crich area community news
Happy 80th Birthday Mrs Varty!
I’m sure Joyce Varty is a well-known character to many of you around the village, either in her role as village tree warden (tending the Millennium Tree until a suitable site could be found for it), as the advisor on local badgers with knowledge of their latrines!
Lots of you will have sought Joyce’s help over problems with cats and supported her ‘Cats in Need’ sales at the Baptist Chapel. Her presentation of readings from Alison Uttley books alongside Pete Castle’s musical contributions are ‘sell-out’ shows whenever she performs locally. Her talents and interests are endless. Did you know Joyce speaks Swedish?
To all of us at Crich Juniors, Joyce is a very special person. For many years Joyce has been enthusiastic and fully committed to sharing her expertise on all matters environmental each week in school with the children. As a school governor Joyce brings an air of sanity and hilarity with her observations and comments on our target-driven education system.
In celebration of her 80th birthday we held a special concert and party in school. This is the children’s account:
The children of Crich Junior School have been planning a surprise 80th birthday treat for our wonderful environmental science teacher and school governor Mrs Joyce Varty. We had been secretly planning a service for her since September in the Baptist Chapel. Mr Varty got her to the chapel under false pretences. Mrs Varty thought she was going to spend her birthday in the bird hide at Carsington Reservoir. First of all Mr Varty told his wife that they had to call in at the Baptist Chapel on the way because Pastor Hand had got a problem. Mrs Varty thought that the heating system had broken and that this would cause a problem for her Cats in Need sale.
At 11.00am we all sat in silence waiting. At the ready was James Glover. He played a fanfare as she came through the door. When Mrs Varty had got over the shock and sat down our orchestra played ‘Happy Birthday’ and we all sang along.
During the service Year 3 and 4 children put on a performance which included a play about Sam Pig seeking his fortune. This was an extract from an Alison Uttley book – she is one of Mrs Varty’s favourite authors. Years 5 and 6 told us some interesting facts about the author.
The children wrote and performed Badger poems, and a group performed a ‘Cat Dance’ – badgers and cats being a couple of Mrs Varty’s favourite animals. We had renditions from the orchestra, choir and recorders which left Mrs Varty unusually speechless
!
When the service was over, we took her over to the school where she had a birthday lunch with her friends.
In the afternoon, Mr Pete Castle, a friend of Mrs Varty, sang us all some lovely songs. We gave Mrs Varty flowers and lots of cat food! This was for her charity ‘Cats in Need’.
At the end of the afternoon, we all went home with a piece of Mrs Varty’s birthday cake (delicious). This was specially baked by our cook Bernie at Fritchley kitchen.
We all had such a wonderful day celebrating with Mrs Varty, and how we kept it a secret from her goodness knows!
By Robert Sulley, Charlie Travers and Ben Thompson
Mr Pete Castle entertaining the children
Mrs Varty receiving cat food and flowers from the children
Badgers
Black and white boars are males.
Always eating rats, mice and young rabbits
Dribbling,
Good hearing and good sense of smell
Eye sight poor.
Raa some rats to gobble up
Short thick legs that go slow and steady
A sow is a female and cubs are babies
8 0 12kg that’s heavy,
Clans are groups, there they are panting
Through the woodlands and fields.
Coarse and wiry hair, long non retractable claws
O its winter goodbye badger.
By Yasmine Hartshorne
Badger, Badger Black and White
Badger, badger black and white.
Fearsome hunter in the night,
Cubs from the set ask “Mum, mum, what’s for tea?”
The sow replies “Something tasty, you wait and see.
Hmm, what shall it be?
I know! A small little mouse,
There are lots from outside that house”
She swipes a mouse with her big claws,
Stuck inside her furry paws,
She has great hearing,
But not good at seeing (she has to do a lot of peering!)
After her hunt, she looks up at the moon,
She thinks “I’m hungry, I’ll need something to eat soon”
She really, really loves to dig.
And also can be a bit big,
She can give you quite a scare!
But she’s not as big and frightening as a… BEAR!!!
By Charlotte Hand
Night Creature
Up in the clouds the moons in the sky,
No time has gone since dusk has been by
Down below, out comes a nose,
Followed by four of his claw filled toes.
His ears prick up, his nose starts to sniff,
He walks hungrily towards the appealing whiff
Squeaking loudly the mouse starts to run
But too slow and ends up in the badger’s tum.
Dribbling he walks back to his sett,
Tumbling making his wiry hair wet.
Nuzzling all of the cubs in the clan
I am that badger’s No. 1 Fan!
By Catriona Judd
Midnight Stalker
Stalking through the cold, dark night,
And sees its food with it’s sight
Follows it very slow and then SNNAAPP!!!
He won’t let go
His black and white stripes glowing bright,
Another creature comes and it’s a sight
He’s won, its his lucky day,
And this is all we have to say.
“Daylight’s coming so watch out,
Here comes THE BADGER,
With his scentful snout”
By Emily Field
Har den äran Joyce!