Welcome to Bulletin #20
Welcome to this week’s bulletin, which it is now confirmed will be my ‘last-but-two’. That may come as a relief for some! 😉
The hastening of my departure has several underlying themes. I have had some concerns about the management and communication of the succession process since I gave my notice last year and raised these recently. Aside from that, I have to admit also that I have reached the point where the volume, intensity and confrontational tone of complaints about the school has got to be too much to manage. Somewhere along the line – perhaps post-Covid – we have lost sight of realistic expectations and how to communicate in a mutually respectful way. Maybe that’s the world now.
Upwards and onwards. We’ve had a lovely week in school, despite the grim weather (again!). The new dinnertime arrangements seem to be settling and going well. Well over half of our children have made a ‘purchase’ from the Parkdale Store and pretty much everyone else would be able to were they not saving up. This is clearly a much more inclusive rewards system, which was the point really. While non-uniform remains the clear favourite, it’s been lovely to see quite a lot of children buying a day as a TA. So brilliant have they been, that the teachers are now asking if they can have a Parkdale Pennies system of their own to buy children to be TAs! The first iteration of the ‘posh dinner’ should happen next week for those who have booked and Year 5 have become the first to have a viable number for an extra football session, which they’re having with me after school next Wednesday.
A Parkdale first tomorrow (Saturday) as we take a team down to Wellingborough (Northants) for the regional finals (Midlands and East) of the national table tennis championships. That’s a long 7:30am to 6pm day for us adults and the girls, but we know it’ll be great and we’re just proud to be there so soon in our table tennis development journey. Good luck to Renee, Lauren and Ellie. We’ll let you know how we get on….
Finally, a reminder that next Friday is an INSET Day – school is closed to pupils, but staff will be in undertaking some training. That takes us neatly into the half-term break.
Mr H
Lost Property
The pile of unclaimed lost property is reaching mountainous proportions and has become a full time job for the team to try to keep organised. Look out for Mr Pattison encouraging people into the Hall for a look at drop off time next week!