BISM Newsletter - December 2018

ISSUE 1 SCHOOL NEWSLETTER #33

The British International School of Marbella

NEWSLETTER A Newsletter for Parents, Students and Friends of our School

December 2018

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SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Headteacher’s Message Dear Parents and Students, The month of December is a firm favourite at BISM as it is truly the most wonderful time of the academic year. With the Carol Concerts on the last day of November, the school was certainly left with the spirit of Christmas in every classroom and corridor; the countdown to Christmas had truly begun.

The first December event on the Christmas countdown was the School Choir Competition in the Old Town. This year we took forty-seven children, spread across the LS and MS choirs to represent our school - the most children we have ever taken in all the years we have been participating in this community event. Once again, our children made us extremely proud, with not only their beautiful singing and performances but also their excellent behaviour. Congratulations to both choirs; first to Middle School for winning ‘Best Vocal’ category and to Lower School for winning ‘Best Overall’ - the third time we have won this award in a row. Well done to all the children that took part and, of course, to Miss Conlan and Mr Everist for their hard work in preparing the children so well. Thank you also to all the parents that came to support our school.

Following the Old Town, it was straight back to school for the Christmas Fair. The school was a buzz of festivity with various stalls, games and activities. Santa managed to find time in his busy schedule to visit the children and sing some Christmas classics, keeping us thoroughly entertained. And

if that wasn’t enough we also received a visit from a Magician as well as Bob the Bingo caller all, the way from Bolton - it truly was a VIP line up! Thank you to all the staff and parents for making the fair such a huge success. You can read more about it including how much we raised later on.

The following Monday, it was back to the Old Town, but this time for the Foundation Stage who went to visit the church as well as admire the various Nativity scenes on display. Once again their behaviour was fantastic - true ambassadors for BISM. They were all rewarded with chocolate churros, and well deserved they were.

The Christmas season would not have been complete without a production.

Although not following a Christmas theme, the Y5 & Y6 ‘Pirates of the Curry Bean’ was full of sparkle and left the audience in extremely high spirits after being entertained with classic jokes, fantastic acting, super singing and an all-around excellent performance. Well done, children and congratulations to Mr Everist and Mr Herron on an extremely successful Middle School Production.

From all at BISM, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Best wishes, Ms Kirkham Headmistress

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Pre-Nursery Do You Want To Bulid a Snowman?

The children in Pre-Nursery listened carefully to a story called ‘One Snowy Night’. It was all about a Park keeper called Percy. In the story it snowed, the children were very interested in the snow.

We talked about snowmen and sang a song all about a snowman with three buttons, a hat and a scarf. The children counted the buttons on the snowman and danced like a snowman. We then sat at the art table and built our own snowmen. We used white card, pom pom buttons, and a carrot nose. We even gave our snowmen a hat and scarf to keep him warm on a snowy day.

The children were very proud of their snowmen. They will be bringing them home for Mummies and Daddies as a Christmas card. We hope you will display them somewhere special in your home over the Christmas period.

Miss Pottinger Pre-Nursery Teacher

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SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Nursery Christmas Cards and Mark Making When writing in the early years it is essential to make it purposeful and writing cards to much loved family members is a great place to start. The children in Nursery began by making and decorating their own cards.

Then they had a go at writing in them.

The children in Nursery are beginning to give meaning to the marks they make, so those squiggles you see often are very carefully created and if you ask the children they always know what they have written.

We are beginning to think about our own names too. What they look like and what letters are included in them. The children had a go at signing their own Christmas cards, they were very proud of their efforts. Rather sweetly when asked if they would like to put kisses on the card they all gave it an actual kiss!

We hope you enjoy receiving these special cards as much as the children have enjoyed making them.

Mrs Riddell Nursery Teacher

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Reception Snap!

“This is a fun game!”, Jordan (Reception class).

Playing games is certainly fun, but what the children in Foundation Stage don’t realise is that by playing games, they are actually learning many skills. Which is why the children played the game ‘Animal Snap!’ during a session in the Outdoor Classroom.

The children all sat down together and were chatting about their excitement about the game (Communication and Language skills). Once we had explained the rules, the children decided who would go first. The children took turns and reminded each other what they had to do (Social skills). It was lovely to see such honest children!

Many of the children could remember where previous cards were and used that skill to their advantage (Memory skills). We talked about the animals, discussing where they lived and what they ate (Communication and Language skills and Understanding of the World).

We then looked at the letters in the animal names, discussing the letter sounds (Literacy skills).

It is amazing how much learning you can get from one simple game!

So please, over the holidays, please take some time to play some traditional games as a family. We look forward to hearing all about it!

Mrs Rutherford Reception Teacher

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SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Foundation Stage

Marbella Old Town Christmas Trip On the last Monday of the term the whole of the Foundation Stage went on a trip to Marbella Old Town. Rather excitingly the bus picked us up for the trip!

Our first stop was at a chapel which had a large nativity scene set up, this had all been hand made and really showed the children lots of detail. After a walk through the winding streets we went to the church, where lots of scenes from the nativity scene were set up. The children were in awe of this large and impressive building and were very sensible whispering and walking around.

Outside the church we stopped at another nativity scene and saw Papa Noel’s house!

The main highlight of our trip was hot chocolate and churros. The children were magnificent, they waited patiently and then were rewarded with the most delicious treat. We had a fabulous morning and we were very proud of how the children behaved.

Thank you to all the parents that came and helped.

Mrs Riddell Foundation Stage Leader

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Year 1

Caring For Others December has arrived and that means one thing…. Christmas! During this time of the year many people self reflect and evaluate how their year has been. It is no different here at school. In our PSHE lessons we have been learning about being compassionate and how we can help each other. Do we help others? Do we do enough? These were the questions asked.

We read the story, “The Good Samaritan”, and learnt about being kind to strangers and to treat others how we would like to be treated. We even had some special visitors this month from the Butterfly Children charity and shared ideas how we could help them.

Gemma from Collective calling also came to speak about their project to help homeless children in Tanzania and shared a video to enlighten us about others in need. To round off all of this for our Awareness month (one of our Charter values) we had our Winter Fair where we were raising money for Hogar Betania, the charity that we support year round at school.

We are very fortunate with our lives and we are aware of that fact here at BISM. The children are very aware of the wider community and its needs and displayed that they are all Global Citizens by helping others in need.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Mr Thomas Year One Teacher

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SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Year 1

Vigil de QuiĂąones Park We took the Year 1 children to a beautiful park very close to school to see if they were able to identify the signs of Autumn. They worked in pairs and had a checklist to tick off when they saw different leaves, seeds, pine cones and much more! We also challenged to them to collect these items as evidence and anything else they could find that would help them to describe the changes that occur around them during Autumn.

The pupils were able to identify a variety of trees and seeds including sycamore and pine.

They also spotted wild mushrooms growing amongst the leaf litter. We learnt the differences between evergreen and deciduous trees and we talked about how these trees change during different seasons. They collected red, orange and brown leaves and some sycamore seeds that flew through the air like little helicopters.

They had a great time and loved being at one with nature.

We hope to go back and visit during different seasons to be able to see how flora of the park changes each month!

Miss Ladds Year One Science Teacher

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Year 2

Astrolab Visit

Studying Sikhism This term Year Two have been studying Sikhism as part of their Cultural Studies lessons. The children discovered where Sikhism was created and the man who founded the religion. As part of these lessons the class also learnt about traditions and celebrations that Sikhs carry out.

Vaisakhi is a long established harvest festival and as part of the celebrations people create flags of the Sikh symbol in bright oranges and blues. The class carefully created their own and added a bit of glitter to create an eye catching design.

Great work, Year Two!!

This December Year Two were seeing stars thanks to a visit from the staff of Astrolab. The visitors managed to bring space to BISM with a projector shining onto the ceiling of a darkened room. The children found out about the different constellations; how they got their names and stories people used to tell about them.

The children were also given the opportunity to take a closer look at the sun through the safety of a solar telescope. There were two different types of telescope, where the children could look at the colours created by the sun and look out for any activity that was occuring.

The children listened well to the visitors and learnt a lot from seeing the stars first hand.

Well done, Year Two, what superSTARS you are!!

Miss Allen Year Two Teacher

Miss Allen Year Two Teacher

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SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Year 3 Eyes Down The children in Year 3 got creative this December. Of course, they were creative when making crafts to sell at the Winter Fair in order to raise funds for charity.

What you might not know is that they also helped make up a fictional character who was coming to the Winter Fair to call two games of bingo and help raise even more funds and provide some entertainment.

The character was Bob Bolton, which was me with a wig and moustache as my costume, but all the details of his life, which always helps bring someone to life, were created by the wonderful Year 3 children.

Together they decided where he was from (Bradford) and the names of his family in which they kept the alliteration theme going.

His wife was called Barbara, his daughter Bella and son Brandon. They also decided on other personal details before writing a non chronological report about Bob as if he was real person. Through this process, the children learnt about features of such reports, such as titles, subheadings and introductory paragraphs.

Mr Holden Year Three Teacher

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Year 4

Christmas Spirit It has been a very busy month of December in Year 4! The children worked hard in their assessments in the first week and are now getting into the Christmas spirit!

We began the month with a kindness (and chocolate) advent calendar! The children have been trying to perform lots of little acts of kindness each day to spread the Christmas spirit around the school. Our star of the day also got to open the chocolate advent calendar at the end of each day!

Y4 Kindness Advent December 2018 1

Did you do something kind at the weekend?

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Did you do something kind at the weekend?

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Give someone a compliment.

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Hold the door open for someone.

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Smile and say something nice to the lunch ladies.

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Donate something to charity.

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Pick up litter and throw it in the bin.

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Give someone a hug.

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Do something nice for someone in your family.

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Leave a kind note for someone in our class.

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Send a thank you note to a teacher.

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Help someone carry their school bags.

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Leave a kind Help a friend. note for someone else in the school.

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Do a chore at home to help your parents.

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Tell someone that you love them and why.

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Talk to someone that looks lonely at school.

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Give 5 genuine compliments.

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Make a nice Christmas card for your parents.

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Be kind to yourself - do something that makes you happy!

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Send someone a nice letter in the post.

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Plan 5 kind things that you are going to do in 2019.

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Clean your parent’s or sibling’s room.

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Tell your family what you’re thankful for this Christmas.

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Give a gift to someone in your family.

The class made lots of delicious Christmas treats for our Winter fair on Friday 14th December. A special thank you to Polina, who organised her own slime lucky dip game and raised lots of money for charity!

In the final week of term, the class have been writing beautiful Christmas imagery poems, including different poetry features that they have learnt about this term such as personification, similes and repetition. I hope that you enjoy reading this inside the Christmas cards that the children will take home this week.

Miss Marseglia Year Four Teacher

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SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Year 5 PSHE

Conflict and Resolution We are very lucky this year to have much more time for our PSHE sessions. The Year 5 pupils have 2 sessions with Ms Flanagan and 2 sessions with myself. We have looked at different themes throughout the year including: feelings, expressions, internet safety and conflict and resolution.

This week we explored the conflict and resolution by discussing terms often used in gametheory. Win-win, win-lose, and lose-lose are terms that refer to the possible outcomes of a game or dispute involving two sides, and more importantly, how each side perceives their outcome relative to their standing before the game. For example, a “win” results when the outcome of a negotiation is better than expected, a “loss” when the outcome is worse than expected. Another classic example of this which you may be familiar with is the prisoner’s dilemma.

We looked at different scenarios and the pupils had to decide an outcome which would be win-win, win-lose and lose-lose. For example two children want to watch a different program on the TV, win-win: they both watch 15 minutes of each program, win-lose: one watches the program they want and the other does not and lose-lose: mum comes in and puts on Masterchef! They discussed a range of scenarios with the aim of them being able to resolve conflicts for the greater good and to always aim for a win-win situation, meaning they need to learn to compromise and feel happy that they are both sharing a positive outcome and to not feel resentful of not achieving the ideal outcome that they initially wanted.

I am really happy with the mature manner in which the pupils are able to discuss these themes.

I am sure that these sessions will achieve our main goal here at BISM for our ‘kindness revolution’, which is to always think about others and their feelings.

Being kind costs nothing! Join us!

Miss Ladds Year Five Tutor

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Year 6

Exploring Africa

Year 6 worked tremendously hard to produce fantastic Exploring Africa projects and present them to the class. The projects came in all shapes and sizes and the Year 6’s recounted many of their adventures in Africa and answered lots of questions about their chosen African country.

I was amazed by the facts that the Year 6s were able to recount about Africa and the vast amount of travel experiences they were proud to share. Solaeman spoke proudly about his Moroccan roots, while Adam and Paddy shared their interest and experiences of Egypt.

Charlie O´Brien shared some very interesting facts about Nelson Mandela and Olympia retold her experiences in Marrakesh. Mary, Sophie, Niko and Uzala all shared their beautiful projects and explained to the class how they made them 3D. Thank you to all the parents and staff who helped the Year 6’s produce their projects! They will be proudly displayed in the Year 6 literacy room for the rest of the year!

Miss Kerlin Middle School English Teacher

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SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Year 5/6

Planteta Explorer Trip Year 5 and 6 had a fantastic time at Planet Explorer. The trip was run as a joint venture between the Spanish and Science Department to further the pupils knowledge in both curriculum areas. The trip enabled the non-native speakers to improve their Spanish vocabulary and the native speakers to gain a deeper understanding of the more challenging scientific concepts such as scientific methodology and theories about the universe!

In Science, the pupils in Year 5 have been studying about earth and space and the Year 6 pupils have been learning about the human body systems, the same topics are also covered in the Spanish native Science curriculum. The pupils began their trip by learning the stages in the scientific process; how they would plan and carry out a scientific investigation. The 5 stages include: observations, hypothesis, method, data collection, conclusion and evaluation.

They then learnt about the four states of matter: solids, liquids, gases and plasma! They created a polymer, which observes properties of both solids and liquids...yes they made slime! They had so much fun and learnt how particles in different states behave and experimented with dry ice. During the second session the pupils explored the senses, they were able to identify different substances by eliminating one of their five senses. They then tested a range of liquids using a very smelly red cabbage indicator to measure the pH: the scale we use to measure the acidity or alkalinity of a substance.

Finally we went into deep space….we compared the sizes of objects in the solar system, the pupils were amazed at the huge distances between the planets and the time it takes for light to travel to earth from the sun. Their adventure ended with the Van der Graaf generator, they had a ‘hair raising’ experience..literally! They seemed to quite enjoy giving each other small electric shocks, especially their teachers! There was a surprise ending with the nitrous oxide rocket which shot into the air with a huge bang! They were all a credit to yourselves and the school, we cannot wait to go back again!

Miss Ladds Middle School Science and ICT Teacher

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

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SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Year 7

Fractions and Chocolate The Year 7 children carried out an investigation on fractions. The challenge was all about chocolate... and Maths, of course! I placed 1 bar of chocolate on table one, 2 bars of chocolate on the second table and 3 bars of chocolate on the third table.

We counted and established that there were 18 Year 7 students in the room altogether consisting of both children and myself and everyone lined up ready to go sit at a table and eat some chocolate. There was a catch, though. The children had to work out, in order, where each of the 18 people would have to sit down, to be guaranteed to receive the biggest piece of chocolate. A lot of patience was required, not just to avoid eating the merchandise, but to be able to work very systematically and methodically in placing each person at the right table.

After a brief introduction, some possible suggestions and some more hints and tips, the children were off in their groups solving the problem. Some children decided to make it very visual and drew out the tables and placed each person, one at a time, at a table; ensuring that they would get the biggest piece possible. Some children decided that using a table to record all steps were more efficient and others decided to mix up both methods to support their thinking process. Of course, the prospect of having to taste the maths resource of the day surely added to the focus, attention and determination the children showed to solve this problem. Or it was merely the fact that maths is fun! Needless to say, it was great to see how maths can be used to solve a real life problem and the children put a lot of effort into the lesson.

Things we learned: • Always double check what you have done to avoid simple error • Work systematically; do ONE step at a time - don’t try to rush through the problem • If there are 5 or 6 people in the group – Work together! It’s all about teamwork.

• Every time another person sits at a table, work out the new fraction and compare it with other tables to ensure it’s the biggest part of the whole.

Strangely the work rate increased when the reward was chocolate. Maybe a theme that needs lots more research and practical exploring!

Mr Kuhn Middle School Maths Teacher

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Year 8

The Reasons For Empire This month, as part of their unit of learning regarding the British Empire, Year 8 have been considering the reasons behind the expansion of the British Empire. The British began to establish overseas colonies in the 16th century. By 1783, Britain had a large empire with colonies in America and the West Indies. This ‘first British Empire’ came to an end after the American Revolution.

However, in the 19th century, the British built a second worldwide empire, based on British sea-power, made up of India and huge conquests in Africa. The British Empire is the most extensive empire in world history and for a time was the foremost global power.

The students researched the factors behind the expansion of the Empire and were then asked to debate them and try to rank the reasons from most to least influential. These were useful exercises in highlighting how events are rarely ‘black and white’ and often causation is determined by a number of factors.

Mr Herron Middle School Humanities Teacher

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SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Year 7/8

Mortal Engines Cinema Trip Mortal Engines is the first of four novels in Philip Reeve’s quartet of the same name.

The book focuses on a futuristic, steampunk version of London, now a giant machine striving to survive on a world running out of resources.

Year 7 and 8 were excited to have the opportunity to watch the film version of Mortal Engines on Wednesday 19th December - an awesome pre-Christmas treat that tied in perfectly with what they have been learning in Science! Year 7 have been learning how to create energy from a range of renewable and non-renewable energy resources.

This futuristic film demonstrated the impact humans are having on the environment and warned of the dangers that could possibly lay ahead! This is something we will be exploring further in the science classroom‌ Following the trip, Year 7 and 8 got together to write their film reviews. They produced a detailed analysis of the film, commenting on plot, characters, costume, props, music and sound effects. It was evident from their film reviews and the clapping at the end of the film, that this was a film that definitely made an impact!

After stuffing our faces with popcorn and drinks, we were back just in time to discuss the film over Christmas Dinner in the canteen.

What a fantastic way to end the term!

We are looking forward to the sequel!

Miss Kerlin Middle School English Teacher

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Sport

Super Swimmers I am always impressed with the determination and resolve of the swimmers at BISM, however, I was blown out of the water by their times this December. In September we timed the children on front crawl and breaststroke and we re-timed them recently.

The progress was amazing, with some children knocking over 20 seconds from their personal best times!

Most impressive, was Daria in Year 7, who knocked 15 seconds off her front crawl time to record an astonishing 29 seconds (joint fastest time in the school!). Amazing performances were also recorded by Esme, in Year 5, who knocked 26 seconds off her time, Lily-Mae (Year 2) who knocked 19 seconds, Oliver (Year 3) who knocked 9 seconds off. Mary and Laura (Year 6) who knocked 6 seconds off. Polina, Elina and Zoe (Year 4), who knocked a staggering 13 seconds each! Victoria (Year 8) knocked an impressive 8 seconds off her original time.

Everyone who has been attending swimming regularly reduced their time, which is a great achievement. I can`t wait for the swimming gala this year. By that time we may blink and miss them!

Miss Bruce PE Teacher

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SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Music

Marbella Old Town Carol Concert There are two vocal ensembles at BISM, the Lower School and the Middle School choirs. The children come to a rehearsal every week during their lunch hour. They are dedicated and enthusiastic and Mr Everist and I are delighted with their hard work over this term.

Both choirs had already performed at the art exhibitions and the BISM carol concerts, but their moment really came on Friday 14th December when they performed at the Marbella Old Town Carol Competition.

Several schools from Marbella perform in two categories: ages 5-8 and 9-11. The Lower School choir were the first up, and gave a fantastic performance of ´Where Shall We Go This Christmas´. The event organisers said how well the children sang and how much they enjoyed hearing the children sing in different languages. The Middle School choir didn´t have long to wait and gave a lively and accomplished performance of Winter Wonderland.

The Music teachers from other schools recognised how much work the Middle School choir had put in to result in a sound like theirs.

Both choirs were rewarded for their efforts.

The Lower School choir won their category and the Middle School choir were awarded best vocal ensemble.

It was a wonderful morning and fantastic to see the children recognised for their talent outside of school.

Mrs Conlan Lower School Music Teacher Mr Everist Middle School Music Teacher

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Special Event

Pirates of the Curry Bean Production

In a very short space of time, the children in Years 5 and 6 teamed up to put on a dazzling, exciting and swash-buckling production of ‘Pirates of the Curry Bean’. With 6 songs, and 80 pages of script to be learnt - in just three short weeks, this was no small task, but the children showed their creativity, resilience, and determination to make this a show that would have thrilled even the most hardened West End audience!

Learning lines, actions, dance routines is not easy for even the most accomplished actors and dancers, but everyone clubbed together to support each other, and the result was a colourful, energetic, funny and heartwarming tale of squash-buckling pirates, twins searching for their kidnapped mother, a mad Admiral and his crazy crew, all on a voyage of adventure dripping with piratical style. Congratulations to all involved!

Mr Everist Middle School Music Teacher

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Special Event

Winter Fair 2018

Christmas carols, howls of laughter and festive cheer welcomed in our annual BISM Winter fair on Friday 14th December 2018 raising money for our chosen charity Hogar Betania.

There were plenty of stalls and games to delight parents and students alike with old favourites like beer pong and festive glitter tattoos plus new additions like Bingo.

Tino the Magician from Kids Parties Spain entertained us with his magical talents and ensured all the children were enthralled with his tricks and turns. New for 2018 we were treated to to an appearance from the world famous Bob Bolton from Bradford, Bingo caller extraordinaire who, accompanied by Bruce on the organ, called several lively games down in the canteen. We hope this will become an annual event and look forward to welcoming Bob back for many years to come.

Ceramics by Messy Monsters joined us once again and the children had the chance to prove their artistic talents by painting some beautiful ceramics - perfect as homemade Christmas gifts! Mrs Rutherford´s tattoo stall was also extremely popular and had children queuing up to get one of her fantastic tattoos. Singing Santa was a great hit belting out Christmas classics to entertain us all - everyone was incredibly impressed with his vocal talents, well done Santa and thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to fit us in! Anna and friends helped raise over 400 euros running the cake and Russian food stall well done ladies!

Mel and Steph helped spread more than a little Xmas cheer on the bar, knocking out the electrics with the mulled wine on the hot plate ... but fear not Bonnie came to the rescue and kept the wine hot and flowing on the BBQ for the duration!

A special shout out must go to Ava in Year 4 and Aggie in Year 7 who showed some real entrepreneurial spirit with their pop up stall selling homemade slime, stockings, crispie cakes and reindeer food which raised 52 euros for charity. Well done girlsnext step ´Dragon´s Den´.

All in all a fantastic time was had by everyone raising a massive €1550 for Hogar Betania.

Plenty of food, drinks, entertainment and good friends raising money for a worthy cause was a great way to call in the festive season. A massive thank you to all who participated and made it such an enjoyable day!

Ms Watkins Head of Administration

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Last Day of Term

Christmas Fun For Everyone!

The last day of the Autumn term is always reserved for Winter Workshops and Christmas parties.

In the Foundation Stage and Lower School, we had a fun filled morning that started by watching the excellent Lower School staff pantomime - ‘Oh yes we did!’. A barrel of laughs was had by all as the teachers displayed fine acting skills and a sense of humour. In FS this was followed by snowman crafts a particular highlight was making melted snowman cookies. After a demonstration by Mrs Rutherford the whole of FS got together to make our own. Of course the best part was eating our creations. Our party was very busy, after a game of musical snowmen we had a huge pass the parcel which was a real treat. What a great end to our term!

In the Lower School, the pupils enjoyed participating in workshops creating a calendar, a decorative Christmas tree, Christmas lights and also tree decorations. The fun morning was wrapped up with class parties and some very entertaining Christmas games.

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SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

E-Safety The holidays are almost upon us and many children will be receiving the latest gadgets and tech’ this year. This monthly article is designed to help you support and protect your children, helping them to navigate the increasingly interconnected world we live in. This month I wanted to share a good quality resource with you, aimed at parents and carers, from the people at Childnet: https://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers.

Here you will find lots of articles, covering many aspects, which serve as very clear introductions and feature further links for exploration. The following is from their parents and carers homepage and features some questions you may wish to discuss with your children over the holidays.

What do I need to know?

The internet is always changing, and being able to keep up to date with your children’s use of technology can be a challenge, especially if you feel that your children may have better technical skills than you do. However, children and young people still need support and guidance when it comes to managing their lives online and using the internet positively and safely.

For detailed information regarding specific topics such as social networking, online grooming, gaming, downloading etc, see our Hot topics. A simple and effective way to get involved with your children and their lives online is through discussion. Why not use our conversation starters for parents and carers to get the ball rolling?

Conversation starter ideas: 1: Ask your children to tell you about the sites they like to visit and what they enjoy doing online.

2:Ask them about how they stay safe online. What tips do they have for you, and where did they learn them? What is OK and not OK to share?

3:Ask them if they know where to go for help, where to find the safety advice, privacy settings and how to report or block on the services they use.

4:Encourage them to help. Perhaps they can show you how to do something better online or they might have a friend who would benefit from their help and support.

5:Think about how you use the internet as a family. What could you do to get more out of the internet together and further enjoy your lives online?

Wishing you a happy and safe holiday, Mr Herron Deputy Headteacher

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Current Affairs

All The World’s a Stage!

This month the children’s talent has, once again, been evident for all to see. Across the school the children have entertained and performed in many shows, services, competitions and productions. Traditionally lots of performances happen at this time of year. Many children are involved in learning lines, acting, singing and putting together costumes and props.

A competition in the UK, run by the broadcaster Virgin TV, gave primary schools the chance of having their show professionally filmed and being broadcast via the ondemand service to a potential four million customers.

Some seem to be born for the stage, others gradually become more confident and some seem uncomfortable when performing. We try to build in lots of opportunities for the children to perform and present to different audiences and for different purposes. Having the confidence to do so can be beneficial in so many fields.

This then, is perhaps a good time to have a discussion with your child about performing and how they feel about it. Below are a few questions to prompt the conversation: Do you like taking part in school plays? Why? How do you feel when performing?

Do you think it’s important to have plays and productions in school?

As always, please do encourage your child to share their points of view with their teachers.

Mr Herron Deputy Headteacher

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Talking Point

Why Do ‘Non-Belivers’ Celebrate Christmas?

Christmastime may bring to mind flying reindeer that transport a rotund, bearded man as he delivers gifts to the homes of children around the world, but at its core, the holiday was initially intended to serve a different purpose. As far back as 354 A.D., December 25 was set aside to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, considered by Christians to be Lord and Savior.

Though the exact date of Jesus’ birth is unknown, Christmas has become the holiest day of the year for billions of people around the world who annually celebrate the first coming of their Messiah. But over the course of centuries, the holiday has also encompassed decidedly un-religious themes, including the aforementioned Santa Claus. So in that sense, Christmas has become a holiday of celebration for all, non-Christians included.

So why do Non-believers celebrate Christmas?

Christmas celebrates all that’s good in the world, Baby Jesus in a manger aside, there’s something about Christmas that stirs up feelings of compassion, love and joy in all of us - it’s no surprise that charitable organisations receive the bulk of their yearly donations during the holidays. Many people of all religions – and atheists – believe in the awe of human kindness and giving. They buy presents, sing songs, plan dinners – all to celebrate our human compassion for each other.

It could be said that there is one Golden Rule at Christmas - to treat others as you would like to be treated. Be kind. Be compassionate. That is the rule to live by that Christmas reminds us of. Then, by being compassionate, we become tolerant. Tolerant of the way others believe because that is what religion is – a belief. You may believe one way and another person may believe another. And we should all respect that.

Source: Daily Parent If you would like to discuss these issues with other parents and myself, please join us at our next ‘Coffee with Ms Kirkham’ on Tuesday 29th January at 09:00 Ms Kirkham Headmistress

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