West Sussex County Council

CAMELSDALE PRIMARY SCHOOL

School Road, Camelsdale, Haslemere, Surrey, GU27 3RN

Telephone: 01428 642177 Fax: 01428 641481

e-mail: office@camelsdale.w-sussex.sch.uk website: www.camelsdale.w-sussex.sch.uk

Headteacher Mrs. Sarah Palmer B.Ed. (Hons.) Cantab.

7thJanuary2020SpringTermNewsletter-Puffins

DearParents,HappyNewYear!IhopethatyouallhadawonderfulChristmasholidayandyourilluminateddecorationstwinkledmerrilythroughoutyourcelebrations?MrsMoore,MrsGlueandIwouldliketosayaHUGETHANKYOUtoyouallforyourextremelygenerousgiftsandcards;youareverykind!Wehaveanexcitingandbusytermplanned.Ourthemeis‘WhatdidtheRomansdoforus?’.WewillbefindingoutaboutallthingsRomanaswellaswhywearestilllearningaboutittoday.WewilltraveltoItalyandexplorethetownofPompeiiaswellaslookingatMountVesuviustoo.WewillhaveadayatFishbournePalacetootoseefirst-handRomanArtefactsandart.ThistripwilltakeplaceonThursday27thFebruaryandIwillneedthree/fouradults tohelpon the trip.Pleaseemailme ifyou’reable tohelp.Pleasesupportour topicworkwithyourownenquiries, visits anddiscussions.At the endof term,we shall see exactly howmany thingswehave foundoutaboutwhattheRomansdiddoforus.Iwonderhowlongourlistwillbe?!Ihopethistermseesthechildrenreallywellbehavedandfocussedontheirlearningaswellasbeingrespectfultoeachother.Iwouldreallyappreciateyoursupporthere.Weneedtocontinuethechildrentotakeresponsibilityoftheir own actions and to work as a team/class. We need to help them listen better, follow instructions, toconcentratehardanddevelopawanttolearn.IhopetheRomantopicinspiresusall.In developing the children’s understanding of English, communication and languages we will enjoy the book‘EscapefromPompeii’whichwillbethefocusofsomeofourEnglishthistermaswellasfocussingoninformationbookletsandHaikupoemslaterintheterm.Inourgrammarlessonsweshallfocusoncorrectuseofpunctuation,improvingourwritingusingdescriptiveandexciting language,developingand sequencing storyplotsandwritingnon-fiction information texts.Pleasecan IencourageyoutohelpyourchildrencheckthattheyareALWAYSusingfull-stopsandcapital letters intherightplacesnow!SpellingswillcontinueonaMondaymorning, lookingatnewspellingpatternsandfocussingontheYear3/4spellinglist(whichthechildrenareexpectedtoknowbytheendofthisyear).Thechildrenwillreceiveaweeklylistofspellings/spellingpatternstolearn.Everychildisexpectedtolearntheirspellingsathome,writing

out the spelling list several timesusing the ‘Look, Cover,Write, Check’ technique.Manyof our English spellingpatternsarechallengingandrequireregularpractice.Wearegratefulfortheeffortsthatyouhavebeenmakingathometohelpyourchildrento learntheirspellings–thankyou.Sadlythere isnoshort-cutto learningspellings,regularrepetitionisstillthemosteffectivemethod.Ihopethatallof thechildrenwillcontinuetoread regularlyathome.Researchhasshownthatreadingplaysaveryimportantroleinthedevelopmentofwrittenliteracyskills.IfyourchildisaFreeReaderIwouldbegratefulifyou could regularly check that they are reading a suitable bookwhich offers an appropriate challengewithoutbeingtootricky.Ifyouareunsureaboutthis,orwouldlikeadvice,pleasedonothesitatetospeaktome,Iwillbehappytohelp.Youarewelcometoaccompanyyourchildtochooseabookfromtheschoollibraryafterschool.IhaveaskedthechildrentorecordtheirreadingintheirHome/SchoolDiariessothatIcanmonitortheirprogressandIwouldaskforyoursupportinthis.WecelebrateEnglishWeekfrom10thFebruaryandeverychildwillwritea review of a book that they have enjoyed reading recently – why not choose a selection to enjoy togetherbetweennowandthen?Learningtorecitepoetryfrommemory isnowafeatureoftheNationalCurriculumforEnglish.Thistermeverychildwillchooseapoemtolearnandwewillhaveourown‘Puffins’PoetryRecital’inclassduringEnglishWeek.Poemsshouldbeatleast10lineslong.Perhapsyoucouldstartlookingforasuitablepoemwithyourchild?Ana Ochoa-Fagan continues to visit us eachWednesday for a Spanish lesson. The children are enjoying theirSpanishandmakinggreatprogress.WearelookingforwardtowelcomingourfriendsfromBurgosandpractisingourlanguageskillsfromMonday16thMarch.Indeveloping thechildren’smathematicalunderstandingwewill continue to follow theNationalMathematicsCurriculum using amastery approachwhich focusses on depth of understanding and the ability to reason andproblem-solve mathematically. A copy of our ‘Guide to Maths Mastery at Camelsdale School’ and our schoolcalculationguideareonthewebsite–pleasetakealook,theyarefullofhelpfulinformation!Mathshomeworkwillfocusondevelopingtheskillsthatthechildrenhavebeenlearningduringtheweek.Theyshouldworkontheactivitiesathomeforapproximately30minuteseachweek–ifyoufindthatitistakingyourchildlongerthat30minutespleaseletthemstopafter30minutesiftheywouldlikeandmakeanoteformeonthehomeworktoexplain.Don’tforgetthatHomeworkClubisavailableforanyonewhowould likea littlemoresupportoraccesstoacomputer.Wewillcontinuewithaweeklytimes/divisiontestonaFriday.Thechildrenaremakinggreatprogresswiththeirtimes-tablesandIwouldliketothankyouforperseveringathometohelpyourchildrentodevelopthisimportantskill.TheNationalCurriculumexpectationisthatallchildrenwillknowtheirtablesupto12XbytheendofYear4. There are a number of good websites with interactive games which they could investigate to assist theirlearning,‘HittheButton’isverypopular(andforthoseluckyenoughtohaveaccesstoanI-pad,whynotcheckouttheexcellent‘Squeebles’App?).WealsohaveasubscriptiontoTimesTablesRockstars.Pleaseensurethattimestablesisaprioritythistermasallschoolswillbehavingtheendofyear4timestablecheckinMay/June.Indevelopingthechildren’sscientificunderstandinganddesignandtechnologyskills,wewillbelearningabouthowsound ismadeandtravels,andhowdifferentmaterialschangestatewhenheated/cooled.Wewillextendourinvestigationskillsthroughscientificenquiry.Perhapsyoucaninvestigateandtalkabouttheseareasathometoo.In developing the children’s understanding of the arts,we will focus on Roman art as well as thinking aboutlandscapeslaterintheterm.Childrenwillhavethechancetocreatemosaics.Continuingoursuccessful ‘Growit,Cook it,Eat it’project,wewillcookatwo-course,hotRomanmeal forourlunchonWednesday4thMarch.Childrenwillnotrequireaschooldinnerlunch.Weaskfor£2.50towardsthecostofingredientsforeachlesson(paymentcanbemadeviatheonlinepaymentsystem).

IamsureyouwillagreethatthechildrenperformedbeautifullyintheChristingleserviceattheendoflastterm.WehavenowsaidgoodbyetoMissRobinsonandarelookingforwardtowelcomingMrsJuniperasournewmusicteacher.ThewholeclasswillbeworkingtowardsaprogrammeofmusicalitemsfortheEasterserviceonFriday3rdApril.Inordertodevelopthechildren’sunderstandingofhealth,physicalfitnessandwell-beingtheywillcontinuetohave swimming lessons on a Monday afternoon. Please can you ensure that your child has a one-pieceswimsuit/trunks, swimming hat, towel and waterproof coat with a hood in school on Mondays. We willcelebrate their achievements at our Annual Swimming Gala on Monday 30th March at 1pm. You are verywelcometocomeandsupport!This term it isour turntoenjoy ‘WildSchool’.Thechildrenwill learnabout thenaturalworldandtakepart inactivitieswhich promote teamwork and communication skills.Wild School sessionswill take place on FRIDAYafternoons,startingonFriday24thJanuary.Itislikelytobecold(andwet?!)anditisVERYIMPORTANTthatthechildrenareproperlydressedfortheweather.Pleasecheckthekit list (whichwillbesenthomethisweek)andensurethatyourchildbringsappropriateclothestochangeintoonFridayafternoons(anextrapairofwarmsocksinsidewellies isessential). Inourexperience,childrenenjoyoutdooractivitieswhatevertheweather if theyarekittedout to suit the conditions–once theybecomewetandcold theexperience rapidly loses its appeal!OurWildSchoolleaderswillnottakechildrenontothecommoniftheydon’tthinkthattheyareadequatelydressed.In PSHCE we will follow our scheme, thinking about the importance of Online-Safety, ‘Saying No to Bullying’;disability and drug awareness; fair trade; and a focus on waste and the impact of single-use plastics on theenvironment. We will also have some opportunities for philosophical discussion in class this term. We lookforwardtoavisitfromourSchool’sPoliceLiaisonOfficer.InComputingwewillremindtheclassabouttheimportanceofbeingcontinuallyawareoftheirownonlinesafety,aswellascreatinginformationposterslaterintheterm.To develop the children’s religious education our RE focus this term will be the importance of the PassoverFestivalintheJewishfaithandthesignificanceofEasterintheChristianreligion.Thank you so much for all of your efforts to support and encourage your children to produce such fabulouspresentationslastterm,theywerereallyimpressive!Thechildrenaredevelopingtheirresearchandpresentationskills and starting tobecomemore independent learners.This term theywill selectanumberofactivities foraLearningJournal focussedontheRomans.Thechildrenareexpectedtocompletethisworkathomeduringtheweek(approximately30-60minuteseachweek).IwillbesendinghomeaGuidetoLearningJournalswhichIhopethatyouandyourchildrenwillfinduseful.TheyarewelcometomakeuseofHomeworkClubifworkingathomeistricky. One activity thatwe all do is tomake aRoman Shield (it will become clearwhen you receive the tasksheet).ThiswillbeneededinschoolforMonday2ndMarchaheadofaRomanBattleledbyPaulUllson–possiblyanicehalftermactivity!Learning Journal activities are selected to compliment andextend the learning that is takingplace in class andprovideforawidevarietyoflearningstyles(thereshouldbesomethingtoappealtoeveryone).Itisimportantthatthechildrenchoosearangeofactivities fromdifferentcolumnsandrowstogetadiverseexperience.TheywillpresenttheirJournalsinschoolonMonday23rdMarchpriortoaCelebrationAfternoononWednesday1stApril.The children will have 10 weeks to complete their Learning Journal and they should aim to complete oneactivityeveryfortnight.Planningandmeetingdeadlinesare importantskillsandIhopethatyouwillencourageyourchild toworksteadilyon theirhomeworkprojectsduring the termso that theyavoida lastminutepanic!Childrenneedtopresentsomeformofaplanfortheiractivitieshoweverwearebeinglessprescriptivethistimeonwhatthisis.Itcouldbeamind-mapeachtask,aplanforallactivitiestogetheretc.It’sdowntohowyourchildfinds it useful to plan. Research is now telling us that children see things in different ways. This approach toplanningshouldbelessprescriptive.Thechildrenwillbeexpectedtoworkon5activitiesintotal,rangingfromsimpletomorecomplexprojects.Thereisprovisiontoworkonsomeprojectswithanotherchildinapair.Ialwaysadvisethemtothinkcarefullybefore

agreeingtoworkcollaborativelyas,althoughmanypartnershipsarehugelysuccessful,thoughtmustbegiventothepracticalitiesofmeetingupafterschooltoworktogether.TheLearningJournalswillbemarkedoncompletionwithfeedbackbutnotgraded.Iamlookingforwardtoseeingwhichactivitiesthechildrenchoosetoundertake.Weareacreativeclass!Ihopethatyouhavefoundthis informationuseful, ifyouhaveanyproblemsorqueriespleasee-mailorpopinandseeme. Morningscanbeveryhecticbut Icanbeavailablemostafternoonsafterschool ifyouhaveanyconcerns.Afewfinalpleastofinish!Pleasecouldyoumakesurethatyourchildhasafully-stockedpencilcase. Feltpensandhighlightersarenotpermittedinschoolandwealwayshaveashortageofgluesticks!Wearealsoextremelygratefulfordonationsofboxesoftissues.Pleasealsomakesureuniformissmart–NOhoodies(theseareforPEonly).Hairshouldalwaysbetiedupandthereshouldnotbeanyjewelleryornailvarnish.Pleasemakesurewelliesfitandeveryonehasawaterproofcoatwithahood.As you can seewe have a very exciting learning adventure ahead of us this term.We are looking forward toexploringourtopicswithyourchildren,andIwillbedelightedtoreceiveanyoffersofhelpwithourlearning.Bestwishesfor2020!MrsOwen,MrsMooreandMrsGlue

Puffins’WorkshopsandOutings-Spring2020

Activity Date Cost AdditionalInformationVisittoFishbourneRomanPalace

Thursday27thFebruary

£15 Lettertofollow.

CookingwithMrsCarless

Wednesday4thMarch

£2.50 Noschooldinnerrequiredonthesedays

TwoHalfDayswithPaulUllson

Thursday9thJanuaryandTuesday10th

March

£6.00

You are invited tomakea voluntary contribution to cover the cost of the transport, insurance, admissions andworkshopsfortheseevents.Althoughthecontributionisvoluntary,Idoneedtopointoutthatitisprobablethatthesevisitscouldnottakeplaceunlessallparents,whoareable,arewillingtocontribute.Iappreciatethatsomefamiliesmightfinditparticularlydifficulttocontributeallorpartofthesuggestedsum,andifyoufeelthatyouareinsuchaposition,pleasedonothesitatetocontactmeinconfidencetodiscusswhethersomesuitablearrangementscanbemadetocoverthecostofyourchild’sparticipation.Ialsoneedtostressthatifafamilywereunabletocontribute,andthetripwerestilltoproceed,nochildwithintheclassforwhomthetripisintendedwillbedisadvantagedandbeleftoutoftheactivity.Paymentshouldbemadeusingourschoolpay-onlinefacility.Paymentwillbedeemedasconsenttotakepartintheactivitiesmentionedabove.Pleaseletusknowimmediatelyifyouremergencycontactdetailschange.