Friday, 5 September 2014

Issue 1 2014-15


Dear Parent/Carer,

Welcome back! I must begin my first newsletter of the year by saying a huge thank you to all of you. The start back has been untraditional with most of you having to change your usual route into school whilst coping with restricted parking. Nevertheless, members of staff and teachers were greeted at the gates and classrooms with smiles from parents and children alike; a lovely start to the year. During this year, Miss Hinton and I will be present at the gates at least once a week. It will be lovely to see everyone regularly.

The children have settled into their new classes brilliantly and once more, my Headteacher stickers have been depleting by the hour.

Gardener’s Arms

Please be reminded that the manager of the newly refurbished (and rather welcoming, I might add!) Gardener’s Arms pub on Leeds Road has kindly agreed to let parents park in the car park at school drop off and pick up times; a very generous offer, I’m sure you’ll agree. I visited this week to give a personal thank you and noticed that there is a very reasonable and varied pub menu on offer for those evenings when you want a break from the cooking.

New staff

We have several new members of staff joining us this new academic year; I would like to welcome Kirsty Harley, Eddie Knight and Jodie Marriott who join us in Nursery, Year 3/4 and Year 5/6 respectively. Also, joining us are Natalie Chapman and Laura Taggart as teaching assistants in Reception and Key Stage 1. We also welcome Alexandra Twigg, Amanda Ward and Stephanie Bayliss who will be supporting in Year 1/2, Year 3/4 and Reception respectively, as part of Leeds City College apprenticeship program. Yvonne Butterfield is also taking up a part time position in Reception alongside her lunchtime supervisory role. Finally, we welcome Lynne Dalton as lunchtime supervisor. We look forward to working with you all.

Lunchtimes

We have started our new lunchtime systems, with a “family” service at our new oval tables with bright chairs. I am very pleased with how the children have responded to this, especially the older children who have stepped up to the challenge of “family leader” roles, helping to serve the food at the tables and ensuring that the younger children are encouraged to eat more and display excellent table manners. As the weeks pass I know that the children will perfect the skill of serving efficiently, socialising during the meal and cleaning up after themselves. Outside, the playground is calmer with fewer children out at any given time and the introduction of several zones dedicated to certain activities.

Assemblies

We will be continuing our phase assemblies this year, which proved to be a real success last school year. Please note the dates for this half term’s phase celebration assemblies:

Friday 3rd October 2:30 pm- 3:00 pm – Year 3/ 4

Friday 10th October 2:30 pm- 3:00 pm – Year 5/6

Friday 17th October 10:00 am- 10:30 am – KS1 (Harvest Festival at Lofthouse Church)

Friday 24th October 2:30 pm- 3:00 pm – Reception

These are all available to view on the School Calendar section of the website for your convenience.

Advisory role

I would like to inform you that I will be taking up a part time secondment for the duration of this year as a School Improvement Advisor for the local authority. I will be doing this for the equivalent of 1.5 days per week and will have the privilege of supporting 8 schools in Leeds. This is an incredible opportunity for me personally but most importantly will allow me to develop skills and knowledge from other settings which will without doubt add value to our school provision. My priority is and will continue to be Headteacher at Robin Hood. Miss Hinton will step up into an Acting Headteacher position in my absence and we will be working very closely together to ensure that our messages are consistent and that we continue to build upon our many strengths.

I will be sharing the times and dates of Parent Coffee mornings shortly so please watch out for them; we are discussing ways to increase the amount of parents present so that we can hear the opinions of a wider parent representation.

Gosh, doesn’t the weekend seem to have come around quickly?! I look forward to next week’s full week of fantastic learning and fun at Robin Hood Primary School.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs Dale
 
 
Key Stage 1
Welcome back
We would like to wish all the children, parents and carers a warm welcome back to school. We hope you have had a refreshing, fun summer holiday and are now raring to go for another fantastic year of learning. We have loved hearing your children’s adventures from the holidays and it has been lovely to see all the children’s excitement beaming from their faces as they entered their new classrooms! The building work has now begun and we would just like to remind you of the following important information for how the children come in and out of school:
Year 1 (Miss Pyatt): The external classroom door on the Reception playground.
Year 1/2 and Year 2: (Miss Mees and Miss Snowden): The Key Stage One entrance at the front of the school.
Parent meeting – Important date for your diary
We are inviting all parents and carers from Key Stage One to come in to school on Thursday 11th September at 3:15pm to a ‘Welcome meeting’. These will be held in your child’s new classroom with your child’s teacher. It will be an opportunity for you to meet the class teacher, see your child’s new surroundings and find out about the year ahead. It will also include information about assessments and ways you can support your child at home in their learning. If you are unable to attend please feel free to make an appointment with your class teacher who will be happy to share this information with you. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible there.
Reading Records
Your child will now have a new reading record for the school year ahead. Please make sure your child brings their reading record to school every day as we are planning on using these more regularly in the classroom. On a Monday all the reading records will be collected and your child will receive their spellings for the week. A test will take place on these spellings the following Monday. Your child’s score in their spelling test will be inputted and any misspelt words will be highlighted so you can see what spellings your child may need to continue to practice. We are introducing certificates this year for super spellers. Each week children who get 10/10 in their spellings will receive a certificate to tell them they are a super speller! We will also be giving certificates to children who may not have received full marks but have shown they have really tried with practising their spellings across the week. Effort is valued as just as important as full marks. Please make sure that you write in the reading record at least 3 times each week to show you have read with your child. You are also welcome to write about any other learning your child has done at home. This is celebrated at school and it is lovely to read comments about the success your children have with you at home.
Home Learning
The home learning policy states the following are compulsory for Key Stage One children:
·         10 spellings per week (5 mins X 3 times a week)
·         Recall of number facts (5 mins X 3 times a week)
·         Reading and/or using Bug Club. (10 mins X 3 times a week)
Your child will be provided with a Learning Log which is optional to use. This can include any learning you wish from the holidays or that has taken place at the weekends. As this is optional there is no deadline but logs will be celebrated at least half termly on the Key Stage One blog. There will also be opportunities for high quality Learning Logs to be celebrated at half termly celebration assemblies.
Learning this half term
This half term is going to be a fantastic one full of learning! It will include the following:
Numeracy: Properties of number. Counting, understanding odd and even numbers, sequences (e.g. in 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, and 5’s) and learning about the differences between hundreds, tens and units.
Literacy: Non- Chronological reports. The children will start by writing one all about themselves.
Indoor PE: Dance linked to animals.
Outdoor PE: Multi skills – Agility, balance and co-ordination.
Topic: Animals. This will include Science, Geography, Art, Design and Technology.
ICT: They will learn how to use web search engines to collect pictures of different types of animals.
Next week’s newsletter will give you more detailed information about the learning that has taken place across the week.
Have a lovely weekend.
The Key Stage One Team
 
 
Lower Key Stage 2 Newsletter
We have had an amazing and exciting start to the new year in year 3/4 and we are extremely proud of all of the children for their sensible and mature attitudes towards their learning.  We are very excited for the year ahead and would like to welcome the fabulous Mr Knight, Miss Mc Sorley, Mrs Mistry, Miss Ward and Mrs Perry to the happy 3/4 team. Thank you to all parents and carers who came along to meet their child’s class teacher this week, for any parents who weren’t able to attend all LKS2 staff are available to speak to at the end of the school day at the 3/4 steps.
 
Home Learning
As part of the children’s home learning in 3/4, we ask that the children read as often as they can, at home, across the week. All of the children have now picked a new reading book and have received a brand new reading record. This is where they can evidence all of the amazing reading they are doing at home. Please continue to encourage your child to read on a regular basis and fill in their reading record. We ask that your child hands their record in on a Monday morning so we can reward them for each day they have read the previous week. If a child reads every day they will be rewarded with a sticker. We will also be giving spellings out every Monday that will also be written in their reading records. If any children would like to do any additional home learning please ask them to visit our phase blog. Our blog is where you will find lots more information about this week’s learning as well as important reminders and dates for forthcoming events. It is also full of activities that you can complete either focusing on what we have learnt that week or a step ahead to what’s coming up the following week. Please visit our phase blog at http://year34rhps.blogspot.co.uk/
Literacy
During our literacy sessions, this half term, we will be learning how to write a non-chronological report. Every day we will be practicing our handwriting and the children will be learning how to use grammar and punctuation accurately in their writing. The children will also be developing their ideas into both compound and complex sentences using a range of powerful adjectives and adverbs to further enhance their writing. We look forward to sharing these non-chronological reports with you at our parent consultation evening at the end of the half term.
Numeracy
This half term your child will be looking at Number and Place Value. They will be recognising the value of different digits, comparing numbers, rounding numbers, estimating numbers and completing various number patterns. Across the half term the children will also learn to develop their independence around choosing appropriate strategies for solving mental maths questions, as well as develop their confidence in their times tables. 
Spellings
These Spellings will be tested on Monday 8th September.
Group 1: face, ace, cake, case, gate, wave, grapes, flame, whale, snake.
Group 2: plant, month, bulb, length, strength, insect, hundred, village, success, present.
Reminders
·    Year 4 swimming will start next Friday 12th September. Please can all children remember to bring their swimming kit and goggles if needed. They may also bring a snack to eat on the coach on the way back to school. This can be a biscuit or a piece of fruit.
·    Our first Showcase Assembly is on Friday 3rd October at 2.30pm
·    Please ensure your child’s indoor and outdoor PE kit  is kept in school from Monday-Friday every week. They can take it home on a Friday to be washed but please make sure  they are brought back into school every Monday.
·    Please ensure all of your child’s belongings (especially PE kits, hats and school jumpers) are clearly labelled with your child’s full name.
 
Have a lovely weekend!
Team 3/4
 
 
Upper Key Stage Two Newsletter 
Welcome Back!
First of all, we must begin our first newsletter of the academic year by wishing you all a warm welcome to year 5/6! The Year 5/6 team hope you have all had a fantastic summer and we are excited for the year ahead!
Meet the Team!
This year, we are delighted to have a new teacher join the Year 5/6 team, Miss Marriott, will be working with Mrs Comstive and Mrs Wathen in the red classroom (5/6JM).  We also have Mr Malley in the green classroom along with Mrs Brooks and in the blue classroom; we have Miss Gascoigne and Miss Morris.
Parent Welcome Meeting
On Tuesday September 9th at 3:30pm, we will be holding a parent meeting in the blue Year 5/6 classroom where parents/carers can meet the teachers and find out more about expectations for the year ahead. Don’t worry if you can’t make the meeting, as we will send a brief overview home with the children of the points discussed in the meeting.
Planners
Your child received a planner this week. They should record any reading that they do outside of school and record the book title, number of pages and even specify who they have read to. They should record each entry into the box which has the corresponding day. We ask that all children aim to complete a minimum of 4 entries per week, which an adult should sign at the end of each week. The children must then hand their planner in every Monday so it can be stamped and signed by their class teacher and the children can be rewarded stickers.
Numeracy
This week, the children have been warming up their brains by completing number sentences and sequences which include negative numbers and larger numbers with a minions theme from the film Despicable Me. The children have had lots of fun manipulating numbers and finding the rule for challenging sequences.
Next week, we will be learning how to extend number sequences to count on and back in decimal tenths and hundredths. We will also be learning how to understand roman numerals too!
Literacy
This week pupils have been focusing on the features of book reviews. From a selection of reviews pupils have identified positive, negative and balanced comments. Next week, pupils will practice writing balanced sentences before writing their own book review for a book of their choice. We hope that pupils enjoy reflecting on their favourite book and we can’t wait to read all about the unique characters and interesting storylines.
PE
Next week in PE pupils will be developing their throwing and catching skills. Pupils will practice throwing and catching techniques and will then apply these skills into small sided games in outdoor PE. Please note that PE kit should be brought to school on a Monday and not taken home again to be washed until the Friday.
 
 
 
 
 
 

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