Communicating without speaking
Visitors from Dales (Deaf Across Leeds Enablement Service) taught us a range of different sign language today to raise awareness of people who have a hearing impairment. From general greetings to the alphabet and numbers, signing proved to be a new skill all the children enjoyed learning.
Kidzaware
Kidzaware, a local charity who provide educational programmes about disabilities, visited today as part of our learning about diversity. We met puppets, learnt a song, used signing and generally became more aware of a range of disabilities and appropriate ways to interact.
Robot Rumpus
You might have noticed a new addition to your families as a robot may have come home from Year 1. There were some very imaginative and creative robots designed and made in Year 1 this week to finish off our mini topic. Here are a few of them:
Walk to School Week
Walk to School Week will run alongside our themed week where children are encouraged to take a walk in the community on their way to school, maybe even picking up a piece of litter on the way.
Two walk to school competitions will run over the week – firstly, the return of our Where’s Wally challenge (using our walk to school website video) and also a reward for the class who make the most journeys to school on foot during the week.
Each day your child walks to school they should put a counter in their class’ totaliser jar. Even by parking further away from school your child could then to do the final part of their journey by foot. By Friday, the class with the most journeys to school on foot will win a martial arts session with John Weatherall, White Rose martial arts.
We hope you will support this initiative in helping children make a healthy start to their day and also helping towards reducing congestion at our gates.
Who do you think you are?
Our next whole school themed week, based around identity, diversity and community, will be taking place next week, from Monday 18 May 2015.
A variety of events and visitors are planned to help us deliver this key aspect of education.
Events during the week will include looking at our own identity including belonging and body image, diversity of people around us – this might include race, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender. There will be various visitors to support this. Classes will also be getting out into the community working with local organisations such as our local charity, St Gemma’s Hospice; local care homes; Moortown Community Group; and taking pride in the local community by litter-picking.
Identity day
Following a suggestion from one of our school councillors, Friday 22 May will be a non-uniform identity day. Children are invited to dress in clothing that represents part of their identity, for example uniform from a club they attend; a team they are part of or support; or traditional dress to represent their heritage. We invite a £1 voluntary donation and proceeds will be shared between St Gemma’s Hospice and the Nepal earthquake appeal.
Who do you think we are?
Do you think you’d recognise some of our staff in their early years? This photo competition will run throughout the week with details to follow separately. Again, proceeds will be shared between St Gemma’s Hospice and the Nepal earthquake appeal.
We’ll keep you up to date about events during the week through Twitter and the class news pages on our website. It’s going to be a busy week!
Our website and Twitter continue to keep you up to date with key community events. Upcoming events include the Roundhay Park Fun Run on 20 June and the PTA Summer Fair on 04 July. We hope you can support these.
11 May 2015
THE ROBOTS ARE COMING!
Boxes, kitchen rolls, packaging and other junk material is urgently needed!
We are making robots on Thursday 14 May and urgently need materials for their body parts. Please send any suitable junk material in before and on Thursday.
Thank you.
Celebration for ‘Nothing’
As we come to the end of our learning about ‘Nothing’, Year 1 enjoyed a celebration event.
During this topic, children have learnt how to look after and care for ‘Nothing’ by keeping him safe and healthy and in turn how they can apply this to their own lives.
Here are some of the comments made by the children to Nothing:
- ‘I like to be friends with you.’
- ‘I like you being our friend.’
- ‘I hope you enjoyed your party.’
- ‘I liked it when you came to my house.’
- ‘I hope you can come to my house.’
- ‘I hope you have a good time at your new class.’
- ‘I hope they make you safe.’
- ‘Remember don’t put other peoples’ medicines in your mouth.’
- ‘Bye, bye, Nothing.’
100% attendance
Eighteen children from Year 1 were in the draw for the prize of a meal at Pizza Express for having 100% attendance last half term:
Sam, Zidaan, William, Ben, Alexandra, Byron, Daniel, Eleni, Charlie, Natasha, Musa, Aisha, Kirsten, Kismat, Zakariya, Alexander, Manpreet and Maggie.
Let’s hope this continues into the Summer term.
Keeping safe and fit
John, from White Rose Martial Arts, demonstrated in the assembly today some of the skills that can be learnt at the karate after-school club, running again this term.
Pupils who have already attended the club confidently showed their karate techniques alongside some key messages about self-defence from John.
There was a lot of interest from the children so please contact John directly to secure a place for your child. Information can be obtained from the office or your child’s teacher. There is a free taster session on Tuesday 05 May but places are limited.
Our new SEAL theme for this half term is…
…relationships.
This theme explores feelings within the context of our important relationships including family and friends.
It aims to develop knowledge, understanding and skills in three key social and emotional aspects of learning: self-awareness, managing feelings and empathy.
There is a focus throughout the theme on helping children understand the feelings associated with an experience that we all need to cope with at some time: that of loss – whether of a favourite possession, a friend, a family home, or a loved one. Although relatively few children are bereaved, most will experience losses of other kinds during their childhood; losing a home, losing friends because of moving house or changing schools, or losing a pet are examples.
We would therefore ask for parents / carers to alert us to any experiences your child has had that might make this area particularly difficult for them – for example, a bereavement.
