1. SHOBNALL PRIMARY SCHOOL Dear Parents We have pleasure in presenting the Summer Newsletter which brings you the latest information and the range of activities during the second half of the Summer Term 2013/14 NURSERY RECEPTION We have talked about how to look after plants, what they need to live and the different parts of plants. The children have used mark making to write about their gardens at home. They have talked to each other about their gardens during ‘Talking Partners’. We have looked at Van Gogh’s painting of ‘Sunflowers’ and the children used paint and glue spreaders to recreate this famous painting. The topic for Reception this term has been ‘Holidays and Under the Sea’. We started off by thinking about different kinds of holidays and reminisced about holidays we have been on. The children thoroughly enjoyed looking at the differences between seaside holidays in the past with those of today, and found the contrasts between beach wear highly amusing! The new nursery children attended induction afternoons, half attended on 19 th June and the other half attended on 25 th June. All the children visited on 2 nd July. We look forward to September and getting to know them all. On 21 st May, the Nursery Children, together with reception, had a super day at Ash End House Farm, looking at the various animals, including newly hatched chicks and newborn baby lambs and goats. The children took turns to bottle feed the baby goat – it was very hungry and even tried to eat Mrs Ul Haq’s hair! They also fed the ducks and collected an egg each to take home. After lunch, the children enjoyed the play area and then we returned to school, it was very quiet on the way back as we were all tired! The Nursery children have been very busy planting beans as part of our topic “Growing in the Garden” and they have been using their fine motor skills to pick up seeds with tweezers – a very tricky job! Throughout our topic we have covered all areas of learning. We have listened to numerous stories and wrote lists of what we would pack for different holidays, wrote postcards and made seaside books. The children could book their own holiday in our class ‘Travel Agents’ or stop off at the ‘Ice Cream Parlour’ and buy something nice and refreshing! We have studied a painting by a famous artist, Georges Seurat, and created our own pictures in a similar ‘pointillism’ style; painting using a combination of dots, or in our case, dots with cotton buds. The children have been very keen to learn about underwater creatures so we have used non fiction books and the internet to learn more facts about them. The Rainbow Fish story provided lots of opportunities to talk about feelings and friendships and to practise sharing in many different ways.

2. The sun shone as the children from Nursery and Reception visited Ash End Children’s House Farm. As well as learning about the different animals, children in Reception got to handle baby chicks and ducklings, collect an egg from the chickens’ nesting boxes and feed the greedy goats and sheep. The children loved feeding one of the lambs with a bottle although we had to be quick at passing the bottle on, as the milk was gone in seconds! A wonderful day was had by all!! In Science this term, Year 1 have been learning about sound and hearing. The children went on a sound walk around school and have listened to and identified different sounds. In Numeracy this term we have been learning to quickly recall doubles of numbers up to 10. We have also been practising our counting skills and enjoy playing the ‘coin drop game’. The children in Year 1 have been learning how to recognise odd and even numbers and especially enjoyed learning the song to help them remember the difference. YEAR 1 As part of our work, the children thoroughly enjoyed the performance from Key Strings. The theme for the performance was ‘The World Cup’. This allowed the children to appreciate music from different parts of the world. All the children were introduced to the string family of the orchestra. The performances were entertaining and educational. The workshop demonstrated solo and ensemble music. During the performance, the children learnt about where countries are in the World and also some history with regard to the winners of the World Cup. The workshop was practical and allowed the children to play a variety of different instruments and to explore different movements to music. In Science, the children have been learning all about healthy eating and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They have enjoyed sorting a variety of foods into their correct food groups and creating their own balanced meal. There has also been a focus on exercise and the effects various activities have on our body. Induction Visits for the new Reception Children Children in our Nursery looked very grown up as they visited their new Reception class during their induction visits. Children had the opportunity to meet their new friends and staff and to explore the classroom. We look forward to working with our new children and parents in September. Reception to Year 1 – Transition meetings for parents Thank you to those parents who attended the transition meeting. This was an opportunity for parents to hear about how Reception children are supported in their transition into Year 1 and to learn about the changes to the morning and daily routines. All Reception parents will receive a transition booklet. If there are any further questions, please feel free to ask, we have an open door policy Reception Class Photo Your first year at school is always a very special time and we hope that the children have acquired some life long memories to take away with them. To help capture this special time, we had a photographer in school to take a photograph of the Reception Class of 2013/14 and, I think you’ll agree, it is a lovely reminder of their first school year. As part of our Literacy topic, we have been writing information texts about bats. The children have been very enthusiastic about their writing and enjoyed learning lots of fascinating facts. They were surprised to find out that the smallest bat is the same size as a large bumble bee. On Tuesday 10 th June, all of Year 1 and Year 2 went on a trip to Ash End Farm. The children saw a collection of farmyard animals including goats, sheep, pigs, cows, horses and chickens. The children especially enjoyed seeing the wide range of animals and had the opportunity to feed many of the animals. Both classes enjoyed a guided tour of the farm and had an egg to take home as a souvenir. Well done Year 1! Enjoy your summer holiday!

3. YEAR 2 YEAR 3 This term in Literacy, we have been learning about fantasy stories. We have been watching animations and using these to retell fantasy stories, then we have changed details to make them our own. We have also used the story of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ to write our own play scripts. We have also been working on our class target which is ‘to use full stops, commas, question marks and exclamation marks correctly’ We have looked at how to use commas for subordinate and embedded clauses as well as in lists. In Numeracy, we have been focussing on brushing up on our written methods so we are well prepared for Year 4. We have mainly been working on our class target which is ‘to use the Grid Method to multiply’ Our Science topic this half term has been ‘Rocks and Soils’. We have been looking at the properties of different rocks and how these are used in the home. We then moved on to looking at how soil is made and the layers of soil and rock below us. We are very pleased with all of the children for working so hard to complete their SATs. They should be extremely proud of their fantastic achievements. Literacy This half term children have been developing their descriptive vocabulary by writing shape poems. They have enjoyed exploring rhyme and alliteration and applying this to their writing. After our exciting trip to Ash End Farm children used their knowledge to write shape poems about farm animals with fantastic results. The children are now learning about stories with familiar settings and the effects of story language on their writing. We have been very impressed with the high standard of handwriting in year 2 over this half term. Numeracy This half term the children have been carrying out surveys in order to collect data. They have then been using their data handling skills to create charts and graphs as well as being able to interpret results successfully. Children have also been focussing on a variety of money problems and have shown their confidence in using various operations to solve them. Science The children have been learning about variation and have been using various sorting diagrams to categorise a variety of animals and plants. They have been able to identify similarities and differences between plants and animals as well as grouping a range of sea creatures. KS1- KS2 Transition Meeting It was wonderful to see so many parents at the transition meeting. Parents had the opportunity to visit the children’s new classroom. Arrangements for arriving to and from school were outlined as well as some changes to the timetable. Changes to the curriculum were discussed as well as KS2 expectations. Homework was also highlighted with reference to the extended project that children will engage with during the year. We hope parents found the meeting informative. Miss Alexander is looking forward to carrying on the children’s learning journey as they become juniors.

4. Numeracy – In numeracy, we have been learning about data handling. We have learnt how to collect, present and interpret data. In particular, we have focused on constructing bar charts. As well as data handling, we have also been working on different types of measures, including time. We have worked on solving word problems involving time and reading timetables. Design and Technology – Mrs Taylor, our Chair of Governors, has been into school to work with Year 4 children on designing and making money containers. First of all, she showed the children how to make two thumb pots and attach them together. The children then adapted their designs into an animal of their choice. There were lots of different and interesting designs, including sharks, seals, pigs, cats, dogs and even imaginary creatures! Thank you to Mrs. Taylor for her work with us on this. This term year 5 have been learning all about sound in our science unit. The children have been investigating sound waves and how they travel from the noise source to our ears. Then we have taken a look at how our ears make sense of the sound waves so we can identify what we have heard. Swimming Year 4 children have attended swimming lessons at the Meadowside Leisure Centre. The children worked in groups with designated teachers to develop their skills and confidence in the water. All children successfully completed a swimming certificate, which they will be presented with in the near future. Swimming for next year’s Year 5 will resume in the Autumn Term. Grosvenor Museum On Wednesday 2 nd July, Year 3 visited the Roman Museum in Chester. After the long journey, which was filled with cries of “Are we there yet?” from the back of the coach, the children were excited to dress up as Roman Legionaries and march through the streets of Chester, chanting in Latin. We marched to the amphitheatre where we were taught different formations that the Romans would have used to defend themselves. The children also had the opportunity to look around the galleries and look at the models and artefacts contained in the museum. They then experienced life as slaves in the workshops where they tested out Roman cooking equipment and had the chance to be archaeologists, looking at artefacts and trying to decide what they were used for. YEAR 4 In Literacy, Year 4 have been writing information texts about the rainforests. We researched the different plants and animals that live in the rainforest, as well as why rainforests should be preserved. We learnt about organising our writing into paragraphs, as well as including an introduction and a conclusion. Science – After completing our work on habitats, we have recently been learning about solids, liquids and gases. We have found out about the properties of solids, liquids and gases, and how the particles differ. YEAR 5 This unit of work is also linked to our DT project where the children have been bringing in boxes from home for us to turn into musical instruments. To do this we have studied what real instruments look like and how they are made and produce their sound. Using this knowledge we have then tried to construct our own. We have finally been able to see the wonderful creations the children had made for their geography homework projects on St. Lucia. They did a fantastic job! We had all sorts of items brought in from; volcanoes, houses, cake and bread (very well received) to fact files and PowerPoint presentations. The children really put in a lot of effort, well done to you all!

5. In PSHE, Year 5 have been looking at how bullying can affect people. We have been looking and reading about what bullying is and the effect it can have on their lives both as a bully and as a person who is bullied. These lessons resulted in some very good debates tha t really made us think. This term, in PE, we have been developing our skills in both throwing and athletics. As you know, these skills were put to good use on Sports Day where I think all the children did themselves proud. Year 6 Fair Each year the children in year 6 have the opportunity of designing and running an Enterprise Fair which is targeted at providing the rest of the school family with an opportunity to spend their money and have fun whilst doing this. This year was no exception and I was delighted with the event, especially with the fact that it was a rather rushed affair, due to the commitments the children had to their performance of Bugsy Malone the previous day. Enrichment activities at Paget High School On Tuesday 1 st July Year 5 were invited to go to Paget High School for an morning of activities and to give the children a chance to experience a little of what life will be like for them in high school. We arrived and were shown into an Art classroom where we watched a presentation on the artist Matisse. We were then set the task of producing a piece of art in the same style. The method we had to copy was he called “drawing with scissors,” This basically means cutting out shapes with scissors then arranging them onto a contrasting coloured background to form a picture. The theme of our class picture was an underwater scene. The children had to cut-out shapes that represented; fish, seaweed and shellfish. This was then placed onto a large piece of backing paper to form the scene. Paget have said that they are going to send us the completed piece of art for us to display at Shobnall so we are looking forward to seeing it for soon. YEAR 6 It was a well supported event and all children who attended thoroughly enjoyed the event. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, we don’t have a final figure of the money raised for a Charity of the Year 6 choice but a huge thank you to all parents who provided the children with money for the event. Bugsy Malone Wow! What can I say? I was absolutely amazed and so proud of the Year 6 children this year who put on the wonderful performance of Bugsy Malone at the Brewhouse. This year was a slightly different experience for our Year 6 as usually the Brewhouse performance runs in the Autumn term. However, due to a number of issues, the event required a change and as a result, the children were required to learn, practise and deliver the Bugsy performance in a very short time period. What a job they did! The children learnt their lines very quickly and through the guidance of Mrs Osbourne, Mr Cruise, Mr Yates and Mrs Marston, the children managed to deliver on the night. I hope that all who came enjoyed the show and we very much look forward to welcoming Mrs Osbourne back in the Autumn term to deliver our usual Christmas performance with years 4, 5 and 6 in December.

6. Year 6 Prom Party The children in year 6 were once again treated by the school and PFA by running our Year 6 party at The Albion on Friday 11 th July. Every year, this event has been gratefully received and once again, this year was no exception. It was wonderful to provide our leavers with a special memory of their time at Shobnall primary School and enable the children to have a final opportunity to spend it together as a class before disappearing off to secondary school. All staff attended to ensure that they also were their to celebrate the evening with the children and I really hope we all managed to make it a night to remember Y6 trip to Warwick castle This trip is becoming a huge favourite with children and staff alike and I was delighted to be able to take the children to Warwick once again this year. We really did have a fabulous time and we all thoroughly enjoyed the day. Every year pupils believe that they will feel confident to head into the Castle Dungeons and every year there is always a small number of pupils who are absolutely terrified. This year was no exception and this certainly never ceases to cause great hilarity amongst the staff. It was a brilliant day and we really do hope that this event, along with the other events at the end of year 6 go towards making the Year 6’s final days at Primary School both enjoyable and memorable. SPORTS DAY Sports day, which was held on Monday 16 th June, was a huge success thanks to the fabulous effort of all those involved and the great weather. Walton were the eventual house team winners on the day who performed particularly well in the class fun races. However, it was the effort and determination of all the children that proved to be the winner on the day. The PFA bacon butties were a huge hit on the day and brought in almost £130 which will go towards providing enrichment activities for the children. Mrs Inger’s delicious muffins also raised £40 for school funds. Well done to all concerned. SCHOOL NEWS BOUNCE-A-THON To help raise money for Active Sports Equipment, our School Council instigated a whole school Bounce-A- Thon. All children and staff dressed in sports attire and worked together to keep at least one ball bouncing for the duration of the school day. Children in our nursery started the event off with enthusiasm followed by other classes throughout the day. Solo, paired and group games ensured success was achieved, even staff got into the spirit of the day at lunchtime, as children ate their Bounce-A-Thon themed lunch. This event raised £117.76 with a donation going towards the YMCA. Induction of our New Vicar On Tuesday 8 th July, Mrs Farrington and Mrs Gilbert attended St. Paul’s Church in Burton and represented our school at the Institution and Induction of the Reverend Dr. Stanley Monkhouse to our church. We hope he will be very happy in Burton and look forward to working with him and continuing the strong links we have with St. Aiden’s church.

7. Dove Valley Athletics For the first time in three years, the Dove Valley Athletics was held as the weather was beautiful on the 1 st July. The event was held at Thomas Russell and provided the selected children with the opportunity to compete in a variety of athletics events against schools from the Dove Valley. There is no overall winner at this event but an opportunity to compete against other schools whilst having fun doing so. It was a great evening and a huge thank you to Miss Smith and Miss Teasel who so kindly gave up their evening to support the children at this event. Dove Valley Girls’ Football On Wednesday 11 th June, our girls’ football team played in a friendly tournament at William Shrewsbury. The girls played three matches against Rykneld, John of Rolleston and William Shrewsbury. Unfortunately, we were unable to win any of our matches but the girls need to be commended for their efforts as they played fantastically as a team and showed brilliant sportsmanship towards the other teams. Well done to all the girls who took part! New Parents Meeting – Nursery/Foundation Stage It’s always good to see former and current parents coming together for the first meeting regarding their child’s admission in to our school. It gives us a great opportunity to catch up on the antics of former pupils. We are also delighted to meet with new parents and hope that it is the start of a happy partnership for all. Music Share Walt Disney brightened the day for the Music Share Concert held on Tuesday 17 th June 2014 at the Hill Street Baptist Church, Swadlincote. The children were excellent ambassadors as they sang tunefully, look exceptionally smart and mingled with other schools who also attended the event. The children performed their songs with wonderful enthusiasm and to the highest of standards and all the parents and staff in attendance were immensely proud. Grateful thanks to Mrs Roach, Mrs Foster and Mrs Dixon who supervised the children throughout. Special thanks to Mr Mansfield for organising the event in aid of the Swadlincote Church Organ Fund. Year 6 – A Production Worthy of Broadway The lyrics from the forthcoming show resonated throughout the school as the children from Year 6 worked tirelessly towards saying their farewells to the Shobnall School Community. Bugsy Malone was a fantastic show. The children performed enthusiastically and demonstrated raw talent – credit must go to them all as there were so many lines to learn. Quite frankly, we were astounded how they remembered them so well, let alone delivered them with such conviction and passion. We would like to commend all the children and staff who were involved with the production. It was truly magnificent! Prom Night This is always an emotional day at Shobnall School as we say goodbye to our Year 6 pupils. The children take the opportunity to put on their glad rags and turn up at their Prom Venue in an array of transport with the year 6 girls adorning beautiful gowns and the boys looking very dapper dressed in their finery. The children had a wonderful evening as they danced away to their favourite songs and even managed to get their teachers up for a boogie or two. We wish all our Year 6 Leavers every success for their futures. Follow your dreams Year 6.

8. DATES FOR YOUR DIARY School Closes on Friday 18 th July 2014 for the Summer Holidays and re-opens on Tuesday 2 nd September 2014 at 08.45am The staff at Shobnall Primary School would like to take this opportunity to wish you a safe and wonderfully happy Summer STAFFING ISSUES The staffing arrangements from September 2014 will be as follows:- Nursery – Mrs Ruth Gilbert Reception – Mrs Tina Farrington Year 1 – Miss Helen Cooper Year 2 – Mr Christopher Gordon Year 3 – Ms Miranda Alexander Year 4 – Mr Tom Yates Year 5 – Miss Charlotte Odell Year 6 – Mr Rob Cruise Sad Farewells It is with much sadness that we will be saying goodbye to three members of staff at the end of this term. Miss Daniella Smith will be taking on a new role at Springfield Primary School. Mr Phillip Edge will be moving to River View Primary School and Miss Cali Teasel will be starting her teaching career in her first post at Albert Village Primary School. All will be hugely missed by the staff and children and I hope you will join us in wishing them all every success and happiness. Every year, we are so fortunate with the weather for our annual Summer Fair and this year was certainly no exception. With the sun shining all day, it enabled our fabulous and hard-working PFA to prepare and set up the event without too many distractions or complications. It was wonderful to see so many children both present and ex-pupils, plus parents, grandparents and family friends in attendance. The event certainly would not have been successful without you! The Summer Fair raised a grand total of £1,750.00. Bacon butties were sold by the PFA on Sports Day. This raised a sum of £130.00. The final event of the year will be the whole school BBQ which is funded by the PFA. The PFA are always looking for new parents and friends to join our small group, we meet a couple of times each term to organise fund raising events. All the funds raised are used to purchase educational materials or provide enrichment activities for the children. If you are interested in joining us, please either see Mel Dixon, Chairperson of the PFA or simply pop along to our next meeting. PFA