26th February 2020 Newsletter

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Welcome back. I hope that you and the children enjoyed the half term break, despite the wet and windy weather. I cannot believe we are almost in March!  We have yet another busy half term ahead.

The World Book Day Organisation are asking schools to join in with their ‘Read a Million Stories’ campaign, where they aim to share a million stories nationwide. This campaign will take place from Thursday 27th February, and finish on Sunday 29th March.

On Thursday 27th February, your child will receive their 'Read a Million Stories' reading record. Every time they read for 10 minutes, they need to colour in one rung on their reading record. This will be totalled each week and added to the class total. Your child's class teacher will also be sharing stories with the class, and this will increase the overall class total too. When the month has finished (Sunday 29th March), we will add up our whole school total and pass this onto The World Book Day Organisation. The class that has the highest total across the school will have a games afternoon on Thursday 2nd April to celebrate their achievement. They will also be able to choose and order some brand new books to add to their class collection. Further information about this will be sent out to the winning class closer to the time.

We are really looking forward to a fantastic month, please take as many opportunities as possible to read with your children at home. In the immortal words of Roald Dahl; “If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books.” We can’t wait to see how the children grow during the upcoming campaign.

Many thanks,

Mr Wade and Mrs Oliver

Some reminders about forthcoming events:

World Book Day As part of the celebrations we would like your child to come to school dressed in their pyjamas, ready for a bedtime story! Please do not feel that you have to go out and spend lots of money on an expensive outfit for your child. www.worldbookday.com.

We would like parents/guardians to be involved in the day by coming into school to read to small groups of children on Thursday 5th March from 2.45-3.15 pm (you can come dressed in your pyjamas if you wish!). If you are able to take part please complete the proforma (separate letter sent out before half term) and return to your child’s class teacher by next Monday 2^nd March 2020. Please arrive at the main reception at 2.40 pm ready to be taken to your child’s class.

The date for ‘The Photographer’ has been arranged for Tuesday 10th March 2020. Individual photographs will be taken for those children in school who have no brothers/sisters at school. Where there are two or more children from a family in school, they will be photographed together. If you would like any other combination taken i.e. brothers and sisters taken separately as well as together, then please let us know in writing by Monday 9th March. We ask that all children wear the correct winter uniform, to include shirts, ties, and jumpers/cardigans.   Children in Year 6 will have photographs taken for a group leaver’s photo. If your child is not in school on this date (illness, appointments etc.) then they will not be included in the photograph.

As one of the UK’s biggest fundraising events, Sport Relief brings the entire nation together to get active, raise cash and change lives.

Sport Relief 2020 will be kicking off in schools and nurseries on Friday 13th March.

Blanford Mere has decided to get involved and help raise money for this incredible cause.

The children can wear sporting clothes for the day.  We are asking that children bring £1 to donate to Sports Relief to wear their sporting clothes for the day.

We will also be raising additional funds for Sport Relief by selling special wristbands for the children to wear at £1 each. 

The best bit is, the money raised by the public is spent by Comic Relief to help people living incredibly tough lives, both at home in the UK and across the world's poorest countries. To learn more about how Comic Relief spends the money raised for Sport Relief please look at the pamphlet below or visit sportrelief.com/schools.

We will also be using Sport Relief as a teaching opportunity so that our students can learn about the issues children across the world face, and how the money we raise can help them.

This year’s School Council fundraiser will be a used uniform sale. 

A plea – could you please donate any unwanted/outgrown school uniform for our sale?

Please send it into school after February half term where it will be sorted into type and size ready for the sale in March.

Each item will then be sold for £1.

Please make sure that it is good quality and that names have been removed.

Thank you for your support. We hope that this event will be a success.

You are invited to the Dudley Performing Arts open evening on Thursday 12th March for students interested in learning a musical instrument, you are welcome to drop in any time between 18:30 – 20:00.

By going along you can try a range of instruments, find out about singing lessons, meet the teachers and ask any questions you have. 

Learning a musical instrument is a great thing to do and will open up all sorts of opportunities for children. Our school is committed to providing opportunities for children to get involved in music and we hope that you are able to go along. The evening will take place at Netherton Arts Centre, Northfield Road, Netherton DY2 9ER.

We have received the email from the ‘Junior Bake Off’ team.  I have copied the email for you to apply, should you wish!

My name is Lucy and I’m a Casting Researcher at Love Productions; the company behind The Great British Bake Off, The Great British Sewing Bee and The Great Pottery Throw Down.

We are delighted to say, that we have recently opened applications for the 6^th series of Junior Bake Off; a Channel 4 programme that celebrates the culinary talent and ambition of the younger generation in Britain.

With this in mind, we are contacting schools in hope that they can help us spread the word regarding this exciting opportunity.

If you could share our casting flyer with the children, parents & staff at your school that would be really appreciated. 

We are looking for young budding bakers between 9 -15 years old.

Filming would take place from July 2020, but our applications close on Sunday 5^th April 2020.

Interested bakers can apply online at - WWW.APPLYFORJUNIORBAKEOFF.CO.UK.

Alternatively, if you would like us to send you hard copies of the posters and flyers, I would be more than happy to post some to the school.

Please do feel free to contact us on 0207 067 4833, should you have any questions regarding the above.

Thank you so much for all of your help in advance!

Best wishes,

The Junior Bake Off Team

Wednesday 4^th March – Year 5/6 visit to the Black Country Museum

Friday 6^th March 9.00am – 3/4D Class Assembly

Wednesday 1^st April – Science Workshop for Year 5/6 and their parents – more details to follow

Thursday 2^nd April – Easter Bunny visit booked

Friday 3^rd April – school closes at 3.15pm for Easter break

Best wishes,

Mrs Miller

Headteacher