Insect Hotel – Materials Wanted

The Wildlife Trust will be visiting the school, on Wednesday 25th September, to work with the children to build an Insect Hotel for our Learning Garden.

Insect Hotel

The main structure of the hotel will be made from 4 or 5 pallets which need to be of the same size. If you think you can source some, please let us know asap. We have also been given a list of materials which we need to collect before the day:

48 bricks – of the same size.
About 10 stones of roughly same size as bricks or smaller.
Lots of pine cones
Lots of interesting and colourful old/chipped crockery – especially cups, saucers
Old small terracotta pots, can be broken
Large bin liner of Straw
Large bin liner of damp leaves
Small straight -ish sticks – lots
Bamboo canes – lots (at least 30 x 6ft canes)
Old roofing slates (enough to cover a pallet) or roofing felt and tacs
Small stones/decorative gravel – the more interesting the better
Shells
About 10 logs about 8- 10cm diameter and up to 1ft long
Lengths of old piping –of not more than 10cm diameter and cut into 0.5ft lengths, – about 10-12. (The piping and logs need to be able to fit into the sides of the pallets so diameter is dependent on size of pallets). Drainpipe – sections 6”/15cm – is suitable.
Piping of different diameters to fit into larger pipe.
Hazel (or other) coppiced poles.

If you can help with providing some of these materials, please get in touch asap. (In school or by leaving a message on this post)

Each child may also bring in something precious/decorative to put on the top such as unusual natural objects such as feathers, stones, fossils, etc.

Scarecrows and the Woolley Moor Show

Just a reminder that our Woolley Moor Show scarecrow entries, The BFG and SpongeBob Squarepants, are on display outside school this week. The winners will be announced at the Woolley Moor Show this Saturday (17th August).

The BFG
SpongeBob Squarepants

There are many more competitions for both children and adults to enter, and lots of great attractions taking place on the day.

woolleyshow2013

(Competition entries can be made to Mr J. Ward by telephone, or email by Friday 16th August 9 p.m. Late entries (except for floral art classes) may also be made on Saturday morning between 8 am and 10.45 am on the show ground – check the show leaflet in your child’s reading folder or on the show website.)

Code of Dress Policy

A copy of the dress code Policy is available on the school website under ‘Information’ – school dress code.

School Dress Code Policy

Introduction

At Stretton Handley CE Primary School we believe it is important our children come to school dressed smartly and appropriately, in a way that shows they are a part of our school community.

Clothing

GIRLS BOYS
  • Red sweatshirt or cardigan
  • White polo shirt
  • Grey or black skirt or grey or black trousers (no jeans in any colour)
  • Red/white gingham dress (summer)
  • Grey, black, red or white accessories
  • Grey, white or black plain tights or socks
  • Black shoes with strap,buckles or lace ups. (No heels)
  • Red sweatshirt or jumper
  • White shirt or polo shirt
  • Grey/ black trousers (not jeans)
  • Grey/ black plain shorts (summer)
  • Grey, white or black socks
  • Black shoes or trainers (without logo, flashing lights etc)

All clothing should be clearly named.

Sweatshirts, polo shirts and items with the school logo are available to order through school.

Bookbags and PE kit bags are also available

PE kit forms part of our school Dress code

Indoor PE kit Outdoor PE kit
  • Red t-shirt (plain or with school logo)
  • Black or dark blue shorts
  • Plimsolls – black ( slip-on or laced or Velcro)
  • PE bag.
  • NO ear rings or jewellery
  • Red t-shirt (plain or with school logo)
  • Black or dark blue shorts or
  • Black ,dark blue, or plain track suit bottoms or joggers
  • Red jumper, sweatshirt or a tracksuit jacket.
  • Trainers ( different to those worn during school day)
  • NO ear rings or jewellery

A Tupton Taster and Taiko Drumming

Our Year 6s spent  Monday morning at Tupton Hall School designing ‘alternative’ movie posters using Photoshop, an industry standard software package for image manipulation and creation. Rango the Chameleon morphed magically into Ringo playing his fish guitar; Up became Pup in a Cup; Zookeeper became Lookeeper (use your imagination!); Epic became Antiseptic. Mr Cooke even made an appearance in a Where’s Mr Cooke? poster sporting a stripy red and white hat. The Photoshop session was a new workshop option offered by Tupton as part of their annual ICT transition programme for Year 6 children from feeder schools.

In the afternoon the children were joined by our Year 5 children for a very energetic Japanese Taiko Drumming workshop led by Tupton Hall’s Head of Music. The hot weather wasn’t able to dampen the children’s enthusiasm and the rhythmic pounding of drums reverberated around the Expressive Arts Department and possibly outside too through the open windows – oops! Tupton Hall runs a Taiko drumming club especially for their Year 7 students…I think they may have gained a few future recruits!

Whirlow Farm Visit – Keep Calm and Carry On!

Whirlow Farm visit

KS2 children enjoyed a great day at Whirlow Farm taking part in WW2 workshops as part of their ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ topic, learning about life on the home front. They dressed up in 1940s clothing to be evacuated for the day and took their war time packed lunch in paper bags.The children used a hand pump to extinguish a potato incendiary bomb and took shelter when the air raid siren sounded. The farmer’s wife took them on a tour of a WW2 kitchen. In groups they kneaded dough for home made bread and set out the china for the visiting vicar, as well as having a go at some ‘make do and mend’ activities like knitting and rag rug making. It was very funny watching children peel vegetables and loading scraps into the metal pail for feeding the pigs.  Martha , the ‘land girl’ took the children on a tour of the farm. They had a go at ‘digging for Victory’ in the vegetable patch and had a look at how the farm land was used during the war.

A slideshow of our visit to Whirlow Farm can be viewed on our WWII topic page.

Tupton Hall Junior Maths Challenge

Well done to our four Year 5 mathematicians who represented the school at this year’s Junior Maths Challenge hosted by Tupton Hall School.

Building a tower
Solving acronyms

They faced challenges such as solving mathematical acronyms and anagrams, building a structure, maths logic problems and a memory drawing task. They came first in the memory drawing test and also did well in the tower building challenge, gaining the second highest combined points score for weight bearing and height.

The children were able to let off steam in the Gym by taking part in some more active problem solving and were given the chance to work with children from the other schools. This fantastic, well organised, event was ably lead by Tupton Hall’s Sixth Form Student Ambassadors; we look forward to taking part in next year’s challenge.

Violin performance for visitors – Wed 3rd July 3.00pm

Parents and friends

You are invited to come into school on Wednesday 3rd July at 3.00pm to listen to Class 2 and 3 as they play some of the pieces they have been learning on the violin. The sessions which started in February have been jointly funded by the School and the School Music Partnership as part of ‘Wider opportunities’.

If your child would like to continue learning the violin next term then small group sessions, in school time, will be provided by Jo Rynott, costing £1.50 per lesson. Information letters, contracts etc are available from the school office. Please contact us if you have any questions.

2nd July – Whole school trip

Tuesday 2nd July.

We will register promptly and then at 9.00am the coach will set off to Whirlow Farm Trust.

Class 1 – Please remember you will be outside for activities about animals and plants- bring a water proof coat. Wellies or sensible, comfortable outdoor footwear.

Class 2 and 3 – Life during WW2 .We will be meeting the farmer’s wife and learning about rationing as well as the jobs of a land girl. At some time during the day the air raid alarm will sound…….Please try to dress in the style of the 1940’s and bring your packed lunch in a paper bag. ( A rainproof coat too please) See separate letter for details.

If the weather is sunny please apply suncream before you come to school and bring a hat. Children will be back in school to be collected as usual at 3.30pm.

We are the ‘Dragon’s Den’ competition winners!

Dragon’s Den competition winners! Dragon’s Den competition winners!

Our winning Dragon's Den presenters
Our winning Dragon’s Den presenters

Fantastic news – our school has won the Cluster Primary School Dragon’s Den Competition! The £250 prize money will be presented to our school by members of the Dragon’s Den Panel in the next couple of weeks. Well done to everyone who contributed ideas and a special thank you to the three children (one Year 6 and two Year 4s) who went along to pitch the winning idea for a ‘learning garden’ to the Dragon’s Den. Our team spoke clearly and well and answered questions confidently. The Dragon’s Den panel were impressed with the way the children talked about the plans and also loved the fact that the ‘Learning Garden’ is building on and developing what we already have. They thought it was great that, as a school, children have already organised Enterprise fund raising activities to support putting plans for the ‘learning Garden ‘ into place.

CONGRATULATIONS – What exciting news!

Enterprise ‘Dragon’s Den’ Competition- Wed 26th June

‘DRAGON’S DEN’

The final of the Cluster School Dragon’s Den Competion is on Wednesday at Dunstan Innovation Centre. The children have shared their Enterprise ideas for the theme ‘Outdoor Environment’ and now three children will present the selected idea to the ‘Dragon’s Den’ panel at Dunstan Innovation Centre on Wednesday. The winning school will receive £250.