News
Newsletter for the week ending Friday 16th September
Lots of important information on the newsletter this week, including dates for harvest festival and sports day, safeguarding information, secondary school open days and evenings amongst other things. Please get into the habit of reading it each week and remember to click on the ‘more’ tab for all the information. Please be aware that this is the main source of information for you relating to events and requirements related to your children.
A reminder that school is not open on Monday.
We wish you all a peaceful weekend
From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff
At last, we can have our various harvest festivals at school and in St Mary’s church! Harvest Festival dates are as follows:
- Years 3-6 Wednesday 5th October, 2.15pm at St Mary’s Church, Appledore. Parents and guardians are welcome.
- Years 1&2 Friday 14th October, 2.30pm in school hall and back to classrooms to see their workbooks.
- Turtles & Dolphins Tuesday 18th October, 2.30pm in school hall and back to the foundation stage unit to share learning journeys.
- For all of the above parents can take their children after and also their siblings. Nearer the time we will provide details about how we as a school community support a local homeless charity at this time.
Sports Day
- Sports Day for Dolphins and years 1-6 is scheduled for Tuesday 23rd May. Save the date and fingers crossed for the weather! More details to follow much nearer the time.
For parents of children in Year 6 it is time to start thinking about visiting secondary schools with open days and events typically held in September and October.
Term time absence can only be authorised by school if it is an ‘exceptional circumstance’ as detailed by the Government. Holidays are not deemed exceptional and are therefore unauthorised absence and this can lead to action being taken by the local authority, possibly a fine or court appearance. Please click here to find more information and here for the form should you are required to complete for any planned absence.
To ensure children are safeguarded on school premises please do not use your mobile school on school premises. Children are not permitted on the bottom playground pirate ship or other outdoor play/activity equipment without permission or supervision from a member of school staff. Thank you.
- For open events in September for Pilton School click here, for Park School click here and for Great Torrington School click here
- West Buckland School and Kingsley School (both local fee paying independent schools) have open days coming up and please click here and here respectively for more information.
AROUND THE CLASSES
This week in Turtles and Dolphins we have started our new topic ‘Books by Julia Donaldson’. Our first story we are learning about is the Gruffalo, one of our favourites! We have sequenced pictures of the story and acted it out. We have drawn pictures of the Gruffalo and we have made Gruffalos from tubes and clay. On Wednesday we had great fun making Gruffalos from jaffa cakes.
This week in Year 1 we have started our topic learning and started thinking all about animal habitats! We then went into the Outdoor Learning area to see if we could find any habitats. We took pictures of the habitats we found then compared them back in the classroom and thought about what animals might like them. We have even created our own woodlouse habitat and kept woodlice in it for the day! In Maths we have been counting forwards and backwards and finding ‘one more’. The Sea Lions also had their first PE lesson this week where they showed great independence getting changed into their PE kit and listened carefully in the hall so we could complete our first Dance lesson!
Lundy Puffins have enjoyed reading the book they will be using for their English teaching sequence: Traction Man. They wrote some great descriptions of Traction Man and had a go at designing a new outfit for him. In Maths, they have been looking at 2-digit numbers and showing them in different ways using bead strings, numicon and place value counters. The reading assessments are almost completed so your child should be coming home with a reading book from next week. They may also bring home another book to share at home from the class library. They started their new topic this week ‘Why do we need bees?’ and named the different parts of a bee.
This week in HMS Echo, we have been exploring our new topic of ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!” Children looked at images of landfill, discussed the meaning of the word decompose and looked how long different objects would take to decompose. They were surprised to find that a bag of rubbish could take nearly 1000 years to eventually break down completely! In English, we have been familiarising ourselves with our new text Meerkat Mail, and children will begin to plan their very own postcard home. In Maths, we are learning about 3 and 4 digit numbers and how to represent them in different ways, such as using base 10, using a part whole model and using a place value chart. Science we also begin this week, where we’ll be looking at ‘States of Matter’ and how to organise objects into solids, liquids and gases.
Year 5 has had a busy and productive week. In English they have now completed answering questions about the Tear Thief and starting to plan their own story about a character who steals emotions. In maths we have been looking at secure methods to add 5 digits numbers. Our science unit, on changing materials, has involved an investigation on separating bicarbonate of soda from water and vinegar and salt from water. We have looked at reversible and irreversible changes and the methods we would need to use. All the class have had a session in the art studio with Abby and worked with Miss Carr on writing poems for the harvest festival. We have talked about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and reflected on events happening this week.
Year 6 had a great week on residential working collaboratively and being responsible whilst challenging themselves in activities including stream scramble, mountain biking, high ropes and team challenge. It’s been an action packed week with mixed weather and plenty of fun. They will put some presentations together back at school so look out for the photos!
Year 5 learnt their harvest song and are already singing it beautifully. They have also made a good start to the sowing and reaping dance. In RE the children looked at why Hindus strive to be good and completed diagrams showing their understanding of both good and bad karma. Year 4 looked the the opening of the Quran and considered the themes of this holy text. They also continued to work on their part in the dance and their year group song. Year 3 began their French studies. They located France on a map, recognised the flag and explored French culture. They also began learning some simple conversational Frenc
