Dear Parents,

Congratulations to all the students who competed in our annual Sports Day this week. The competitors were brilliant and refused to be put off by the heat. They all gave their very best effort. We saw some fantastic finishes, personal bests and broken records. More details and special mentions to follow. 

Our Early Years went on a journey and had a fantastic time glamping. It looked fabulous, and it was highly recommended by the children.

Please take some time to view the Class Pages for more detailed information about your child's learning this week and any class notices  here . 

Early Years Exit Point

To celebrate the end our of 'Journeys: Going Out' unit, Early Years children went on a camping trip to the school field.  Prior to the trip, they created maps to navigate their way to the field, planned what they would do when they got there and wrote lists of the equipment they would need.    On the day, children enjoyed playing and reading in their tents, making and eating fruit kebabs, and participating in the parachute games and obstacle course.  Thank you to parents for attending our Exit Point and for supporting your child to pack their camping bags ready for the trip!

Miss Dawn - Leader for Early Years 

Early Years Sports Day

In PE lessons, Early Years children have been practising their fundamental movement skills, for example, running, hopping and jumping, as well as working on their strength, coordination and balance.  It was a wonderful opportunity to showcase these skills at our Early Years Sports Day.  Children also displayed our Personal Learning Goal of resilience as they completed each activity station.  Thank you to all of the parents who came to cheer their children on and to our PE Department for hosting such a fantastic event.

Miss Dawn - Leader for Early Years 

Year 1 & 2 Sports Day

The children really enjoyed showing off their skills to all the parents, teachers and their friends. They have been practising and learning many skills during their PE lessons, such as throwing, catching and running techniques. It was a great afternoon seeing the children showcase their skills in the various events and activities on display during the Sports Day event. We were also lucky enough to witness some parents and staff take part and join in the fun and spirit of the afternoon. A massive thank you to the PE department, parents and to all who supported the event in any way.

Mr. Mohsin - Year 1 Teacher 

Year 3 & 4 Sports Day

Year 3 and 4 enjoyed a fun-filled afternoon where they were able to demonstrate all the skills they have been working on during their PE lessons. The children worked collaboratively in teams and there was a great deal of enthusiasm for each activity they participated in. It was great to see them have so much fun! Throughout the afternoon, they showed lots of resilience, which is one of the Personal Learning Goals we have been looking at.  A huge thank you to all the parents who were able to attend and cheer the children on, the PE department and the Year 6 children who made it such a fantastic event. Well done to all the children in Years 3 and 4 for taking part!

Miss Maalia - Year 3 Teacher 

Year 5 & 6 Sports Day

Earlier this week, Phase 3 had the privilege of supporting Early Years and Phase 1 during their respective Sports Days. We were so proud of the encouragement and kindness our students displayed to the younger children, helping make the events both enjoyable and memorable.  Naturally, this elevated anticipation for our turn on Thursday and the day did not disappoint. Phase 3 had a brilliant time showcasing a wide range of skills, demonstrating keen aptitude and resilience with some children surpassing their personal best. Thank you to all the parents who came to cheer us on, and a big thank you to Mr Scott and the PE team for organising this successful and fun-filled afternoon.

Miss Munira - Year 5 Teacher 

Playground Leaders

Safer Internet Day 7th February 2023

Some of the classes in Years 3 - 6 had a great time taking part in a range of activities during Safer Internet Day. One of the activities asked the children to identify social media apps by their logos and suggest the minimum age for using those apps. Many children were extremely surprised to find that 13 years was the minimum age for Youtube.  They also helped me to create a 'safe' Instagram account, demonstrating their awareness of how to keep their identity safe. Many of us walked away with 1,000,000 rials as we successfully navigated our way through some tricky questions in 'Who wants to be an internet safety millionaire'. All of Year 4 - 6 took part in a survey about their usage of devices and social media.

Miss Kirsty  - Computing Lead

French

Over the last couple of weeks in French, Years 4 to 6 have been creating their own Zoo, either on Google Slides or Google Sites. They chose either their favourite animals or animals from their base countries, researched how to say and spell these animals in French and wrote sentences focusing on singular and plural noun forms for these animals to make their sentences grammatically accurate. They then presented their work to the rest of the class. Some children challenged themselves by adding extra information, such as adjectives of size or colour. 

 Year 1 is currently learning some names of different insects and minibeasts in French. This is linked to their IPC unit, Flowers and Insects. They have also been looking at the different ways insects move in French. 

Miss Becky- Leader for MFL

Music Focus - Year 5 Samba

PDO School World Book Day - Thursday 2nd March 2023

World Book Day will be celebrated in PDO School on Thursday 2 March 2023. Students are encouraged to come to school dressed as one of their favourite book characters. We will have a school parade outside on the playing field from 8.10 -8.30 which you are welcome to come and watch. There will be one prize for each class for the most innovative costume.  

This year, we are encouraging students to donate any books which they no longer use, and which are in good condition to the Dar Al Atta'a Let's Read charity. We will collect the books which are donated during the week beginning Sunday 26th February until Wednesday 1 March. Students can give their book donations to their class teachers. For more information on the Dar Al Atta'a Let's Read charity, please see the link below:

Ms. Zoe

https://www.omanavenuesmall.om/shops/lets-read-library

Assessment Week 

Assessments will take place in the week beginning 26th February to monitor pupil progress. Children will be assessed in their learning throughout their time in school. There is no specific preparation needed but we encourage parents to continue to practise reading, reading skills, spelling and multiplication tables with your child. 

Out of school achievements 

Al Isra'a Wal Miraj holiday

It has been announced by the ministry that Al Isra'a Wal Miraj holiday will be on Sunday 19th February. 

Enrichment Activities 

On Wednesday 1st March there will be no enrichment activities due to staff training. 

Arriving at school in the morning

All children in Years 1 to 6 need to be in school every morning by 7:55 am, in order to start the lesson at 8:00 am. Pupils who arrive at 8 am or later will miss the start of the lesson which will affect their learning. Please ensure your child is in school from 7:40 am to 7:55 am in order to access the full learning on offer.

  The Early Years doors will open at 7:45 am.  Children also need to arrive by 7:55 am, ready for an 8:00 am start.  The Early Years doors will close at 7:55 am.  If you arrive after this time,  proceed to the Main School Reception, where your child will be registered. Once your child has been registered, a member of the school staff will escort your child to their Class in the Early Years Building.

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.  

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 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.

Wishing everyone a pleasant weekend

Cheryl Fox

 Headteacher

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