Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Wishing All Our Families a Very Happy Christmas

  Fri 15 Dec 2017 M. Purdy

  After a very hectic but wonderfully festive week, we're on the last run up to Christmas. Every class has their party during the week ahead and on Wednesday the Foundation Stage will hold their special Christmas event in our main hall. The children's Christmas photographs will be there to view and buy for £11, if you haven't yet had a chance to view them. The term will end on Friday with a mathematical board game day followed by a calming traditional Christmas assembly.

   

  We return to school refreshed and ready to learn on Monday 8th January 2018 and break up on Friday 9th February for half term, which coincides superbly with the start of the Winter Olympics.

   

  HOCKEY-YR 3

  On Tuesday 9th January, Year 3 will be introduced to hockey, trained by veteran national player Mr. Wilson. Last year two classes reached an excellent level and, only a month ago, the Year 4 hockey team became city champions. We have very high expectations for Year 3. Although we don't use an adult- type hockey ball, we highly recommend that parents buy and fit a gumshield during the holidays to protect teeth. They sell for about £3 at JD Sports.

   

  Coming up in the Spring term:

   

  Week 1-

  • Sex and relationship lessons
  • Design Technology days

   

  Week Ending 9th February

  • Inter House Times Tables Challenge

   

  Half term project-building bridges

   

  Week ending Friday 23rd February-

  • Whole school mapping day

   

  Thursday March 1st-World Book Day. This year's theme is nursery rhymes and fairy tales

   

  Week ending 9th March

  • Parents Evenings

   

  Week ending 16th March-The Little Princess by M & M Productions

   

  Have a very Happy Christmas everyone!

   

   

   

   

   

• It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

  Fri 08 Dec 2017 M. Purdy

  With temperatures well below zero today, we have the perfect Christmas scene across our gardens and fields. And now I've mentioned Christmas, what a busy week we have ahead of us-the diary is full of special activities and events.

   

  Monday

  Today our Key Stage 1 children are having a dress rehearsal of their production Manger Mouse. The rest of the school will be their audience and critics so, that by the actual performance on Tuesday, it should be ready to go!

   

  Tuesday

  Key Stage 1 present their play to family members. Curtains open at 2.00pm and I'm sure you'll be enchanted by the children's innocent singing and acting. At this age you'll never know what will happen next which makes it so much fun! Duncan Spence from Picture This Photography has the children's photographs printed so is expecting to be in school to deliver them.

   

  Wednesday

  Christmas lunch day. We welcome all those adults who have helped the school during the year to a wonderful feast prepared by Gillian, Julie, Ruth and Faye. Every time I venture into the kitchen, Gillian is preparing one treat or another-the ginger Rudolph biscuits look very tempting but I haven't yet worked out a strategy to sneak one out of the kitchen!

   

  Those of you who have made an appointment will be meeting up with Father Christmas this evening. Thank you to the friends who have used their persuasive powers to entice him to Seaburn Dene Primary School at a time when he is working endless hours all over the world. What an achievement!

  *A note from the Friends-all children should be supervised by an adult member of their family.

   

  Thursday

  This afternoon is our Public Speaking Competition for Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. There are some fabulous prizes including a free Monday evening session with CASA Performing Arts, jigsaws and books. Mrs Wilson from the Nursery has agreed to be one of the judges and there will be representation from the School Council too. Good luck everyone.

   

  Friday (15th)

  Christingle Service and Christmas Jumper Day.

   

  We always thoroughly enjoy our festive celebrations whilst, at the same time, keeping the real meaning of Christmas at the forefront of everything we do.  

   

  On Friday Revd Watson will be leading our Christingle Service. This is very a magical event, especially when we darken the hall and light some of the Christingles  while singing. Because Christmas is all about giving, we are donating to two wonderful charities.

   

  Each class has four Christingle candle money boxes to fill with loose change for the Children's Society. The society works towards ensuring vulnerable children feeling safe at Christmas and you can read more about their work by clicking on this link. Thank you to everyone who has already found coins down their sofa, in pockets or handbags. I was amazed at how many coins were in the bottom of my gym bag but I won't miss them at all.

  If you wish to wear a Christmas jumper on Friday 15th, you can do so in return for a £1 donation. All money will be given to Save the Children Fund. 

   

  Christmas Parties all take place next week. Children will have been given a plate for parents to fill with their favourite food, not forgetting that everyone will have eaten lunch just a couple of hours before the party tea.

   

• As Long As They Are Reading

  Mon 04 Dec 2017 M. Purdy

  Is Reading Enough?

  Children who read voraciously are open to amazing worlds, different times and magic of immense proportions. Reading should be a joy. As a child, my favourite Christmas presents would always be the stack of books laid out by the Santa Sack. But sometimes, we are in the habit of reading the stories that have a familiar rhythm- I know from my own holiday reading that I often want to read something that is relaxing rather than challenging yet I feel a huge sense of achievement when I've chosen an unfamiliar book that makes me think. 

   

  At school we are finding that, if children are to make excellent progress in terms of statutory tests, that they must have a wide reading diet where they are challenged, meet new genres and authors and show perseverance when the going gets tough. To help parents and carers choose some lovely books for Christmas, there are some excellent websites out there. Here are a couple we use in school:

  https://www.booktrust.org.uk/

  http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/

   

  Teachers are also very happy to make suggested reading lists so please let us know how we can help. Happy reading everyone.

   

  What Children Can Do and Targets for the Spring Term

  This week is a busy working week as it's the week when we see how much progress our children in Years 1 to 6 have made over the term.  We use end of term assessment tests combined with where children are in their day to day work to make decisions and to set individual targets for the next half term.

   

  What's Going on in RE?

  This term we introduced a new scheme of work in religious education and, as RE co-ordinator, it's time I went into classes to see it in action. I'm really looking forward to finding out how children respond to this question style syllabus. I think they may give us some very interesting and deep responses.

   

  Years 3, 4,5 & 6 Public Speaking Competition

  Next Thursday (14th) is the school's first ever public speaking competition for Key Stage 2. This will be a very exciting event to help children to be confident in the way that they speak to an audience. Just to remind children and parents that the themes are:

  • The Magic of Christmas
  • Someone Who Has Really Inspired Me
  • Making the World a Better Place

  Children in Years 3 and 4 are expected to speak for 3 minutes without notes on one of the themes and children in Yrs 5 and 6 for 4 minutes. There are fabulous prizes for the winners and runners up in each category.

  Tomorrow our swimming team is in the Monkwearmouth Gala. Good luck everyone.

   

• Evening with Santa - Wednesday 13th December

  Sun 03 Dec 2017 S Baker
  The Friends Group are organised for the Christmas Fayre and looking forward to their next event - Evening with Santa! This is an evening for parents and children to come along and get into the Christmas spirit! We will have a Christmas movie on the big screen in the hall, craft activities for the children to get involved with and parents can book a slot for their child to visit Santa in his Grotto, any time between 5.30pm and 7pm. Normally bookings are made by ringing the school office but we have decided to offer bookings at the Christmas Fayre - come along to the Raffle Ticket table! If you aren't attending the Christmas Fayre don't worry, just give the office staff a ring and we will get you booked in!

  

• Parent Governor Vacancy

  Fri 01 Dec 2017 L Halliday
  Please see the Governor section (in the "About Us" section) for information about a current vacancy for a Parent Governor.