Following on from last week we want to highlight how you can further support your child with reading at home. Please try some of these points below at home; they will all help to develop reading skills and develop engagement between yourself and your child.
Parenting is complex, but a strong foundation in reading will support your child in so many areas of their development.
Point Out Print in Everyday Life: Encourage your child to read signs, labels, and instructions, like road signs, cereal boxes, or shopping lists.
Play Word Games: Use games like "I Spy" with letters or sounds, or play with magnetic letters to form simple words on the fridge.
Use Technology Positively: Let your child explore interactive e-books or apps that encourage phonics and reading in a playful way.
Label Things Around the House: Put simple labels on household items (e.g., "door," "table") and encourage your child to read them.
Sing Songs and Nursery Rhymes: Rhymes and songs help children hear sounds and rhythms in words, building early literacy skills.
Create a Shopping Adventure: Involve your child in reading the shopping list or spotting items in the shop based on packaging labels.
Write Together: Ask your child to help write a birthday card, a short note, or even a message on a chalkboard or whiteboard at home.
Act Out Stories: Turn stories into play by acting them out with toys or costumes, helping your child connect words to meaning.
Make Storytime Interactive: Pause while reading and ask your child to guess what happens next or describe what they see in the pictures.
Encourage Questions About the World: When out and about, ask your child what they think signs or notices mean and read them together.
Cook Together: Read recipes or ingredient lists aloud, and let your child help by finding items in the kitchen or reading simple steps.
Use Their Interests: If your child loves dinosaurs, superheroes, or sports, find related magazines, posters, or websites to read together.
Thank you - there has already been a 60% response rate to this request.
As we prepare to send out school reports, we want to ensure that our records are up-to-date with your most current contact information. This is essential for maintaining effective communication and ensuring that you receive important updates promptly.
To help us with this, we kindly ask you to click the button to access the form.
Rest assured that your personal data is kept strictly confidential and is never shared outside the school. Thank you for taking the time to assist us. Your cooperation helps us provide the best possible support to you and your child.
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our newly updated PDO School website, designed to showcase the exceptional educational experience we provide. The new website features detailed information about our curriculum, outstanding campus facilities, and the vibrant community that makes PDO School a place where children truly belong, learn, and succeed. We invite you to explore the site to gain a deeper understanding of the unique and enriching environment we offer to our students, at the heart of the Ras al Hamra community.
Join us for a wonderful quiz night!
Please find below a link to the signup form for the Year 6/PTA Quiz Night on Sunday 15th December:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2lZx1GJxQAfMMskqsMRfFHWyMxUkYj0vBej5yjt53cd942w/viewform?hl=en
Please use the form to book one table for yourself and five friends. All information about the event is on the form and the poster. We hope you can come and support this great event that our Year 6 children and the PTA are working collaboratively to organise.
This week, we're spreading joy and positivity and celebrating the power of kindness as a whole school. We are making the longest and most fun affirmation sheet for our school. Along the sheet we are writing the affirmations which we would like to hear for ourselves or share with others.
As part of Kindness Week, student councillors made positive pebbles and notes that they hid around the school for children and staff to find. They also handed personalised notes to children who they saw being kind throughout the school day.
We have the Cantamus Choir performing at The Grand Hormuz Hotel on Wednesday 11th December at 5pm.
We also have the Winter Concert in the PDO School Sports’ Hall on Wednesday 18th December at 1pm. This should be a fun concert for all, where you can hear performances from children who attend some of the Music Clubs that happen here in the school.
Empowering young girls to embrace Computing starts with fostering curiosity and confidence. In Key Stages 1 and 2, hands-on, creative activities like coding stories, designing games, or building animations make technology relatable and fun. Highlighting female role models in tech, creating collaborative environments, and emphasising problem-solving over competition can help break stereotypes. By showing that computing is for everyone, we can spark a lifelong love for innovation and creativity in the digital world.
Next week the children from Year 1 to Year 6 will be taking part in 'The Great Egg Challenge'. The children will have to design, make and test a contraption that can keep a raw egg from breaking/sinking whilst being dropped or transported over a distance. For further details on each year group's specific challenge, please see last week's SeeSaw Message.
There has been so much learning of both knowledge and skills this term in French.
Read more
Last Thursday, Year 2 parents were invited to a French Exit Point (Celebration of Learning) where the children sang all of the songs they have learned in French since starting Year 1. Learning Language through songs is a great way to learn new sounds and words and the children have really enjoyed this aspect of their French lessons. We hope to hold a similar event soon for the Year 1 parents. We will be in touch shortly.
Also this half term, Year 4, 5 and 6 have really enjoyed being creative by learning a poem in French and then writing their own version of the poem, allowing them to demonstrate their ability to use a bilingual dictionary.
Year 3 have been learning all about how to form plurals and recognising masculine and feminine nouns through games and stories about animals.
In our recent Dream Sound Space session, children experienced the Falling Sky playlist, created specifically for them to explore a variety of sounds and vibrations. The session incorporated different effects to enhance the moment, creating an immersive environment for connection through sound.
Read more
Using a variety of instruments, the session encouraged active listening and engagement with diverse vibrations, enabling a deeper sensory connection. The carefully selected soundscapes stimulate brain wave activity, mimicking the REM sleep state, where the body’s innate healing functions activate. This experience allowed children to discover a balance between rest and activity within the supportive soundscape.
Visiting Chef - Dina Makki!
We were thrilled to welcome a famous chef, Dina Makki, to our school, who visited Year 4 to discuss the rich culinary traditions of Oman as part of our "Beautiful Oman" unit.
Read More
Dina shared insights into Omani cuisine, showcasing the importance of food in Omani culture and its connections to the wider world. Students welcomed Dina with typical Omani hospitality by sharing dates and a hot spiced drink. This experience deepened the students' understanding of global food traditions and fostered a sense of international mindedness. Our Year 4 children were inspired to explore diverse cultures and appreciate the world’s culinary heritage.
The weather in Early Years is perfect for being outside, whilst we enjoy our new unit Brilliant Bug Ball.
Read more
The children are able to develop a huge variety of skills with outdoor play such as:
Gross and Fine motor
Social skills
Enquiry skills
Communication through speech and language
Subitising skills
Sensory development
Personal Goals: resilience and empathy (to bugs)
Taking risks
In a world where children have access to screens through tv, phones, tablets etc... we need to make sure they do not loose their connection to nature. Studies have proven the importance of this. Please take advantage of the cooler weather in the afternoons and during the weekends and let your child outside to explore and play.
This week in Year 2, the children have been using their knowledge of bonds to 10 and their understanding of place value.
Read more
The children have been working hard in their addition and subtraction unit. They have been investigating different ways to add two digit numbers and explaining their strategies.
Some of the children commented, "I found this challenging but I am happy I know how to do it." Another student said that they found it better when they can use the equipment because it helps them with their maths. Well done Year 2!
Our learning in the IPC unit Beautiful Oman is in full swing! This week, Year 3 students have been diving into the fascinating world of Omani fashion.
Read more
The students have expanded their knowledge of the traditional clothing worn by Omani men and women and explored how influences from other countries have shaped Omani attire.
To support their research, Miss Nabiha and Miss Maha hosted an engaging Q&A session, answering the children’s questions and sparking deeper discussions.
In Design and Technology, the students showcased their creativity by designing fabric swatches inspired by Oman. They carefully considered colours, patterns, and imagery that reflect the beauty and cultural richness of our host country.
Beauty has an address! As part of their Beautiful Oman unit, Year 5 have been busy creating their own tour guide companies.
Read more
Their aim is to showcase the stunning natural beauty, monuments, and points of interest across the country. Combining personal experiences with independent research, they are developing company websites that feature bespoke guided tours, catering to everything from quick trips to overnight adventures. Their creative efforts will soon provide plenty of inspiration for planning your own staycation this winter!
So many wonderful achievements to celebrate this week!