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SCHOOLS Pupils at Stowford School have a new way to develop and challenge their reading skills, thanks to the Stowford Book Track. Designed by Year 2 teacher Lucy Burrows and TA Jenny Medland, who runs the school library, the scheme challenges pupils to read 50 books to complete the award. While children can choose the majority of books along the way, every fifth book has to be picked from a specially selected range of books written for an audience of their age. The aim is to encourage children to experience different authors and genres and broaden their literary taste and appreciation. Once they have read a challenge book, the children will have the opportunity to discuss it with one of the librarians before being awarded a stamp in their tracking books.
Children from Manor Primary school were invited to participate alongside pupils from schools across Devon in the ‘Winter Ability Games ‘at the Life Centre in Plymouth at the end of January. The children were allowed to take part in a wide variety of fantastic activities which included
laser pistol shooting, archery, tennis ,new age curling , contemporary dance, bouldering and finally climbing. The children were really enthusiastic and tried as many sports as they could, returning to school with medals and certificates to commemorate the day.
Year 4 children from The Erme Primary were visited by artists Alex, Sophie and Bee Bee. In the morning, the children took part in a number of musical activities, including learning new songs. Other activities included drawing and creating stories. In the afternoon, the children
Foundation classes at Stowford School were teaming with well known and well-loved characters from nursery rhymes, as they celebrated a “Once Upon a Rhyme” day. During the day all the children could earn a special certificate if they could recite a nursery
shared their work with the residents of Ivydene Care Home. They talked to them about their drawings, with the residents sharing their drawings with the children in return. The afternoon was rounded off with the children and residents singing songs together.
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rhyme. Other exciting activities included constructing hickory dickory clocks, creating musical shakers to accompany their rendition of The Grand Old Duke of York and making their very own incy wincy spiders. There was plenty of baking, too, as the children had the opportunity to make story themed biscuits and some of the Queen of Heart’s jam tarts. Foundation teaching assistant Karen Freeland said: “The children had a fantastic time and, thanks to parent volunteers, they were able to do an amazing range of activities. The children, and staff, really enjoyed themselves - it isn’t often you have the chance to make tarts with the gingerbread man and the big bad wolf!” The Ivybridge magazine
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