 4 Woman's Hour with Martha Kearney on Red Nose Day. We are not sure what the numbers were but are confident that the website's intervention in the campaign was decisive, particularly the canny piece of disinformation regarding our arrangement of his opponents' names. Well done, Andy – we look forward to tuning in between 10am and 11am (after the Big Breakfast).
Posted: 13th March 2007
Fiona Morgan
At its Spring Term meeting last night, the Governing Body recognised this achievement with the following resolution, passed by universal acclaim:
With the anniversary of her appointment imminent, the Governing Body congratulates Fiona Morgan on a successful first year as Headteacher and assures her unreservedly of its continuing support and confidence in her dedication and professionalism.
With a hint of self-congratulation for having made such an excellent choice, the governors then proceeded to drink Fiona's health in a gratifying prosecco – the Venetian equivalent of Champagne, only better.
Posted: 13th March 2007
Vote Hamilton No, it's not another governor election, but an unashamedly partisan call for the Sheringdale community to support one of its own who is caught up in a bitter, no-holds-barred election campaign. Andy Hamilton is known to most of us as a former (only just) Sheringdale parent but privately he is also a famous writer and broadcaster. For Red Nose Day – always a big event in the Sheringdale calendar – he will be co-presenting Woman's Hour on Radio 4. Well, he will if enough of us vote for him rather than one of the other two candidates (Kelvin Hammond and Richard Mackenzie or some permutation thereof). The Hamiltons were always very active parents and contributed hugely to the school life during their association with Sheringdale – not least in helping this website off the ground.
To vote for Andy just phone 09011 16 12 03. It is a premium rate number, which some people wisely choose to have barred on their lines, but you may consider this a worthy exception which will cost you 25p on a BT landline, of which at least 12p will go to Comic Relief. Charges from mobiles and other networks may vary (eg 60p on the website's Vodaphone mobile).
Posted: 1st March 2007
New WBC governor As the school winds up for the half-term break, we are pleased to announce the return of Jenny Nickels to the Governing Body. Miss Nickels, who did a stint as a Sheringdale governor from 1998 to 1991, represents Southfields ward on Wandsworth Borough Council, and joins John Farmer and fellow-councillor Paul Reeve to complete the local authority's complement. We bid her welcome and happy governing.
Posted: 16th February 2007
Snow joke This morning's dash of winter proved very welcome to the children in the infants' playground before school started, and, with the flair we have come to expect of Sheringdale kids, they found many creative ways to amuse themselves – and no doubt their mothers when it comes to laundry time. Pretty though it all is, however, the disruption to public transport meant that the planned outings to the Imax cinema and the Imperial War Museum had to be called off. They are expected to be rescheduled.
Posted: 8th February 2007
Congratulations to Sarah Woods and Angela Werney, who were declared duly elected Parent Governors by Sue Guest, the Returning Officer, following a count of the votes after polling closed at noon today (Friday). One hundred and twenty-nine ballot papers were returned and a breakdown of the voting is available from the school office. Commiserations to Stephen Chenery, whom we should like to thank for standing, and we wish him better luck next time.
Angela Werney has been a Sheringdale parent for the past five years and has 20 years' experience in teaching and education management. Sarah Woods, a designer with a background in industry who is now in the academic field working as a senior lecturer, brings to the Governing Body a particular interest in the overlap between art and science. She has been a Sheringdale parent for 18 months.
The vacancies arose as a result of the terms expiring for Jeff Bartley and Karen McConnell, neither of whom sought re-election, Jeff because he was not eligible on the grounds that he no longer has a child at Sheringdale while Karen has less than two terms left in that happy condition. Fiona Morgan, the headteacher, offered her own congratulations to the governors-elect and, in expressing her thanks to all three candidates for coming forward, also paid tribute to Jeff and Karen for their years of active service to Sheringdale, both as governors and as committed members of the school family.
Posted: 2nd February 2007
Bear won A belated but nevertheless pleasurable announcement: the draw last Monday for the Barnardo's bear was won by the Martin family, with effective title passing to Daniel. Apparently more than £1,100 was raised for the children's charity, so well done everybody, and thankyou to all thse who contributed.
Posted: 2nd February 2007
Polling opens Following the close of nominations last Friday, we have three candidates for the two Parent Governor vacancies, so an election has to be held. Ballot papers and the personal statements of the candidates were sent out to all Sheringdale families yesterday (Wednesday). Each parent is entitled to one vote per vacancy, indicated with marks (X) against two of the names on the ballot.
Polling closes at noon on Friday 2nd February and the count will take place that afternoon. Ballots should be either posted into the red box by the office or returned by mail.
Posted: 25th January 2007
E eggals MC fried Meet Professor Eggstein, who came really, really close
with his famous eggwation not quite describing a fundamental principle of physics. He is
one of the many inspired ideas for the Barnardo's Egg Challenge, in which pupils were
asked to decorate and personalise a hard-boiled egg, give it a home in some sort of
container and take care of what by now we ought to think of as him or her for a week. On
Friday the eggs were brought to school and displayed in the classrooms, where they were
inspected by Mrs Morgan and the website on a tour of judgement. Mrs M had a stock of early
Easter eggs to distribute as prizes to the carers of, in her opinion-against-which-there-
is-no-appeal, the most eye-catching / witty / imaginative egg in each class. A heavy yolk
to carry, but she bore it with eggsemplary fortitude and good humour, though she was heard
to mutter at one point that if she heard another eggscruciating joke she might crack.
The range of themes and the attention to detail were striking, and clearly the children
pitched in with such enthusiasm that they roped in their families and turned it into a
real cooperative project (which chimes in nicely with the Barnardo's spirit). Of course,
this did not always work to advantage: one Reception lad reported glumly that his father
had inadvertently had his creation for breakfast – "My dad ate my homework", as it
were.
Among those that survived the paternal appetite, however, were David Beggham, an
egguestrian on a pony, Eggy Stardust (bit retro, no?) with a supporting band of toasted
soldiers, a glorious rising sun, that legendary good-egg Robin Hood, and this irresistible
puppy in its
kennel (that modern languages initiative is obviously paying off). There were funny faces,
cute faces, scary faces; there were fishes, clowns, hippies, vampires, elephants, a rugby
ball and some richly-decorated abstracts that Fabergé might have been proud of.
We were, though, sorry to note the absence of Omelette, Prince of Denmark. (Memo to
Literacy Governor: Shakespeare needs a higher profile in the curriculum.)
That concludes the first stage of the Barnardo's Egg Challenge. Now for the fund-raising bit. Some of the donation envelopes have already started coming in, but there is another week for them to be returned: those that are back with the school by the end of this coming Friday (January 26) will be entered in the draw for the prize bear (see below) to be held on Monday 29th.
Posted: 21st January 2007
Prize scramble The cuddly bear in the picture is up for grabs in the Barnardo's "Egg Challenge", which starts today (Monday) as part of the children's charity's Spring Appeal. Sheringdale is joining in the fundraising fun, and the challenge for the pupils is to keep a hard-boiled egg safe all week. In assembly they have been shown an eggsample decorated with wool and felt-tip pen to make it special and kept in a margarine pot. (Children don't have to use a margarine pot, of course. Any small, secure container will do, even an egg-box.)
At the end of the week – Friday, in other words – all pupils wil be asked to bring their charges into school for a special eggshibition at which the class with the most imaginatively decorated eggs will win a prize (not the bear) from Mrs Morgan.
Associated with the challenge (this is the fundraising bit) will be Egg Care envelopes, being sent home with the children today (just one per family, though Sheringdale siblings will be encouraged to tend an egg each). Parents are asked to return the envelopes, preferably a little heavier, by Friday, January 26, so that they can be included in the draw for the bear the following Monday.
It must be emphasised that the draw is strictly a "lucky dip" and is absolutely not linked to the size of the contribution inside the envelope – all will have an equal chance.
Find out more about Barnardo's on the charity's official website.
Ova to you...
Posted: 15th January 2007
Congratulations, Des! Miss Snyman returned from the Christmas break strangely altered – or do we mean altared? At all events, she is now Mrs Nunes, seen here with her husband Sean at their wedding in Johannesburg on December 28. Apparently it rained persistently, which, on the face of it, might have left them very little to come back to England for. We are heartily relieved and flattered that they chose to do so anyway – after a mini-honeymoon In Durban by the Indian Ocean (the honeymoon-proper is to be in Thailand in April) – and we wish them long life and happiness (not necessarily in that order).
Posted: 14th January 2007
Democracy in action Yes, it's election time again. Two parent governor vacancies have arisen on the Governing Body and nominations are invited for candidates willing to serve. Any parent, guardian or other carer of a pupil registered at Sheringdale is eligible to stand; nomination forms are going out with an accompanying letter to all families from Fiona Morgan tomorrow (Monday), but if yours goes astray or you would like another copy (you never know – both parents might be keen) they are available at the school office.
Closing date for nominations is noon on Friday January 19 and if there are more than two an election will be arranged after that. The returning officer will be Sue Guest.
Please consider putting yourself forward or, if you know of somebody else who you think might be governor material, you could nominate him or her (but naturally with her or his consent and signature on the form along wth yours). There is a brief summary of the duties and responsibilities of governors on the Governors page of this website and bags of information on the Governornet website, operated by the DfES.
Fiona will also be glad to answer any questions you may have, or you could talk to one of the present parent governors – or, for that matter, any other governor who happens to be present. The list is on the Governors page.
Remember, there's nothing unhealthier in politics and public life generally than democracy inaction.
Posted: 7th January 2007
Alison McHayle
Ann McCarthy
Sue Gavin
Happy new roles First we must welcome Alison McHayle, who joins the Sheringdale staff as a teaching assistant. Alison wil be helping in Reception and we wish her a long and happy career here. Ann McCarthy is changing hats, switching from teaching assistant to admin assistant. She has moved into the office, to the desk abandoned last term by Karen Burgess in her reckless haste to get back to Australia in time to enjoy the 5-0 Test series humiliation of the England cricket squad. Ann is also shouldering an additional duty, though not, we hope, an onerous one – that of Website Link Lady (WeLL for short, a fountain of knowledge and information). The website is delighted to welcome her collaboration; with Ann's eyes and nose for news on the spot, we expect to be bringing you a fuller flow of news and pictures from Sheringdale events and achievements.
Sue Gavin, the Reception NNEB, is also pioneering a new concept and will be dividing her time between the classroom and what has been hitherto the medical room, where she will be developing the role of Learning Mentor. This a suitably obscure term for a function with only vaguely defined boundaries so far, but essentially it means she will be available in the mornings to talk to Sheringdale parents and families who want to raise points of concern about their child. And although she will be working closely with Lara Goodere, the SEN Coordinator, Sue's liaison job will not be confined to special needs. Anything you're anxious about or want to discuss can be raised with her – dietary questions, for example, or anxiety about a child's sudden reluctance to come to school.
Naturally, class teachers and Fiona Morgan will still be available as now, but of course the reality of that "as now" is that it is often difficult to pin them down – teachers are teaching all day and there are many calls on a head's time. So part of the rationale for Sue's new role is to provide a point of contact, the chance of an unhurried discussion (assuming of course she doesn't have 200 parents lining up to see her at 9am) and a commitment to listen and to follow the matter up wth the head and/or class teacher, or with whatever action is appropriate.
Posted: 7th January 2007
School's out! Yesterday (Tuesday) was the last day of term at Sheringdale, so there's no more school until 4th January, which is when the chidren return, though the staff will be in on the 3rd for an inset training day. But you don't want to think about that now! Think about Des Snyman, who is away in South Africa, getting herself a husband (congratulations, Des!), but most of all have a great Christmas and a splendid New Year.
Posted: 20th December 2006
The old toy Tonight (Friday) is the Christmas Fayre, from 6pm to 8pm. For the past week and more, items contributed for stalls and for prizes in raffles, tombola and the like have been accumulating in any spare space that can be found, such as this corner of the hall or the floor of the head's office. Jo Holmes and her team from the SSA have been working flat-out to get the Fayre organised and it promises to be a marvellous evening – assuming of course that you turn up and buy something or eat something. Or even just lend a helping hand...
Posted: 1st December 2006
The equipment in the infants' playground, installed two years ago after a mammoth fund-raising effort by the SSA, won plaudits from parents responding to the questionnaire
To outward appearances... Questionnaires were sent out to families earlier in the term, seeking views on the state of the grounds. Jo Robinson, Deputy Head, wants to thank all those who filed them in and returned them with some very useful feedback. The responses have now been studied, and collectively they give our external environment a rating of 5/10; clearly, there is room for improvement (we sort of guessed that, anyway) and the school is arranging a visit from Learning Through Landscapes to discuss a formal project plan.
Although parents like the new play equipment in the infants' playground, the grassy are to the side of the school and the rose garden, they were critical of the junior playground, which was variously described as "bleak", "bare" and "unwelcoming". Fortunately, says Jo, the reponses included plenty of suggestions, chiefly:
- Climbing/play equipment for the junior playground
- More trees/greenery
- Quiet areas for sitting/reading
- More outdoor toys and games
- Separation of driveway and playground
- Bike and scooter park
The next step is a similar questionnaire to discover the views of the children, and Jo is also planning visits to other schools to see what they have done to improve their grounds. In the meantime, she says, she and Deborah Reeves, who is working with her on this, are still open to ideas and discussion with parents who have any further thoughts on the issue.
Posted: 1st December 2006
The new toy Members of the Governing Body paid one of their periodic school-day visits on Wednesday and spent a fascinated hour or so in the new ICT suite, watching Nick Roberts give a lesson on symmetry to Year 4. Several aspects impressed the visitors: one was the power and elegance of the Net.Op control software, which allows the teacher to invite the attention of the whole class at any moment (see picture), to echo his own (or any) screen to all machines in the room in order to demonstrate a point, and to take remote control of individual screens, as well as various other cool file-distributing features and so on. Then there was the mind-boggling speed with which staff have mastered the suite in less than a term, so that maximum time is spent educating and a negligible amount on trying to make things work. But most striking of all, perhaps, was the rapt attention of the children: all were focused on the lesson and all were clearly enjoying it. Tracy Stewart, the ICT co-ordinator, says this happens in ICT lessons across the curriculum, not just in interesting topics like symmetry.
Posted: 1st December 2006
Karen Burgess: sad to go but looking
forward to a sunnier climate
Goodbye, Karen We are sad to bid farewell to Karen Burgess, who is moving back to Australia with her husband David and sons Jonathan and Matthew – they hope to be settled in Brisbane in time for a sunny Christmas with family and friends. Karen has been associated with Sheringdale for eight years in a dual capacity as parent (both boys distinguished themselves in the school cross-country team) and member of staff as a sort of everything-support (teaching, admin, meals... the list goes on and on). She will be sorely missed, but the website joins Fiona and the staff in wishing the family a successful move and the best of Australian luck in Queensland.
Posted: 20th November 2006
Jo Holmes, Chair; Ruth Guven, Treasurer
New SSA chiefs The new committee of the Sheringdale School Association has wasted no time buckling down and getting to grips with school affairs. Top of the agenda at the moment is the Christmas Fair, for which a planning and strategy meeting was held last week, attended by the Headteacher Fiona Morgan, Premises Officer Tony Smith and all the class reps. It was also gatecrashed briefly by the website to snatch pictures of chair Jo Holmes and treasurer Ruth Guven.
Posted: 20th November 2006
Voice of the people A brainchild of Fiona Morgan, the Headteacher, comes to fruition tomorrow (Friday) with the inaugural meeting of the School Council (above), a 10-strong body whose function is to give the children a voice in school affairs. It will act as a two-way channel, both presenting ideas and concerns from the receiving side of the school in a forum where they will be taken seriously, and also feeding back to the children the rationale behind decisions that affect them closely. "Often there is something the kids want, like nets on the goals in the playground," said Mrs Morgan. "There is a sound safety reason for not having them – children can easily get their feet tangled in nets – but that's not obvious to them unless somebody sits down with them and explains it properly."
The new councillors – Stephanie, Maha, Christian, Tom, Elizabeth, Imogen, Daniel, Emilie, Rafaela and Harry – are enthusiastic about their new role. "We're going to elect a chairperson and say what we think can be improved in the school," said Emilie. It's an elastic brief, too – we are exploring ways in which they might conribute to the website, so watch this space!
Posted: 5th October 2006
Another baby We are thrilled and delighted to report that Carolyn Bellak gave birth to a 7lb 12oz bouncing baby boy Ivan on Wednesday. Hearty congratulations to Carolyn and Benny, and of course to Otto on becoming a big brother.
Posted: 29th September 2006. Updated: Oct 17 2006
The big trample dealt a severe blow to the menace of cancer last weekend, and you'll be pleased to learn that the Sheringdale Superstars played a not insignificant part. Karen Burgess and Sue Gavin joined 1,500 other people on the Aviva Weekend to Breakthrough Breast Cancer – a 60km stroll from Hyde Park to Greenwich via a winding, scenic route.
Between them, our girls drummed up £3,000 of the £4 million total raised, and also put in a creditable athletic performance, finishing among the first 500. Although Sue had trouble with her footwear and is now nursing more than her fair share of blisters, she and Karen are both very positive and very enthusiastic about the whole experience. "It was fantastic," said Karen, "and great fun from start to finish. The overnight camping was a bit uncomfortable, but that just made it easier to get up at 5am on Sunday!"
She added: "Sue and I would like to say a big thank-you to all the other Sheringdale Superstars, who helped so unstintingly with the fund-raising, and to everybody who supported us so generously."
Posted: 20th September 2006
Warmest congratulations to Jemima Madsen, who ran the Nursery until she decided to start one of her own, so to speak. Jemima writes from Cape Town to say kind things about the revamped website and also to share this picture of Peter, who was born on July 11. Jemima and her husband Mike returned to South Africa in April and are, she reports, loving it there – closer to family, for one thing. Mike has started his own business and is working from home, while Jemima, not surprsingly, says she is to remain a stay-at-home mum for the time being. Peter is a handsome fellow, isn't he?
Posted: 17th September 2006
Peter Rickelton
A new face in school today is that of Peter Rickelton, who will be coming in once a week on Wednesdays to help individual children with special needs – the job performed until last term by Ruth Crabb, who (some people have all the luck!) is cruising foreign climes on an extended holiday. Peter might prefer that the positions were reversed, but we are delighted to welcome him to Sheringdale.
Posted: 13th September 2006
Only five working days to go, then Sue Gavin and Karen Burgess must put their best foot forward, followed by their second-best and let the two feet fight it out for the status of favourite foot all over London. As we happened to mention in passing last term, these Sheringdale Superstars have entered the Aviva Weekend to Breakthrough Breast Cancer, which involves a sponsored two-day, 60km hike around the capital. Just one snag, though: as of Friday they were still about £500 short of the qualifying fund-raising level. So now there's a form on the noticeboard outside the foyer, where you can pledge as much or as little as you wish. We have to say "as much or as little" to be modern and inclusive, but of course it is a meaningless abstraction in the real world: concentrate on the "as much" and you'll be all right.
Alternatively, before your enthusiasn wanes, you could donate via their websites, which are clickable with Karen or with Sue.
Posted: 10th September 2006
Much like this website, the new IT suite was not ready for the start of term, with the computer monitors not quite in an arrival situation. However, they have come now, and our picture shows Chris Nash, the IT consultant from the Town Hall, working with Tracy Stewart, the school's IT co-ordinator, to get them installed and ready for action. On the left is Gill Hill, a former Sheringdale teacher who retired in 1993 but, like so many of us, got her foot caught in the door and still pops in from time to time. She taught Year 1 in this very classroom and was intrigued by the change of use.
Tracy says the suite should be able to go live next week, though she wants to familiarise her colleagues with the new equipment before letting the children loose on the keyboards.
Posted: 7th September 2006
Stephanie Parkes (left) and Satu Mahrberg
Posted: 7th September 2006
Summer beckons Today is the last day of term, and school finishes for everybody at 3pm. Well, that's not strictly true – staff have to come in tomorrow for an Inset training day. But as Fiona Morgan. the Headteacher, noted in a recent newsletter, we are saying farewell to a few: Alanah Foley, the Year 1 teacher, is going back to South Africa for a spell; Ruth Crabb, the Literacy Support teacher, is off on her travels on sabbatical; Alex Biedrzycki is giving up the Nursery for a spot of full-time maternity; and Rory MacFarlane, who has been supporting music in Year 5, is off to pursue other ventures. Best wishes to all of them. News of their replacements will follow in September with the start of the new school year, but in the meantime Mrs Morgan has expressed her appreciation for the work of those departing: "I would like to thank them all for their hard work and, in the short time I have known them, their kindness and support."
She also pays a similar tribute in her end-of-term newsletter to Genny Michaels, who is stepping down as Chair of the Sheringdale School Association, thanking her for her hard work (which of course, goes back years and years). A new chairman or woman will be elected at the annual meeting in the autumn, which gives any potential candidates time to organise a campaign. But remember, it is no longer fashionable to offer peerages in return for support.
Work has already started on the new computer suite, which will be installed in what has hitherto been the Year 1 classroom. Year 1 will occupy the classroom next door, Year 2 will move upstairs to the library, which in turn will be accommodated in the conservatory. Clear? Well, you have until September 5 to get your head round it. But don't try too hard: enjoy the holidays.
24-7-2006 Top
Green is for go and it certainly was on Friday, when the Green team sailed through to win the Sheringdale Games (aka Sports Day) with 170 points. Blue were a creditable second with 156. Congratulations to those children, and well competed to the others. The mothers' race was won by Julia Durrant and the fathers' by Andy Leleen. As promised, here is a selection of pictures from the occasion. Choose with the "radio" buttons below and click Display. The labels are cryptic for space reasons but basically, J is for jumping, R is for racing and P is for parents. Because the pictures are different sizes the page will reflow each time, so if you're susceptible to motion sickness, we recommend you keep a bucket handy.
12-7-2006 Top
| Good sports is what we had on Friday afternoon when the weather kindly held its hand and allowed us a relatively dry Sports Day for a change – but overcast and cool, so there was little danger of our gallant sportschildren suffering like the England footballers, from excessive heat. The results are being correlated, calculated and considered over the weekend, and we should be able to bring you the definitive winning colour tomorrw (Monday). In the next few days we will also have a selection of pictures – here is a taster from the fathers' race. |
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9-7-2006 Top
Here is a further selection of moments caught at the Summer Garden Party.
6-7-2006 Top
Pink, pink, another drink... as Spike Jones almost said. Sheringdale's champions in pink, Sue Gavin
and Karen Burgess, were serving rosé and flogging pink raffle tickets at the Summer Garden Party on
Sunday. Their efforts were of course devoted to raising money towards the Aviva Weekend to Breakthrough Breast
Cancer in September, when they intend to join hundreds of other concerned people on a two-day walkabout through
London. This stall came hot on the heels of Friday's Day of Pink and over the two days Karen and Sue (aka
Sheringdale Superstars) raised more than £500. Unfortunately, they felt unable to give a more precise
figure – those pink bubbles will do it every time!
Sports Day Don't forget that Friday sees the sporting jamboree of the year, a festival of athletic virtuosity, track- and field-wise. There will also be parents' races, so get down to Southfields College at 1.30pm (back entrance) to cheer and participate lustily. A lot of children need to be shepherded there and back in safety, so staff appeal to any parent passing the school on his or her way pop in and lend a hand with escort duty.
5-7-2006 Top
Nutcracker sweet You can see that at Sheringdale, the process of education never stops, not even for the SSA's "Garden Party" summer fayre yesterday. Typical of the sort of exercise available to teach the children lateral thinking, teamwork, problem-solving, along with a smattering of science and engineering was the Coconut Challenge. Not to mention doing our bit for the government's ant-obesity drive... There was plenty of other nourishment as well of course, some of it liquid, and a good time must have been had by all because an early, ball-park figure for the sum raised puts it at between £3,500 and £4,000. However, that's not allowing for boring accountancy-type things like overheads and expenses. Nevertheless, it's an impressive turnover from a fabulous afternoon, and heartiest congratulations must go to Genny Michaels and the SSA on yet another triumph. I should coco!
Download Mrs Morgan's latest newsletter (No 4) and here is the Ofsted report again..
3-7-2006 Top
Meet the governors at a special meeting on Thursday 13th July. Since September last year, the legal requirement to produce an Annual Report to Parents has been replaced by the need to complete an annual school profile, but Sheringdale's governors nevertheless hold to the belief that parents welcome the opportunity to meet them, ask questions and discuss the school's progress and policy concerns. And as Fiona Morgan, the Headteacher, says in her current newsletter: "There will be refreshments provided..."
Download the newsletter in full and refresh your memory of the Ofsted findings.
15-6-2006 Top
The Sheringdale smile went down well with the inspectors (if we may be permitted a rather liberal interpretation of the Ofsted findings), but a smile of course is nothing without teeth, and the Sheringdale Sharks showed plenty of those last week. Congratulations to (standing, from left) Paddy, Mehdi, Jessica, Judith, Jo, Darren, Claire, Craig and Paul, and (kneeling) Karen, Lorraine, skipper Claire Fox, Adam and Sue the drummer for their triumph in the dragon boat race on Wimbledon Park lake last week. The crew paddled, splashed and drummed their way to victory, winning both the race trophy and that for raising the most money (£1,300 and counting) for The Anthony Nolan Trust, which campaigns for leukaemia research. Well done the Sharks!
This coming Saturday, Karen Burgess and Sue Gavin, assisted by willing colleagues, will be running an activity-fun morning for children. Between the hours of 10 and 12, for a small fee, (£10) parents are invited to leave their offspring at the school to be minded and entertained by the staff while they (the parents that is) use the time to do those things they ought to have done. This is all in aid of Sue and Karen's participation in the Aviva Weekend to Breakthrough Breast Cancer walk in London over the weekend of September 16th and 17th (see below).
The latest Ofsted report is available here, by the way.
14-6-2006 Top
Shady business Half term starts tomorrow at 3pm, and everybody is encouraged to wear dark glasses for the day. Dark glasses of course are not permitted under Article 94 subsection ii of the Sheringdale Dress Code, and therefore anybody presenting in such apparel will be fined £1 on the spot. All proceeds to Guide Dogs for the Blind.
The Ofsted inspection passed practically painlessly and the inspectors' conclusions are most encouraging – even, in some respects, gratifying. The school has had sight of the draft report and the final version should be published in a couple of weeks. We will provide a link to it from this site.
Commenting on the inspection, Fiona Morgan, the headteacher, says in her latest newsletter to parents: "We are very pleased with the whole process and feel it has provided us with a clear vision for the future development of our school." Download the newsletter in full.
We wish everybody a pleasant break. School starts again on Monday June 5th.
25-5-2006 Top
An inspector calls We all knew it was due to happen some time soon but it still came as a bit of a shock when Fiona Morgan received a call late last week announcing that Ofsted inspectors would be paying Sheringdale a visit tomorrow and on Tuesday. We are just grateful that they held their fire during the interregnum. Mrs Morgan quickly recast the start of her first newsletter to announce the inspection and enclosed the Ofsted letter and questionnaire to parents. Any family whose copy of that has gone astray should be able to get a replacement from the school office.
The letter outlines the inspection process and explains how parents can contribute, either by adding a note to the questionnaire (which, to be honest, is one of those box-ticking surveys where you have to decide where the lines falls between, for example, "agree" and "strongly agree") or talking to an inspector in person. To do that, contact Prospects Learning Services, the regional inspection provider, on 8880 4875, and it will try to accommodate you in person or on the telephone. The letter makes the point: "The inspector will want to hear your comments, but may not be able to enter into a lengthy discussion or give an opinion on the points you raise."
All such discussions will be treated in the strictest confidence, though obviously the issues raised may be taken up with the school. The insectors' report should be available in about three weeks.
14-5-2006 Top
Meet the ancestors Fiona Morgan held a successful series of informal "drop-in" sessions for parents this week. Having met the staff, governors and children, Sheringdale's new Head was conscious that she was still little more than a name to most parents and was keen to change that as early as possible. With tea/coffee thrown in as an added inducement, the gatherings in the conservatory (what a splendid investment that has proved to be) were very well-attended with extra-chair-hunting excursions a regular feature. Mrs Morgan wants to thank everybody who came, especially those who reorganised their time or made arrangements to be late for work so they could make it. "The meetings were very interesting, very informative and there was plenty of valuable discussion which I know I will find very useful," she told the website. She wants to make similar sessions a regular feature of school life, though not always at 9am, and no doubt there will be more news on that in due course. The picture above shows Mrs Morgan with parents from Years 5 and 6 this morning (Friday). There were some dads there, too, but by a strange statistical accident they were all clustered out of shot, by the wall to the left.
5-5-2006 Top
Drop off & drop in With the installation of security gates at long last, we can all feel safer at Sheringdale, but there is of course a price to pay in terms of convenience. Parents and children will have to use the alley entrance arriving or leaving at either end of the school day. Nursery parents collecting at the end of the morning or delivering for the afternoon session should use the pedestrian gate (there should be no need to use the buzzer at playtime when an adult on playground duty will be available to let you in – unless it is raining, of course).
Meanwhile, Fiona Morgan, the Headteacher, is organising a series of "Drop-In" sessions this week to give parents an opportunity to meet her over a cup of tea or coffee in the conservatory. Details were sent home with the children last week, but it can do no harm to repeat them here:
- Tomorrow (May 2nd): 9am Nursery & Reception; 1pm Nursery and any who can't make mornings;
- Wednesday (May 3rd): 9am Years 1 & 2;
- Thursday (May 4th): 9am Years 2 & 4;
- Friday (May 5th): 9am Years 5 & 6.
Next week, Year 3 will be on school journey to PGL at Marchant's Hill, and the following week, the pioneers in Year 6 will be visiting a new venue (new for Sheringdale, that is): Whitecliffe Bay on the Isle of Wight, also run by PGL.
The Summer Fayre will be held on Sunday, July 2nd, and the theme this year is "Gardens". The half-term break begins at 3pm on Friday, May 26th, and the Summer Term ends on Tuesday, July 25th, again and as usual, at 3pm. More dates will be posted as they become available.
1-5-2006 Top
Guess who these two shy, retiring ladies are. Click here to see if you are right. Yes, they are indeed Sue Gavin and Karen Burgess, who want your money. They probably wouldn't say no to all of it, but will gladly settle for as much as you are willing to spare for breast cancer research. Under the team name "Sheringdale Superstars" they have entered the Aviva Weekend to Breakthrough Breast Cancer, which entails a 60km (37 miles) walkabout in London over the weekend of September 16th and 17th. Before that, though, they are expected to raise at least £1,500 in sponsorship money each, and to that end they have several fund-raising events planned over the course of the term. None of the dates has been finalised yet, but first off, probably just before half term, is likely to be a "Dressing Up In Pink" day (£2 for adults, £1 for children – you can tell they've got their priorities right: price before date) culminating in a Pink Cake Sale. They are also plotting, sorry, planning a fun night for the grown-ups and a Saturday morning childminding session similar to last year's successful event connected with Joan O'Pray's retirement.
Meanwhile, you can look at their personalised websites and, if you wish, make a donation online. Follow either this link for Karen or this one for Sue. Alternatively, you can explore the Breathrough website at www.breakthroughweekend.org and navigate to the girls' personal pages from there (if you have trouble finding them, make sure you are looking at the 2006 pages, not 2005).
28-4-2006 Top
A warm welcome to Fiona Morgan, who formally assumed the shackles of headship today with the return of the children after the Easter break. As noted below, we said goodbye to Jemima Madsen at the end of last term, who is off to have a baby. Alex Biedrzycki and Fauzia Ahmad share responsibility for the Nursery. Congratulations go to the former Miss Drummond who is now Mrs Stewart after a trip to the altar in Cape Town on 7th April. As altars go, it's quite something too – they call it Table Mountain.
19-4-2006 Top
Warmer and wetter they promise us, which is not unmitigated good news, though it cannot be denied that the country needs the rain. At least that everlasting cold spell seems to have ended, just in time for the Easter break, which begins on Friday at 3pm. There will be an End of Term Assembly at 2pm on Wednesday to which parents are welcome.
Children start the new term on Wednesday 19th April (Tuesday 18th is an Inset training day), and there will be some changes apparent in the staff. Jemima Madsen, who has been covering in Nursery for a year while Alex Biedrzycki was on maternity leave, has a spot of maternity coming up herself. We take this opportunity to wish her joy of her baby and thank her for her work with the children, and to assure her that her cheerful presence will be missed in the staffroom. We are, however, delighted to welcome Alex back, albeit for just two days a week — she will be job-sharing the Nursery with Fauzia Ahmad.
We also bid an enthusiastic goodbye to Miss Drummond and extend an even more enthusiastic Summer-term welcome to Mrs Stewart — yes, Tracy is off to Cape Town where she and Fraser Stewart are to wed on 7th April. We wish them a beautiful day and every prospect of happiness.
There was something else — oh yes, Fiona Morgan of course takes up her duties as Headteacher next term, so this is Jo Robinson's last week as Acting Head, and a cracking job she's done, too, over the past two terms. Ditto Wendy Lambert and Carolyn Bellak, who have shared the Deputy Head's responsibilities over the interregnum. Once again, our thanks to them all, and indeed to all the staff. Congratulations on a job well done.
26-3-2006 Top
Flying visit Fiona Morgan, Sheringdale's head-elect,
dropped in yesterday (Tuesday) to meet the staff informally, chat to
some of the children and generally get some idea of what she will be up
against when she takes up her duties next term so she can prepare herself
mentally for the shock — er... sorry, the challenge. She was also
approached by representatives of xx, the school magazine produced by the kids,
asking for an interview. So look out for that in the next issue! The pictures
below should give you a flavour of Mrs Morgan's visit.
Clearly we can look forward to a few minor changes in the disciplinary regime...
From top, Mrs Morgan in the infants' playground; talking to Year 5 girls; with Tony Smith and Tracy Drummond in the staff room; chatting to Pat Torres; and finally congratulating Belinda Collier, who turned 40 on Monday. Happy birthday from the website too, Belinda.
15-3-2006 Top
Shameless plug: The sculptor Almuth Tebbenhoff who lives locally and is
a former Sheringdale parent, has a new website where you can read about her and her projects, and
look at pictures of her pieces and drawings. The site was launched last week, so there is plenty
to be added to it yet (ie a good reason to keep going back). The sculpture shown here when you mouse
over the picture of Almuth is a bronze piece from 2003 called Infundere II, one of an edition
of four. Another reason why we would like you to visit www.tebbenhoff.org is
that the site was built by Sheringdale's webmaster, Simon Reynolds.
12-3-2006 Top
We've done it again! A couple of years ago Matt, The Daily Telegraph's
pocket cartoonist, was barred from entering for the annual Newspaper Cartoonists'
awards. The reason was that he had won Cartoonist of the Year for so many years and was so
clearly in a class of his own that nobody else had a chance. It's getting a bit like that with
Sheringdale and the annual inter-schools cross country. For the sixth year running (ouch!),
the Sheringdale team took the overall trophy in Saturday's competition at the Richardson Evans
Playing Fields, as well as the following individual prizes: Dean Belhaj won First Year 6 Boy,
and Rory Blakeney-Edwards was Year 6 runner-up; Jack Blakeney-Edwards was First Year 5 Boy and
Emma Johnston was Runner-Up Year 6 Girl. Well done to all of them!
Carolyn Bellak, PE co-ordinator, who masterminded this triumph along with those of the past three years, praised the efforts and enthusiasm of the children, and also thanked Paul Glover and Tracy Drummond for the time they had put in with Year 6 and Year 5 respectively, training and running with them, getting them to a finely judged peak of match fitness for the big day.
She also thanked all the parents and supporters who turned out on a glorious, sunny almost-spring morning to cheer on the kids, team and fun-runners alike.
The team consisted of Dean, Emma, Helena, Matthew, Rory, Tom (all Year 6), and Emilija and Jack (Year 5). The fun-runners were: Y6 — Jack, Joseph, Katherine, Richard, Robert, Ruby, Zothani; Y5 — Annie, Christian, Eleanor, George, Isabella, Katriya, Katya, Robert, Tina, Zachary and Zinhle.
7-3-2006 Top
Cross country time: If you have a chance tomorrow morning, pop down
to the Richardson Evans Playing Fields off the A3 to cheer on the Sheringdale
cross-country squad, who have won most of the trophies for the past three years. No
pressure, kids... Carolyn Bellak, PE coordinator, has entered a team of eight runners
from Years 5 and 6, plus a record 18 fun runners. Starting gun at 10.30.
3-3-2006 Top
Coming soon to a school near you: You may have noticed a brief moment of sunshine
on Saturday morning. Though welcome, it was no accident but had been arranged specially so the above
photograph could be taken. This, as if you hadn't guessed, is Mrs Fiona Morgan, Sheringdale's new
Headteacher, who told the website she was thrilled by her appointment and excited at the prospect of
taking up the job — "and, to be honest, rather nervous, though the warmth already shown —
especially your comment about welcoming me to the Sheringdale family — has made me feel part of
the school already. I look forward to meeting everybody soon," she added hurriedly as the website
started to blush foolishly.
26-2-2006 Top
Head chosen The following letter from Don McKerrow, Chair of Governors, was sent
home with the children last Friday:
Dear Parents,
I am delighted to be able to inform you that we have appointed
Fiona Morgan as Headteacher of Sheringdale. The appointment is subject to some administrative
formalities but we expect Fiona to start immediately after Easter.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jo for standing in as acting Head and Wendy and
Carolyn for standing in as acting deputies. They will continue in these roles until Easter.
Don McKerrow
On behalf of the SSA, may we too take this opportunity to congratulate Fiona and to
say that we look forward to welcoming her into the Sheringdale family next
term. We would add our own applause for Jo, Carolyn and Wendy, who have held the fort doughtily, and
also for the rest of the staff for pulling together and getting on with the job magnificently, despite
the inevitable uncertainty of an interregnum.
6-2-2006 Top