Highlights of the week
We began our week with a powerful assembly led by Mrs Harvey on Restorative Conversations. This built beautifully on last week’s focus on Active Listening, reinforcing the idea that how we speak and listen to one another is the foundation of a respectful community. Oracy is increasingly becoming a matter of national concern. Data shows that, in general, children are starting school with a smaller vocabulary, and the ability to speak and listen effectively is in decline. This is a challenge we are determined to meet head-on. Most future professions rely heavily on spoken communication and the ability to think critically through dialogue. To support this, our teaching staff and assistants took part in professional training and demonstration lessons this week, gaining new strategies to ensure every child is thinking and talking in every lesson. We believe that promoting oracy is a shared mission between school and home. Taking time to talk as a family without the distraction of televisions or handheld devices is one of the most valuable gifts you can give your child. If you are able to sit and eat a meal together, it provides an excellent window for discussion and curiosity. A key piece of advice from our training was to pose questions that are relatable but require children to form and justify their own ideas. To get you started, the question I would like to leave you with this weekend is: "Who has more freedom: adults or children?" It would be fascinating to hear the different views and the reasons behind them within your families! Each week, we will give the children a new question.
A Brief Reminder: Howard Road Gate
Please may I remind all families not to push or pull the automated gate on Howard Road. We have recently had to fund repairs to the mechanism caused by manual force. These gates require a little patience to operate correctly; please allow them to open and close automatically to ensure they remain in good working order.
Have a wonderful weekend, and I hope you enjoy the time spent talking and listening with your children. Jon Gale
Year 6 have been working on their Charanga music this term, focussing on the song Happy by Pharrel Williams. They played the glockenspiels as an accompaniment, following the musical notation on the board. Lots of children who are learning to play musical instruments also joined in! We had violinists, cellists and even a double bass player in 6H!
We welcomed Jason from Oracy for Schools to carry out some workshops with classes this week. We had a fantastic time as the children took part in discussions and debates around a whole variety of topics! This has helped us to launch our focus on oracy across the curriculum. Watch this space for more Oracy related activities as we move through the spring and summer terms.
6F have been working hard in their science lessons this week. They have been investigating how light travels. They then recorded their results.
During their English work this week 5BM have been using their comprehension skills to understand a poem all about the way in which a river moves through the landscape. They had to interpret one of the verses to illustrate it with facts from the poem.
The newsletters are also accessible on the news section of our school website.
Club timetable
School meals
Upcoming events this Half term:
Monday 19th January: 4R inspire workshop 9-10am
4H start swimming (2 weeks)
Tuesday 20th January: 6M and 6F inspire workshops 915-1015
4RK inspire workshop 9-10am
Wednesday 21st January: 6H and 6EH inspire workshops 4H inspire workshop
Thursday 22nd January: 4E inspire workshop 9-10am
Monday 26th January: 3O inspire workshop
Upper school choir to perform at the Birmingham Conservatoire
Tuesday 27th January: 5H and 5B inspire workshops 3C inspire workshop
Wednesday 28th January: Carly Lewis author visit for upper school 3A Inspire Workshop Thursday 29th January: 3P Inspire Workshop
Friday 30th January: 5BM and 5V Inspire Workshops
Thursday 12th February: parents evening
Friday 13th February: Parents consultation day
Monday 23rd February: swimming for 4E
School training days (no pupils in school)
Stars of the week
Readers of the week
Please find below some information about attendance & punctuality procedures that we have to follow in school in line with Birmingham LA guidance.