dear parents and guardians - home - arundel church of ...€¦ · “if watching is all you’re...
TRANSCRIPT
www.arundelchurchofenglandschool.org.uk, 01903 883149, [email protected]
Dear Parents and Guardians
I hope you had a fabulous Easter break. It seemed so long yet
also so short at the same time! It is always good to have the
opportunity to be with family and I hope everybody had the
chance to spend some time together over the bank holiday
weekend at least. At the time of writing this blog, the weather is
gorgeous, but I have to remember that this is the British
weather, so I am sure that will change at some point.
Change isn’t always a bad thing, although in today’s society we
often feel it is the only answer. An example of this is the current
disruption at a certain football club in North London and,
whatever people’s feeling about that situation (some of you
reading this blog probably do not really care about this!), it is
about the principle of respect and values. If a person has given
a significant percentage of their life to a project, and at various
points they have achieved success, then that person should be
given some respect. Saying that, all places sometimes need a
change. We always reflect on our practice here at ACE and I
feel we are constantly looking at ways we can improve things
and sometimes that does involve change. Basically, we want to
be the best primary school we can be and to do that sometimes
it does take time and people’s patience for us to make the
relevant changes that are needed.
I think we all could learn from this legendary figure -
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to
continue that counts.”
Winston Churchill
Volume 1, Issue 1
www.arundelchurchofenglandschool.org.uk, 01903 883149, [email protected]
Volume 3, Issue 1
ACE SUMMER FAYRE IS ON THE 15th
JUNE starting at 12pm. (PLEASE DO
COME ALONG TO THIS AND BRING
THE REST OF THE FAMILY!)
2
Hockey Champions
We were the first school ever to get two teams in the
Southern finals and I am proud to say that one team
came second and the other came fifth overall. This
was a pretty special achievement considering it is out
of over 65 plus schools. Thank you to Mrs Ferrier and
Mr Cox for training them and to the parents who were
able to attend.
encouraged their children to take part. Well done to
all those who took part and those who made it into
the finals too!
remember all the money is going to help those
families in India. Last year we raised enough money
to buy a brand new house for a family.
Some Key Dates for the future
30th April Dance sessions for some year groups
10th May Class teams and leavers photographs
13th May Key Stage 2 SATS week
17th May Year 4 Residential Marchants Hill.
21st May David Fuller author visit : Working with KS2 classes Selling books in hall after school.
3rd June INSET day at ACE
10th June Phonics Screening Week
11th June Health and Well Being Workshop at ACE
15th June Summer Fair. Bring the whole family
19th June Year 1 Marwell Zoo
21st June 9:00 - 12:00 Sports Day
1st July ACE SCHOOL SWIMMING GALA at the Lido.
2nd July Year 6 Leavers Service AM at Chi Cathedral
5th July FACES Summer Disco
6th July Goblin Car @ River Beach
9th July KS 2 Production
10th July KS 2 Production
11th July Key Stage 2 Production (x2)
21st July Goblin Car at Goodwood Motor Circuit.
slots.
Parents, carers and families are by far the most important influences in a child's life. Their support can play a
vital role at all stages of education.
Parents who take on a supportive role in their children’s learning make a difference in improving achievement
and behaviour. The active involvement of parents can help promote a learning community in which children
and young people can engage positively with practitioners and their peers.
Worth thinking about…
“If watching is all you’re gonna do, then you’re gonna watch your life go by without ya.“
Lesson learned: Life’s not a spectator sport, and I believe that all our dreams can come true, if we have the
courage to pursue them. But can you guess the film?
NEWS at ACE – Where can you find it?
3
Amanda Worne visits ACE and inspires us all!
A woman left paralysed from the waist down by an
accident has revealed her life is better than ever, as
she shared her life experiences with us all just before
the Easter holidays. Amanda was training for an Iron
Man event on her push-bike when the brakes
suddenly failed on Bury Hill.
She crashed into a signpost at 40mph and the
enormous impact left her with eleven broken bones, a
punctured lung, and her back snapped - leaving her
unable to walk. She talked about the fact that she
wouldn’t change history and that the accident had
made her who she is today. The way she spoke
about her future, and her ideas of such things as
hope, accentuated the positivity this lady had to the
whole school.
She spoke to the children in Year 5 and Year 6 about
these events and how it could inspire them to achieve
great things in the future. She even said that she
would not turn back the clock and that she sees the
accident as a thing that has happened but something
that has led to her having the many opportunities she
has now had.
achievement for our little school.
so sweet... He's a very lovely boy and I thought you should know about his kindness today.” It would be lovely if all members of our ACE community could follow Josh’s example. and certainly in some of the curriculum, we can do
better and if we want to be outstanding, we have to do
even better, and please be assured we are
determined to get even better!
I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year.
Ex ACE Pupil achieving great things
A parent at our school just found a picture of her
brother, Ben White, when he was at ACE and after lots
and lots of hard work he can officially refer to himself as
a Doctor after completing his PHD. I believe it is
something to do with yams and genetics.
It is lovely seeing an old student do so well and keep up
the ACE way of hard work and dedication to a dream.
His life makes me think about this quote –
“Stay positive and happy. Work hard and don't give up
hope. Be open to criticism and keep learning. Surround
yourself with happy, warm and genuine people.”
Tena Desae
4
Another member of the ACE Family does well
I would also like to let members of our ACE
community know that an ex pupil has also recently
represented the South East at Football and the
same child is also representing Sussex at hockey
too!
wa
Bronze, Silver and Gold housepoint badge
winners
Well done to all the boys and girls who
achieved their housepoint badges over the
last couple of weeks. It has been so lovely to
see so many children achieve their badges. It
is lovely to see how proud they are.
the particular fun and inspiration that David
brought to the presentation to the children.
was thinking to himself, "I hope he feels bad. I'll never be nice to him again. That'll show him!" Suddenly his grandfather's voice ripped through his thoughts, "Tommy!! Watch out!" Grandfather's body slammed against his so hard that it knocked him to the ground five feet away. As he hit the ground, Tommy heard a crash and his grandfather moan in pain. He turned to see grandfather half buried in several bails of hay and blood beginning to stain the ground around his left arm. "Are you all right?" Tommy yelled as he ran to his side. "Yes, son. I don't think anything is broken, but I need something to wrap my arm. I've got a nasty gash." As Tommy raced to get a cloth he nearly tripped over the old battle sword he had left in the hayloft the night before. Sick understanding dawned on him. He'd blown it big time. Instead of putting the sword back in the display case as his grandfather had commanded, Tommy hid it in the hayloft. The sword fell from the loft and sliced his grandfather's arm! "I'm so sorry, Grandpa. It's all my fault." Tommy said as he wrapped the cloth around the arm. "I didn't put the sword away. I was so mad at you that I left it on top of the hay. Then, I treated you like I hated you. You should have let the hay fall on me." Holding his throbbing arm, Grandpa fought
Well done to a current member of ACE
Well done to Clara and some of the other
members of ACE who represented us and got
recognised for their talents at Rainbows. It is
great to hear about how our children get
recognised for things outside school. I would
always encourage parents to send in their
child’s successes.
“Some people can’t believe in themselves until
someone else believes in them first.” – Sean
Maguire, Good Will Hunting
the particular fun and inspiration that David
brought to the presentation to the children.
“Some people can’t believe in themselves until someone else believes in them first.” – Sean
Maguire, Good Will Hunting
Well done to Clara and some of the other members of ACE who represented us and got
recognised for their talents at Rainbows. It is great to hear about how our children get recognised
for things outside school. I would always encourage parents to send in their child’s successes.
5
INSET DAYS at ACE 2019/20
Autumn 2019
INSET DAY 1 – September 2nd 2019
INSET DAY 2 and 3 – October 24th and 25th 2019
Spring 2020
INSET DAY 4 – January 6th 2020
Summer 2020
INSET DAY 5 – June 1st 2020
Worth thinking about…
“If watching is all you’re gonna do, then you’re gonna watch your life go by without ya.“
Lesson learned: Life’s not a spectator sport, and I believe that all our dreams can come true, if we have the
courage to pursue them. But can you guess the film?
NEWS at ACE – Where can you find it?
Please remember you can find lots about what is going on at ACE via the School App (please see Mrs
Spencer or Mrs Tipton if you are not sure of this), our website which includes dates, newsletters and further
information http://www.arundelchurchofenglandschool.org.uk/,our Facebook and Twitter pages and paper
copies of the newsletter which can be found at the front desk each week. Hopefully you will find these tools
useful.
“Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one.”
The School Year 2019/2020
6
The Easter story is at the heart of Christianity.
At school, prior to the break, children looked at how Easter is depicted in art and how certain feelings from this
episode in Jesus’ life still have a significant impact on us today. The children were made aware of the sacrifice
Christians believe Jesus made for us all. For those people who were close to Jesus at first they must have felt
that sadness associated with his death (until the resurrection) and we used the film Up to illustrate how certain
people in the modern world deal with this emotion. Up, the tenth feature film from Pixar Animation Studios, is a
swashbuckling, continent-hopping adventure and an under-stated, nuanced psychodrama. It's an outlandish,
wildly creative fantasy and an almost devastatingly poignant piece of realism. It's laugh-out-loud funny and try-
to-hide-your-sobs moving.
The film centres on the oddest of couples. Carl Fredricksen (voiced with gruff perfection by Ed Asner) is a 78-
year-old retired balloon salesman mourning the recent loss of his wife, Ellie. Grief, age, and unfulfilled dreams
have made him more than a little grumpy, and the fact that urban developers are tearing down his
neighborhood (and itching to raze his beloved home) is not helping matters. Grief is tough and I am not sure
anyone can say they are an expert dealing with it.
“I read because one life isn’t enough and in the pages of a book I can be anybody.
I read because the words that build the story become mine, to build my life.
I read, not for happy endings, but for new beginning…”
Richard Peck (CILIP “Start with the Child”)
The role of parents in their children’s education has long been recognised as a significant factor in educational
success and school improvement (Epstein, 1996, Safran, 1996). In recent years we have reached the stage
where certain educational organisations and international conferences concentrate almost entirely on the issue
of partnership between schools and parents. The best tip for school success, in my opinion, is to make sure
that parents and class teachers are working together as allies. Sometimes, though, it can seem as though
there’s a chalk line drawn down the middle of your child’s life.
The report states that teachers often lack the confidence and knowledge to work with some parents, and it is
essential that one party does not intimidate the other if progress is to be made! Parent-teacher communication
plays a big role in helping your child to have a successful academic career. Since parents and teachers know
different aspects of a child's personality, I believe they must work together to solve problems or celebrate
gains. At ACE, we always try our best to do this and - although we are not perfect - we are always looking for
further ways to improve this.
Hawke.
Your help is hugely appreciated and you know who you are! This year we had lots of whole families who
supported the ACE cause and some families who even kindly stored lots of the props in their own homes!
I wanted to share with your some of the lovely images from the Christmas Fayre this week.
Please do remember that all the money raised will go to support further development of the playground
facilities in the school.
classes have travelled into Arundel for a tour around the town, a trip to the museum and a visit to our
magnificent medieval church.
Attendance
Every week we publish weekly attendance data for each of the classes. The class that has the best
attendance will be awarded the Attendance Cup during Sharing. Please do join us to celebrate the
children’s achievement!
Phoenix 100%
Unicorn 98.13%
Ichthus 98.00%
Eagle 97.33%
Rainbow 96.67%
Butterfly 96.00%
Dove 93.33%
“Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”
FACES Easter Egg Challenge
Thanks to our wonderful FACES committee, we organised the Easter Egg Challenge. All the children in the
school had to find as many eggs as they could in a specific time period. As a result of their hunting, every child
was given a chocolate egg.
Is ACE perfect? No, it can’t be. Can it be improved? Yes, of course. In the classroom, in the community, and
certainly in some of the curriculum, we can do better and if we want to be outstanding, we have to do even
better, and please be assured we are determined to get even better!
I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
7
Spring Games at ACE
Summer at school means getting ready for sports days but at ACE we decided to not only do a Summer
Sports Day this year but also a Spring Games, which was based on sports played in the winter such as
hockey. It’s a great way to round off the end of the spring term with a few activities which were fun while
remaining competitive.
This is a chance for children who have a passion for outdoor sports and team games to shine. We also
divided children into different teams to add a competitive team element, giving them the chance to score
points for their team as well as gaining individual kudos.
The event was fabulously set up, thought out and implemented by Lee Tillyer, who is our brilliant PE teacher.
We are very lucky to have this man and the event was very smooth, due to his depth and level of detail in the
planning of the event. Thanks to all the staff who helped and you can see from the photos in the blog and the
other photos on the school app (under Gallery) that the children had real fun and enjoyed the opportunity to
play other sports in a competitive arena, within a team structure.
Young people also learn hands-on about the need to abide by the rules, team work, fair play and respect for
others. They may see their favourite footballers diving for a penalty, fouling an opponent or pretending that
they didn’t handle the ball in the area but they soon learn, through playing sports, that such actions are not fair
and are not in the team’s best interests.
Children also learn how to cope in a competitive environment as well as learning all about winning and losing;
these are important life skills to assimilate in preparation for the working environment.
linked. The worse a local environment looks, the
8
Verity and her Dance awards!
Verity got a fabulous certificate from the Royal Academy
of Dance for her brilliant performance in dance. I am so
proud of this young lady who has clearly worked hard to
achieve this.
Please keep this up, Jessica. linked. The worse a local environment looks, the less
able children are to play freely, and develop the habits
and commitments that will enable them to address
environmental problems in the future. The paradox is
that we are fostering a generation that is likely to face
the toughest environmental challenges yet, in terms of
climate change and the ever-increasing pressure on
natural resources. This generation, more than any other
before, will need the environmental awareness and
citizenship that is instilled through exploration in
childhood.
A report by Maddie - On Tuesday 26th February, Eagle
the Eco Class was lucky enough to go to the MRF. MRF
stands for Materials Recycling Facility.
We were all greeted by Jo, who was our guide for the
morning. Everyone signed in as a visitor, then we made
our way to the Education Room.
The first activity was a health and safety talk, which is to
make sure all humans stay safe at all times during their
visit.
Next, we saw pictures about what you should and
shouldn't recycle and we found out that if you recycle a
lid it has to be bigger than a jam jar lid. Otherwise, the
lids fall through the holes in the trommel (the giant
washing machine drum) and they get mixed with the
glass bits.
After that, we saw a video about what happens to all the
recycling at the MRF.
Did you know, 99% of the items sent to the MRF are
recycled? How long do you think it takes to sort and
bale your recyclables? Amazingly it's just 8 hours!
Next, we played a game where you have to sort
different types of rubbish into groups of recycling,
general waste or ‘take me to a special place’ options.
Then, we had to do a quiz about things that we should
and shouldn't recycle.
Finally we split into two groups, the first group went
Some Mathematics for all the ACE families
At the turn of the year, Alex Bellos, in his Guardian column, challenged readers to share interesting facts
about the number 2019. He kicked it off with the fact that 2019 is the smallest number that can be written in 6
ways as the sum of the squares of 3 primes:
7² + 11² + 43² = 2019 7² + 17² + 41² = 2019 13² + 13² + 41² = 2019 11² + 23² + 37² = 2019 17² + 19² + 37² =
2019 23² + 23² + 31² = 2019
What other facts can you and your families discover?
An unsolved problem for your children to solve
Matt Parker’s YouTube video about the 10,958 Problem – is fascinating. Some great ideas to explore with
your children. You might enjoy the challenge yourself.
A report by Maddie - On Tuesday 26th February, Eagle the Eco Class was lucky enough to go to the MRF.
MRF stands for Materials Recycling Facility.
We were all greeted by Jo, who was our guide for the morning. Everyone signed in as a visitor, then we made
our way to the Education Room.
The first activity was a health and safety talk, which is to make sure all humans stay safe at all times during
their visit.
Next, we saw pictures about what you should and shouldn't recycle and we found out that if you recycle a lid
it has to be bigger than a jam jar lid. Otherwise, the lids fall through the holes in the trommel (the giant
washing machine drum) and they get mixed with the glass bits.
After that, we saw a video about what happens to all the recycling at the MRF.
Did you know, 99% of the items sent to the MRF are recycled? How long do you think it takes to sort and bale
your recyclables? Amazingly it's just 8 hours!
Next, we played a game where you have to sort different types of rubbish into groups of recycling, general
waste or ‘take me to a special place’ options.
Then, we had to do a quiz about things that we should and shouldn't recycle.
Finally we split into two groups, the first group went inside the main factory area with all the machines and we
had to wear special clothes called PPE (Personal Protection Equipment). We watched the gigantic machines
George and his fantastic art
It is lovely when children have opportunities to share
their skills and areas of expertise with others. I truly
believe that every child has at least one amazing skill
and, as adults, our number one target should always be
to try and find it and allow the child to flourish with it.
George is good at many things and it is lovely seeing
his art work in the photograph. Wolves are very
interesting animals and I love the way he has expressed
his version of them on the paper.
Please keep this up, Jessica. linked. The worse a local environment looks, the less
able children are to play freely, and develop the habits
and commitments that will enable them to address
environmental problems in the future. The paradox is
that we are fostering a generation that is likely to face
the toughest environmental challenges yet, in terms of
9
Superb Dancing by Kiran and Jack S
I love it when children have the opportunity to be
creative in their lives and I think it is important as a
school we always encourage this. Kiran and Jack S had
great fun creating a very special dance and even
allowed me the opportunity to share it with them too.
Please keep this up, Jessica. linked. The worse a local environment looks, the less
able children are to play freely, and develop the habits
and commitments that will enable them to address
environmental problems in the future. The paradox is
that we are fostering a generation that is likely to face
the toughest environmental challenges yet, in terms of
climate change and the ever-increasing pressure on
natural resources. This generation, more than any other
before, will need the environmental awareness and
citizenship that is instilled through exploration in
childhood.
A report by Maddie - On Tuesday 26th February, Eagle
the Eco Class was lucky enough to go to the MRF. MRF
stands for Materials Recycling Facility.
We were all greeted by Jo, who was our guide for the
morning. Everyone signed in as a visitor, then we made
our way to the Education Room.
The first activity was a health and safety talk, which is to
make sure all humans stay safe at all times during their
visit.
Next, we saw pictures about what you should and
shouldn't recycle and we found out that if you recycle a
lid it has to be bigger than a jam jar lid. Otherwise, the
lids fall through the holes in the trommel (the giant
washing machine drum) and they get mixed with the
glass bits.
After that, we saw a video about what happens to all the
recycling at the MRF.
Did you know, 99% of the items sent to the MRF are
recycled? How long do you think it takes to sort and
bale your recyclables? Amazingly it's just 8 hours!
Next, we played a game where you have to sort
different types of rubbish into groups of recycling,
general waste or ‘take me to a special place’ options.
Then, we had to do a quiz about things that we should
and shouldn't recycle.
My own thoughts on creativity
Creativity: It's been maligned, neglected, and misunderstood. It's interesting that people see creativity and
critical thinking as being opposed. It's partly because people associate creativity with being totally free and
unstructured. Creativity is a process of having original ideas that have value. People associate creativity with
the arts only. I'm a great advocate of the arts, but creativity is really a function of everything we do. So
education for creativity is about the whole curriculum, not just part of it. Creativity is a disciplined process that
requires skill, knowledge, and control. Obviously, it also requires imagination and inspiration, and I am excited
as a school we are going to really look at how we equip our children even better for their futures.
Why do you think creativity is especially important right now?
The challenges we currently face are without precedent. More people live on this planet now than at any other
time in history. The world's population has doubled in the past 30 years. We're facing an increasing strain on
the world's natural resources. Technology is advancing at a headlong rate of speed. It's transforming how
people work, think, and connect. It's transforming our cultural values.
The children who are starting school this September will be retiring—if they ever do—around 2090. Nobody
has a clue what the world's going to look like in five years, or even next year actually, and yet it's the job of
education to help children make sense of the world they're going to live in.
In my mind that collaboration, diversity, the exchange of ideas, and building on other people's achievements
are at the heart of the creative process. An education that focuses only on the individual in isolation is bound to
frustrate some of those possibilities.
Abbie and her super swimming
Well done to Abbie in Year 1 who recently achieved her
Octopus 1 certificate for her swimming. It is lovely to
see her beaming with pride with her fabulous
achievement and I am already looking forward to seeing
her next certificate. Swimming is such an important
sport and it is so lovely seeing our ACE pupils do well in
it.
Please keep this up, Jessica. linked. The worse a local environment looks, the less
able children are to play freely, and develop the habits
and commitments that will enable them to address
environmental problems in the future. The paradox is
10
Fern writes up her version of the Owl Babies
I do truly think that as parents we can make such a big
difference to children if we allow them to find a book,
which they can basically jump into! Fern has clearly
found this in Owl Babies and she has produced a lovely
couple of pages to illustrate the story. Well done, Fern,
for presenting your work so well.
Please keep this up, Jessica. linked. The worse a local environment looks, the less
able children are to play freely, and develop the habits
and commitments that will enable them to address
environmental problems in the future. The paradox is
that we are fostering a generation that is likely to face
the toughest environmental challenges yet, in terms of
The Lost Little Duckling by Jasmine
It is so important that we always encourage our children
to complete writing activities and Jasmine has written a
smashing story here. She has also presented her work
so well and I do not know about you but I definitely
didn’t have such good handwriting as Jasmine when I
was her age.
Please keep this up, Jessica. linked. The worse a local environment looks, the less
able children are to play freely, and develop the habits
and commitments that will enable them to address
environmental problems in the future. The paradox is
that we are fostering a generation that is likely to face
the toughest environmental challenges yet, in terms of
climate change and the ever-increasing pressure on
natural resources. This generation, more than any other
before, will need the environmental awareness and
citizenship that is instilled through exploration in
childhood.
A report by Maddie - On Tuesday 26th February, Eagle
the Eco Class was lucky enough to go to the MRF. MRF
stands for Materials Recycling Facility.
We were all greeted by Jo, who was our guide for the
morning. Everyone signed in as a visitor, then we made
our way to the Education Room.
The first activity was a health and safety talk, which is to
make sure all humans stay safe at all times during their
visit.
Next, we saw pictures about what you should and
Jacob and Ollie
I think Jacob and Ollie sounds like some kind of sitcom
and I can tell you now that these boys are sensitive and
funny chaps! The boys wanted to share their special
cuddly toys with me. It really made me think and
allowed me to consider that sometimes when we give
children things it has a real meaning to them. Jacob and
Ollie were very grateful to the people who bought them
these special gifts.
Jacob also produced a lovely piece of writing about
seals too.
Please keep this up, Jessica. linked. The worse a local environment looks, the less
able children are to play freely, and develop the habits
and commitments that will enable them to address
environmental problems in the future. The paradox is
that we are fostering a generation that is likely to face
the toughest environmental challenges yet, in terms of
climate change and the ever-increasing pressure on
natural resources. This generation, more than any other
before, will need the environmental awareness and
citizenship that is instilled through exploration in
childhood.
A report by Maddie - On Tuesday 26th February, Eagle
the Eco Class was lucky enough to go to the MRF. MRF
stands for Materials Recycling Facility.
We were all greeted by Jo, who was our guide for the
morning. Everyone signed in as a visitor, then we made
our way to the Education Room.
The first activity was a health and safety talk, which is to
make sure all humans stay safe at all times during their
visit.
Next, we saw pictures about what you should and
shouldn't recycle and we found out that if you recycle a
lid it has to be bigger than a jam jar lid. Otherwise, the
lids fall through the holes in the trommel (the giant
washing machine drum) and they get mixed with the
glass bits.
After that, we saw a video about what happens to all the
recycling at the MRF.
Did you know, 99% of the items sent to the MRF are
recycled? How long do you think it takes to sort and
bale your recyclables? Amazingly it's just 8 hours!
11
Gabriel and his five times tables
Gabriel has been working really hard on starting to learn
his times tables. He has so far met all the challenges I
have set him and recently he completed the test to
complete his five times tables. Well done, Gabriel. I am
really proud of your positive attitude.
Please keep this up, Jessica. linked. The worse a local environment looks, the less
able children are to play freely, and develop the habits
and commitments that will enable them to address
environmental problems in the future. The paradox is
that we are fostering a generation that is likely to face
the toughest environmental challenges yet, in terms of
climate change and the ever-increasing pressure on
natural resources. This generation, more than any other
before, will need the environmental awareness and
citizenship that is instilled through exploration in
childhood.
A report by Maddie - On Tuesday 26th February, Eagle
the Eco Class was lucky enough to go to the MRF. MRF
stands for Materials Recycling Facility.
We were all greeted by Jo, who was our guide for the
morning. Everyone signed in as a visitor, then we made
our way to the Education Room.
Why writing a diary is important for our children
Writing a diary is more than just a way for your child to record their daily life: it can have impressive
educational benefits, too. Now a report from the National Literacy Trust has highlighted the educational
benefits of writing a diary, and the charity is urging parents to encourage their children to adopt the habit. Here
are some key reasons why as a headteacher I would encourage you to ensure your children write a diary…
According to recent research, fewer children are writing for pleasure in their own time, to the detriment of their
writing ability. Just five per cent of children who never write outside school are able to write at a higher level
than is expected for their age, compared to over 30 per cent of those who do write in their own time.
With children spending so much time using computers and other technology, in and out of
school, handwriting is becoming a lost art. But although it’s been replaced by typing in many situations, it’s still
an essential skill, and a percentage of marks in English assessments is allocated on the basis of handwriting,
during teacher assessment.
Writing a diary helps children get into a writing habit, so that it’s no longer something they dread, procrastinate
about or feel afraid of.
With mental health issues on the rise in children of primary school age, learning how to express emotions is a
vital life skill, and one which keeping a diary can help them develop. ‘Writing a diary is a great way for children
to process their thoughts and express their feelings,’ Clare explains. ‘It can help them build emotional maturity
and resilience.’
Please keep this up, Jessica. linked. The worse a local environment looks, the less able children are to play freely, and develop the habits
and commitments that will enable them to address environmental problems in the future. The paradox is that
we are fostering a generation that is likely to face the toughest environmental challenges yet, in terms of
climate change and the ever-increasing pressure on natural resources. This generation, more than any other
before, will need the environmental awareness and citizenship that is instilled through exploration in
childhood.
A report by Maddie - On Tuesday 26th February, Eagle the Eco Class was lucky enough to go to the MRF.
MRF stands for Materials Recycling Facility.
We were all greeted by Jo, who was our guide for the morning. Everyone signed in as a visitor, then we made
our way to the Education Room.
The first activity was a health and safety talk, which is to make sure all humans stay safe at all times during
their visit.
Next, we saw pictures about what you should and shouldn't recycle and we found out that if you recycle a lid it
has to be bigger than a jam jar lid. Otherwise, the lids fall through the holes in the trommel (the giant washing
machine drum) and they get mixed with the glass bits.
After that, we saw a video about what happens to all the recycling at the MRF.
Did you know, 99% of the items sent to the MRF are recycled? How long do you think it takes to sort and bale
your recyclables? Amazingly it's just 8 hours!
Next, we played a game where you have to sort different types of rubbish into groups of recycling, general
waste or ‘take me to a special place’ options.
Then, we had to do a quiz about things that we should and shouldn't recycle.
Thank you
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone
who gave me or any member of staff an Easter gift.
Ottilie in Rainbow Class made me a lovely Easter egg
card and I just wanted to share it with everyone.
Please keep this up, Jessica. linked. The worse a local environment looks, the less
able children are to play freely, and develop the habits
and commitments that will enable them to address
environmental problems in the future. The paradox is
12
Please do not drop plastic
I love it when children are proactive. I think, in the world
we live, it is so important that we encourage our children
to make a positive choice to make a difference to
others. These boys, James and Nate, have clearly done
this with their plastic posters. Well done, boys, and I do
hope that as a race we all continue to really understand
the mess we are making of our world with the ever
increasing use of plastic.
If you have seen our school facebook page you will
realise, from the work which Oliver completed, that our
world is in serious trouble unless we stop dumping
plastic everywhere!
Jemima and her gymnastics
Many of our regular readers know that Jemima in
Year 4 is pretty decent on the bar when it comes to
gymnastics and it is lovely she has this time
expressed her skills through drawing her most recent
gymnastic move. Not sure I am quite up to that any
more!
Please keep this up, Jessica. linked. The worse a local environment looks, the less
able children are to play freely, and develop the
habits and commitments that will enable them to
address environmental problems in the future. The
paradox is that we are fostering a generation that is
likely to face the toughest environmental challenges
yet, in terms of climate change and the ever-
increasing pressure on natural resources. This
generation, more than any other before, will need the
environmental awareness and citizenship that is
instilled through exploration in childhood.
A report by Maddie - On Tuesday 26th February,
Eagle the Eco Class was lucky enough to go to the
MRF. MRF stands for Materials Recycling Facility.
We were all greeted by Jo, who was our guide for
the morning. Everyone signed in as a visitor, then we
made our way to the Education Room.
The first activity was a health and safety talk, which
is to make sure all humans stay safe at all times
during their visit.
Jessica and her amazing Ballet
Well done to Jessica who recently completed a ballet
exam. She performed extremely well and I was very
proud she was able to do this without any help from
her coach too! I am looking forward to hearing about
her results.
Please keep this up, Jessica. linked. The worse a local environment looks, the less
able children are to play freely, and develop the
habits and commitments that will enable them to
address environmental problems in the future. The
paradox is that we are fostering a generation that is
likely to face the toughest environmental challenges
13
Lego Legend Adam
Adam in Year 4 is a pretty special Lego champion.
He has built many things and you can see that he
was recently inspired by a visit to the Ford Recycling
Centre. Great Lego design and I am looking forward
to his next design.
Please keep this up, Jessica. linked. The worse a local environment looks, the less
able children are to play freely, and develop the
habits and commitments that will enable them to
address environmental problems in the future. The
paradox is that we are fostering a generation that is
likely to face the toughest environmental challenges
yet, in terms of climate change and the ever-
increasing pressure on natural resources. This
generation, more than any other before, will need the
environmental awareness and citizenship that is
instilled through exploration in childhood.
A report by Maddie - On Tuesday 26th February,
Eagle the Eco Class was lucky enough to go to the
MRF. MRF stands for Materials Recycling Facility.
We were all greeted by Jo, who was our guide for
the morning. Everyone signed in as a visitor, then we
made our way to the Education Room.
The first activity was a health and safety talk, which
is to make sure all humans stay safe at all times
during their visit.
Next, we saw pictures about what you should and
shouldn't recycle and we found out that if you recycle
a lid it has to be bigger than a jam jar lid. Otherwise,
the lids fall through the holes in the trommel (the
giant washing machine drum) and they get mixed
with the glass bits.
After that, we saw a video about what happens to all
the recycling at the MRF.
Did you know, 99% of the items sent to the MRF are
recycled? How long do you think it takes to sort and
bale your recyclables? Amazingly it's just 8 hours!
Next, we played a game where you have to sort
different types of rubbish into groups of recycling,
Finally a poem
Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer's
day?
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed.
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st,
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
William Shakespeare
Yours sincerely,
ASimpson
Andrew Simpson
Headteacher
Please keep this up, Jessica. linked. The worse a local environment looks, the less
14
News from around the country
Four-year-olds to deliver petition to downing street
In what has been dubbed the “March of the four-year-olds”, young children are to deliver a petition to
Downing Street in protest at the plans for a Reception baseline assessment. The protest is being organised
by campaign group More than a Score for Thursday 25 April, when children will be handing in the group’s
petition, which is signed by more than 65,000 people and urges Nick Gibb to abandon the baseline
assessment saying it is “pointless and damaging”.
Ofsted chief not accepted for 'settled status'
Ofsted's head of research, Professor Daniel Muijs, has taken to Twitter to complain of being turned down in
his application for "settled status" in the UK after Brexit. Professor Muijs has worked in the UK for 20 years,
holding posts in Southampton, Manchester, Newcastle and Warwick Universities. "Have just found out my
application for settled status in UK has been rejected. I now need to find evidence of residence since 2013.
Not a good feeling," Prof Muijs wrote on Twitter. However, the Home Office insisted the application had not
been denied: “This case has not been refused. We would encourage the applicant to make contact with the
Settlement Resolution Centre, who will be able to assist him with his application,” said a spokesperson.
• • Living by busy road linked to slow child development • Living near main roads has been shown to affect children’s communication
development. A study has shown that by age three, children living less than 500 metres from roads with heavy traffic were twice as likely to have failed developmental tests measuring their ability to communicate as those living further away. The tests
FEAST (FOR EDUCATION AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION) – AN AID PROJECT IN TAMIL NADU, SOUTHERN INDIA “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25.40) St Nicholas’ Church and ACE support an aid charity in southern India called FEAST. As you will know from previous headteacher blogs, our Year 6 class has been working closely with Charlie Smiles to raise money for the charity. Founded by Fr Jeremias George, the charity seeks to help the poorest in society and transform the lives of children by supporting their education. Sponsors provide a child with a school uniform, schoolbooks and stationary. They also help to ensure that children are able to remain in school rather then being forced to work to support their families. The project has been running as a trust since 1998 and to date has helped over 20,000 people.
In addition to helping children with their education, FEAST also invites people to ‘adopt-a-Granny’. Many families do not have the means to feed their children, let alone elderly relatives, so often widows are neglected and left to fend for themselves, often finding themselves homeless and forced to beg. FEAST helps to ensure that the elderly are not an unbearable burden on their families by providing some financial help and 2 kilo of rice per month. Feastathon Between the 1st April and 1st October the charity is looking to jointly cover 5,253 miles, the distance between Arundel and the project office in Nagercoil. One of our governors, Sue Hine, has pledged to walk/run 100 miles to support this project. If you would like to sponsor Sue, you can do so via the school office or by visiting the JustGiving page [www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/feastathon5253challenge]
If you are interested in helping to transform someone’s life, please do help our governors and ACE family who are taking part in this charity event.
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Living by busy road linked to slow child development
Living near main roads has been shown to affect children’s communication development. A study has
shown that by age three, children living less than 500 metres from roads with heavy traffic were twice as
likely to have failed developmental tests measuring their ability to communicate as those living further
away. The tests measured the amount of words the children knew, as well as their ability to understand
basic instructions appropriate for their age group. Meanwhile, teachers have welcomed the launch of
London’s “world-leading” new ultra-low emission zone which will keep the highest-emitting vehicles out of
the city centre.
Parents cannot veto LGBT lessons
Primary schools in England can choose what they teach about same-sex relationships, the education
secretary has said. Damian Hinds has written to head teachers saying they are encouraged to teach
children about LGBT issues if they "consider it age appropriate". Adding that, whilst heads should consult
parents over lessons, they have no right to veto what was taught. The education secretary also spoke out
about reports of teachers feeling intimidated by parents protesting against LGBT+ classes, describing
them as “very concerning”. Mr Hinds’s comments follow reports of death threats against the teacher at the
centre of the LGBT row, Andrew Moffat. The assistant headteacher's No Outsiders programme has
sparked protests, mainly by Muslim parents who object to their children learning about same-sex
relationships, which has seen at least five schools in Birmingham suspend their LGBT inclusivity
programmes.
Hundreds of schools seek online donations for basics
A Guardian investigation has revealed that more than 1,000 schools across England are using
crowdfunding websites and wish lists to raise money. Many are appealing for basic supplies such as
pencils, glue and textbooks. Some 700 schools were found to be crowdsourcing donations made through
websites such as JustGiving and Crowdfunder, and 300 schools were using Amazon wish lists. One
school, Lainesmead primary in Swindon, is seeking funds to buy equipment that it could not otherwise
afford: "Unfortunately, due to government budget cuts, last year we lost £80,000 and had to make several
redundancies. Our dire financial situation has continued this year and we are having to make further
cutbacks,” it said on its Just Giving page.
Just £5 per patient allotted for children’s mental health
Community mental health support for children - including school counsellors – receive an annual budget
of just £5 per child in parts of England, according to research. The study showed that, despite the
government promising significant budget increases for NHS children's mental health services, spending
per head on preventative support fell in a third of areas. The Department of Health and Social Care said
that children's mental health was a priority and that 70,000 more children each year would have access to
specialist care by 2020-21. "Early intervention is vital and we're going further, piloting a four-week waiting
time standard for treatment 'and' training a brand new dedicated mental health workforce for schools
across the country,” said a spokesperson for the department.
Brits struggle with Geography
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Notices
Arundel Window Festival Arundel Window Festival is a simple vision, open to all. It doesn’t matter if you are an Arundel Resident, business or office owner everyone can take part! It has one aim, to bring Arundel together and light up October in a fun, creative way for everyone to enjoy. Our purpose is as a stand-alone project not involving organisations, clubs or groups, just individual working jointly to say Arundel’s lights are still on. This event is free and there are no fees to take part. For two weeks in October 4th to 14th, everyone just decorates a window whether you have a flat on Tarrant Street, a house in Canada Road or a shop on the High Street. You can go as wild or simple as you wish, there are no rules or theme just a community pulling together. The project is being run through social media and this is where we will announce who is taking part and to publicise the event. To find out more follow our Instagram page www.instagram.comarundelwindowfestival or join the Facebook Group.
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PLEASE NOTE PLACES ARE LIMITED
FREE Bikeability
Level 2 Cycle Training Holiday Courses
(Minimum age 10 years)
Please check with your school before applying to see if Bikeability has been
arranged
Easter Holiday Course
8th – 11th April 2019 (4 days) 9.00am until 11.00am
Course Venues
English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Worthing
Millais School, Horsham
Maidenbower Junior School, Crawley
The Arena Sports Centre, Bognor Regis
St Paul’s Catholic College, Burgess Hill
Summer Holiday Course
29th July – 1st August 2019 (4 days)
9.00am until 11.00am
Course Venues
Oak Grove College, Worthing
Millais School, Horsham
The Arena Sports Centre, Bognor Regis
St Paul’s Catholic College, Burgess Hill
Maidenbower Junior School, Crawley
For further information please contact us
T: 03302226709 or 0330 2226746 or