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

• As we head into Easter week

  Mon 22 Mar 2021 Mr J Howe

  It has been our second full week back after lockdown, and some things are becoming clearer as the school attempts to get back to some kind of normality. Most children seem fine: simply happy to be back at school. For some children, however, anxieties have heightened and routines have been disrupted - time is needed as we head into summer term to support and guide our children back into the fullness of school life. We are completing assessments now to identify who might most benefit from more intense support next term.  There are several schools around us who have had the difficult task of closing bubbles. This is a salutary warning that the pandemic is not over and we must all still be on our guard during this week and the Easter holidays.

   

  National Tutoring Programme

  ‘Catch-up’ opportunities and interventions have already begun across the school and will continue for the foreseeable future.  Additional small group and individual teaching interventions are two of the ways in which pupils will be supported to close the gaps in their learning, that may have formed as a result of the long absence from face to face teaching.

  Different children will be targeted for different interventions, some of which, pupils themselves will not be aware of because they will be incorporated into their weekly class timetable. Their teachers are the experts in knowing what your child needs, and how best they should be supported, to help them to make up for the lost learning time. Please do not panic if your child is not targeted for a particular intervention – trust their teachers to know what is best for each pupil. Please also remember that this will be a long lasting programme of support and will involve a range of activities, approaches and opportunities.

   

  Red Nose Day

  It was great to see all the children in their super hero, every day hero and red costumes last Friday. It is important for us to join in fundraising as part of the wider community and to see - especially our youngest children - don their NHS,  postal worker, police and even teaching costumes - showed how much we appreciate the role of these frontline professions.

   

  Values Stars of the Week

  Well done to the following children for living up to one of our school values and being nominated for an award by their class teacher for: kindness -last week.

  R - Isla S

  1 - Hannah 

  2 - Annabel

  3 - Cameron 

  4 - Daniel

  5  - Martha

  6 - Alex H

   

  Play Area Design Competition 2021

   A huge congratulations to the following children, whose designs were chosen as the winners in Sunderland Council's Playground Design Competition for the new play area at the bottom of Dykelands Road. They were absolute stars and as Councillor Rebecca Atkinson, Portfolio holder for dynamic city, said they were a "credit" to school.

   

  Overall winners: Sophia and Henry (Y4 and YR)

  KS2 winners: Tyler and Kieran (Y6 and 5)

  KS1 winner: Isla (Y1)

  Highly commended: Manuela (Y4) and Reggie and Rayne (Y1).

   

  It's Science Week this week at Seaburn Dene, so lots of activities are being planned for children to take part in. As part of the build-up to Easter we will be taking part in virtual assemblies with Rev Child and Rev Phillips, with videos to support the Easter Story from Wearside Youth for Christ too. There are some amazing Easter wreaths which will go on display tomorrow (TUE) after judging, around the perimeter fencing.

   

  Finally, happy birthday (last week) to...Chloe and Lauren (Y4 and 6), Alexander (Y6).

   

   

  

• Spring is coming

  Mon 15 Mar 2021 Mr J Howe

  Well the first week back in the swing of things, went as well as could be expected. It was absolutely brilliant to have #teamseaburndene back this week. Our classrooms are, once again, spilling over with noise, laughter and smiles. It was lovely to see the children skipping in last week and almost hugging their friends, then rocking back on their heels to keep that social distancing. They were so excited to see one other. The staff loved having them back too.

   

  Reminder

  Just a reminder - if anyone in your household shows any symptoms of  COVID, you must follow Government guidelines and not send them to school. You must book a test, isolate at home and inform school as soon as possible. Thank you.

   

  Uniform

  Well done to the children for coming back to school looking so smart. Obviously, with many shops (particularly shoes) being closed, it may have been difficult for some families, where children have experienced a growth spurt and school shoes no longer fit. In these cases, until Easter, trainers may be worn, but we look forward to the children reverting back to their school uniform, as soon as it is possible.

   

  Non-uniform/Red Nose Day

  We had a bumper donation of chocolate for last Friday's non-uniform day, which will go towards our fundraising goal this year to revamp our outdoor facilities. Our target for 2020-21 is to raise just short of £10,000 and Christmas and your generosity got us off to a flying start, raising more than £4,000 towards this goal.

  Our aim is to:

  *Create a wooden maize, musical area in EYFS.

  *Two ball walls (wooden structures with goals, basketball hoops, cricket stumps) - main yard.

  *Climbing/traversing wall - main yard.

  *Wildlife corridor - bottom of the main yard. Sensory planting - EYFS, main yard quad, Y1/EYFS quad.

  We hope that work will start in EYFS, on phase 1 by Easter.

  Friday is Red Nose Day. Dress as a superhero, everyday superhero (doctor, vet, nurse, police, firefighters, teachers, or even your mum, dad or grandparents) or just wear something red. With a £1 donation. Special Red Noses can be bought from/in school this week for £1.50 too.

   

  Play Area Judging

  Tomorrow the finalists in the Dykelands Road play area design competition will be judged. The children who were shortlisted will have to give a short presentation, via Teams, before the winners are announced. Fingers' crossed.

   

  Healthy snacks

  In the Foundation Stage (nursery and reception) and in Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2), children are given time for sharing NHS funded fruit and vegetables. All pupils are encouraged to take and try the fruit and vegetables available during break time. Older children (YRs 3-6), can bring in a fruit or vegetable snack for breaktime.

  Only water is allowed to be drunk during the school day, except lunch when children may drink juice or squash. If children are bringing in fruit/squash for packed lunch, they need a separate water bottle the rest of the school day.

   

  Birthday "shout outs"

  Special birthday wishes from Friday's assembly go to:

  Esme (Y4), Sophie S (Y5), Benjamin F (YN), Imogen (Y5), Larnah, (R), James (Y6), Amelia D (Y4), Macey (YN), Reuben (Y5), Anelio (YN), Anya (Y3).

   

   

   

   

• Seaburn Dene recognised for its commitment to staying safe online

  Fri 12 Mar 2021 Mr J Howe
  Seaburn Dene has successfully completed a comprehensive online safety training programme demonstrating its commitment to keeping children and young people safe online.
  We have received a National Online Safety Certified School Accreditation for its whole school community approach to protecting children in the online world.
  National Online Safety is a multi-award winning digital training provider with extensive resources in online safety, developed in line with the Department of Education’s statutory requirements.
  Its CPD accredited courses and educational resources support UK schools in educating the whole school community in online safety– including all school staff, senior leaders, teachers and parents – on how to make the internet a safer place for children.
  James Southworth, co-founder at National Online Safety, said: “Congratulations to everyone at Seaburn Dene on becoming a National Online Safety Certified School. By completing our training programme, the school has shown its strong commitment to implementing an effective whole school approach to online safety.”
  “It can be increasingly difficult for schools and parents to stay ahead of online threats and ensure both children and staff are safeguarded from potentially harmful and inappropriate online material. We arm schools with the knowledge they need to understand online dangers and how best to react to any problems.”

  

• Two of our Seaburn Dene stars.

  Wed 10 Mar 2021 Mr J Howe

  Two of our children are inspiring others with their actions this month.

  Pixie in Y4 has spent part of lockdown raising money for Cancer Research UK by completing 10,000 steps a day (throughout March) and has doubled her target by raising £420 already. Fantastic work Pixie.

  Well done Esther in Y3! She spent her non-screen day last Friday carrying out a mini litter pick on the beach at Seaburn. Brilliant effort!

   

  

• Playpark Shortlist - Latest!

  Tue 09 Mar 2021

  Aspiriting Architects/Designers

  Here is shortlist for the Dykelands Road play park design competition - run in conjunction with Sunderland City Council.

   

  KS1 - Rayne/Reggie, Isla.
  KS2 - plus Sophia/Henry

  Manuela
  Skye/Bobby/Charlotte
  Kieran/Tyler
  
  Thank you to all the amazing entries. These entries will be judged (remotely) next week, before the winners are finally revealed.

  Here are just some of the shortlisted creations.

  

• Let's begin again...

  Mon 08 Mar 2021 Mr J Howe

  Welcome Back

  We're back - as a whole school. Finally.  I speak for perhaps every member of staff by saying we sincerely hope that this is the last time we have to do this. Of course, we are really looking forward to having all of the children back in school - the buzz and bustle of a full school and seeing and hearing children learn and play throughout the day is irreplaceable and brings a smile to everyone's face. 

   

  Fundraising for 20-21

  The Friends of the School are supporting our plans to completely revamp our outdoor areas. The fundraising total is just short of £10,000 - with more than £5,000 of that raised, amazingly over Christmas. What is the money going to?

  *EYFS - Water wall, music wall and timber maize.

  *Main Yard - Ball wall (football goal, basketball hoop and cricket stumps in a wooden wall.)

  *Main Yard - Traversing wall - for climbing.

  *Wildlife corridor - at the foot of the main yard, inc planting native species and creating a wildlife area. Nesting boxes, bug hotels etc

  *Sensory planting - EYFS/Yr 1 quad and main yard quad.

   

  The Friends have organised a non-uniform day this Friday (chocolate Easter tombola - bring an Easter egg or chocolate for our tombola.)

   

  PE Days

  Children come dressed for PE in their school PE kit. No bags are necessary and we are discouraging children from bringing them into school.

  Monday - Y4/Y2

  Tuesday - Y5/Y3

  Wednesday - Nursery/Y1

  Thursday - Reception/Y6/Y5

  Friday - Y4/Y5

   

  In order to protect one another, and to keep to the guidelines of the National Lockdown, we are reminding parents/carers:
  1. Only arrive at the drop off point at your allocated time and not before. Please do not be late.
  2. Avoid congregating and leave as soon as your child/children has/have come through the gate.
  3. Only one parent/carer. Thank you.
  4. Wherever possible stand away from the gates and the middle of the path, so children and parents with young children don't have to walk on the road to keep a 2m distance.
  5. We request that you wear face coverings when dropping off.
  
  Reminder of staggered times for drop off and collection:
  Nursery - 8.45am to 11.45am/2.45pm
  Reception - 8.55am - 3.20pm
  Y1 - 8.50am - 3.15pm (EYFS/Y1 yard)
  Y2 - 8.50am - 3.15pm (KS2 yard)
  Y3 - 8.55am - 3.20pm
  Y4 - 8.45am - 3.15pm
  Y5 - 8.40am - 3.10pm
  Y6 - 8.30am to 3pm.

   

  Lateral Flow Tests

  Parents with children at SDPS can now get regular, rapid, free coronavirus (Covid-19) testing.

  These can be obtained:

  * through your employer, if they offer testing to employees

  * by collecting a home test kit from a local test site – anyone aged 18 or over can collect 2 packs of 7 tests

  * by ordering a home test kit online – please do not order online if you can access testing through other routes, this frees up home delivery for those who need it most

  See my letter on the website/Class Dojo for more information.

   

• World Book Day and Book Hunt locations

  Thu 04 Mar 2021 Mr J Howe

  World Book Day will be very different this year, but we can still have a fantastic virtual celebration! We would like you to focus all your home learning efforts on reading today. You can do this by: taking part in online masterclasses from some fantastic authors and illustrators; going on a book hunt in our local community; joining your teacher on Google Classroom to share a story; taking a picture of yourself reading in your favourite spot and completing some fun activities related to reading.

   

  Get Caught Reading

  Take a picture of yourself reading your favourite book in your favourite spot and upload it to your Dojo portfolio. Or maybe you will take the opportunity to read somewhere interesting or exciting?

  Book Hunt:

  Thank you to everyone who agreed to put a book in their window today. Here is a list of where you can find them:
  Alston Crescent
  Bampton Avenue
  Barbary Drive
  Borrowdale Avenue
  Borrowdale Road
  Cleveland View
  Crummock Avenue
  Dalegarth Grove
  Dovedale Road
  Dunblane Road
  Druridge Avenue
  Grizedale Court
  Hawes Court
  Kentmere Avenue x 2
  Lunedale Avenue
  Queens Avenue
  Roker Baths Road
  Seaburn Gardens
  Shotley Avenue
  Staveley Road x 4
  Torver Crescent
  Troutbeck Road
  Wasdale Court x 2
  Wearmouth Drive

   

  We are going to spend some time creating, discovering, experiencing, exploring and imagining!

   

  1. CREATE

  Choose a book that has settings or moods that change throughout the story (We’re Going on a Bear Hunt would be perfect, for example).

  Draw or write down the main events of the story, then work on your own retelling of it, thinking about how you could change your voice to add expression or add sound effects.

  You might also use items you have at home to add to your soundscape. For example, musical instruments, or other resources, such as pans, crinkly material or toys.

  If you could film yourself and upload your video to Dojo, that would be great!

   

  2. DISCOVER

  Choose a nonfiction book that you have at home. If you don’t have access to one, there are many available to you on Curriculum Visions: (password on Class Dojo)

   

  If your chosen book has instructions (for example, a cookery book) follow those instructions and take a picture of your finished product. If your book is an information book, make a Powerpoint presentation, fact file, video, or draw a picture of what you found out about.

   

  3. EXPERIENCE

  Please join your teachers on Google Classroom at the following times:

  Nursery: 1.00pm

  Reception: 2.30pm

  Year 1: 9.15 am

  Year 2: 1.30pm

  Year 3: 1.30 pm

  Year 4: 10.30am

  Year 5: 2.15pm

  Year 6: 11.15am

   

  Keep your eye on School Story too, as you may find some stories appear throughout the day…….

   

  4. EXPLORE

  Choose your favourite character from a book and draw a picture of them. Around the outline of your character, write down everything you know about their appearance. On the inside of the character, write everything down about how they feel. You can get an adult to write the words for you, even video yourself talking about the character if you would like.

   

  5. IMAGINE

  Below, I have put a link for a story I would like you to listen to. While you are listening to the story, I want you to draw what you imagine the scene looks like. You can use any materials: pencil, crayon, pen, paint, chalk…….

   

  Remember, don’t watch the video as you draw, just listen and imagine. Afterwards, you could watch the video and see how your picture compares to the original illustrations. Post your picture on Dojo, and we will be able to compare how you imagined the story with your friends.

   

  Nursery and Reception: Listen to the story of Billy's Bucket by Kes Gray and Garry Parsons. From approximately 2 minutes 30 seconds, Billy describes what he can see inside his bucket. See if you can draw it!

   

  Year 1 and Year 2: What do you think ‘the dark’ looks like in the story of Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett?

   

  Year 3 and Year 4: How do you imagine Small and the Black Dog in this book by Levi Pinfold look outside the house? You can hear this part of the story at about 3 minutes 30 seconds.

   

  Year 5 and Year 6: Listen to the first chapter of The Dark Wild by Piers Torday. Draw a picture of the setting described in the first few minutes.

   

  If you enjoy Chapter One, the rest of the story is also available to hear here.

  

• Welcoming our children back

  Mon 01 Mar 2021

  Dear Parents 

  It is less than a week until we welcome all our children back to Seaburn Dene.

  We are obviously delighted that all of our pupils are now able to return, but we must also ensure that we update our risk assessments and examine school procedures.

  As you may have seen from my letter last week, we have updated procedures and policies, as well as amongst other things looked at plans for lunches, entrance/exits to school and our curriculum so that it is tailored to the needs of our children.

  The organisation for the return of pupils in September seemed to work well. We will build on the successes of what we did at the start of the year and make adaptations based upon what we learned. All information will be so that you are aware of when the children start and so on.

  In the meantime, over the next week we will continue to provide on site education for those pupils who are eligible, as well as remote learning for those working at home. As always, I thank you for your support during this period.

  As a parent, I fully understand the difficulties of homeschooling - with two children navigating remote learning at home.

  Advice reminders for parents

  *Arrive with your child at the appropriate start time and leave the premises immediately.

  *Arrive to collect your time at the appropriate time, collect your child and leave the premises as quickly as possible.

  *Avoid congregating with other parents or carers at the school entrances or anywhere around school and - wherever possible wear a face covering.

  *Children may bring a book bag to carry reading books to and from school and a pack lunch bag (where applicable). Children must not bring any additional resources or personal belongings into school.

  *Children are allowed to bring a water bottle which will remain on their desks and taken home at the end of the day.

  *The school library will be operating for pupils within their year group bubbles after the Easter break. However, if your child has an outstanding library book, could you please ensure it is returned to school as soon as possible.

  * If your child or anyone in your household is exhibiting any symptoms of Covid-19, then you must not send your child to school until you have had a test. Tests are available for all people over the age of 5.

  *Access into the school building is limited to staff and children therefore we request any communication with school is via email or telephone. − If you need to visit the school reception in person please could you wear a face covering.

   

  School Uniform
  I would like to take this opportunity to make a small point about school uniform.
  Next week, we aim to return our school to something close to normality - as far as that is possible.
  I appreciate children have grown and that many shops - particularly when looking for some items, such as shoes - are closed.
  Of course, our main priority is to get the children back in, settled and feeling part of our school family again.
  Do not worry about sending your child in suitable alternative clothing, if they have outgrown their uniform - we WILL be flexible.
  Alternatively, contact Mrs Baker in the school office. We keep a small stock of good quality uniform in school to be reused - where necessary.