Head Teacher's Message
Dear Parents and Carers, Christmas Fair Thank you so much for supporting our Christmas Fair yesterday - the children seemed to have really enjoyed it! Also, a huge thank you to Parents and Friends for organising this for the children and to raise funds for school. We raised over £1800 and we will let you know how this is spent in due course. Christmas Performances We are looking forward to seeing you all next week at our Christmas performances. The children are looking forward to watching the dress rehearsals on Monday. You are welcome to pick your children up after the performances and any siblings if you wish to do so provided they are not in a later performance. For collection after a performance, please go to the classroom doors and they will come out from there when they are changed. Christmas Lunch (non-uniform) We also have Christmas lunch next week (Thursday 11th December) The kitchen staff go to town and there are decorated tables and Christmas crackers. It's a lovely time for the children to celebrate with each other. If your child is usually packed lunches but would like a Christmas dinner please let the office know (the staff all have one - it is delicious!). Children are welcome to wear a Christmas Jumper or a festive outfit or just non-uniform next Thursday if they wish. This was not in the calendar but we've had a few requests and happy to oblige. Christmas Parties Christmas parties are :
- Monday 15th (Early Years)
- Tuesday 16th Year 1-Year 4.
The children can come in their party clothes if they are suitable for playing outdoors or alternatively they can bring clothes to change into. Other Events We will have a special visitor in school on Wednesday 17th December (this has changed from 16th due to him being rather busy). The Year 3 and Year 4 (Key Stage 2) Carol Concert is at St Matthew's at 2pm on Wednesday 17th December - all welcome. It's been a very busy but thoroughly enjoyable term and the children have been fantastic. The events for next term will be with you as soon as possible in order that you can plan ahead. We don't expect parents to be able to attend everything but hopefully we will see you at some of them. From all the staff, I'd like to thank you for your ongoing support and warm wishes to all of you during the festive period. Kind regards Mrs Ash and The Team
General Messages
E Safety
The holidays are a lovely opportunity to spend quality time with our children however we often face the familiar struggle to prise children away from consoles, tablets or computers. We talk to children at school about the importance of getting outside and in to nature. However fun can be had together on devices and there is a sack-full of Christmas activities and ideas online which grown-ups and children can enjoy together. We’ve compiled our own ‘nice list’ of seasonal suggestions of how to make the most of the online world this Christmas. In our guide, you'll find ideas such as video calling relatives, playing video games as a family and listening to your favourite seasonal songs online.
Friday Enrichment : DT Club
Every Friday we offer a range of enrichment activities for pupils in Years 1 to 4. Some of these are run by specialist staff while others use the expertise of our own staff. Some of the amazing clubs pupils have had the chance to experience so far this year include Steel Pans, Rock Steady, Futsal, Dance & Drama, Chess, D.T., Football, Art and Design and Forest school. Here is a short video that showcases the fantastic Christmas themed D.T. models made by KS2 children.
Preloved uniform
If you have any preloved uniform please hand this in to the school office as we resell these at a low cost.
Wellbeing
We are working hard at Dinnington to stay uplifted despite the foul weather and dark mornings and evenings. We now have less than a month before Solstice when the days will begin getting longer and lighter again. As the term progresses all teachers are noticing children making promising academic progress and children are all now very settled into their classes and friendship groups. Another lovely thing that is happening here is the sound of children's voices practising their nativity songs and getting excited about learning their parts, we are excited to do our performances for you all. This and next week we will be putting up our Christmas decorations and soon the school will look very festive! Since September we have been talking to the children in different ways to gather their thoughts about the school. We have collected many lovely comments about the things they enjoy about school and are working to address the things that worry them. Below is a link to summary of the online survey we supported them to complete in October. Christmas is exciting but also can be a stressful time for both adults and children who may feel under pressure or overwhelmed. Remember that if you or your child is struggling you can contact your teacher or Mrs Ash for a chat to get some reassurance and see how we can help. There are many online resources you can access to get information and support. Here are some specific tips for staying mindful and looking after yourself at Christmas. https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/sites/default/files/Thriving%20at%20Christmas.pdf RISE is an excellent website to get mental health resources, with lots of useful information and free webinars for parents. They are definitely worth following on social media to get their regular ideas and events.
Nursery
‘Amazing Me’ was our November focus. We have talked about feelings, how our face changes when we feel certain ways, how our body can feel different, what makes us feel a particular way and how we can manage certain feelings. It is ok to feel different emotions; we just need to learn to understand them. We have also learnt about oral hygiene and we have practiced brushing our teeth correctly. We need to brush properly in the morning and before bed with a small amount of toothpaste. In Maths we have learnt our Ten Town numbers up to 5 and we count every day in many different ways – using our fingers, using objects, on dice, on 5 frames. We are even trying to subitise. Our grown-ups have visited us in class this month for our ‘Stay and Play’ sessions and they joined us for lunch too. It was so much fun, we loved showing our grown-ups all the things that we can do in Nursery!
RECEPTION
Reception have been learning and discussing interesting facts about dinosaurs and putting them into simple sentences using the sounds they have learned. They have also been making a moving Stegosaurus using their cutting, sticking and painting skills. In Maths, the children have been learning how to order numbers to 10, subitise amounts (guess how many they can see without counting - like we do with dots on a dice). They have also been using a number line to calculate more/less than a number. In PE, the children have enjoyed doing lots of activities to help them bounce, throw and catch a ball. We are also getting really good at working together as a team and helping each other.
Year 1
November in Year 1 has been full of exciting learning! In PE, we’ve been practicing our curling skills and developing great teamwork. In Art, the children explored bold lines and primary colours as they painted in the style of Piet Mondrian. History lessons took us on a journey through the Space Race, discovering how humans first ventured beyond Earth. In Science, we’ve been investigating our senses and how they help us experience the world around us. Now that Christmas is approaching the pupils are really excited because we’ve been busy rehearsing our Christmas performance—we can’t wait to share it with everyone soon!
Year 2
This month the year two children have enjoyed doing archery in PE and improving their strength and accuracy. In Art, they have enjoyed learning about the artist Alma Thomas and creating their own collages and paintings inspired by her work. In History and English this block we have explored the Great Fire of London and The Great Fire of Gateshead and made comparisons between the two significant events. They wrote diary entries to show their understanding of the events and used onomatopoeia and exclamation marks with great success.
Year 3
This half term, Year 3 has enjoyed exploring new topics and experiences, with a strong focus on scientific enquiry and outdoor learning. In Woodland Learning, the children have had many opportunities to further their learning and make connections with nature, whilst exploring our wonderful woodland area. These outdoor experiences have provided hands-on opportunities to discover the natural world and build teamwork skills and cooperative learning. Within Science, we conducted a brilliant rock experiment. For this, the children learnt all about different types of rocks and were fascinated by how they are formed. They became geologists for the afternoon, observing, comparing, and grouping different rock samples based on their physical properties and appearance, just like real scientists do! They also conducted amazing follow up experiments.
Year 4
This half term, Anti-Bullying Week sparked some fantastic conversations in Year 4. Many students felt inspired to speak out about what makes them unique, and a few even prepared and delivered thoughtful presentations to the class about visual and vocal differences. It was wonderful to see their confidence and empathy shine through.
In Art, we’ve been diving into the world of Picasso! The children have loved exploring his abstract style and experimenting with their own creative interpretations. This block has really encouraged some budding artists to think outside the box and express themselves in bold, imaginative ways.
Our Geography lessons have taken us on a journey to Italy, where we’ve been learning how the climate influences people and places. Through fun thinking skills activities, we’ve explored how animals, plants, and humans adapt to different environments across this beautiful country. The children have really enjoyed discovering these fascinating connections.
Upcoming Dates
- 18/11/25 and 19/11/25 - Nursery Stay and Play
- 21/11/25 - Christmas Fayre tombola donations (Sweets, Treats & Bottles) : Non Uniform Day
- WB 24/11/25 - During this week we will accept donations for our pre-loved Christmas Fayre stall.
- 04/12/25 - Christmas Fayre 2.00 pm-4.00 pm (Children can be taken home from the event)
- 09/11/25 and 10/11/25 - Christmas Performances
- 11/12/25 - Christmas Dinner (Christmas Jumper / festive outfit or non-uniform)
- 15/12/25 - am Nursery & Reception Christmas party pm Year 1 and Year 2 Christmas party.
- 16/12/25 - pm Year 3 and Year 4 Christmas party.
- 17/12/25 - Special Visitor
- 17/12/25 - Year 3 and Year 4 Carol Concert 2pm
- 19/12/25 - Last day of term
For a more detailed calendar please visit our school website.