7th June 2024
SAVE THE DATE
Thursdays: Tiny Tiddlers: 9am
Thursday 13th June – Preloved uniform sale – 3.10pm in the main hall
Tuesday 18th June – Sports Day EYFS – 9.30am – 11am
Tuesday 18th June - Year 1 & 2 – 1.30pm – 3pm
Tuesday 18th June – Tiny Tiddler Tribe (Beach location) 3.30pm – 5pm
Wednesday 19th June – Sports Day Year 3 & 4 – 9.30am – 11am
Wednesday 19th June - Year 5 & 6 – 1.45pm – 3pm
Friday 21st June – Year 6 Enterprise Day
Monday 24th June – Wednesday 26th June – Year 6 PGL
Tuesday 25th June – Tea & Talk: Reception to Year 1 transition – 8.50am
Friday 5th July – Whole school transition day
Friday 19th July – Summer Fete – 3.30pm – 6pm
Tuesday 23rd July – Year 6 Leavers Disco
Wednesday 24th July - Year 6 Leavers Assembly
Wednesday 24th July - Meet your child’s new teacher – from 1.15pm
Wednesday 24th July - Last day of term – 1.15pm collection
MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear parents/carers,
What a lovely start to the term. We have hit the ground running with learning and academy life. Everyone has been ready to learn with focus shared in Mondays Direction assembly on during this busy term, being ‘ready’ and our routines help us when participating in a range of activities and events.
Events have begun and planning for future events are underway for sporting events, all things year six, festivals and celebrations and business enterprise planning. Keep an eye on Ping and save the dates. Please note there maybe changes to some clubs or timetabling of PPA due to the competitions, sports days etc. All after school sporting clubs for year 3 and 4 on a Wednesday throughout June will be paused until July, the first session back will be the 3rd July.
Sports Day is on Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th June, please see save the date for specific year group dates and timings. We look forward to seeing you there!
Multiplication, reading and phonics
This week, children in year 4 undertook the Multiplication screening check. They have been enjoying the practice and build up to the check, showing improved results week on week. Children have shown determination towards learning their multiplication and division facts with some showing a competitive, yet supportive attitude to others. They love sharing their rock status within TTRS and celebrating together.
Our KS2 children love to practice on TTRS and is a valuable part of our homework.
Your child has a log in and can access TTRS from the website icon link. Take a look at their heat map to find out which facts they recall quickly and ones that they can improve on speed or accuracy.
Times Tables Rock Stars – Times Tables Rock Stars (ttrockstars.com)
Thank you for your patience with accessing AR. There was a temporary pause within accessing our account and contact with the company has been made to continue accessibility. Daily reading is the key part of our homework approach and to support children in their love and confidence in reading.
Children will be engaging in the phonics screening check and have been practising sound talk of alien words and real words with teachers and LSAs. Daily phonics and 1:1 sessions have supported children in their recall and accuracy of sounds and the reading of words. Practice packs have been sent home including a recent sheet with all the sounds (special friends). If your child is in year one or taking the year 2 check (having not completed the check in year one), keep practising!
I have been extremely impressed with the accelerated progress that I have seen.
Induction and Transition
We have induction and transition processes too with meetings for new reception parents and transition days for secondary and internally across the academy. We know that preparing children for change is important and one of our SPACE words:
Key transition dates
Tuesday 25th June – Tea & Talk: Reception to Year 1 transition – 8.50am
Thursday 27th June – New reception induction day (group 1)
Monday 1st July – New reception induction day (group 2)
Tuesday 2nd July – New reception induction (group 3)
Tuesday 2nd July – Year 6 transition morning to the King John School
Friday 5th July – Whole school transition, including year 6’s to their new secondary school (Southend schools only)
Friday 5th July – New Reception Information Evening – 5.30pm – 6.30pm
Health week
Part of our SAFE rule and Darlinghurst Direction is focused on: health. We also promote healthy relationships – on and offline.
Next week we have visitors from the Healthy Eating team holding assemblies with children to focus on Healthy Eating Week.
We have also had sessions with the school nursing team attending the academy for drop-in sessions. Our next session is booked for Thursday 13th June after morning drop off. Please wait outside the doors between the side gate and main office and you will be met by the nurses.
Health is an important thread within our curriculum and included across a range of subjects. We make sure that the curriculum helps children to feel happy and safe with knowledge and understanding about healthy relationships, attitudes and healthy lifestyles.
‘Keep a healthy body and mind. Be well. Take a mindful minute’. Across the academy children consider ways to support mental health and engage in mindfulness – taking a mindful minute.
E-safety covers aspects of relationships online along with pastoral support and intervention for children who are part of online activity. Over recent years there has been an increase in children within UPKS2 using communication platforms with their peers. We know that technology has provided new pathways for talking with classmates outside of school and are proactive within the curriculum to highlight risks and discuss what healthy/unhealthy relationships look like including scenarios that are not safe or respectful. Both staff and parents are vigilant in supporting children with cyber activity. We share guidance with parents regularly and hold e-safety tea and talks. Thank you to parents for engaging with us and working together to support our older children with this. I know that generations before mobile technology did not have to navigate this extra area and depending on age would use the home phone or telephone box or even knock on the front door of friends. Relationships whatever the era are a learning curve for all children and we are here to support them.
The PE team support healthy lifestyles with knowledge and approaches to be healthy through staying active and learning about the human body. The connected curriculum lessons including coverage of understanding the human body and life cycles. This is age – appropriate and looks at animals, plants and humans. Year four particularly enjoy their unit on the human body learning about skeletons, muscles, internal organs and functions.
In our SPACE lessons (relationships, sex, health, education) children learn about healthy relationships, well-being and living in the wider world. Lessons support them in learning about a range of aspects within health education. This half term we cover Relationships and sex education using our curriculum content and characters, ‘Yasmin and Tom’. Information will be shared with parents ahead of sessions in line with guidance for parental knowledge and consent.
This weekend why not launch the theme of ‘health’ at home through talks, walks, meals or relaxation. Sleep and rest are an important part of being well and after a busy week a slower approach to the weekend maybe a choice by some. Others may be up and active and enjoying the sunshine. Whatever you decide to do.
As always enjoy your family time together.
Mrs Nicholls
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Reception in the spotlight
Wow! Summer appears to be here! Yes, the weather has been rather temperamental - sun, rain, cloud, sun, rain, cloud...! However, Nursery and Reception as well as our Rockpool Garden are developing and growing in many varying ways.
In Nursery and Reception, we encourage healthy eating throughout the year. This is through conversations and encouragements during our daily snacks, and lunchtime, as well as what we eat at home and when on days out and holidays, further afield from our homes. This has a running link throughout our curriculum during the year. Due to our planting in the Rockpool garden we are now reaping the benefits of our Spring planting. For example, we dug up some amazing radishes at the end of this week. We are now cleaning them and preparing them for tasting. Yummy!
This week, we have focused on being Eco friendly and discussed what this means and how we can help within our daily lives. By using our waste from our snack to add to a compost bin to using used plastic bottles as covers for new planting it is clear that we try our hardest to help look after our environment. Well done, Nursery and Reception. What can you do at home to be Eco friendly?
Tea & Talk
Pre-loved uniform sale
‘Sponsor a meal. Feed for life’
St Vincents is a local charity that we are proud to support. They offer various sponsorship opportunities which can make a significant impact to those people who rely on their service and it ensures that no one in our community goes hungry.
GET IN TOUCH
Darlinghurst Academy
Pavilion Drive
Leigh on Sea
Essex
SS9 3JS
CONTACT US
T. 01702 478379
F. 01702 509207
E. generalenquiries@darlinghurstacademy.org.uk