And since we've no place to go...

Yes, yes, yes, I may have been a tad premature last Friday in saying we'd get no snow, but, let's be honest, in comparison to much of the country, we've had more dandruff than we've had snow.

My mother in law was stuck on a train for four hours on Tuesday. Twenty hours too little in my opinion. (RIVery Well Deserved P Les Dawson).

So, in the couple of weeks since I last leapt blindly into the blogoshpere, what have we learned?

- I still can only tolerate Christmas at Christmas time; Ru got me to watch the Polar Express on Saturday 27th - too early mate, way too early.
- That, despite this, I still like to see December 1st come around.
- Year 6 can play a mean uke.
- Children of all ages can sing like the bomb if they truly want to.
- The staffroom is freezing.
- My ears can not stand the cold in the way they once did.

At this point, if I am to follow blogition, I would make some witty comment about the Villa. I shall merely point my comments at the sub human savages who chose, quite deliberately, to embarrass my home city with a public act of thugery. Violence and football cannot live side by side, and I know which one the populus prefers. If you want to act like that, don your caveman outfit and head out to the hills, you have no place in our beautiful games. Muppets.

That, sadly, is all.

PS I honestly am looking forward to next week, when the Chrimbo stuff will kick off. Good luck everyone - I'm very proud of you.

Who ya gonna call?

Last weekend, amidst a Ghostbusters and Lethal Weapon marathon, I thought back to what a good week it had been to start term 2. The uniform is outstanding, our attendance is steadily getting much better, and the entire school managed to get my "mystery christmas song" melody with my slightly novel piano playing.

Furthermore, it is always a high point of my year when another fireowrk night comes and goes and no-one is hurt - but didn't we have fun with our fireworks last Friday.

So, what have we learned this week?

- The M5 is becoming more and more dangerous - I hope everyone got home alright this week;
- That reception are outstanding when it comes to a minute's silence;
- So are most of the rest of the school;
- That teachers really don't like my singing.

But then, who does. I'm only just trying to work out how I lived with only one uke...

Take care through this first batch of horrible weather, people.

That is all.

"Please will you tune my ukulele?"

So, we reach term 2, when my application for the Ukulele Orchestra of GB is still in draft form, and when we dig out our winter coats (I'd forgotten what it was like to have wet hair. But then, as most of you keep pointing out, I'd forgotten what it was like to have hair.).

So, what have we learned since last we blogged?

Well, we must first and foremost pay massive kiss on both cheeks to our friends at Sketty. Those people waiting to watch McFly realised they'd put money on the wrong horse after hearing us. It was a pleasure and a joy to make new friends, and hear such wonderful voices. We weren't bad either. Thank you so much for our present (please come and see year 6's brilliant display to read / see / hear all about it).

Well, what else?

• Key stage 2 can make a toilet messy, but, according to the scores for the last two days, they also know how to make a gig change and a big difference;
• Key Stage 1 like a firework;
• EYFS like a jungle (but, don't we all);
• Some adults around here need higher standards; fortunately, I have them for them;
• That 'F' to 'G' chord change is easy if you're year 6;
• That we do know how to improve attendance - we did it! (Now, we have to keep doing it...)

So, have a fab firework weekend. Please, please, please stay safe, and let the grown ups do the lighting. I want to hear 250 fabulous stories, from 250 fully fit and fine friends.

That is all.

Photographing snowflakes

So, a new Badly Drawn Boy album hits the ground, a Gorillaz song arrives that I actually like (in fact, I love it) and Ruben is still obsessed with that Warpaint version of Bowie's Ashes to Ashes. But what on eart does all this mean at Badock's?

More ukuleles adorn the halls and aural airspace of the Wood, and cold, cold weather has arrived whilst people's coats are still in the loft. So what have we learned this week?

Year 5 (say it very quietly) might just be starting to make some really good choices.

Year 4 (say it with that strange nose pointing thing) make some quite amazing soup.

Year 1 (say it with no amazement, because we should have known anyway) are superb writers.

Year 6 (don't say anything - you should be listening) are skilled and articulate debaters.

And reception (you can only say it with a smile on your face) are so hard working it's not true.

What good news. That is all. Yes, that is all.

PS Key Stage 2. Beware the toilet of doom ...

"You'll never guess who's on the phone..."

So, that was a week, wasn't it?

As more and more staff bid against each other on eBay for ukuleles, and lose to year 6, we have the closing stages of a positive week for the future of Badock's Wood. What have we learned then, in this week...

That, at last, at long long last, we have collectively worked out how to stand up to scrutiny

That year 6 really do love a uke

So do the staff

That year 5 still can't work out the difference between bad decisions and decisions that never had to be made

That year 2 can use a trip to the woods to produce some amazing writing

That Mr V can make soup, but cannot thread a needle, nor form a 'G' (but diesel for lunch?)

That Mr Scaiff has a strange upside down thing going on.

What we have yet to discover is if they sell certain musical instruments west of the bridge. We shall see.

That is all

PS Thank you staff. You were awesome. Thank you kids. You were pretty awesome too.