Signs of Spring Competition
It feels like Spring has finally started and we have taken this opportunity to launch a project across all eleven schools in the Gosforth Schools' Trust.
We are asking the children to take a photograph which shows the signs of Spring. There will be a school winner for each age range (Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2). There will also be winners selected across the Trust for each of these groups. All pictures will be proudly displayed in school. The deadline is April 26th - please email your pictures into school or print a copy to hand in with your child's name and class written on the back.
Good luck - we cannot wait to see your entries!
Nursery Applications September 2024
Just a reminder that the applications for September 2024 places to our Nursery are now open. Please call in to the school office, or email admin@regentfarm.newcastle.sch.uk for an application pack. Please return the form directly to school, not to the Local Authority, by Friday 15th March 2024.
We are very proud of our happy, busy and loving Nursery: we believe it helps to create the very best start to school life for your child and is the foundations for a successful education. We would be delighted to show prospective parents around nursery, please just contact the office to organise a convenient time. There is also lots more information about the on the Nursery page in the Year Groups section of the website.
World Book Day
Thursday 7th March is World Book Day – children will be taking part in a range of activities across the day to help foster their love of reading. They can come into school dressed as a book character or in their pyjamas. Please ensure your child still has sensible footwear and a coat.
We will also welcome author Fay Evans to school who will be performing an interactive reading of her latest picture book Dave and The Whale, a fabulous rhyming tale for young readers to enjoy. Fay’s author visits include lots of audience participation, props and cuddly characters, as well as actions and rhymes for the children to learn and join in with. Everyone will have the opportunity to ‘flap your flippers’ as they swim-along with Dave!
Fay will talk about life as a children’s author and answer questions from our young readers and budding writers. The children will take part in follow up classroom activities with their teachers.
If you would like to order a signed copy/copies of the book ‘Dave and the Whale’ for your child to receive on the day of the author visit, please complete the order form via the APP and make £10 payment online.
Important Messages
- Please can we remind you to name all clothing and items which come in to school. We have a huge amount of lost property and it is very difficult to return items without names on. We will display all the current lost property outside school in the next few weeks, please take any items your child may have lost. Anything which is remaining will be donated to charity.
- Northumbria Police have asked schools across the region to share some parent information about County Lines; this has not been written to worry parents, but to promote awareness and help keep out young people safe. Please click on the link below to read this handout.
- Year 4 parents should have received their offer for Middle School today. If you made your application via the portal, you will be able to see your offer when you log back in. You should also have received an email. If you have any questions or concerns about your child's offer you will need to contact the school admissions team at Newcastle Council.
Curriculum Information
Early Years
Early Years was overrun by creatures great and (not so) small last half term. We were visited by dinosaurs, dragons, crocodiles and penguins (at one point there was even a whole pet shop full of creatures for the children to buy!)
In Nursery the topic of Fire and Ice helped the children to explore the world around them looking at the wintery weather and how things change at this time of year. There was lots of outdoor play, solving problems that weather created such as; "What tools can we use to crack the ice?" and "What happens to the ice when it gets warm?" Everyone loved learning about how penguins overcome their icy problems...by sliding on their tummies of course! And in true Nursery fashion, the children all just had to have a try. When Chinese New Year came, Zog and other dragons joined the children to learn about all things fire. They visited our school fire pit and lit their own fire whilst learning why dragons feature in so many stories, especially in the Chinese tradition.
In Reception, the half term started with a visit to the Great North Museum where the children explored prehistoric fossils and learned about dinosaurs. After that, they felt well equipped to open their own classroom museums with facts and artefacts and even ending with a visit to their own gift shop. When the T-Rex wrote to the children about his up coming birthday they used all of their creative skills to prepare a party for him; writing invitations, making party food and decorating the classrooms. The children were shocked to find an alligator had camped out in the school corridor, but quickly found out the best way to look after him thanks to our friends in Gatorland Florida who gave us a lesson in how to be a responsible gator-keeper. Alan (the alligator) was thankfully returned to his friends in Florida and the children organised an alligator ball in celebration.
Key Stage 1
Last half term was a busy one for children in Key Stage 1: they stepped back in time exploring key events from the past.
Year 1 learnt about the first moon landing and why it is such a significant event in History. The children have learned about the astronaut Neil Armstrong and also how space travel has changed and evolved in the years since he stepped on the moon. Each book of the week was focused around space and the children produced some amazing writing including a letter to Katherine Johnson, thanking her for all her amazing work. And if you need something fixing with a hammer and nail, Year 1 are the ones to call! As part of their woodwork project they have learned to sand, and attach items to wood using wood glue and a nail. They used all these skills to create their own wooden toy rockets. They ended their topic with a wonderful day at the Centre for Life bringing their topic to a close in the most wonderful way.
Year 2 travelled back to 1666 and the time of The Great Fire of London. They lived through the fire day by day, thinking about the key events and how the people of London would be feeling. They then used this as inspiration for writing. After learning that the fire started in a bakery, they turned their hand to baking bread, just like Thomas Farriner himself! Not only did it smell delicious but tasted amazing too with lots of butter. In D.T the children worked on creating fire engines, looking at how wheels, axels and chassis work to create a moving object and applying this to their model fire engines. What amazing teamwork and creativity were shown during the final construction of these. The term was ended with a jaw dropping performance of The Great Fire of London. They wowed audiences with their acting and singing!
Key Stage 2
Last half term the children in Year 3 travelled back in time to the Stone Age period. The children learnt about the past through the story of the “Stone Age Boy.” They researched artefacts to gain an understanding of what life was like in Britain during this period and the types of skills needed to survive. The topic included a wonderful trip to the Rising Sun Country Park where they built shelters and experienced life in the Stone Age. They made Stone Age Flat bread and cooked it on a firepit. In English the children wrote precise instructions for others to follow, they had great fun!
In Year 4 the children focused on a topic all about the Ancient Egyptians, learning about the key beliefs and aspects of this civilisation. They visited the Great North Museum where they studied artefacts and discussed what we can learn about Egyptian life from these. The children also enjoyed learning about mummification and in class they mummified a banana! The topic ended with an amazing Egyptian Day which was an opportunity for the children to come to school dressed like an Egyptian and live like an Egyptian for the day. This included making (and eating) some traditional Ancient Egyptian food: they all had a super day – the teachers included!
Dates for Half Term
- Monday 4th March Nursery and Reception – Rock Pool School visiting school
- Thursday 7th March Author Visit from Fay Evans and World Book Day Children can come in dressed as their favourite book character or in their pyjamas to snuggle down and enjoy a book.
- Week commencing 11th March Mrs Doonan and Mrs Winter’s class begin a fortnight of daily swimming sessions.
- Thursday 14th March Reception Beach Visit
- Friday 15th March Red Nose Day Children can come into school wearing anything red, or Comic Relief items, for a donation to charity.
- Friday 15th March Closing Date for Nursery Applications for September 2024
- Week Commencing 25th March Parents’ Evening Appointments – these can be booked via the parent App.
- Tuesday 26th March Nursery Trip to Tynemouth Aquarium
- Wednesday 27th March Year 3 Pompeii Up - play for parents. There will be two seats for adults to attend per child - 3GM's performance will be at 9:15am and 3SC will be at 2:45pm.
- Thursday 28th March Easter Egg Competition – this year’s theme will be jobs and professions! Children can decorate a hard-boiled egg (or craft egg) to look like any job – it could be something they aspire to be in the future. Prizes for each year group will be awarded.
School Breaks Up for Easter – Thursday 28th March at 3:15pm