Embedded Files
Supporting Community Wellbeing - JUST TALK!
As a school we are completely behind the message of 'JUST TALK'. So many problems, issues and dilemmas are so much more manageable when you talk about them and are able to be understood. It also helps everyone when they understand the details and the facts. In school we ask all the children to Talk, then get support, if they still feel they or someone in their community requires extra support. As a school, we are lucky to have Watford's Wellbeing Team supporting Year 6 and helping our children to understand their own power in maintaining their own wellbeing. The Year 6 children have been so engaged with the process that they will be making their own video to further explain the positive impact. We look forward to sharing this with you!
Five Way to wellbeing - Just Talk!
Five Way to wellbeing - Just Talk!
This week we are focusing on the benefits of being SAFE and KIND. The Just Talk video and five ways to wellbeing support us all to consider how we can improve our own and everyone else's wellbeing - that's a community! One example of Being Active is Isla who won the bronze medal at the British Gymnastic Championships in the grade 3 women’s pair category, competing against 10 other pairs from across the country! INSPIRATIONAL! Also inspiring are the efforts and successes of the Football and Basketball teams shared below! Consider the other five ways to support your wellbeing and watch the video with Harry the Hornet to find out more!
Fabulous Football Efforts
Fabulous Football Efforts
On the whole, a great tournament with a fantastic group of players representing Little Green in the most brilliant manner, showing sportsmanship and humility throughout, earning hopefully the first of many trophies to be won by the girls football team this season.
See the website for the full report: www.littlegreen.herts.sch.uk. However, we are delighted to report that Little Green were fully deserving of their unbeaten streak and 1st place finish!
Basketball Successes
Basketball Successes
Last Thursday, some Year 6 children participated in a Basketball competition at Reach Free School against 7 other schools. The event was split into 2 groups with Little Green playing against all of the schools in our group once, before playing in a final match against the team of the same placing in the other group.
We managed to finish 3rd place in our group, winning an impressive 5-0 in our final game before playing against Arnett Hills in the 5th place overall final. Little Green ended up losing that game by only 1 basket and took 6th place overall.
Alongside the group matches, there was also a shooting competition where teams would have to score as many baskets as possible in 5 minutes. Little Green did amazingly well, finishing in 2nd place in this competition!
Inspirational Isla!
Inspirational Isla!
It is a pleasure to share such an outstanding personal achievement from Isla. Most of us cannot imagine the dedication, perseverance and commitment you must show day in and day out to achieve a national level of excellence, let alone attain a Bronze medal! We are all inspired and delighted with your achievement and, on behalf of the school, a huge well done!
Here is Isla's own report of the day:
National Final Gymnastics Competition
The event was in Stoke On Trent which is 3 hours away so we travelled there the night before. We had to be at the event at 8:00 am because that is when the crowd starts settling down.
We started off by doing height check because if there were too much difference between the height of the pair they would get a mark off their total score.
We were given British Gymnastics bands so the people working there knew that we were the gymnasts and not any kid.
Our coach did our hair and put some cute little flower gems in the plaits and around the bun. Our coach then put some eyeshadow on our eyes. We put the London tracksuit on then we were done.
We did a little warm up and also watched some other routines from different nations.
Soon enough a pair from London competed and they did really well and came second! We knew what they came a few minutes after because there is an app that tells you what place you came.
When it was another partnership's turn from London they did great as well and got bronze!
It was our turn and we did good. We also got bronze!
We went in a line onto the floor and the host read all our names out to get a medal. At the end of the day our coaches told us that we would get a day off of gym the next day so we were glad about that. My partner and I were so glad with our score at the end of the day and even more happy that we could name ourselves the 3rd best in our category in the whole country!
How do teachers know what they are doing?
How do teachers know what they are doing?
Learning as Research!
Learning as Research!
As a school we pride ourselves on our evidence based approach.
We are not a progressive school.
We are not a conservative school.
We are a learning school!
We look at the research in to the BEST ways to support children learning, and we work hard to make this work for Little Green children. We believe they deserve the best!
We are currently researching a range of areas and this is documented in our School Development Plan. (See image) One example would be our developing feedback approach - See the recent research on Effective feedback from the Education Endowment Trust. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/feedback
We are planning to share our more detailed School Development Plan with all parents in the future and look forward to discussing educational ideas with you all! What do you want to know? Email us and we can set up some Parent Sessions to explain what we are trying to develop! www.admin@littlegreen.herts.sch.uk
How do we know we are accurate in our assessment?
How do we know we are accurate in our assessment?
On Thursday we welcomed our External Education Improvement Partner and her area manager to help us externally verify our assessment procedures. As a school we believe that children deserve and require accurate assessment to ensure they are being taught at the correct level and that their individual learning needs are being met.
You will be aware that there has been SIGNFICANT grade inflation during the pandemic - see table - and this can be understood in a few ways. What do you think?
If you are judged solely on a number. i.e. your performance management; the perceptions of parents; your students access to University places are all linked to that number, then the pressure to inflate that number can feel immense. If schools are able to do this and no external power is in place to accurately moderate these judgements, you are in a very difficult position indeed: Without an inflated grade, a child will miss out on University - what is the right thing to do as a teacher?
As a Junior School, we are aware of the obvious moral dilemma forced upon many teachers by the superficial and dangerous reliance on data. We are working very hard to ensure your child's education is tailored to their need and not focused on data generation. We believe this can also lead to impressive data but MOST IMPORTANTLY, AMAZING independent driven learners. That's our goal and we hope this makes sense of it for you!
Amazing Outdoor Learning - Den Building - Parent Perspectives?
Amazing Outdoor Learning - Den Building - Parent Perspectives?
Building trust and Adventure - what do parents think currently?
We are so impressed with many children's creative and collaborative abilities when outside. Den building has become a regular activity and we would LOVE to make use of all of our wooded areas more regularly.
One obvious parental concern would be that when children play in trees, they are not always in sight of an adult and vice versa.
We are considering how we could manage this risk to allow some amazing outside play and lunch learning - possibly using children as monitors, always having an adult available and within ear shot; very clear supportive consequences for anyone that struggles with the excitement of extra freedom.
However, it would be likely to result in an increase in trips and falls - the nature of playing on uneven surfaces.
At this stage, we are interested in your current perceptions as a parent body. We will also be asking the children and staff their own views before, possibly devising a first draft approach based on the feedback we receive. It may be that we develop a consent around this and require parents to consent to this extra level of risk, freedom, trust, responsibility and, ultimately, learning.
What do you think? CLICK HERE TO SHARE YOUR VIEW
Covid Update
Covid Update
We have one remaining child with a positive test isolating. We also have two non-teaching staff who have tested positive and are also isolating. We are also aware of a potential case in Year 5 with one confirmed positive as of Thursday that may be causing some absence.
National numbers have started to rise - whether this is a blip in the government's modelling or a failing of the model, will wait to be seen.
We continue to follow guidance.
Thank you for completing the Google Form to share your Elfridges requests. Do remember to give your children the correct amount - we will send out reminders once the timings are confirmed. Elfridges Order DEADLINE - Friday 19th (Today! Midnight!)
Thank you to all those who attended the FOLG AGM and thank you for understanding the decision to go virtual in the current unpredictable Covid situation.
If anyone is available to wrap any of the gifts (we will provide the paper and sellotape) please email FOLG@littlegreen.herts.sch.uk and we will contact them with getting presents to them (we are looking at about 1000 gifts to wrap we think!)
Key Dates:
Key Dates:
Wednesday 24th Nov: Individual/Sibling photos am.
Do complete the Parent Survey if you haven't already: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LittleGreenParentsAutumn2122
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