PDO 

School  Newsletter

  6th December 2023

Dear Parents,

I have just looked through the newsletter, it is hard to believe that so much happens in a week. While all the events below are fully focused on learning we also have a duty of care to keep our children safe.

Several teachers have highlighted issues this week that we need your support with, our aim is to avoid accidents in and around school and to ensure we are all safe.


Parent Board Member- Please see below the new Parent Board Member. This has been approved by PDO. 

Many thanks to  Megan Hughes for  taking on this role.


Tim Robinson

Headteacher

Early Years

Taking advantage of the delightful weather, we immersed ourselves in the engaging narrative of "Handa's Surprise" in our outdoor area. Laughter echoed as the children discovered the playful antics of the animals taking fruits from the basket. Following the story, we seamlessly transitioned into an interactive Parachute play session. Using a parachute as Handa's basket,  fruits were placed on top, allowing the children to make them "jump" just like in the story. This multi-sensory experience combined storytelling with physical activity, creating a dynamic and enjoyable learning opportunity for the children. 

This playful outdoor activity, inspired by "Handa's Surprise," caters to the children's trajectory schematic play. By making the fruits "jump" on the parachute, they explore movement and direction, showcasing their keen interest in dynamic interactions.   

Milepost 1

Year 1 used pictures as stimulus to produce some wonderful sentences in English. 

As part of our 'Beautiful Oman' topic, Year 1 have been learning about the different animals which can be found in this amazing country. This week our focus has been on camels, and the children have been very creative in making their own camels.

Milepost 2

Year 3 amazed their parents with the incredible knowledge they gained in IPC during our 'Footprints From the Past' Exit Point. Not only did they share their knowledge, but they also showcased their skills and understanding by teaching and explaining what they learned to their parents. The parents had a great time using charcoal to draw ammonites, creating a timeline for the dinosaur era, exploring the Earth's structure through the children's models, examining dinosaur fact files followed by taking part in a quiz, and so much more! 

Milepost 3

IPC - The Changing Economy of Oman The Past, Present and Future

To conclude their IPC Unit, Year 6 were visited by Mr Shamil Murzin,  a Senior Exploration Geoscientist, who works at PDO, to talk to the children about the impact of the discovery of oil and gas on the economy of Oman. The children were able to learn a lot from Shamil's extensive knowledge about the history of the oil and gas industry in Oman. Their engagement was evident from the many interesting and well-considered questions they posed to further their own knowledge about the industry and the economy. 

Clothes Campaign

Do you have unwanted clothes that you don’t wear anymore? Don’t throw them away, recycle them! 


As part of Year 3's learning in the IPC unit, Oman Fashion, we're raising awareness about the environmental impact of fashion and promoting safe recycling of excess clothing to foster International Mindedness. 


The local organisation, Kiswa, will help you keep your unwanted clothes out of landfills and give them a second life. Your clothes will be sent to those who need them, helping people in need and protecting the environment. Bring your clean clothes to the designated recycling bin outside school and we’ll take care of the rest. Be part of the solution and join us in the fight against waste!


Collection dates: 10th - 14th December

Parent Information Morning - Assessment and Reporting

Assessment and Reporting

Parent Meeting on Monday 11th December 2023 to help guide Y2-Y6 parents in understanding their child's report. See flyer for more details...

Reports will be shared with Y1-Y6 Parents on: Thursday 14th December

Early Years parents will be having parent teacher conferences in place of a report.


IPC

How will this prepare my child for the world of the future? 

At PDO School, we recognise that in a rapidly changing world, we need to prepare our children for jobs that may not even have been created yet. Therefore, we pay careful consideration to developing skills that will endure and hold our young learners in excellent stead as they continue their learning journey beyond PDO. In addition to teaching children how to learn, the personal learning and international goals when coupled with our global citizenship aims ensure that our students are well versed in attributes that will certainly withstand the test of time such as effective communication, creative and critical thinking, fortitude and problem-solving. Indeed, at PDO School we take great pride in teaching a generation of children to become globally proficient, socially alert and intrinsically motivated individuals who will positively contribute to the world they live in. 


Ms Munira - IPC Leader for Learning

Term 2 PDO School Clubs Before School, at Lunchtime and After School


Please see the link below for the details of the Term 2 School Clubs which are available before school, during lunchtime and after school for Y1 - Y6 students.


PDO School Clubs - Term 2 2023/2024


This term, you can also sign your children up for some additional after school clubs which will be run by external providers, in addition to the school clubs. Please note that there will be charges for these clubs which are noted in the booklet.  The sign up link for these clubs is provided below the school sign up links.

Please select up to four after school clubs for your child/ren. We will send you a summary of the two school clubs which they have been allocated, as well as the registration details of clubs run by external providers which you may have selected, by 12 December 2023.

Please select the Clubs for your children by Sunday 10th December, so that we have time to process your requests.


Additional After School Club opportunities

We would like to announce that two additional after school club opportunities will be offered in Term 2. These are paid activities offered by external coaches. Both clubs will be offered across years 1-6 although spaces are limited. Sign up will be via the after school club booklet in the link above. Further information regarding payments etc will be sent out once the lists have been confirmed. Gymnastics is being offered by Orion Gymnastics whose gym is located in Bowsher and also operate after school programmes at ABA and BSM. They came in this week and offered a taster session to our pupils which was throughly enjoyed by all that took part. 

Following the success of our 5 week programme in term 1 we would like to continue with our golf opportunity provide by head coach Zander from Ras Al Hamra Golf Club.  Our first intake had lots of fun learning new skills and are looking forward to showcasing their skills on the golf course in their final session. 

Student Council 

A huge congratulations to our newly elected Student Council! We are proud of these young leaders who have stepped forward to represent their peers and make a difference in our school community. They have shown a passion for making a difference in their lives and others. Our Student Councillors are:

Year 1: Samiy and Zoe

Year 2: Benyamin and Vedansh

Year 3: Aarohi, Vihaan and Hudson

Year 4: Kaylene, Sebastien and Usayd

Year 5: Malek, Mahek and Hamiz

Year 6: Joel and Hithakshi


Their first mission of improving playtimes is already underway. They have marked out different games on the playground such as hopscotch and four square and helped to teach other children how to play and the importance of playing fairly and taking turns. It was great to see so many children from different year groups playing and collaborating together. The most popular games will be permanently painted for the whole school to enjoy. 

Ms Naomi, Ms Nivine and Ms Hayley

Art Achievements 

The first term has been a great success for our young artists. They have truly excelled and developed some excellent skills. Please enjoy some examples of the extraordinary work across the school.

Year 1 - Fairy Tales

Year 2 - Space

Year 3 - Dinosaur Eye Sketches

Year 4 - Animal Sketches

Year 5 & 6 - Perspective and Optical Illusions 

New Parent Board Member

Hello. I'm Meg from the UK and have lived in Oman with my husband and children for the last 4.5 years.

I have one child (soon to be two) attending PDO School. I am passionate that my, and your own children receive the very best early childhood experiences and primary education that allows them to reach their full potential.

I am keen to make a positive contribution to our community by serving as the parent member on the school board. It would be a privilege to represent the parent body on the board at such an exciting and pivotal moment for PDO School.

I have a wide range of experience in analytical roles that I held in the UK before moving to Oman. After graduating with a degree in mathematics, I worked for a global consultancy, advising trustee boards of pension funds on investments whilst studying the Chartered Financial Analyst program, before moving into the healthcare sector.

Working for the National Health Service, I held a variety of analytical and service improvement roles within secondary care and clinical commissioning. Most recently I was the lead intelligence analyst for a region of the UK, with one of my primary responsibilities being to turn data into intelligence to inform strategic commissioning decisions.

I believe that my analytical skill set would serve me well to support the school board in setting and measuring the success of improvement objectives and initiatives going forwards.

Whilst I don't have specific experience in education, I believe this is advantageous as it would enable me to provide fresh critique from a parent perspective to support robust decision making. I would also look forward to engaging with fellow parents to understand your opinions and concerns to ensure I can represent you effectively.

PTA Glow Party Cancelled

It is with sadness that we must announce we have cancelled the Glow Party. Money will be refunded over the next week or so. If you purchased a ticket, please bring the ticket back to reception from Sunday 1oth December and your money will be refunded. Thank you for your understanding.

Ms Kirsty - PTA Committee Representative

PTA Movie Night 

The movie night is tomorrow night! If you would like your child to attend, please register via the link. Online registration will close today at 9pm.

 With the exception of Pre-Nursery, all year groups are welcome to attend. However, we kindly request that all Early Years children are accompanied by their parent for the duration of the night in the event that they become restless and may need to leave the movie night. 

Tickets can be purchased at reception once registered. It is cash only and the correct change would be greatly appreciated. 

Holiday attire is welcomed for both children and adults attending. We are looking forward to seeing all of you! 

Ms. Kirsty - PTA Committee Representative

Muscat Marathon Reminder

We would like to remind everyone about our registration link for the upcoming Muscat Marathon Event in January. If you are interested in joining you can use the link below to register directly and pay for the event as a PDO School representative. 


Group Name                     

: PDO School


Password to register                          

: MM2024


Link : 

https://www.njuko.net/-muscat-marathon-2024/groups-list


Code for Payment : PD2HVZZ9S


Please be aware this is not a school-organised event and parents are responsible for registration, transport and supervision on the day. 

Oman Cancer Association Walk

Mother- Daughter Yoga Event

Our recent Mother-Daughter event was pure magic! Thanks to all who participated and made it a memorable occasion. A special note of gratitude goes to Yama Yoga Studios for their invaluable contribution, enhancing the event and making it even more special. The shared moments of connection, laughter, and bonding were truly heartwarming.

Ms Nivine, Ms Dagmo, Ms Eimear, Ms Kawthar

Dates for your Diary

Wishing you a pleasant weekend,

The PDO School Team