Newsletter Issue 31 |
Friday 18th May 2012
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Dear Parent/Carer,
Super James
Our wonderful James Driver was a newspaper star twice last week. James appeared in YEP news articles on both Saturday (a full page spread, no less!) and in Monday’ edition. Saturday’s article was about James’ aim to raise £45,000 for surgery to help him to walk. It went on to explain that James would be participating in the Jane Tomlinson Junior and Mini Run to raise sponsorship money. Monday’s story told of James’ magnificent achievement in completing the entire 1.5km walk. Mike Tomlinson called James’ feat ‘incredible’. He said ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like James crossing the line.’
We are so very proud of James and so very proud that he is a member of our school and our community. An information sheet about James, the campaign and potential community events to support him has been dispatched by pupil post today. Anyone wishing to sponsor James or find out more should visit www.jameswishtowalk.org
Attendance
Our overall attendance average stands at 95.8%. We have twelve children in our Reception class – over one quarter of the class - with attendance of over 99%. Only two children out of the forty five have an attendance of below 90%. This is remarkable, given that most of the illnesses happen during the earliest school years. In Year 1, eight children have an attendance of 99%+ and only four below 90%, Year 2 - eleven children have an attendance of 99%+ with three below 90%, Year 3 – eleven children have an attendance of 99%+ with four below 90%, Year 4 – twelve children have an attendance of 99%+ with four below 90%, Year 5 – thirteen children have an attendance of 99%+ with a worrying six below 90%, Year 6 – also have thirteen children have an attendance of 99%+ with a similarly worrying six below 90%.
Rothwell Library – Diamond Jubilee Display
Caroline Higson-Blythe from Rothwell Library, writes:
“We would like children who come to the library to draw us some pictures with a royal theme in order to create a Diamond Jubilee display before our Summer Reading Challenge. If any children would like to draw a Royal-themed picture and bring it into the library… that would be really great. Children who do draw a picture for us will be entered into a Prize Draw. They just need to fill in the Prize Draw form and hand it in with their picture. The deadline for entries is Thursday 31st May
Prize Draw forms are available from Mrs Holland and Mrs Smith in the school office.
Chair of Governors School Leadership Update
Dear Parent/Carer,
The School’s Governing Body met this week and agreed to appoint Mrs Dale as Acting Headteacher and Miss Hinton as Acting Deputy Headteacher from 1st September 2012 to ensure the continued progress of the school whilst we begin the process of recruiting a permanent Headteacher appointment. All schools recruiting to the role of Headteacher are obliged to go out to national advertisement. Robin Hood is no exception and we will begin the formal recruitment process in the autumn. In the meantime, I hope that you will join the Governing Body in lending your support to Mrs Dale and Miss Hinton as they prepare for their new roles.
I will continue to keep you updated, but in the meantime best wishes,
Councillor Lisa Mulherin
Chair of Governors
Congratulations
I would just like to add my congratulations to both Mrs Dale and Miss Hinton and commend the prompt actions of the Governing Body. These appointments continue the tradition of ‘growing our own’ that has been so very successful at Robin Hood throughout my time at the school. I am very proud to say that Miss Hinton will be the fourth consecutive internally appointed Deputy Head teacher at the school and Mrs Dale, as you know, has progressed ‘through the ranks’ – as did both Mrs Bailey and Mrs Myers before her. Robin Hood has an outstanding reputation and track record for both teacher and leadership development. Continuity of leadership is a key feature of good and outstanding schools. Mrs Dale and Miss Hinton know the school intimately and have very exciting plans for the next phase of its development.
My Next Steps
I understand that there has been some speculation since last week’s newsletter about my next steps and the reason for my departure. Apologies that I was not able to explain this in full last week, space is always at a premium in newsletters and there were other summer staffing departures to announce that were deserving of equal attention. I am taking up an Executive Headteacher post in Lewisham over three Primary schools and a Teaching School from September. The whole thing came about at very short notice and was subject to very tight deadlines caused by pressures on the Lewisham schools. Ultimately, it was too big an opportunity and too great a professional challenge for me to refuse and I knew that I would be leaving Robin Hood in a very strong position and in very safe hands. I am hopeful of a return to education in Leeds at some point in the future and am very grateful for all of the very positive sentiment that I have received from parents, colleagues and members of the community since the news was released.
Have a fabulous weekend,
Mr Wilson
Nursery Newsletter
NEWS ROUND UP
It was lovely to see the children come into Nursery this week full of energy and excitement, ready for our new learning about Dinosaurs! It was clear to see lots of time and effort had been put into the home learning, so thank you so much for supporting your child to find out so many fascinating facts!
THIS WEEK
We have begun our learning about Dinosaurs, and learnt some very posh words such as extinct, fossil, herbivore and carnivore! The children have also been learning the different names of dinosaurs and they completed a dinosaur writing frame, where they listed some of the characteristics of their chosen dinosaur.
Within number, we have been sorting and matching different dinosaurs, looking at how we can group objects with similarities.
NEXT WEEK
We will continue learning about dinosaurs and will be taking a closer look at fossils and bones. The children will be discovering more about the land before time, and why the dinosaur museums are so important in helping us learn about the past.
In number we will be looking at height and length and also matching patterns.
How you can help us
· Please return your child’s reading record and name writing book on either a Wednesday for group 1 or Friday for group 2.
· Learn the names and sounds of the letters in the alphabet.
· Practise recognising numbers, 1-10 and putting them in the right order.
Many thanks for your continued support
Have a great weekend.
Miss Bradshaw and the Nursery team
If you would like to make a contribution to Mr Wilson’s leaving gift please see Sue or Liz in the office.
RECEPTION NEWS ROUND UP
Well done to everyone for another great week in Reception. The children have had an amazing week learning all about dinosaurs and have totally immersed themselves in our new topic! Thank you to all parents and carers who have sent in books and model dinosaurs for us to share in the classroom, we really do appreciate your support.
THIS WEEK
We have been finding out about the history of dinosaurs. We have shared the story of Mary Anning - the most famous palaeontologist ever and the children have been absolutely fascinated by her story. They have been digging for dinosaurs in our indoor and outdoor areas and using salt dough to make their own fossils. In numeracy we have been looking at and thinking about the properties of 3D shapes such as cuboids and triangular prisms.
NEXT WEEK
We will be sharing the story 'Harry and the Dinosaurs at the museum' with the children and discussing what museums are and what we might see there. We will be looking at dinosaur skeletons and using chalk to create our own representations on black paper. In literacy we will be drawing our favourite dinosaur, labelling it and then writing some super sentences to share the amazing facts we have discovered.
During our numeracy sessions we will be looking at repeating patterns and using dinosaur shaped sponges to create our own fabulous patterns.
HOW YOU CAN HELP US
- By completing the home learning task and reading and writing the words that are listed on the home learning sheet.
- By listening to your child's fabulous reading every day and writing a comment in their reading record. The children have done amazingly well with their reading but it is really important that they do keep reading and sharing stories with you.
- By introducing your child to a non fiction text (such as an information book or simple fact file) and talking about the contents, index and glossary pages together.
- By watching the video about Mary Anning together and asking them to explain what they know about fossils (the children really loved her story.)
- By practising writing the numbers 1-20 with beautiful formation.
Thank you for your super support.
If you would like to make a contribution to Mr Wilson’s leaving gift please see Sue or Liz in the office.
KS1 Newsletter
What a busy week it has been this week.... with the week ending with 'The Big Dance' which was a world record breaking event. The children were very excited about this event and were equally as fantastic when showing off the learnt dance moves! Key Stage 1 would like to thank Miss Snowden for organising the event...it was a fantastic success!
Literacy
This week in Literacy the children have been busy writing their new story based on their class story, Year 1 UP, Year 1/2 Cars and Year 2 Alice in Wonderland. The children are very excited about their new class stories and the thought of once again becoming an Author. The children have watched sections of the DVD based upon the story mountain (Opening, Problem, Build-up, Climax, Resolution and Ending). Why not ask your child to write their own story using the story mountain and bring it into school to show their peers at story time? The children have being using the following elements within their story: spoken language with speech marks, developing their ideas using so, if, but, because, when, adjectives, verbs, CAPITAL LETTERS, full stops, paragraphs and writing detailed sentences about the setting.
Next week the children will continue with writing their class story. They will focus on writing a section in draft before writing it up in neat within their own story booklet. The children will then add illustrations to match with the written section of the story. There will be information on next weeks newsletter about 'selling' these books to parents/carers which was an idea suggested by Ella in Year 2. Our thanks to Ella for her amazing ideas!
Numeracy
This week in Numeracy the children have being learning about weight, how objects can be weighed and the language used when looking at the weight of an object (grams, kilograms). The week started off with the children keen to share their experiences over the weekend while completing the Home Learning.....we have some amazing cooks in KS1. The buns were a warm welcome and our thanks to parents for their continued support in completing the Home Learning.
The children have read different scales and found the difference between two objects. Please see the school website for games the children can play at home: http://www.robinhood.leeds.sch.uk/pupils/learning-zone.php
Next week the children will be looking at word problems involving all aspects of maths. Please support your child at home by giving them addition, subtraction, multiplication and division questions. These can also be put into a word problem:
For example
45 children are on a bus, 5 get off and 5 get on.
How many children are on the bus?
(Always ask your child to explain how they got the answer they did in order to develop their understanding)
Topic
This week in Literacy the children have being learning about the History of film and Walt Disney. They have watched many of the early Disney Films from the very firstAlice
Next week the children will be using the programme 'I can animate' on the iPads to create their own Disney animation. This app can be downloaded from the Apple story for anyone wishing to use the programme at home. The children will be working within groups of four to create their own story board, characters, title page and background. The animations will also have a music overlay.
Literacy
This week in Literacy the children have been busy writing their new story based on their class story, Year 1 UP, Year 1/2 Cars and Year 2 Alice in Wonderland. The children are very excited about their new class stories and the thought of once again becoming an Author. The children have watched sections of the DVD based upon the story mountain (Opening, Problem, Build-up, Climax, Resolution and Ending). Why not ask your child to write their own story using the story mountain and bring it into school to show their peers at story time? The children have being using the following elements within their story: spoken language with speech marks, developing their ideas using so, if, but, because, when, adjectives, verbs, CAPITAL LETTERS, full stops, paragraphs and writing detailed sentences about the setting.
Next week the children will continue with writing their class story. They will focus on writing a section in draft before writing it up in neat within their own story booklet. The children will then add illustrations to match with the written section of the story. There will be information on next weeks newsletter about 'selling' these books to parents/carers which was an idea suggested by Ella in Year 2. Our thanks to Ella for her amazing ideas!
Numeracy
This week in Numeracy the children have being learning about weight, how objects can be weighed and the language used when looking at the weight of an object (grams, kilograms). The week started off with the children keen to share their experiences over the weekend while completing the Home Learning.....we have some amazing cooks in KS1. The buns were a warm welcome and our thanks to parents for their continued support in completing the Home Learning.
The children have read different scales and found the difference between two objects. Please see the school website for games the children can play at home: http://www.robinhood.leeds.sch.uk/pupils/learning-zone.php
Next week the children will be looking at word problems involving all aspects of maths. Please support your child at home by giving them addition, subtraction, multiplication and division questions. These can also be put into a word problem:
For example
45 children are on a bus, 5 get off and 5 get on.
How many children are on the bus?
(Always ask your child to explain how they got the answer they did in order to develop their understanding)
Topic
This week in Literacy the children have being learning about the History of film and Walt Disney. They have watched many of the early Disney Films from the very first
Next week the children will be using the programme 'I can animate' on the iPads to create their own Disney animation. This app can be downloaded from the Apple story for anyone wishing to use the programme at home. The children will be working within groups of four to create their own story board, characters, title page and background. The animations will also have a music overlay.
If you would like to make a contribution to Mr Wilson’s leaving gift please see Sue or Liz in the office.
LKS2 Newsletter
Week five already, how time flies when you're having fun in year 3/4. This week we have participated in the whole school attempt to break a World Record, for the Big Dance. The children have been applying themselves beautifully in order to learn their part of the routine. Everyone looked really professional - well done!
Numeracy
This week, the children have been recognising the properties of both 2D and 3D shapes. The children have applied their knowledge and understanding, through making Top Trump cards, including facts such as: Number of vertices, Number of sides, Number of parallel sides and number of right angles. Next week we will be classifying, organising and sorting shapes by their properties and investigating what 3D shapes look like when flat (nets).
Here are some useful learning links - they are great fun:
Literacy
In Literacy this week, we have continued our focus on traditional tales by looking at Red Riding Hood. The children began the week by presenting this story using drama techniques. They were very entertaining! We have also re-written an alternative version of the story, incorporating a character from a previous story we have read. We have been focussing heavily on the children's ability to use adverbs (-ly) to describe how characters speak and move. Please ask your children to find the adverbs in any texts they are reading at home and if there aren't any, to improve the text they have read by adding them into their sentences.
Here are some useful learning links - they are great fun:
Choosing interesting vocabulary: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/english/writing/vocabulary/play.shtml
ICT
We have been really happy with the children's engagement with our blog; it has already had over 2,000 visitors in it's first month, which is fantastic! In ICT this week and next, the children are selecting a piece of learning they feel most proud of and want to share with the world on our blog. Keep your eyes peeled for the next couple of weeks and see if your child can show you theirs! Our blog can be found at: http://robinhoodprimaryyear34.blogspot.co.uk/ and also now has a link to James Driver's fundraising website for his operation to help him to walk.
Reminders
· Please ensure your child brings their indoor PE kits every Monday and leaves it in school all week.
Year 4s will need to bring their swimming kits every Friday and remember to take it home to have it washed
· Please make sure your child's belongings are clearly labelled
· It is very important that all children have a water bottle in school to ensure they remain hydrated throughout the day.
Spellings
Group 1
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Group 2
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1. Friday
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1. wrong
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2. Saturday
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2. wrinkle
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3. Sunday
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3. wrist
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4. May
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4. wreck
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5. June
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5. wrapper
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6. July
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6. write
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7. August
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7. wrote
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8. September
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8. wrap
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9. October
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10. November
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Thank you, we hope that you have a lovely weekend,
3/4 Team
3/4 Team
If you would like to make a contribution to Mr Wilson’s leaving gift please see Sue or Liz in the office.
UKS2 News Roundup:
- This week's achievers are the whole of Year 6 for their fabulous attitude and approach to their SATs, which took place this week. All the staff are proud of your focus and effort both at home and at school in the preparation for the tests. Thank you also to Year 6 parents and carers for their continued support.
- Charlotte and Eleanor's design has been chosen to be applied to a product which will go on sale in
Leeds City Museum - Year 6 children have been asked to write their profile for the Leavers' Book. Further details about this are on the information sheet given to everybody in Year 6.
Numeracy:
- This week, the children have been developing mental strategies for addition and subtraction. The focus has been on using strategies such as identifying number bonds to 10 and 100, counting on and adjusting (e.g. to add 19, add 20 then subtract 1). The children have also developed visual recordings to help keep track of their calculations.
- Next week: The children will continue their focus on mental addition and subtraction and in particular, applying strategies to answer problems.
- Home Learning– These are web links which have been used in class this week to develop speed and accuracy of mental skills. Practise at home too! http://www.amblesideprimary.com/ambleweb/mentalmaths/numberbond.html, http://resources.oswego.org/games/SpeedGrid/Addition/urikaadd3res.html and http://www.topmarks.co.uk/Flash.aspx?f=HitTheButtonv11
Literacy:
- Year 5 have this week been writing an invitation to invite parents and carers to the launch of a product at
Leeds City Museum Leeds City Museum - Next week in Literacy, the children, in pairs, will be writing a pitch to present to Jim, who is head of Commercial Development for Leeds City Council. The children will be aiming to persuade Jim that the school's product should be stocked in the gift shop at the city museum.
- Home Learning: Please learn the spellings which were inaccurate from today's spelling test. There are videos and games to practise spelling rules and patterns at http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/topic-group/spelling
Other areas of the curriculum:
- In Topic, the children have been planning an advert to support the pitch which they will be presenting to Jim next week.
- In PE, we have been busy refining our section of the Big Dance routine. Well done everybody for learning the sporting movements. By the time you read this, we will have hopefully broken a World Record.
- In ICT, the children have been using the amazing features of iMovie to create a compilation of the animations which we created during our
Japan
Visit our blogs!
- 5/6B http://robinhood56b.blogspot.com/
- 5/6D http://robinhood56d.blogspot.com/
- 5/6G http://robinhood56g.blogspot.com/
If you would like to make a contribution to Mr Wilson’s leaving gift please see Sue or Liz in the office.
