The Riverside
Reporter
ISSUE 9: 11th November 2016
www.riversideprimaryschool.org.uk
THIS TERM’S SCHOOL VALUES ARE TO SPOT OUR CHILDREN WHO ARE:
Beech class in rehearsals for the dance festival this week 
This week: Parents Evening, Willow Tree news, Dates for your diary and
much more! …
From the Head’s Chair
This week started with our second parent consultation evening, which was again well
attended and a great opportunity for you to discuss your child’s progress and
achievement with their class teacher(s). I was again impressed by the feedback I
received during the course of the evening and I know that everyone involved found the
occasion to be extremely useful. Thank you to everyone who took part this time around
and thank you to the teachers for their preparations. If any parents were unable to
attend, we will be contacting you to ensure you have your appointment as soon as
possible. If this is you, please speak to your child’s teacher at the end of the day to
arrange accordingly…thank you.
On Tuesday, we welcomed Jeanette Kemp and her team to RIVERSIDE from the local
library service. This was their second visit and they have really helped us to review and
update our school reading books for the children. We will be developing and improving
our library over the next few
months and I am really hoping
to secure some funding to help
make it really special for the
children. The ability to read is
the gateway to understanding
and the catalyst for learning, so
this is really important for all of
our children. Many of you have
already attended an informative
phonics workshop lead my Jane
Arnold, our phonics lead
teacher, and this is an
important milestone on your child’s journey to reading confidently. If we give them the
skills to read, they will understand. If we foster a passion and love of reading, they will
fly. The library service are currently arranging
‘Book Buzz’ sessions for parents, at which you
can see how to help your child with their reading
and pick up vital hints and tips. This will be
coupled with reading sessions with the children,
a visit from the Gruffalo and maybe even a visit
to school by a published children’s author! I
would like to thank Jeanette and her team and
look forward to sharing further details with you
shortly.
Absence and attendance continues to be an
important focus for every child at RIVERSIDE – if
you are in school you will learn more. If you
aren’t, you won’t. Please can I remind all
parents that term time leave of absence is not
permitted. We present a special trophy each
week to the class with the best attendance and the best class across a whole term
earns a mufti day. We have also started presenting special certificates to children who
achieve 100% attendance in a term. Last term, 18 certificates were presented. Can we
beat it? Let’s see… I will be writing to parents of children whose attendance needs to be
improved and I am more than happy to meet with any parent if you have any questions,
concerns or worries in this area. Come and talk to me and we will put a plan in place to
support you getting your child into school
regularly and on time. Thank you in advance
for your support.
Also this week we welcomed Dance Instructor
Jane Douglas to RIVERSIDE as our Year 2
children started getting ready for the upcoming School Sports Partnership dance
festival held at the Magnet Leisure Centre.
They have made a great start and I look
forward to watching the finished performance
when it’s ready!
Can I remind
parents that
individual and
sibling photos
are happening next Monday, 14th November.
Please make sure your cchild arrive at school
looking smart and ready to smile. Thanks!
The last key point from me this week is to have a look at your child’s lunchbox before
they leave for school. We have noticed several children arriving at school with little more
than a sandwich to eat. We have a successful breakfast club available before school and
would advise parents to try to include a sandwich (or similar), and piece fruit or
vegetable and a drink (nothing fizzy please) as a minimum. We will keep an eye on the
children’s packed lunches and get ouch if we he any queries.
Have a good weekend. Please take a couple of minutes to ask your child about
Remembrance day as they have attended a special assembly to discuss what it is, why
we wear the poppy and share their work and their learning. We have marked the two
minute silence this morning and the children really did demonstrate our school value of
being respectful. Well done RIVERSIDE – I am proud of you!
Nick Stevens
Nick Stevens Headteacher
Riverside Primary School & Nursery Tel: 01628 621741 Email: [email protected]
Visit our Website: www.riversideprimaryschool.org.uk Twitter: @RiversideMhead
Willow Tree News
Willow Class has returned from the half-term break with a lot of enthusiasm and energy.
We started several new topics that the children are enjoying. In History, we are looking at
the Topic: ‘Invasion and Settlers;’ in particular, the Viking Invasion of Britain in the 8th
century. Hopefully we will be able to organise a field-trip to a Museum in December, in
order that the children can look at the real archaeology behind the lessons. The Topic
has relevance today, since we are discussing how Britain has always been a multicultural society of settlers from all over the world.
Children are using Newton-meters to measure the weight of objects. We have a Physics
Topic this term - Forces and how they are used in the physical world. We might take for
granted such ideas as starting, stopping, pushing, pulling, jumping and swimming, but
these are all examples of gravity, friction, water resistance, air resistance and buoyancy.
With observation and experimentation, the children will be Junior Physicists.
Willow Class is coming up with some lovely poems! One of several new Topics this Term
involves writing narrative poetry and creating poetic language. Here is just a sample of
some of the beautiful verse the children have come up with, based on the poem
Imagine:
Imagine
The sugary sweets calling out my name.
The plain planets pivoting around the sun.
A light loving cat creeping quickly around the shed.
A frightened, funny fox always on the lookout.
The sugary sweets calling out my name.
By Laiba Maryam Ahmed
In PE the children are doing Hockey and Dance this term, they are enjoying the new
dance based on the theme of City Life!
RIVERSIDE values are being reinforced by a series of lessons dealing with Getting On
and Falling Out. We have been talking about how we have different types of friends and
relationships with them in different situations, varying from immediate friends and family
to wider family and people that we encounter in the community. We will be going onto
talk about how to problem solve and resolve conflict with others and what discrimination
is in subsequent lessons.
Maths is a popular topic in Willow Class and I am pleased to say that all the children
have shown improvement since Term 1. As well as fractions, prime numbers, column
multiplication, mental arithmetic and division – one of our Talk 4 Maths lessons will
involve children learning how to read, scale, interpret and create maps. Sadly, mapmaking and reading are skills that seem to be disappearing in the Google age.
Here the children are playing a game that challenges their mental math skills called ‘Hit
the Jack’ – a Victorian game that is as popular and competitive today as it was 150
years ago. Great start to the new term Willow Class – keep up the good work!
READING CHAMPIONS – CAN YOU HELP?
At RIVERSIDE, we are very lucky to have 4
‘Reading Champions’, friends of the school who
volunteer an hour or two per week to visit the
school and hear children read. This is a great
way to ‘give back’ and a hugely rewarding
experience, as well as being beneficial to the
children. We want more people to come and
help our children to learn to read and will
provide training to anyone who is able to help in
this way. If you have an hour to spare and would
like to become a reading champion, please let
me know! Drop your details into the office and
we will contact you and make arrangements to
get you started 
NOTICE FOR PARENTS
From this half term, paper copies of the RIVERSIDE reporter will be distributed one copy
per family, sent to the youngest child. They will still be available for everyone via the
school website too so please take the time to read and see what we’ve been up to….
…REMINDERS FOR EVERYONE…
 DENTAL AND DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS – please try to make these if
needed outside of school hours so your child does not miss out on any
learning
 LITTER- please be courteous and help teach your child to be respectful
to the school and the environment by taking your litter home with you.
 BOOSTER SEAT SAFETY – Imogen Leonard, the Road Safety Officer
from RBWM will be joining us at 8.30am on Wednesday 16th
November to provide advice to parents about the correct use of booster
seats and seat belts. Please do take the opportunity to ask her if you
have any questions – she’ll be the one with the high-viz jacket!
 SMOKING – please can I remind parents that smoking on school
premises, including E-cigarettes is not permitted. Can I also request
that parents who smoke are considerate of their own and other
people’s children who may be exposed to their second hand smoke. It
is also unlawful to smoke in a car carrying children. Thank you for your
support in this matter.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
DATE
OCCASION
WHO?
Every Day
Breakfast Club open from 8am
All
Mon 14 Nov
Kittle Photography (individual photos)
All
Mon 14 Nov
Jane Douglas Dance Sessions Y2 & Y4
Y2 & Y4
Fri 25 Nov
Girls Football Match @ Cookham Rise
Mon 28 Nov
Girls Football Match @ St. Edmund Campion
Wed 30 Nov
Mobile Library visiting
ALL
Mon 12 Dec
KS1 Nativity Dress rehearsal 1pm-2pm
KS1
Tues 13 Dec
FS & KS1 Nativity
FS & KS1
Thurs 15 Dec
KS1 Nativity
KS1
Sat 17th Dec
RIVERSIDE Christmas Fayre 11am-1pm
All
Girls Football
team
Girls Football
team
Don’t’ forget you can download our Newsletter from RIVERSIDE Primary School &
Nursery website in any language if you choose 
www.riversideprimaryschool.org.uk
Foodbank goodies delivered this morning for our
Breakfast Club children