​On Friday 7th March, over 140 girls from Norbury Hall Primary School took part in a girls' football festival at lunchtime. This was part of the celebration for the International Day of the Girl and part of the Let Girls Play campaign from the FA, which aims to give all girls equal access to football by 2024. Girls from Reception to Year 6, took part in a number of games and we even had a visit from Vernon Bear, the Stockport County Football Club mascot. All the girls played with determination, enthusiasm and their huge grins at the end of the game.

​There was a lot of interest to do this again, so Miss Garrett and Mr Hopwood will get together with their thinking hats on and make sure there are more opportunities like this happening in the future.

Thank you to everyone who took part and all the staff that helped!

Spring has sprung with our first sign of the summer to come. Daffodils dance in the sun, crocuses open their petals to the sky and frogs, surrounded by frog spawn lurk in the pond.

​Year two spent an afternoon exploring the signs of spring, clearing unwanted growth from the past year and working together in our Big Spring Clean. Just look what we found. ​

 Dear Parents and Carers, 
​
The children are thoroughly enjoying the reading activities planned for Book Fortnight. They have enjoyed sessions in our reading den on the theme of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and have spent time discussing authors and texts suitable for their age groups. It has been great to see the joy and wonder of the children’s faces as they are hooked on their class teacher’s every word during whole class reading times. 

Often, we are asked by parents/carers for advice about reading material suitable for different age groups. I have put together several documents to support with this and have attached them to this email. Firstly there are some recommended read lists for your child’s year group – the children can use these as a challenge for their reading. There may be many texts they can tick off straight away! I have also added a link below for a collection of books put together by a panel of experts to develop children’s ability to empathise – experience and understand someone else’s feelings. Books are a fantastic way of developing empathy. There is also a section on ‘Emotions’ recommending books on a variety of specific emotions, helping children to recognise and share those they experience: 

 Dear Parents,
​
This year Norbury Hall will be taking part in the Stockport Book Awards. The aims of the Book Awards are as follows:
• to raise the profile of reading for pleasure
• to offer children access to some of the best new fiction
• to increase parents', teachers' and school librarians' awareness of new fiction
• to create a community of readers in Stockport by providing opportunities for children to meet authors and providing a forum for reading and an opportunity to share books
 
The children will be in three categories for the award:
1.Best picture book - for Early years and Key Stage 1
2.Best read for Year 3 and 4
3. Best read for Year 5 and 6
 
(See the attached book charts for each of the categories)
 
In the Early Years and Key Stage 1 category the children will be read three current picture books that have been shortlisted by teachers in Stockport who have read a much larger selection of new books. In the year 3/4 and 5/6 categories there are three fiction books that have been shortlisted that we ask the children to read. Once they have read the books the children will then be asked to vote for their favourite in their category.

All children entering a vote will receive a certificate and will be entered into a prize draw firstly to receive book vouchers through school but as an ultimate prize they will receive an invitation to the Stockport Book Awards where they will receive a medal for their commitment to reading and will have the opportunity to meet the winning author in their category. This award ceremony will be held on Tuesday 1st July at Stockport Town Hall. The children will have roughly ten weeks to read their three books and all votes will need to be in by Friday 16th May so that we can announce the winners in the last week of term.

Children in the Early Years and Key Stage 1 category will read their books during class story time and will then be asked to vote in class. However, this is not possible for key stage 2 so we will be asking them to read their books independently. We have purchased multiple copies so that we can make as many as possible available to the children. Stockport libraries will also have additional copies to lend to the children. However, I have included a list of the books and their authors in case the children would like to purchase them themselves or receive them for presents for birthdays etc. The books are clearly highly recommended as good reading material.

In addition, the children also have the opportunity to take part in the art competition, where one lucky winner will win their height in books. Last year Norbury were very successful with this, and we had several winners and runners up from our school. The children will need to create a piece of art based on their favourite book in their category using any media, such as a painting, a collage, or a drawing. The children can complete their artwork as part of their home learning and bring it to me in school by Friday 16th May and I will enter it into the competition. Please can the children write their full name, class and the title of the book that the artwork represents.

We hope the children will enjoy participating in this year's Stockport Children's Book Awards and enjoy reading some fantastic books,
Happy reading!

Home learning
For the fruit and vegetable book character next week, Tesco have very kindly donated some to school. These will be outside at the end of the day today and in the morning if you would like to take an item.

Time table changes
Just to let you know of some timetable changes taking place for Reception:
The sharing of certificates, medals and achievements from outside of school in assembly, has now moved from a Thursday to a Tuesday. If your child has something they would like to bring in and share please do so on a Tuesday.

PE will now take place for Reception on a Friday morning.

Thank you so much for sending in your child's favourite book into school, we are really enjoying sharing these. Once these have been read in school we are sending this book back home.

Thank you so much,
The Reception Team

Good Morning,
One or two cases of head lice infestation have been reported recently in our school.

We would ask every parent to be vigilant in this matter and check your child’s hair carefully regularly for any sign of infestation. Head lice are transmitted by direct, head to head contact. Child and contacts should be treated at same time if live lice are seen.

If your child has long hair you may consider it to be helpful if your child’s hair can be tied back to help reduce the risk of infestation.
​
Thank you for your continued support.
Norbury Hall Primary School

​Dear Parents and Carers,
 
On Friday 7th March 2024, the Biggest Ever Football Session is back at Norbury Hall Primary School.
 
What is #LetGirlsPlay?

By 2024, The FA’s aim is for girls to have the same football opportunities as boys in schools and clubs. #LetGirlsPlay is a campaign to influence and drive change, showing that football can and should be played by girls. It is bringing together a growing community of people of all genders, ages and backgrounds who want to champion equal access for girls, helping create independent, resilient young girls who will be a force for good in all local communities.
 
On Friday 7th March, we are inviting girls in years 1 to years 6 to take part in a range of football activities across lunchtime, set up by our staff and coaches in school. For those girls who want to, they can come to school dressed for the day in PE kits or football kits to celebrate the day.  Over the course of the week, class teachers will asking the girls who wants to take part. 
 
Girls in nursery and reception will take in football activities within their sessions but are also welcome to come to school dressed in PE kits or football kits. 
 
We will take lots of phots and share them with you through our new school's website. There may even be a surprise visitor. 
 
Best wishes,