Ronnie the Rhino and the Challenge Cup!
Yesterday, we had a fun-packed assembly from two Leeds Rhino Coaches who recapped some very important messages about how to have a healthy lifestyle. They introduced us to their friend Ronnie the Rhino – who had successfully changed his unhealthy lifestyle by eating a more balanced diet and doing lots more exercise. We were also very lucky as Ronnie had brought in The Challenge Cup which the Leeds Rhinos won recently.
Athletics preparation
Recently some children from Year 4, 5 and 6 visited Roundhay School to practise their athletics skills ahead of the first round of the competition next week. It was great to use the equipment and everyone had a blast! Good luck with the competition.
ChildLine
The ChildLine Schools Service has recently visited children in Years 5 and 6 to provide them with key messages about keeping safe. It can be beneficial for these messages to be reinforced at home. The NSPCC has developed some guides for all parents of primary school aged children to speak to your child about keeping safe – called the Underwear rule.
Find guides to the Underwear Rule to help you have simple conversations about keeping safe from abuse.
You can speak to an advisor for further advice or request a hard-copy guide for parents and carers by phoning the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000.
Read more advice on keeping your child safe.
Gymnastics
Year 4, 5, and 6 have been working with gym coaches, Jane and Charlotte, from Temple Newsam gymnastics club. This initiative is part of our investment of the PE government funding to up-skill class teachers in their teaching of gymnastics and provide high quality gymnastic sessions for our pupils.
For any children who want to develop their gymnastics skills further, Jane and Charlotte run after-school classes at their gym centres, Barwick village hall and Temple Moor high school.
It’s half-term…
…so there’s no specific homework this week, apart from ensuring your child spends at least 20 minutes each day reading and 5-10 minutes learning their number bonds / times tables.
Enjoy your October break. If you stay in Leeds, check out all the activities the museums and art galleries have on offer.
Applying for a place at secondary school
The deadline for applying for Y7 places for next year is 31 October 2014 and Leeds on-line application system will close at midnight on that date for secondary applications (the on-line system will remain open for primary applications). Alternatively, you might prefer to apply via a paper form and hand your completed forms into school for us to forward to the Admissions Team.
Amy Vernon from the Choice Advice Service can support you if you’re struggling with the application process. Email choice.advice@leeds.gov.uk or call 0113 3951183.
Offer day is 02 March this year. Parents who apply on-line will receive an email with their offer any time from midnight onwards. Parents who apply on a paper form will have their offer posted to them 2nd class on 02 March so may not receive this until later in the week.
More competitions
Tag rugby, tennis, netball and cross country were some of our sporting successes last year as part of the Sainsbury’s School Games programme. Upcoming competitions this term include athletics and cross country. Details to follow!
Cooking in the new curriculum
Teachers have been busy learning about the different cooking skills we’ll be teaching your child this year!
Today we’ve made a tasty (and healthy) garden salad!
Smile for miles on the St Gemma’s sponsored walk
One of our chosen school charities, St Gemma’s Hospice, is holding their first ever Happy Walk on Saturday 20 September. This is a good opportunity to support our school charity but also to take part in a great morning with your family while walking 3.5 or 5.5 miles around Roundhay Park. The event starts at 10am.
We’ll be co-ordinating registration for the event and registration forms are available now from the office.
Entrance for this event is £5 (children under 12 walk free) and each walker will get a free hot drink and cake. All participants are asked to raise sponsorship money. It is also a pram and wheelchair friendly route so the whole family really can get involved.
There will be an activity pack that children can take with them on the walk where they can look out for wildlife and take some tree rubbings. Before the walk starts there will also be a face painter, a chance to meet Olaf from Frozen, and time to make your own Happy Loom band to wear and keep.
St Gemma’s are also encouraging all walkers to wear what makes them Happy on the walk – whether that’s a silly hat, fluffy socks or a brightly coloured t-shirt.
We hope you are able to join in with the St Gemma’s Happy Walk.
KS2 fruit tuck shop
The KS2 fruit tuck shop returns next Tuesday 16 September with prices remaining at 20p per item. Open to Years 3 – 6, children can come to the tuck shop at playtime to purchase items from a selection of fresh and dried fruits. There is an option to pre-pay so your child doesn’t have to remember to bring money to school. As an extra incentive, you get one week free if you pre-pay for this term. Please return the letter to the office or ask in the office for more information. The Year 5 class will be receiving their training this week to run the tuck shop and look forward to lots of new and regular customers next Tuesday.
