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This week's newsletter is brimming full of photos of some of the special things we have done this week. Please visit each class page to see still more photos and read about what's been happening in the classes. As well as our main stories of Remembrance and COP26, on the class blog pages, you can view a video of Y2 performing an African song in music, see Y3 making volcanoes in DT, read about Y5's walk on Dartmoor as part of their English topic and learn about Y6 investigating light in science. RemembranceAt 11am on 11th November, the whole school gathered in the playground for a Remembrance assembly. We discussed the meaning of Remembrance, listened to some poems and readings from Y6, observed a one minute silence and listened to The Last Post. As ever, I was hugely impressed by and proud of our children for the consideration and respect shown throughout. Some of the children will be part of the Remembrance services in local churches on Sunday representing the school as well as local Brownies, Cubs, Beavers, Rainbows and Scouts groups. COP 26On Monday 8th November, we were privileged and excited to participate in a day of workshops and activities inspired by COP26. The children all took part in a number of sessions to increase their knowledge and understanding of climate change, our planet and the issues being addressed at the COP26. The science of hot and cold - Dr James Screen Where’s the coldest place on Earth (and is it colder than my ice-cream)? Will climate change make all the ice melt? What does climate change mean – how much hotter is it going to get? The youngest children experimented to see how and when ice melts (and how fast we can melt the penguin out of the ice block!) Older classes (years 2-3) also looked at the difference between melting sea ice and melting land ice. Measuring our weather and climate Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get. In this session, Dr Will Seviour, a climate scientist, set up a new South Tawton weather station (funded by the PTA) with the children. The weather station will link to an open website, so in the future, all South Tawton pupils (and friends and family, and wider community) will be able to keep a track of what the weather has been like on the school site. The Planet (led by Dr Hannah Susorney) Our planet is old. Really old! In fact, humans have only been around for a tiny amount of the time that Earth has existed. Temperatures have gone up and down over the Earth’s history. However, temperatures are changing faster now than they ever have in the past. And, the Earth’s getting hotter than it ever has before. Making decisions about our climate future (led by Dr Saffron O’Neill) What is the COP? What actually happens there? How do decisions about climate change take place, and who makes them? In this session, older pupils had the opportunity to take part in a mock COP negotiation. Each group took the role of one country, and tried and get their voice heard in the decision-making process. What difference can I make? (led by Lizz Williams / Saffron O’Neill, with pre-recorded video from Dr Chris Manktelow & Zoom to Sylvia Hayes at COP26) ‘What difference can I make?’ was a session intended to empower pupils and help them understand and explore the difference their voice can make. A worldwide study shows many young people feel intense anxiety about a climate-changed future. The sessions addressed questions such as: ‘Why is (or is) climate change important to me?’, ‘How can I respond?’, ‘What am I trying to do?’, ‘What difference can I make?’ and ‘Does my voice count?’ From all the staff and children here at South Tawton Primary, I'd like to say an enormous THANK YOU to the amazing scientists who gave their time voluntarily to make this day happen and ensure that our children have a better understanding of these issues. Governor RecruitmentParents – Your school needs YOU! There is a vacancy for one Parent governor to join the Three Hares Primaries Local Stakeholder Board. Local governors are a vital part of the Trust’s connection with schools and community and parents are an important voice within the governance structure. To qualify as a Parent governor, you must have at least one child on the school roll and must be eligible under the national governing body rules. Applications are now open, until close of business on Friday 27th November. All nominations will then be put forward to a parent vote, which will take place electronically. The nomination form must be completed in full, and can be found on the Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust website: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=kG0HO7J4vUqeBcIPJiicRgleRjEa8rtFmqDbcaa1oYlUNDVEQkJPNktORURPQTlSVk1KM1c5NlRPMyQlQCN0PWcu For an informal chat about the role of parent governor and the responsibilities of the local stakeholder board, please contact the Chair Emma Neath: [email protected] or the Clerk to Governors: [email protected] Thank you for your interest, and we look forward to receiving your applications PTA NewsThank you for the Chromebooks We just wanted to say a huge thank you to Kieran from LOOP8 (www.loop8.co.uk) who helped source the Chromebooks which you saw in last weeks newsletter and were funded by the PTA. Christmas cardsThe super Christmas card designs your children have done have come back to us and an order form will come home with them this week. The cards are really super and a wonderful fundraiser for our school. Payment options are cash or cheque only to be returned to us in the envelope provided in exact change please. The teachers will have a folder to collect the sealed envelopes and they will tick your child's name off the list. Cheques payable to: FOSTCP (or Friends of South Tawton Primary School) Please can you write on the envelope what cards you are ordering and the total amount. We will then be entering this information onto the card order system. Orders need to be in by Thursday 18th November. Make a Christmas Wreath Do you fancy making a beautiful Christmas wreath for your front door? We will supply you with all the things you will need and expert tuition to create a beautiful, hand crafted wreath! Friday 3rd December, £20 per wreath - but numbers are limited so if you would like to join the fun here's how... 1. Pick a style for your wreath: Rustic, Glitzy or Traditional 2. Email [email protected] to order your kit by Monday November 29th. Use the subject ‘Christmas Wreath’ 3. Your kit will be sent home with your child on Friday 3rd December (or pick up/delivery by arrangement) 4. Join us on Friday 3rd December at 8pm via Zoom! 'Get your orders in ASAP to avoid disappointment as numbers are limited!' Coloured Hampers Back by popular demand - we will be organising for each class (including preschool) to pick a specific colour and we will be asking for donation in that colour! Food, drink, toiletries, gifts - anything new and in that colour goes! We will then send home some raffle tickets for you to sell to friends and family! The class with the most tickets sold will receive a reward! The draw for the hampers will be on December 19th! Christmas Packs These will be designed to keep your children occupied during the Christmas holidays! More details to follow! Date of next meeting - Monday November 29th - all welcome! Library Challenge
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CONTACT
South Tawton Primary School, Tawton Lane, South Zeal, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 2LG Tel: 01837 840242 Email: [email protected] |
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