Colby primary school

COLBY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Bridge Road

Colby

Norwich

NR11 7EA

Tel: 01263 733381 Fax: 01263 731300

E-mail: office@colby.norfolk.sch.uk

Website: www.colby.norfolk.sch.uk

Headteacher: Mrs Christine Mead

We have already collected a large pile of unnamed Lost Property this half term. Please could you check all of your child’s belongings to ensure they are clearly labelled with their name, including water bottles, packed lunch boxes (and lids) and shoes. If your child has lost any items, please ask them to check the Lost Property box next week. Unnamed school uniform will be recycled after half term – we can’t store items indefinitely.

Thank you to Amber class and Sapphire class for the wonderful Harvest Festival celebration last Friday. We were pleased so many of you were able to come to join us. The children had worked enthusiastically to prepare a very special service – thanks too to Mrs Williams, Rachel, Georgi, Mrs Ward, Lynn and James (and all other staff who have popped in to help during rehearsals) for all their hard work.

Once again we had a lovely display of harvest foods. Dried foods and tins will be taken to the Aylsham Food Bank for redistribution. Thank you very much.



Helping with maths at home

Lots of you have asked if there is anything extra you can do to help your child with mathematics at home. The curriculum includes increased emphasis on children being able to read and write numbers ie.

Twenty-six = 26, Seventy-three = 73, Five thousand one hundred and fourteen = 5114

Practising reading and writing numbers (little and often) would really help to improve your child’s understanding and confidence in this area.

Thank you.



Headteacher Awards

Eva N, Sam I-G, Harry and Alfie (Amber) for great Jolly Phonics work at home

Darcia, Callum, Jack C, Caleb, Rhys, Samuel, Sadie and Theo (Amber)

for descriptive phrase about “Whale Song”

for great describing words

for fantastic news-writing

for accurate reading comprehension answers

for being great mini maths teachers

for using metre sticks to measure the hall

for perfect reading diaries

As the English Co-ordinator for Colby School, part of my responsibility is to encourage and foster a love of reading in the children in our school. As parents, I know that you want the very best for your children and already appreciate that learning to read is key to accessing the curriculum at school and the wider world. However, with increasingly busy lives it may seem that hearing a child read at the end of a tiring day can feel like just another chore. I’m hoping that by writing this article for the newsletter I can remind everyone of the importance of reading with children, not just as a mechanical process but as an enjoyable activity for you to share with your children. You reading to your child is as equally as important as them listening to you.

Here are some reasons why you should read with your child every day:

1. 
   Reading is fun! Sharing a story, or a non-fiction book, whether it is read by an adult or by a child can give you the opportunity to share funny moments, or wonder at the world and beyond.
   
2. 
   The value of a bedtime story cannot be over-estimated. It can be a quiet, settling time and gives your child the opportunity to listen to story language and allow their imagination to paint pictures. A CD or DVD just doesn’t have the same impact as time with a parent.
   
3. 
   Children absorb language structure and extend their vocabulary.
   
4. 
   Children are able to think more logically and express their own thoughts and ideas more clearly.
   
5. 
   Attention and concentration span is improved which has an impact on all learning.
   

Some useful questions to ask your child about the book they have shared - choose just one or two to discuss.

1. 
   Who are the main characters?
   
2. 
   What do you think will happen next?
   
3. 
   How do you think that character feels? Why? How would you feel in that situation?
   
4. 
   Can you predict how the book will end?
   
5. 
   Who is your favourite character? Why?
   
6. 
   Is there a hidden message in the story? What is it?
   
7. 
   Can you tell the story in your own words?
   
8. 
   Do you like how it ended? Can you think of another way the book could have ended?
   

I hope that this information has been useful. May I recommend that you make use of the school library lending service if you haven’t already done so and of course it is free to join the local library. With half term nearly upon us a visit to the local library could make a good rainy day activity!

Q: “What is the best thing about reading?”

A: “The way it transports you to another time or another place – or into another person’s shoes! Reading fact or fiction can fire the imagination and that in turn opens up possibilities. What If…?”

Quote taken from Author Interviews on www.literacytrust.org.uk. This is a great website with ideas and resources to support reading.

I’ve included details below from a Parent Support Advisors leaflet received in school. Do not hesitate to contact me if you would like further information, or feel free to contact the Parent Support Advisor direct.

Parent Support Advisors are there to help you deal with any worries or concerns about how your child is doing at home or school. We may not have the answers, but we might be able to help you work out how to find them. Parenting isn’t an easy job and at times, things can get tough. Like every other parent, you want what is best for your child.

Helping to prevent problem behaviour becoming more difficult.

Regular visits and meetings with you, at school or in your home.

Finding services and other agencies available to help families.

Supporting parents to get the best out of school life.

or if you just need to talk, we’re here to help you.

Congratulations to the following children who have impressed us with their beautiful manners:

SEND Partnership News (supporting children and young people 0 – 25 years with Special Educational Needs and their families) leaflets have arrived in school. If you would like one, please ask in the school office.

Thank you to everyone who has sent in photographs for the School Council Shelfie Competition. Photographs of children and pets reading or pets reading by themselves will be displayed in the library. If you haven’t had a chance to send in a photo yet, please send in after the holiday. The photos are great fun!

On Monday lots of people, who had volunteered to do a Cross country event, travelled on a coach from Colby all the way to Holt.

people disqualified, so Theo came 5th. Jacob came 15th counting the disqualified.

On Monday 31^st October 2016, Sophie (Head of Events) and Milly (Head of Entertainment) will be organising Pumpkin Events for the whole school. Children are invited to wear orange clothes or pumpkin costumes (please only send children wearing pumpkin costumes that are practical for toilet use!). Thank you to Jessie and Kira’s Dad for providing lots of pumpkins. We will be doing pumpkin arts and crafts and fun games throughout the day. No charge – this isn’t a fundraiser – it’s just for fun!

Ethan (Sapphire) along with his family is going to walk the 12 miles of Marriott's way between Reepham and Aylsham to raise money for Alzheimer’s. His family have set up a Just Giving page and just wanted to see if anybody would like to give towards it. www.justgiving.com then it's under Sarah Cushion’s memory walk. Thank you.

Good luck to Ethan and his family.



What a great half term!

As we reach the end of another half term at Colby School, I would like to wish everyone a fantastic break.

Christine Mead