As we launch into 2020 with all the typical energy and enthusiasm that you expect from Laxton Junior School, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish our entire community a happy new year; I very much hope that the holiday brought with it happy times with friends and family, and that you feel revitalised for the Lent Term.
Indeed, we have no shortage of exciting events and activities on the horizon, as we look to provide yet another action packed term of opportunity and challenge to our children. Mathematics and Science enrichment events provide additional academic focus, whilst our whole school art, online safety and book days will enable our children to develop their creativity, understanding of the online world, and their passion for books and reading. Percussion and brass concerts, not to mention the eagerly anticipated KS1 Production, will provide much musical and dramatic entertainment; from the sounds and singing reverberating around school, preparations for these spectacular events are well underway! Further opportunities for our children to interact with the Oundle community will also be on offer, this term, with Year 3 attending a brilliant Disney-themed event co-led by staff at Oundle Primary School and LJS. If that wasn’t enough, the first of our Parents in Partnership sessions began on Friday, 10th January, with the school’s Mental Health Lead delivering a powerful seminar on building resilience; further opportunities to support parental engagement in key messaging will follow, with the NSPCC presenting on keeping children safe online at home. Finally, our four Houses will find themselves thrust into a multitude of competitions, with House Music, House Writing and House Speech and Drama all lying in wait for Burghley, Gloucester, Whitmore and Lilford.
Needless to say, it’s going to be a wonderful term and we couldn’t be more excited about all that is planned. Of course, alongside the above, fabulous teaching and learning is taking place and, after a week in action, it has been brilliant to feel that happy buzz of productivity and progress emanating from every learning space around our school. Of course, for some of our Year 6 children, this hard work will be directed towards entrance and scholarship exams and auditions in the coming weeks; we wish each and every one of them all the very best and encourage them to be confident and resilient as they apply their learning to the challenges they will face.
We hope that 2020 will provide great happiness and success to all our community, and very much look forward to the exciting journey that lies ahead of us all.
Sam Roberston, Head