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

• Gold Award

  Thu 28 Mar 2019 Mr J Howe
  Well done to all our PE passionate children and staff who have made this fantastic award possible, particularly Mr Ashton (for organising) and Mr Traves. This is just one step on a journey to give our children a multi-varied diet of sport, exercise and learning around being active and healthy for the whole of their lives. We have big plans to build on this and our School Games Platinum Award over the next year. Great news for Team Seaburn.

  

• New Headteacher

  Mon 25 Mar 2019 Mrs J Chalk

  Dear Parents, Carers, Children and friends of Seaburn Dene Primary

  The Governors are very pleased to announce that a new permanent Headteacher has been appointed for Seaburn Dene Primary School.

  After a rigorous selection process, in which a number of strong candidates were tested and interviewed over a day, Mr Howe was the unanimous choice of the Governors, and will become the permanent Headteacher from next term.

  Mr Howe is now in his fourth year in our school and knows exactly what it means to be a part of the Seaburn Dene family.

  He is passionate about the school, and is committed to providing the best education possible for all the children at Seaburn Dene, helping them to develop and become the best that they can be.

  I hope you will join me in congratulating him on his appointment, and in supporting him as he leads the school into a new and exciting future.

  With Best Wishes,
  Julie Chalk

  Chair of Governors

• Working together

  Mon 18 Mar 2019 Mr J Howe

   The second Monday in March is Commonwealth Day and this year's theme is our Connected Commonwealth. With a little help from Oliver (Yr 4) and James (Yr 2) we explored the idea that their are times when independence is the best way to complete a task and there are others when more help is needed. 

   It was a simple way of leading children to begin to appreciate what is needed for 53 countries, with an estimated population of over 2 billion need to do to achieve some of the smallest things.

   In our school - through promoting a growth mindset - we aim to encourage our children to become independent, confident and determined learners, but also understanding the points at which they need to come together: to work as a team.

   At our school, we fundamentally believe that sport and the creative arts are two areas where both of these approaches are needed. We have some incredibly determined children, who are giving their all individually and in groups to make this year's musical production Pantastic, a spectacular event. Staff too. 

   And in sport - we aim to participate and compete in as many activities as we're able, laying the foundations for a healthy and active lifestyle for all of our children. Last week, it was football at the Foundation of Light, this week: tennis. Two sports where both the individual and the team come together.

   The creative arts and PE are a essential part of what our school believes in, carrying the values of teamwork, aspiration, respect and determination into the children's academic life. To learn lines off by heart, requires practice; to master a back hand or volley takes the same amount of dedication, qualities which equally apply to children's learning. No excuses necessary.

   

  Bark and Read

  Well it was an emotional farewell to Mrs Crossley and Robbie, who, thanks to the success of her work in dog training, has found increasing pressures on the time she is able to dedicate to us at Seaburn Dene. For the last three years, this dynamic duo have listened to scores of children read and have been a hugely anticipated presence in school. It's not the end. I'm reassured that when judging comes around in our many competitions, Mrs Crossley may well be available. But in the meantime, it goes for all of his here to wish both her and Robbie all our very best for their bright future, a message we sent loud and clear at assembly on Friday.

   

  Artistic talent

  It is so rewarding to reflect on the talents of our children both past and present. On the former, Yr 7 Poppy Gray came into school to unveil the digital artwork she created while still at Seaburn Dene and now hangs proudly in our main entrance. Poppy designed her images to accompany the school's house teams (those names originally suggested by Y8 Eva Marshall when in school.) A sneak peak at her work, confirms what a wonderful artist she is growing into. On past pupils, huge congratulations to Y9 Adam Edwards and his work to collect and redistribute pre-owned (old) football boots to children across our community. We aim to support Adam in his endeavours with North East Sport and any donations can be left in the office. Well done!

   

  

• Theatre in School

  Fri 08 Mar 2019 Mr J Howe

  On Wednesday, we are welcoming the fantastic M&M Theatre Productions who will be performing C S Lewis's classic fantasy adventure, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.  The story is a real children's classic and forms one of the whole class novels Year 4 are studying this year.

   

  A Big Thank You

  To everyone who made our World Book Day event such a wonderful success. It was fantastic and photographs from this are beginning to appear across the website and our Twitter feed @sdps13. Our theme: Heroes and Villains really captured the children and staff's imaginations, with 101 Dalmatians, Marvel, Mary Poppins and Peter Pan particularly prominent. A special well done to Beau in Yr 6 - whose Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde costume - was eye catching and especially creative and our staff - of course - whose energy and hard work is essential for events like this. We are still wading through photographs - including entries for our extreme reading, thank you and keep them coming in.

   

  50th Celebrations

  This week, I had the pleasure of meeting Annie Sanderson - the original headteacher at Seaburn Dene, as part of our discussions around marking the opening of this fantastic school. While children were initially admitted in April 1969, the official opening didn't actually occur until the October, which is when we will be marking it. Miss Sanderson, now 92, amazingly qualified as a teacher in 1946 and taught at West Southwick, then Redby before arriving at a new Seaburn Dene. Over the course of her career (until 1986), the school's roll moved from one form to 1.5 and then two and she remembers, with fondness overnight residentials - with classes - at Moor House in Durham and how the school grew and developed. Our school council, who have been busy formulating ideas for the events later this year, have been invited to go and meet/interview her next month. It should be fascinating. In the build-up to events in October, we would welcome any thoughts, photographs, reports, memories from ex-pupils and staff for our extravaganza. Just contact the school office.

   

  Techy Tea Party

  School is holding a Techy Tea Party next Friday, in the staff room from 9-11am with volunteers from EE, including one of our parents - Mrs Trotter - for parents, grandparents and carers. During the tea party, ‘Tech Know’ staff spend an hour or so with anyone who wants a bit of help with their tech challenges. This might be learning how a tablet works, setting up an email account or finding out how to shop online. Its free to attend and you are invited to bring the kit they want to learn more about and the Tech Knows bring their devices so EE staff can demonstrate what technology can do.

   

  And finally after much deliberation, we have a shortlist of finalists in our 500 Word Letter writing competition. Mrs Tough and I sifted through the high quality entries and have two finalists from each class to go forward to final judging with Miss Purdy (who has sponsored the trophy) next Tuesday. Well done to all who put the effort in to enter the competition. It certainly paid off.

• World Book Day and beyond

  Sun 03 Mar 2019 Mr J Howe

  It is always wonderful to welcome parents into school and last week was no exception as we threw open our doors for the many winners of our termly reading awards: Everybody, Every Night. It was standing room only and it was the perfect opportunity for all of us in the Seaburn Dene Primary family to share some of the truly fantastic things that have been happening this week, inspired by our school drivers.

   Creative Arts - This week, our rehearsals for the musical Pantastic have been in full flight. Yrs 3, 4 and 5 have been in great voice, learning ensemble pieces, as well as rehearsing key parts of the production, with members of staff. The school is alive with the sound of music.

   PE - Our fantastic Year 4 hockey team emerged as Sunderland champions - thanks to all involved - particularly Mr Traves and Mr Wilson, whose coaching has inspired the children.

  Community - Exciting plans are in the pipeline with Fulwell Library and beyond - watch this space.

  Science and Technology: Our nursery children have been getting to grips with frozen science and watching the changes that take place when animals (small, plastic!) are trapped in blocks of ice.

   

  World Book Day

  This week sees the annual World Book Day. It's on Thursday 7th March. My letter, sent to you just before half term, will have explained the heroes and villains theme of the fancy dress and as always we are holding the Stories at Bedtime event. 

   

  Parents Evenings

  Letters were also sent to you so that you can book your appointment/s at the Spring term Parents' evenings. These consultations with your child's teacher/s will keep you up to date with your children's progress and ways you can support at home. 

   

  School Funding

  You might have seen in the news last week, how a group of head teachers from Gateshead went to Parliament to put the case against school cuts, which are now impacting on schools across the North East.

  It's all thanks to the success of a petition they set up last year on the Government website, warning it's becoming "impossible" to maintain the quality of education as funding fails to keep pace with rising costs. Their petition, that has garnered more than 100,000 signatures already, and the support of parents across the country, won the right to hold a parliamentary debate. We should celebrate that. Politics aside, people care about what happens to schools and ensuring that the funding is in place to allow our dedicated teachers the chance to make a difference. The tools to do this are becoming increasingly scarce, something we are more than aware of at our school - where every penny really does matter, as funding falls and continues to fall, year on year on year, while costs increase significantly. Looking ahead, there will be things that we simply can't fund - in the same way as we have in the past - because under the Government's Fair Funding Formula - we are receiving less.

  Things can't continue this way.

  https://schoolcuts.org.uk/schools/?chosenSchool=3942092