Dear Parents and Carers,

We've had a wonderful week, full of engaging activities for Black History Month, including visits, workshops and in-class learning. This week, we welcomed a guest from ACEN - the African Caribbean Education Network - who shared insights about Notting Hill Carnival and Claudia Jones, the founder of the first indoor Caribbean Carnival in 1959. At Wednesday's assembly, a former Parent of Betty Layward, Ingrid Karikari, came in to speak to the children as part of our Black History Month celebrations. Ingrid talked to the children about her Ghanaian heritage, her experiences studying at Cambridge University and her exciting career in technology. She spoke about how her life and career had evolved in so many ways, but what remained the same was her dedication and pride in her family and her identity. Emily Ware, a Parent of a child in Year 2, came in this week to share their story, teach us about Black History, and inspire us to dream big, work hard and be proud of who we are. Emily was incredibly motivational and shared her life journey, highlighting her commitment to hard work, resilience and determination in standing firm and reaching her full potential. We wish to say a massive thank you to Emily and Ingrid for coming in to share their stories.

Our children enjoyed an energetic African drumming workshop for Black History Month. A skilled drummer led them to follow different rhythms, work as a team and create their own patterns. They learned that drumming is an important part of African culture, handed down through generations. The workshop was lively and vibrant and it was a great way to celebrate African musical traditions in a fun and meaningful way.

Please join us for our Black History Month event on Wednesday at 3:30 pm in the hall. The event will feature performances, an author, singing and tasty food.  We hope to see you there.

Next week is Grandparents' Week. It would be wonderful to welcome Grandparents to share stories about their school days, read a story or discuss topics of interest.

Have a lovely weekend,

Jessica

Headteacher