Jan. 2014
Curriculum
New topics have been started this term. Each class
in Key Stage 2 is looking at something different.
The topics for the school have been chosen by the
current Y6 children. The Y6 have a focus on
fashion, Y5 Mysteries and Detectives, Y4 Deadly
60 and Y3 are finding out about countries. Key
Stage 1 and Reception are doing a topic on
Journeys.
Our theme for our personal and social teaching is
looking at global issues. This fits with the Y3 topic
and follows on from our theme of charities last half
term.
To support the Maths
work in school Y2 and
Y3 are going to trial
some work on key Maths
facts. Children will have
a card with key facts
they need to learn that
they will bring home
along with their reading book. These facts we are
calling SMIRFs, Simple, Mental, Instant, Recall
Facts.
When a child has learnt their facts, they will be
assessed and if successful they will move to the
next set of facts. It is planned to hold a
workshop/coffee morning at 9 a.m. for an hour on
Thursday 23rd January to give parents of Y2 and
Y3 further information.
Mrs. Barrott will also be focusing on involving
parents in how they can support their child in
Maths. She plans to invite parents into school to
share a maths session this half term. The aim of the
session is to show how we teach early Maths and
give parents ideas of how they can help their child
at home. Mrs. Barrott will let parents know when
she is holding the sessions.
Reading Champions
We held a special Reading Champions assembly on 6th
Dec. to celebrate the successful completion of the
CBeebies Reading Challenge and were impressed with
the large number of children who managed to
complete the challenge. We propose to hold another
special assembly on Friday 17th January for the
children who successfully completed the Key Stage 2
Authors Reading Challenge. A new Reading
Challenge for each Key Stage is proposed for the end
of January. Further information will follow.
Young Voices
Mrs. Atkinson has been preparing
the School Choir for the Young
Voices event at the Sheffield
Arena on Monday 20th Jan.
Twenty-seven children will be singing with thousands
of other local children in this exciting national event.
School Council
The School Council raised £127 for Barnsley Hospice
by collecting £1 coins for the Christmas Tree.
Some of the older School Council members are
participating in a Hoyland area consultation on the re
establishment of a Youth Forum. They will be
attending a meeting with children from other School
Councils in the area, to put forward their views.
Learning Council
Our Learning Council, which consist of 2 children
from each year group from Y1 upwards have been
around school and identified where good learning has
taken place and how we can make further
improvements. They have also had a very profitable
visit to Hoyland Common to look at how the children
there learn. Information about their work is to be
published in a supplement in the Barnsley Chronicle
later this term.
Prior to the Christmas holidays Lawrence Goodwin,
Amy Hindmarsh, Amelia Williams and Tyler Cook Parents Council/Christmas
represented the school in an inter school maths
Thank you for all your support for our Christmas
competition. The team came 1st.
festivies. We raised £277 at the coffee morning and
the winner of our Christmas Maths quiz was Annie –
Mae Atkinson Lomas.
Staffing
We would like to welcome onto our staff Mrs.
Atkinson Lomas who will take over the running of
the morning tuck shop and be acting as a relief
Dinner Supervisor. This will free up Mrs. Bebb and
Mrs Shepley to work with focus groups of children
to support their learning.
Attendance
Congratulations to the 59 pupils that manged 100%
attendance last term. 124 out of 188 pupils manged
to achieve over 96%. This means that our school
attendance for last term was 96.3%. Thank you for
your support. This is the 1st time in a number of
years we have hit our target of 96%.
Reminders
Head Lice
We are again having major problems in some
classes with head lice. If you do find any lice or
eggs remember to treat all family members and then
to re treat a week later as they will come back. As a
preventative measure use conditioner and comb
through your child’s hair. Don’t use expensive
Head Lice shampoos as a preventative measure as
they don’t work.
Parents of children in KS2 should meet their child
outside the school building at home time as it
avoids congestion on the corridors and helps
develop the children’s independence skills.
Thank you
The visit to the pantomime by Key Stage 1 and
Reception was a great success. I want to thank the
children for their excellent behaviour. The behaviour
of our children stood out well above that of the other
schools watching the performance.
Chances
The children with the most Chances last half term
were:- Emily Casey and Lily Robinson Y1, Layla
Armitage Y2, Ellie Brusby Y3, Jack Wheelhouse Y4,
Millie Cawthorn Y5 and Isabell Wardle Y6.
Events
17th Jan. Reading Champions assembly
20th Jan. Young Voices
29th Jan. Y4/5/6 School Council memebrs to
Rockingham Centre.
Friday 7th Feb. Training Day
14th Feb. Y1/2 inter school gymnastics
21st Feb. Break up for half term
3rd March return to school
7th March Y5/6 inter school rugby
20th March Artifacts Theatre Literacy play 'Let's Eat
Grandma'
11th April Break up for Easter
Term times School Year 2013/14
Parking
Please do not park in the private road for the flats
off Sheffield Road. I have received complaints from
local residents. As the evenings are darker please
take more care when parking as it is harder to see
children crossing the roads.
Spring 1st half term 6. 1. 2014
Spring 2nd half term 3. 3. 2014
Summer 1st half term 28. 4. 2014
Summer 2nd half term 2. 6. 2014
New Starters
If you have a child or know of a child that will be 5
next school year, you should have applied for a
school place for September 2014. The closing date
was Wed. 15th January 2014. If you have not
applied then you urgently need to contact School
Admissions on 01226 773689
Further information can be found on our school
web site.
www.birdwellprimary.org.uk
21. 2. 2014
11.4 2014
23. 5. 2014
21. 7. 2014
Staff Training Days are, 7th Feb. 2014. 9th June 2014
and 21st July 2014.