The Headteacher Tea Party, for children with a 'golden ticket' (from the January science event), is scheduled for Wednesday 11th March at 2.30pm. We will be going through the children's plans for the new science garden at this time.

This week we are supporting World Book Day’s Share A Million Stories campaign, championing the importance of sharing stories.

Why Share a Story?

Sharing a story for just 10 minutes a day can have a lasting impact on a child’s future, and can help to create readers for life.

How can you take part?

Share books at home and at school (including curriculum books, audiobooks, magazines, comics or graphic novels).

Why is this campaign so vital?

Sadly, reading for pleasure is in decline: only 29% of 0-13s read for pleasure daily (down from 30% in 2017). Children’s Reading for Pleasure: Trends and Challenges, Egmont, 2019

The number of parents sharing stories with their children is also in steep decline: only 56% of 3-4-year-olds are read to daily or nearly every day (v. 69% in 2013).

Fewer than 19% of 8-10-year-olds are read to daily or nearly every day (down from 25%). Understanding the Children’s Book Consumer Nielsen, 2018

So, let’s boost reading for pleasure back up! There are so many benefits to sharing stories together:
 

It boosts creativity and imagination

It’s a calming, bonding experience that improves well-being

It builds empathy and closeness

It’s great fun for everyone involved!

Book Week needs ALL of our support!

Events at Deanshanger Primary School over Book Week:

Thank you for supporting the Book Fair this week.

The Book Parade will be on Friday 6h March from 3.00pm. Parents are invited to attend. Children can dress up as much or as little as they would like and feel comfortable. Please be aware of the weather forecast though and go for layers - it has been extremely cold this week! Improvisation is perfect, so please don't worry about your child's outfit. Creativity is the key!

Mitch Johnson visited the school yesterday, lead an assembly for Years 4, 5 and 6. and signed books after his talk. Go to his website at https://www.mitchjohnsonauthor.com/book-inner to find out more information about his book ‘Kick’ and him.

All children will receive a £1 book token to help purchase a book of their choice or purchase a World Book Day £1 book.

On Tuesday 04th March all students in Years 4, 5 and 6 were treated to a session with the author Mitch Johnson who, shared the background to his novel "Kick" and the ethical issues it explores concerning sweatshop factory conditions and workers' experiences in the sports kit manufacturing industries of countries like Indonesia. The visit was interactive and fun as well as challenging. The students also heard Mitch read a couple of passages from the book to whet their appetite. A particular highlight for the children was when Mitch challenged four students in each year group to lace up a football boot and screw in the six studs – against the clock. Team Tottenham reigned as champions completing the task in fastest time.

Reading Progress

Over half term, children have been reading lots - this is encouraging to see. The current standings for the various classes are as follows:

Year 5 Rome Class

Year 6 Colombo Class

Year 5 Beijing Class

Year 4 New Delhi Class

As we are celebrating reading this week, we would urge you to support your child as much as possible with this.

On Monday 23rd March 'Mums' (significant female figures), are invited into school to have a delicious ploughman's lunch from 12.30pm. By this time, the children will have eaten their lunch, so it will be all about 'Mum'. This year the lunches will be served in the classroom so that there is more space and more time. Weather permitting, 'Mums' are warmly invited to go outside and play with their children after lunch until the afternoon session which restarts at 1.15pm.

Booking information will follow (using Arbor) shortly. 

The Department for Education are releasing a new assessment for Y4 children this year (in June 2020) with the multiplication tables check. To read more, please read the following information.  Our use of TT Rockstars across the school, obviously supports the expectations. 

I'm sure you are aware that many aspects of the school environment are the result of donations and volunteer support. So hold on to your hats because here we go again...

Does anyone have a contact for a watertight and lockable old caravan/camper van/mini bus/van? We don't need it to be roadworthy or even move (once it is in situ). We are keen to park it in the KS1 courtyard and use it as a unique and quirky home for new phonic books and KS1 scheme readers - a central location that is easily accessible, inviting and one that showcases the books. We have a very small budget for this item but are happy to renovate it and make it fabulous and fit for purpose.

Please help us spread the word.

Thank you 

For the last 18 months we have been working towards a Leading Parent Partnership award - a way of improving multiple aspects of school life to support you the parents/carers, the working relationship between us and seeing how this impacts positively on your child/ren.

We will be assessed against our initial self-review and action plan on 31st March 2020.  If you have been part of our journey through the Parent Action Group meetings (PAG), we'd love you to join us for the part of the day. This is likely to be around lunchtime but we'll let you know when we have more information. 

Thank you very much Emilie Stevenson for reading a story to us in French on Tuesday. We've had a lot of fun this week sharing lots of different stories. We trying share and enjoy as many as possible.