Newsletters

Newsletter 32 – Friday, 28th May 2021

Headteacher Message

Hello all,

So ends a momentous half term. It has been great to have a whole half term completely uninterrupted. Your children have really benefited from the consistency and routine that the school day gives to them. They have been amazing and the quality of work I am seeing being produced at the moment is of a very high standard. I have just had a Year 1 boy show me some exceptional writing. What was really interesting was that even though his Year 1 has been very disrupted, I can see great progress in his writing from September. A big thank you to Miss Hayward and all of the adults in our school for facilitating this.

I had a really good meeting with a parent this week. Initially it was just due to be a 10 minute catch up but it turned into a very productive hour-llong discussion about the school. Our school. Your school. I mention this because we really do want to hear your feedback. What was lovely about the meeting was that we talked about what was going really well as well as other aspects. For this school to be the best it can be you need to feel that your opinions are listened to. This is also the time of year when we begin to look at our strategic priorities for next year and I would like to gather some thoughts to feed into this process. As such I have set up a very simple google form for you to fill in. It will have two questions.

What do you feel is going well at school?

What do you think the school needs to do to further improve?

https://forms.gle/mPv73biePeRLGUPf6

I know that a more detailed questionnaire was sent from the governing body earlier this year but I want to capture thoughts after our 7 weeks back in school. Please take a short time out of your day to have your say.

It is really lovely to see that the weather is set fair for half-term and I hope you can get outside to enjoy the belated beginning of summer. Please adhere to the guidelines. I was speaking to some of my colleagues from Kingston yesterday and they have seen a sharp rise in infection rates. This is not currently the case in Richmond but we all have a role to play in keeping our community safe.

I really hope you have a lovely break and we will see you back for what will be a busy and productive half-term.

Mr Porter

Office Updates

The Office is Closed

Although restrictions are slowly lifting, the office still remains closed to parents and carers. You may only enter the office if you have a pre booked appointment. We must insist you wear a mask at all times whilst in the office area. Thank you

Emergency contact update

All parents and carers are required log into your child's Arbor account and check the details we hold are current. In case of an emergency we need to be able to contact you. Thank you

Payments

Meals: Please can you clear any outstanding balance on your child's meal account.

Trips: Please can you make your payment instatements for any upcoming trips.

No Parking

Please can we ask all parents and carers, to not stop or park on the yellow zig zag lines surrounding the school. These areas must be kept clear at all times for the safety of our children and access for the emergency services.

Diary Dates

Half Term

All Day

From 31 May until 04 Jun

May

Summer Term Ends

All Day

July

Wellbeing

We just wanted to remind everyone that here at Darell Primary and Nursery school we feel that wellbeing, including your physical and mental health are extremely important. We want to support the whole family during this time.
It is important that our parents and carers feel supported and well in themselves so the tips and links you will find within this section are to support adults and children.

Every Mind Matters

Having good mental health helps us relax more, achieve more and enjoy our lives more. We have expert advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing.

https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/

Mind Workshops for Parents

As a parent we often find ourselves ill-equipped when it comes to dealing with, or even being aware of, our child’s or young person’s mental wellbeing. In order to help them, we first need an understanding ourselves of what we mean by mental health. Second, the tools to help our young person with any emotional difficulties.

These two complimentary workshops offer some useful insights, guidance and tips on understanding mental health and ways you can help your child.

Workshop 1 - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/parents-workshop-1-mental-health-awareness-for-parents-tickets-126807766443

Workshop 2 - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/parents-workshop-2-supporting-mental-health-difficulties-in-children-tickets-126811497603

The Reading Corner

Welcome to our weekly section of the newsletter all about reading. Every week, we will share a question (or two) with you about the book your child is reading in school. Please use these questions to help you find out a little more about what your child has been reading in school and continue to develop their love of reading.

Packham - What did the robbers want to steal? Why?

Peake - What would you do if you found a giant egg on your doorstep? How would you look after it? What would you like to find inside?

Weir - What would you do if you were Rapunzel?

Mozart - Where would you go on Emma Jane's aeroplane?

Newton - What happened when a seagull saw The Lonely Beast?

Thunberg - Would you rather grow up in London or The Amazon Rainforest?

Darwin - Which place in London would you like to visit with Paddington Bear?

Attenborough - How would you have felt when hearing the story of Grace's family in Soweto?

Parks - What is the most shocking revelation of the book 'When Life Gives You Mangoes' so far?

Can you explain why Clara is able to see Gaynah?

Maths Challenge

The mighty maths challenge is back!

Each week you will find a new maths challenge in this section of the newsletter and your Google Classroom along with the winner of the previous week.

Good Luck!

Please email your answers to maths@darell.richmond.sch.uk

Our winner last week was Breogan from Thunberg Class. Well done !

Online Safety

Jessie & Friends: online safety education for 4-7s

This series of three animations aims to give 4-7 year olds knowledge, skills and confidence to help them respond safely to risks they may encounter online.

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/jessie-and-friends/

Gaming: what parents and carers need to know

Gaming is extremely popular with children and young people. If your child is gaming, you may have questions about how your child can be safer whilst they play and interact.

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/gaming/

KS1 Star of the Week

Packham Class

Olivia - for Being an enthusiastic learner in maths and phonics, and completing the extra challenges given to her

Peake Class

Freya - for working hard to produce a fantastic piece of writing and remembering to re-read each sentence to check it makes sense

Weir Class

Penelope - for fantastic participation in music and for being a super role model

Mozart Class

The Whole Class - for Working as a team, helping each other learn and having fun. Well done, Mozart Class!

KS2 Star of the Week

Newton Class

Zahra - for excellent participation in PE and Mini Mermaids

Thunberg Class

Jacob - for his exceptional behaviour and superb attitude at home and in school. Well done Jacob!

Darwin Class

Isla - for being a fantastic helping partner and working very hard on her fractions

Attenborough Class

Lola - for her amazing attitude to all her learning, digging deep in every lesson

Parks Class

Charley - for taking responsibility and improving her presentation and handwriting

Darell Primary & Nursery School Follow

Year 5 are looking forward to an afternoon with Beverly Naidoo's book Journey to Jo'burg and, of course, some oranges. #readingforpleasure https://t.co/hFyo70JZX4

14 minutes ago

Attendance

Overall school attendance this week was 93.1% our target is 96.8%.

Well done to Peake class for the highest attendance of 99% this week.

Best for punctuality was Darwin and Peake class with 0 lates!

Let's do our best for next week!

Useful Links

Arbor Parent Portal - darell-primary.uk.arbor

Follow us on twitter - twitter.com/darellschool

School Uniform Shop - The Shoe Station

School Meals - Feeding Hungry Minds ISS