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DALE NEWS

MAY 2010

Our community courtyard Using the money we raised at last years Summer and Christmas Fair we have been able to convert unused outdoor spaces into areas which the children can use for both learning and play. The pictures in this edition of Dale News show the new colourful and tranquil areas that have been created thanks to your generous support!

D’S A E H OT SP

This years Dale Summer Fair will be held on Saturday 10th July and all the money raised will be used on a project to improve the main playground.

We are hoping to buy new benches and picnic tables and find a means of providing an outdoor shelter to protect pupils and parents from the elements. In the long term we aim to resurface the area around the MUGA to provide a better play space for the pupils. In order to do this we will embark on a number of fundraising ventures, which we hope you will support us with.

If you have any fundraising ideas or know of companies which may be able to help us with donations or sponsorships, please speak to myself or Zafar Iqbal (Learning Mentor).

Mrs L Sullivan - Head Teacher

Term dates for 2010 Break up for Half Term Friday 28th May Inset Day Monday 7th June Back to School Tuesday 8th June Break up for Summer Friday 23rd July Back to School Monday 6th September Break up for Half Term Friday 22nd October Back to School Monday 1st November Break up for Christmas Tuesday 21st December

Foundation Stage News In Foundation Stage this term we have been very busy hunting for bears and most recently we went on a mini-beast search. We found lots of interesting creatures living outside in the playground.

The teachers were very brave and even let us bring some inside.

We made a comfortable place for them to stay only for the day. We watched them move and eat. Our trip to Calke Abbey was very exciting.

We went through the meadows dodging sheep droppings! We are looking forward to some sunny weather in the next half term.

Year One News Year 1 enjoyed going to “Build a Bear” and each class making their own teddy. We ended up with 3 new members of Year 1 – teddy wizard, a teddy fairy and a teddy policeman. Then, Granddad Ted came to stay and brought with him his own toys from long ago. He was a bit grumpy, but he did allow the children to play with his toys and to learn lots of things about the past.

Year Two News Poorly Bear has been to visit Year 2. He had hurt his head after falling off his bike, so we made him a cycle helmet. We have also written entries in his diary about how we made him better. We have been learning about medicines and how to keep safe.

Year Three News Eat Right, Live Right! Do you know your fruits from your vegetables? Year 3 have been finding out how to tell the difference!

We have shopped for, and tasted a variety of fruits. We’ve also started to grow a selection of vegetables as well as sunflowers. This led us to study the life and works of Van Gogh. Some of us are taking part in “Dale Delights” and can now cook fruit kebabs, cookies, couscous and apple crumble. Yum yum!

Learning Mentors Please remember that trainers or flip-flops are not acceptable footwear in school. Children need to wear smart and comfortable footwear at all times.

School Council • We have been busy getting resources ready for wet lunchtimes. Children will have lots of puzzles and colouring sheets to do when it’s wet.

• Safety – we have focussed on ways to stay safe and we have talked about who we can go to for help in school.

• Summer Fair – we are currently planning our fair. We are thinking about the games and stalls we want.

Sun Safety Please ensure your child is appropriately dressed for the weather. Thin/cool clothes will be most suitable for hot weather. Vests and tshirts underneath school uniform are not appropriate in hot weather and can cause children to overheat and faint.

We recommend that your child has a hat and sun cream in school.

Year Four News Year 4 have been looking at our environment this half-term and comparing it with the countryside at Matlock Bath. We have squirreled acorns, dipped for minibeasts in the river and charted the biodiversity in our playground.

Many children in Year 4 have achieved successes this half term. 4JB and 4DB are doing very well in their swimming while 4H have been working hard on their ICT with Mr Bola.

Thirty of our children took part in a ‘Sing-Up’ Joint Schools Concert at Derby High School, which went fantastically well and we are hoping to do more music projects with the other schools in the future.

Year Five News This half term we finished off our Tudor topic by creating a museum in each of our rooms and we had a visit from Henry VIII and Catherine Parr to judge our work!

In our current topic, we are comparing Normanton with the village of Eyam in North Derbyshire, and understanding where in the world we live. It means we are learning a lot of geographical words.

We have had a trip to Eyam and walked around Normanton so that we can see and understand the differences for ourselves. We also learned about the Plague!

Year Six News Year 6 have been out and about this half term. We visited Waterstones bookshop where we discovered how a book travels from publisher to shelf and took part in a quiz.

We have also visited Dovedale in the Peak District. We followed the river Dove from Milldale, exploring caves and seeing beautiful wild flowers and birds along the way. The more intrepid explorers among us scaled Thorpe Cloud, a steep hill nearly 300m high scaring the sheep along the way! We all had the opportunity to cross the river over the stepping stones- thankfully no one fell in! It was a fabulous day topped off by some enormous ice-creams!

The newspaper club are busy editing a special Year 6 edition of the Dale Times that will be available from the end of term.

Sports News • Netball – team have won all 4 matches, excellent start to their league!

• Girls Year 3 / 4 football at Derby County.

Champions – 2 teams all played well. ‘B’ team won 2 games, lost 2 games. ‘A’ team won 7 games – Hajra, Sabeehah, Mariam – all asked for Derby trials!

• Athletics coaching – 6 weeks • Cricket coaching – 12 weeks • Basketball coaching in June – 6 weeks • Golf coaching – 4 sessions, Year 5 • Dance Festival – Year 3-6 – well done!

• Sports Days – 28th and 29th June School Uniform Reminder • Trousers – Grey • Skirt/Pinafore – Grey • Salwar Kameez – Grey / White • Shirt/blouse/polo neck – White / Light Blue • Sweatshirt/Cardigan – Navy Blue (School Logo) • Hijab/Scarf – White / Light Blue Sweatshirts, cardigans and Hijabs are available for purchase from the School Office.

Get online at home

NEW E H T AD QU

There are posters around school advising low-income families on how to access a free computer and a year’s free internet service. Leaflets are available from the Learning Mentors.

Pupils from 1W and Mrs Windscheffel enjoying our ‘City Garden’.

Thanks to the tremendous support we received from the community at the Christmas Fair, we have been able to use the money we raised to convert another redundant space into a city garden, which can be enjoyed by the pupils as a quiet area to read and relax.

The concrete space joined together the old building and new block, which houses the Year 6 classrooms and it was overrun with weeds and moss.

For more information please call 0333 200 1004.

School Dinners As we move into the last half term we will give the children the opportunity to eat their sandwich lunches in the picnic area on the playground. There will still be a room available in school for children to use if they prefer to do so.

How to contact us: Telephone 01332 760070 Email admin@dale.derby.sch.uk Address Dale Community Primary School Porter Road, Derby.

DE23 6NL

Thanks to Mr Wood, and the addition of a few fence panels, garden benches and bamboo plants, the area has been rejuvenated into a tranquil location ideal for escaping to with a good book!

Head Teacher Mrs L. Sullivan