Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome back and we hope that you all had a lovely half term.  It has been lovely to see all the children back and showing us that they are ready to learn.    

Key dates for Spring 2 

Please see a list below of all the key dates that you need for the remainder of the Spring term.

Reading Matters

Here are some of the reasons why reading really does matter and how it can impact and improve children's lives at home and in school. 

1. Good habit for stress reduction

Everyday concerns will keep bothering you unless you do something to divert your mind. Reading gives you that mental space to occupy yourself with something more interesting. When you read a great story, all your stress seems to slip away and relax you since you tend to travel mentally in a different realm. Sometimes while reading, you come across valuable advice or solutions to your problems.

2. Better writing skills

If you read more, you will naturally become good at writing skills. Since your vocabulary and pronunciation improve by reading regularly, it eventually makes you a better writer. We are not just talking about writing fiction, books, novels, etc. Even when writing something in everyday personal and professional life, your writing skills would have improved with regular reading.

3. Can help prepare you for sleep

By lowering your stress hormone, you can also lower your blood pressure and heart rate, helping you feel calm and ready for sleep.

A lack of vocabulary and experience of the wider world (prior knowledge) can become barriers to reading for some children.

Graphic novels can provide struggling readers with a way of strengthening their vocabularies, build their reading confidence, and foster their appreciation of story. 

The brilliant thing about the graphic novel is the way they offer struggling readers several different cues to the story.  If a reader gets snagged on the vocabulary or storyline of a graphic novel, illustrated pages offer contextual cues to help decipher meaning. Additionally, in class discussions, the graphic novel has an easy-to-read accessible format that allows struggling readers into the world of classic literary references that would otherwise be accessible only to stronger readers.  Graphic novels can also help support a reader’s understanding of everything from Greek Mythology to Shakespeare.

Supporting Reluctant Readers

We all know that kids of all ages love comics! Of course, they’ve known this for decades in places like the US, Japan and France. So while we in the UK are a bit late to the party, at least we’re there now. 

Comics can be a great vehicle for starting a love of reading in reluctant readers, however, there is still some snobbery around comics and what people sometimes describe as ‘proper books’. Reading should be about amazing characters and worlds that inspire us. The medium shouldn’t matter because once we are hooked on comics, the world of books becomes more accessible.

Comics are really, really, really appealing to children. That natural enthusiasm is the fuel that powers someone’s path to becoming a reader.

Dear Parents/Carers,

It seems impossible that we are already in October and heading towards half term. We’ve had a great start to the year with lots of trips already taking place such as: visits to Milestone Museum, the Art Gallery in Southampton and the Weald and Downland Museum as well as Year 4 learning in a tepee! And there is more to come…such as a poet, Emilie Jones, on Tuesday 3rd October. She will be working with KS2 children over the course of the day so please ask your child to share their poems with you!

Other events this term are: Halloween Disco on Wednesday 18th October. Tickets are £5 payable in advance (includes hotdog, sweets and a drink for Year R, 1, 2 and 3) and £2 in advance for Year 4, 5 and 6 (bring some change for hotdogs and tuck shop) and our annual Fireworks display on Friday 3rd November!

Dear Parents/Carers,

We would like to say a huge thank you for your support at the Coronation Picnic last Friday. It was amazing to see so many families attend, despite the heavy rain that happened just minutes before the start! We’d also like to thank the staff who organised the event - without their dedication and hard work we would not be able to hold these community events.

Key dates

Important dates coming up in the next couple of months are: ● Friday 19th May - Meeting for Year 4 parents regarding the upcoming camping trip on Thursday 15th June ● Summer sizzler for Year 5 and Year 6 on Thursday 25th May from 3.30-5pm. This is an opportunity for children and their family to come back after school and enjoy a BBQ treat whilst sharing and enjoying books. ● Break up for half term on Friday 26th May ● Return to school on Monday 5th June ● Diversity day on Monday 19th June - more information to follow soon.

Dear Parents/Carers,

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who attended our Fireworks display on Friday - It was so lovely to see families coming together and enjoying the event. We also need to thank Miss Jones for organising the event and all the staff who gave up their time to man stalls and help keep everyone safe. It was a fantastic night and we look forward to next year! ‘The fireworks were really amazing ! It was lovely to watch and to be able to go to a safe environment to do so. All your staff were amazing and did fantastic. It truly was an awesome memory made with my family. Thank you so much for the time and effort put in to give us those memories. Well done and looking forward to the next one !!! Thank you again :)’

It was also lovely to see so many parents attend parents evening last week. If you were unable to attend then please talk to your child’s class teacher and they will be happy to see you another time.