Kentmere Academy

The Kentmere PostApril 2019

Including:Headteachers UpdateKey DatesSmallbridge FestivalSpelling Bee UpdateEcoAnti-bullyingClass UpdatesSchool UniformYour Child’s Birthday

Headteacher’s Update Welcome back after the Easter break. We were blessed with fantastic weather too which was lovely! Thank you to those Year 6 parents who supported their children by bringing them in to Easter School - it was a very successful few days. We have a very busy term ahead of us. It is the last term at Primary School for our Year 6. They will be sitting their SATs examinations shortly which we wish them luck for. They have worked incredibly hard this year and I know they will do their very best.

We are pleased to inform you we have been nominated as a finalist for the Pearson Primary School of the Year award. This is a huge accolade and something we are all very proud of. Next week two judges will be joining us for a morning to see us in action.

If you have any questions or concerns at any time please do not hesitate to contact us. Enjoy the weekend.

Kentmere Academy

School Closed Bank Holiday - Monday 6th May

KS1 SATs Week begins - Tuesday 7th May

Afterschool Clubs begin - Tuesday 7th May

KS2 SATs Week begins - Monday 13th May

Finish for half-term - Friday 24th May

Year 3/4 Swimming - Every Thursday

Key Dates

ReminderPlease ensure that the office have your correct phone number as this is one of our main methods of communication.

School Closed Bank Holiday - Monday 6th May

KS1 SATs Week begins - Tuesday 7th May

Afterschool Clubs begin - Tuesday 7th May

KS2 SATs Week begins - Monday 13th May

Finish for half-term - Friday 24th May

Year 3/4 Swimming - Every Thursday

Spelling Bee UpdateHuge congratulations go to Kayla who competed in the Semi Finals of the Rochdale School’s Spelling Bee; not only that, she has made it through to the Grand Final! She will be putting her spelling skills to the ultimate test when she goes up against Rochdale’s top spelling stars at the Town Hall in May. We are very proud of her achievement and wish her lots of luck and success in the Final!

Eco UpdateIn May, the Eco council will be giving a presentation to the Governors about all the hard work they have been doing since September. We are sure they will be impressed.

Year 5 had a recent visit from Rochdale Borough council to discuss the importance of recycling. They learnt about the 5 R’s of recycling- reduce, reuse, recycle, refuse, repurpose. They then talked about what each R meant and how we can all make the world a happier place by doing our own bit to help and protect the environment.

After that, they looked at the different coloured bins used by Rochdale Council and what they’re used for. The children then sorted products into the correct bins. They learnt that only bottle-shaped plastics should be put into the plastics bin and that recycled plastic can be used to make football shirts.

We hope that the Year 5 children educate others so that we can improve recycling within our community.

Bullying is not just something that children and teenagers go through. It is well

researched that bullying causes long term damage to both the person on the

receiving end, and those who bully.

Anti-bullying

Class UpdatesNursery

Reception

In Nursery this term, we are learning about ‘The Great Outdoors.’ This half term we will be acting out the stories ‘We’ re Going on a Bear Hunt’ and Goldilocks and The Three Bears.’ Using our senses to explore the materials in each story.

In our investigation area of the classroom we have ‘The Spring Den’ where we are exploring more about trees and how they change in Spring (exploring, buds, blossom, leaves, bark etc) we are also learning about how frogs grow.

During Forest School, we will be looking more closely at trees - in particular the different types of trees that are growing around our Secret Garden. In addition, we will also be planting flowers and building dens. Don’t miss the May newsletter for more detailed information about what we have been up to this half term.

The children in Reception discovered a ‘big pile’ in our secret garden. We tried to work out which animal we think it might have come from. We think it could be from a bear! We checked all around the secret garden but a bear could not be found. We have decided to make a cosy home as the weather is going to change. We made a list of the things we thought we might need and began to collect them. We then built houses for the bear, working as a team to do so.

Year 3/4Year 3/4 have now started their swimming lessons at Watergrove Swimming Pool. With a good walk to the venue, we are all sure to be very healthy by the end of these sessions! The children have all begun with a very positive attitude and we will look forward to seeing how their skills progress over the coming weeks. Being able to swim and keep safe near water is vital, so please ensure your child remembers their kit every Thursday. As part of the Trust, we are very lucky to have our own such amazing facilities!

We have just started our new topic, Pharaohs. This week, we have been looking at a range of artefacts from Ancient Egypt and have been trying to interpret and infer what they can reveal about what life was like for the Ancient Egyptians. Later in the term, we will be locating places of importance on a map of Ancient Egypt; learning about Pharaohs and their roles; creating Egyptian Headwear and discovering the process of mummification.

Year 5/6

Our topic this term is ‘Land Ahoy’ during which the children will have the opportunity to ‘become’ a pirate and learn about famous pirates and explorers throughout history. We will be learning about the role of the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution). The Fire Service will be visiting us to discuss water safety and allow us to observe a lifeboat in action. In science we will be learning about plants and animals. We will find out about a variety of plants and trees, their structure and the life cycles of animals. We will be doing this through a range of practical observations and investigations.KS1 are very fortunate to be taking part in the FRESH programme which starts at the beginning of May. The programme will involve 10 weeks of physical activity sessions which will focus on creating positive relationships with sport and physical activity as well as the effects exercise has on our bodies. There will also be a minimum of 6 nutrition sessions focussed on making healthy choices, food groups, the eat well guide and fats & sugars. We are very excited about this and hope it will enhance our PSHE work. Our sessions are scheduled for Wednesday afternoons so it is vital that all children have their full PE kit in school. We also advise that children have a named water bottle in school.

Year 1/2

On Saturday 22nd June, Branches Christian Fellowship are having a fun day in Stevenson’s Square, behind the library, from 3:00pm onwards, and our free School Uniform Pass Around service will be there for you to bring along any outgrown uniform and collect items for the new school year. There will also be various craft stalls, where you can buy gifts at bargain prices, plus free activities for all the family, including a free children’s play area and bouncy castle.

Watch out for further details!

Smallbridge Street Festival

If it seems like the world of apps is overwhelming, that's because it is! But never fear - the editors of Common Sense Media have combed through the thousands of apps out there to pick the best. Whether you want to teach your preschooler the ABCs or read a great interactive story, yes, there's an app for that. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-lists

Common Sense Media

Hopefully warmer and sunnier weather will soon join us! As this

approaches, please make sure that your child is wearing suncream and has a sun hat

with their name in it for when they are in our outside areas.

Thank you in advance

Your Child’s Birthday

School UniformIf your child has grown out of their uniform, but it is in

good condition, please drop off the uniform at the school office. Your donations would be

greatly appreciated.

We are happy to celebrate your child’s birthday in school, bus as Healthy Schools ambassador, we would like to move away from sweets/treats being shared. As an alternative, we would really appreciate the gift of a book that your child and their class can share and enjoy. To make it easier to choose a suitable book, we have book lists set up in Phases (Year 1/2/3/4 etc), on Amazon. To view the list and/or purchase from Amazon, please click the blue year group and this will take you directly to the associated year group. When the book arrives at school, we will provide your child with a bookplate onto which they can write their name and the occasion for which it was given.

Year Group List LinkNursery Book List NurseryReception Book List ReceptionYear 1 Book List Year 1Year 2 Book List Year 2 Year 3 Book List Year 3Year 4 Book List Year 4Year 5 Book List Year 5Year 6 Book List Year 6

Please remember to write in the comments box when placing your order to indicate who the gift is from!

Even if your child’s birthday has passed – take a moment to look at the great recommendedbooks from your children’s teachers on the links.

Smallbridge Street Festival

Common Sense Media