Monday 24th February 2020

Welcome back, after what has been a very wet and windy half term break there is a lot to look forward to this half term, including a little more dry weather and spring sunshine.

Monday 24^th is the start of Fairtrade fortnight 2020. Our community ambassadors will be leading a worship time this week and introducing a competition for all children in school to enter, which has organised by Whittakers, the Skipton based chocolate makers.

During Fairtrade fortnight, anyone who brings in a fairtrade label or takes a photograph of themselves buying fairtrade goods and emails it to school (using the admin address) will receive a fairtrade sticker from the community ambassadors.

Monday is a flying start to the week with Bikeability group two starting their training sessions. In the afternoon, our year 5/6 TAG Rugby team will be taking part in the regional finals. I would like to thank our academy partners from St Aidan’s who are sending two of their sports leaders, who are also academy trainees at Leeds Rhinos, to help our squad.

Also, Monday sees the start of the Zen Friends, mindfulness club being led by Mrs Phelan and Mrs Hussain, that will run for the next 5 weeks in Dentdale Class. This was a really popular club with the children who participated last year and I am sure that it will be just as popular this half term.

On Tuesday our Friends Bag2Schools collection will be taking place, look out for a text, which will tell you where to leave your bags. Also on Tuesday we welcome Ruth to lead our worship on the day that Lent begins our theme, taken from the school’s mission statement is the ‘Resilience to Succeed’.

After school on Wednesday is week seven of our Harrogate Theatre Drama Club. Wednesday also sees the start of the Yr2 after school science club led by our science ambassadors.

On Thursday we welcome Mrs Jackson back to Dentdale following her trip to New Zealand; it will be great to see her back at RTS.

Friday after school is the last session of our Chess Club before some of the children participate in the Harrogate Junior Chess Championships on Saturday 29^th February, good luck to everyone who is taking part. We hope to run a chess club in the summer term for children in year 1 and 2 who are interested in learning how to play; look out for more details this half term.

There is a huge amount to look forward to this half term including World Book Day, National Science Week and all of our Easter Celebrations.

Finally, the forecast for the start of the week looks particularly interesting with snow due during the Monday morning rush hour. Please remember to stick to the gritted paths, keep children off untreated surfaces and make sure everyone is dressed for the weather, thank you.

Andrew Symonds

The photographs below show the yellow jumper winners from the week before half term; children from Coverdale enjoying Space Camp and children from Wensleydale creating their clay dragon eyes.