This is the sixth of our weekly posts I am going to put out on the Monday of each week of term time to keep us all connected and let you know what I have been up to. This time it is on Tuesday as we have just had our holiday weekend. I hope you had some fun with your families. As always I have added some photos so that I can share my week more easily with you.

Although this is a four day week, it is also a very exciting one as it is our Health Week and even better, this incorporates World Play Day on Thursday, where we are hoping that you will have a day of learning through play in an active and healthy manner. I suspect Mrs Anderson has been working with Mrs Le Blond to plan a virtual Sports Day, where you can create your own events and send us pictures of your ideas. This should have taken place on Friday the 29th in the sports park opposite the school, but as always in Holy Family, we will find creative ways to still be connected – even if we can’t physically be together for one of our favourite school days.

I am going to see if I can get the Wilson children to participate in some fun sporting events. I bet they’ll still argue over who’s the best – even though they’re probably too big for that now!

I have been very busy working with some of our teachers to plan virtual transition events for our new pre-entrants who will be joining us in August. Miss Gallagher has created a new tab on our website and we are going to post a series of activities on Transition Tuesdays.

The teachers have been working with Mrs McGowan from our nursery and have come up with some really imaginative ways to link with our new pupils. I have made a virtual tour of our school with the help of Mrs Le Blond (who was my lovely camera lady!)

We have also involved a very small member of the Holy Family team to help us create a “Day in the Life of a Primary One,” which will help us to make our newest pupils feel a bit more at home. Check out the website and see what you think – all ideas welcome, as you are the people who know Holy Family best!

We have been at home for quite some time now, and Mr Wilson’s hair has been growing like crazy! He won’t let me cut it (I wonder why…) but luckily our son owns a pair of clippers, so he has been given this tricky job instead. Here he is, hard at work!

Do you think he looks like he’s concentrating?

I also had a lovely surprise this week, when I received a gift from the post from my friend. I had been moaning about having a sore neck because I had been sitting for so long using my phone and laptop when working from home. She must have been listening, because she sent me this wonderful device to hold my phone for me so that I don’t have to keep craning my neck down. This is engineering at its very best, boys and girls! STEM in action.

Look at the simplicity yet effectiveness of the design! I wonder how many of you will be inventors of the future? Quite a few I’m sure.

Another friend – aren’t I lucky? – sent me a present to help me relax and be a bit creative, as she knows a good way to unwind is to do some colouring in.

I find this really helps me to switch off from working – which can be difficult seeing as my school office is now my dining room! This might be a good thing for you to try to pass the time when you have finished your tasks for the day.

I was thinking that we have had the McCoo art display up for quite a while now, and it might be a lovely idea for everyone to choose one piece of art they have created during lockdown. If everyone brought in something, that would allow us to come together in a creative way when we’re allowed back at school – whenever that may be. It would also create a beautiful record of what everyone has been doing during this time.

I hope lots of you  managed to participate in the Bishop’s Mass, which was streamed live for Ascension Thursday. It made me emotional, as I knew that usually we would all be sitting in Holy Family Parish Church to enjoy Mass together, so it was lovely to know that so many of us were watching this live and could at least be together in that way.

Please take a look at the new transition tab for our new pre entrants at the top of the menu bar on the website. It is laid out in a very similar way to each of your classes. Because these boys and girls haven’t been able to have their usual transition visits we have created a series of Transition Tuesdays with story telling sessions and activities as well as support ideas for their mums and dads. Let me know what you think of our ideas and remember to send me any other suggestions you may have. You all had a first day at school, can you remember what it felt like ? I can still remember mine and that was a few years ago now….

I hope you’re all keeping well and looking after yourselves and one another. I’m missing you all very much.

Stay safe, stay happy, and stay kind. I hope you all have a lovely week.

God Bless

Mrs Wilson and all the team at Holy Family Xx