Dear Families,

Strike action by members of the National Education Union

Given that NEU members are not required to tell me whether they will be taking strike action, and the availability of external cover staff remains uncertain, I am still not yet able to confirm whether our school will be fully open on Wednesday and Thursday this week.  This means that you will receive a text message in the morning, at approximately 7.30am, to clarify the situation.

Please be assured that I will continue to do my upmost to keep the school fully open for all children.

As part of our contingency planning, we have prepared remote learning activities that will be quickly sent out in the morning IF a partial school closure is unavoidable.

Thank you for your patience and understanding in these unusual times.  I will update you all as soon as possible.

Yours truly,

Alison Godfrey

Reception have had a fantastic week, starting their learning of Bog Baby and creating wonderful collages based on the character description.

The children were also able to enjoy learning about Indian culture and food when a parent came in to make chapatis and share Indian clothing.

We also had our first Forest school sessions with Sue Carpenter where the children explored the outdoors, learnt about wild animals and of course enjoyed the hot chocolate treat at the end. What a week!

Great day at GE Aviation, participating in fun STEM activities and learning about the work they do. 

Friday 10th March marked the beginning of British Science Week and we were very excited at Dunalley to have takien part. There were assemblies, extra science learning and a poster competition.

Home projects

To support science at home, please find a link to different projects that you can complete. If you complete a project at home, why not bring it in to show the rest of your class? Science Fun at Home | Primary Science Teaching Trust (pstt.org.uk) Early-Years-Activity-Pack-2023-British-Science-Week.pdf (britishscienceweek.org) https://www.britishscienceweek.org/app/uploads/2023/01/Primary-Activity-Pack-2023-British-Science-Week.pdf

Poster competition

The theme this year is ‘Connections,’ so there are lots of STEM projects that can be explored. How about exploring how our body parts are all connected and work together, the connection between our actions and the impact on the environment or the connection between the seasons and hibernation?

Prizes: One winner will be chosen from EYFS, KS1, LKS2 and UKS2 and they will receive a lovely science book. These winners’ posters will also be entered into the British Science Week National Competition. More details for this can be found here: Poster competition - British Science Week

How will the posters be judged?

- Creativity in approach – Innovative angle on the content or creative interpretation of the theme

- Content – clear, accurate and informative about a STEM topic.

- Effective communication – presented and communicated in an engaging way.

Hopefully we will have all been getting involved in Waste Week 2023 (6-12 March).

This year’s campaign is putting the spotlight on reuse.

Now, more than ever, we need to focus on adopting more sustainable choices to manage the planet’s resources more responsibly. Not only because of the financial pressures we all face, but also due to the huge environmental impact that just throwing away these useful resources has too.

There are now spaces at Cheltenham Sea Cadets for juniors aged 9-11 and they would like to invite pupils from Years 5 and 6 to find out more about what is offered.  

What they do: 

The Sea Cadets uses a nautical theme, based on the customs of the Royal Navy, to teach skills from cookery to engineering, first aid, sailing, navigation, and the art of seamanship, both on land and on the water. Today, 14,000 young people based in 400 units in towns, cities and ports across the UK are challenging themselves and developing new skills, supported by 9,000 volunteers. 

See th elink below for their Outcomes Framework that will give you a bit more of idea about the kinds of instant and long-term benefits young people can get from joining Sea Cadets, as well as their junior leaflet for your interest. 

To find out more information about Sea Cadets and what we they do visit https://www.sea-cadets.org/  

It’s just 4 weeks to go until Atlas Camps will be running their award-winning holiday clubs this Easter, with a selection of places still available to book!

Rating Outstanding by Ofsted, Atlas Camps specialise in multi-activity clubs for children ages 4-14. With a focus on fun, activities on offer span everything from arts and crafts to sports and active play, all in a safe, enjoyable environment designed to cater for all.

Highlights include:

• Ofsted rated ‘outstanding’
• Childcare vouchers accepted from a variety of providers
• Early drop-off/ late pick-up options
• Sibling discount available

For further information, please watch this video https://atlascamps.co.uk/promo/generic-16x9.mp4 or check out the attached poster.

Head to the Atlas Camps website at www.atlascamps.co.uk to book.