The Purdy Trophy
It is a real pleasure when people want to give something back. It is with that very thing in mind, that I'm delighted to announce the first Seaburn Dene Primary School's 500 Word Writing Competition to win The Purdy Trophy.
When Miss Purdy left us in the summer she had a vision: to maintain the creativity which we cherish in our pupils and sustain their excitement and passion about reading and writing. Hence - this competition was born. It is open to all of our children, no matter what their ability from Y1 to Y6 and builds on the popularity of the Chris Evans' 500 Words competition - now one of the most popular story-writing competitions for children in the world.
The inaugural year's theme is very simple: write a letter. That letter could be a fictional piece from a character in a fairy tale, a heartfelt plea from a soldier on the frontline, a letter in history, a letter to yourself in the future, a letter - hidden away, a message in a bottle...the list is endless.
Our judge - Miss Purdy - will look at the entries against three criteria:
1. Composition - the story/narrative within the letter.
2. Effect - the effect this story has on the reader.
3. Presentation - neatness and accuracy of handwriting.
After that it’s very simple. Entrants write their original story on any subject or theme in 500 Words or fewer - as a letter - and submit it to their class teacher. If they win, their story will be win the Ks1 or KS2 trophy and be in the running for The Purdy Trophy and the grand prize.
Miss Purdy's aim in this competition is to celebrate the wonderful imagination and creativity of our children. I will be launching this on Monday in our assembly, with details to follow.
The closing date for entries is Friday, March 1 - which gives children the February half term to really explore what this letter could look like. Go on give it a go.
50 year anniversary
As part of our grand plans for our 50th birthday, I had the opportunity to speak to the original head at Seaburn Dene when it opened in 1969. While our celebrations will coincide with the official opening in October, Miss Annie Sanderson was keen to point out that school actually opened in April 1969 to children. Now 92 and living locally, she was delighted to hear of our events and keen to visit the school she opened all those years ago, after transferring from Redby Infants to take the helm. Then the school was almost double the size in numbers, with huts in the yard and a uniform not too dissimilar (apart from the grey caps) from what it is today. I look forward to talking to her further and finally welcoming her back to the school, which she talked of so fondly.