Nursery
This week has been super exciting we have welcomed some new friends in nursery. The older children have been very friendly and helpful, showing the new children how we follow the rules and routines and joining them in our play. We have also enjoyed observing the cold weather, especially the snow showers, where we put these new experiences into our play and art work.
REMINDERS: Please remember to provide your child with warm outdoor clothes, e.g. gloves, hat as we use the outside environment daily in all weathers.
Also can I just remind you that no toys from home are to be brought into nursery and no water bottles.
Reception
Since returning, we have enjoyed sharing our holiday news and being with our friends.
This week we have been reading ‘The Three Billy Goat Gruff’ and looking at what may have happened to the troll! We have drawn pictures and had our endings scribed. We also acted the story.
We have started our phonic lessons and will be learning the next set of letters. In maths, we have been looking at the differences between a triangle, rectangle, square and circle.
REMINDERS: Please complete the oral health questionnaire that was sent, as soon as possible.
Year 1
The most exciting thing that happened this week was the Y1 trip to our local park. The children had a great time and spotted burrows, tree hollows and ducks! This trip was part of the immersion stage for our text called Winter Sleep. You can find the link on SeeSaw to find out more about this book. The children have also been learning about what hibernation means. The maths sessions have focussed on looking at tens and ones in amounts. The children are learning to practically show tens and ones as well as record the information on paper.
REMINDER: Please use SeeSaw to complete the activities we have set for home learning and regularly make a note, in the reading record, of how your child reads at home.
Year 2
In English, we had a magical time reading different versions of “The Princess and the Pea.” We explored what was the same and what was different in the stories. We also had a closer look at words that tell us when things happen – present and past tense. We got creative and designed two new characters for our very own Princess and the Pea story! In Maths we continued our work in shapes taking a look at lines of symmetry, faces, vertices and edges. Our History began with an interesting topic - The Great Fire of London. We took a closer look at how fires were fought during that time.
REMINDER: PE kits need to be in school please. We have PE on a Tuesday.
Year 3
This week we have been working on poems about the weather in English, using rich and varied vocabulary and in maths we have been continuing our multiplication journey, multiplying two digits by one digit. In Science we are studying different types of rocks and how they are formed and in Art we have looked at Henri Rousseau’s ‘Tropical Birds and Flying Things’ as a stimulus for starting collage next week.
REMINDER: Please read regularly with your child and practise their times tables with them.
PE kits must be worn with appropriate footwear – we have PE Tuesday and Thursday.
Year 4
This week we have started learning about our new topic of the Ancient Maya. We have read a Maya fiction book in layered reading called Rain Player and have started looking at The Ancient Maya in our history lesson. In PE we have started to learn some gymnastics skills. In computing we had fun editing pictures of orcas and porpoises using Paint3D.
REMINDER: Remember to read with your child every day, their reading books and diaries should be in school every day.
Year 5
This week we have started to learn about the Ancient Egyptians. We talked about primary and secondary sources and had a go at being archaeologists!
In PE, we have been working on building our stamina and practising balances.
REMINDER: Please remember that black shoes or trainers should be worn for school.
PE kits need to be in school please. We have PE on Monday and Friday.
Year 6
This week we have started learning about our new topic: The Ancient Greeks. We have explored where in the world Greece is and how and why early Greek civilisations started telling myths; in English, we have studied the Greek myth of Perseus of the Gorgon Slayer. In PE, we have started to learn some gymnastics and badminton skills. We enjoyed looking at stop motion animation in our art lessons.
REMINDER: Please make sure your child has a PE kit (including trainers or plimsolls) in school. We have PE every Wednesday and Friday. Please continue to enjoy listening to your children read at home every day.
Music
Music Clubs
- Tuesday 12.00: Choir
- Tuesday 12.45: Year 2 Music Club
- Tuesday 3.30: Music Making for year 1 and 2
- Wednesday 12.45: Choir
- Thursday 3.30: Choir for Years 3 - 6.
Instrumental Lessons
We do have a few vacancies, please contact Mrs Baines if your child would like to learn an instrument.
- Tuesday am: Drums
- Tuesday am: Guitar
- Wednesday am: Keyboard
- Wednesday am: Guitar
Future Events
- 15th March Southend Makes Music – KS2 Choir
Online Safety
Freedom of expression is enshrined in international law. Some individuals, however, misunderstand the right to share their opinions as a license to target others with the most horrendous prejudice. So how do we balance people’s prerogative to have their voice heard against everyone’s right to live in a respectful, inclusive society?
This conflict frequently unfolds in the digital world. Online posters can be falsely accused of hate speech, while actual hate is often defended as merely being ‘free speech’. To help children and young people learn to identify the boundaries and recognise genuine hate speech when they see it, the guide this week provides some helpful definitions and guidelines.
Second Hand Uniform Shop
Our Uniform shop is located within the front reception area of the school and is open Monday-Friday 8.15am - 4.00pm. All items are 50p each. We always have a good selection of skirts, trousers, jumpers, tops, dresses and P.E items. Please ask at the office to point you in the right direction.
School Uniform Donations
We welcome school uniform donations for us to sell at our school uniform shop. Could we please ask that the clothes are in good, clean condition. All items can be dropped off at the school office between 8.15am - 4.00pm. Thank you so much for doing this for the school as it helps our parents out tremendously.
Attendance
Congratulations
I hope your children have been sharing their school successes since coming back from our Christmas and New Year break, we hope that everyone had a good rest as we have seen that the children have been eager and ready to learn for the start of the Spring term.
Last week Shell, Porpoise and Swordfish classes had the highest attendance across each key stage but they were still not quite high enough the hit our school target. The school’s attendance target is 96%, our aim this term is to get each class to meet or beat the school target each week.
Lateness at the start of the day
During just one morning this week, 28 children were late for school registration, which is a very high number. When a child arrives late at the start of the school day, it is very disruptive to their learning and the learning of their classmates. Please ensure your child arrives to school between 8.40 and 8.50am
If you are struggling, for any reason, with getting your child to school the attendance team is here to help you. Mrs Wyer and Mrs Morris play a crucial role in supporting children and helping families improve pupil attendance. Please make a point of getting in contact, ask to speak to your child's class teacher or one of us, make calls or email. A member of staff from school will always get back to you as soon as we can.
Please direct your related attendance queries to: attendance@pgps.porticoacademytrust.co.uk We are here to help!
Every day of school is important, moments matter, attendance counts!
Dinner Menu
Week 3
Monday - Chicken & Sweetcorn Meatballs with Tomato Sauce & Penne - Vegan Roasted Ratatouille with Penne - Baked Jacket with Grated Cheese - Carrots & Broccoli - Orange Shortbread Biscuit
Tuesday - Fajita Spiced Turkey & Vegetables with Steamed Rice - Vegan Burrito - Pasta & Tomato - Sweetcorn & Peas - Carrot Cake
Wednesday- Herby Roast Chicken with Roast Potatoes & Gravy - 3 Vegetable Mac n’ Cheese - Baked Jacket with Baked Beans - Seasonal Greens & Broccoli - Chocolate & Beetroot Brownie
Thursday - Special Menu - see below
Friday - Breaded Fish Fingers with Chips & Ketchup - Vegan Bubble & Squeak with Chips & Ketchup - Baked Jacket with Grated Cheese - Peas & Baked Beans - Apple & Parsnip Cake
Diary Dates
February
- Friday 16th - INSET Day
- Monday 19th - Friday 23rd - Half Term
March
- Monday 18th - Friday 22nd - Book Fair
- Tuesday 19th - Infant Music Festival
- Wednesday 20th - Parents Evening
- Friday 29th - GOOD FRIDAY - School closed
April
- Monday 1st - EASTER MONDAY - School closed
- Tuesday 2nd - Friday 12th - EASTER HOLIDAYS
May
- Monday 6th - BANK HOLIDAY - School Closed
- Monday 13th - Thursday 16th - KS2 SATS week
- Monday 27th - BANK HOLIDAY - School Closed
- Tuesday 28th - Friday 31st - May Half Term
June
- Monday 3rd - INSET DAY
- Monday 10th - Friday 14th - Phoncis Screening Test Week
- Monday 24th - Wednesday 26th - Swimming Lessons at West Leigh Junior School
July
- Wednesday 10th - Friday 12th - Danbury Residential trip
- Friday 19th - Last Day of Term