We were able to remind children of the importance of recycling and environmental concerns during assemblies this week. In light of this, we have set up a recycling station in our lunch hall as well as continuing to promote recycling around the academy. Children were also presented with their Academy Council badges – congratulations to those who were elected. Our Character Education theme this week was Helpfulness.

Grand Library Opening

On Monday 27th September we will be celebrating the opening of our new library, together with Roald Dahl day! We are asking children to come into the academy dressed as their favourite Roald Dahl book character or another book character of choice. There will be an author in school and children will be able to buy signed books. Children will have the opportunity to explore the new library space as well as taking part in Roald Dahl activities.

We can’t wait to see all of your costumes on Monday!

MacMillan Bake Sale

On Tuesday 28th September, we will be holding a Cake Sale after school (3.05pm) on the Academy Plaza in aid of Macmillan Cancer Care.

There will be a selection of cakes and sweet treats available for parents, carers and children to buy. We would also be very grateful for any donations of cakes or biscuits to sell at the sale. If they could be brought into the academy on Tuesday morning please.

We are sure you will join us in supporting this valuable charity as every penny raised is to help Macmillan Cancer Support who are there to work with people living with cancer.

Thank you for your support.

Attendance

Congratulations to B2S who have the highest percentage attendance of all our classes this week!

Uniform Labelling

The warmer days have meant children have been taking their jumpers/cardigans off around the academy.  We have had a few lost pieces of uniform as many children don’t have their names in their clothes.  Please ensure that all uniform, especially jumpers and cardigans, are clearly labelled with your child’s name.

Dates for your Diary

Lunch Menus

The menu for week beginning 27th September is Week 3. Please see below.

Community News

Spelling Shed

Top Spelling Groups this week!

1st – 5H – 17,588,206
2nd – 3S – 15,899,540
3rd – 5/6M – 1,069,914

Top Spellers this week!

1st – L Morton – 6,533,384
2nd – J Mitcheson – 3,939,288
3rd – L Jackson – 3,100,852

Times Tables Rock Stars

Practicing times tables is so important in improving maths and is a huge part of number work from Year 2 upwards. Please encourage your child to use their account to get as fast as they can which will help them be able to apply their knowledge to different areas of maths.

Congratulations to the highest coin collectors this week!

1st – K Hoyle
2nd – S Mitchell
3rd – A Robinson

Please continue to stay safe and look after each other.

Another busy week in the academy! Our assembly theme was Democracy on Monday which led to classes voting for their Academy Council members. We will announce who was elected next week, and they will have an important role in promoting Pupil Voice. We also continued with our Character Education theme of Caring.

Dates for your Diary

Macmillan Cake Stall

On Tuesday 28th September, we will be having a cake stall after school for Macmillan Cancer Support.  Any donations of cakes/sweet treats can be brought into the academy on the morning.  We thank you in anticipation for your support.

Attendance

Thank you to all the children who have had excellent attendance, and a special well done to B2S for getting 100% last week and 6A are our top attenders this week.

Please remember we expect the children to be in each day, and you must call the academy office on 01642 483696 before school if your child is too ill to attend.

Uniform

The children have been looking smart in their uniform and are so proud of our academy badge. Thank you for all your support in keeping your child in full uniform.

Please don’t forget to send in P.E. Kits on your child’s class P.E. days.

Packed Lunches

Reminder – Due to nut allergies, please do not send nuts or items that may contain nuts in your child’s packed lunch.

We are proud to be a Healthy School and ask that you do not send fizzy drinks, chocolate or sweets in your child’s packed lunch.

Healthy items can include:

• Sandwiches
• Wraps
• Crackers
• Fruit
• Salad
• Vegetable sticks
• Yoghurt
• Cereal bars

Lunch Menus

The menu for week beginning 20th September is Week 2. Please see below.

Community News

Spelling Shed

Top Spelling Groups this week!

1st – 3S – 24,702,492
2nd – 5H – 17,646,058
3rd – 5/6M – 817,696

Top Spellers this week!

1st – L Morton – 9,063,208
2nd – J Mitcheson – 4,773,040
3rd – L Jackson – 4,132,332

Times Tables Rock Stars

Practicing times tables is so important in improving maths and is a huge part of number work from Year 2 upwards. Please encourage your child to use their account to get as fast as they can which will help them be able to apply their knowledge to different areas of maths.

Congratulations to the highest coin collectors this week!

1st – Thomas Byrnes
2nd – Reiley Clark-Wood
3rd – Kenton Standing

Please continue to stay safe and look after each other.

What a productive week we have had with all the children really focused on their work and engaging in their new projects. Our assembly theme was Healthy Minds and our Character Education theme was Caring. Our Year 6 children deserve a special mention for the support they have given our younger children during lunchtimes – thank you for taking on your responsibilities so sensibly.

HeadStart

It was great to have Julie and John from HeadStart back in the academy this week on Youth Mental Health Day. They led our assembly and there was some really thoughtful and mature discussion by the Key Stage 2 children.  It was lovely to have visitors to lead our assemblies again.

Home Time

Just a reminder that all children will finish at 3pm from Monday 13^th September.  Thank you for all your support with the dropping off and picking up arrangements.

Music

Mr Nixon was back in the academy to lead our music lessons and choir this week. Untuned percussion, recorders, Garage Band and singing were all covered during the day, and the children enjoyed the use of instruments particularly.

SUEZ Recycling

We were so pleased to be given some bug houses and wild flower seeds by SUEZ recycling. They are also running a competition for the children to draw/paint what they would expect to find in a bug or bee house. 

For further information and guidance:
How to get government help with childcare costs:
www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Actions for early years and childcare providers during the
coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

What parents and carers need to know about early years
providers, schools and colleges during COVID-19

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Covid
research evidence summaries

How to order a rapid COVID-19 test for asymptomatic testing:
https://maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk

How to report your test results:
https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result

How to order a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test if you have
COVID-19 symptoms: https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

Free Neurodevelopmental Support for Families

Good afternoon,

We hope you have returned relaxed and refreshed for the new school year, over the summer holidays we have continued our support for families with children and young people with neurodevelopmental needs.

At Contact we are working with Tees Valley Clinical Commissioning Group to offer families living in Darlington, Middlesbrough or Redcar and Cleveland priority access to our FREE Telephone Support Service and Workshops,  supporting families of children with neurodevelopmental needs.  We offer:

• Free online workshops for families

• Free 1:1 Telephone Support Service

• Free 1:1 Autism Telephone Support Sessions

I have attached fliers with details of upcoming Workshops and our Telephone Support Service to share with families and carers as well as colleagues.  The Workshops and both Telephone Support Services are free.  Families simply register through the Eventbrite booking page.

There is a mixture of times in the day and in the evening to suit everyone. Darlington and South Tees Contact Eventbrite Page

This months FREE workshops are:

Tuesday 21 September 10.00am – 12.00 pm ENCOURAGING POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR Understand the reasons for your child’s behaviour, find out how to encourage positive behaviour plus top tips.

Thursday 23 September 10.00am – 12.00 pm UNDERSTANDING SENSORY PROCESSING Learn more about sensory processing, reflect on your child’s sensory needs and identify new approaches to support you.

Tuesday 28 September 10.00am – 12.00 pm MONEY MATTERS Learn how to improve your finances, understand what you’re entitled to and where to go for support with financial issues.

We also have a Facebook page, a friendly community where parents carers with disabled children in the area can mutually support each other through the challenges of everyday life.  Please click here to join.

Contact helps parents of children with disabilities and special educational needs – whoever they are and whatever their child’s condition. We can help with your most pressing issues, like benefits and education. We guide families through services and offer a listening ear during stressful times. www.contact.org.uk

Find out more by contacting: south.tees@contact.org.uk or call our freephone number on

0800 2540 890.

Quotes from parents who have used the service:

“It allowed me to talk about everything that is effecting us as a family and my son’s additional needs. It gave me the opportunity to release some of the stress and have routes to explore to help my son rather than feeling helpless and as a result I feel that I was able to engage better with my family as I was more relaxed”

“Shona was brilliant. She understood. combining her knowledge and lived experience she listened to me rant and was my sense checker. She helped me get prospective on my situation.”

“Being able to have a listening ear has given me the confidence that I am doing something right. It was also refreshing to speak to someone that understood how I was feeling. The practical advice and information given is a real help. I am so glad that I decided to book this appointment.”

“An excellent service provided to agents and carers of children with special needs, sometimes you just need someone to listen, understand and point you in the right direction and that is exactly what this service did for me.”

With all good wishes

Max Card Trial for Redcar and Cleveland SEND Families (0-25years) September 2021 – February 2022

Support for Families

New Lunch Menus

Here are our new lunch menus.  Next week will be week one; please share the choices with your child. 

Dates for your Diary

Please see below a list of P.D. days and term dates for the academic year 2021/22:

• Friday 22nd October – Last day of the half term
• Monday 1st November – Back to School
• Wednesday 22nd December – Last day of the autumn term
• Friday 7th January – P.D. Day
• Monday 10th January – Back to School
• Friday 18th February – Last day of the half term
• Monday 28th February – Back to School
• Friday 8th April – Last day of the spring term
• Monday 25th April – Back to School
• Thursday 26th May – Last day of the half term
• Friday 27th May – PD Day
• Monday 6th June – Back to School
• Friday 8th July – PD Day
• Wednesday 20th July – Last day of summer term
• Thursday 21st July – PD Day

National testing for the children in Year 1, Year 2 and Year 6 will resume this year. Please do not book holidays during the time frame below if you have children in these year groups.

Year 1 Phonics Check- Week beginning 13th June 2022

Y2 SATs- 16th-26th May 2022 Y6 SATs Week 9th-13th May 2022. Children must be in the academy in the weeks leading up to this week as it is important for them to feel confident going into the week.

Spelling Shed Leader Board…

1 – (Unnamed) Y5/6 – 6368054

2 –  (Unnamed) Y5/6 – 5827609

3 – J Mitcheson 5H – 1654792

Weekly Top Groups:

1 – Y5/6 – 19840080

2 – 3S – 3111142

3 – 5H – 2789072

Autumn Term Total Points:

1 – Y5/6 – 19758080

2 – 5H – 5855426

3 – 3S – 3111142

Please continue to stay safe and look after each other

Welcome back to everyone after the summer break.  We hope you had a restful time and enjoyed the holidays.

The children have had a really settled start to the term and fully engaged in their new learning. They have adapted to our routines in the academy without having bubbles anymore, enjoying playing together and having lunch in the dining hall together.

P.E DAYS

Our P.E days are as follows:

Tuesday – B2S, B3G and B1R

Wednesday – 3S, 5H and RB

Thursday – 1M and 2T

Friday – 4HM and Year 6.

Please ensure that the children have full P.E. kits in the academy on these days.

Attendance

We are so happy to have all our children back in school after the disruption of the last 18 months. We have always been proud of our attendance and expect to see children in school every day. Any issues with attendance, please speak to Miss Duffy who will be happy to give help and advice to avoid any attendance procedures. We will continue to give weekly Awesome Awards to classes with the best attendance.

Action for Happiness

This month’s theme from Action for Happiness is Self-Care September

Self-care isn’t selfish, it’s essential. No-one’s perfect. But so often we compare our insides to other people’s outsides. This month they’re encouraging everyone to be kinder to themselves (as well as others), especially when things go wrong. Self-care increases our resilience and helps us get more out of life. It also helps us accept others as they are too. 

Support for Families

Please continue to stay safe and look after each other