02 February 2018
Primary Newsletter
Safeguarding Children As part of their curriculum, the children learn how to keep themselves safe. The following website has been set up by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) to offer parents and schools advice on how to raise safeguarding awareness with children. There is a notable section called ‘The Underwear Rule’ which is of particular support and guidance to parents. The website also offers advice regarding ‘online safety’ and how to obtain support or advice regarding the safeguarding of children. www.nspcc.org.uk
Uniform Information & School Uniform Purchases The Primary uniform can be purchased through the Khalsa Schoolwear website or can be bought at Khalsa Schoolwear shop in Bethnal Green. To save on the cost of delivery charges, Khalsa Schoolwear does a school delivery once every month. You can find further details of the delivery dates on their website or you can ask the reception office staff. • We expect every child to be in full uniform every day with their top button done up • All coats must be plain black • Shoes must be plain black – no trainers! If you are not sure about the types of shoes that are part of our uniform policy, please ask. • Please label every item of clothing • One pair of plain stud earrings can be worn • Nail polish is not allowed • Jewellery is not permitted • Long hair for both boys and girls must be tied back. Hair decorations must be small and plain • Please provide your child with a water bottle every day and make sure it is labelled with their name (water only, no fruit juice).
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02 February 2018
From Tam Broadway – Primary Headteacher One of our priorities this term is to improve our attendance figure. To support us with this, you can ensure that your child attends school punctually every day. You can also assist us in the morning by making sure the staff are able to make a prompt start with their class and take them straight into the classroom once they have lined up in the playground at 8.35am (Year 3) and 8.45am (Year R, 1 & 2). Thank you for your support!
Coffee Morning & E-Safety Parent Workshop Thursday 8th February 9.00am
We will be holding an e-safety parent workshop as part of our usual Coffee Morning on Thursday 8th February at 9am. The workshop aims to give parents practical ideas of how to keep their children safe when online at home. This is open to all Primary parents; we look forward to seeing you all then!
A Message from Ms Chaggar Please let the school know in good time if you are sending someone else to collect your child from school. The staff will not send a child home with an adult that has not been authorised by the parents/carers. This is in the interests of safeguarding your children. Thank you for your cooperation. 02 February 2018 Primary Newsletter
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Important reminders •
School starts at 8.45am (8.35am for Year 3). It is important that your child arrives on time every day so that the teachers can start the lesson promptly. The school gate will be open from 8.25am and will close at 8.45am.
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School finishes at 3.45pm (3.35pm for Year 3) every day other than Tuesday when we finish at 3.00pm (2.50pm for Year 3).
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If any of your details have changed e.g. your address or phone number – please ensure you contact the office to inform us, so that we can update our records and contact you in case of an emergency.
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Please ensure your child attends school every day and on time. If your child is sick then you must call the office to let us know by 8.15am. If your child has a medical appointment you must let us know in advance.
A Huge Thank You A huge thank you to Ms Majid (Zara & Shakira’s mum) and Mr Salim (Imani’s dad) for helping out at the last minute with the swimming groups this week. Please let the office staff know if you are able to lend a hand as we heavily rely on parental help each week to ensure we have the correct number of adults to pupil ratios.
A Message from the Year 1 Team Cardboard rolls and other small boxes needed! In preparation for our topic next half term, Year 1pupils will need lots of cardboard rolls and small boxes (e.g. margarine tubs) for an exciting art and DT project. Please hand any in to one of the Year 1 class teachers. Many thanks in advance.
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02 February 2018
A Message from Ms Mark Guided Reading
Your children have made fabulous progress with their phonics and the Reception children have begun Guided Reading sessions in school. Guided reading is where a group of children spend time with the teacher exploring and sharing a reading book. These sessions support your child’s reading development and comprehension skills. After they have their guided Reading session with their teacher, they take the book home to share with their parents. During the week, we ask that you to read your child’s book with them and write a comment about their successes in their Yellow Reading Record book. In the child’s next reading session, the teacher will review any comments made in the record book and swap the reading book for another. We will then issue your child with another reading book, once the previous one is returned. Please look after the books. We will request payment from families for any lost books. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to speak with your child’s class teachers or have a chat with myself.
Enrichment Message The enrichment clubs have gone live and are now available for you to sign up to. If you are having difficulties logging in or accessing your account then please speak to the office staff who will be happy to assist you. The sign up will close on Monday 5th February at 12pm.
BMX Cycling Opportunity! Open to anyone in School Years 2 and 3 Come and try session for beginners: 4th April 2pm – 4pm Redbridge Cycling Centre Cost £5 (includes all equipment and coaching) Booking essential: 0208 500 9359
02 February 2018 Primary Newsletter
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Dear Parents and Carers, PARENT GOVERNOR VACANCIES – ISAAC NEWTON ACADEMY I am writing to let you know that there are currently vacancies for two parent governors on the Local Governing Body (LGB) of Isaac Newton Academy and an election will take place shortly. We are looking for one parent governor for the Secondary and one for the Primary. All parents, carers and guardians of children at the school are eligible to stand as candidates, and vote in the election. If there are more candidates than vacancies a ballot will be held and each parent/ guardian will have one vote for every parent governor vacancy. Governors do not need to be experts in the field of education. What they do need is an interest in the school and in the welfare of the pupils as well as the time and willingness to get involved. At the moment the Local Governing Body is particularly keen to develop its skills in income generation and post-school links - if you are someone that could bring these to the Local Governing Body, perhaps you would consider applying? I attach a short leaflet to help you decide whether to stand and a more detailed leaflet is available from Ms Jones (PA to the Principal). Once you have read this information, if you would like to stand as a Parent Governor, you should complete the online form at http://arkonline.tfaforms.net/2 by Monday 26th February 2018. If you would like any support completing this online form or would like to use a computer in school please contact Ms Jones on 0208 911 6666. Parent governors are very important in the life of the school, and I hope you will consider being a candidate. If you would like more information about the role, please speak with Samira Sadeghi on 07393 006280 or email samira.sadeghi@arkonline.org in the first instance. Yours sincerely
Rachel Macfarlane Principal
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02 February 2018
Can you be our Parent Governor? The role of the Local Governing Body: From overseeing what your children learn in class to making sure that building projects are delivered, governors are at the heart of our school’s journey. Governors work together to support the school to ensure that the pupils are able to achieve to the best of their ability. Each academy within the network of Ark’s 35 schools has a local governing body (LGB) which usually consists of six to 15 governors. All governors are expected to attend our LGB meetings, which are held four times a year in school and do not last more than three hours. The core job of the LGB is monitoring the implementation of the Academy’s educational and financial plans. Its focus is on the achievement of high standards, establishing and maintaining high expectations and promoting effective teaching and learning. Governors are not involved in the day-to-day management of the school but the Principal should provide the LGB with sufficient information to make decisions and fulfil its responsibilities. The role of a parent governor: As a governor, you will bring the unique perspective of a parent to the school’s governing body. You are helping to ensure that school meets the needs of all its pupils and enables all of its pupils to achieve to the best of their ability. You will are not representing individual concerns and you can make your own decisions, together with colleagues on the governing body. Parent Governors are elected for a three year term of office; this is a voluntary role, but there is an expenses policy to support you. Ark will give the new parent governor a structured induction, provide information and guidance on the role. All governors are required to undergo an enhanced disclosure DBS check and must agree to adhere to the Ark governors’ Code of Conduct. See overleaf for more information. What skills do I need? This is a challenging and exciting role and you will learn new skills and extend existing ones during your time on the governing body. You do not need any specific skills or experience to start with. Governors do not need to be experts in the field of education; what they do need is a commitment to the school and in the welfare of the pupils as well as the time and willingness to get involved. And you must be confident in reading the documents that will be sent to you before each meeting. The election process: All parents, carers and guardians of children at the school are eligible to stand as candidates, and vote in the election. If you would like to stand, please complete the online form at http:// arkonline.tfaforms.net/2 by the relevant deadline. If you would like any support completing this online form or would like to use a computer in school to complete it, please contact Ms Jones (PA to the Principal). Please make sure that when you complete the form, you add your personal statement in support of your nomination as this helps parents/guardians to vote in the event of a ballot. If there are more candidates than vacancies a ballot will be held. Each parent/guardian will have one vote for each parent governor vacancy. Like all Ark governors, the parent governor will be formally appointed by the Ark Governance Manager. About Ark: Ark is an education charity and one of the country’s top-performing academy operators with 35 schools in our network. Our aim is to create outstanding schools that give every Ark pupil the opportunity to go to university or pursue the career of their choice. Ark Governance Team: governance.team@arkonline.org, 0203 116 0871
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Primary Newsletter
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Parent Governor: Role description Role of governors A successful and effective LGB will: • Monitor implementation of the school development plan and school finances effectively • Act as a critical friend, developing a strong and supportive relationship with the Principal • Consult and respond to the views and concerns of parents and pupils • Be knowledgeable about the school • Use the skills of all members. Governors will support the Principal and staff and will promote the interests of the academy and its pupils. The LGB can only be effective if it asks challenging questions and seeks sufficient information to make sound decisions. All governors are expected to attend LGB meetings, which are held six times a year in school. In addition, you might be expected to join a committee or take on a ‘link’ role to understand a particular area of the school’s activity, such as how it keeps children safe, provides for children with special educational needs and disabilities, or manages the school’s finances. Expectations of parent governors As a governor, you will need to commit time to prepare for and attend LGB meetings, to take a share of tasks within the LGB and to take part in training. You will also be expected to visit the school as a governor – this can be a very different experience to visiting as a parent! As a parent governor, you will bring your parental perspective to the LGB and, through your children, you will have first-hand experience of the curriculum. Parent governors are elected by other parents and it is important to establish a rapport with the parental body that elected you, whilst continuing to maintain a strategic approach to school governance. As a Parent Governor: • You are helping to ensure that the school meets the needs of all its pupils, not representing individual parents or their concerns. • Other parents may approach you with to concerns but you should not become personally involved in individual concerns, as this may jeopardise formal procedures. You should guide parents about appropriate lines of action and procedures. • You do not need to express opinions or vote in a particular way because you have been pressed to do so by other parents. • You are not there to promote the interests of your own children but of all children. • Objectivity is essential. Parent governors are elected for a three year term of office. You can complete your term of office if your child leaves the Academy and may resign at any time by giving notice to the Clerk to the LGB. Being a parent governor does not disqualify you from your usual rights as a parent including making a complaint. Like all Ark governors, you will need to be loyal to the decisions made by the LGB and respect the confidentiality – even if you personally voted against a decision you must support the decision making process and take responsibility for the outcome. You will also be required to declare an interest and may need to withdraw from specific discussions where you, a partner or close relative or associate stands to gain or where you are so close to a matter being discussed that it will be difficult for you to be impartial.
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Primary Newsletter
02 February 2018
Wonderful Writing Week It was great to see so many children bringing in examples of their great handwriting from home and to see so many pupils trying really hard to improve their writing in their lessons last week. I know the teachers found it really hard to choose who to award the certificates to. Well done and congratulations to the following pupils for working hard on their handwriting during the Wonderful Handwriting Week: Curie Class – Ekamjot Singh & Aarzoo Ilyas Maxwell Class – Amrit Kaur & Uzair Ahmed Newton Class – Zunairah Raja & Mariam Shaikh Britten Class – Sana Abbas & Ayala Saleem Fitzgerald Class – Adam Chowdhury & Nobin Chowdhury Glennie Class – Anushka Navarajan & Rumaysah Bukhari Al-Kashi Class – Aliyah Khan & Abdullah Shahzad Fibonacci Class – Riya Patel & Muhammad Hadi Raja Pythagoras Class – Ekam Bains & Azmain Islam Ellington Class – Bushra Rahman & Zahraa Aamanee Nicks Class – Nuhitu Hasan & Zairah Ali Shankar Class – Amber Carless & Meerab Dar
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Exciting Learning this Week Diya from Maxwell class talked to the rest of the children in assembly this week to explain how she raised over £600 for the Little Princess Trust by cutting off her long hair. The charity helps provide wigs to children with cancer. Well done Diya for doing such a kind and generous thing to help other children but also for being brave and talking to everyone in assembly!
Year 3 History Learning The pupils made Victors’ Wreaths during our Art lesson this week as part of their ‘Who Were the Romans?’ topic.
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Year 1 Visit to Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood Year 1 had a fantastic time using their ‘Discovery’ skills this week to find out about different toys at the Museum of Childhood. Thank you to the parents that were able to help out; your support, as always, is invaluable.
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Headteacher’s Lunch Well done to the following pupils who have been nominated for the Headteacher’s Lunch for Friday 9th February; an invitation will be given to the children during our Celebration and Awards Assembly:
Araiya Lard - Curie Aiza Faheem - Maxwell Hessan Raja Bibi - Maxwell Alizah Bhatti - Newton Tanush Handa - Britten Alia Malik - Fitzgerald Preeti Caldeira - Glennie
Jeevan Hunjan - Al-Kashi Innaya Islam - Fibonacci Zayn Miah - Fibonacci Harneet Kang - Pythagoras Inaaya Ijaz - Ellington Aayan Hussain - Nicks Swara Kinhikar - Shankar
Merits The following pupil has received 50 merits since September for making good choices and moving up to gold on the class ‘good choice chart’ – this is fantastic achievement. A special ‘silver’ certificate will be presented during the Celebration and Awards Assembly. Soha Zaidi
Xavier Ambia
The following pupils have received 25 merits since September for making good choices and moving up to gold on the class ‘good choice chart’ – this is fantastic achievement. A special ‘bronze’ certificate will be presented during the Celebration and Awards Assembly. Farasat Fahmi Heron Amina Sheikh Muahid Ahmed Ceylan Warner Vianna Mahendra Zara Khan Arthi Sivananthan
Parmveer Singh Yusuf Ahmed Adam Ismail Inaaya Muhammad Ibrahim Ahmed Aadya Bhandari Ryan Charles
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Rajan Mann Arsal Anjum Mariam Chowdhury Ayaan Riaz Hussain Raisha Islam Inaaya Ijaz Gurkirpa Hunjan
02 February 2018
CALLING ALL DADS! We are looking for some enthusiastic male role models to read with and inspire the boys in Reception and Year 1!
This will take place from 8.45-9.15 on Friday mornings in all Reception and Year 1 classes, beginning Friday 2nd February. Feel free to sign up for one or multiple sessions. We ask that you: • are enthusiastic about reading • are willing to listen to the children read • ask the children questions as they read to help them develop their understanding
If you are interested, please sign up with a Reception or Year 1 class teacher. Thanks!
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Praise and Recognition Every week each teacher chooses two children from their class to receive a certificate in assembly; one is in recognition of a child demonstrating our BRIDGES habit of the week, and the other in recognition of a pupil’s academic effort throughout the week. Well done to the following children, who have been recognised this week: Curie Class: • Amina Shiekh – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for being creative when creating Gruffalo character collages). • Eisa Ali – Scholar of the Week (for putting lots of effort to sound out and write words). Maxwell Class: • Jasnoor Kaur – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for using her creative skills to create a Gruffalo). • Diya Napal – Scholar of the Week (for independently matching rhyming words). Newton Class: • Zenia Zaidi – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for finding her voice and speaking with confidence in class). • Bhavkaran Singh – Scholar of the Week (for always completing his ‘Super Writing’ challenge). Britten Class: • Aamina Akram – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for creatively designing a lever puppet). • Maisha Hossain – Scholar of the Week (for writing a fantastic set of instructions using imperative verbs). Fitzgerald Class: • Avni Tathgar – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for discovering lots about toys and puppets at the Museum of Childhood through great noticing). • Yasin Alom – Scholar of the Week (for a very creative and well thought out lever puppet design).
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Glennie Class: • Shahina Haleem – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for discovering how to group tens and ones). • Rasim Balaj – Scholar of the Week (for writing a great recount using lots of adjectives and conjuntions). Al-Kashi Class: • Ryan Abraham – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for showing a lot of enthusiasm in his maths learning and finding creative ways to solve fractions). • Prajin Raja – Scholar of the Week (for consistently trying his best and applying his learning to develop his understanding of fractions). Fibonacci Class: • Esa Syed – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for using his discovery and creativity skills when showing how animals move during his PE lesson). • Eesa Vali – Scholar of the Week (for working hard during maths to understand fractions especially halves, quarters and thirds). Pythagoras Class: • Maya Ahmed – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for showing great enthusiasm during the mosque trip this week, being attentive , noticing information and answering questions). • Yusuf Mahmud – Scholar of the Week (for working very hard on his Thomas Edison fact file this week and sharing interesting facts with the class). Ellington Class: • Siya Kamothi – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for the enthusiasm she displays in all areas of the curruiculum). • Khadijah Bukhari – Scholar of the Week (for her huge improvement in taking responsibility for completing her home learning to a high standard). Nicks Class: • Osman Dean – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for showing a curiosity and interest in the world around him). • Tulsi Jogia – Scholar of the Week (for demonstrating a conscientious and focussed approach to peer editing). Shankar Class: • Nadia Khan – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for using her discovery and creativity by completing some of her Cultural Passport activities at home). • Kisa Fatima – Scholar of the Week (for producing a lovely piece of writing about Pompeii which had excellent emotive language). 02 February 2018 Primary Newsletter
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BRIDGES in the Primary Phase “We build too many walls and not enough bridges.� Isaac Newton
BRIDGES are habits of mind or learning characteristics that develop a pupil's character and learning power and enable him/her to grow into a wellrounded individual and resilient learner. There are seven BRIDGES habits that we will be working on, which will rotate on a weekly cycle throughout the year. The BRIDGES habit of the week will always be introduced at the beginning of the week during the Monday assembly and reinforced throughout the week across the curriculum. Each class teacher will award a certificate to a pupil that they feel has demonstrated the BRIDGES focus for the week. Each week we will update you on the BRIDGES habit that will be introduced in the coming week and offer some top tips on how to reinforce the habit at home too. Please also refer to the Primary BRIDGES wheel below.
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Week commencing 5th February 2018
Grit Grit comprises six dispositions: Perseverance Managing Distractions
Resilience Patience
Concentration Determination
At School • • • •
At part of our 6 pillars we continuously stress the importance to the children about managing distractions and concentrating during their learning time. It is essential that from Reception upwards the children become better at managing distractions and demonstrate that they can work on a task for a sustained period of time. We always encourage a ‘can do’ resilient attitude and talk to the children about the importance of not giving up on a task too easily, even when it presents as a challenge, learning that ‘practice makes perfect’. We discuss that having patience and trying something again, even though we may find it difficult, will lead to success. We also explain that patience can also mean not having what we want instantly and that sometimes we have to wait our turn.
At Home Encourage your child to try and complete things more independently. When they say they can’t do something, tell your child to have a go and to try a little harder. If then they are still completely stuck with a task, then offer a small amount of help to get them started. Offer encouragement and praise your child’s effort. Talk to your child about how you learned to do things and how hard some things were for you too but through not giving up, being determined and practising you got better.
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Composer of the Fortnight Ye Xiaogang To celebrate the Chinese New Year, we will be listening to and learning about Ye Xiaogang as our Composer of the Fortnight. As a suggested activity to support at home, you could gather some facts about Xiaogang in preparation for the coming weeks. You can hear some of his music on the following links. • •
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ye_Xiaogang http://contemporary_chinese_culture. academic.ru/920/Ye_Xiaogang
Breakfast and After School Club Every parent has Wisepay details and a password, which will enable you to book a place for ‘Breakfast Club’ or ‘After School Club’. Payments must be made in advance. If you experience any problems, please contact Ms Chaggar who will be happy to help. Breakfast is available each day from 7.45am and costs just £2.50 per day. The children enjoy a range of cereals, toast and different topping, juice or milk and fruit. Any child attending must be brought to the main reception area by 8.20am at the latest. After School Club runs from 3.45pm – 6.00pm (3.00pm – 6.00pm on Tuesdays) and costs just £5.50 per hour. The children enjoy a range of snacks each evening and a variety of games and activities
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02 February 2018
Attendance Regular attendance is a crucial factor in students’ educational development and ability to achieve their full potential. At Isaac Newton Academy every student is set the target of 100% attendance. The class with the highest attendance at the end of every week is awarded the attendance trophy during Friday’s Award & Recognition assembly.
Lower School Curie
96.9%
Britten
97.5%
Maxwell
89.4%
Fitzgerald
96.1%
Newton
93.9%
Glennie
90.6%
Well done and congratulations to Britten class who are the winners this week with 97.5%.
Upper School Al-Kashi
97.8%
Ellington
97.5%
Fibonacci Pythagoras
96.1%
Nicks
96.1%
97.8%
Shankar
97.8%
Well done and congratulations to Al-Kashi, Pythagoras and Shankar who are the shared winners this week with 97.8%. The overall attendance however is still below the expected standard so we all need to work hard at improving this!
Overall Attendance: 95.6% National average attendance for primary schools is 97.1%. It is important that the children attend school every day and do not miss any learning. Thank you for your support in ensuring your child is at school every day. We always strive for 100%. 02 February 2018 Primary Newsletter
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Key Dates - Spring 2018 Term Dates: 5th January 2018 - 29th March 2018
Thursday 8th February
Parent Coffee Morning & E-Safety Workshop – 9.00am
Friday 9th February
Break Up for Half Term – 3.45pm Monday 12th – Friday 16th February - HALF TERM
Wednesday 21st February
High Attainers Parent Workshop - 9am & 6pm
Monday 26th February
Literature Week
Monday 26th February
Home & Family Week – No enrichment clubs
Wednesday 28th February
INSET Day – no school for students
Thursday 1st March
World Book Day – (Dress up as a book character)
Monday 5th March
Wonderful Handwriting Week
Friday 9th March
Al-Kashi Class Assembly – Year 2 - 9.00 – 9.20am
Friday 9th March
Newton Class Assembly – Year R – 10.25 – 10.45am
Friday 16th March
INSET Day – no school for students
Tuesday 20th March
PE Spring Spectacular
Wednesday 21st March
Parent Coffee Evening – 6pm
Wednesday 28th March
Music Spring Concert
Wednesday 28th March
Easter Bonnet Parade
Thursday 29th March
Easter Egg Hunt
Thursday 29th March
End of Term Awards Assemblies – pupils finish at 12.15pm
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