Tuesday November 12th 2024
Dear Diary,
Sharpness Primary is only a small school — with just over 100 pupils in total — but the children and staff there have huge hearts, and welcomed me into their cosy community with open arms during today’s visit. I was rather worried that I’d sent them all to sleep at one point, as they were so silent and still whilst I read the opening chapters of WARNING: Magic Can Be Dangerous! during my morning assembly. But it turns out they’re all just exceptionally good listeners, and were paying close attention to the story. The pupils excelled at ‘Name the Character’ first thing, dreaming up some of the most inventive character names I’ve ever come across! (Poor Mr Wiggall did end up being ridiculed, due to his remarkable resemblance to the maths teacher with steam coming out of his ears. Luckily, he was a good sport and took it on the chin.) Straight after the assembly, it was time for my first workshop… with Years 1 & 2. So many of the children read aloud to the rest of the class, and I was really impressed with the quality of work these young pupils produced. Next on the agenda was a workshop for Years 3 & 4. And once again, the classroom was awash with talented individuals, making the decision of who to award certificates to very tricky indeed. I especially loved Erin’s story about a child who had a pet dinosaur. Her writing style was supremely comical and had us all in fits of giggles! After lunch, I ran a shorter workshop for the Reception pupils. They’d been beautifully behaved during my thirty-minute assembly this morning, and they were also a joy to spend time with this afternoon. Their pictures of incredibly odd Uncle John were absolutely wonderful, too! Years 5 & 6 were a lively bunch at the end of they day, but they were also a very accomplished group. They created their characters in no time and came up with super stories. There are definitely some future authors in that class. In fact, there were so many incredible stories produced today that it wouldn’t surprise me if many of Sharpness Primary’s pupils end up being published authors. Dave and all the staff were wonderful, providing fantastic help throughout the day. And every single pupil got so stuck into all the activities, making today magical. It was such a treat to be allowed to take so many photos today, too. I’ll treasure them forever, as they’ll help keep my memories of today’s visit alive! I can’t wait to see everyone again next year when I return with WARNING: May Contain Dragons.
