So we come to the end of another successful and fun packed half term, with learning at the heart with sprinklings of enrichment, experiences and fun scattered throughout! Huge shout out to our Year 6 class for their hard work, dedication and approaching the SATs week in their stride with such positivity. Thank you to all the staff who helped in preparing the children, particularly Mrs Tucker for her commitment and dedication! Thank you to the Governors who supported us throughout the week.
Today we celebrated the Feast of St Augustine's a few days early (27th May) with a visit from Nevisons Super Whip ice cream van to celebrate our feast day!
Thank you to Mrs Miller for arranging the collection of plants for the Quad area from Ben's Plants. A HUGE shout out to Ben's Plants, we really appreciate the very generous donation. Thank you to Mrs Miller for planting them for us. The area is certainly beginning to take shape!
Thank you to Annette from Darlington Beekeepers Association for joining us on Monday 20th May when we celebrated World Bee Day! We all learnt so many new facts about bees!
Is what we will be saying to Miss White as she retires at the end of the summer term! We would like to take the opportunity to thank Miss White for her commitment and dedication to education, particularly with her time at St Augustine's, always placing children at the centre and ensuring children "live life to the full".
But don't despair we have another 7 weeks of Miss White and she will be at the very top of our supply list moving forward so sure she will be returning to St Augustine's in the future!
We wish you the very best of luck on your next chapter Miss White but will make the most of the next 7 weeks having you with us still at school! 💛💚
Have a super half term break and look forward to seeing you all on Monday 3rd June. Take care Mrs K Whitehead
Reception - We have been so busy in Reception this half term. We have loved exploring and playing in our new outdoor area! We have had so much fun gardening, creating cars and much more. Alongside this, we have enjoyed learning about the life cycle of a frog, butterfly and plant as part of our Spring topic. We have loved planting our own seeds and watching the flowers grow. Recently, we moved onto our Space topic and have loved learning about our planet, Earth. We have also enjoyed writing instructions on how to make a fruit salad and are looking forward to using these to make our own! In Maths, we have loved learning about 3D shapes and creating our own buildings, towers and water slides using these in our construction area. Well done Reception, you have worked very hard! Miss Barnard
Year 1 - Year 1 have had an amazing half term full of creativity, physical activity, working hard and mindfulness. The children have enjoyed learning all about colour mixing and applying this skill in different ways. They loved learning how to play Quidditch, participating in a multi skills event at Eastbourne and their visit from Skip to be Fit. Not to mention celebrating National Bee Say and all the usual amazing work they produce. Well done Year 1! Mr Kentfield-Wells
Year 2 - Happy half term! In maths, we have learned about fractions and time. The children have worked extremely hard to learn about using the clock and telling the time. We have been working on writing our letters as Red following our classroom book ‘The Last Wolf’. We also compared the book with the traditional tale of Little Red Riding Hood. The children enjoyed learning about being unique in PSHE. We looked at what makes us special and different from each other. The children also learned about their bodies and how to keep them clean and healthy. In RE, we have been learning all about Islam and how Muslims pray and why. We also looked at the importance of family and began learning about rules and why we need them. In Science, we have had a great time learning about plants. We became gardeners and planted some of our own plants. We also conducted a test to see how conditions affect how plants grow. In History we have started learning about our past queens and learning about the line of succession. We discussed Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria and learned about their reign. We have looked at the continents of the world and oceans, using atlases to locate these. We learned about some famous attractions in different continents. St Augustine’s has been very active this half term, with not only Judo Dan coming in but also the children taking part in a Quidditch session and a fitness session led by the Well-being Champs for Mental Health Awareness Week. We learned our Athletics skills in PE as well as Target Games, looking at sprinting, jumping and throwing. We also practised throwing at targets and even moving targets. To complete our first summer half term, Year 2 hosted their joint year 2 & 4 Mini Fair! Have a good week off! Miss Ford and Mrs Barr
Year 3 - It has been a busy term in Year 3! The children have been working hard in all areas of their learning. In Maths we have learnt all about money and time! This half term in English we have been writing our own stories inspired by our class text 'Journey' by Aaron Becker. The children have thoroughly enjoyed this book. We have been especially active this term participating in our Mental Health Awareness week activity with our Well Being Champs, our Skip 2 Be Fit session where we improved our skipping skills and our Quidditch session. Year 3 have also been working especially hard working on a Shakespeare performance. The children have loved working with Emma from the Royal Shakespeare Company to help improve our acting skills. Well done for another amazing term Year 3. Miss Gilliland
Year 4 - As another half term ends, we can’t believe how much learning has taken place in Year 4. The children have worked so hard, making sure that their work is beautifully presented and is the best work that they can produce. In English, they have been learning about Plastic Pollution and how it is affecting the ocean and marine life – they have been so involved in the topic that they have written letters to important people to make them aware of what we need to do solve this problem. We have been looking at decimal numbers in Maths particularly tenths and thousandths as well as working hard on our times tables. We are continuing our History topic on Henry VIII and the Reformation and have looked at why he wanted a divorce from Catherine of Aragon. We have found out lots of fascinating facts about his life in Tudor England. In Science, we are looking at electrical circuits and have been making our own circuits to light up a bulb with lots of practical activities. In Geography we are looking at the differences between coastal regions and seaside towns, we also compared coasts in England and Brazil and identified the differences. Miss White and Mrs Coates are so pleased with our attitude and determination towards our learning this year – we can’t believe how much we have achieved. Miss White and Mrs Coates
Year 5 - Year 5 have had such an action packed half term, from Judo, to Boxercise, to Quidditch and more, it really has been a great half term. The children have worked hard in completing poetry and persuasive writing based on the countryside. We have also had a huge focus on shape in maths and have been looking at living things within science. Along with this, our RE focus has been primarily around Pentecost. History has seen us begin our new topic of the Changing Power of the Monarchy and in Geography, we have also started our new topic based on the realities of climate change. The children really have worked so hard. I the children have a great half term and I look forward to seeing them again for our final half term in Year 5. Mr Cummins
Year 6 - This half term, Year 6 have picked up the pace, put in their best effort and really shown what they are made of! From boosters to breakfasts, they showed commitment to their learning and to supporting one another to make the most of revision sessions. By the time they took the SATs, the children were confident and happy to answer the questions given, taking it all in their stride. It hasn’t all been revision though… Our PE sessions have included team building games, Athletics and, of course, Quidditch. We have had a number of opportunities to work on our throwing (howlers, balls and javelins), jumping (long jump and triple jump) and running (sprint and long distance). This is in preparation for upcoming athletics events in which we will be taking part. In History, we have completed our work on conflicts through time and we are now building on that knowledge to learn about the Home Front. If families have any stories or artefacts which they are willing to share about life in Darlington during WWII, please do let me know! Our artwork has been focussed on Lucy Pittaway and how we can use her style to create our own pieces to include Millie, our school dog. The class have continued to work on their playgrounds in DT, which are looking fantastic. We continue to work hard on our writing, looking at a variety of stimuli including texts, films and experiences to help us to put across our ideas to our readers clearly with confidence. Year 6’s favourite activity must have been their party afternoon. Thank you to all families who provided the fantastic feast for Friday afternoon’s picnic- the children had a great time! Mrs Tucker
Wraparound Care - Our before and after school club runs from 7.30am - 8.45am and 3.15pm-6.00pm. Breakfast club is £3.00 per child and after school club is charged at £8.00. Bookings can be made through your MCAS account. Children are offered a variety of games and activities in these clubs and we will always welcome and encourage new ideas! At morning club, breakfast is provided and after school club children will receive sandwiches and snacks.
Staffing Update - We have recently appointed a Classroom Support Assistant! Mr Nelson starts with us after the half term break. He will be supporting in the classroom and will be the new After School Club Lead. Mr Nelson has lots of experience and enthusiasm and we are excited to welcome him to the St Augustine's family! Below is a little message from Mr Nelson, introducing himself;
Vacancies - We are currently recruiting for a Level 2 Teaching Assistant to work 1:1 with a child. For further information or an application pack, please ask at the school office or visit our website.
Parking - Just a polite reminder that parents, carers and families are asked not to park in the school car park, use the car park to turn around or park in the resident permit parking spaces around the school or on the yellow zig zag lines. Only family and friends who have a parking permit will be able to use our staff car park on drop off and collection.
Parents and carers are also asked to be mindful of the dangers of moving vehicles, particularly at drop off and pick up time and to avoid using the car park entrance to walk into school, please ensure that you use the footpath.
School places - All of our classes at St Augustine's are now full, with the exception of our current Year 3 class, where we still have one space available.
Nut Free School - another polite reminder that we are a nut free school. No items containing any kind of nuts should be brought into school - thank you for your continued support with this.
MCAS Accounts and overdue payments - Could you please bring your MCAS accounts up to date and ensure that any outstanding payments are made. We will be unable to offer places to children in After School Club and Breakfast Club if outstanding debt is not cleared.
Due to the large amount owing for School Lunches on some accounts, if accounts are not brought up to date, you will be required to send your child into school with a packed lunch in order to prevent this debt becoming unmanageable. We fully appreciate that the cost of living crisis is having a huge impact on families. If you are having difficulty making payment, please speak to school in total confidence to see how we can support you. If you think that your child may be entitled to Free School Meals, please speak to the school office for an application form.
Dogs - Could we politely ask that dogs are not brought into the school grounds at drop off and pick up.
School Lunch Menu - Below is the lunch menu for next half term. If you require the Halal option, could you please let the school office know in advance.