Spring Term: ‘Are You Ready to Travel the World?'

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back! We hope you all had an enjoyable and restful break! Last half term, we worked incredibly hard across the curriculum and the children worked hard to develop their science knowledge! Our clever clogs have continued to work their socks off and we are so pleased with the work they’re producing and the enthusiasm they are showing in their own learning. We really appreciate your support and kinds words throughout last term, thank you for all your continued support.

 Are You Ready to Travel the World?

To launch our new Quest, which is titled, ‘Are You Ready to Travel the World,’ the children were presented with a variety of suitcases, back packs and chests, during a whole school assembly. The children were shown and discussed various items found in their special bags and have started to investigate who they belong to and where they have come from. This term there is a geography and history focus right across school.

In Year 1, the children will be making links with a school in Ghana and learning about the similarities, differences and changes in schools. This will then move to looking at the similarities, differences and changes between homes. Throughout this, the children will be investigating how to travel from the UK to Ghana and learning about the world around them, including the continents and oceans.
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In Year 2, the children will be investigating and learning about the similarities, differences and changes between The UK and China, (Shanghai). The children will discover a suitcase which has been left on a train in Shanghai. The children will investigate and plan a route to return the suitcase back to its owner, looking at the geography and how to travel from the UK to Shanghai. The children will also be looking at the similarities, differences and changes between transport, with a particular focus on trains.

OPAL reminder

The OPAL project is starting to take shape.  The Working Party has met with our school mentor three times across this term.  We plan to introduce new areas for play after the February half term holiday.  Mrs Adnett and Miss Garrett have written to you to explain some next steps including a bingo style collection event after Christmas and a working party day where we would appreciate parental help to help us get organised for our February launch.  Please find below a reminder of the bingo items which would really appreciate being donated by EYFS, Year 1 and 2. The working party team day is Friday 23rd January, where we would appreciate any volunteers to offer help to come into school to build and prepare items for the project. The date for any donated items to be brought into school is Wednesday 28th January. Thank you again for your continued support.

The PA plan to run the following events in the spring term

Thursday 22nd January – Movie Night for EY and KS1
Thursday 5th February – School Disco

General Information reminder
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With the colder weather on its way, please can we request that children bring a coat with them each day. A pair of wellies or extra shoes is useful for our weekly, outdoor learning activities. It would be useful, as with all items, that they are clearly labelled.

​Dear parents and carers,
 
Thank you so much for the very kind donations for our OPAL play project – this will be a great start to getting our project underway. We are so grateful for the time and energy that people have put in to support this project for the school. It will make such a difference for our children.
 
Over the Christmas break we would like to request a continuation of donations for the project. We have devised a bingo board for each class to collect resources and your child’s is attached to the email. We thought the timing would be appropriate as after Christmas many people like to have a sort out of old toys etc. The classes will try to complete their bingo board with a full house.
 
We would like the donations to be brought into classes on Wednesday 28th January. We will have an area at the junior gate leading onto the junior playground for any large items that are tricky for the children to carry.
 
We will also be having an OPAL working party day on Friday 23rd January from 9.15am where we would like some volunteers to help us to construct some shelters for resources and some wellie boot storage using the pallets that have been donated. If you are handy with a drill, prepared to clear and dig or if you could help organise resources you would be perfect for this job! Even if you could spare us half an hour that would be amazing. We will have made some prototypes to get us started. There will also be some bacon butties for encouragement! If you can offer your support please get in touch with us at:
 
[email protected]
 
We are really excited about this project and hope that you will support us in our efforts to improve playtimes for all children.  
 
Yours sincerely

Bridget Adnett and Hannah Garrett
Deputy Headteacher