There you are!

 Hello and welcome back to the Dorchester Middle School Blog!

So, how are you all? 

Are you looking forward to Monday? 

I can say that, without a shadow of a doubt, we are so excited about reuniting with everyone - it's been too long hasn't it?

If you were able to tune into the Whole School Assembly that Miss Clements and I did on Friday then I hope that it was useful to you. If you were unable to get on to the assembly don't panic - the slides that we went through are on everyone's Google Classroom. It's worth having a look at them as they may well some of the answers to questions that you might have. 

I have had a couple of emails from children asking me some great questions which is great. Please do email me if there are any questions you would like answered before your return to school on Monday.

Right, let's crack on with this week's Blog!

Wednesday Waste Warriors - The Return

As this was our last official day as the 'Wednesday Waste Warriors', we decided to litter pick the other half of the school grounds so that everything looked lovely for everyone's return.

This was an incredibly successful Litter Pick as you can see:

We managed to find half the contents of the PE Shed in the hedge!

Quite an impressive haul, right?

Mia made a lovely Wednesday Waste Warriors badge - it's great isn't it?

 

Hopefully, we'll be able to continue with the Waste Warriors over the next few weeks. 

I bet the children aren't as enthusiastic about tidying up their rooms at home...

Buddy's Airmouse

A few days ago, these fabulous pictures landed in mine and Mr Murray's Inboxes.

I'll let Buddy tell you the story:

Guess what I found? On Friday I found an airmouse on my drive. At first I thought it was a leaf but then I looked again and saw eyes and claws! I thought it was dead but then we touched it gently with a stick and it lifted its head, opened its mouth and I saw all its little teeth!

We made lots of phone calls trying to get help and eventually we spoke to a bat specialist who happened to be in Puddletown at the vets with some other bats, so we drove up to Dorchester and she met us to check it. We put it in a box with a wet tissue for it to suck on and sealed the box because she said they can get out of gaps as small as a pen width! She said the warm car just might wake it up if it was cold and then it would try to fly!

She spent lots of time with us in the carpark teaching us about airmice, ours was a Soprano Pipistrelle and had a cat claw hole in his wing. I named him Jeremy.

She taught us so much but guess what? She didn't know that the old Dorset word for a bat was airmouse so she said she'd learnt something too!

Mr Murray and I were delighted to receive Buddy's email especially in light of the Dorset words that the Year Five children had learned the previous week.

Thank you Buddy, what a great story!

World Book Day

Judging on what I read on various Google Classrooms on Thursday, loads of you loved World Book Day and engaged in the activities that were posted by our Librarian, Mrs Spackman.

How did you get on with The Masked Reader? Could you work out who was reading?

It was sad not see children dressed up as their favourite book characters this year but Molly entered into the spirit of the day and sent me this lovely picture of her dressed as Queen Jadis from The Magician's Nephew.

You look amazing Molly!

Comic Relief

Just to warn you that we will be taking part in Red Nose Day on 19th March.

Details to follow...

Creative Children

I have more fabulous pictures of how our children have been creative during Lockdown.

Harry

This is a Gods Eye charm from Mexico. (It's for good luck) I used Hazel sticks and different coloured wool to weave onto them.

Samuel

This must have taken him hours!

Buddy

This was from Mr Duffy's art lesson it took him a looooong time to plan and do. He had to use his Mum's tweezers for some of it.

Miss Clements - how on earth are we going to choose a winner?!

Finders Keepers

Do you remember in last week's Blog April found a £5 note when we were litter picking?

Her Mum matched the £5 that was found and made a donation to the Parkinson's Society.

 I will now do the same with the £5 that April found.

Well done and thank you to the Stanley Family for their generosity.

Winners, winners everywhere!

As part of a PSHCEE project linked with Community, Ms Pluck had some prizes that had been kindly provided by the Dorchester branch of  Tesco to give out this week!

Fantastic - well done to all the prize winners!

We can't wait to see you!

As I said at the beginning of the Blog, we have been super busy getting the school ready for everyone's return on Monday.

Here are a few pictures to show you what we have been up to:

A few of the classrooms have got visitors - have a look and see if you have any when you are in school on Monday...

We have two new chickens, Dorothy and Ethel. They have settled in extremely well and look very happy in their new home.

The First Day Back...

When you return to school on Monday, we will be off timetable for the day which is going to be great.

The first thing you are going to have to do though is rememeber where your classrooms are (!) and to sort out those trays of yours!

The theme of the day is Connecting Creatively and will focus on your Mental Health and Wellbeing.

Here is a sneaky peak of some of the resources that we are going to use... 

Please remember to bring in colouring pencils and your own equipment including pens, pencils etc. We only have a finite supply of stationery in school which is for emergencies so please make sure that you are stocked up ready and raring to go!

You also need to remember to wear full school uniform including the correct school shoes please. We have noticed that trainers have been sneaking (excuse the pun) into school. 

If it is a PE/Games Day you will need to come into school in your PE Kit as usual. You can wear your trainers then! Key Stage Two children have been asked to wear their PE Kits on Monday.

Well, that's it for this week. 

I hope you have a great weekend and that you are well rested ready for the off on Monday morning.

I can't wait to see the DMS Gang back together, it's going to be emotional!

Mrs Ray

(who couldn't resist concluding the Blog with the compulsory bunny photo!)