PDO School Newsletter

Dear Parents,

As we are now more than half way through this academic year, we would like to thank you for the support you give to the children and the school. Parent consultations will take place next week and I am confident that you will learn about the excellent progress your children are making. Having a community like ours, which supports the work of the school, makes all the difference to developing happy and successful learners.

Thank You!

Please continue to encourage your child to actively participate in the 'Book Bingo Challenge'.

Sports and Swimming:

We are pleased to have been able to make the most of the winter weather which has allowed the children to enjoy additional outdoor sporting activities . This has been very successful in developing gross motor skills, particularly for some of the younger children. The children have also expressed their delight at the opportunities to develop their abilities in a fun but challenging way.

The change in curriculum plan was put in place following a number of parental concerns regarding swimming in the winter months. The school has seen a significant improvement in the attendance of pupils compared to the same period last year, which could be attributed to the change in curriculum plan.

Thank you to those parents who raised their concerns, we always listen to your comments and consider them carefully, making decisions in the best interest of the children.

We are also in the process of improving the pool facilities and we are now in receipt of a long awaited piece of equipment which will be fitted in the very near future. Following the spring break, our swimming programme will begin again. I am sure the children will welcome the water sports, once the hotter weather arrives.

MPSL Athletics Meet

16 Under 11 boys and girls traveled to The Sultan's School last week to participate in their first Track & Field Meet. Many of the children placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in their heats, but came up just short in the overall standings. I was very proud of the entire team with their resilient, respectful and positive attitude. The team came 4th in the Overall Standings.

Book Week Celebrations:

As part of our Book Week celebrations, we will invite all children to dress up as their favourite book character. This will take place after the Spring Break!

We wished to give as much notice as possible to help you and your children to begin preparing a great costume for our annual parade!

More details to follow in due course.

Healthy Birthday Treats:

At PDO School, we recognise the importance of a healthy lifestyle and diet, and understand that establishing a balanced diet in childhood helps to develop healthy eating habits for life.

On occasion, parents have asked staff to share cakes and sweet treats with the whole class as a celebration of their child's birthday. Whilst the school acknowledges that birthdays are very special days for children and mark the event by singing and making children feel special, it is important to clarify the school's position.

• A number of children have allergies
• We need to respect the wishes of the parents who have specifically requested that their child is not given sweet treats
• We want to avoid creating a sense of expectation within the classes that each child should bring birthday treats into school to share with their peers

For these reasons and in order to encourage healthy choices, the school respectfully request that a maximum of one small treat per child is offered for birthday celebrations and it is as healthy as possible (for example, dried fruit or popcorn).

If you have any questions, please contact the school. We look forward to your support in helping to make the school the healthiest it can be.

Early Years Playground:

The Early Years department is very excited that the work on our new play area has started this month. The school leaders and teachers have worked hard over the last 18 months to design and plan the area and we are all looking forward to the wonderful new opportunities for learning that it will provide. With the current cooler weather, the outdoor learning opportunities for the children have been continually evolving and some new and exciting learning areas have developed.

In our bicycle area, the addition of a bike wash has sparked some great interest and excitement. The children are using different types of cleaning brushes, cloths and sponges to wash the bikes and this has resulted in some great discussions and learning amongst the children.

In the water play area, the children experimented with a variety of recycled materials and created their own water wall. The outdoor Drumming Show was created by a group of the Primary 1 children and has provided some great musical exploration opportunities. The latest addition is the gardening centre. The children are potting with soil and planting a variety of seeds. They will be learning how to grow and take care of plants and perhaps even some vegetables!

Pre Nursery has started their water confidence sessions outside. The children have all shown remarkable resilience when working with the equipment to help them strengthen their fine and gross motor skills along with developing water confidence.

Please visit the Class Pages on the parent portal to follow all the great learning that takes place in the Early Years.

Learning Shared in the Class Pages:

Here is a selection of images from each milepost showing recent learning.

New Visitor Management Software 'InVentry':

We have recently invested in some new technology to further enhance the school's safeguarding and management procedures.

The new Visitor Management software will help the school keep an accurate record of all visitors, staff and pupils on site. It will allow us to manage our enrichment club attendance more effectively and, with a single swipe of our ID card, we can now log children on and off the premises when going on educational visits. The technology works with our current registration procedures and ensures that any pupil arriving late to school is recorded by reception staff. This will ensure that everyone on site is accounted for in the event of an emergency evacuation. The system has many other features which will enhance our safety procedures.

To ensure that we are all working together for the benefit of the children, can I politely remind you to wear your Parent badge when you are on school premises, so that it is clearly visible. If you have a driver or nanny who collects your children, please ask them to do the same. If you need to enter the building after 8:10 can you please do so through the main entrance and speak with Ms Abir. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Internet Safety for Parents:

It can be very worrying when we think of the things children may come across when using the internet.

At PDO School we are working with staff, pupils and parents to create a school community which values the use of new technology. We encourage responsible use of the internet and follow agreed policies to minimise the potential online safety risks. We would suggest you check regularly what your child is accessing on line and follow some simple safety tips.

1. Discover the Internet together. Try to find websites that your child would enjoy so that together you achieve a positive attitude to internet exploration. This could make it easier to share both positive and negative experiences in the future.
2. Agree with your child rules for Internet use in your home. Agree how much time they can use the internet each day and how they should communicate with others when they are online.
3. Encourage your child to be careful when disclosing personal information about themselves or your family.
4. Talk about the risks associated with meeting online “friends” in person. For safety and to avoid unpleasant experiences, it is important that children do not meet strangers they have met online without being accompanied by a parent or an adult that they trust.
5. There are some great websites for parents to obtain support and information about online safety here are some links:

www.saferinternet.org.uk

www.thinkuknow.co.uk

Concerns:

If parents have concerns about anything, they should make an appointment and work with the staff to obtain answers to questions or find solutions. Sometimes discussing concerns with people outside school, who may not have the correct information, can create more anxiety. In the first instance, we suggest you make an appointment to discuss your concerns with the class teacher. We are confident that the vast majority of problems can be resolved at this level. In the rare occasion that you are unsatisfied with the outcome, please make an appointment to see Mr Laurence or Ms Margaret before making an appointment with Ms Cheryl.

We are here to help you and provide you and your child with the very best that PDO School has to offer.

Gates:

A friendly reminder to close all gates behind you each time you walk through; this helps to keep our children safe. Thank you!

Dates for your Diary:

March

• 9th - Muscat Primary Brass & Woodwind Day (Invited children only)
• 10th - MPSL - U9 - Girls - Basketball Clinic at ASIS (Invited children only)
• 12th - School finishes for children at 1130 - Parent Teacher Consultations - (No Enrichment)
• 13th - School finishes for children at 1400 - Parent Teacher Consultations - (No Enrichment)

April

4th - Final day of Enrichment Activities for Term 2

Parent Portal and class pages: www.pdoschoolparent.com

Wishing you and your family a very restful weekend.

Cheryl Fox