Family Matters North East Somerset edition

NORTH EAST SOMERSET EDITION

ISSUE 66 • September 2018

POSITIVE BODY IMAGE

FORMERLY

BACK TO SCHOOL MEALS

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YOUR SCHOOL NEWS

‘Taking it personally’ is one of our key qualities We are recruiting Support Workers, Shift Leaders, Catering Assistants and Registered Nurses at our Community Resource Centres & Extra Care Services at the following locations:

Avondown House, Twerton The Orchard, Combe Down Hawthorn Court, Keynsham Greenacres, Midsomer Norton

We are recruiting! Call us for details about our Open Day on Saturday 15th September.

Sirona care & health is a Community Interest Company committed to providing integrated health and social care services to people across Bath, North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire. For us, it’s about the personal approach; we take pride in what we do and deliver the high standard of care that we’d expect for ourselves and our families.

In return we offer an excellent range of benefits including; • Generous holiday entitlement • Paid enhancements (where applicable) • A contributory pension scheme • Planned induction programme • Flexible working patterns • Childcare vouchers • In-house physiotherapy support and more!

St John’s Court, Bathwick Cleeve Court, Twerton Charlton House, Keynsham Combe Lea, Midsomer Norton

Permanent

(Annual salaries excluding enhancement) Catering Assistants & Housekeepers Up to £15,310 Support Worker Up to £17,618 Shift Leader Up to £21,636 Registered Nurse Up to £28,591

Bank

(Hourly pay rates including enhancement and annual leave supplement) Catering Assistants & Housekeepers Up to £13.20 Support Worker Up to £14.75 Shift Leader Up to £17.10 Registered Nurse Up to £23.99

For more information or to request an application form, please visit www.sirona-cic.org.uk or call the Recruitment Team on 0300 1245444

WELCOME

If the weather wasn’t enough of an indication, the return to early mornings and commuting to school are, the summer is definitely over and its time to get back into the routine of homework and early mornings.

Hopefully you’ll be all sorted and won’t have any uniform woes as the new term begins and instead you can look forward to the new challenges ahead. Many of our readers will be new starters to school, we know this can be a scary time, but don’t forget, it is an exciting time too!

You’ll be able to talk to your child about all the new things they’re learning and of course, watch as they make new friends and grow into their personalities!

If your child is now entering their final year of school, be sure to take a look at our features about open evenings and choosing a secondary school. You’ll find plenty of ideas, hints and tips to help you and your child choose the right school for them!

September is a great time to encourage your children to take up new activities, especially with the return of after school clubs, perhaps this term they can take up a musical instrument or a new sport? There are a huge variety of options open to you all and every single one of them will help them learn independence and socialise with other like-minded people. Plus, it means less of a rush for you to get home from work!

We hope you enjoy the start of this new term and that the homework isn’t too overwhelming after all those weeks of rest and relaxation!

p9 after-school clubs

p11 talking about headlice

p16 #21stcenturydyslexia

p24 birthdays for sensory sensitive children Published by Ignyte Media Ltd - email: info@ignyte-uk.co.uk call: 01761 410141 While every care has been taken to ensure the data contained in the publication is accurate, neither the publisher nor its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause.

Ignyte do not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. All right reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system in any form without the prior permission of the publisher.

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OPEN EVENING Thursday 27th September 2018 6.00pm to 8.30pm

SCHOOL TOURS

Tues 25th Sept: Wed 3rd Oct: Wed 3rd Oct: Fri 5th Oct: Mon 8th Oct: Thurs 11th Oct:

09.15am-10.30am 09.15am-10.30am 1.45pm-3.00pm 09.15am-10.30am 11.00am-12.30pm 11.00am-12.30pm

Please contact Tanya Iles on 01761 414276 or email headssec@somervaleschool.com to book one of our small group tours.

Keep up-to-date with all our news on Twitter.

Simply follow us @somervaleschool Somervale School | Redfield Road, Midsomer Norton, Radstock BA3 2JD  headssec@somervaleschool.com |  01761 414276

 www.somervaleschool.com

Choosing the right secondary school for you As hard as it might be to accept that your little darling is no longer so little, you can’t put off your decision on which secondary school is most suited to them and can help shape them into an upstanding young member of the community.

Selecting a secondary school is a big decision. There are many factors to take into consideration, some times more so than choosing a primary school, now you know a little more about your child’s interests, their strengths and weaknesses and their friendship groups. Plus there is the added issue of travel, is there a bus? Is it on route to work? Your child will also need a say in where they want to go to school and of course, the school has the choice of accepting or rejecting applications and for many of them, this is an equally tough criteria. There are postcodes, class spaces and more that can determine their decision, so we know how overwhelming the whole process can be.

time to start thinking seriously about your options.

Because of the time line of the application process, we’d recommend considering secondary schools while your child is still in Year 5. Schools have open days at different points in the year and some even have open days in the summer term, so you can always make an early start and find out more about your prospective schools well ahead of time.

It's important to note that if you’re considering a grammar or selective school you’ll definitely need to start preparing by Year 5 at the latest. These schools have entrance exams in the summer for Year 5 pupils or September for Year 6 pupils, so the more preparation you can have for these the better.

We’d recommend doing some online reconnaissance beforehand and making a note of all the admission deadlines and criteria, that way you can save a huge amount of time and stress as the time nears.

Don’t panic though, we’re here with some advice to make the whole thing as stress free as possible.

Firstly, know when the deadline for applications is and get yourself sorted in advance. The deadline will depend on your local authority, which can be a minefield for those living on borders with more than one local authority or academy trust running nearby schools. As a general rule, it tends to be around October time for those in their final year of primary school, so if your child is in Year 6, the start of the school year is a good

Before you even start looking at individual schools, take a moment to consider your child and what their strengths and weaknesses are. You can then use this to help narrow down what kind of education would best suit them and give them the best start in their future career. If they’re highly academic a school that focuses on academic subjects would be a better idea. If they’re sporty, a sports academy which focuses on training would be worth looking into. Perhaps they’re more into practical skills or creative arts? If so, there are schools that

Open Evening Thursday 20 September 2018 6.30pm - 8.30pm

We are very proud of our unique offer at the Dragonfly Education Trust and would like to invite you to come and see what we do best.

Join us for an access all areas Open Evening at Writhlington and Mendip Studio School.

CREATING

Save the Date: Sixth Form Open Evening Thursday 7 November 2018

OPPORTUNITY. INSPIRING ACHIEVEMENT.

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“The Best For All Our Students. The Best From All Our Students”

Open Evening Thursday 13th September 2018 4.45pm - 7.30pm 5.00pm & 6.15pm - Presentations by the Headteacher Organised guided tours start from 5.00pm To book a tour during the school day following the open evening please contact headspa@nortonhillschool.com or visit the “joining” page on our website

www.nortonhillschool.com For details please telephone 01761 412557

Keep up-to-date with all our news: Twitter @nortonhill Facebook @nortonhillschool

cater for these subjects. Does your child need strong pastoral care or more educational support? Would they be happy at a co-ed or an all boys or all girls school? It can help if you and your child get together, maybe with some input from their classroom teacher, to come up with a list of the key things you would like your first choice of secondary school to have. This can automatically cut down the list of schools for you to search through. You’ll probably already know a bit about the local secondary schools as your child progresses through primary, but it won’t hurt to check what options you have from your local authority, who will list all the state schools in the area and which ones are controlled by academy trusts. Schools run by an academy are free from local authority control and these generally consist of a selection of secondary and primary schools, so your child could stay within the same group of schools if you find that they are working well for you.

You will need to check the routes and how it ties in with your morning routine, especially if you have other children you need to cater for.

Once you’ve taken into account what schools are on offer and which ones are best for your child, you’ll need to look at the admission criteria. Each school has a different criteria and some are more particular than others, especially grammar and other select schools.

Some nearby schools could have a catchment areas that excludes your area, others might be oversubscribed. If you have your mind set on a faith school, your place will depend on how well subscribed it is from members of its religion, even if you are of the same denomination, it is worth confirming with the school what you will need to provide to them.

Now you hopefully have a better idea of what schools are right for you and what you need to do to be considered for them.

Now its time to get into the real nitty gritty of the selection process. Take a look at the school’s Ofsted reports and think about how it could have gotten the results it did. You can then weigh up whether you want to keep it on your shortlist. League tables will also give some idea of how well a school performs, but these can be skewed as schools that are highly selective will naturally have higher results than schools that offer more support to those with additional needs.

The reputation of the school is also something to consider, especially if you know parents of older children you can talk to. Underperforming schools can be easily turned around with staff changes, and of course, what works for someone else, might not necessarily work for you.

You do need to consider what school your child feels more comfortable at as well. They’re likely to choose the same school as their peers, but this might not necessarily be a bad thing. Just as long as you keep the bigger picture in mind about their future.

Chew Valley School Learn

Grow

OPEN EVENING Thursday 20th September 6pm - 9pm

OPEN MORNINGS 25th / 26th / 27th September 9.15am - 10.30am

11-18 Foundation Comprehensive (220 in Sixth Form)

Excellent results at GCSE & A Level Pastoral care is extremely strong...The relationships between teachers and students are strong and this results in high expectations for students’ achievement. - Ofsted 2015 www.chewvalleyschool.co.uk

01275 332272

Open Days are really useful for getting a feel for a school, their atmosphere and attitudes, as well as the subjects they focus on. You should also visit a school on an ordinary day, so you can see what your child would experience.

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It's a new term and new school year for your little ones, so make sure you give them something new to learn outside the classroom.

Better Chew Valley Leisure Centre offers a number of exciting junior courses: Soccer Tots, Balanceability and Dance, including Jazz and Cheerleading.

What's more, get 20% off when you book your course with us online!

Simply enter promotional code FAMILY20 at the checkout.

Book online by visiting better.org.uk/lessons

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Age restrictions apply. This offer is only available at Better Chew Valley Leisure Centre and can only be purchased online. The 20% discount is applicable for the first month only. Valid between 5th September and 16th October 2018 only. Full terms and conditions can be found by visiting at better.org. uk/offerterms. Better is a registered trademark and trading name of GLL (Greenwich Leisure Limited), a charitable social enterprise and registered society under the Co-operative & Community Benefit & Societies Act 2014 registration no. 27793R. Registered office: Middlegate House, The Royal Arsenal, London, SE18 6SX. Inland Revenue Charity no. XR43398

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Creative Courage For Life Stagecoach Performing Arts is the trading name of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Limited. Stagecoach Theatre Arts schools are operated under franchise and are independently owned by their Principals. Stagecoach and Creative Courage For Life are registered trademarks of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Limited.

ITS F E N E B E H T E R WHAT A OF JOINING AN

?

B U L C L O O AFTER SCH LEARNING A NEW SKILL

Children who participate in a variety of activities are introduced to new skills and new ways of working, as well as the chance to develop new and existing skills. As children realise they are capable of doing new things, they become more confident and additional skills are always useful on future applications, should they want to go on to university or get a job.

DEVELOP INDEPENDENCE

By participating in a club, which may or may not be with their usual group of friends, children learn to thrive outside of their comfort zone and these skills are paramount to getting on in life.

GETTING OUT

If your child spends too much time in front of a TV or playing computer games, clubs can give children an opportunity to explore more varied activities, become more active and enable them to challenge themselves.

MEETING NEW PEOPLE

Joining a club will give children a comfortable place to meet new people and develop friendships with other young people with similar interests. If the club is specific to something that isn’t taught during the school day it can also widen their social groups.

KEEPS THEM OUT OF TROUBLE

If your kids are at a club, then you know exactly where they are! What could be better!

IMPROVING THEIR SELECTION PROCESSES

In addition to further education, employers and social groups also like to see well rounded applications, participating in a club will help enhance any application.

GOOD OLD FASHIONED FUN

Leaning to play an instrument, taking part in a team sport, dancing, singing or just a youth club, these are all just enjoyable things to do and the more fun you have, the better!

Obviously, this isn’t the end of the list, but it gives you an idea of how good clubs are for your child!

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Millions of kids end up with headlice each year and schools are a hotbed for lice transference. Don’t worry though, we asked some mums for their top tips to get rid of headlice just in case.

Baby Oil

Its messy, but mums swear by it.

Sit your child in a bath tub or in the shower, pour baby oil over them and wait. Lice will slide right out – comb through to get rid of any stragglers, then shampoo without using water to wash the oil out of their hair. Rinse and repeat until the oil and lice are gone.

headlice

Bottle of coke

Yes. Again, messy but you can find bottles of coke anywhere.

Pour a bottle of coke over their head, wrap their hair in a towel and leave for an hour, then have them wash their hair as normal.

Conditioner

Using the same method as baby oil but leaving a lot less mess. Conditioner will suffocate lice and will leave hair oily enough to comb through.

Hair Dryer

Use a hair dryer on freshly washed hair to kill lice, but make sure not to use hot air after applying a chemical lice treatment as some contain flammable ingredients.

Petroleum Jelly

It sounds fiddly, but many mums think it is the Holy Grail of head lice treatments. Coat the hair and scalp with petroleum jelly, or hair styling gel, cover it over night with a shower cap or towel and then wash out in the morning. Comb for nits and repeat the treatment every few weeks to make sure they’re all gone.

Mayonnaise

Make sure to use real, full fat mayonnaise, if you can stand the smell. Slather it on liberally and then cover in a shower cap.

Shampoo and comb in the morning and then repeat a week later to get rid of any stragglers.

Pro tip – if you choose to put mayonnaise, coke, petroleum jelly

or something similar, use washing up liquid to help clean these things out of the hair when you’re done – it’ll make it easier to wash and shampoo!

Do you have any home remedies for getting rid of headlice? Get in touch on Facebook and Twitter and let us know!

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The

Dahlicious

Dress up Day

The Dahlicious Dress Up Day is part of this year’s Roald Dahl Day celebrations taking place on 13th September!

Schools and groups across the globe can dress up as their favourite Roald Dahl characters and donate money to Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, which helps fund specialist children’s nurses in communities across the UK. These nurses provide expert care and support to children with serious illnesses and their families, because every seriously ill child should have access to the best possible healthcare.

Over the years the charity has provided grants to families in financial hardship, expert support and care and funded nurse-led research projects.

Are you taking part in a Roald Dahl Day celebration?

We’d love to feature your pictures in our next issue!

Submit them to us on our website!

If you r sch ool is cele bra tin g Roa ld Dah l Day and hol din g a Dah lici ous Dre ss Up, her e are som e cha rac ter s to give you inspirat ion !

An Oom pa Loo mpa fro m Cha rlie and the Cho cola te Fac tor y Mat ilda fro m Mat ilda Mr Fox fro m Fan tas tic Mr Fox The Enormo us Cro cod ile Wil ly Wonka fro m Cha rlie and the Cho cola te Fac tor y Sop hie fro m the BFG The Gra nd Hig h Wit ch fro m The Wit che s

e v a H d l i h C Helping Your

E G A M I Y D O B P OS ITIV E like th them. They don’t something wrong wi eat is gr re w the ho e nk se thi y n’t ild tell you the little person ca ch s ur thi t yo tha ng le ari sib he n en of age rse tha ompreh There is nothing wo t them. Sadly, in the It seems almost inc y think they’re fat. s that you love abou the viours that ng , ha thi es be m, ey to ir the d the m se ir, po the ha ex their things that make ildren are being e ch lik y, n’t wa do in y rta the ce t a they are and tha d pressures to look shopped images an gativity towards social media, photo earlier. d able to dispel any ne an is r d an rlie e ea nc hia ara orp pe sm ive attitude to their ir natural ap encourage body dy child build this posit image accepts the ur dy yo bo ng ive lpi sit He po k. a s loo y t older.

Someone who ha nce about how the manifest as they ge faction and confide d feelings that could an ughts they might hts tho e ug tiv tho them with their satis ga e ne tiv y to combat nega lp get rid of an nt he d rta an po ild im ch is e ur ag yo body im subject with to help broach the Here are a few tips dies. have about their bo

Model what it means to have a positive body image Ideas of body image are taught. If your child regularly sees and hears you moaning about how you look they are going to turn those feelings onto themselves. Make sure you are feeling positive about your body image, instead of complaining about looking fat or old or tired or any of the other things that are definitely not true, show your children that you are comfortable with your appearance and that you appreciate every part of your body.

Compliment your children regularly By this, we don’t mean just on their appearance, though regularly telling them that they’re handsome/pretty and that you like their clothes/ hair/whatever is important, make sure you don’t just focus on how they look. Compliment them on other achievements too, let them know if they do well at school, compliment them when they learn a new move in sports or dancing or something new on an instrument. Make sure that your compliments include things their body allows them to do.

Emphasise having a healthy relationship with food and exercise

This is something the entire family can do, if you teach your children the importance of eating healthily rather than calorie counting and getting obsessed about their meals, they will grow up with a healthy attitude towards food and nutrition.

Kids who are not particularly into athletics still need to learn about the importance of movement, so find a physical activity that they like and that you can maybe do together, such as dancing, walking, running or going on cycle rides. These activities will keep them fit and active and provides confidence in how the body works, building a positive idea about body image.

Help them be realistic Make sure from an early age that your child understands the concept of photo editing. The sooner they learn that what they see on the internet, TV and in magazines isn’t always an accurate image the better. Explain that in the real world, people are much more diverse and there are a range of different shapes and sizes and that everyone’s ideal and healthy weight is different.

DDDDD DDDDD DDDDD D D D D DD. D D D D DDy

#21stCenturyDyslexia The British Dyslexia Association is once again bringing us Dyslexia Awareness Week, from the 1st – 7th October, with World Dyslexia Day taking place on October.

This year’s theme is 21st Century Dyslexia and is hoping to enable independence, empower people, raise self-esteem and how we can use technology for learning.

Throughout the week, the association will be working on busting some of the big myths surrounding dyslexia, so we thought we’d bust a few of our own.

Dyslexia is one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted learning difficulties that children face at school today. This year for Dyslexia Awareness Week, we’d like to clear up a few of these common misconceptions that blight dyslexia sufferers the world over.

1) The idea that dyslexia doesn’t exist and is down to laziness.

This is utter rubbish. There has been over thirty years of studies and documents looking at all aspects of dyslexia and how it affects people in their day to day life. It is one of the most common learning disabilities that affects children.

2) Dyslexia is rare.

Again, not true. Dyslexia is one of the most common causes of reading difficulties, only one in ten qualify for extra help.

Most people with dyslexia have a mild form that may not even be picked up by schools or experts.

3) You can grow out of it.

Sadly not, dyslexia is a lifelong issue, however, yearly monitoring and correct administration of lessons can help and make life a lot easier for children and adults. Though they may still continue to read slowly and find it difficult, they can gain the skills needed to read and write accurately.

4) Smart people can’t have dyslexia or a learning disability.

Sorry to break it to you, but dyslexia and intelligence are not connected. Dyslexia can affect anyone and many people with dyslexia are incredibly bright. In fact, historians now believe that Albert Einstein was dyslexic, and he’s widely considered to be a genius!

DDDDD DDDDD DDDDD ... is for D D yslexia D 5) Dyslexia is a ‘catch-all’ term

Again, nope. Research has shown that it is a specific neurological learning disability with certain characteristics, but there are a number of other conditions and learning difficulties which need different levels of care to dyslexia.

6) Dyslexics see words backwards.

No, they don’t. Dyslexia isn’t a problem with the eyes and people with dyslexia will see a word in exactly the same way as someone who doesn’t have it. People with dyslexia find it challenging to break down words and this can sometimes including flipping letters around, but this isn’t a sign of dyslexia, in fact, many young children when learning their letters for the first time do this too.

7) Boys are more likely to have dyslexia than girls

Reading disabilities in boys have always been historically more identified than girls’ but the prevalence of dyslexia is nearly identical across both genders. One explanation for this might be that boys are sent for testing more than girls because of their classroom behaviour and societal pressures.

8) Dyslexia is passed on through your genes

There is some debate about this, but some studies have found that there is a gene that can make people more susceptible to dyslexia and that if you have the gene, it is likely that you share it with someone in your family. However, this hasn’t been agreed on by scientists and experts yet.

9) I’ll never be successful if I have dyslexia.

Perhaps the most untrue thing we’ve found so far. Having dyslexia doesn’t mean you’ll be forever unemployed or not able to excel at your chosen field. There are plenty of successful people who have dyslexia, television presenter, Holly Willoughby has talked openly about her struggles with dyslexia. Richard Branson is also said to have suffered with difficulties reading while at school and look where he is now!

10) Dyslexia is a new phenomenon.

While it might be more widely known about these days, dyslexia has been around for a very long time. It was identified in 1881 and the term dyslexia coined in 1887, so definitely not new!

If you’re concerned that your child might be dyslexic or that they aren’t receiving the right support, please speak to your classroom teacher or staff at the school, they’ll be happy to help you!

what’s on 15 - 16 September Teddy Bears Picnic FREE train travel for children who bring their Teddy Bear!

Come and join us for this special day with lots of activities for children. Avon Valley Railway, Bitton. www.avonvalleyrailway.org

22- 23 September Wiltshire Game & Country Fair An ideal day out for all the family with something for everyone.

As well as the usual busy arenas, featuring traditional countryside pursuits, the thrills and spills of display teams, and a designated ‘World of Dogs’ arena.

15 September Free Open Day at Somerset Rural Life Museum Free entry to all as part of Heritage Open Days, an annual celebration of England’s heritage, community and history.

There’s also plenty on offer for families and younger visitors, including Museum Trails; dressing up; and an orchard waiting to be explored.

29 - 30 September Hoot Farewell Weekend The Hoot Farewell Weekend will see all 82 owl and owlet sculptures from this summer’s Minerva’s Owls of Bath trail, gathered together in a giant ‘parliament’ for a fabulous feathery festiv’owl at the Bath Recreation Ground.

Bath Recreation Ground, Pulteney Mews, Bath BA2 4DS.

16 September Bath Cup Family Fun Day An action-packed day of family fun, with fun fair rides and free family entertainment in the grandstand.

Bath Racecourse, Bath.

1 - 31 October Autumn Leaves Trail Discover this magical story around the grounds of Stourhead alongside some of our most magnificent trees, in all their autumn splendour.

Stourhead House and Gardens, Stourhead, Wilts.

20 - 23 September Circus Vegas Housed inside its huge Stars & Stripes big top Circus Vegas merge’s all the elements of circus with all the glitz, glamour & spectacle that you would imagine when you think Vegas.

With jaw dropping acts, scintillating costumes & the funniest of Clowns this show brings performers from all over the world, you will be sitting on the edge of your seat when not falling off them with laughter.

22 September Cinema at Midsomer Norton Town Hall Teen Titans: Go to the Movies (2.30pm) Christopher Robin (7.30pm). MSN Town Hall, The Island, Midsomer Norton.

22 September Frome Carnival Afternoon procession 2.30pm, Commences from Victoria Park.

Evening procession 7pm Commences from Marston Trading Estate.

6 October The Big Draw Join us for a full day of arty fun all across the property. This fundraising event is for all the family, with activities around the property to get hands-on with.

Stourhead House and Gardens, Stourhead, Wilts.

8 - 13 October Madagascar at Bristol Hippodrome Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and, of course, those hilarious, plotting penguins as they bound onto stage in the musical adventure of a lifetime. www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome 8 October A Frog Called Woânda Told through live action, puppetry, music and shadows, this is a funny and touching story of love, loss and friendship. A French show suitable for 6-10 year olds.

The Merlin Theatre, Frome www.merlintheatre.co.uk

For further information about each event

13 - 14 October Apple Celebrations There will be information on the apple orchard at Avebury, gardeners will be on hand to give advice and fun family activities including making a bird feeder using apples and apple pressing. Avebury National Trust, Avebury.

14 October The Wells Food Festival This family-friendly, one day festival is free to enter. Graze your way round the Artisan Market, stretching from the Market Square, along the Bishop's Moat and into the Recreation Ground. For further information, visit our website www.wellsfoodfestival.co.uk 20 October HorseWorld Open Day Meet the horses, talks and demonstrations, tractor safari and much more. HorseWorld, Staunton Lane, Whitchurch. www.horseworld.org.uk 20 October Trowbridge Carnival An illuminated Carnival Procession through the streets of Trowbridge - large floats, masqueraders, bands, dance groups.

Starts at 7pm from Canal Road, finishing at Cradle Bridge - NO spectating in Bythesea Rd (dismissal area).

please visit www.familymatters-uk.co.uk

S upcoming seasonal events DON’T MIS at the Hawk Conservancy Trust E DETAILS VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MOR

friday wednesday 24 6and 26 October til 8pm

tick ets

Prepare yourself and your little ones for a wickedly spook-tacular family evening this Halloween.

Includes spooky crafts, flying display and refreshments PRICES FROM

£10.99

at Feathers Restaurant for breakfast on 23 and 24 December, and tea on 23 December*

Each ch ild will rece ive an earl y Christm as present

Bring the little ones along for a bite to eat, see Father Christmas in his grotto and meet an owl. *check website for dates and times

Each Christmas event ticket comes with a half-price entrance voucher valid until Thursday 4 April 2019* * TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY – PLEASE SEE WEBSITE

We are located just off the A303 near Andover, Hampshire

01264 773 850 www.hawkconservancy.org @HawkConservancy

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2018-08-10 10:35 AM

Don’t miss out on free trips with

Heritage Open Days!

Heritage Open Days is England’s largest celebration of history and culture where over 2,500 organisations host over 5,000 events across the country to celebrate heritage, community and history and it's all free!

This year, Heritage Open Days are on 6th-9th and 13th-16th September. Its your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences as a family, whilst also learning a little more about this amazing country.

For the first time in its 24 year history, Heritage Open Days is taking place over two consecutive weekends, this year, in recognition of the centenary of the Universal Suffrage Act, hundreds of the events taking place will have the theme of ‘Extraordinary Women’ focusing on both well-known and less celebrated women.

In addition, Heritage Open Days is launching a second Unsung Stories project, following on from the critically acclaimed LGBTQ events last year.

The American Museum in Bath is one venue hosting events as part of the Heritage Open Days. You can join in a day of celebrating the very best in American heritage and horticulture and see a replica of the Upper Garden at Mount Vernon, George Washington’s 18th century home, taking place on Saturday, 15th September from 10am to 5pm.

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Why wait until September to experience free culture and heritage events? If you live in Bath and North East Somerset, you can apply for a Discovery Card which allows local residents to visit their council-run museums free of charge and receive discounts at a whole host of other venues in and around the city, such as Bishop’s Palace in Wells, Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park and the Somerset Coalfield Life at Radstock Museum.

Head to www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/tourism-and-heritage/ discovery-card to find out how to apply and a whole list of discounts and free admissions.

@UkFamilyMatters | familymatters-uk.co.uk | 21

Easy back to school meals!

With the kids going back to school and the stress of getting back into a routine of home time, dinner time, homework time, bath time and bedtime, you’ll need some super speedy dinners to get you back into the swing of things.

Here are five simple suppers to help you out!

Sausage and Sweet Potato Skillet Here’s a flavoursome, easy to make dinner which will leave everyone warm and full on those autumn evenings.

Tomato spaghetti It’s a simple, easy to prepare meal and everyone likes pasta!

480g of spaghetti (use a gluten free alternative if you like) 2x tins of quality chopped tomatoes 1 medium onion cheese of your choice.

Put a saucepan on a medium heat and add olive oil and onion, cook until soft and golden.

Season with a tiny pinch of salt and pepper and then add tinned tomatoes Fill a new pot with boiling water and add the spaghetti Once the pasta is done, drain and add to the tomatoes Stir together and add in your cheese.

This is another recipe that can be adapted for children with allergies, plus you can use it as a base and add other ingredients if you’d like.

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1tbsp of oil or cooking spray 8 sausages – pork or vegetarian 1 onion 4 garlic cloves 1 sweet potato 1 red pepper In a large pan heat the oil or spray the cooking spray and brown the sausages for five minutes, take them out but keep the pan on the heat, turn it down and gently cook the onions and garlic until soft.

Add the sausages back in with the sweet potato and pepper and gently cook for thirty minutes occasionally stirring and turning.

Remove from the heat and serve straight from the pan.

If you’re going to use vegetarian sausages – these cook in less time than meat sausages, so brown them off to start and then reheat them for 10 minutes or so at the end.

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Baked Sweet Potatoes A more exciting version of the traditional baked potato, quick, easy and healthy!

A sweet potato for each person Olive Oil Preheat the oven to 180 degrees or gas mark 4.

Scrub the sweet potatoes, pat them dry and then rub with olive oil, sprinkle over salt and pepper and roast in a baking tray for about 40 minutes When they’re almost ready, grab some salad, coleslaw or whatever other toppings you would like, add and serve!

Sloppy Joe

Warning, this is messy, but the kids will love it! It’s an American staple which the whole family can get into!

1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion 2 small peppers 2 garlic cloves 400g minced beef/turkey/soya mince 2 cans of chopped tomatoes 1 tbsp of mustard/bbq sauce Burger buns Heat the oil in a deep frying pan, fry the onion, pepper and garlic for 10 mins or until soft.

Add the mince, breaking it up as you go and stirring until it browns all over. Be aware that some mince will cook faster than others.

Tip in the tomatoes and mustard or bbq sauce, add a little seasoning and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Pile into burger buns, add the cheese for those that want it and serve.

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Pizza Quesadillas Combine Italian with Mexican with this easy to make crowd pleaser! It might be simpler to grab a frozen pizza and bung it in the oven, but these are quick to make and much healthier!

All you’ll need is a pack of large flour tortillas (grab a gluten free version to make this suitable for anyone with allergies) 150g grated cheese (substitute for dairy free cheese if you like) 2 tomatoes Tomato puree Your choice of veg or meat – pre cooked chicken, ham etc Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C or gas mark 6.

Place half the tortillas on a baking tray and sprinkle over cheese, add a few veggies and then place the rest of the tortillas on top.

Spread tomato puree over the top layer, add the remaining cheese, sliced tomatos and the rest of your veg and bake for 15-20 minutes.

And that’s it, you’re done!

This is a perfect alternative to a frozen pizza or creating one from scratch, it can be made vegetarian and adapted to be gluten and dairy free and is sure to be a big hit with the kids!

@UkFamilyMatters | familymatters-uk.co.uk | 23

Celebrating birthdays with a sensory sensitive child Birthdays are usually a hugely anticipated date for children, but for those who suffer with sensory sensitivity conditions, such as autism, Asperger’s, Sensory Processing Disorder or other similar conditions they can be incredibly difficult, especially if you want them to experience the same excitement as their classmates.

Some children with conditions such as autism or Asperger’s can act out and get agitated or anxious when their routines are changed or when suddenly presented with loud noises and bright colours. It can be difficult for parents too, especially when you’ve planned out what you were hoping would be a great day. Many parents want their children to have the same opportunities and experiences as their neurotypical peers and if you’re one of those parents, here are a few tips to help you celebrate and enjoy your child on their birthday.

Don’t hype it up Remind your child that their birthday is on the way, but don’t make it a big deal, its likely your child will already know that their birthday is coming, but they might not quite comprehend the importance of it. You can talk to them about their past birthdays and share photos from them, letting them know carefully and gently how special they are and the day is going to be. It can become overwhelming if you build it up too much, so be sure to talk to your child calmly about what they would like to do for their birthday and how they feel about celebrating it.

The main thing to remember is not to expect too much, if you notice that things are getting a bit much for your child, let them take a few minutes out. The other guests might not understand that your child has difficulty with social situations which can make birthday celebrations bittersweet, but the priority has to be making sure your child enjoys themselves, so ignore the haters and remember that your child functions better when things are simple. Celebrate how brilliant they are and that you have made it through another year together.

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We offer a generous allowance, professional training and great local support.

Capstone Foster Care needs carers for children of all ages but are particularly interested in hearing from people able to look after sibling groups.

Call 01454 423 820 or visit www.capstonefostercare.co.uk 24 |

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Keep an eye on the guest list Kids who have conditions that involve their senses will find loud noises, bright colours and too much decoration difficult to deal with.

Some children have a hard time understanding personal space and being in a noisy environment might make them hyper. To help combat this, invite one or two friends to celebrate their birthday so you can keep noise at a controllable level and help your child function.

Picking the right time of day Like we said, routine is important to children with conditions such as Asperger’s and autism and children with other sensory sensitivities may find that their happier at certain times of day. If you’re planning a party, make sure to pick a time of day that works for your child, it’ll mean that everyone will get a chance to enjoy the day.

Think outside the box Children with sensory sensitive conditions aren’t always into the same things that other children their age are. So to ensure that they enjoy their birthday, pick activities that appeal to their interests. When it comes to gifts, it might be difficult for some children to sit and open them in front of people or at all, knowing your child’s limits will help you work around things that neurotypical children take for granted.

Picking the right décor If you have children who get stressed out by loud noises, do not like being touched or are easily overwhelmed, finding party decorations can be a struggle. Balloons for instance, big no no.

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IRLEN® syndrome can be a part of the problem for people who have Eye Problems, Dyslexia, ADD/HD, Autism, Asperger syndrome, Dyspraxia, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Migraine and Headaches.

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LATEST SCHOOL NEWS

EVENTS

DIARY DATES

YOUR SUCCESSES

News and Reviews KILMERSDON SCHOOL’S VISIT FROM CARYMOOR Have you heard about Carymoor? They visited Kilmersdon School last term for a whole school assembly and worked with some year groups on class work. Carymoor Environmental Trust is an environmental education and nature conservation charity. They work on 100 acres of capped landfill just outside Castle Cary in Somerset that is now an amazing nature reserve - well worth a visit.

Pictured here are Year 5 putting recycled bottles to good use in their learning.

FARRINGTON GURNEY STUDENTS VISIT THE EGG THEATRE Last term the whole school boarded two coaches for a trip to the Egg in Bath, courtesy of the Friends of Farrington Gurney. The children were split into three groups; the youngest group were in the top of the theatre improvising with sounds, the middle group were in the auditorium using props to create scenes, the eldest group walked to a scout hut where they took part in lots of drama activities.

A huge thank you to the Friends for organising and funding the trip, the children all enjoyed a really good experience at the theatre, as well as getting to have a picnic in Victoria Park.

CHEW STOKE CELEBRATES 300 YEARS WITH TEA PARTY

CLUTTON STUDENTS VISIT PARLIAMENT Pupils from Clutton Primary School took a trip to the Houses of Parliament in the summer term with teacher Lucy Cowgill and headteacher Elizabeth Ennew where they met their local MP Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Chew Stoke Church School celebrated 300 years as a village primary school in July by holding a special tea party and performing a commemorative song that was written and composed especially for the event by Dr Ruth Donlevy. Pupils delighted the whole community with their rendition of Look Back in Time which was accompanied by violins, flutes, cellos and handbells.

The Bishop of Central Africa and ‘Mr Bilbie’ (aka Derek Holloman) attended as special guests.

The Bilbie Foundation have recently restored the ancient school bell which is rung by the youngest pupils in the school to sound the end of the school day.

The Chew Stoke Church School Trust presented the school with new iron gates to help commemorate the past 300 years, here’s to 300 more!

St Benedict’s Catholic Primary School Charlton Road, Midsomer Norton BA3 4BD ‘Growing Together Through Christ’

Where every day is an OPEN DAY We are a smaller than average school and pride ourselves on our caring approach and our ability to meet every child’s needs, helping them develop and ensure they reach their full potential, whilst growing in the love of Christ. We welcome children of all faiths.

We also offer wrap-around care as well as an independent on-site Nursery.

Come and see for yourselves what the St Benedict’s experience can do for your child.

Please call 01761 418594 to make an appointment Email: stbenedicts@educ.somerset.gov.uk www.stbenedicts.info

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@UkFamilyMatters | familymatters-uk.co.uk | 27

CAMELEY PUPILS LAUNCH SHIPS AT HARBOUR FEST

ST MARY’S GRATEFUL FOR IPADS Children at St Mary’s Primary School were very excited for their lessons using iPads! The school would like to say a huge thank you to the Friends of St Mary’s PTA, Apollo Technology and the teachers for all their hard work in raising the money, setting up the systems and making learning fun!

Year 5 and 6 pupils from Cameley Primary School explored the rivers around Bristol riding a barge into the floating harbour where they learned about the interesting ships that are docked there and found out more about the river system.

Their tour also took them along the waterfront where they were told about bridges, locks, caves, cranes, buildings and ships.

Following the tour, which took place in 28 degree heat, (so well done children for being so well behaved!) the children worked with engineers, apprentices and a lawyer to make boats out of card. The boats came back to school to complete before returning to Bristol to take part in the armada of 100 ships that were launched as part of the Bristol Harbour Festival.

PEASEDOWN COME 4TH CHEW STOKE CELEBRATE BOOK LAUNCH

Mr Lucy took a team of children to the School Sports’ Quadkids Athletics event at St Benedict’s School during the last week of the summer term. The children had to compete in several events including the 400m, standing long jump, sprint and vortex throw. They all performed really well and finished a very impressive 4th place out of the 12 teams that attended! Well done, team!

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Staff at Chew Stoke Primary School are very proud and excited about a selection of poems and stories written by Year 5 pupils which have been published. A book launch was held at the school for parents and friends where the children read extracts from their stories.

The writing project was part of the Paper Nations Project, run with Bath Spa University. Paper Nations has been working with the school as part of a pilot project which explores how to encourage and support writing with young people. Somerset writer, Alice Madicott, who is a writing tutor and author, worked with the children during the project.

She attended the book launch along with Lynne Taylor, the Programme Manager for Paper Nations.

The headteacher, Ben Hewett, said: “The way the project involved both the children and the parents brought the learning alive and the book, which was one of the outcomes of the project, is testament to how inspired our young people have become as writers.”

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FARRINGTON STUDENTS WOW IN FARRINGTON FORUM Last term saw the annual Farrington Gurney Talent Show, this year the school had fourteen acts trying to wow the judges with their unique talents. There was gymnastics, dance, tennis, magic and singing to name just a few.

Well done to all the children who took part, the seven judges rated each act out of five giving a potential top score of 35. Evie came third overall with 28, Sophie came second with 29 and Sam came first with 34 for showing off his parkour skills.

SEE HIGH LITTLETON’S GROMIT UNLEASHED DESIGN If you’ve been to Cribs Causeway over the summer you might have spotted Rainbows McGraw, one of the statues in the Gromit Unleashed trail. Rainbows McGraw was designed by Mrs Beale and the children at High Littleton Primary School, it is on display in Cribs Causeway and will then be returned to High Littleton during the autumn term.

BISHOP SUTTON PUPILS RAISE MONEY BY READING Last term, the children of Swan class undertook a sponsored read, the children had to read every night for two weeks and were sponsored by family and friends. They raised an amazing total of £584.50. £400 was sent to the Lymphoma Trust and £184.50 was sent to the World Wildlife Fund to sponsor a snow leopard. Well done, Swan class!

SUCCESSFUL SCIENCE WEEK AT PEASEDOWN ST JOHN PRIMARY During the last week of the summer term, classes across the Key Stages worked together to carry out a range of scientific investigations including making erupting volcanoes, using wind power to explore forces and an exploration involving bubbles to name a few. The pupils would like parents to come in and talk about how they use science in their job, real life examples are really powerful for children, so please get in touch with the school if you are able to contribute!

STANTON DREW PUPILS BECOME PUBLISHED POETS! UBLEY JOINS MULTI ACADEMY TRUST Following a parent, staff and community consultation period held between 9th May and 20th June over whether to join the lighthouse Partnership Trust, the school has announced that there were no objections and the school’s governing body has made the decision to formally join the Lighthouse Partnership Trust.

Pupils from Meerkats Class at Stanton Drew Primary School entered a national Young Writers Competition by submitting rhyming poems. The Meerkat Class, which is made up of Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 had their poems selected from all the entries from around the country and they will now appear in a book of poetry called Little Riddlers.

Speaking to reporters, Dieter Cook, headteacher, said: “Congratulations to Clarice, Pippa, Harry, Thomas, Izzy, Ayla, Tallulah, Bonny, Rowan and Abbie! We are very proud of you all!”

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WOW

UPLOAD YOUR WOW! PHOTOS AND DETAILS TO OUR ONLINE WOW! FORM VISIT WWW.FAMILYMATTERS-UK.CO.UK

WHAT AN ACHIEVEMENT Name: Aaron Age: 7 Achievement: Completed his All Stars Cricket course. Well done Aaron!

Name: Bethany Age: 10 Achievement: Passed her level 7 learn to swim award. Well done Bethany!

Name: Chloe Age: 6 Achievement: Level 2 learn to swim, level 5 beam apparatus proficiency and British Gymnastics proficiency award level 7.

Name: Mae and Dexter Achievement: Took part in a cat cuddleathon and raised nearly £300 for Bath Cats and Dogs Home. Great initiative!

Name: Lily Age: 6 Achievement: Passing gymnastics levels 8, 7 & 6 and now in a higher level gymnastics group!

Name: Jessica Age: 8 Achievement: Completed Swim England 'Learn to Swim' : Stages 1 and 2.

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