Woodhill

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

Message from the Headteacher

It has been a busy week of learning at Woodhill with children delving deeper into their core texts and the wider curriculum. Our year 4's have been writing about Odysseus and Ancient Greece and our Year 6 children have been really busy developing writing and artwork linked to their text, Gorilla Dawn. There has been some lovely exploration in Forest School with children from Catkins, EYFS and Y1 enjoying learning outside. Next week, some of our Y6 children will start their cycling proficiency through Bikeability and we will also start our process of recruiting pupil leaders from across the school. Our peer mediator team and litter pickers have had further training and experience so far this year ahead of formally starting their roles in the next few weeks.

Thank you to those who attended 'Meet the Teacher' sessions over the last few weeks. Following on from those sessions, please find a link to the curriculum newsletters with all important information about the learning for this term.

https://sites.google.com/d/1Gkrq-DBh_vrB-4bWI7CXPTWPYmr9SoSW/p/1FEXEMSRA63wHWwayKPtQHSrMtaIdNf5G/edit

Fingers crossed for nice weather as we move towards Autumn and wishing you all a good weekend.

Messages from the office

Safe and respectful parking in the school community

As we are all aware, there are a number of works happening in and around the school which has for the time has had a significant impact on parking before and after school. Even so, I felt it was important to write to you once more about our collective responsibility to maintain a safe journey to school for everyone while also respecting the local residents. We can do this in a number of ways:

• Please refrain from parking over driveways as many residents including some of our parents have contacted the school frequently since the start of September about the impact this is having on them and not being able to get to work or go about their daily duties. Some residents have spoken of being insulted when they have asked parents to not park over their drive. Please remember to uphold the school values and to remain respectful

• On Woodhill, cars must not be parked on the yellow zigzag “School Keep Clear” markings. These markings are to prevent vehicles stopping or parking specifically outside the entrance of the school in order to keep sight lines clear for motorists and pedestrians

• Please do not park too close to a road junction (for example, between Woodhill and Godfrey Hill) as this is an illegal offence. Take note of the signs that are placed on the junction

• Cars should not be parked on pathways during drop off and collection times • Please consider the safety of young children and parents with pushchairs who may have to walk into the road and into the path of oncoming traffic to get past. Again, it is illegal to park a car on a pavement.

In the meantime, we will continue to speak with parents who place members of our school community at risk and if deemed appropriate, warning letters will be distributed.

Please consider whether you really need to use your car to make the journey to school at all. Not only is walking a healthier option and better for the environment, but it also helps to alleviate some of the problems we are currently facing at the start and end of the school day.

I am sure we are all in agreement that the safety of all our children must continue to be our primary responsibility. In these circumstances, I appreciate your support in ensuring this takes priority over a convenient drop off or pick up.

Is my child too unwell for school?

It can be tricky deciding whether or not to keep your child off school, nursery or playgroup when they're unwell.

There are government guidelines for schools and nurseries about managing specific infectious diseases at GOV.UK. These say when children should be kept off school and when they shouldn't.

If you do keep your child at home, it's important to phone the school or nursery on the first day. Let them know that your child won't be in and give them the reason.

If your child is well enough to go to school but has an infection that could be passed on, such as a cold sore or head lice, let their teacher know.

Please click on the link below for information and advice

www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school

PE Kit

When children have PE lessons please can you ensure school uniform is worn to school and their PE kit must be brought to school in a bag and left on their peg for the term.

Punctuality

Punctuality As with attendance, it is very important that children arrive at school on time each day, every minute missed adds up to a vast amount of learning time lost over the school year. School starts at 8.55 a.m. every day. Your child will be classified as being late if they are not on the school premises by this time. Children who arrive late are greatly disadvantaged because they miss starting the day with their peers and the beginning of lessons. This can be disrupting for the rest of the class and teacher.

Term Dates 2023/2024

What we have learned this week

Year 3 - In History, the children learnt and explored about the stone age using primary and secondary sources. The children immersed themselves into the past by turning themselves to young archeologists, examining different fossils with tools like paint brushes and magnifying glasses. Children were curious at the different remnants they found from the past such as teeth, bones and toes. collaborating with their peers, they shared ideas and findings with excitement, which helped them connect dots between the past and present.

In science,we have been learning about different types of rocks, how they are formed and understanding their characteristics. We have learnt about the practical use of some rocks such as chalk is a type of rock and is used on writing on blackboards, Marble is used on countertops and sinks. The children were engaged in exploring which rocks were permeable ( water passes through these types of rocks) and which ones were impermeable (water doesn't pass through this type of rocks). The entire class participated in these hands-on experiments, in groups the children predicted if the rocks they had touched were permeable or impermeable before they dipped them in water, the children then recorded their results on tables and discussed if their final results matched their predictions. This interactive approached deepend their learning on rocks.

Year 6- This week, Year 6 have been immersing themselves in their core text 'Gorilla Dawn'. The children have been exploring the main themes of the text through poetry. They enjoyed dissecting vocabulary and explaining the impact of it on a reader and discussing the structures of a poem before composing their own.

In maths, they have been exploring arithmetic skills, including place value in numbers and how this relates to fractions and applying this to wider questions. In science they have been learning about Carl Linneaus and how his system allows us to sort species. In geography they have been learning about the Amazon Rainforest, including its layers and how its location affects its ecosystem.