Dear Parents and Carers,
The first full week has been a busy one, please see the end of the newsletter for class news.
First a few polite requests:
- Please be considerate when parking outside the school and walking with your child along the road. The road is busy, so please do park, walk and drive with care and at a low speed.
- If you are bringing a dog to school at pick up time, please would you wait back from the school gate entrance, and by the hedging. Teachers will see you, and this will allow younger pupils to exit the school gate, with out being potentially face to face with a dog, which not all are comfortable with.
NEWS
GOVERNOR VACANCY
We are on the search for a parent governor!
If you think this might be of interest to you and would like to talk to someone about what the role involves, please either speak to myself, Sam Wattridge (Chair of Governors) or Catherine Dunkley-Jones. Sam and Catherine are probably best contacted by email swattridge@stowerprovost.dorset.sch.uk or clerk@stowerprovost.dorset.sch.uk . It would be lovely to hear from those interested.
SPORTS/PE DAY REMINDERS
On days which the children experience sports, all children should come into school in their PE kits. We are very happy if dark blue or black legging or tracksuit bottoms are worn over shorts, if the weather is inclement or cold. Please ensure any leggings or tracksuit bottoms are as logo free as possible.
The following chart explains which sports will occur in each class.
| Class | Days | |
| Hazel | Monday | Tuesday |
| Beech | Monday | Tuesday |
| Chestnut | Monday | Thursday |
| Oak | Thursday | Friday |
NB Please note that Hazel Class will not have PE on Monday 8th September.
NEXT WEEK
Jeans for Genes Day
Next week during our Monday assembly we will be focusing on Jeans for Genes day. This assembly highlights the importance of genes and how they make us unique. By raising awareness of genetic conditions, we also hope to raise awareness of difference. Children and staff are invited to wear jeans to support the Jeans for Genes charity on Friday 19th September, a voluntary donation (suggested to be £1) is requested, which will be passed onto the charity.
OPEN EVENING AT GILLINGHAM SECONDARY SCHOOL
Please be aware there is an open evening at Gillingham School 2nd October 18.00 – 20.00 for Yr6 children and parents.
REMINDER
We have a ‘No smoking/vaping’ policy in school and the outside areas.
CLUBS
Our Club opportunities start next week on 15th September. Options are:
| Clubs | Day & Time | Year Group | Led by | Cost |
| Lego Club | Mondays 15.30 – 16.30
Starting Mon 15th Sept |
Miss Buxton | Cost per half term (see site on booking) | |
| Football Club | Tuesdays 15.30 – 16.30
Starting Tues 16th Sept |
Chestnut and Oak
Key Stage 2 children |
Prime Sports | Free – school supported |
| Multi Sports Club | Fridays 15.30 – 16.30
Starting Fri 19th Sept |
Chestnut and Oak
Key Stage 2 children |
Prime Sports | Free – school supported |
Links to sign up for these clubs were sent out earlier this week. Should you required further information or clarification regarding any of the clubs, do please contact Mrs Pike in the school office.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
HARVEST FESTIVAL
We aiming to hold a short harvest festival on Friday 26th September at 08.55 – 09.15. Parents and Carers would be welcome to attend, and any donations of tinned or dried food and toiletries would be very gratefully received and passed onto the Gillingham Food Bank.
CLASS NEWS
OAK
Oak Class have settled well this week and began our topic of Dynamic Dynasties, where we will be learning all about the history of ancient China, focusing on the Shang Dynasty. In Forest school, we created little pouches by sewing 2 pieces of fabric together – these will be filled with lavender. In Computing, we began our topic with some online safety sessions, focusing on phishing and being scammed. We are able to identify 5 clues that we may be being scammed – bad grammar, bad design, dodgy domain names, too good to be true incentives and pressure selling. In art we have recapped our knowledge of colour theory and practised colour-mixing secondary, tertiary and complimentary colours. Have a lovely weekend.
CHESTNUT
What a wonderful start to the term it has been! All the children have settled in beautifully and are already making great progress.
In Maths, we’ve been working hard on our understanding of place value and partitioning numbers. The children have shown some impressive effort and are grasping these fundamental concepts.
Our journey into the world of English has been full of poetry! The children have enjoyed exploring rhythm and rhyme and identifying patterns in different poems. We’ve now begun writing our own poems about harvest, using colourful adjectives to describe the changes of autumn and the abundant food in our gardens.
In our Art lessons, we’ve explored warm and cold colours and how artists use them to express different emotions in their paintings.
Finally, in PSHE, we’ve started a new topic called “Social Detectives,” which will help the children understand and navigate social situations.
I’ve been so impressed with everyone’s participation and enthusiasm this week as they’ve adjusted to their new class and expectations. It’s going to be a fantastic term!
BEECH
Wow! What a fantastic first full week back for a new year! I am so impressed with everyone’s resilience this week in a new class and for our Year 1’s new classroom and teacher too! This week’s book focus has been on ‘Grandad’s Island’ which the children have been exploring and writing a recount for. In Maths this week, Beech class have been focusing on understanding number and for our Year 2’s reiterating our ‘number bonds to 10 and 20’.
In other learning, the children have learnt about Mandirs and why they are important to the Hindu religion as well as exploring the similarities and differences between toys and such from the 1950s and what we use now. The children also thoroughly enjoyed exploring outside for our ‘Outdoor Learning’ session this week where we thought about what happens during the change to Autumn for the trees. (Mrs Whelan)
HAZEL
This week has been a lovely week getting to know the children. We have danced and sang, painted and drawn, talked and walked, and generally had a lovely time chatting and playing. The children have settled quickly into the school routine and life and have enjoyed playing with their Big Buddies. Could wellies please be in school all the time to ensure that we can take every opportunity to be outside.
DIARY DATES
| Date | Time | Information |
| 12th Sept | 14.55 | Praise and Celebrate Assembly |
| 17th Sept | 18.00 – 20.00 | Gillingham Secondary School Open Evening YR6 |
| 19th Sept | All day | Jeans for Genes Day |
| 26th Sept | 08.55
14.55 |
Harvest Festival – donations to go to the Gillingham Food bank, please see attached info above
Praise and Celebrate Assembly |
| 30th Sept | 15.30 – 17.30 | Parent/Carer Meetings
Parents with children on the SEN register will be invited to meetings on a separate date tbc |
| 2nd Oct | 15.30 – 17.30 | Parent/Carer Meetings
Parents with children on the SEN register will be invited to meetings on a separate date tbc |
| 3rd Oct | 14.55 | Praise and Celebrate Assembly |
| 6th Oct – 8th Oct | 08.50 | Oak class residential to Osmington Bay (LC/ST/AB/JH) |
| 10th Oct | 14.55 | Praise and Celebrate Assembly |
| 17th Oct | 14.55 | Praise and Celebrate Assembly |
| 23rd Oct | All day
09.00 – 10.30
After school |
SCARF workshops for all classes
PINS Coffee Morning in Hall
Disco Hazel and Beech – 15.30 – 16.15 Chestnut and Oak – 16.15 – 17.00 |
| 24th Oct | 14.55
15.20 |
Praise and Celebrate Assembly
Half Term – NO ASC / NO HOBBIES |
| HALF TERM | ||
| 3rd Nov | 08.50 | Second half of term starts |
| 7th Nov | 14.55 | Praise and Celebrate Assembly |
| 14th Nov | 14.55 | Praise and Celebrate Assembly |
| 21st Nov | 14.55 | Praise and Celebrate Assembly |
| 28th Nov | 14.55 | Praise and Celebrate Assembly |
| 1st Dec | All Day | INSET DAY (No school for children) |
| 5th Dec | 14.55 | Praise and Celebrate Assembly |
| 12th Dec | 14.55 | Praise and Celebrate Assembly |
| 18th Dec | After school | Disco
Hazel and Beech – 15.30 – 16.15 Chestnut and Oak – 16.15 – 17.00 |
| 19th Dec | 14.55 | Praise and Celebrate Assembly |
| 19th Dec | 15.20 | End of Term – NO ASC / NO HOBBIES |
| HOLIDAY | ||
| 5th Jan | All Day | INSET DAY (No school for children) |
| 16th Jan | 14.55 | Praise and Celebrate Assembly |
| 23rd Jan | 14.55 | Praise and Celebrate Assembly |
| 30th Jan | 14.55 | Praise and Celebrate Assembly |
| 3rd Feb | 15.30 – 17.30 | Parent/Carer Meetings
Parents with children on the SEN register will be invited to meetings on a separate date tbc. |
| 5th Feb | 15.30 – 17.30 | Parent/Carer Meetings
Parents with children on the SEN register will be invited to meetings on a separate date tbc. |
| 6th Feb | 14.55 | Praise and Celebrate Assembly |
| 12th Feb | 15.20 | Half Term starts |
| 13th Feb | All Day | INSET DAY (No school for children) |
| 16th Feb – 20th Feb | HALF TERM | |
| 23rd Feb | 08.50 | First day of second half of term |
| 27th Feb | 14.55 | Praise and Celebrate Assembly |
Best wishes,
Ailsa Boardman-Hirst