Newsletters

February Newsletter 2021

NEWSLETTER | February 2021


HEADTEACHER'S MESSAGE

Well, the weather this week has certainly added a new dimension to the already chaotic half term we are waving goodbye to!

I really mean this with sincerity when I say that the way everyone has dealt with the past 6 weeks has been absolutely fantastic. A massive thank you to all parents/carers and all the children for doing their best. This is all we can do at the moment and we must make sure everyone is coping in the current difficult circumstances. 

The snow this week has perhaps taken our minds briefly off how hard things have been and has been a welcome distraction. I hope the children have enjoyed getting outside and making the most if it. Snow days are few and far between and I'm sure you, like me, can remember some exciting snow days from the past!

As we head into half-term it is difficult to know what next half-term will bring. I do hope to see the school re-open to all pupils but unfortunately, I don't have any more information apart from the March 8th date. Any information will be shared with you as soon as we receive it. It is impossible to know whether all year groups will return on March 8th but with two weeks notice promised, I'd hope to hear the plans shortly. 

As mentioned last week, thank you for all the feedback with regards to home learning and please keep letting us know how things are. You'll see a summary of the feedback in the newsletter below. 

I hope everyone enjoys a well deserved break next week. 

Best wishes

Matt Walton, Headteacher 

 


February Dates 

Half Term Holiday
8:45am – 3:15pm
From 15 Feb until 19 Feb
15
February
Spring term continues
All Day
22
February

Bikeability

The children who were given a place on Bikeability will now have the chance to do the course in June. Further details to follow. 

Thank you to Mrs Stewart!

We would like to say thank you to Mrs Stewart for being an absolute superstar these past 6 weeks. Little did any of us know how different the half-term would be but I'm sure all of Year 4 will join us in saying a massive thank you for all her efforts, in school and online.  It was lovely for the children to be taught by her again! Mr Ingham returns after half-term and I know he's looking forward to seeing all the children again.

Parents' Evening

Parents' Evenings will take place in the weeks beginning March 15th and March 22nd. More information to follow.

March Dates

Book Week
All Day
01
March
Mid-term reports home
All Day
05
March
Red Nose Day
All Day
19
March
Easter Holidays
All Day
From 29 Mar until 09 Apr
29
March

The free to attend virtual event, Open Up, is brought to you by the Eastern Daily Press in association with the Norfolk County Council, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, Norfolk & Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group and Mind Norfolk and Waveney.

Open Up will see a series of virtual workshops, interviews and debates take place online through Friday, February 12 with people being offered the opportunity to watch the sessions free of charge.

Have a look at the sessions on offer and sign up here:

Open Up Event


Home Learning Questionnaire

Thank you to the 95 parents & carers who responded to the questionnaire. It is always appreciated when we receive feedback and helps us to understand if our approach is working. The overall theme is very much a positive one and the comments made will help us to reflect further on any changes that can be made to improve the home learning. 

The overview of the questionnaire can be seen here: Questionnaire Results

  • 88% thought the amount of work was about right or more than enough
  • 83% felt that the contact with home had been good or excellent
  • 95% Agreed or Strongly Agreed that their child had received useful feedback
  • 89% felt the learning packs had been appropriate
  • 93% felt that there had been the right amount or plenty to choose from in the learning packs

If you have any comments but did not fill in the questionnaire, please do let us know. 


Year 3

Year 3 have worked extremely hard this half term and although disrupted they have produced some excellent work.

In history, the children became archaeologists and dissected Stone Age poo!!!! They also became hunters and gatherers and slayed a woolly mammoth!! Alongside this, they made fire and invented the wheel….. gosh, they were busy!

In Science they found out all about rocks and soils, understanding the different types and layers, they even got to make their very own fossils.

Our art work this half term has shown beautiful creativity - the children have focused on birds and different styles of creating them. We have been so thrilled with the stunning work they have produced.

We have been so utterly proud of the Year 3 children, they have shown resilience through such an unusual time.

Click here to see an overview of some of the lovely work Year 3 have produced this half-term. It's been busy!

Year 3 February Half-term


Year 4

Year 4 have had a truly fantastic half term.  We have been learning about electricity. We have had a great time learning about Rousseau in art and made some amazing collages. We have had some amazing collages with landmarks of Europe. We have really enjoyed our topic' Our European Neighbours' and have become experts and Year 4 have had postcards from around Europe from  Finland, Spain, Greece, France and Germany.

In Science we have had fun creating electrical circuits and we  really enjoyed testing out motors. Some of our amazing home learning has had people testing circuits at home too.

We have been amazingly resilient at adapting to home learning and Year 4 have risen to the challenge and even those key workers who were in certain days have  worked amazingly hard to make sure all their learning has been done. Our parents have become our teachers and we could not have done it without them.

We have learnt many new computer skills and we have had a go at creating Google docs, inserting pictures and listening to voice messages. We have been looming and zooming. We really have learnt so much. Mrs Stewart has joined us for this interesting time and helped us navigate this third lockdown. We are very grateful for all her help and will be sad to see her go! Thank you! We are really looking forward to seeing Mr Ingham back next half term.

In the last week, we have had lots of snow!  Snow days have been fun both at home and at school. Have a lovely half-term. 

 


Year 5

It doesn't seem 5 minutes ago we were back in school after Christmas and looking forward to an enjoyable spring term together. The very next day we were learning at home again. Those first few days were a minefield of panic and frustration. Since then, we have been blown away by the children's resilience and incredible work rate towards their learning at home.

The attitude of the key worker children in school has been equally brilliant. Being in school with them has been a pleasure, and has given us adults a welcome excuse to leave the house a few times a week! It has been so good to see so many children on our daily morning zoom calls; it's a great way to start the day and really sets us all up for the day ahead. The quality of work the children have been producing has been wonderful. From creative writing to science experiments, from tricky maths questions to deep thinking RE lessons - we are so proud of all of year 5 for the incredible work they have produced.

Half term next week gives everyone a chance to take a breather and recharge those batteries. Fingers crossed we can all get back to school in the not too distant future, and we can enjoy learning back in the classroom together again. 

After half term, Mrs Jefferies will be joining the Year 5 team as a Teaching Assistant and we all look forward to working with her.

Keep safe everyone!


Year 6

Although this half term has been a little strange, all of year 6 have tackled it with fantastic determination, resilience and enthusiasm.

Alongside their fantastic work on algebra in Maths and poetry in literacy, the children have explored Tudor England especially the eventful life of Henry VIII, producing their own fantastic version of top trumps card game ranking his six wives. In science, we have explored the human body and the children produced some posters and leaflets explaining how to live a healthy lifestyle. In Art this half term,  we have been looking at Street Art and the children have created some touching and thought provoking murals based on issues that are important to them.

All of us in Year 6 are incredibly proud of how the children have handled this half term and we hope to see them back in school soon.