This website is sponsored by the
Mellis Parish Council and is intended to enhance and promote the
community by promoting activities, groups and services within and
useful to the community.
MELLIS FESTIVAL
SAT 6TH JUNE
2 –
5PM
Come Rain or Shine
MEMORIAL HALL &
COMMON
FEATURING
MELLIS SCHOOL MUSICIANS
Mini Traction
Engine Ride
Mechanical
Fairground Organ
BOUNCY CASTLE, BAR, BAR-B-Q, TEAS,
GAMES, STALLS
Please come along and
support the village organisations and relax.
Help would be
appreciated to erect the marquee on the Friday
evening.
If you would like to
help or run a stall to support a village organisation please call
Matthew Spence on 788260
Some activities may be
restricted by adverse weather conditions
Mellis School Extension
Opening
June 14th
2008
On the day of the school fete the new extension to Mellis School
was officially opened by Rick Wakeman.
"So you called me a famous
guitarist did you. This’ll teach you. I’ll have your fingers
off!"
Rick and a fan reminiscing on those wild and whacky days of
Prog-Rock.
"Do you remember that ankle length sparkling silver cape?" "Ah yes,
one of my favourites".
Well we trust this is the case
as we now have a 21st Century School for the demands and
rigours of the 21st Century. The ‘Newt Delay’ will
eventually become part of Mellis folklore, but as it turns out we
now have even more facilities than we would have had without the
year’s wait.
When I first became the head teacher of Mellis School in 1991 I was
given two pieces of advice from an ‘experienced’ village school
head teacher in Essex on the topic of village schools.
Expect lower standards than in the towns and a much slower pace
of life in the school!
I am sure you will agree that neither point is
acceptable. On the contrary village schools and in particular
church schools achieve the highest recommendations from the
inspectorate and invariably achieve the best SATs results. It is
very clear from the school records and from living memory that
Mellis School has never conformed to that particular head teacher’s
view.
The building programme was essential to ensure our children had
access to the best facilities to support excellent teaching and
thereby maintain the momentum of success. For far too long village
schools have had to cope without a hall for PE , assemblies,
performances, lunches, parent meetings etc, or manage with an
inadequate one. We were in the latter category. Reception children
need space both inside and outside with access to water and play
equipment and preferably a little remote from the boisterous
behaviour of the ‘big’ children.
Our objective was clear! Both the hall and Reception classroom
had to be replaced.
However the project did not end there: We now have the
following new facilities:
Hall, Cooking Kitchen, Reception/Year 1 Classroom, Music Room,
Library, Toilet Facilities, Entrance Hall, Offices. New Playing
Field, (Both fields are now drained,) Staff Car Park, a playground
separated from vehicular movements.
Now the task is complete, the builders have gone, the
County Grounds Staff have planted the trees and shrubs and it is up
to us to guarantee future success out of the wonderful
opportunities now given us.
Oh! The ‘Final’ Building Project! This is nearly true. We
wait with exciting anticipation the outcome of all the hard work
performed by the Pre-School Committee as they endeavour to replace
their aging mobile classroom with a new, purpose built
Pre-School.
Perhaps a year from now they will tell you their story.
Richard Cattermole
Mellis CEVCP School
Parish
Council Thursday 15th January 7.30pm
Mellis Memorial Hall