Dear Parents and Carers,

As I sit composing this week’s newsletter, complete with patchwork elephant ears; Fantastic Mr Fox is chatting enthusiastically to Baby Bear, Where’s Wally has cloned into an abundance of miniatures and Little Red Riding Hood has already encountered a number of big, bad wolves.

The buzz around school this World Book Day reminds me again of what a privilege it is to work at Orton Wistow School. We have remained committed over recent years to fostering a love of reading and have shared this message with you in the past through curriculum evenings and the reading initiatives we implement in school. Research proves that reading for pleasure is the single most important indicator of a child’s future success. We thank-you for all your support at home in bringing books to life.

In my World Book Day launch assembly on Monday, Year 6 representatives shared this year’s collection of texts that can be exchanged for the £1 voucher coming home to you this week. ‘Greg The Sausage Roll Lunchbox Superhero’ certainly generated a lot of excitement from our younger year groups! We also discussed common obstacles for getting settled into a new book and the children had some great advice on how to overcome them. Why not ask your child this weekend about how they would solve the issues below:

 

      

Playground Zoning

We are always active in improving the quality of education children receive here at OWPS and this includes the experiences we offer children during playtime and lunchtimes. So far this year we have launched a ‘Game of the Week’ for each primary phase and encourage positive choices through our Golden Step Sticker lunchtime challenge.

Most recently, we have zoned areas of both playgrounds, to give children a greater understanding of the types of play they can enjoy. This includes space for ball games, Game of the Week and the free choice of a rotation of playground equipment. Zoning also allows for children to also enjoy safe, quiet spaces if they choose, away from the hustle and bustle of more active playtime activities.

We have shared these changes with every class and all staff on duty are reminding children of the expectations of play in the zones. This includes the respectful and appropriate use of our equipment as well as keeping to the boundaries of each area.  

Wishing our community of mothers, grandmothers, step-mothers and all the wonderful versions of mothers we have in between a Happy Mothering Sunday.

See you all next week.

Mrs Fidgett

(Director of Learning)

^{Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash}