PDO

School Newsletter

19th January 2023

Dear Parents,

We hope that your children have enjoyed their first, full week back at school, and they are looking forward to the enrichment activities for the coming term.

In order to view the Class Pages for more detailed information about your child's learning this week and any class notices, please click the link here .


Science

In this lesson year 5 were learning about the effects of friction on objects and how different surfaces produce different amounts of friction. The children made predictions as to which surface; the table, carpet or sand paper, would produce the most friction. They then carried out an experiment in order to see if their prediction was correct.

Mr Joe - Science Teacher

In the final lesson of the year 5 Forces topic the children were investigating how simple machines such as pulleys and levers make it easier for us to lift heavy objects. The children placed a heavy weight (the load) on one end of a ruler, they then inserted a pivot point (fulcrum) and placed a light weight (the effort) on the other end. They then moved the fulcrum towards the load until the effort was sufficient to lift the heavy weight.

Music Focus - Year 1


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This term, Year 1E and Year 1M have been learning about pitch. Children have been developing some understanding of how instruments create different pitched notes and how they can be used to play some well-known melodies. The unit also focuses on the children’s control, concentration, timing and motor skills.

Mr Gary - Leader for Music

Term 2 Enrichment

Well done to everyone for the smooth start to the enrichment programme this term. Thank you to all the teachers who have given up their time to run and support activities, especially those who at late notice joined to help out with the areas that were oversubscribed. In total, we have nearly 500 opportunities running after school. Including early morning and lunchtime, there are over 600 places for children to participate in extracurricular activities each week. This is a remarkable achievement for a primary school. Also, unlike many other schools, all activities are run with no additional cost to parents.

I understand that it can be frustrating for your children to miss out on their first choices, however I can assure you that places are allocated on a first come basis. Unfortunately, some activities were full within one minute of opening. We endeavour to offer a very wide range of activities and it can be extremely difficult to predict which is going to be the most popular, as this often varies from term to term. Activity numbers are limited for reasons of health and safety and quality of the education provided. Over filling activities can seriously affect these factors and spoil the purpose and enjoyment for teachers and children.

For next term and beyond, we are looking at alternate ways to facilitate and organise the enrichment programme. We will update you as soon as this has been decided upon.

Finally, a huge thank you to Miss Zoe yet again for the wonderful job she has done administering the enrichment programme this term. It is a complex job and without many hours of her time dedicated to the role, we would not be able to run either the breadth or depth of activities we do each term.

Mr Gary -Leader for Enrichment

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Dance

It has been a pleasure welcoming new dancers into our Dance enrichment club this week.

We have activities that help the students understand different ways in which they can move their bodies and how we work together as a team when we dance, and of course to have fun.

One of the activities which is always a favourite, is when students create their own dances within small groups. This is always a joy to watch, with students showing lots of creativity and great teamwork.

My hope is that all of our students never lose their desire to have fun, be healthy and just dance!

And remember there are so many reasons why dance is important to the health and development of our young people. Children need to move! So let’s have fun and let’s dance!


Ms Iveth - PE Teacher


Nessy Reading and Spelling

Some children at PDO School have been using the Nessy Reading and Spelling programme to complement their reading, writing and spelling. Nessy is a multi sensory educational literacy programme designed specifically for children who learn differently. This computer based programme begins with systematic synthetic phonics to support our early readers. As the children's reading skills develop, they also benefit from the Nessy spelling, morphology, vocabulary and comprehension instructions. All the lessons are delivered as fun and interactive games to keep the children excited and motivated about their learning, but most importantly continue to develop their love for reading and writing.

Ms Anre - Leader for Learning Support

Year 6 Art

The Green Man, a figure that appears in myths and legends, turned up as a sub-character in our class text 'The Lost Magician'. The students researched Green Man imagery and sketched pictures and sculptures depicted on buildings. This week, using terracotta clay we created our own temporary environmental art sculptures on trees around the campus concentrating on facial features and using natural tools and adornments.


Ms Leanne & Mr Neil

Sports Days

We are pleased to announce that we will be hosting our annual Sports Days this term. Our pupils are already practising the skills in preparation for this event. Children will work in their house colour teams around a carousel of Athletics based activities, with the aim for years 1-6 to score as many points as possible at each of the stations for their house. As always I know many are eager to demonstrate their skills to their parents. The school sports days are split by phase and will be on the following dates:

Early Years

12th February 2023

8.15am - 10.15am


Year 1&2

12th February 2023

12.00pm - 2.00pm


Year 3&4

15th February 2023

12.00pm - 2.00pm


Year 5&6

16th February 2023

12.00pm - 2.00pm


All pupils should wear P.E. Kit and suitable sports footwear on their allocated sports day, apply sunscreen prior to coming to school, bring a reusable water bottle and wear their school hat.


Further details can be found in the email sent this week.


Ms Iveth and Mr Scott - PE Teachers

Hats - if you want to get ahead, get a hat!

Please can parents ensure that their child has a hat to wear in the playground and on Sports days. Hats are available for purchase for 4.5 OMR from Ms Jawahir on Reception. Please ensure that your child's name is written clearly on their hat.

Community Event

The annual walking event for the children and adults, organised by the RAHRC Holland Committee, is only a few weeks away.


It starts on Sunday 5th February and finishes on Thursday the 9th. We will start daily from 4:15 pm until approximately 5:30pm. Each day the walk will be about 5 kilometers around Ras al Hamra. If you walk at least 4 days, you will earn a medal! If you are interested in taking part, register directly with the commitee using this link.

PTA Meeting - January 2023

The PTA committee met this week for the first time to discuss many pertinent issues. This was an extremely productive meeting which covered an extensive agenda. All members were present and shared many great ideas as to how to enhance the curriculum for our children, and provide them with great extra curricular learning experiences as the year progresses. There are lots of fun and exciting proposals in the pipeline, so watch this space in the coming weeks to learn more about these initiatives.

Mr Mohsin - Y1 Teacher and PTA Member

2023 WAHIBA CHALLENGE WHEEL COVER COMPETITION


Looking for a project in the next few weeks? Then perhaps you would like to enter ORAC's Wheel Cover Competition.

This is a great opportunity to get creative by celebrating Oman and its beauty. It's open to all ages (adults too), anyone can enter and there's big prizes to be had. Last year the winner, 2nd and 3rd place got cinema vouchers - the winner got 50 OMR and their design printed and displayed on over 200 cars in Oman!

This Year's Topic/Subject is 'CHALLENGE'

  • Closing Date for entries is midnight 29th January

  • Take a photo, make a JPEG/PNG of your design and send to chairmanorac@gmail.com

  • Please be aware that your new design is for the 24th Wahiba Challenge 2023 and may (if you choose) include these words only

  • Links below for more information and guidelines


Youtube - (Last Year's video) FULL DETAILS CAN BE FOUND HERE


Mr Tom - Y2 Teacher

Leaving Oman

We request that parents who have plans to move away from Oman, to please provide us with the details as soon as possible by emailing Ms Cheryl, cfox@pdoschool.com or Ms Kath, kmorgan@pdoschool.com . This will allow us time to prepare the Transfer Certificate and other documents your child may require for their application to a new school, as well as to be able to give your child a traditional school farewell.


Dates for your Diary:


  • Year 6 Camping Trip - Sunday 29th - Tuesday 31st January

  • Closing date for Wahiba Challenge Competition - Sunday 29th January

  • Early Years Sports Day - 12th February - 8.15am - 10.15am


  • Year 1&2 Sports Day - 12th February - 12.00pm - 2.00pm


  • Year 3&4 Sports Day - 15th February - 12.00pm - 2.00pm


  • Year 5&6 Sports Day - 16th February - 12.00pm - 2.00pm


  • World Book Day - 2nd March




Wishing everyone a pleasant weekend

Cheryl Fox

Headteacher


cfox@pdoschool.com kmorgan@pdoschool.com nurse@pdoschool.com

Parental Concerns:

At PDO School we acknowledge that, from time to time, parents may wish to express concerns about specific aspects of their child’s education. We are always happy to investigate and respond to these concerns. Please note that, for the Class Teachers, it is important that even informal discussions take place outside of their teaching time.

What do I do if I have a concern?

Please make the Class Teacher your first point of contact if your concern is not successfully resolved, please contact the school via notices@pdoschool.com to make an appointment with the Headteacher, Cheryl Fox, or the Deputy Headteacher, Ms. Kath Morgan.

Mr. Hamed, our School Manager, is also happy to listen to any parental concerns that have not been resolved successfully.