What a fantastic start we’ve had to the new academic year at Cropthorne. All children (and staff!) arrived back with big smiles on their faces and our new Reception children have settled into school life immediately. In addition, the sun has continued to shine!

This term our emphasis is on history. KS1 are investigating some major, exciting events and visiting Avoncroft Museum of Buildings to whet their appetites. KS2 have started a study of Roman occupation in Britain and they are off to Careleon to visit The National Roman Legion Museum. Later in the term we are planning a major Roman feast but rest assured, dormouse (a favourite delicacy of the time) will not be on the menu!

At Cropthorne we are proud of our charity fund raising – over the last 4 years we have raised approximately £3000 supporting charities at home and abroad. This year we have decided to raise money for ‘The Moldova Project.’

Some of you will remember our lovely Heidi Bailey who taught in Class 1 for a while before leaving to have 2 beautiful baby boys. Since leaving university Heidi has been very involved with projects in Moldova after working at an orphanage for the summer. She has since continued to visit and is off there again on the 12th. As she explains:

“For those who are not even sure where Moldova is, it’s in Eastern Europe; it’s the poorest country in Europe and surrounded entirely by Romania and Ukraine. The people that I have met out there are amazing, but it suffers hugely from trafficking (an estimated 25,000 women and children a year) and corruption, with around 25% of the population living below the poverty line. I will be visiting some of the poorest families in the rural villages whilst I am there, 27 of whom are currently being sponsored through The Moldova Project (with 4 families waiting). The aim of this project in the long term is to help the families support themselves, whilst in the short term stop them from sending their children into orphanages (more than 4,000 children continue to live in institutions) by providing them with their basic needs, such as toiletries and food.”

Heidi visited school prior to her trip to present to children and encourage them to contrast their lives and ‘mod-cons’ with Moldovan children. Our pupils were spell bound and keen to help out. Our first major fundraiser will be a ‘Farmer’s Market’ at school to celebrate our Harvest Festival after school on the 23rd September.  We will also be collecting small change during the year so any donations to school will be gratefully received.

If you would like to find out more about the project follow the link themoldovaproject.com