Family Matters Easter 2019 | North East Somerset edition

NORTH EAST SOMERSET EDITION

ISSUE 70 • MARCH/ARPIL 2019

prizes to be won!

the value of pocket money

www.familymatters-uk.co.uk

easter play ideas

WELCOME Easter is nearly upon us and we’re excited to share a whole new set of Easter-themed events with you as well as all your school news! It looks like you have all been very busy during the first few months of 2019!

We’re hoping that the weather starts to brighten up so you can enjoy your time off school and have some family time in the sunshine, though lighter nights are on the way, so make sure you make use of them by taking some walks and getting out in the countryside – it’s the perfect way to enjoy each other’s company while working off all that extra energy from the chocolate eggs and treats you'll have been eating!

Have a wonderful Easter break!

p4 Easter around the world

p7 the history of mother's day

p19 staying safe online

p11 leaving children home alone Published by Ignyte Media Ltd - email: info@ignyte-uk.co.uk call: 01761 410141 While every care has been taken to ensure the data contained in the publication is accurate, neither the publisher nor its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause.

Ignyte do not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. All right reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system in any form without the prior permission of the publisher.

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Easter celebrations around the world In the UK, Easter is a time to spend together as a family, some focus on more traditional Christian activities and go to Church services where they celebrate the resurrection of Christ, while others exchange Easter Eggs and enjoy Simnel Cake and Hot Cross Buns. While Easter is an important celebration here, it isn’t something that is celebrated all around the world, but for those that do celebrate it, the traditions are very different to here in the UK. Here are a few of the Easter celebrations across the world:

Dressing up as the Easter Witch

Easter In Sweden, children dress up as urful colo ts, skir long ring witches wea eks. che red ted pain and s arve dsc hea ing trad e hom They walk from home to e hop the in ings draw paintings and of receiving sweets.

Beating up straw dolls

In Brazil one of their main Easter traditions is creating small straw dolls to represent Judas, who in the Bibl e stories was the apostle that betrayed Jes us.

These little dolls are then hung up in the streets and beaten. On Easter Sun day, or SĂĄbado de Aleluia, there are carnivals held to celebrate the end of Lent.

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Presidential parties

osts President h y Easter the er n ev w , la A e S U th In the Roll on Easter Egg . It ay d on M r the Annual aste House on E of the White ave started in the 19th h is thought to each president has century and nal touches r own perso brought thei ti ra on. to the celeb

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Massive omelettes

Decorating trees with eggs

of Haux in n square adition to w to e th In ual tr n is an ann France, it melette in the tow o n 0 a 0 te ,0 crea nd 5 sing arou square u elette is so huge om eggs. The y feeds a few it usuall people. thousand

ey ing eggs, th ther than hid ra s y, et an re m st er d in In G d on trees an are displaye elebrations C e. ir m ad to e n yo er d it is for ev Thursday an here start on en only eat gre tradition to things.

Egg fights

In Bulgaria, eggs aren’t hidden, they’re thrown! Whoever finishes the game with an unbroken egg is the winner and assumed to be the most successful member of the family in the coming year!

Smashing pots

In Corfu, reside nts have been known to take part in Po t Throwing, w hich takes place on the m orning of Holy Saturday.

People throw pots and pans out of their window s so that they sm ash on the street outside.

Showering girls with water

is for In Hungary and Poland the tradition or cologne ume perf er, wat nkle spri to men because over young women. It’s supposedly lityferti and ling hea , ning water has a clea it is t pec sus we but ct, effe cing indu a lot of fun for young boys with sisters they like to torment!

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BOUNCE INTO EASTER Enjoy some family time at Bath’s Trampoline Park, located on North Parade Road, just a 5-minute walk from Bath Spa railway station.

Book your space now by visiting extreme.better.org.uk/bath Better is a registered trademark and trading name of GLL (Greenwich Leisure Limited), a charitable social enterprise and registered society under the Co-operative & Community Benefit & Societies Act 2014 registration no. 27793R. Registered office: Middlegate House, The Royal Arsenal, London, SE18 6SX. Inland Revenue Charity no. XR43398

26/02/2019 17:16

FAMILY EVENTS SPRING 2019 All events subject to change or cancellation without prior notice

13 & 14 APRIL

Join the ‘Star Tugs’ from 1980s children’s TV and take a trip down memory lane! Enjoy a trip onboard Bristol’s historic fireboat ‘Pyronaut’ which will be joining us with short trips on the River Avon*

0143

Join us for the start of the 2019 season and travel for half price if you live in a BS or BA postcode. Bring proof of ID

FIRE & WATER

april

6 & 7 APRIL

2031

APRIL

LOCAL RESIDENTS WEEKEND

*small extra charge applies

19 – 22 APRIL

Join us this Easter weekend as we celebrate the return to steam of the old Fry’s chocolate factory steam locomotive from Keynsham.

FREE Fry’s chocolate for every child!

Tel: 0117 932 5538

1924

APRIL

CHOCOLATE TRAIN

www.avonvalleyrailway.org

* BRICK EXPRESS KIDS FOR RA

QUID IN 2019

2 JUNE Jump onboard the Brick Express and ® try your hand at building with Lego Bricks as you travel the line.

What will you be inspired to build?

Tickets on sale at www.avonvalleyrailway.org

Bitton Railway Station, Bath Road, Bristol BS30 6HD

* Lego, the LEGO logo, the brick and knob configuration and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorise or endorse this event.

133981C_TrampolineNewspaperAd_157x115_FINAL.indd 1

The history of Mother’s

Day

In the UK, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent (exactly three weeks before Easter) and is nothing to do with the American holiday of the same name.

Historically it’s a religious holiday in Christianity.

Originally the idea of Mother’s Day was when children who worked as servants, mainly girls, were given the day off of work to spend it at home with their mothers.

Children of poorer families were often sent away to other towns or villages to work, so getting a day off to return home was something to be celebrated.

Because Mother’s Day always falls on a Sunday, it would be expected that when they got to their family home they would also visit their ‘Mother’ church, ie, the church they had attended when they lived with their parents.

Back then, it was customary to return to their family church in the middle of Lent, and as many children would pick wild flowers to take home to their mothers as a gift after the service, historians think this is where the idea of heading to your mum’s home with a gift came from.

These days, Mother’s Day is a way we can all celebrate mothers, whether they are biological mums, step mums, adoptive mums or if your mum is no longer with you.

There are lots of ways to honour your mum on Mother’s Day whether that’s by quietly reflecting on your relationship or indulging her with gifts and treats. However you are choosing to spend the day, we hope that it is one that is filled with love and happiness.

There are some easy and thoughtful ways you can celebrate your mum this Mother’s Day. Dad’s, older siblings, grandparents or mum’s partner are great helpers to help create something special for mum like a scrapbook, memory box, breakfast in bed or a bunch of flowers.

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The Value of

Teaching children the value of money and how to budget is an important lesson and one that can be stressful to parents, especially if your child’s peers are receiving large allowances each month that are just out of your price range.

Pocket money can be the cause of many family arguments, we’re sure your children use the “but (insert name here) gets more than me” routine all the time but it is important to stick to your guns when it comes to your children and pocket money.

Clear boundaries will ensure you remain in control and that your children get the chance to learn more about how money works.

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ukfamilymatters |

POCKET MO NE Y With society becoming more and more consumer focused, it is no wonder that studies are reporting that 71% of under sixteen year olds are using savings accounts or current accounts to keep track of their spending. According to reports the average child is now earning around £13 a week, which amounts to over £600 a year, so showing children how to understand the value of money and the importance of saving and budgeting is becoming more and more important.

Financial advisers are therefore handing out information to parents on how to make their kids as money savvy as possible, so here are a few tips to help you out along the way.

@UkFamilyMatters | familymatters-uk.co.uk

Start talking to them about money from a young age

We understand that this isn’t always easy, explaining wages and taxes is something that goes over most adults’ heads, let alone kids and we’re not all comfortable talking about our finances, but letting them play with coins or handing them money and letting them pay for goods when out shopping is a good way to equate money with products. It will also help them not only understand the value of money, but also will give them a head start when it comes to adding and subtracting, especially if you supervise them counting out what they’ll need or get them to wait for change.

Show them the importance of saving

These days children, particularly older ones, will get given money for their birthdays or as Christmas presents and this can really add up, particularly if you are part of a large family. While they might be tempted to blow the lot, see if you can encourage them to save the money instead. Many banks offer savings accounts to under sixteens and some even have current accounts with differing interest rates.

Encouraging the use of an account like this can be useful in helping them save for something really big or even just as a useful tool for understanding how interest rates work.

Giving out pocket money

We know this can be a tough one, but it is a great way to give children control over their own spending and to gain a real insight into saving and budgeting.

The trick is to be consistent about how much you give them and when, so start out with small amounts over a regular payment cycle that is in line with your own budgets. This can help them get used to being paid on a certain day and how to make their money last until the next pay day. You can also use house hold chores as a way to teach them how to earn money, so instead of paying for a cleaner or a gardener every week, save a few jobs for the kids to do and pay them instead.

Learning by experience

We never want to let our kids make mistakes and it can be particularly difficult where money is concerned, but one great way to teach your children about the value of money is to let them learn by experience. If they want to spend all their cash in one go, let them but be sure that they know they won’t be getting any more until the next pay day and if they have an advance, they’ll have it docked from their usual amount. They’ll soon learn about the importance of budgeting and saving when they realise that the Bank of Mum and Dad has a limit.

Don’t overcompensate

If you are co-parenting with an ex, it can be tempting to overcompensate with money, particularly if it is a messy break up. It’s important that you are on the same page when it comes to pocket money.

Grandparents can also feel that they have a right to spoil the children and can compete with each other and you with pocket money. Make sure you speak to everyone involved so that they understand your goals and come to a compromise, perhaps the Grandparents would like to open and maintain an ISA or something similar, so that they are giving pocket money without undermining what you’ve decided.

ukfamilymatters |

At the end of the day, whether or not you give out pocket money and if so, how much, is entirely down to you and your family.

If you want to find out more about the benefits of pocket money, there are lots of online guides that offer great resources.

@UkFamilyMatters | familymatters-uk.co.uk | 9

Midsomer Norton Station Easter Egg Hunt Sun 21st & Mon 22nd April Rides with Joyce the Sentinel Steam Engine.

Starting 11am and last train at 14.40.

The Station Gardens, Museum, Buffet Car and Shop will all be open for visitors.

See the Website for details of all events and train running times www.sdjr.co.uk

WINNER 2016

Award Winning Educational Experiences Newton St Loe, Bath

www.westofenglandfalconry.org.uk

07473 757554 or 07766 767153

Should you leave your child home alone?

Leaving your children home alone is a pretty contentious issue, some parents think that at a certain age, children should be left alone for short periods to help them learn independence, others think children should be in their late teens before you even think about it. For the vast majority of parents, they feel safe leaving their children alone for a few hours once they start secondary school, especially if they have older siblings that can keep an eye on them. For some, with busy lives, leaving them alone for a few hours can be the only solution.

If it is something you’re considering, it is important to know that there is no legal age limit for leaving a child on their own, but it is an offence if it places the child at risk. It is generally advised that children under 12 shouldn’t be left alone for long periods of time. The only real question is whether or not your child is mature enough to be left on their own. Just with everything else when it comes to parenting, if you’re worried about it, don’t do it. If you’re worried about being over protective, you could always leave them for a short time, such as popping into the garden or out to the car, to see how you feel and they react.

If you find yourself thinking about whether you can leave the children alone for a little while, here are some things for you to consider.

• How far away will you be and how long do you think you’ll be?

• How mature/responsible are your children?

• Do they feel comfortable being in the house without you?

• How well do they know the neighbours? Would they be comfortable approaching them for help if they need it?

If you do need to leave your children at home on their own for a little while, the general advice is to ease into it. Don’t put any extra pressure on yourself by having a deadline or important appointment the first time. It is also a good idea to be close by for the first few times, so it is easy to get home straight away if you need to. If you decide that your child is mature enough and happy to be left alone for short periods of time, there are some things you can do to ease both your and their minds.

• Make sure they understand how important it is not to answer the door if they are at home alone.

• Leave clear instructions in case of emergency and make sure they know not to use any appliances such as the oven or microwave.

• Tell them what time you will be back and stick to it.

• Leave contact numbers and make sure your children know how to use the phone to get hold of you.

• Leave a contact number for someone else you trust in case you are unavailable.

• Set some ground rules so your child knows what they can and can’t do while you’re not there.

As ever though, you know your child best and everything depends on their maturity and your comfort level. There are so many variables, as your eldest child might be completely trustworthy and sensible, but your younger child might not be. It is all down to your discretion.

Do you have any thoughts on this? Get in touch on Twitter and Facebook @UKFamilyMatters

New for 2019

Jungle Grotto

Sat 30th March - Sun 2nd June 10:30am - 4:00pm ÂŁ3.99 per person

Book tickets online at: www.whitehallgardencentre.co.uk Whitehall Garden Centre, Lacock, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN152LZ

Enter now at www.familymatters-uk.co.uk

Win Prizes

Win Kids Takeover Racing Funday tickets with Bath Racecourse on Monday 6th May

It doesn’t matter if you’ve never been racing, the whole family will love seeing the horses up-close in the Parade Ring before soaking up the atmosphere as the horses thunder down the home straight and across the finishing line in the seven races taking place throughout the day.

The sweetest race of the year will also be taking place as Shetland Ponies battle it out with young jockeys on board in the track's annual Shetland Pony race. The prize is a family ticket for two adult tickets and up to four kids tickets (under 18s) and a bag of donuts.

Win 4 tickets to Splashdown Poole or Quaywest Spring is in the air and it's time to shake off the Winter blues to get out and about with the family and where better than at a Splashdown Waterpark where there are flumes galore, twisting tyre rides and a whole lot of fun for the family. We have 2 family tickets for 4 people to be won at the south west’s favourite waterparks; best of all you can choose whether you wish to go to Splashdown in Poole, Dorset or Splashdown Quaywest right on the beach in beautiful South Devon (opens for Easter Bank Hols). Tickets may be used anytime in 2019 subject to opening it doesn’t include any transport, just admission for up to four people. Worth over £60 per family.

Win a family ticket to The Royal Bath and West Show 3 x pairs of adult tickets to giveaway (children go free). Taking place at the Bath & West Showground from 29 May to 1 June; England’s Royal four day show offers an array of attractions for all the family to enjoy.

Keep the little ones entertained with hands-on demonstrations including mozzarella making, butter making and apple juice making. Or meet everyone’s favourite little green tractor, Tractor Ted. Jumping into the Main Ring with their daredevil stunts is this year’s Main Ring attraction, the Extreme Bike Battle! The impressive team will be pushing boundaries twice daily at this year’s show. Adult tickets are now on sale, with children under 15 years going FREE. Visit www.bathandwest.com to get your tickets today!

Win a family ticket to Wookey Hole There’s always fun and adventure to be had at Wookey Hole Caves and Attractions... Hidden away beneath the Mendip Hills is a spectacular underground network of breath-taking caverns! Wookey Hole is the UK’s largest show caves system, home to the infamous Witch of Wookey Hole and the new Chamber 20 with rare rock formations. With these world famous caves PLUS over 20 magnificent attractions, Wookey Hole is a great day out for all the family. Prize is for 2 adults and 2 children.

TO BE IN WITH A CHANCE OF WINNING THESE FANTASTIC PRIZES, simply visit www.familymatters-uk.co.uk, click on the Competitions button and complete the form. It couldn’t be easier! Closing date for entries: 25th April 2019

10 quick and easy

Easter Play Ideas The holidays were made for play and Easter has to be one of the most fun times of the year for children - I can’t think why?! If you are looking for some suitably themed activities to keep little ones busy over the break without the chocolate component, while hopefully giving yourself five minutes peace for a quick cuppa (and a Malteser bunny!) then here are my favourites, all using everyday items which can be found around the home or sourced cheaply from a pound shop and all super quick and easy to set up.

Salt Dough Hot Cross Buns Paper Envelope Bunnies

All you need are some brown paper bags, a pink highlighter, black marker pen, sellotape, scissors and pink or white fluffy balls. Draw the bunny’s face on the paper bag then cut and colour his ears and feet before sticking on along with the fluffy tail!

Perfect for collecting sweet Easter treats!

Mix together half a cup of flour, half a cup of salt and one cup of water. Make dough and shape! Put in the oven on a low heat for two to four hours then cool overnight before painting and playing! Perhaps you could use some old takeaway coffee cups and get them to open their own bakery?!

Perfect for some Easter role play!

Plastic Eggs Plastic eggs are a great Easter resource, offering so many opportunities for suitably themed play and can be used throughout the year providing real value for money.

Easter Tray

Gather together all of your Easter resources and present them to your child on a dip tray. Then just let the play unfold and develop naturally, inviting your child to use their own initiative and imagination to create whatever activities their mind allows. Simple but effective!

Planting Flowers

Invite little ones to plant their very own spring garden for lots of fun filling, scooping, pouring, planting and smelling. Just fill a tray with soil then provide chickpeas, black beans, pots, tools and faux flowers sprayed with perfume.

Feeding The Rabbits

Fill a tray with beans, lentils, peas and of course carrots (real or fake), pop in some cuddly rabbits and add little pots, utensils and tongs for transporting the food from tray to the rabbits hungry mouths!

Make Noisy Shakers Make noisy shakers by filling with leftovers from your kitchen cupboards i.e. Rice Crispies, sugar or pasta shells.

Alternatively add different herbs to alert their sense of smell! Great for babies!

Practise Hand Muscle Control

Get your child to practice hand muscle control by filling them with rainbow rice or pasta using a spoon.

Easter Egg Hunt Finally, of course, a good old-fashioned Easter egg hunt never fails to keep the kids entertained!

Scooping Practise

Add to a water tray with tongs and a sieve for scooping practise. Great for outdoor play when the weather warm and sunny!

Content supplied Claire Russell, founder of www.playhooray.co.uk

what’s on 19th March - 20th May Spring Escapades Explore St Michael's Hill, steeped in wildlife and history. Pick up a trail from reception. Montacute House, Montacute.

23rd - 24th March Super Hero Weekend Children and their grown-ups are invited to dress up as their favourite heroes and enjoy amazing activities throughout the weekend including fancy dress discos!

Puxton Park, Hewish. www.puxton.co.uk 23rd - 31st March Mothering Sunday Afternoon High Tea This Mothering Sunday, why not treat your Mother to an Afternoon High Tea in our Lavender Lodge Tea Room & Bistro at Whitehall Garden Centre in Lacock.

Book online at www.whitehallgardencentre.co.uk 30th March - 2nd June Explore the Jungle Grotto NEW this 2019 Begin your quest through the Jungle with your map to complete tasks and answer questions. Find the monkeys and spot the parrots. Whitehall Garden Centre, Lacock.

31st March Mother's Day Gert Posh Tea Farrington Farm, Farrington Gurney www.farringtons.co.uk 31st March Sparkling Mother's Day Afternoon Tea Set in the old library of the manor. Bookings must be made

before 29th March 2019 to allow the chef time to create your special menu. Avebury Manor, Avebury 6th April Animals of Lytes Cary Trail Head down to the woodland walk and follow the Explorers' trail to find out more about the animals that lived at Lytes Cary.

Lytes Cary Manor, Somerset.

6th - 24th April Easter Egg Trail Search the museum to find hidden clues in this Easter trail.

Normal admission applies. Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury.

8th - 12th April Get your Cape On A super hero spectacular of arty, crafty action packed selfytastic fun. Meet our special hero guest plus enjoy the chance to win a super prize bundle.

The Galleries, Bristol.

8th - 22nd April Lacock Easter Egg Hunt Bring the whole family together for fun and nature-filled discoveries as you spot the first signs of spring. Follow the clues to finish your adventure with a delicious, chocolatey treat Lacock Abbey and Gardens, Lacock.

9th April Crafty Cats ‘Bugs and Buds’ The theme will be ‘Bugs and Buds’ and children will have the chance to create bug hand puppets, coffee filter butterflies and a tree blossom picture. www.bishopspalace.org.uk 10th April Make a tissue paper flower - Family Activity Spring is here and the flowers are blooming. Make a tissue paper flower to take home and keep. Normal admission applies - free to members. www.glastonburyabbey.com

For further information about each event

11th - 18th April Nature Ninjas The Palace Garden team will be holding “Nature Ninjas” activity sessions in the Community Garden, aimed at getting little ones engaged with nature and gardening.The team will have lots of horticulturally-based fun activities for all ages. 11am - 3pm.

Included in admission. www.bishopspalace.org.uk 12th April Paint a glass tea light holder - Family Activity Decide on how to decorate your tea light holder and the colours you wish to use before painting or drawing these onto your glass tea light holder with glass pens and paint. www.glastonburyabbey.com 12th - 19th April Easter Trail Follow the Easter trail around the abbey - collect letters to claim your prize. Costs £2 plus normal admission. www.glastonburyabbey.com

13th - 14th April Come along and bring the family to see Magic Moments animals, Chuffy the train, Children’s entertainment, Face painting and Farm Shop Tastings. You can also come and meet the Easter chicks from Lackham College. This is a free event, no ticket or pre-booking needed.

Whitehall Garden Centres, Lacock.

13th & 14th April Fire & Water Join the ‘Star Tugs’ from 1980s children’s TV and take a trip down memory lane! Admire some of the original models from the TV series on their first outing to the Avon Valley Railway.

Enjoy a trip onboard Bristol’s historic fire-boat ‘Pyronaut’ which will be offering short trips on the River Avon at the end of the line (small extra charge applies). www.avonvalleyrailway.org 13th - 22nd April Easter Egg Hunt at Stourhead This Easter the animals have been inspired by Palladian architecture. Judge for yourself who has made the most fashionable habitat to enjoy a chocolatey prize at the end.

Stourhead Garden, Stourhead.

19th - 22nd April Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt Bunny is back and this year he's brought some friends along with him. Hear the tales of famous rabbits throughout literature, solve the clues and claim your Cadbury chocolate prize at the end. Dunster Castle, Dunster.

19th - 22nd April Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt Barrington Court is the best place for a great Easter Egg Hunt. Lots of space to run around, plenty of fresh air and a chocolate prize!

Barrington Court, Somerset.

19th - 22nd April Chocolate Train This Easter sees the return to steam of the old Fry’s chocolate factory steam locomotive from Keynsham. Plus there’ll be FREE Fry’s chocolate for every child! www.avonvalleyrailway.org 19th - 22nd April Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt Hop along to Lytes Cary Manor this Easter Weekend and follow the clues to be rewarded with a Cadbury chocolate prize.

Lytes Cary Manor, Somerset.

26th - 27th April Wells Film Festival - The Kid Who Would Be King The Bishop’s Palace in Wells is delighted to be hosting the Wells Film Festival for its 4th outdoor screening on the Croquet Lawn. This year’s film is “The Kid Who Would Be King”, a family fantasy action-adventure film about a band of young kids embarking on an epic quest to thwart a medieval menace. www.bishopspalace.org.uk 6th May May Day Fun With plenty of fun activities going on, there will be something for everyone to enjoy at Barrington Court's May Day celebration – including a traditional maypole dance!

Barrington Court, Somerset.

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KEEP THEM SAFE ONLINE With the amount of gadgets and phones being given as Christmas presents, it is likely that your children are accessing more and more digital features and spending more time on social media. Cyber bullying and children being groomed or scammed online is a huge problem, it’s something that parents and schools are doing their best to tackle, so we’ve put together some resources to help navigate the difficult world of the internet.

ACCORDING TO STUDIES ON CYBER BULLYING: Girls are more likely to be victims of cyber bullying Children are 7 times more likely to be bullied online by people they consider friends than strangers.

70% of students have reported seeing bullying online.

Children who are being bullied online are also more likely to be the victim of identity theft.

Victims of cyber bullying have a higher risk of the behaviour having a negative impact on their mental health in comparison to more traditional methods of bullying.

Bullies aren’t using the internet to find victims but are accessing the profiles of people they are already having issues with.

BUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP THE SITUATION? Without alienating your children by banning all devices that connect to the internet, there are a few things that can help the situation.

• Create a safe environment where children feel comfortable enough to discuss the harassment, either at home or at school, so that the situation can be monitored and the perpetrators spoken to. Listening to your child’s concerns is an important first step and talking to them through the situation will help them feel supported.

• Become familiar with parental controls on social media sites and how to use them.

• If your children are actively using social media platforms, make sure they know about blocking, muting and reporting when they see bullying taking place.

• Use parental controls on games consoles, this is an important thing to do if your child is regularly messaging others when playing games.

• Because the majority of cyber bullying cases involve people that are known to each other, make sure the school is aware of any examples of bullying.

• Collect as much information as you can, screen shots can be helpful if you need to go to the school or if something criminal has taken place, for you to hand over to the police.

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@UkFamilyMatters | familymatters-uk.co.uk | 19

Ready to take on myopia MiSight ÂŽ 1 day

The first daily contact lens proven to slow the progression of myopia in children.

Slowing myopia progression can reduce the risk of myopia-related complications and vision loss in later life. The lens is specially designed for myopic children between -0.25 and -6.00DS. Three-year clinical study findings indicated that the use of MiSight ÂŽ 1 day was effective in slowing myopia progression by:

52%

as measured by mean axial elongation of the eye when compared to the children in the control group wearing a standard single-vision, one-day lens contact lens.

2 Mansbrook House, 15 High Street Midsomer Norton 01761 413212 www.edwardsmidsomer.co.uk

Established in 1939, we have provided eye care for nearly 80 years

Helping children believe they can do anything Singing, dancing and acting classes for 4 - 18 year-olds

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Stagecoach Performing Arts is the trading name of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Limited. Stagecoach Theatre Arts schools are operated under franchise and are independently owned by their Principals. Stagecoach and Creative Courage For Life are registered trademarks of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Limited.

LATEST SCHOOL NEWS

EVENTS

DIARY DATES

YOUR SUCCESSES

News and Reviews CHEW STOKE'S GREAT START TO SPORTS Chew Stoke School had a tremendous start to the new term with lots of sporting activities taking place and some excellent results.

Congratulations must go to the mixed netball team who played their first netball cup match against The Meadows Primary School and won 7-1! A great start to the netball cup, well done!

At the end of January, nine children from Years 5 and 6 took part in the B&NES Badminton Competition. They played against a variety of schools from across the county in two teams. Team A even won their pool and semi-final but lost by six points in the final to Midsomer Norton, they did an amazing job to get so far. All the children played superbly.

A special thank you also goes to one of the Year 6 pupils who stepped in at the last minute as another team pulled out. She played lots of friendly games with other schools and played on the Chew Stoke A and B team too, what great sportsmanship! Go Chew Stoke!

The boys’ football team also deserve a well done after playing a friendly against Wansdyke Primary School in Whitchurch and winning 6-3!

Fantastic game!

‘HATS OFF!’ FOR KILMERSDON Falcon class at Kilmersdon Primary School performed ‘Hats Off’ earlier this term to the parents and the rest of the school. Cooper and Rueben particularly liked the comedy pigs, their singing was fantastic and the story telling was clear. Well done Falcons, everyone at the school were very proud of your performance!

ART EXHIBITION AT MIDSOMER NORTON PRIMARY Midsomer Norton Primary School held an art exhibition at the school during the last week of February.

Parents and carers were invited to visit the gallery, with all the artwork being produced by the pupils, any purchases helped fund the school.

Everyone is very proud of the high quality of the artwork.

HIGH LITTLETON GO WILD High Littleton’s Hedgehog Class had an amazing day at Wild Place Project Bristol as part of their lessons learning about Africa.

They got to see lots of animals, including giraffes, zebras, baboons, cheetahs and lemurs! They enjoyed wandering around their African village where they got to see real life manyattas (African huts) and had a workshop where they learned about why lemurs are becoming extinct and had the opportunity to hold a hissing cockroach!

The excitement didn’t end there, on the way home, the class got to see the Airbus Beluga Whale Plane do a fly by over Bristol and saw the unique shaped plane!

SKYPING FAVOURITE AUTHORS At Midsomer Norton Primary School developing a love of reading is one of the most important things to the teachers and also the children’s parents. As such a number of literacy related events are being planned, including celebrating World Book Day and also Book at Bedtime, where the children are invited to come to school in their pyjamas in the evening to enjoy hot chocolate and biscuits whilst being read stories.

Another great event that the children recently got to be involved with was a Skype conversation with author Sophie Anderson, who is the author behind Jupiter Class’ class novel.

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HIGH LITTLETON HELP DOGS HELP KIDS!

KILMERSDON SCHOOL YEAR 6 COUNTY FINAL TEAM

High Littleton School celebrated Dogs Helping Kids Week with a cake sale and a mufti day which raised over £250. A big thank you from Puzzle (the dog) and the whole school team for all the generous donations.

Well done to Kilmersdon’s Year 6 team who played brilliantly and represented the school amazingly at the County Final Football Tournament. All the children should be extremely proud of how well they played and their sportsmanship. The team had the opportunity to play against the twelve most successful school teams in Somerset and came third in their group, just missing out on a place in the semi-final play offs. Thank you to all the parents for their support and well done to all the players, not only the fantastic team on the day, but also all the players who helped get them there!

LONGVERNAL SWIMMERS Well done to Longvernal Swimming team who participated in the Midsomer Norton Schools Swimming Gala back in December. The team consisted of Ellie, Jett, Hope, Joey, Evren, Sid and Cammie.

Jett did a brilliant swim and came third overall in the boys’ 25m freestyle race and the boys’ relay team came 3rd in the 25m freestyle. The whole team had a fantastic afternoon and all worked well together. The whole school are very proud of them.

Kumon’s maths and English study programmes work to build your child’s confidence and inspire a passion for learning.

To unlock your child’s potential, contact your local Instructor for a free assessment.

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NEW TREES AT BISHOP SUTTON Bishop Sutton Primary School’s staff and pupils would like to say a big thank you to Nick Witcher, Effective Safety Ltd and Sam Gundy, Skyline Landscapes for donating and planting a new tree. Nik Witcher also kindly supplied and planted a willow tunnel behind the adventure playground. Over the coming months, it will grow and be trained into a great structure for all the children to enjoy.

LONGVERNAL AND WELTON PRIMARY SCHOOL TEAM UP FOR A MATHS CHALLENGE On Friday 8th February, Year 6 mathematicians from both schools worked in collaboration with their teachers to rise to the challenge of greater depth problem solving. They were presented with challenging problem-solving tasks which necessitated them working together to solve some tricky concepts. They really had to get their heads together to creatively find solutions to tasks beyond normal Year 6 curriculum expectations! Sid, 11, reported, “It was challenging because the morning was split into four parts requiring lots of different skills.” Caitlin, 11, said, “The maths was very challenging, however I found that if you worked with your peers, we were able to work out the answers.” Alun Williams, CEO of the Midsomer Norton Schools’ Partnership said: ‘This is exactly the kind of learning opportunity that the Partnership was set up to make happen. Two great schools combining their efforts to give children more opportunity and support to achieve their very best’ Both schools were impressed with the impact of this initiative and plan to continue to work together to build greater depth problem solving skills. Headteachers, John Snell and Kerrie Courtier were delighted with the enthusiasm and mathematical ability of their pupils and have already arranged dates to meet together again in the near future!

SPORTS STARS AT ST NICHOLAS Back in February, the girls’ football team went to Bath to play a match against St John’s Catholic Primary School. A couple of minutes before half time, the team gave away a hand ball, so Bath were given a penalty, which they scored leaving the team 1-0 down. Just before the half time whistle, Rhianne scored making it 1-1! In the second half, St John’s scored two goals but St Nicholas’ team only scored one, thanks to Kelly, so ended up losing 3-2. Everyone had a great time and the team would like to thank Mrs Smith, Mrs Foreman and Mrs Smyth for supporting them.

The Netball team, Freya, Olivia, Keira, Emma, Abi and Macie, went to Somervale School to take part in a netball tournament just before half term. They won all three matches against St Benedict’s and Welton giving them the tournament, well done to the whole team, it was a great win!

The boys’ football team have also been doing well, they played against High Littleton on the astro turf at Somervale School on 12th February. It was a good hard fought match with lots of goals and chances at both ends. St Nicholas’ played well as a team, but sadly lost the game 4-2 with the goals being scored

by Charlie and Flynn.

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NORTON HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL APPROVED A new 630 place Primary School is coming to Midsomer Norton after the Council approved plans for a school alongside forty homes, fifteen age-restricted properties and a care home on land off of Silver Street in the town.

It is anticipated that the new school will open to reception pupils in September 2020, dependent on obtaining the relevant permissions. Once built, the school will have the space to grow to three forms of entry in future, as numbers in the area increase.

VALENTINE’S BAKE OFF To celebrate Valentine’s Day, the children at Cameley Primary School had a bake off. There were some amazing entries brought into school for judging, which were looked over by Rachel Heywood, the Parent Support Advisor. It was a hard task as all the cakes were spectacular!

Thanks goes to Miss Chesters from the PTA who kindly organised the event and made all the awards and prizes for the children to take home and a huge well done to all the children who took the time to bake for the event! The overall school winner was Amelie from Hazel Class.

PEASEDOWN SCHOOL’S FOOTBALL RESULTS This term, Peasedown School’s football team have been playing in the Midsomer Norton Large Schools’ District League. Recently they have played a number of games, including at St John’s School where they had a comfortable win with a 2-0 victory. A goal from Corey and Owen, followed by some excellent defending and goalkeeping saw them off to a great start.

Their game against Midsomer Norton was a very scrappy game on a muddy pitch. The boys faced an extremely challenging game, falling behind twice, first 1-0 and 2-1, but they persevered and battled back to win a superb 3-2 win.

The Westfield game saw the boys play amazingly! Slick passing, strong tackling and deadly finishing guided them to an incredible 12-0 victory!

A massive well done team Peasedown! The games will continue into the new term.

ST NICHOLAS CELEBRATING OUTSIDE SUCCESSES Zara Kemp achieved her Rainbow Distance Swimming Award by swimming 10 metres of backstroke! Well done!

Kelly and Laura are both fantastic first aiders and they attend a course during half term where they were taught many valuable techniques and Lucas H achieved his Level 3 Gymnastics Proficiency Award. Well done all!

TENNIS AND BADMINTON AT PAULTON JUNIORS Dante, George, Ella and Amber from Paulton Junior’s Year 6 Badminton Team went to Wellsway School for a tournament, they were in a pool of five teams and were really resilient as they were tested by some quick play and experienced opposition. All the children thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity. They put in 100% effort and really encouraged each other to play their best, especially when serving. Well done. If that wasn’t enough, recently, sixty pupils from the school were invited

by British Tennis to play and watch the Fed Cup at Bath University.

All children had a tennis skills session lead by coaches and then they watched the ladies’ singles game between Georgia and Croatia.

Everyone had great fun trying to measure the speed of their serve or using the large hand paddles to control the pass. The whole occasion was inspirational and they even managed to get a glimpse of Judy Murray!

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FARRINGTON’S GYMNASTICS TEAM Nine of Farrington’s Year 5 and 6 pupils travelled to Writhlington School before half term to take part in the annual gymnastics tournament. Five of them were taking part in Level 1 and the rest in the harder Level 2.

All of the children performed a routine and a vault and scored really well. The Level 2 team came 6th out of 12 schools, a great performance against club gymnasts. The Level 1 team had a fantastic afternoon and ended up coming first out of all the teams. An excellent result showing how hard the children had worked on their routines. Well done to all nine of you who competed in the tournament!

ROBOTICS DAY AT FARRINGTON GURNEY In February, Class 4 at Farrington Gurney Church of England Primary School had a visit from Lego Mechanics who taught them how to build and programme a Lego robot. They were in groups of three and four and had to work as a team to complete missions and work out the measurements on where the robot had to go.

They were also given the opportunity to show Yvon and John the teamwork in their groups, with the winning group given a certificate.

They had several missions to complete, one of them, the Brain had never been completed before!

VISITING TEACHERS Welton Primary School recently hosted four teachers from the Izmir region of Turkey as part of an international development project to collaborate and share teacher and school experiences across the globe. Organised by Merganser Consulting Limited, the teachers enjoyed experiencing a day in the life of Welton and the children were fascinated to hear about schools in Turkey. Welton have already welcomed teachers from Spain, Poland and Italy and have planned to welcome a group of teachers from Portugal in a few weeks time!

Pictured head teacher John Snell with the visiting teachers and pupils from Welton Primary School.

WELTON PRIMARY LEARN HOW TO STAY SAFE ONLINE On Tuesday, 5th February children and staff at Welton Primary School celebrated Safer Internet Day. The day started with an informative assembly on the importance of following SMART rules which the children had been learning about. Many classes then chose to spend the day talking and discussing the issue of age appropriate material.

Teachers were impressed by all the conversations they had with children about the reasons for age ratings on games and films and why it is important that children and young people only have access to material that is suitable for them. Parents can also access information about this via www.pegi.info, PEGI age ratings help keep children safe when using and viewing games and other technology.

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St Benedict’s Catholic Primary School Charlton Road, Midsomer Norton BA3 4BD ‘Growing Together Through Christ’

Where every day is an OPEN DAY We are a smaller than average school and pride ourselves on our caring approach and our ability to meet every child’s needs, helping them develop and ensure they reach their full potential, whilst growing in the love of Christ. We welcome children of all faiths.

We also offer wrap-around care as well as an independent on-site Nursery.

Come and see for yourselves what the St Benedict’s experience can do for your child.

Please call 01761 418594 to make an appointment Email: stbenedicts@educ.somerset.gov.uk www.stbenedicts.info

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WHAT AN ACHIEVEMENT Name: Amirah Age: 8 Achievement: Well done Amirah on achieving your Stage 8 & 7 gymnastic awards.

Name: Olivia Age: 6 Achievement: Star of the Week for "progressing so well in all areas of the curriculum, especially with reading and writing".

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Grand Opening Mother’s Day - 31st March Sweetea’s Tearooms & Coffee Shop

Newly refurbished throughout The Rose and Crown has become the heart of the village.

With the easy access garden and warm cosy ambience inside comes an ever-changing menu, and entertainment program, from Quiz Nights, Live Music, Poker Nights, Movie Nights and Bingo.

There is always something going on.

Please visit the new website for up to date events and offers on our 6 en-suite rooms.

NEW FOR 2019 comes the Tearooms/Coffee Shop which will be open from 8am daily. Serving a wide range of drinks and food throughout the day, including Afternoon Tea served on the finest Bone China.

The Rose & Crown, High Street, Hinton Charterhouse BA2 7SN 01225 722 153

www.theroseandcrownbath.com

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