Latest posts from St Thomas Cantilupe Church of England Primary School

Hello,

Our school discussed what we would like do in our collective worship so we would like to tell you about what we have agreed. In the mornings we will gather the school together and first we will say good morning using sign language and in one of the languages spoken by our school community. We speak 18 languages between us! Next we will light three candles. When we light them, we say, ‘shine bright your light with unity, perseverance and love’.  We say this because these are our school values and this is what we are trying to show most of in this school. The leader will then talk, introduce a story, something to reflect on and say a prayer. At the end of our worship we will blow out the candles and say peace be with you, in sign language. When we leave we will listen to the composer of the half term and think about what we have learned.  Last but not least, we would like to introduce our new worship leaders:

Phoebe (lights the candles and signs in BSL)    Liby (our amazing technician)   

Alberto (says good morning in one of our languages)

Bradley and Albert (our welcomers at the door)

We look forward to sharing worship with you.

Peace be with you, from the Worship Leaders.

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I hope you are all managing okay at home? It’s great to hear via your teachers all the wonderful work you’re doing and what you have been up to.

My dog, Scarlett, is living her best life, with lots of fuss from the whole family during the day and longer than usual walks! My cat is not so impressed with many more people than usual in ‘her space’!

I have found watching Art and craft programmes such as The Sewing Bee relaxing and when I have had a spare minute this has inspired my own creativity.

My children and I created a paper giraffe that spans up 3 floors of windows in our house. My neighbour opposite put a sign in her window saying ‘great giraffe’, which did make us chuckle. I have also been painting rocks with book characters! I am sure some of my creations will probably make their way into school.  

I hope you have found ways to relax whether it is colouring, Lego, reading or exercise. This week is Mental Health Awareness Week 2020 with a theme this year of kindness. Can you see if you can make someone you live with smile by telling a funny joke, tidying your bedroom without being asked or help to make a meal? I know any of these things would make me feel a bit happier!

            I do miss The Hive lunchtime Lego and colouring club and send you all at STC a big virtual high five!

This week's question is about team players and I was thinking a lot about this as I was looking over each teacher's learning pack. It made me think about what great team players you all are and what a great team that makes us at St Thomas.

About a year ago I became the Head teacher here at our school. I was very lucky to join a school that had so many team players. Straight away I noticed how everyone really believed in our school. That meant that everyone was determined to be the best they could be. Everyone took time to talk to me, to share ideas and to listen to one another. These are brilliant qualities for team players. As the year has gone on I have learnt that you are all positive, reliable and treat one another with kindness.

Despite these times being hard to understand and cope with I know that everyone at St Thomas will continue to work together. By doing that we will all shine. I'm really proud of you, love hearing from you and know that we will see you soon.

Hi Class 6,

So, this week would have been the week of SATS! I expect many of you are happy you haven't had to do them, even though I know you would have all worked really hard and done your very best.

We are also going to miss our trip to London, which I am really disappointed about. However, I do remember that when I was at High School, I went on some amazing school trips, including London, Barcelona and Germany, so I am sure you will all get to experience a fun residential in the next few years.

One of my favourite places in London is the British Museum. They have developed a great website where you can actually see many of the exhibitions that have on view so why not experience London virtually? And if you are a musicals fan, why not watch 'Cats' this evening? Cats will be streamed on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s YouTube channel, The Shows Must Go On, tonight at 7pm BST. BUT it will be available to watch for 24 hours in the UK!

Please keep emailing and uploading your photos and news to Twitter........and who knows, I may even see some of you in a few weeks???

Take care,

Miss Taylor

I hope you are all well and managing OK with the home learning packs. I'm looking forward to finding out more about what you have been getting up to. You probably don't know know this, but many moons ago...I taught at a science and conservation school in California. One of my jobs was to run the planetarium and take children on night hikes. I'd recount the star stories passed on to me, whilst pointing out the patterns on the ceiling inside the planetarium, and then the children would use Astroscans (smaller telescopes) to look for these in the night sky.

After a long hike up a rocky trail, we'd wheel out an enormous telescope (it really was on wheels - see it below) at the Lyle Christman Observatory and view planets, galaxies, star clusters, and other celestial objects through the 14" telescope. It was a really magical time. It's hard to pick a favourite story, but I thought I'd pick one which explains one of the constellations you can easily spot in the sky. Just look for the W which tilts backwards and you will have found Queen Casseopia.

Queen Casseopia, wife of King Cephus and mother of Andromeda, was very beautiful. She boasted that she was the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. As time went by, she began to say that she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Eventually, her boasting proclaimed that her beauty even exceeded that of the gods. Poseidon, the brother of Zeus and the god of the sea, took great offense at this statement, for he created the most beautiful beings ever in the form of his sea nymphs.

In his anger, he created a great sea monster, Cetus (also described as a great fish or whale), to ravage the seas, sinking ships, killing the sailors, and destroying towns and villages along the seacoast. This created great fear among the people of Casseopia’s country. In an effort to stop this tremendous destruction, the people went to Poseidon and asked what could be done to stop this monster. Poseidon replied that if Casseopia would admit that his sea nymphs were indeed more beautiful than she, he would stop the monster. But Casseopia refused. The people asked Poseidon if there were any other way to stop the destruction. He replied that if the beautiful Andromeda, Casseopia’s only daughter, were to be sacrificed to Cetus the destruction would stop. The people took Andromeda and chained her to a rock which projected out into the sea to be sacrificed to Cetus. However, she was saved by Perseus, and Cetus was turned to stone; Perseus had been on his way back from defeating the gorgon and was carrying the head of the Medusa - but that's another story. Poseidon and his brother Zeus decreed that Casseopia be placed in the sky as a constellation, and as punishment for being so conceited about her looks, she would suffer the humiliating position of being upside down in the sky during the Autumn of the year when her constellation is best seen. 

Let me know which constellations you spot in the night sky by commenting on my post. Just click on the title at the top of the page. 

Miss B