Dear Parents and Carers,
The children have dodged the downpours to enjoy the spring air, with Beech Class exploring habitats around the school, Hazel Class pupils venturing to Duncliffe, Chestnut Class enjoying their weekly visit from the Dorset Music hub, and Oak Class enjoying time in the Forest School area, following the Year 6 SATs.
Year 6 SATs
Many congratulations to all our Year 6 pupils who have got through the week, which has been filled each morning with end of key stage 2 statutory assessment tests, which all pupils in England sit. The papers were challenging, with much information hidden or inferred within the English reading paper. We are really proud of the children for their efforts, resilience and stamina. Well done all! A particular thank you to Mrs Lewis who cooked breakfast for all our Year 6’s each morning this week, and to Mrs Clasby for her unwavering commitment to ensuring the children were well prepared.
RealPE modelled lessons
As a school we buy in and utilise the RealPE platform, which offers sports, gym and dance curriculum for all our children.
We welcomed Matt Alford from RealPE this week, who led a modelled gymnastic lesson to each year group, supporting teachers to ensure delivery of the programme is first rate.
Year 6 Tuck Shop
Year 6 pupils will be running their tuck shop on Friday afternoon after school again, selling 50p bags of sweets in order to raise funds for their Year 6 end of year party. If you are intending to make a purchase it would be helpful if you could bring the correct change!
If your child is on the bus and you give permission for them to purchase a bag of sweets, we can arrange this. Money can be handed to Mrs Pike on arrival at school on a Friday morning for safe keeping.
Year 1 Parents – Phonics Check Talk Wednesday 17th May at 15.30
A reminder that there is a Year 1 parent meeting to discuss the upcoming phonics check which children will be experiencing in June. The meeting will explain the format and give advice as to how parents can support their children with this assessment.
Maths Day
A reminder that Maths Day will be on Tuesday 23rd May. Children are invited to dress up as something linked to Maths, this may be a number or shape e.g. 6 dots or triangle on a t-shirt. We will be welcoming Marcus Tettmar, one of the creators of Nerdle to work with our key stage 2 pupils, as well as a Maths Magician who we hope will inspire all! Please would children in Beech and Hazel class bring one carrot into school with them on 23rd May, and please would children in Chestnut and Oak bring one potato – all needed for some vegetable Olympics!
Class News
Oak Class
This week pupils have been surviving and somewhat enjoying the challenges of the SATs tests in year 6. Children have found that some of the tests were really challenging but all of them did their very best in some difficult circumstances – and they did it with good heart. The Year 5s have been really supportive of their peers this week and have also worked really well with Miss Gale doing research about wildlife. They have also been looking at square and cube numbers.
In art, the class have been exploring and refining their shading techniques using Ancient Greek buildings as starting points for sketching. Next week, Oak Class are looking forward to completing their foundation subject studies.
Chestnut Class
In English the children have been planning and creating a persuasive poster, encouraging people to make their gardens hedgehog friendly. In Maths Year 4s have been comparing and ordering decimals, whilst the Year 3s have been familiarising themselves with pounds and pence.
The Dorset Music Service have visited for the past three weeks, with the aim of helping to develop the children’s musical knowledge and skills, through the use of samba percussion instruments. This week the focus has been body percussion, (as Mrs Clasby certainly wouldn’t have appreciated the sound of Surdo drums this week disturbing her Year 6 pupils while sitting their SATs!)
Next week the children will be learning about the digestive system in Science.
Beech Class
This week, Beech Class have been having fun (yes, fun) with fractions! The Year 1s have been using concrete resources to support their understanding and the Year 2s have been learning the important job of the Knowledgeable Numerator and the Deadly Denominator.
The children have also been exploring habitats, have discussed the different animals and life that might be found in varying locations and mapped the environments close to school. Some very impressive maps, with clear labels, were produced after venturing out in the rain on Wednesday afternoon!
Next week, the Year 2s are starting to sit their SATs papers. This is something that all the adults will ensure that they are fully supported with. All we ask is that they try their best!
Hazel Class
This week’s book focus has been ‘Astro Girl’, which is a factual story about women who have been to space. ‘The Naughty Bus’ with be the focus story of next week, with a variety of Literacy, Understanding the World and Expressive Art and Design developing from the storyline.
The children very much enjoyed a walk to Duncliffe to see the bluebells, and the children experienced exploring different habitats and considered which plants grew from bulbs and seeds, with the help of identification charts.
Diary dates for the forthcoming week and beyond
Friday assemblies 14.50 from this Friday
| Wednesday 17th May | 15.30 | Year 1 Parents – Phonics Check Talk
|
| Monday 22nd May
|
14.45 | PTFA meeting in the library |
| 23rd May | Maths Day – pupils may dress up, as long as costumes have a link to maths e.g. a number or shape.
Hazel and Beech children to bring one carrot. Oak and Chestnut children to bring one potato. |
|
| 25th May | 17.30 – 19.00 | Children’s Disco
|
| 26th May
|
15.20 | Half term |
| 5th June
|
08.40 | Back to school |
| 5th June | 15.30 – 16.30 | Sept 2023 Reception Class parents invited to a Welcome to Reception hour. |
| 14th June
|
Afternoon | Sports Day |
| 17th June | tbc | PTFA Jumble Sale in the school hall
|
| 17th & 18th June
|
Poetry & Art display in Stour Provost Church | |
| 21st June
|
Afternoon | Sports Day reserve date |
| 25th June –28th June
|
Oak Class residential trip to Hooke Court | |
| 5th July
|
All day | Year 6 Moving up day |
| 5th July | Morning | School internal moving up day (current Reception – Year 5) |
| 6th July
|
09.00 – 10.50 | Moving up day for New Reception children
|
| 11th July
|
14.00 | Play in the Hall |
| 12th July
|
14.00 | Play in the Hall |
| 12th July
|
18.00 | Play in the Hall |
| Friday 14th July
|
17.00 – 19.00 | Summer Celebration on the school field. |
| 18th July
|
14.30 | Art Gallery – parents invited to come in and see children’s art and DT work through the classes. |
| 20th July | 15.20 | End of Term for children |
| 21st July
|
INSET DAY |
Best wishes,
Ailsa Boardman-Hirst