Happy New Year!

Greetings one and all and welcome to 2011 - the best year of your life, if you've a mind to make it such. I have lofty ambitions, for myself and for the school, and am looking forward to many things.

However, first of all, I'd like to invite you all to participate in the inaugural edition of the worst christmas present of the year award. My contender is a spotty oven glove, which allegedly was purchased as it "matches our mugs". Come on, beat that if you dare. Answers on a postcard to ...

So, as Mr Scaiff is walking around scratching his his head and worrying about a relegation dog fight that will never come to fruition (surely the bluenoses will go down before us?!?) and Taylor Iles and Freddie Grierson fight out a baby sumo contest, what are you looking forward to this year? What are your ambitions? Aspirations? What triumphs do you plan? If you haven't thought about it yet, shouldn't you? My friends spent all of new year planning what they're going to give up. As I said, once again, you shouldn't give something up, you should take something up. And they ignored me. Once again.

What have we learned in this very short week?

• That year 3 do know how to behave in assembly, and they have so far done it marvellously.
• That year 6 need to remember how to treat people, especially the adults.
• That the whole school can whisper brilliantly in assembly.
• That praise is........

Apparently, the snow is on its way again. Good job I never let her put the sledge back in the loft...

That is all.

Jingle bell, jingle bell jingle bell rock

Monday morning arrived and I did not know what to expect from this week, I must confess.

However, as Christmas weeks go it has to be considered one of the best. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. The productions were excellent, the carol singing great, the (cough strewn) christingle very special and the dinner outstanding.

So, all I have left to say is a simply yet strongly heartfelt Merry Christmas and happy new year to each and everyone of you out their in snowy blogland. Hope your time with you and yours is indeed the most wonderful of the year.

And, for 2010, that is very much all.

Take care please.

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.