WOODBERRY DOWN UPDATE

Thursday 25th May 2023

A MESSAGE

FROM MR HEWIE

I hope that you are all looking forward to the half term next week and that you have planned some exciting things to do together with your families. The weather forecast for the break looks good and so let us hope that we can get outdoors, into the parks and out and about in London.

I wanted to thank all of you for your support and participation in school events this term. It has been great to see so many of you at school joining in with activities and sessions delivered by the staff. Your support for the school is always appreciated.

We are looking forward to the second half of the term and to all of the events we have planned for the final weeks of the school year. Shortly after the break we will share all of the dates for Summer 2, including our planned Sports Days, Gruffalo’s Picnics, Year 6 Graduation, Summer Fair and our exciting International Event.

In the meantime, I would like to wish you all a restful and relaxing break next week and look forward to seeing you at 8.45am on Monday 5th June.

ATTENDANCE MATTERS!

At Woodberry Down Primary School, we strive for every child to have the best possible attendance in order to enable them to reach their full potential. Every absence from schools means a lost learning opportunity.

Absence is inevitable. We understand that 'things happen' and we are here to support in any way that we can. Working together means a higher chance of success for your child. Please contact the school office if you would like to organise an attendance meeting.

Please remember that it is the responsibility of our families to ensure that the children attend school regularly. If your child is sick, please ensure to report absences by text on 07537455343 in the form of the child's name, class and reason for absence. We appreciate your support with this matter. Otherwise, contact us on 0208 800 5758.

Our Bread

We know how much the students at Woodberry down primary enjoy the bread made by our amazing canteen staff so we've asked them to share this receipe with you so you too can join in on all the baking fun over the half-term.

What you will need:

Ingredients:

Dried Yeast: 10g
Strong White Flour: 465g
Sea salt: 10g
Luke warm Tap Water: 318ml (around 24 degrees)
Optional: Rosemary Herb: 20g
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 15g

Step by step guide

In a bowl, mix the yeast with warm water. Let it rest for 10 minutes to activate the yeast and make the bread rise.
Add flour, salt, and optional rosemary to the bowl. Stir everything together until it forms a dough.
Knead the dough by squishing, stretching, and folding it for a few minutes. This helps make the bread soft and fluffy.
Let the dough rest in the bowl for 2 hours. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth or plastic wrap to keep it warm.
Spread olive oil in a baking tray or cake tin, making sure it covers the bottom.
Transfer the dough to the tray and press it down gently, spreading it out evenly.
Cover the tray with a clean cloth or plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes to relax the dough.
Stretch the dough gently again, making sure it reaches the edges of the tray this time. If it doesn't reach, let it rest for a bit longer and try again.
Cover the tray again and set it aside.
Preheat the oven to 210°C (or ask an adult for help).
Carefully place the tray with the dough in the preheated oven and bake for 13 to 15 minutes until the bread turns golden brown and smells delicious.
Using oven mitts, take the tray out of the oven and let the bread cool down a bit before slicing and enjoying!

Enjoy your homemade bread!

Note: Adult supervision required when using the oven.

School Trips

This term we've been lucky enough to go on a lot of amazing school trips. In Year 3, we visited the River Thames. We had a great time exploring the city and learning more about it.

Forever Curious - 5D

In 5D we attended Forever Curious! We took part in lots of fun activities and workshops that helped us channel our creative energy.

Great Fire of London

Monument Trip:

Our Year 1 students have been learning about the Great Fire of London in their History lessons. They recently visited the Monument to deepen their understanding.

UPCOMING TERM DATES

Term Dates:Monday 5th June 2023 - End of Half-term (Back to School)Monday 12th June 2023 - Year 1 Phonics Screening Check Wednesday 14th June 2023 - KS1 & KS2 Sports DayThursday 22nd June 2023 - Nursery Sports DayFriday 23rd June 2023 - Reception Sports Day Wednesday 5th July 2023 - Gruffalo’s Picnic (For new Reception children and families)
Relationships and Sex Education - Information Sessions:

Year 1 - Monday 5th June at 3.45pm in 1B

Year 2 - Monday 5th June at 3.45pm in 2W

Year 3 - Tuesday 6th June at 3.45pm in 3W

Year 4 - Tuesday 6th June at 3.45pm in 4D

Year 5 - Thursday 8th June at 3.45pm in 5B

Year 6 - Thursday 8th June at 3.45pm in 6W

Summer Holiday:Friday 21th July 2023 - 2pm Close

NURSERY ADMISSIONS

We are thrilled to announce that Woodberry Down Primary School is now accepting applications for our Nursery and 2 Year Old provisions for a September start. Our pre - school settings provide children with the best possible start to their education in a nurturing and stimulating learning environment.

Our experienced and passionate teachers are committed to provide every child with a unique and rewarding learning experience that inspires them to reach their full potential. Your child will have access to a diverse range of activities, both indoors and outdoors, that encourage exploration and creativity, helping them to build self-confidence and develop a love for learning.

If you would like to visit the Nursery or the 2YO provision and meet the team please contact the school office to book a tour.

To complete an application form for our Nursery click here. To complete an application form for our 2YO provision click here.

OPEN DAYS

Please spread the word about our Early Years Open Day on Saturday 17th June between 10.30am - 12.00pm. We would love to have new families joining our amazing community! There will be fun activities for younger children to explore, a music session and a chance to meet the Early Years team to answer all your questions about starting Nursery.

SPORTS DAY

Wednesday 14th June 2023 (KS1 AND KS2) Thursday 22nd June (Nursery) Friday 23rd June (Reception)

It is that time of year again and Woodberry Down Sports Day 2023 is hurtling towards us!

This year we are, once more, holding our Sports Day at Finsbury Park Athletics Track between 10.00am until 2.00pm approximately, on Wednesday 14th June 2023.

Children should come to school wearing their house colour t-shirt on the morning of the event and should be dressed for sporting activities. They should also come prepared for the weather with sunhats and sun cream (if warm and sunny) and a waterproof jacket (if damp and wet).

You are more than welcome to cheer us on with events kicking off at 10am. Letters have been sent out to all childeren from Year 1 up to Year 6. If you would like to take your child home directly from Finsbury Park, please ensure to mark this on the slip at bottom of the letter. Children will not be permitted to travel home by themselves from Finsbury Park

Don't forget your water bottles!

Flute Lessons

This term, Year 4, 5, and 6 students have been learning the flute! We're excited to showcase their incredible musical talents and the progress they've made. They've mastered techniques, explored melodies and embraced the flute with joy and creativity. At Woodberry Down, we support students in vocational classes, nurturing their talents and building confidence in the arts. Huge thanks to our inspiring flute teachers! Flute lessons will continue next term (Summer Term 2), giving students a chance to showcase all they've learned. Check out the stunning images of our flute-playing stars in this newsletter - they're truly amazing!

PLAYGROUPS

Join us every Monday and Thursday at Woodberry Down for a fun-filled morning of joy, laughter and connection at our Nursery Provision.

Mental Health Week

Last week was Mental Health Awareness Week across the country, and at Woodberry Down we used this as an opportunity to reflect a bit more on our own well-being. During the week, all classes used their PSHE lesson to focus on well-being, and strategies to make ourselves (and others) feel more positive. Our Mental Health Support Team Worker, Sara, and WAMHS Outreach Link, Dapo, have also been rotating around the classes holding well-being workshops. Last Tuesday, Dapo also led a very interactive KS2 assembly around improving our own mental health and well-being that was received positively by the students.

Finally, we used this week to launch our Woodberry Down Well-Being Champion: a group of students that will lead assemblies and workshops to promote well-being across the school. The application forms are coming in rapidly, and the first group of Champions will start a project on the other side of half-term.

HACKNEY SCHOOL CHALLENGE

New Wave Federation

We are thrilled to share that New Wave Federation participated in the Hackney School Challenge this year. The event brought together hundreds of children from schools across the borough. Our students trained hard for months to complete a one-mile run, and when combined with their previous runs at school, they covered an amazing distance of 13.1 miles - like a Half Marathon!

Our students were absolutely fantastic! They celebrated their success by receiving well-deserved medals. We want to give a big thank you to all the parents and staff who supported us during the run. Your support helped us cross the finish line together!

This accomplishment showcases the determination and teamwork within New Wave Federation. We are immensely proud of our students and their incredible achievement. We want to celebrate this milestone together and inspire more great accomplishments in the future!

5th place finish Zachery (5W) - across the borough

KARL NOVA

Woodberry Down Primary School had a truly special day when we welcomed the talented poet and rapper, Karl Nova, as our guest. During a fun packed assembly, Karl shared his inspiring journey with us, leaving us all in laughter and awe. He didn't just entertain us with stories, he also shared incredible tips to write our own poetry.

The excitement didn't end there! Karl generously popped into our classrooms, to help us with our own poetry. He tasked us to write own poems inspired by home and showed us how we can use the power of words to tell our very own story. We want to thank Karl Nova and Woodberry Down because we had such a blast. We can't wait to share our beautiful poems and continue our poetry journey!

"Karl was super inspiring and his stories had us all laughing in assembly" - Quote from a student at Woodberry Down Primary School

EXTENDED SCHOOLS

Yoga Club

Photography Club

Tennis Club

Musical Theatre Club

Pottery

Fencing

Football Club

Arts and Crafts

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