Welcome to this week’s bulletin and news round-up
Our best wishes to all who are celebrating and marking the holy month of Ramadan: https://parkdale-primary.co.uk/ramadan-our-best-wishes/
A feature here on some very grave and unpleasant concerns around content online, particularly TikTok: https://parkdale-primary.co.uk/online-safety-tik-tok-apps/
Our Pastoral Team are trying to establish whether parents/carers might be interested in some information sharing events and workshops around special needs and wellbeing. Please see the very brief survey here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=fB1f-I-fOEGb59npTyoSLttY50ZAlC1Fman2FJ1uNCNURVNRS1BLR1QxU1o1Q0tQUlQ5NDlFS0tRQi4u
A huge thank you to the army of parents, carers and other family members who have been in helping sort out Reception’s garden area. It’s looking so much better – what a great community effort!
“I may not have done an update on the website before you get your bulletin together but please send a message of thanks from all of the Reception team to the parents, grandparents and family members who have donated their time, plants and pots etc to our garden project. We couldn’t have achieved in a month, what we have managed in a week with their support. It was so lovely to feel the community spirit and to see families digging and working together .”
Mrs Rippon
Another thank you. The parking situation has been much, much better this week. Thanks to all for their support and co–operation.
Next week is the last week for the Spring after school clubs. Summer Term clubs will be released next week – please note these will be shared on the Scholarpack App and not text. Please contact the office by email if you still need to set yourself up.
Drumming lessons – DCP have a few slots for drumming lessons next term. Please see attached flyer. The lessons happen during the school day on a Friday. If interested please sign up on their website https://www.dcpdrums.co.uk/
A nice story from this week. On Tuesday, we hosted a lot of visitors, 15+, from other schools who wanted to know what our digital learning offer looked like. Brilliantly as that went, it has to be said that most of our visitors went away requesting to come back to have a look at how we manage behaviour, wellbeing and language devlelopment – effectively how we got those two Outstanding judgements at Ofsted – as they were absolutely overwhelmed at just how our children conduct themselves and how they communicate. We’ll take some credit for this, of course, but this is your children they are talking about and you should feel very, very proud of them.
A reminder here of next week’s Easter Bonnet Parade, which is always a lovely community event and a welcome sure sign that WInter is coming to an end: https://parkdale-primary.co.uk/easter-bonnet-parade/
Playground developments: While we’re not exactly awash with money for the day to day running and staffing of the school, we do have a reasonable amount of capital which we have to spend on the building and grounds. Our next development in this respect will be to re-landscape the part of the playground where the table tennis tables and climbing wall are now. This should include a soft surface, shelters, possible a stage whilst keeping the table tennis and climbing wall – the latter is going to be renovated and spruced up shortly. There are also plans afoot to provide our Nursery with a much nicer outdoor area in which to play and learn. This should be under way before the end of the school year.
Reception to Year One Transition: Senior Leaders this week agreed a change to how we deliver the currculum in Year One from September. We have long wanted to make Year One, or at least the beginning of it, feel a bit more like Early Years with more ‘continuous provision’. Year One is a famously challenging year for staff and children alike and we have been building up to a change for some years now. It is a positive change made possible by the fact the Ofsted has been and gone. To have done it pre-inspection would have been a calculated risk, as inspectors generally tend to favour very formal learning in Year One, despite all the research suggesting that children do just as well (better socially and emotionally) in a more ‘Early Years’ environment, as long as it is well planned, resouced and delivered. We think such a move better fits our ‘child centred’ ethos and our focus on Wellbeing and personal development and we’re going to go for it.
News here of a resounding league win for our football ‘a’ team: https://parkdale-primary.co.uk/parkdale-v-netherfield-gedling-psfa-league/
News here of a renovated Art Gallery in the main building: https://parkdale-primary.co.uk/art-gallery/
A reminder for parents and carers of children in Year Six that it is an early Parents’ Evening for you next week.
We will announce the winning House in the points competion for this term next Wednesday. Members of the winning house will have a bonus non-unifomr day on the Friday. No spoilers, but it’s very close!
You might remember us having mentioned the laser clinic business of a parent (Aman, parent of Zak in R Bay) in a recent bulletin. If you tried to contact her via her website there was, at the time, a technical issue. This is now fixed:
“Good news! The fault on my website regarding the ‘contact us’ page has now been fixed. If you can mention this on this weeks newsletter that it’s all sorted & apologies to anyone who did try to contact us & never got a reply. If they can get in touch again, all messages will be replied to. Website: www.skinpodlaserclinic.co.uk To book:https://skinpod-laser-clinic.book.app
Finally, reminder that we break up for Easter next Friday, the 31st. School re-opens for the Summer Term on Monday the 17th April