Dear Parents and Carers

I have really welcomed the lighter mornings and evenings this week, it feels so much better, for well-being, to not be travelling to or from work in the dark and I am sure members of the community feel the same. 

On Wednesday and Thursday, we held our Parent’s Evening. It was great to see lots of parents and carers come into school to hear updates about children’s learning. We ask all parents and carers to attend a Parent’s Evening session - if you did not attend this week, please do speak to the office and book a session with your child’s teacher. 

As we enter the final week before the well-deserved Easter break, I want to remind everyone of our Spring Celebration, which includes the Easter Bonnet competition and parade. An additional letter was sent out, as well as the original, providing details.

I want to remind everyone of our complaints policy. If there are any concerns you wish to raise, all members of our community must follow our complaints policy and use appropriate channels.

We look forward to seeing everyone for the final week of term next week. A reminder, the last day of term is Thursday 28th March.

Iman Atwal

Headteacher

We expect pupils to maintain a high standard of attendance here at Woodside. We want all our pupils to be able to achieve their very best and in order to do this, they need to be in school as much as possible so they don't miss out on any learning. Everyday is a new learning opportunity!

We want all children to come to school each day, but we know that there are some days children are just too ill to attend, or will spread illness to others.

The NHS website Is My Child Too Ill For School is a useful place to look for guidance.

If your child has vomiting or diarrhoea they should stay away from school until they have not been sick or had diarrhoea for at least 2 days (48 hours).

Children can attend school with cold sores, conjunctivitis, hand, foot & mouth disease, slapped cheek (fifth) disease, sore throat, thread-worms or ear infections as long as they don't have a temperature as well.

Please encourage your children to wash their hands regularly and use and throw away tissues properly.

Thursday 28th March 2024 - EDI Parent Forum

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Curriculum - an opportunity to have an overview of our curriculum and to provide feedback on how we promote and explore our culture of inclusion, using real life contexts, 9am in the Community Room.

Nursery

This week in Nursery, children have continued to retell the story of 'Jack and the Beanstalk' using pictures and acting it out. They first sequenced the pictures before adding words they remembered from the story. Most of the children enjoyed the words the Giant said when Jack was in his castle. They also talked about Jack not having friends to play with and then made friendship bracelets.

Nursery children have been showing our value of collaboration by working together on a piece of art as part of their creative activities. They also drew favourite parts of the story of 'Jack and the Beanstalk'.

In Maths, Nursery children have been learning how to sequence their day by talking about the different activities they do in a day, such as eating breakfast, walking to school and going to bed.

Year 1

In maths this week, we have been learning about capacity and volume. We explored various containers that have different capacities and learned some new key words like full, empty, nearly full and nearly empty. 

In English, we are continuing to explore the story of 'Beegu', the alien who visited the planet Earth and tried to find some friends. We have been learning how to sort out the key vocabulary into categories. They were put into emotions, setting and characteristics to help us understand the words.

We have also attended the Silly Science Workshop, where we explored various science experiments with a professor and even got to participate in some of them!

Year 2

This week in year 2, children  participated in a “Silly Science Workshop”, Where they experienced a simple chemical reaction to properties of gas and oxygen. They explored the concept of gravity in a fun and safe environment.

In maths, our topic this term is about money. Children were able to identify the value of coins and notes and demonstrate their understanding of making the same amount of money in different ways. Children were engaged in this activity by exploring different coins to create different solutions.

Year 3

This week, year 3 had an exciting educational experience where they engaged in a Silly Science experiment with a professor. Many children were participating in different experiments. For example, they explored the concept of gravity. They were all intrigued by the amazing science experiments.

In English, we have started a new book called, ‘The Lorax’. The children have been identifying the different features they can find in persuasive letters to help the children understand what a persuasive letter includes and how to write one.

In History, year 3s have been identifying food in the Paleolithic Diet and finding out how earliest humans found their food which is by hunting and gathering.

Year 4

This week, the Year 4 children had an exciting and educational experience as they engaged with Silly Science alongside the Professor. The session proved to be both intriguing and captivating as they delved into the workings of fuel and oxygen. The children were astounded to learn that when fuel is separated from oxygen, its effectiveness diminishes, shedding light on the fundamental principles of combustion. Additionally, they explored the concept of gravity, further expanding their understanding of scientific phenomena.

Throughout the session, the children actively participated by contributing their ideas and demonstrating their comprehension of scientific concepts. Their enthusiasm and enjoyment were palpable as they eagerly absorbed the knowledge presented to them. Overall, the experience with Silly Science proved to be a memorable and enriching one for the Year 4 students, sparking their curiosity and fostering a deeper appreciation for the wonders of science.

Year 5

In English, Year 5 has been recognising the key features of an interview, so that we will be able to write interview questions in the role of Addie from ‘A Kind of Spark’.

In Maths, we have continued our journey with decimals where we have been looking at the value of Thousandths on a place value chart, then converting these values to decimals.

In D&T, our lesson was focussed on consolidating our knowledge on bridges, we then used this knowledge and our designs from last week to build our final bridges. The final bridge structures were then tested for strength and durability.

Year 6

Under the expert guidance of Professor Rob, our Year 6 students embarked on a thrilling voyage into the world of science during Science Week. From unraveling the enigma of gravity to exploring the elemental secrets of fire, our budding scientists were captivated by the wonders of the natural world. Through engaging experiments and thought-provoking discussions, they gained a deeper understanding of these fundamental concepts, igniting a passion for scientific inquiry that will surely endure.

Meanwhile in  mathematics, our Year 6 mathematicians were hard at work exploring the fascinating world of shapes and structures. With a focus on nets and the construction of 3D shapes, they dove into hands-on activities that brought mathematical concepts to life. From cutting and folding nets to constructing 3D shapes, the children experienced firsthand the magic of geometry and spatial reasoning. Through exploration and experimentation, they honed their mathematical skills while gaining a deeper appreciation for the beauty of shapes and their interconnectedness.

Check your Child's Data

Please log in to Arbor and check your child's/children's details are correct - and let us know if not. You can also request changes directly through the app which will take place once we have seen them - if we have questions, we will get in touch. Or you can let the office know directly.

It is important we have the correct data for all our families.

Please remember to check Arbor - either the Parent Portal (at https://login.arbor.sc/)  or the parent app (available from the App Store or Google Play).

Parents who log in can:

* see their child's attendance

* log consent for local trips and those further afield

* pay for trips and book and pay for clubs

* receive In-App messages - and message the school

* book parent consultations

* see their child's details and request changes to ensure they are completely up to date

If you have more than one child at the school, they should be visible via a drop-down so you only need to login once.

To set up your account, you need the email you use for school communications and the date of birth of one of your children. Follow the Forgotten Password link on either the app or the website.

If you need support with logging in, please talk to the office team who will be glad to help.

Collaboration matters   Excellence in everything   Community first   Equity for everyone   Continuous growth