Miss Barlow's Words Autumn Term Week 11

Something magical happened this week; it has been all about the Christmas Productions! We enjoyed the Upper Junior production on Wednesday evening and again on Thursday afternoon along with the Lower Juniors. For both “Hey Ewe” and “Ebeneezer”, the girls demonstrated superb acting and dancing skills as well rapping and some break dancing could be seen too!! As I said at the end of the performances, my face hurt from smiling. The story of the inquisitive sheep interested in the birth of baby Jesus and the story Ebeneezer Scrooge were told brilliantly and the importance of kindness and having a good heart really shone through. I never failed to be impressed by the talent and the girls’ ability to remember all of their lines and execute them so confidently. May I just take this opportunity to thank all of the staff who have helped to make our performances such a success.

Today in assembly, Laura from PACT spoke about how the charity helps children find their forever families. Rhiannon Thomas presented Laura with a cheque for £122 which she had raised with her friends. Laura presented Rhiannon with a certificate and a goody bag in return.

Sporting News

ISA Regional Swimming Gala 2016
Congratulations to the following girls who were selected to take part in this prestigious event at the Garrison’s Pool in Aldershot:

Harriet Taylor West, Yana Todorova, Amelie Helm, Alia Hitschmann, Eleanor Dries, Sophie Seaman, Beth Aranaz, Amelia Dixon, Rhiannon Thomas, Mia Rogers, Chloe Giles and Olivia Shepherd. A special mention to Rhiannon Thomas who won 2 gold medals in the 50m Breaststroke and 50m Freestyle. Yana Todorova also swam exceptionally well in the 50m freestyle, achieving a bronze medal. Rhiannon and Yana will now go on to represent the London West squad at the National Swimming Championships. Well done!

Hockey Results
U10A vs Pipers Corner - Won 4-1 (Player of the match - N’eve Cottee)

U10B vs Pipers Corner - Won 3-2 (Player of the match - Olivia Shepherd)

Spotlight on…. Homework
As mentioned in my letter outlining our homework expectations, which I hope you found helpful, please find here some recommendations on how to support home learning with your daughter which I stumbled across during my research.

Parents should act as cheerleaders and supporters. Ideally, your child should be able to do the homework alone, without help from parents. Instead of checking, editing, or doing the work for the student, parents should provide necessary supplies and show an active interest in the content the student is learning, while allowing the teachers to intervene if/when the student fails to do the homework correctly or regularly.
When scheduling after school and weekend activities, keep in mind your child’s work load.
Recognise that children learn in different ways and have different work styles. Some students can sit and do homework “all at once,” while others need to take frequent breaks. Some pupils prefer to sit in quiet spaces, and some may do better with music playing in the background. Discuss with your child the working conditions that will lead to the best homework outcomes.
Let children make mistakes and experience “successful failures.” Recognise that a missed or poorly done homework assignment every now and then is not going to hurt your child in the long run. Parents can help students organise their time or prioritise assignments, but when parents regularly deliver forgotten assignments to school or step in to rescue a child at the last minute, they may be denying the child the opportunity to develop resilience and fortitude.

Finally, we welcome Miss Alice Breary, a third year BA Trainee Teacher from Reading University. Miss Breary will be spending the next few weeks in the Year 4 class.

I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend
Miss Barlow

Thank you to…

Mrs Dries who came in to speak to the Year 5 class about the outbreak of WWII. She shared her father’s experience in the Special Operations Executive and the girls were incredibly interested and excited.

Merit Certificates: Holly Spanswick (Reception), Charlotte Burfitt (Year 1), Ava Constable, Holly Hughes & Casey Hunt (Year 2), Charlene Fleischer (Year 3), Emily Philp (Year 4) Caitlin Wilson (Year 5) and Matilda Greenwood & Temiloluwa Odesanya (Year 6).

Bunny Awards: Indya-Rose Adams (Year 2) for always showing kindness to others, and Claudia Webster (Year 6) for always being kind and caring to her classmates.

Mathlete of the Week: Dara Oladoyinbo