Pause for thought

Hello and welcome back to the DMS Blog.

We did it! We got to the end of the first half term of the new academic year relatively unscathed! It's been a crazy time on many levels but everyone seems to have embraced the 'new normal' and seem settled and into the routines that have been put in place.

I would particularly like to say a big well done to the Year Five children who, despite having very little transition, have settled in beautifully and are shaping up to be a rather fantastic year group. We are continually impressed with the way they conduct themselves in school and find their enthusiasm totally infectious. 

Along with the rest of the children in the school, they have had so much to contend with but they continue to impress and amaze us every day.

Right, enough gushing, let's get on with it!

It's all black and white to me!

As a Primary practitioner, I am always looking for new and inventive ways to engage the younger members of the school. I have various puppets, crowns, cloaks and hats to help make my lessons more dynamic and interesting. 

I know for a fact that I'm not the only one so I was delighted when these wonderful pictures of Mrs James with Pepe the Penguin and Maggie the Magpie came my way.

These two are Mrs James' trusty sidekicks. Maggie steals all the best ideas and Pepe looks at and encourages longer reading answers using point, evidence, point evidence.

Clever isn't it?

Stars with Stripes

What a clever bunch you all are! Miss Easton and I were SO impressed with the number of stripes that you had earned over the last few weeks! 

As a special treat, we also thought it would be great if we also sent home certificates to show you how incredibly proud we are of you.

Please do not despair if you didn't receive a stripe or certificate this time, the Achievement Points that you earn will roll over to the next half term so it's extremely likely that you will be furnished with both next half term.

If you're not sure about how the whole Achievement Point system works, have a look at the front of the Home/School Diary on page 23 it is listed under 'Our Reward System'. 

Key Stage Two Reading Stripes

Leading on from stripes for Achievement Points, one of the things that we really want to promote from next half term is Reading Stripes. Reading is a vital life skill so the more we can promote it, the better.

Please continue to complete the Reading Record at the front of the Home/School Diaries as the children will be presented with their Reading Stripes on a fairly regular basis. We will also be celebrating those who have been awarded stripes on the Blog and on our Facebook page.

Why not get a few reads in over half term?

Worth a Mention Children

Huge, huge, huge congratulations to those children who have found their names on this week's Worth a Mention Board. You never cease to impress me.

Let's start off with the wonderful Year Sixes this week:

Now for out equally wonderful Year Fives:

Just, well, wonderful. 

Well done one and all.

Unexpected Visitors

There was great excitement in the school this week when this little chap (or chapess) was found in the school grounds on Thursday morning.

This little hoglet was spotted by a few of our children and then rescued by Mrs Whiting and Miss Easton. He/she is now in the care of the local Hedgehog Hospital which just happens to be two streets away from the school.

To get more updates on our rescued hoglet, keep your eye out for our one-off 'Hedgeblog' (did you see what I did there?) which has been written by Miss Easton and will be posted in a few days.

Watch out for the announcement on Facebook soon.

Uniform

The amount of uniform that hasn't been claimed from school is nothing short of astounding. It's not just uniform it includes Fit Bits, glasses, cycle helmets, coats - you name it, it's been abandoned!

Following an impromptu uniform check in Year Six on Friday, please remember that the correct uniform needs to be worn at all times. This includes ties (which are back in stock), no trainer socks and please make sure that socks are the correct colour. Pink sparkly socks are, without doubt, very pretty but they are not school uniform.

We will be carrying out uniform checks again after half term just to keep the children on the straight and narrow.

 

On show in a corridor near you...

Only last week, I showed a picture of the empty boards and look how they're filling up with lots of lovely work! 

I'm so impressed with what has been produced so far. As the boards are added to, I'll be sharing the work with you. 

I love it when it things come together!

Being a Well Being

The importance of wellbeing does not stop for the holidays. If anything, it is more important that ever to make sure that we follow the Five Ways to Wellbeing.

This is something that I put on the Wellbeing Boards in all of the Year Groups:

It's so true isn't it?

Here are some of the things that  that have recently contributed towards my well being:

 

What contributes to yours? I would so love to know. Why not be brave and let me know via the Comments section of this Blog.

Well, that's it for another week. In fact, that's it for another two weeks as this Blogger is going to have a bit of a break too!

Have a FANTASTIC half term everyone and I will look forward to seeing you back here in a couple of weeks.

Mrs Ray