As we enter week 3, the routines in our classes are settling down, although I do keep catching children walking into the wrong classroom still after they have been to the toilet. As phonics is so important to ensure our children can read fluently, it is the priority between 9am and 10 am each morning at our school. Nothing stops phonics happening other than a fire alarm! There is the 8.30am hustle around the phonic cupboard as staff get the right flashcards and the right books to teach their groups.

Rosie the dog came in as usual on Thursday and met some of the new children that have joined Westroyd in KS1 and KS2. We have another new family joining us tomorrow, which is exciting, so they will be on Rosie’s list on Thursday.

It was great to see Angela, who popped in on Friday. Her role is as community champion at Pudsey ASDA. Her children came to Westroyd many moons ago. She has helped the school with a few things already, but she heard about our choir and has invited us to sing at ASDA to raise money for children in need and at Christmas. Of course, we said yes! We have many dates coming up to perform and raise money for charity.

Volunteering and raising money for charity is a focus of our year group bucket lists as something the children must do every year. We believe that if you give in life, life will give back. My own children have grown up with the mantra “Good things happen to good people” Or my other favourite saying, "What comes around, goes around."  But ultimately, helping others makes you feel good, which has to be a win, win situation for everyone.

We had a lovely moment this week, when my old, old friend PCSO Dean popped in to see me. PCSO Dean was the community officer in the patch where I used to work. We did a lot of things together, to support the children and families in the school. He even came on residential with us a few times. But usually I would ring him up in a panic if I encountered a scary dog!  I am not a fan of scary dogs! When I moved jobs to Farsley, he switched areas too. We have always had a shared view, and aspiration that children will learn to see the police in a positive light, as people who help them. The children are then likely to turn to a police officer to keep themselves safe! Dean came for a stroll with me, to see the refurbishment of our Aspire room. He likes a bit of DIY. I feel we must have met our longstanding objective as it was like walking around acting as Taylor Swift’s bodyguard. As he has visited many times now, the children were all over him, pleased to see him and asking about all the gadgets on his uniform!

Mr Popple made me chuckle as usual this week. Miss Martin, who shares a class with him, does organise him. He would never dare leave his coffee cup on their shared desk in the classroom, and she has made a sign on the door, reminding him to put back the whiteboard pen that he always walks off with! She has booked for the class to go to the pantomime at the Alhambra this week. Peter Pan with Billy Pierce. Again, a bucket list expectation that every child visits the theatre annually. Mr Popple is not happy and has nominated me to go, rather than him. He is scared that Billy Pierce will pick him out in the audience for some audience participation! He says he is always an easy target because of his beard! 

Still recovering from my surgery, I had to pull on some urgent local intervention last week. I may have played too much padel last weekend, and my back was as still as a board on Monday morning. Too much twisting for the ball. Quick word in Basil’s mum's ear and I had myself booked a sports massage on my back-down in her clinic on Town Street that night! Wow, forget my back, it helped a lot, but more than that – how relaxing!  Never had one before – I am a convert. I talked to some other headteachers about it the next day, and apparently they all have back massages at least once a half-term! All that stress and working on a laptop. I don’t remember massage being on the HT induction checklist when I started!

Best book my next session!