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Whole School News from Mrs Buchanan, Headteacher 


Dear Parent/Carer of <<First Name>>,
 
This week we held parents' meetings with class teachers. Thank you to everyone who came to their appointments. If you were one of the very few who parents who were unable to attend, don't worry, but please do rearrange this meeting via the school office. The teachers are rightly keen to meet every parent! 

Weather 
As the weather turns colder, please do ensure your child has a named winter coat for playtimes. Children do not however need lots of extra layers to wear inside. The school's heating system is powerful but uneven so classrooms on the lower floors are particularly warm.

Class Noticeboards
The year noticeboards now have more home learning added to them. If you haven't yet had a look, this is also the place you can find current letters home and news. Over the next few week, we shall be adding some videos to help you with supporting reading as well as key maths facts, spelling and reading lists.
Travelling Book Fair 
Finally a quick note from Mrs Nash: we are unable to host the very popular travelling book fair this autumn but we will be sending home their catalogues shortly. Please do have a look and consider buying a book for your child. We still receive 40% of all the money we receive which helps stock our library. 

Have a relaxing weekend

Mrs Cassie Buchanan 

Dickens' Island Discs

By Mr Young
This week’s piece is by Bob Dylan in celebration of him winning the 2016 Nobel prize for literature.  Admired for the quality of his verse and voice, Dylan has provided the soundtrack to generations in a career spanning over 50 years.

I think we all have our favourite albums and songs and I wanted to share mine with you.  From his 1963 album, ‘the Freewheelin’ – Don’t Think Twice it’s Alright.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-Y3KfJs6T0

Thanks for listening,
Mr Young
 

Stars of the week

Congratulations to all of this week’s stars and friends of the week. You have been shining all week and today you have been given the opportunity to show how you have shined to everybody in the school.

Well done and keep up the hard work!

 

Managing children's responses to concerns about 'scary clowns
By Mr Eggleton, Deputy Headteacher

You might have seen the recent news in the media about “creepy clown sightings”. There have been a number of clown related incidents reported in different schools over the last week (mainly secondary). It would seem that this follows a recent craze in the USA where people dress up to try and scare /intimidate children.

We would like to reassure all parents that we are working in partnership with the Local Authority and have been advised on how to deal with this issue.

We have confirmed with the children how safe they are within our school and reminded the children of how to stay safe when walking on their own. We have not explicitly mentioned the “Clown Craze” as not to scare children. However, a number of older children have reported feeling scared about their walk to and from school. We would suggest taking some time to talk to your children about any such fears and perhaps think of ways that they can be supported to and from school whilst they are feeling this way.

Please speak to a member of staff if you have any concerns.

Library

By Mr Windle
 
Good news from the library! We have reduced the number of outstanding books to 100 now - thank you to all those who have returned a book or paid for a lost one. We've also had some exciting new arrivals including Dr. Who books and a few more football biographies to add to our overflowing football shelf. Additionally, we've now received a delivery of Littlenose Adventures about a young cave boy, as well as some copies of The Phoenix comic. 

Get into the library and get your child a book to read over half term!

Thank you,
Mr Windle

Blackfriars Settlement - After School Club Registration

Many of you will know Jason Brown from Mint Street - he is now at Blackfriars Settlement and they are running After School clubs - there is a charge for this, holiday playschemes (excluding Christmas) and Breakfast club (holiday time only).

For more information please either call 0207 928 9521 or visit website http://www.blackfriars-settlement.org.uk

There is also an information and registration booklet in the school office.

Year Five and Six

By Mr Windle
 
For year 6 this week has been dominated by the exciting prospect of the trip to Wick Court Farm. Throughout the week there has been constant chatter about wellies and waterproofs fizzing away beneath all the other lessons. We wish all those heading off to the farm on Friday morning well - with  Ms Taylor and Ms Worley at the helm all is guaranteed to run smoothly.  And what of those other lessons?  Across the phase children have been busying themselves creating biographies of Charles Dickens, making sure to use formal language and describe Charles's life in detail. In Peggotty, Ayomide has written a fantastic biography of  Dickens' life when he lived on Lant Street. While in Summerson Class, everyone has been working hard, but a particular well done to Molly, who contributed her own facts about Dickens from research at home! Micawber Class produced some excellent writing too - Kehinde and Ayomikun shone. What a pair of super stars!

Maths has been all about shape this week. In Barnaby, the class tested the theory of Leonhard Euler which defines the relationship between features of straight sided 3-d shapes. Toni and Naliyah have been particularly strong in leading the class in the confirmation of his theory. Well done them! Across the hall in Peggotty, Theo has worked extremely hard, listing properties of 2D shapes as well as drawing some of his own.

Also, Year 6 began their Design and Technology projects, working in groups to design and building moving toys which use a cam shaft. It was challenging, complex and , above all, a great success! Well done to Jibriel, Teddy and Lucas, as well as Zack, Daniel and Joseph Melaku and Zahra and Ayomide for getting their groups and their designs up and running so quickly.
Mr Windle

Year Three and Four

By Mr Huxley, Assistant Headteacher

Calling all cave dwellers! Are you tired at looking at the same grey surroundings? Can’t remember what a horse looks like? or are you just bored with the daily grind of hunting and gathering? Well why don’t you decorate your cave! All you need to do is to get some old wood from the fire (it’s called charcoal) and use it to draw pictures to liven up your home. Not sure of all the details? Then ask the children of year 3/4 how to do it! The children stuck paper underneath their desks (see the picture) and used charcoal to see what it was like to be a Stone Age artists. But there’s still so much to learn about the Stone Age…

How did our ancestors journey to new lands? What did they eat? What materials did the people use to make tools? All these questions and a great deal more can be answered by our super information writers in year 3/4. The children have written detailed information texts about the Stone Age and are now expert historians.

A regular hexagon. Surely one of nature’s most beautiful shapes. It’s six straight sides, three sets of parallel lines, six vertices containing obtuse angles and six lines of symmetry are all wonders to behold. But wait! What are all these technical terms? Who could we ask? Well, Year 3/4 are now shape experts after a week of describing and classifying shapes so why not ask one of them! 

Mr Huxley, Assistant Headteacher 

Year One and Two

Ms Alcock, Assistant Headteacher (Head of Key Stage 1)

This week, all of the teachers in Year One and Two have been really impressed in seeing the children's confidence developing before our eyes! 

We were treated to a fantastic assembly by Copperfield class, which celebrated the children's 'Belonging' topic. The children celebrated their diversity and special qualities which come together to make one fantastic class. Their children's voice projection was excellent and the children also treated us to two brilliant songs! 

In Nickleby class, the children have put their finishing touches to the Monkey Puzzle stories and we have been delighted with the children's writing. Andrew has impressed both Mr Vanson and Ms Gemmell with his excellent writing and Goldie has made great use of her new spelling journal. 

In Havisham, the children have been ordering numbers up to 25 and Mr Oxenham was particularly pleased with Dewran and Charlie's work - they made a great (both fantastic and huge!) numberline! 

In Bumble class, Mrs Jenkins and Miss Lucile would like to say a big tres bien to Mohamed in Bumble for projecting his voice confidently as he practised (and conquered!) how to say je m'appelle in our French lesson.

Well done everyone! 

Ms Alcock, Assistant Headteacher (Head of Key Stage 1)
 

Early Years

By Ms. Henderson, Head of Early Years

We have found out lots about each other in Reception this week - what our favourite colours are, who our favourite superheros are and even our favourite toys. The children have been asking each other what are their favourite things and recording what they find out in a tally chart. We have been very impressed by the children that have been making their own tally charts, based on things they are interested in finding out. Ida in Little Dorrit even discovered that more people like spaghetti bolognese than jam sandwiches. 

The children have also been fascinated by a variety of sensory experiences- mixing water with cornflour using pipettes, exploring what happens when you mix small amounts of different food colouring and also exploring the texture and consistency of blue gelli baff (hence the blue hands some of the children may have come home with this evening).

In Trotwood this week there has been lots of building going on.  The children have been collaborating to build towers and houses using a variety of construction equipment. Outside they have experienced hiding away in dens whilst inside they have been designing and creating on a smaller scale. 

Lastly I want to thank parents for all their support with the children's home learning. It is evident that families are working collaboratively to complete the weekly activities in Reception and the children's marks, writing, drawing and photographs are being recorded. Thank you also to those families that continue to share WOW moments their child has at home. We also always have WOW stickers on hand in the morning to record those moments that you share with us on the gate.

Ms. Henderson, Head of Early Years

Diary Dates

 

18 October 2016

  • Oliver Class Assembly 10:10am

19 October 2016

  • Summerson Class Assembly 10:10am

21 October 2016

  • School Closes for Half Term - 3:20pm / 3:30pm

31 October 2016

  • Children return to school 8:45am - 8:55am

1 November 2016

  • Nickleby Class Assembly 10:10am

8 November 2016

  • Barkis Class Assembly 10:10am

22 November 2016

  • Bumble Class Assembly 10:10am

24 November 2016

  • Havisham Class Assembly 10:10am

29 November 2016

  • Pickwick Class Assembly 10:10am

6 December 2016

  • Barnaby Class Assembly 10:10am

13 December 2016

  • Year One and Two Winter Show 10:00am & 2:00pm

15 December 2016

  • Year Three and Four Winter Show 2:00pm & 6:00pm

21 December 2016

  • School closes for Christmas holiday 2pm
  • School re-opens January 5th 2017

Term Dates 2017/18
PLEASE DO NOT BOOK HOLIDAY IN TERM TIME

Autumn Term

  • Inset Day: Monday 4 September
  • Inset Day: Tuesday 5 September
  • Children in School: Wednesday 6 September – Friday 20 October
  • Half term holiday: Monday 23 October – Friday 27 October
  • Children in School: Monday 30 October – Wednesday 20 December
  • Christmas holiday: Thursday 21 December – Thursday 4 January 2018

Spring Term

  • Inset Day: Tuesday 2 January 2018
  • Inset Day: Wednesday 3 January 2018
  • Children in School: Thursday 4 January – Friday 9 February
  • Half term holiday: Monday 12 February – Friday 16 February
  • Children in School: Monday 19 February – Thursday 29 March
  • Easter Holiday: Friday 30 March – Friday 13 April

Summer Term

  • Children in School: Monday 16 April – Friday 25 May
  •  (May Bank holiday will be taken on 7 May)
  • Half Term holiday: Monday 28 May – Monday 4 June
  • Inset Day: Monday 4 June 2018
  • Children in School: Tuesday 5 June – Friday 20 July

 
Copyright © 2016 Charles Dickens Primary School, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
office@charlesdickens.southwark.sch.uk

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