CoMPasS Registered Charity No: 1141329
Newsletter No: 16 Friday, January 28th 2022
You can follow us The children in Year 1 have designed spells and potions, made magic wands and created beautiful rhyming spells and cooked flatbreads at forest school on the campfire.
DIARY FOR WEEK COMMENCING 31st JANUARY 2022
MONDAY
In Reception the children have been wildlife photographers, taking close ups of leaves, plants, bark, minibeasts. There is a display in the Reception classrooms. The children have been large scale architectural designers, creating zoos, army bases and pirate ships. I have also been invited to many weddings this week in Reception.
This week the school council had a visit from the Eco School Council from St Peter’s 13-18. It was wonderful to see the two schools helping each other to work together to help and support our environment. The children loved the visit and huge thanks to Mrs Franey
who facilitates our school council and to the Eco School Council from St Peter’s 13-18 for giving us the time.
This week the St Peter’s 2-8 Friends held a meeting and discussed various events this term, there will be more information later in the newsletter about up-and-coming events for the children and for parents, including a Valentine’s Disco and a Quiz and Curry night. My thanks to the St Peter’s 2-8 Friends for all in support of the school.
Year 3 Football* Reception Film Club Year 1 Football* Year 2 Multisports Year 2 STEM (Group 1) Year 3 Language Year 3 Swimming
Year 3 Tennis* Reception Story Time (Group 1) Year 1 Creative (Group 1) Year 1 Cricket* Years 2 & 3 Choir TBC Year 1 Sign Language Year 1 Tennis* Year 2 Art (Group 1) Year 2 Multisports Year 3 Netball
Year 3 STEM Year 1 Film Year 1 Street Dance* Year 2 Coding (Group 1) Year 2 Football* Year 2 Tennis*
I hope you have a wonderful weekend and remember there is no swimming for the Reception children tomorrow. Best wishes,
Year 3 Cricket* Year 3 Groovy Greeks
SAT
their conservation. I must say I heard one of the children’s arguments for keeping them in captivity which was wonderfully presented and debated skilfully against all the remaining children in the class. Just brilliant! You can see Tilly’s and James’ letters to Sir David Attenborough here.
Teaching children to read is one of the most fundamental goals of early years and primary education worldwide, and as such has attracted a large amount of research. A landmark study https://bera -journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ doi/10.1002/rev3.3314 has described the way primary school children are taught to read in England as ‘uninformed and failing children’, calling
on the government to drop its narrow focus on phonics. The use of synthetic or blended phonics to teach reading in schools in England has been the subject of debate since it was backed by former education minister Michael Gove. In the study it was reported that for the first time in more than 100 years we see that a balanced-instruction approach to the teaching of reading is no longer the norm in England. It is said in the report that most schools are now reporting the more frequent use of the narrower synthetic phonics approach. At St Peter’s 2-8 the children learn reading through a systematic delivery of regular phonics teaching in the classroom taught by trained members of staff. This then is supplemented by the reading book your child brings home which allows the children to practise the skills they have been taught in school. Our focus on the termly themed book in each year group is the vehicle of the learning journey. This is a book that is too advanced for the average child in the class and is read by the teacher, allowing access to a richer vocabulary and higher order comprehension skills for all children no matter of the level of their reading development. The book drives the learning and allows the child to be immersed in the story and develops a love of books. We believe that teaching reading should allow for a wider range of approaches which allow teachers to use their own judgment about which is best for their children and to encourage children to have a love of reading.
FRIDAY
On Tuesday Yarm Preparatory School visited to play football and netball at school. Miss Flockhart organised mixed groups of boys and girls from each school who completed a carousal of physical activities in football and netball. All the children from both schools had a wonderful time learning new skills, playing games and making new friends. My huge thanks to Harrison Savage and Shaun Crouch (sports grads), staff from Yarm Preparatory school and to Miss Flockhart who organised a brilliant afternoon for the children. I must mention that our children were wonderful ambassadors for our school being fabulous hosts – well done all.
Year 3 Film
THURSDAY
Year 3 have written letters to Sir David Attenborough about the importance of polar bear conservation. In each class there have been lively debates about whether keeping polar bears in captivity is a positive or negative approach to
Year 2 Engineers (Group 1)
Year 2 Cricket*
WEDS
At school the exciting learning journeys have continued throughout the week. There have been shape poems created about extinct animals, based on the dodo that appears in the story of Alice in Wonderland. The creations in Year 2 have been excellent and the children have enjoyed learning about the sabretoothed tiger, dinosaurs and great auk to name a few.
Year 1 Story Club (Group 1)
Year 2 Multisports
TUESDAY
It has been a busy week at St Peter’s 2-8 this week as we have been impacted by increasing levels of Covid-19. Many children and staff have had to isolate after testing positive and we have had to use cover staff to ensure that we could educate the children. A huge thank you to all the teachers, teaching assistants and the school nurse for covering lessons and duties as well as staff who have helped to plan lessons and administration whilst isolating from home. The school community has worked extremely well together to ensure the continuity of education for the children at St Peter's 2-8.
In Nursery, I was taught by the Acorn children how to put a coat on very quickly. Thank you for teaching me this new skill. The children in Conkers have enjoyed exploring the Café and being waiters, chefs and customers.
Reception Drama (Group 1)
St Peter’s Exeat: No Reception Swimming
house points trophy
Notice Board
Thank you to Olivia who stood in for Norman!
Music award • Charlotte (1E) • Isabel W (2P)
PE award • Tulsi (3M) • Immie (3M)
• Annaliese (3C) Isabel W (2P)
MICKLEGATE value champions • Emilia (RC)
• Lucas (1C)
• Lily (3C)
• Acer (RJ)
• Charlotte (1E)
• Tabitha (3M)
• Hector (RM)
• Grace (2H)
• George (3M)
• Thomas (1A)
• India (2J)
• Oliver (3S)
• Hamish (2P)
learning superheroes • Ollie (RC)
• Lydia (1A)
• Dylan (2P)
• Erin (RJ)
• Japji (1C)
• Caspar (3C)
• Emmy (RM)
• Oscar (1E)
• Matilda (3M)
• Eva (RM)
• Sofia (2H)
• Olivia (3S)
• Bella (2J)
•• Jack (3S)
Notice Board SCHOOL COUNCIL School council were very lucky to receive a visit from the Eco-school council at St Peter’s 13-18. They explained how they had achieved Green Flag status for the senior school and how we could help to work towards their targets to improve our impact on the Environment at 2-8 . This is something all the children in school feel very passionate about.
The children will share some recycling initiatives with you shortly. Well done council for raising our awareness of this issue. Please be aware that School Council on Monday is cancelled due to staff shortages. After School Care will be available as usual.
MUSICAL NOTES
It’s been an exciting week in music, the children have been having lots of fun using balls in their songs this week! Nursery have been rolling balls in time to the music and Reception have been bouncing them whilst learning a new song. Miss Flockhart would have been impressed with their skills! Year 1 have continued exploring the beat using their bodies whilst Year 2 have made a return to the recorder after a little break! The Year 2 children especially impressed me this week with their listening skills, copying back short melodies by ear on their recorders. Year 3 finished the week finding out lots of facts about Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. I think they enjoyed the 1st movement, quite a few left the room humming the tune! A special mention to 3M this week who were amazing in their string lesson. They learned two new pieces this week, some fabulous sight-reading skills, well done!
HEADLICE Please be aware that we have had headlice in Year 3. Please check your child’s head and treat accordingly. Please see the NHS guidance on treatment here.
LOST PROPERTY Max in Year 2 has lost a red and black FitBit. Please return if you find it.
Covid-19 Update If your child has symptoms of COVID-19 and/or a positive test result, please follow the self-isolation guidelines in the table below.
On Tuesday afternoon, our children at St Peter’s 2-8 hosted a Football and Netball workshop with Yarm School. Despite some very cold hands, it was a great chance to make new friends and practice some new skills. Football activities consisted of a combination of fun dribbling activities, passing drills and a friendly match to show off our new skills.
In Netball, the children focused on pivoting, throwing and catching through various activities. They also got to put their skills into a friendly match situation, where the children were able to score into a netball post. I was amazed with how accurate their shots were. After working extremely hard in the hour period, it was safe to say the
PE juice and biscuits were well and truly deserved by all! Year 3 were a credit to our school and I cannot wait to welcome Yarm back again in the Summer Term for a cricket workshop!
CONKERS
This week Conkers have enjoyed hearing the tale of The Great Race and have been busy re-enacting the story for themselves. Also, a Cafe popped up in the home corner early in the week and has since had lots of customers enjoying tasty treats! The children have been taking it in turns to be customers, waiters, and chefs! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It has been a very creative week in Reception! The children became budding photographers in Forest School taking close-up photographs of leaves, plants, bark, minibeasts and even each others’ eyes for a Reception game of 'guess who/guess what?' which is now displayed in our setting. We have had some wonderful performances outside on a stage made by the children and it has been heart-warming to hear their song compositions on the theme of protecting the planet! As Emmy sang, 'don't mow your lawns' this way you will encourage bees and butterflies in the spring/summer!
RECEPTION beautiful rock pool inspired craft. Our construction area has been busy all week with children being encouraged to draw their designs just like architects the drawings of an incredible zoo and an army base particularly knocking our socks off! We have also had some impromptu weddings which have been gorgeous to see and inspired a flurry of invitation writing.
We are really looking forward to celebrating Chinese New Year next week, Our story of the week 'Sharing a Shell' if any children would like to bring in has inspired some brilliant drawings of Chinese New Year decorations or items alternative homes for a hermit crab (we we would love to share them with the looked at some incredible examples children. Have a lovely weekend hermit crabs are experts at recycling everyone! just like us) as well as some
RECEPTION
Wisha, Wisha here's a spell to turn Year 1 into magicians that excel! We have had such a MAGICAL week in Year 1! From writing spells and potions to changing the PH levels of cabbage water and making our own wands, we have been so busy! This week we have risen to the challenge of not only writing our own spells but making them rhyme too! We had such a giggle thinking of funny rhyming words to put into sentences. Look out for our magical rhyming spells on Evidence Me.
YEAR 1
Did you know that if you mix an alkaline and acid together, they create a reaction? We had so much fun exploring this and investigating which liquids and powders were more alkaline or acid based. In forest school we continued with the skill of fire building and we cooked some flatbreads on the fire that had a magical surprise in them! Can you guess what it could be?
YEAR 1
YEAR 2 Despite missing some of our busy bees this week, all of the children in Year 2 (whether at home or in school) have been working their little socks off! We feel very fortunate that we have been able to keep in touch with our friends online and share our learning together. This week's chapter of Alice in Wonderland introduced us to a dodo! We began researching these extinct flightless birds which made us curious as to what other animals have become extinct, as well as which animals are currently endangered. The children used fact sheets and the internet to research their chosen extinct animal and painted some beautiful pictures of these creatures using their watercolours. The children used QR codes to find out more about the different animal groups and names for their young. We also came across some interesting shape poetry in the story this week and the children had a go at writing their own poems in
the shapes of their extinct animal using similes. In maths, we have continued to be measuring mad. With a focus on length and height this week, we have been using rules and metres sticks to measure potion bottles, items around the classrooms and even parts of ourselves. We had to use our measuring skills to draw doorways that Alice could fit through after drinking her Drink Me bottle and to give the little mice their tails back! With the Big Garden Bird Watch approaching and with all of the children's interest in animals so far this term, we made our own bird feeders down at Forest School to encourage more wildlife to our local areas. The children will take home a Bird Watch tally sheet this week and we would love to hear what birds you spot in your gardens! Well done on a fabulous week Year 2, you continue to make us so proud with your resilience and positive attitudes. Have a great weekend!
YEAR 2
Following our trip to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park last week, Year Three have delved into the exciting world of polar bears and have been exploring all there is to know about these incredible animals! We begun by using different sources of information to retrieve exciting facts and gather knowledge. Then we moved on to work collaboratively to come up with reasons for and against keeping polar bears captive. The children passionately verbalised their thoughts and ideas during a debate and thrashed out their beliefs and opinions. We all felt so strongly after our discussion that we decided to write a persuasive letter to Sir David Attenborough to highlight our views and concerns. It has been wonderful to see the children engage so passionately with their learning and understand the importance of listening to different points of view. Using clay and our understanding of polar bears, we created our own miniature versions of the
YEAR 3
incredible animals in Art. Please see our pictures! In maths we have excitedly moved on to the formal, written method of division this week, also known as the ‘Bus Stop’ method. The children have enjoyed putting the newly taught concept into practice and have been challenging themselves with dividing numbers in their thousands with remainders! Alongside all of our learning, we also had the opportunity to form new friendships and play sport with our friends from Yarm prep school. Thank you to Miss Flockhart for organising such a wonderful afternoon! It has been another busy week for April and her father in our themed text and we have just arrived at a point where she sees something big and loping
Valentine’s Disco - Tuesday 15th February The Friends of St Peter’s 2-8 will be hosting a Valentine’s disco for the children on the above date. It will take place between 3pm and 5pm in the Sports Hall. Exact timings for year groups are still to be confirmed (younger children will be earlier and older will be later), however please put this date in your children’s diaries. There is no dress code, it will just be school uniform. And there is no charge, this is a fun gift from the Friends committee. Curry & Quiz Night - Friday 18th March - Dining Room Curry and quiz night is back! Further details to come in the next few weeks, but please put the date in your diaries, book that babysitter, and start revising! (Tickets £10pp, food, welcome drink and quiz inc. teams of 6-8, adults only event, friends and family welcome). Easyfundraising Thank you to everybody who has so far signed up to use Easyfundraising and raise money for the school charity Children's Heart Surgery Fund in Leeds. Since we set up our fundraising account with Easyfundraising, approx 18 months ago, we have raised an amazing £466! If you would like to know more or would like to sign up to earn money for charity whilst doing your usual online shopping, then please contact a member of the Friends committee via your Whatsapp yeargroup and we will get some information to you and help you to get set up. Thank you again.
We are excited to invite girls & boys from Year 3 to J3 (age 6– 11 years) to attend our first ever
Football Training Camp Tuesday 22 & Wednesday 23 February 2022
With Head Coach: Paul Burke Youth Coaching Awards level 1,2,3 and Talent ID level 1,2 Manchester United Academy Coach St Peter’s 2-8 After School Club Football Coach
TIMINGS : 10:00 to 15:00 COST : £30 per child per day Before camp and after camp care available from 08:30 to 16:30 CLICK HERE for more INFO & BOOKINGS
EASTER TERM 2022
Creative Workshops - ages 5-8 21—25 February 2022 After a successful launch last summer at St Peter’s with excellent feedback from both parents and kids, Creative Coliseum return for another exciting camp. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
HALF TERM
* Please note this is organised by an external company
HALF TERM
HOLIDAY CAMPS at St Peter’s School 2-13
All Out Sports / Cricket Camps - ages 4-14 21—25 February 2022 All Out is an exciting sporting option for children. Fun & friendly multi-sports and specialist cricket camps are available for booking at St Peter’s School 8-13 sports hall, all abilities welcome. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO * Please note this is organised by an external company
Monday 4 - Friday 8 April 2022 An exciting mix of fun-packed activities including swimming, sports, crafts, baking, games and outdoor adventures all delivered by St Peter’s School staff. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
EASTER
St Peter’s Holiday Club - Nursery - J5
EASTER
Creative Workshops - ages 5-8 Tuesday 19—Friday 22 April 2022 More exciting themed workshops run by Coliseum’s team of professional actors & teachers welcoming all imaginations from beginners to entertainers. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO * Please note this is organised by an external company
Tuesday 19— Friday 22 April 2022 The All Out sports coaches and teachers are bringing to St Peter’s more multi-sports and specialist cricket camps in the last week of Easter outside and inside at 8-13 School, all abilities welcome. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO * Please note this is organised by an external company
EASTER
All Out Sports or Cricket Camps - ages 4-14