School News

By the children in Class 2, written in a shared poetry writing session

At school
Snow stormy through the window
Swirling swiftly, swiftly
To the frozen, icy ground.

Nearly early evening
Time to leave
Quickly, quickly,
Run, run, run,
Hometime, hometime,
Here we come.

Snow crashing,
Thrashing hedges
Stinging faces like a hundred bees
Cars skidding, skating, sliding
Never stopping in the freeze.

Blizzard children
Human snowmen
Rolling snowmen
Roll, roll, roll,
Throwing balls as big as
Grapefruit
Clouds above as black as coal.

Coming home we bang our wellies
Take our hats and gloves and scarves
Hanging them on radiators
Before we sit in front of fires.
We sit and sip our lovely cocoa
And think about the cold outside
It’s good to be indoors this evening
Snow – you’ve made us very tired!

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On Monday 6th February, 24 children from Class 3 went to Taverham High School to participate in a Sportshall Athletics Tournament. After some warm-ups led by Mrs Green, we took part in a series of sports events including foam javelin, speed bounce, chest push, standing triple jump and standing long jump. Later, we all ran in relay races. œI liked the determination you could see in the children'™s faces, said Mrs Rudling.

It was good that so many children were able to represent their school in a sports tournament with such pride, added Mr Ward. œWe had lots of fun doing all the different activities, exclaimed Lily. œWe always like more opportunities to do PE, remarked Joshua. €œHearing everyone cheering and supporting us during the relays really gave us encouragement” added Hannah. All the children who represented their school so well received a commemorative certificate. Two children, Kieran and Chyna , were our best-performing boy and girl. Extra well dones were also given to Travis and Luke for particularly determined performances. €œEvery child did very well indeed and we look forward to participating in other sports events this year€, concluded Mr Ward.

Article written by Joshua, Lily, Hannah, Luke, Charlie and Edwin.

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During his visit to Yaxham Primary School on 29th September 2011, the Bishop of Norwich kindly agreed to be interviewed by children from Class 3. Here are their questions and his replies.

Kyle: How long have you been the Bishop of Norwich?

Bishop: Nearly 12 years.

Hollie: Why did you choose this job?

Bishop: I didn’t choose it. I was asked to do it. You can say “no” but people wanted me to do it so I did.

Jacob: What is best about being a Bishop?

Bishop: Being part of very important parts of people’s lives: Confirming, ordaining priests, and lots of happy days like coming to your school today.

Luke: How long do you work?

Bishop: I have an office, but I don’t work office hours. After I leave you today I am going to a charity centre, then to a governors’ meeting. Tomorrow I am in London all day. I work a lot of hours.

Ellie: What is hard about your job and why?

Bishop: The hardest thing is when you have to discipline priests when they misbehave. The other hard thing is to manage to fit in all the work I do in the House of Lords.

Shannon: Is there anything you don’t like about being a Bishop?

Bishop: When people misbehave and I have to sort out the mess. But I have to do it.

Hannah: Are church schools special, and why?

Bishop: They are. They are special for all sorts of reasons. They have contact with their local church. All that they do is based on God loving people. The basis of church schools is that God loves each of us individually. They are grounded in love.

Tom: Tell us something surprising about your job that people don’t know about.

Bishop: A lot of people don’t know that I sit in the House of Lords. People also don’t realise what a very big organisation we are. In Norfolk we have 877 parishes, over 600 churches and more than 300 clergy.
Isabella: Name something that you think would make our lives better and what you are doing to make it happen.

Bishop: I have helped to set up the Norfolk Community Foundation, a big charity that raises lots of money for small villages and communities. Our lives would be better if we were kinder and worked together. The Foundation has raised £1,000,000 this year. It takes time to establish something that lasts and helps lots of people. Bishops don’t change things all on their own. They need people to help them.

Charlie D.: What would you like to say to the children here at Yaxham School?

Bishop: I’m glad to be here today and looking forward to seeing your new ELF cabin. The important thing for you to know is that each one of you is special. Not enough people realise that each individual person is loved by God. God never made a Nobody. All of you have gifts. It’s what school’s all about. Did you know the word “school” originally meant “place of leisure”? It’s important that in your school you work together but you also have fun together. I’m sure you do!

Thank you Graham, Bishop of Norwich, for answering out questions and visiting our school today.

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The opening of our new ELF log cabin on 29th September 2011 was attended by our local Member of Parliament, George Freeman. Some children from Class 3 met with Mr Freeman in the log cabin and asked him these questions:

Kieran: How long have you been an MP?

GF: I have been your MP for over a year now.

Jake: How did you become an MP?

GF: I had to stand for election. Your mums and dads, everyone over 18, can vote to elect their MP to go to Parliament in London. There were six candidates here and I was lucky to be the winner.

Edwin: Who do you work with?

GF: I am the only MP in Mid-Norfolk so in one way I work on my own. I work with local councillors. I work with other MPs in Norfolk, working together to get things done here in Norfolk. And I work with one or two Ministers in the Government.

Henry: What is the most interesting part of your job?

GF: The most interesting part for me is being in the chamber of the House of Commons and watch Ministers in the Government being interrogated by MPs. Every Friday I try to visit a school to find out what you are thinking about and what you want for this area.

Joshua: What is your favourite part of being an MP?

GF: My favourite part is having the privilege of being the representative for a patch of Norfolk and the opportunity it gives me to get to know what’s going on in the area in a real way. I like visiting schools, charities, businesses and running my surgeries to help people. It gets better every year!

Harvey: What is the most challenging thing about being an MP?

GF: Prioritising! Choosing what your priority is. Lots of people ask for help. I have to choose. I can’t do everything.

Charlie P.: What don’t you like about your job?

GF: I have to be away from my family, my children (aged 10 and 8) and my lovely wife. I have to live on my own for 4 days from Monday to Thursday night.

Jack: Tell us something surprising about being an MP that most people don’t know about.

GF: Quite how many extraordinary requests I get from people wanting me to help them. So many I couldn’t help with. Things that are private, embarrassing or none of my business.

Lewis: Name something that you think would make our lives better and what you are doing to make it happen.

GF: It is one of my passions that what we need are more local businesses here in Norfolk. After school you will need a job. It would be nice to have more jobs here, and more businesses offering them, so that young people would not need to move away to find work.

Grace: What would you like to say to the children here at Yaxham School?

GF: I would like to say “well done” for everything that you’re doing here every day, for inspiring your teachers to work as hard as they do. And look at how much you learn! It’s a wonderful thing you have raised money for this new facility. Congratulations to you all!

Thank you for answering our questions Mr Freeman and for taking the time and trouble to visit us on this important day for our school.

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Circus Skills by Hollie

"On Tuesday 14^th June we went to Welborne where we learnt some circus skills.  We travelled there by coach.  When we got there we split into 2 groups.  In my group we started drawing a picture of the big top, then we mimed our own circus.

We were split into 3 groups, 1 group did the Diablo, one group did spinning plates and 1 group did poi (sock with a tennis ball at the toe, knotted at the top, spinning them).? Ella

Sculptures by Maddison
Children in class 3 made sculptures to do with the circus.
There were all sorts, like a big Diablo, people on a tight rope, spinning plates, a big top and so many more. All of the sculptures were on show at Welborne Arts Festival in and around the church, from the 17th to the 19th June.

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On the 13th June 10 children from class 3 went to a kwik cricket tournament at Great Witchingham cricket ground. We played 5 matches and only lost 2 of them. Our team ended up 2nd out of the small schools tournament. I was the captain of the team.

We got the highest score out of the whole tournament which was 299 when we played Hockering school who only got 213! We beat St Faiths who we didn?t think we would because they battled really well, but we beat them by about 40 runs.

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The Shakespeare Festival by Rosie

One of the most exciting moments of my life was when I was standing on Northgate?s stage on the 7^th April 2011.  I was Othello from William Shakespeare?s play ?Othello?.  As I stood on the stage I could see my parents smiling up at me.  I was also the most scariest moment.

The first time I heard about Othello was in January.  My whole class watched a 30 minute animation of Othello which we were completely baffled by.  Then Chris White, a man from the Royal Shakespeare Company, came and helped us and gave us ideas.  Then in April came the big day!  I was so excited that I couldn?t stop laughing!"

"The Shakespeare Festival by Victoria

When class 3 did the Shakespeare Festival I was one of the main characters called Desdemona.  The Shakespeare Festival was on 7^th April 2011 at Northgate High School.  It was great fun being on the stage.  It was very funny getting smothered with a pillow!  The play that we did was called Othello.  We had a man called Chris who came to help us get started."

This production was part of the ?DEREHAM SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL? led by Northgate High School. This was at Northgate on Thursday, 7^th April. Northgate?s Year 10 group did a 15-minute version of Romeo & Juliet, and were joined by Yaxham, Scarning and Bawdeswell Primary schools and Fred Nicholson School. All schools performed aspects of Shakespeare?s plays under the banner theme of 'Love and Hate' in the Dereham Shakespeare Festival. Amongst the audience at Northgate was Chris White from the Royal Shakespeare Company, who has led practical workshops with all the schools and spoke to Mr Ward, Class 3 Teacher, about the success of the Yaxham performance.



The performance was truly impressive, involving everyone in Class 3 (31 pupils). Othello is not the easiest of Shakespeare?s plays, but all the pupils succeeded in bringing it to life and all of us watching could follow and understand the story. There are many issues and themes in the play and under Mr Ward?s direction these were highlighted in such a way that the audience understood. The language is complicated, both to speak and to listen to and to understand. Mr Ward had not compromised the language using quotes and extracts directly from the play to seamlessly condense it into 30 minutes. The only non-Shakespearian text was at the beginning when Mr Ward introduced the key characters and their relationships with each other to help the younger members of the audience have an understanding of the background to the play. The cast had clearly spent much time learning their lines, and dealt confidently with challenging words and modes of Shakespearian speech. They succeeded in speaking with clarity and feeling that it sounded natural and very effective. The performance was a tribute to all involved and to Mr Ward?s teaching and leadership.

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Ukulele-playing pupils from Yaxham Primary School have been praised for their "outstanding" performance at the Norfolk County Music Festival.

The group, all under 11 years old, played and sang two original compositions, including one entitled, "We are the Kids of Yaxham School." The children were thrilled to receive an "outstanding" mark from the festival's professional adjudicators. They were also commended on their "lovely, engaging performance."

Yaxham Primary School has been offering ukulele lessons to its pupils through the county's Schools Music Service.

Explained teacher Masha Smith, " It's a great achievement for our children to receive such high praise and we plan to enter more festivals and competitions next year after such a promising start."

The Norfolk County Music Festival aims to raise the standard of amateur music making and the spoken word by offering the opportunity to perform in public in special venues. The group from Yaxham travelled to the United Reformed Church in Norwich to give their performance, which was judged by renowned music educationalist Paul Harris, this year's president of the Norfolk County Music Festival.From the Dereham and Fakenham Times

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"Petition Presented by Friends of Yaxham Primary to Yaxham Parish Council to help achieve school road safety improvements"
A petition with some 80 names of parents, staff and residents was presented by Racheal Higgins of the "Friends of Yaxham School" to Yaxham Parish Council at its meeting, Thursday, 11th March. The parish council agreed and there is to be a meeting with the Parish Clerk to see how we can all work together on this. This followed a governors meeting with Norfolk County Council on the school travel plan, which includes the speed limit, ahead of the Parish Council meeting. Watch this space!!!

Traffic/Speeding Campaign Meeting - This was on Tuesday 27th April at 7pm at the school with County Councillor Cliff Jordan. Parents, Staff and Governors attended, as did members of the Parish Council - wheelie bin "Slow Down" Notices have been distributed and new posters designed by the children will be appearing soon. Thank you to everyone who supports this campaign.

NEW!! go to the Message Board (see menu at the top of this page), join the discussion "Traffic & Speeding in Yaxham" and post your comments - the more involved the more likely we will succeed!!!

We hope soon to have a new flashing sign to warn motorists that there is a school ahead! - well-done to verybody!

We are also working with the Parish Council and Cllr Jordan to try to get the speed-limit reduced between Yaxham and Clint Green, down from 60mph to we hope 40 mph so as to reduce the speed of traffic coming pass the school from the Dereham direction.

Youngsters make speeding drivers listen

By VICTORIA LEGGETT EDP/Dereham Times, Wednesday, 24 November, 2010
15:00 PM
Drivers speeding past a Norfolk school were yesterday confronted by youngsters as they helped launch a charity?s latest road safety campaign.
The children at Yaxham Church of England Primary School asked probing questions including ?how would you feel if you hit me?? and ?is your destination more important than my life?? after motorists were clocked exceeding the 30mph limit on Norwich Road.

After being pulled in by police, one driver who had been travelling at 37mph told the pupils she had been in a ?world of her own? and would have been ?very distressed? if she had injured someone.
?I?m angry with myself for speeding,? she said. ?I will definitely stick to the speed limit in future.?

It was part of road safety charity Brake?s latest campaign, Kids Say Slow Down, which was launched yesterday to coincide with Road Safety Week.
Events officer Kath Hartley said: ?We?re calling on all drivers in the East of England to slow down to 20mph near homes and schools to make roads safer for children.âÂÂÂÂÂ?¨?We?re putting the onus on drivers to take the lead and take responsibility.?

A survey of 1,566 nine to 13-year-olds in the region, carried out by Brake as part of the campaign, found one in 14 children had been knocked down while walking or cycling.
A further 50pc had had a near miss while 85pc said they thought drivers were going too fast around their homes and schools.
Rosie Bales, a year six pupil, travels in from Old Buckenham each day and said just walking from the car to school could be nerve-racking.
?Normally it takes quite a long time to cross the road because there are so many cars coming,? said the 10-year-old. ?You step out into the road because you think it?s OK and suddenly a car comes quickly past.?

The 80-pupil school sits on a short stretch of 30mph road between two 60mph sections. Parents, staff and governors have campaigned for a reduction to 20mph and other measures like a pedestrian crossing. Flashing warning signs were recently installed, but have not yet been switched on.

Ian Martin, vice-chairman of governors, said he did not encourage children to cycle to school and that visits to the village church needed 20 adults to supervise the 1.5 mile walk.
In 2009, seven children were killed and 192 seriously injured on roads in the East of England ? an average of four every week.

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