Thursday 4 July 2013

Issue 37 2012-13

Newsletter Issue 37

Thursday 4th July 2013

Dear Parent/Carer,
May I first take this opportunity to say another big thanks to the PTA and all parents, staff and relatives who helped to run events or simply support the fabulous Summer Fayre last week end. I have heard nothing but compliments and praise for the organisation, variety of activities and lovely family atmosphere that was created. A special thank you must be given to Clare Perry and Stephanie Findlay for leading and directing the coordination of the event. Can’t wait for next year now!

HLTA awards
I accompanied both Mrs Wathen and Mrs Cookson to an awards ceremony at the Carnegie Stadium on Tuesday night. I submitted an application in recognition of both ladies’ contributions to our school, as they reach far and wide and on many levels. They were both short listed, which I am reliably informed was a tough and competitive process resulting in an invitation to the event. Although we did not get a win, I know that it was a huge honour for not one but BOTH of our outstanding Higher Level Teaching Assistants to be asked to attend. Well done to both of you!

Matthew Grenfell
I would like to congratulate our Friendly Faces and lunchtime supervisor, Matthew Grenfell for achieving his ASA Level 1 award in teaching aquatics. He undertook an assessment process during May half term at the Institute of Swimming and is now a qualified swimming instructor. Well done Matthew!

Transition Day
I visited every class on Transition Day on Tuesday to see how well the children were getting on in their new classes. The atmosphere across school was incredible. The children appeared very much at ease in their environments and with their new class friends. I think it made the children and teachers feel even more excited about what next year will bring. Well done to the children who really do take these changes in their stride and approach situations in such a positive way. I am proud of you all. It was nice to have our Year 6s back today after 3 days at Rodillian or Royds. The place just wasn’t the same without you.

Nursery Open Day
On walking over to Nursery on Tuesday, I prepared myself for a few inevitable tears or a few children clinging to Mums, but no! The children who visited for the Nursery Open Day were all happily playing, on task and utterly delighted with their new learning environment. It was a wonderful sight to behold and I am sure that the visit will mark the start of a wonderful year for our new Nursery children.

Circus fun!
Thanks once more to the PTA for the fabulous Circus Skills activity sessions which they funded for the children on Wednesday. There were many happy faces going past my office as they were about to engage in some circus fun, but the smiles were even bigger on their way back from the hall. Everyone had a truly brilliant time- staff included!

More happy news!
Well, as if last week’s happy news wasn’t enough; I am happy to inform you that Mrs Moore and her husband, James are also expecting their first baby in January. As many of you will now be aware, Mrs Moore has been absent for some time. Unfortunately, she has been suffering from hyperemesis gravid arum (severe morning sickness) which has left her very poorly indeed. We (especially Mrs Moore!) are hopeful that this will pass soon and that it will be business as usual from September. I am sure you will all join me in delivering a double message to Mrs Moore- “Congratulations and Get Well Soon!

Training Day
Please do not forget that tomorrow (5th July) is a training day.
Have a great week end. It looks set to be a scorcher so enjoy every minute of it, whilst it lasts!

Mrs Dale

Nursery newsletter
NEWS ROUND UP
On Tuesday the children had a great time visiting their new Reception class and were bursting to tell us all about it when they came back into Nursery on Wednesday. It was a real pleasure to watch the children go into Reception with such enthusiasm and confidence and the whole team felt really proud of them. They told us all about all the new friends they had made and the exciting activities they had been doing. The Reception team were extremely impressed by how well the children settled in and were even more impressed by their amazing name writing and number writing. We will definitely miss our superstars next year!
THIS WEEK
In between all of the excitement we have still been doing lots of fantastic learning. In phonics the children have learnt the digraph ff and know that it is found at the end of words. In Literacy and topic we have started our new topic summer sun and the children have been role-playing in the areas of provision, especially the sand! They have also been drawing their front covers for their reports which are lovely and we are really looking forward to the reports being sent out so you can see their wonderful pictures.
NEXT WEEK
Next week we have another exciting week planned as it is going to be Arts week, so in topic and literacy time we will be completing lots of wonderful creative and arty tasks. The children will have the opportunity to paint some fabulous ice lolly drawings, print some flip flops, make a super sand picture and prepare a large scale seaside scene. On Tuesday afternoon we will use our large scale seaside scene for our beach party where the children can play hook a duck, have an ice lolly, play in the water and take part in an obstacle race. Numeracy will also be focused around arts week and we will be learning about symmetry and making lots of beautiful symmetrical pictures. In phonics we will be learning the sound l and the digraph ll that is found at the end of words. On Friday the Nursery children will be taking part in sports day in the afternoon so please make sure they are wearing suitable clothing and trainers.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOUR CHILD WITH THEIR LOVELY LEARNING
·        Please read with your child for 5 minutes every day.
·        Challenge them to show you how well they can write their name.
·        Please practise recognising all the letters they have learnt so far with your child.
·        Please feel free to encourage and let your child bring in things to show the class related to our topic.
Have a fantastic weekend.
Mrs Steel, Mrs Chin & Miss Fox
Reception newsletter
NEWS ROUND UP
We have certainly had a busy week this week. On Tuesday the children had a great time in their new classes and were bursting to tell us all about it when they came in on Wednesday. It was a real pleasure to watch the children go into their new classes with such enthusiasm and confidence and the whole team felt really proud of them. We will definitely miss our superstars next year! Then today we finally went on our highly anticipated trip to Meanwood Valley Farm. The children had an amazing time and it was a truly immersive learning experience for all of them. 
THIS WEEK
In between all of the excitement we have still been doing lots of fantastic learning. In phonics the children have learnt to read the words; these, began, animals, never, next and boy and they have learnt the split digraph that makes the oo or u sound u_e (June, flute, cute). In Literacy and topic we have started our new topic summer sun and the children have been role-playing going on a seaside trip all week with Mrs Friar and they have come back with some amazing tales about their trips. They have also been drawing their front covers for their reports which are lovely and we are really looking forward to the reports being sent out so you can see their wonderful pictures. In maths the children are really increasing in confidence when naming 3D shapes and can recognise when we use 3D shapes in everyday life such as cylinders for cans and cones for our ice cream. 
NEXT WEEK
Next week we have another exciting week planned as it is going to be arts week, so in topic and literacy time we will be completing lots of wonderful creative and arty tasks. The children will have the opportunity to paint some fabulous ice lolly drawings, make some sun bathing lizards, make a super sand picture, prepare a large scale seaside scene outside and make a beautiful beach scene using sparkly paints and felt people. Then on Thursday afternoon we will use our large scale seaside scene for our beach party where the children get the chance to play hook a duck, have a BBQ and picnic, have an ice lolly, play in the water and take part in an obstacle race. Numeracy will also be focused around arts week and we will be learning about symmetry and making lots of beautiful symmetrical pictures. In phonics we will be learning to read the words; first, work, lots, need, that’s and baby and we will be learning the sounds that makes the oo or u sound u (unicorn, use, unit). On Friday all of the Reception children will be taking part in sports day so please make sure they have their P.E. kit and a T-shirt that is the colour of the house they are in (the team they collect points for).
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOUR CHILD
·        Help your child practise their letter and number formation.
·        Try to read with your child for 5 minutes every day and ask them lots of questions about what they are reading.
We hope the children have a great 3 day weekend and that the weather is as nice as they say it is going to be!
Miss Pyatt, Miss Lambert and the Reception Team.
Key Stage 1

Home Learning:

This week we would like the children to do some research in preparation for our trip to Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Choose one of the following animals: ostriches, lemurs, wallabies, painted hunting dogs, mara, capybara and baboons and find out some interesting information about it. We’ve chosen the most unusual animals so hopefully you will be able teach your class something they don’t already know. You can present your learning however you wish, either as a poster, leaflet, fact file, video recording, song, etc. 

On Monday at the park you can share everything they find out with the rest of your group – we’ll be able to learn so much from each other!


Transition day was a huge success
What an exciting day Tuesday was! All the children and staff thoroughly enjoyed spending the day with their new class. We were so proud of how all the children conducted themselves and the day ran extremely smoothly. The Year One children who visited Miss Pensom’s class or Miss McSorley’s class spent the day playing lots of games, creating a beautiful display for their new classroom and developing their team work skills by competing to build the biggest tower! The children’s behaviour was impeccable and they approached the day with so much positivity and enthusiasm. Thank you!

The Year Two children who ventured down the corridor to Year 3/4 had an equally fantastic time. They were so brave and integrated brilliantly with their new teachers and older classmates. They too put their artistic skills into practise by working on an amazing super hero display for September. We’re all extremely excited about what next year holds (as well as being very sad at the thought of having to say goodbye to our wonderful existing classes of course!)

Yorkshire Wildlife Park
The time has finally arrived for us to go on our long awaited trip to Yorkshire Wildlife Park. We will be leaving school at 09:00 am so just arrive as normal in the morning. The coach will arrive back at school at 16:30 pm. The children will then go back to their classrooms to be registered before you can collect your child from the usual place.

Here is a reminder of what to bring on the day:

·         Backpack
·         Bottle of water
·         Wear school uniform
·         Hats will be provided
·         Waterproof coat if rain looks likely
·         Lunch (if your child receives free school meals we will provide them with a packed lunch)
·         Sun lotion if necessary (please apply this beforehand – if they need to re-apply at lunch time they will need to know how to do this as we cannot apply it for them).
·         No spending money
Sports day
Over the past few weeks the children have been working incredibly hard on their sprinting, skipping and hurdling – they have even had training from some professional athletes! So they should be all set for our action packed sports day next Friday 12th July. They will have the opportunity to compete in individual and team events to win points and prizes. Parents can come along in the afternoon. There’s even an opportunity for you to get involved in the racing!

Amazing learning in topic
KS1 have blown us away with their fantastic stuffed toys. They have taken so much care with their intricate running and over stitches and added some beautiful finishing touches. Check out our amazing outcomes on the KS1 blog www.robinhood.leeds.sch.uk. Next week we will become film makers as we start to explore ‘Stop Motion Animation’ on the iPads. The children will work in small groups to create their own David Attenborough style documentary about two animals of their own creation. The first step will be to produce a decorative background of their chosen habitat for their film set. We’re looking forward to seeing how these films unfold over the next couple of weeks.

Enjoy a fun-filled extra-long weekend and we will see you bright and early on Monday morning.

The KS1 team.

Lower Key Stage 2 Newsletter
We have had such a super week in LKS2 this week! All the children thoroughly enjoyed transition day, and are now extremely excited about starting their new classes in September. We were proud of how sensible the year 3’s acted, and were proud of them of setting a great example to the year 2’s. We were equally proud of how brave the year 4’s were for entering UKS2 for the day! Well done!
Literacy
This week in literacy the children have been thinking about all of the wonderful things they have done this year, from the Christmas Production to seeing Oliver at the Grand Theatre. They have carefully chosen their favourite aspects of their school year and wrote some detailed paragraphs about them in order to form their reports from cover. In addition to this, the children have been learning all about Haiku poems, and have had a go at writing one with a partner. Check out the blog for some of the amazing Haiku poems.
Numeracy
This week in numeracy the children have been thinking logically in order to solve a variety of problems. They have had to be persistent, determined and patient, and some of the problems took a long time to track! We were impressed with everyone’s attitudes when solving these problems. Keep up the good work guys!
Topic
This week in topic the children have been learning all about the different charities that support good causes in Africa. The children been debating which charity they think is more deserving of their money, by looking closely at whom and how the charity helps. The children have then been making persuasive posters in order to encourage people to donate money to their chosen charity. 

Spellings to be tested on Monday 15th July (the children already have their spellings for this Monday)
Please support your child in practicing their spellings every day to help them achieve 10/10 in their spelling test every week.
Group One
Group Two
Light
Autobiography
Fight
Automatic
Night
Automobile
Bright
Minibus
Slight
Mini-beast
Fright
Minimum
Bought
Circumference
Sought
Circus
Sigh
Circulate
Though
Circular


Reminders
·         Please ensure your child’s PE kit is kept in school from Monday-Friday every week.
·         Please remember that your child’s reading record is sent in every Monday morning.
Have a lovely weekend!
Team 3/4
UKS2 News Roundup:

·        Please can all year 6 pupils bring any old photos of themselves into school. These photos will be used for the year 6 leaver’s assembly at the end of term.
·        We would like to give a huge thank you to all parents and carers that attended our summer fayre on Saturday. The organisation from our PTA was impressive and we would like to congratulate them on a fantastic day.
·        During transition day this week, year 4 and 5 pupils have been given a selection of home learning tasks to complete over the summer holidays. Year 5 pupils have also been given a selection of SAT’s resources. Pupils should not panic. These resources are designed to help support pupils learning heading into year 6. We encourage all pupils to complete the tasks, as this will help give them a fantastic head start next year.
·        If any parents were unable to attend the residential parent meeting for prospective year 6 pupils, please ask a class teacher for any further information.
·        Next Thursday (12th July) is our school sports day. Please could parents and carers send their children in their house team colours. Thank you.

Dates for your diary:
·        10th July- Growing and changing video preview for parents. (4.30- 5.15pm).
·        11th July- Times table challenge.
·        12th July- Sports day (house team coloured t-shirt or top required).
·        16th July- Year 6 leaver’s production, performance for parents (2.00- 3.15pm).
·        17th July- Year 6 leaver’s production evening performance for parents (6.00-7.15pm).
·        22nd July- Year 6 leaver’s prom, Glitz & Glamour theme. (5.30- 7.30pm).
·        23rd July- Year 6 leavers’ assembly.

Numeracy:
·        This week year 5 pupils have been learning about decimal sequences, including ordering and comparing decimals.
·        Next week pupils will be competing in the times table challenge for the last time this year.

Literacy:
·        This week pupils have been continuing to develop their narrative stories focusing on their problem and resolution
·        Next week pupils will be using a range of ICT resources to present their outcomes effectively.
·        Spellings: Pupils will be tested on the following spellings; understudy, underpaid, underground, underworld, overflow, overexpose, overworking, outward, outline, outside. 

Other areas of the curriculum:
·        In PE this week pupils year 5’s have been participating in football and dance activities run by external sports specialists.
·        In Music this week, 5/6M have continued to explore playing triads and shorter sections of twinkle twinkle using several percussion instruments with our music specialist Mr Bache. 5/6B have continued to learn the key notes of Yellow Submarine by the Beatles. 5/6G have started to experiment with sound effects to change the mood of the piece.


No comments:

Post a Comment