Keep up to date with all the news happening in school at the moment.

Please click a headline to read more or visit our school Facebook page: Cliftonville Primary and Pre-School.

• 'Flash' the greyhound visits Y5

  Sat 27 Sep 2014

  Year 5 have been reading and studying the book "Born To Run" by Michael Morpurgo about the many lives of a racing greyhound.  The book has really captured the children's interest and imagination and they have produced some fantastic descriptive and persuasive pieces in writing.  On Thursday 25^th September they were surprised when a real life greyhound arrived in their classroom!  Flash is a retired greyhound who was homed through the Kent Greyhound Rescue Team.  They kindly agreed to allow one of their volunteers and dogs to visit the school to answer questions and allow the children to have an up close and personal meeting with a greyhound.  Many thanks to KGR and Katrina Farley for making this happen. 

   

  The Year 5 team would like to apologise to parents if your children are all asking to adopt a greyhound now!

   

  Click on the link below if you would like a copy of the book

  <font color="#0066cc">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-To-Run-Michael-Morpurgo/dp/0007230591</font>

  

• Rights Respecting Schools Award

  Mon 22 Sep 2014

  We are very excited to bring all of our work regarding respect, equality, diversity and community under one umbrella!  Mr Kirby and Mrs Davison are leading on a project which will eventually give the school community the 'Rights Respecting School Award'.  For us, this is much more than adding a logo to our letterhead.  It is about how our school community works together to ensure the best for everyone - children, parents and carers and staff.  It will, of course, include our local and wider community and look at global aspects, too.

   

  We pride ourselves on how well our school works together, but we are always looking to make things even better!  Some of this work will be through general curriculum teaching and some will have a high profile like the 'Global Citizenship' week in November. 

   

  For more information click on the link...

  <font color="#0066cc">http://www.unicef.org.uk/rrsa</font>

• Inspirational Olympic Star Lizzy Yarnold

  Mon 15 Sep 2014

  Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold gave pupils a fascinating insight into her life as a world class athlete when she visited Cliftonville Primary School this term.

   

  Lizzy, 25, told how she is determined to improve on the 90mph speed she set on her skeleton board to take gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.  She explained how her body is so close to the ice run during her performances that her protective headgear gets damaged where her chin is just centimetres from the ground at incredible speeds.

   

  Using a PE bench to simulate her sled, she demonstrated her race position and gave pupils and staff the chance to try it out wearing her race helmet.

   

  Lizzy was very keen on sport as a teenager at school in Maidstone, and was introduced to skeleton racing in 2008 through UK Sport’s Girls4Gold talent search.

   

  She began competing in 2010 and won her first official race in the Europa Cup, in November 2010. The following seasons found her learning tracks, developing her skeleton-racing skills and achieving the athletic performance required to compete at the highest World Cup level.

  She was 9th in 2011/12 season and became junior World Champion and a bronze medallist in the senior World Championships in 2012.

   

  She told pupils: “Skeleton is a crazy and mad sport but I love it. It is like plunging down a water flume at top speeds only on ice so very close to the ground.  I am a bit of an adrenalin junkie so going fast is perfect for me. I do get nervous and a little scared but I always know that I want to give it a go and I am determined to do my very best.”

   

  She answered a variety of questions from pupils, including some from the new Cliftonville Pupil Sports Council, and gave inspirational answers, as well as showing them her gold medal and signing a sports shirt.

   

  The visit was organised through the Inspire Kent programme which aims to maintain the legacy of the London Olympics in 2012 and engage young people in a range of activities including sports.

   

  Lizzy was appointed and MBE for her services to the sport in the 2014 Birthday Honours.

  

• Chat & Giggle sessions!

  Mon 15 Sep 2014

  http://www.4us2.org/uncategorized/4us2-announces-chat-giggle-dates/

   

  4us2 has won a £28,000 grant from the Lloyds Foundation. They will use the money to run weekly “Chat & Giggle” play and support sessions around Thanet for families of children with disabilities. 4us2’s manager Andrea Bennett, who is herself mum to a severely disabled teenager, said, “Isolation is a real issue for parents and carers of children with disabilities. You can feel trapped in your own home and by the problems that surround you. We’re running these sessions to reach out to families and give the children a safe place to play while the parents and carers can get some support and make new connections, and hopefully take some steps to overcoming that isolation. We’re really grateful to the Lloyds Foundation for making this work possible.”

  Chat & Giggle sessions will run on Thursday mornings in Thanet.  4us2 staff will be there to lead the sessions and will bring special equipment like fibre optic lights, a dark tent and sensory toys and puppets for the children to play with. Parents whose children are at school / college are welcome to come too. Full details of the dates and times of sessions are on their website, on the events calendar.

  

• Helping parents learn English

  Tue 09 Sep 2014

  Improve your English with other parents

   

  Come along and meet other parents who are learning to speak English.  Mrs Kirby always makes it fun and it's nice to meet up with other families.  Just come to the main reception after the children have gone into school. 

  EVERY THURSDAY MORNING FROM 9 - 10am

  

• CRY Cardiac screening

  Tue 09 Sep 2014

  I am delighted to report that the amazing fundraising in memory of Mr Oliver Thompson has enabled a cardiac screening to be planned for November 29th.  The CRY, Cardiac Risk in the Young, charity will be screening young people and adults aged between 14 and 35.  This will be at the school (details attached).  Thank you to our fabulous families, children and staff for their support.