Saturday 19 July 2014

Walton-on-the-Naze


 







What a way to celebrate a big birthday!  4 double decker buses and all the pupils, staff and parents coming together to enjoy lots of sunshine, sand and surf.  Perfect!
It was a joy to watch the children squeal with delight as they decided whether to dig holes or paddle first.  With the heat of the day the cool waters won most hearts with many staff and parents taking up the opportunity to join the children in the water.
It was wonderful to see all the children enjoy the simple pleasures of the beach including kite flying, sand castles, beach footie and cricket.  After lunch the local lifeguard joined us to talk to the children and demonstrate some of their skills and finally some last minute paddling, children and adults.  All too quickly it was time to pack up and leave the beach as we found it.  As we left the empty beach it was hard to imagine that just 15 minutes before a whole school community had gathered together to have fun. 
There was only one thing left to do – ice-creams all round. Very welcome in the heat, then bearing in mind the journey ahead, getting all children and adults through the limited toilet facilities and onto the buses.  This caused a slight holdup to plans, especially as another school had the same idea and the same timetable.  Still, mission accomplished and we were back on the road home. 
For some, the heat and excitement of the day was too much and some little ‘heads’ nodded off  and some children did too. 
It was a treat to see the school celebrate a milestone in such a child centred way.  A considerable amount of planning went into the event and it showed, from the attendance of the local lifeguard to the purchase of bucket and spades.  It was typically Suttons to fully involve the whole school community and to include so many parents who joined us on the beach; A true reflection of the Suttons’ ethos.
Congratulations to everyone at the school for all the hard work and the children and parents for creating magnificent memories for the school storybook.
 
Linda Baptiste (Chair of Governors) & Kim Stalabrass (Community Governor)