Staffordshire Connects | Family Lives - Free online parenting courses

Family Lives - Free online parenting courses

We offer parents emotional support and signposting to specialist advice on any issue from difficult toddlers to challenging teens and family rows.

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Introducing Our New ‘Mystery Reader’ Initiative!

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We are excited to launch a brand-new reading initiative designed to raise the profile of reading for pleasure and create a real buzz around our daily story time - Mystery Reader!

Each Thursday at 3:00pm, a parent, grandparent, or special grown-up will secretly visit their child’s class to read a story aloud. The identity of the reader will remain a mystery until the moment they walk through the door, adding an extra layer of excitement and suspense for our pupils.

This initiative aims to strengthen the home-school reading partnership, show children that reading is valued and enjoyed by the important people in their lives, and make story time something they eagerly look forward to each day.

If you would like to take part, please email Mrs Armstrong, who will be in touch with further details. Once we have our first group of volunteers confirmed, we will confirm dates and officially introduce the initiative to the children.

Let’s work together to create a wonderful culture of reading and spark a lifelong love of books! 💛📖

Kurling Club

We still have some places left for our Kurling clubs which have proved popular and fun. These are run by former Team GB Winter Olympian and professional footballer Ronnie (see poster below) on a Monday for Years 1-3 and Thursday for Years 4-6. The Winter Olympics start in February so this should feed into some of the excitement around that. Book these clubs on Arbor or through the school office.

School Cook Vacancy

For the past month, we have been advertising for a new cook to provide some delicious food for our children at lunchtimes. Unfortunately, we have been unable to appoint anyone yet. This means that we have had the pleasure of the Fierté Trust catering leader, Laura Carr, cooking for us recently, but this is not sustainable for the long term.

If you know of anyone who is suitably qualified and might like to be part of the Manor team, working alongside our wonderful staff and putting smiles on the children's faces each day with tasty food, then please do point them our way!

🌿 Our New Community Library – Now Open!

We are delighted to announce that our Community Library, located at the front of the school, is now officially open!

This mini library has been created as a welcoming space for both children and adults and currently contains a small selection of children’s books and adult novels. Parents, carers, and members of the local community are warmly invited to borrow a book, donate a good-quality second-hand book, or swap a book they’ve already enjoyed.

The purpose of a community library is to encourage a love of reading beyond the classroom, make books easily accessible for everyone, and strengthen connections between school and community. It supports reading for pleasure, promotes sustainability through sharing, and helps ensure that every child and family has access to books at home.

Whether you’re picking up a bedtime story, a holiday read, or donating a favourite book to pass on, every contribution helps grow this special resource for everyone to enjoy.

Let’s continue working together to create a strong, joyful culture of reading in our community 💛📖