27.11.2020 Dear Families, It was lovely to hear good news about family gatherings at Christmas. Celebrating this special time of year in our Church school is beginning in earnest – Rev. Sherine is sending every child home with a small wooden figure of Baby Jesus today and she hopes that this will be the start of your family’s own Nativity tableau. You could create the other figures out of paper, lego, pegs, fabric; you could even build the stable and light it up in your window. Please send photographs to Rev Sherine, to our Facebook page or to me directly. Let’s see if we can join the other 550 families and businesses in Alford, all making their own windows onto the Nativity. Christmas’ nativities and school plays won’t quite be the same this year but we hope to do something a little different for the children in every class. Thank you already to the families who have generously donated to St Barnabas’ Just Giving campaign for “Rudy’s Run”. I have an inkling Father Christmas is going to make an appearance, children! Christmas parties, bauble decorating, calendar making and Covid-safe carol singing are still going to be part of our celebrations in school. It would be lovely if the children sent their friends Christmas cards and little messages – these can be hand delivered in the children’s “bubbles” rather than using the traditional Christmas post box. We are also going to have a virtual “Do it yourself” Christingle service with Rev. Sherine and Rev Ros teaching us all how to make our own DIY Christingle to bring home on the last day of term. As you can see, we are trying to ensure that this wonderful time of the year is continued in school to the best of our ability. If you have anything that would help us make Christmas this year as special as it can be, please drop in the office and see us. At the same time, please keep letting us know how you are and how we can help your family – email me at [email protected] Please do not send your child into school with a mobile phone. If they are travelling on school transport and you would like them to have a phone with them, please contact Mrs Belton to discuss this. Thank you.