20th September 2024
Dear Parents and Carers,
The weather has been kind this week to us, and the swimming pool has been in use on a daily basis. Pupils are currently swimming at least twice a week and are taught in small groups by specialist teachers, leaving class teachers to focus on curriculum teaching. We will continue to make full use of the pool, so please continue to ensure your child has swimming kit in school on a daily basis.
Governing Body Update – From Mrs Sam Wattridge
After several years as Chair of Governors at Stower Provost, Vanessa Lucas has stepped away from the role and has been elected as Vice Chair. We thank Vanessa for her hard work, dedication, and commitment to our school as Chair of Governors. As a result of this, I am delighted to be writing to inform you that I have been elected as Chair of Governors.
I am very much looking forward to continuing to work, alongside the full governing body, and support all the staff at Stower Provost School as we strive forward and continue with our school development plan
If you would like to find out more about the role of governors within the school, or how you may be able to get involved, please do not hesitate to speak to me.
Kind regards,
Mrs Sam Wattridge
Forest School
All classes have ventured down to the Forest School this week, with Hazel, Beech and Chestnut classes all learning about blades, how to keep themselves safe, how to treat sharp tools and experiencing sawing with a bow saw. Oak class have been introduced to knotting, following their 360 degree mapping of the school grounds last week. My thanks to parents and carers who have supplied wellies and wet weather trousers.
THIS WEEK
Assemblies
This week our assemblies have focused on:
Monday: Goal setting and dreaming big!
Tuesday: Friendship
Wednesday: Singing assembly
Thursday: House points
Friday: Jeans for Genes Day
Lego Club
The children were challenged with making Roman Mosaics, we had joint winners this week on Monday, with Ted’s rabbit ‘Leo’ on a hill and Jasper’s Mickey Mouse. Ada was the Lego Challenge winner on Wednesday.
NEXT WEEK and BEYOND
Start Small, Dream Big
On Wednesday 25th September Chestnut and Oak classes will experience talks from six individuals about their jobs. Children will be introduced to a range of industries, what the jobs entails, skills or interests that that are required and possible routes into the industry.
If you would be interested and able to offer your services, do please let me know, as we will be holding further careers-based afternoons in the forthcoming months and terms. The broader the offering the better it will be for the children!
Harvest Festival
All parents and carers are invited to attend our harvest festival on Thursday 3rd Oct 09.00 – 09.30, in the school hall. Cans and dried food donations would be welcomed, with all donations being donated to the Gillingham Food Bank.
OTHER INFORMATION
After School Sporting opportunities (Hobbies)
Prime Sports will be running two sporting clubs after school on a Tuesday and Friday. Unfortunately, due to lack of numbers the Wednesday afternoon session has had to be cancelled. This term therefore we will run the Multi-skills/Football on a Friday for those in Chestnut and Oak classes.
These are heavily subsidised by the Sports Premium payment the school receives, however a contribution towards your child’s attendance is requested, with a cost of £10 per half term. Please sign your children up for the sporting opportunities with Mrs Pike in the school office.
| Tuesdays | Fridays | |||||
| ASC – Girls Football
|
3:30-4:30pm | £10 per half term | ASC –
Yrs 3/4/5/6 Football/Multi Skills
|
3:30-4:30pm | £10 per half term | |
Along with the sporting hobbies the following hobbies are also available with booking through Mrs Pike.
| Monday (starting Mon 16th Sept) | Wednesday (starting Wed 25th Sept) | ||||
| Sewing Club
|
3:30-4:30pm | Max 6
3 week block £5 |
Gardening Club | 3:30-4:30pm | Max 6
3 week block £5 |
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Please see the attached flyer for further information about the ‘Light Party’ on 30th October at East Stour Church, SP8 5LP, running 4 – 5.30pm, which Reverend Clare and Fiona are running.
CLASS OVERVIEWS
Oak Class
This week in maths we have been up, down left and right – not co-ordinates but place value charts! We discovered that in a traditional chart and in a Gattegno one, the values of the numbers increase or decrease by powers of ten each time. In English, we have read more of our book ‘Freedom’ and also started to write some effective sentences using poetic devices such as metaphor and noun phrases. We watched a short clip of Martin Luther King (jr) making a persuasive speech as well as a speech by Sir Winston Churchill. We are studying Greta Thunberg and her persuasive speeches and are impressed with her passion. In science, we studied the parts of the heart, and in RE we began to learn more about Judaism. In the coming weeks, we are hoping to make some Jewish Challah bread! (Mrs Clasby)
Chestnut Class
Chestnut class has continued writing sentences for our play script. Children have been exploring using similes, adjectives as well as writing directions in order to be explicit to how their character should act the part.
In Science we explored food chains and food webs. In History we looked at how life changed in Britain after the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons and the impact on the name of some settlements.
Children have also been happy to start using the swimming pool. (Mrs Sanda)
Beech Class
Another great week in Beech class. In Maths, we have been continued to delve into place value and exploring number lines. For English, we have continued looking at what Grace Darling is famous for and why we remember her, writing some great sentences.
Again, the children have worked really hard and have thoroughly enjoyed swimming this week. Based on the great and significant people that we have been looking at, the children have been exploring the impact and how significant we think each of them are. (Mrs Whelan)
Hazel Class
The children have settled in to the school life with ease and confidence, it’s lovely to watch them conduct themselves around school.
The children have been making their first steps on their maths journey with matching, sorting and comparing objects, we’ve had some wonderful 3D shape towers and button collections. In Literacy our focus story has been The Lion Inside and the problem faced by Mouse, and our vocabulary focus has been on words from last week’s story A Little Bit Brave, so if you hear the children using the words dared, stomped, adventure, scurrying, proud, familiar, whimpered and gobbled give them a hi-five! In PSED we having been talking about making friends and how to treat people, and we created a class charter of the things we need to do, such as be kind, listen to others, and share. (Miss Buxton)
Diary Dates
| 20th Sept
|
All day | Jeans for Genes day – children are welcome to wear jeans with their normal school uniform on their upper bodies. |
| 25th Sept
|
13.00 – 15.05 | Start Small Dream Big afternoon (Chestnut and Oak classes) |
| 27th Sept | World biggest coffee morning
P&C assembly in the morning followed by coffee and cake for parents and children. |
|
| 30th Sept
|
16.30 – 19.00 | Parent Meetings (in the hall) |
| 1st Oct –
|
15.30 – 17.30 | Parent Meetings (in the hall) |
| 3rd Oct
|
09.00 | Harvest Festival with songs and ditties |
| 8th Oct | 09.00 all day and overnight | Year 5 & 6 trip to the Ancient Technology Centre, returning to school 11.00 on 9th Oct for lessons. |
| 9th Oct | 09.00 – 4.30 | Year 3 & 4 day trip to the Ancient Technology Centre. |
| 25th Oct
|
17.30 | HALF TERM |
| 6th Nov | Well being afternoon focus
|
|
| 13th Nov | 13.00 – 15.05 | Start Small, Dream Big afternoon (Chestnut and Oak classes) |
| 15 Nov | All day | Children in need – children may wear something spotty to school.
|
| 10th Dec | 14.00 | Nativity
|
| 11th Dec | 16.00 | Nativity
|
| 13th Dec | All day | Christmas Jumper Day
|
| 13th Dec | 14.05 | Final Praise & Celebrate assembly for the term.
|
| 19th Dec | 14.55 | Carols and last day of term
|
As ever if you have any questions or queries, do please ask and Mrs Pike, class teachers or I will be happy to help.
Best wishes,
Mrs B