Dear Parents and Carers,
I can hardly believe it is only the first week back to school and what a change the new term has brought, with nodding daffodils, trees about to burst into leaf, a little bit of sun to warm the soul and the return of Miss Babiy from her maternity leave!
Staffing
The new term also heralds new beginnings in September for some members of staff.
After 13 remarkable years of service to our school Miss Gale is off to pastures new, although not too far away in Sturminster Newton; where undoubtedly new challenges and adventures await, enabling her to further broaden her experiences and teaching expertise.
Mrs Batten will also be leaving us at the end of term to take up a part-time role at Powerstock Primary School teaching a mixed Year 3 and 4 class and putting her Forest Skills into practice to deliver a programme throughout the school, which understandably will be an exciting new chapter.
Both Miss Gale and Mrs Batten will understandably be missed in September, and we will certainly be showing our appreciation of their hard work and service to the school in July.
We welcome Miss Finn to our teaching team in September to replace Miss Gale. Miss Finn currently teachers across two sites, class teaching and working with intervention groups. A trained archaeologist and a Spanish speaker, she has a keen interest in the humanities and the wider curriculum.
We are in the process of recruiting a replacement for Mrs Batten and I hope to have further news to share with you on this subject in the forthcoming weeks.
YOUR SCHOOL NEEDS YOU!
Mid-day Supervisor Position Vacancy
We are still seeking a mid-day supervisor to help setting up our hall for lunch, serving and clear. If there is anyone who would be interested in working 11-30am – 1pm daily OR who can only commit to a couple of days a week we would love to hear from you. This is a paid position, working with some lovely people!
Valuable Volunteers Needed
We would welcome any parent, grandparent or friend who could spare an hour a week to help us hear readers, both group and individual, within our classes. We will offer a full induction along with a training session to help guide and support you in this important role. Please let Mrs Pike or myself know if you would be interested in joining the ‘Valuable Volunteers Group’.
Parent Questionnaire
Amy Smeeton would like to pass on her thanks to those parents who took the time to complete the online questionnaire supporting her studies towards a BA(Hons) Degree in Childhood Studies, Care and Education at Yeovil College University Centre.
For those who would still like to complete the questionnaire, but haven’t yet done so, the link below will remain active until 25th April. Amy’s dissertation title is: Discovering the impact COVID 19 has had on children’s mental health and well-being and investigating whether further support needs to be in place.
Please click the link below:
Beech Class Parent Meetings
Beech Class parents are invited for parent consultations on Tuesday 2nd May 2pm – 4.50pm and Wednesday 3rd May 2pm – 4.50pm. Please expect to receive a booking form from Mrs Pike via email or by all means email her with your preferred day and time window.
Miss Babiy is also willing to organise phone conversations with parents as requested. Please again contact Mrs Pike should you wish a discussion with Miss Babiy.
Coronation Artwork
An email has been sent out with regards to the pupils creating artworks of themselves being kings or queens. This is just a reminder that over the weekend children may wish to put their artist flare to paper!
The self-portraits will be made available at www.mychildsart.co.uk/order and parents may wishing to order class tea towels, along with a host of other personalised gifts, printed with your child’s individual design.
All work needs to be handed in to the office by Monday 24th April, with your child’s information completed at the top of the artwork.
Sports Clubs
New sporting clubs will start from Tuesday 25th April.
A reminder to all Year 3 – 6 pupils to sign up for these free clubs on a Tuesday – athletics and a Friday – cricket, both running from 3.30 – 4.30pm. Please contact Mrs Pike for more details.
Thanks again and a correction!
As you know the Gillingham Army Cadets completed a day of bag packing. I should correct a comment made in a previous newsletter that stated they had raised £662.56 raised in Waitrose, this was in fact for Stower Vale Pre-school for work for their outside areas.
Have no fear though, the Sergeant O’Brien and his troop of cadets packed bags for us in Asda and raised an amazing £698.08 for the school! The grand total from both events for the school and pre-school comes to £1360.64 which I am sure you can agree is phenomenal!
I also wanted to acknowledge Clive Smith for his support of the school and the generous reduction on the skip hire fee! Many thanks again to those who helped with the filling of the skip.
Snacks
Just a reminder to all parents to please ensure their children are coming into school with snacks that are considered to be healthy, as our litter pickers have brought to our attention, through the evidence of litter, that not all snacks coming into school have been. (e.g. pieces of fruit, vegetables etc, but no nuts or nut-based foods).
Thankyou!
Class News
Oak Class
This week, Oak have been examining the classification of living things for science. In maths, children have looked at the properties and interior angles of polygons as well as 3d shapes, including Euler’s rule. In English pupils are planning a non-chronological report about rainforests which they hope to write up next week. In art, pupils are practising using charcoal for shading which got quite squeaky!
Children are looking forward to trying some American food next week as well as finding out a bit more about scientific classification using Kingdom; Phylum or Division; Class; Order; Family; Genus and Species. I am sure they will find some funny mnemonics to help them remember these!
Chestnut Class
Chestnut Class have started reading their new text in English, The Hodgeheg. Hopefully, Max will find a safe way for his family to cross the road to get to the park. The children have continued to develop their descriptive writing for settings and revisited their learning on speech punctuation and adverbs.
In Maths, the Y4’s have been looking at tenths and dividing numbers by 10. The Y3’s have been comparing, adding and subtracting capacities and volumes.
In Geography, the children have been locating different cities around the UK and making use of compass points. Next week, the children will move on to locating different counties.
Beech Class
The children have settled back into school brilliantly. This week, Beech class have started to explore their new topic all about comparing Kenya with where they live. Next week, the children will be reading Handa’s Surprise, which is a story about a child who lives just outside Nairobi.
Hazel Class
Hazel class have started their exciting new topic of ‘Ticket to Ride’, focusing on different modes of transport throughout the half term. This week the children have been learning about space launches, with work including facts around Neil Armstrong and the planets. Next week the children will be creating models of the Mars Rover.
Diary dates for the forthcoming week and beyond
Friday assemblies 14.50 from this Friday
| 24th May | 14.45 | PTFA meeting in the library |
| 1st May
|
Bank holiday – school closed | |
| 2nd May | 14.00 – 16.50 | Beech Class parent meetings |
| 3rd May | 14.00 – 16.50 | Beech Class parent meetings |
| 8th May
|
Bank holiday – school closed | |
| 23rd May | Maths Day – pupils may dress up, as long as costumes have a link to maths e.g. a number or shape | |
| 26th May
|
15.20 | Half term |
| 5th June
|
08.40 | Back to school |
| 14th June
|
Afternoon | Sports Day |
| 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 |
| 18th July
|
14.30 | Art Gallery – parents invited to come in and see children’s art and DT work through the classes. |
| 21st July
|
Training Day |