2013-2014
Ferrari experience for Eddy
It was such a pleasure this evening to join Eddy as he got to ride in a Ferrari 458 Spider.
Two of our parents Mr and Mrs Brough kindly offered Eddy this amazing experience after hearing how hard he is fighting after his latest treatment. Eddy has a passion for cars and speed and it was wonderful to see his beaming smile in the car.
Eddy was also fortunate enough to receive a goody bag full of Force India Formula One items.
A huge thank you to Mr and Mrs Brough for organising this for Eddy. We always say at Smalley that we are a big family who care and look after each other and this is yet another example of this.
A great way to start the weekend. Enjoy the pictures below.
CAN YOU HELP?
Calling all our lovely parents, carers, neighbours and friends - we would love your help.
I'd like to create an audio cd resource bank for our school. Please, if you have any story cd's that you would like to donate we would be very grateful.
Some examples of these could include; Roald Dahl stories or Paddington Bear (you may even have some of the promotional ones that you get free in the Sunday papers).
Thank you
Sports Day fun at Smalley
We had lots of fun last week at our annual sports day.
Children worked in their house teams and completed a wide range of events earning points.
This year there was a World Cup theme and Brazilian music was playing all afternoon whilst each team also adopted a country from this years tournament.
The winning house this year was Falcons.
Thank you to the PTFA for organising drinks for the children. Thank you also to all the parents for a wonderful turnout as usual to support our children.
A huge thank you to Mrs Naylor from Open Gate and her team of Sports Leaders, many of whom were ex Smalley Pupils.
Finally, a massive thank you to Mrs Shaw for organising the event. We really appreciate all the hard work that has gone into putting on an event like this.
Singing al fresco - wow!
It was a real pleasure today to go outside at playtime as the children were singing beautifully ready to open the Summer Fayre this Saturday.
I could have sat and listened to them all day and it is no surprise that the sun has come out this afternoon!
If you get the opportunity please do not pass up the chance to hear the lovely singing this Saturday! They will open the Summer Fayre at 12:00 noon.
I think it may be a good idea to have singing outside every day Mrs Mason?
Beautiful children, it made my day. thank you.
Mini-beast Adventure
In Reception we have been investigating mini-beasts. The children have been describing different mini-beast features and counting legs, wings and spots. Then we went on a mini-beast hunt around school. We thought about where each minibeast might like to live such as under logs and pots, amongst the grass or in the soil. We used magnifying glasses to look carefully at them and made sure that we didn't harm them. We then recorded which mini-beasts we had found.
Pond dipping in Reception
As part of our topic 'Animals and Mini-beasts' the children in Class R enjoyed an afternoon of pond dipping. We took our nets, buckets and wellies and walked to Smalley Dam. The children were very interested in the dam and enjoyed exploring with their nets. The sun was shining and we had a super time. Well done to the children for being so sensible on their first visit outside school.
Musical instrument challenge
The children in Class R had an Easter homework challenge to make a musical instrument for our much loved outdoor area. The instrument needed to be water proof and attractive. Have a look and see how fantastic the children's creations were! Well done to all of you that took part in this activity and also to parents for giving up their time to help.
A Special Assembly for a Special Lady
On Wednesday our Special Mrs Coulthurst retired from teaching. We will miss her so much but we wish her every happiness. Please enjoy sharing the gallery of photos with us - another fond memory.
Hello, Hello, Hello!
Today has been very exciting for the Reception children as we have had a visit from Sergeant Phillips and his team to talk about how the police help in our community.
The children were given the opportunity to try on police uniforms, look at handcuffs and even sit in the police car. They were very keen to ask lots of questions and listened well to.
Which police facts can you remember? You can share what you learnt today at home with your family.
Counting objects to make pizza
This week some children in Reception were counting objects to 10. They were shown how to count slowly and carefully, touch each object and find the easiest way to count them if the objects could not be moved (such as in rows.) The children then matched the number to the objects to show how many there were.
The following day the children put their skills to the test to see if they could count out the correct amount of toppings to make a pizza each. The children did very well and enjoyed eating their pizza when they got home. Well done!
People who help us- A visit from nurse Charlotte!
The children in Reception have been learning about how people help us at home, at school and in our local community.
This week we were lucky enough to have a nurse called 'Charlotte' come and visit us. She talked to us about her uniform, her job and showed us how to put a bandage on (thank you Freddie for being her patient). Charlotte also explained what a stethescope does and allowed the children to listen to each others heart beats. They talked about why their heart beat might change during exercise and sitting still. The children asked her many questions that they wanted to find out about. Thank you nurse Charlotte for coming to see us.
Have a look at the pictures below. We are already looking forward to the next visit from someone who helps us!
BRING YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK!
This Thursday is WORLD BOOK DAY!
To celebrate all the wonderful things that books bring to
our lives, we would like you to bring your favourite
book to school THIS THURSDAY.
Come and join Mr Crawford in the hall from
8.30 a.m. on Thursday morning and start your
day off with a good read of your favourite book. Hot
chocolate will be served too.
There will be special times during the day to read
and share your most favourite book with
your friends, including meeting up with your
'House Team'.
Looking forward to some good book recommendations.
Look out for your World Book Day voucher which
will be given out this week - this will give you £1.00
towards a book from your local bookshop.
Top Cookery Tips from Tesco and TTS!
We are lucky to have been chosen to trial some recipes for the 'eathappy project' organised nationally by Tesco and TTS.
We all feel proud at Smalley to be part of this.
Enjoy sharing this video with your friends and family.
GUINNESS WORLD RECORD CHALLENGE!
Oh how we enjoyed the Dough Disco Guinness World Record Challenge today! Class R, Class 1 and Class 2 all came together in the hall at 10.00 a.m to start giving their fingers a workout by squeezing and stretching the dough.
All 84 children and 7 adults joined thousands of other people around the U.K. to try beat the current record of people sculpting with dough at any one time.
Here's the video that helped us with the challenge!
We're keeping our fingers crossed that we helped to make a new record - we'll keep you updated........how exciting!
Sports Award for Mrs Rawlings
What a lovely surprise for Mrs Rawlings in our Gold Book assembly.
In recognition of Mrs Rawling's committment to sport, the Amber Valley Cluster of schools have named a special award after her. The 'Ceri Rawlings Trophy' will be the prize for the school who win the Year 1 and 2 Basketball competition.
Thank you Mrs Rawlings and well done
- we're hoping to see the trophy at our school soon.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Blast Off!!
In our topic lessons we have been learning about our planet Earth and space. We made rockets in class and braved the cold, rain and wind today to launch them.
John from Brite sparks came in to school to lead the activity and the children really enjoyed taking part. We talked about whose rocket went the furthest, whose went fast, and we used positional language to talk about where they landed. Some went as far as the bottom playground beyond the shelter!
A big thank you to John for working with the children to day!
Independent learners in Reception
The children in Reception have been working hard on their numeracy. They have been independently putting into practice what they have been learning about in our lessons through their play activities. Have a look at some of the pictures below. The children have been using numbers to count, add and order. They have used a range of resources to help them such as number lines, counters, buttons, bead strings and even acorns. Some children even used the interactive display 'Our Addition Alien' to find the answers to the sums. Well done mathematicians!
House of the week -Kestrels!
Well done to all members of Kestrel House this week. Your hard work and excellent behaviour enabled us to win the cup! Let's go for the double next week! Keep flying high everyone !
Thank you also, to all those children in other houses who congratulated Kestrels on their success - that is a very mature and kind thing to do and it was very much appreciated. It was yet another reason why Smalley school is such a special place to be!
Earth and beyond!
We are very much enjoying our topic about 'Earth and beyond' in class R this half term. This week in our topic lessons we are going to be learning about stars. What can you find out about stars? Here is a video to watch below about stars.
The house system has landed!!
Today our new system was launched in school. A lot of thought went into choosing the names but in the end we decided on names of high flying birds or bird families to represent our own high fliers here at Smalley!
All of our children and staff have been assigned to a house. We have a community feel here at Smalley and this is at the heart of our house system. Children from all year groups will work together as a team to achieve a common goal. Also, children will get chance to work with staff from different year groups on a regular basis. House Assemblies or House afternoons will encourage this and increase the family atmosphere that we already have in school.
Rewards
Children can gain house points for a number of reasons including; good behaviour, excellent manners, working hard, producing brilliant pieces of work,following the school rules, lining up smartly, playing nicely at lunch or break-time, helping or caring for others plus lots more. Any member of staff can issue house points.
The points are collected every week and a House of the Week will be announced in our Gold Book Assembly. We will have a trophy to present to the House captains and their coloured ribbons will be tied to the cup. The house of the half term will win an afternoon of rewards which will change on a regular basis.
Most importantly we intend to have lots of fun when working together in our houses. It will create competition but this will have to be friendly rivalry as we are all part of one big team here at Smalley and we must never forget that.
Keep checking the website for further details of the exciting things that are happening at school.
Gold Book Super Stars!
A very big well done to Leah, Phoebe, Millie and Molly who appeared in our Gold Book assembly today! Your bubble painting calendars and your writing about Christmas Day was fantastic! Keep up the hard work!
In the News!
What a lovely sight to see our children in the
19th December 2013 edition of the Ilkeston Advertiser.
Well done everyone for your hard work - what a super show!
If you'd like copies of the photos please call the Newspaper's office on 0115 9446160 and quote NILA NATIVITY RICHARDSON SMALLEY 1 (Group photo) and NILA NATIVITY RICHARDSON SMALLEY2 (Midwife, Mary & Joseph)
Fun at the Panto - Oh YES we did!
Thank you children for your enthusiasm and participation at our pantomime of Beauty & the Beast - we were all certainly dancing and laughing in the aisles as the story unfolded! Thank you to Gerry Graham's Touring Pantomime company for the super show. Please enjoy the slideshow and share the fun with your families.
What a fabulous day to end the year!
Our School Council organised a fabulous day for us to finish 2013.
We had a special assembly celebrating some wonderful achievements and then our staff performed a very special version of the 12 days of Smalley Christmas!! The children certainly enjoyed it!
Children and staff looked very festive in their Christmas Jumpers and the cake sale was amazing. A massive thank you to those who brought cakes into school. They were fabulous!
Mr Crawford and Mrs Armitage watched Nativity 2 in the afternoon on our amazing new screen. It was just like being at cinema de lux but slightly better as we had free cakes too!!
It was lovely to end 2013 at school with so many smiles. A massive thank you to all. Enjoy Christmas and the holiday season, get plenty of rest and come back ready for an even better year in 2014!
A Midwife Crisis 2013
We have all loved our Christmas production this year. Thank you for all your hard work children.
Please enjoy sharing these gorgeous memories with your family and friends.
From The Key Stage 1 Team
School Council - Christmas Jumper Day and Cake Sale on Friday 20th December 2013
The School Council have organised a special day for this Friday. Children may swap their school jumper for a Christmas one for the final day of the term. There will be NO CHARGE for this.
Please note this is not a non-uniform day as such and they will be expected to wear uniform as normal with the exception of the festive jumper.
Also, please do not feel the need to go out and buy a new jumper. The children could decorate a normal jumper with tinsel etc. to get into the party spirit.
The school council will also do a cake sale at break time so would like donations of cakes please to be brought into school on Friday morning.
Finally, Mr Crawford has a treat for all the children lined up for Friday afternoon!
Robots and Soldiers in Reception!
As part of our topic, we have been investigating different toys from our homes. We have been finding out if they need batteries or electricity to make them move or if they need u push or pull. We have also been thinking about what they are made from.
Some children then decided that they would make a robot and a soldier toy on the junk box modelling table. Have a look at some of their creations. I'm sure you will be impressed by their hard work. All of these children showed their work off to the school in Gold Book assembly. Well done!
All aboard HMS Richardson
A fantastic day had by all for 'Children in Need'.
Children in Need - Ahoy there!
We have all had a fabulous day at school today raising money for Children in Need whilst having lots of fun!
The total was over £150 when I left school which is a great effort. Many thanks to our fabulous community for supporting the day.
Our suggested theme was Pirates and Princesses and everyone looked fabulous. All classes got chance to visit our new Pirate Ship in Class R, there were lots of happy faces to end the week!
Our staff as usual joined on the spirit of the day and looked fabulous in their outfits I'm sure you'll agree!
Each class took pictures throughout the day too which I'm sure will be on our website for you to see.
We're Going on a Bear Hunt'- Reception class enjoy the Teddy Bears picnic.
This week we have been reading the story 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'. The children came into school today with their teddy bears at the ready for our Teddy Bears picnic. First the children had to make their sandwiches themselves learning the skill of spreading the butter and filling and cutting it with a plastic knife. Then they had to decorate a paper bag for their picnic to go into. The children had fun making bear caves in our outdoor area and going on a 'bear hunt' around the playground before sitting down to enjoy our picnic.
What a super day we had! The children had so much fun that they asked if we could do it everyday. Thank you Reception Class.
Have a look at the photographs below.
EYFS- 'Parental involvement letter' and 'news from home' slips
Toy Land- Topic Letter
If you have not received your paper copy you can download the topic letter for this half term here.
Room on the Broom and other stories
We hope that you have had a lovely half term.
Next week in Class R we will be reading the story 'Room on the Broom' and looking at other stories that the famous author Julia Donaldson has written. Here are some video's that you can watch and enjoy together at home.
Harvest Gratitude
It's always exciting when we receive a letter through the post at school!
The children were over the moon to receive letters and cards of thanks from the local residents for their Harvest gifts.
During Gold Book on Thursday, we shared the thank you messages. Thank you again to our school community for your generosity - our neighbours were so thrilled.
Harvest time!
All the children in Class R, Class 1 and Class 2 were busy last Friday rehearsing their contributions for the Harvest assembly on Friday, 18th October 2013 at 10.00 a.m. Thank you children for working so hard.
Here are the words to our song that you asked for:
Thank you Lord for food to eat (sing 3 times)
Yummy, yum, yum, yum!
CHORUS
Alleluia, thank you Lord
Alleluia, thank you Lord
Alleluia, thank you Lord
Thank you for our food.
Thank you Lord for fish and chips (sing 3 times)
Yummy, yum, yum, yum
CHORUS
Thank you Lord for all your gifts (sing 3 times)
Yummy, yum, yum, yum
CHORUS
Parents and carers are very welcome to come to our assembly, it would be lovely to see you.
A Thursday Treat!
Wow - what a treat! It was wonderful to hear the sounds of 'Hot Shots' after school on Thursday afternoon. The children and staff were working so hard to create some magical music (I think the Party Rings at breaktime helped!). It was a real privilege for me to stand and listen - thank you. Our classroom door will certainly be open every Thursday afternoon - looking forward to hearing lots more awesome sounds! A special thank you to the tutors, Stuart and Tim, for providing such a wonderful experience for the children.
Please have a listen.......
The playground adventure continues.....
The playground is really starting to take shape now and although the wet weather has unfortunately slowed us down today, i'm sure it will very soon be complete! YIPEE!! The children are super excited (and so am I) and can't wait to be able to use it and enjoy it. Have a look at some of the fantastic things that are happening.
The playground adventure begins!
The children in Class R are so excited this week as their playground is being transformed before their eyes!
The pictures below show what the playground looked like before and days 1&2 of the programme. The Pirate Ship HMS Richardson Endowed has taken its place nicely but there are so many more treats in store! This is just a taster. Every area of the playground has been carefully thought out to meet the new Early Years curriculum.
We hope to be able to show you the finished product on the website Friday which promises to be stunning!
Link Romania Christmas Shoe Box Appeal
This week has once again seen the launch of our Link Romania Christmas Shoe Box appeal. This is the fourth year Smalley School have decided to be part of this wonderful appeal, helping to bring smiles at Christmastime to those not so fortunate as ourselves. To add to our excitement, Mrs Boyles will be travelling out to Romania to help deliver our boxes, visit the families and schools which are helped by this wonderful charity and create educational links for our children with schools in Romania and Moldova. She will be blogging on our website during her visit so that the children are able to follow the journey of their boxes and share the experience with her.
The children have enjoyed an assembly this week reminding them about what could be put into these family Christmas shoe boxes and each child will be bringing home a letter with a shoe box form attached at the end of the day on Thursday.
It would be wonderful if we could beat last years total of 115 boxes, which would keep Mrs Boyles very busy delivering during her visit to Romania! If you are struggling to find an empty shoe box to fill, any shoe shop will give you an empty box if you call in.
Class 5 are also busy doing additional fund raising with their movie night which will mean Mrs Boyles can take extra items out with her, particularly items which will be useful in the schools she visits.
Details of how to fill and package your box is on the leaflet. Boxes can be bought into school as soon as they are finished but no later than Tuesday 5th November as this is when our collection lorry will visit school.
Happy Box Filling!
Reception children meet their Year 6 Buddies.
Last week the children in Reception met their Year 6 Buddy. There were smiles all around and the children enjoyed spending some time together. The children have now had many opportunities to play together and Year 6 and Class R are now enjoying their new found friendships. Here are some photos. Look how proud the children are.
Reception's happy faces!
Class R had great fun decorating biscuits during our topic work about 'Me and my Family'. The children were asked to make sure that their biscuit had all the parts of a face that we had been learning about. Fine motor control was a challenge for some children but everyone had a great time making and eating their biscuit. Well done! Have a look at some of our pictures.
Shared Vision 2013 - what a great year we have to look forward to!
Last week we had our annual Shared Vision Session for the school. This is where all stakeholders from our community come together and generate ideas about how we can continue to improve our school.
We had representatives from the School Council, Parish Council, Governors, Neighbours of our School as well as Parent Representatives. All staff were there of course too!
We reviewed the successes of last year and ran out of space on the paper! We then looked at our values and what mattered to us as a school. We also were reminded that our goal back in September 2011 was to become an 'Outstanding School at the heart of the community.'
We then looked at what was Positive and Possible to achieve this academic year. The themes that came out of the vision session included:
- Achieving Outstanding Teaching and Learning across the school.
- Introducing a new House System for the school.
- Continuing to improve the school environment.
- Improving Outdoor Play across the school.
- Continuing to improve our links with the wider community.
- Ensuring our new classroom is the inspirational learning space that the children deserve and that our new offices are fit for purpose.
Check out the pictures from the session below.
I must say a massive thank you to Sarah Armitage, our Chair of Governors for leading the session so skillfully and keeping everyone on task!
Also, thank you to Mrs Shaw for her art work!
The Shared Vision will play an important role alongside our usual School Development Plans again this year. We look forward to bringing the plan to life as the year goes on and everyone can play their part in helping to achieve this.
Please come and see me if any aspect in particular interests you or you feel you can contribute in any way.
Links to our Shared Vision Sessions from Sept 2011 and Sept 2012 are also below and they are displayed in frames in the hall.
http://richardsonendowedprimary.typepad.com/website/2011/09/shared-vision-for-the-school.html
http://richardsonendowedprimary.typepad.com/website/2012/10/creating-a-shared-vision-2012-13.html
Please help us achieve our goal.
Number songs in Reception
We have been singing number rhymes in the Reception class and these have been helping us to count. We enjoyed watching them on the white board too.
Here are some of them for you to watch again at home and sing along to.