Dear Parents and Carers, 

Looks like it is building up to be a warm weekend, and it’s getting hotter! Please make sure children have their water bottles, sun hats and sun cream for next week. 

As busy as this time of year always is, we have crammed so much into this final term we will all be ready for the break in a few weeks. The Year Six production rehearsals are going well and tickets will be issued to parents at the start of next week, we are putting the final plans together for their drive-thru leavers event and most of them have enjoyed some time at their new secondary schools this week. They are a wonderful cohort, and we shall be sad to see them leave.  

Transition Week 

We have been really pleased with how well transition week has gone this year. For the first time since March 2020 we had all the children in the hall on Wednesday morning. Although some looked a little anxious, they all happily went off to their new classes and when I visited them all later in the day, it was clear that they had already settled in and were enjoying getting to know their new teacher.  

That evening we were joined by around 170 parents for our transition evening event. I think this is the most parents we have had for a transition evening, and it was great to see the hall so full again! Initial feedback was very positive, and it is always a great way to share with you the important information about your child’s next step in their OWPS journey plus we could tell you all about some important areas of the curriculum we will be focusing on next year. Mrs. Schneider is going to upload the slides to the website next week and send out a form to gain some feedback if you were able to join us.  You can also access the feedback form by clicking here: Transition Evening Feedback Form.

Reports

The end of year reports will be uploaded to the Parent Portal on Tuesday 12th July 2022.  We will contact you on Monday 11th July with a reminder of how to log on to the Parent Portal in case of any queries.

Our Community                

My assembly this week was all about the important part our school plays in our local community. Occasionally a local resident contacts the school if they have concerns about the safety of the children or the local residents. We have been contacted twice in the past few days about a couple of issues. Some of our older children travel to school independently on their bikes and a neighbour was worried that they were riding very fast along the pathways near to where we have quite a few elderly residents. The concerned citizen was able to move out of the way as the children came around a corner, but they worried that an older member of our community wouldn’t be able to and an accident could occur.

I spoke to the children about this, making it clear that I was pleased they were traveling to school on bikes but they need to be responsible and bike carefully between the streets and along the paths. Also, this week, a concerned neighbour contacted the school as something had been thrown into his garden from the school. I spoke to all the children about this in my assembly. These types of incidents are often thoughtless acts where the child hasn’t considered the possible consequences of their actions. I would appreciate you also talking to your children about the important part they play in our community and how they should follow the PRIDE code at all times. 

New Head 

During the transition week assembly on Wednesday, there were two points where the children looked confused. Firstly, when they realised that Mr Cowles was going to be moving to Year Two, something he is very excited about, and he thoroughly enjoyed his two days with his new class this week. Secondly, was when Mr Eardley told the children again that he was leaving and wouldn’t be here in September. I think some of our children just presume that the Headteacher is a permanent fixture in any school! Mr Eardley then told them that I would be taking on the Headship at the start of the Autumn term. I feel very proud to be given this opportunity. To lead the school I started my career at twenty years ago is a wonderful opportunity, and I’m looking forward to taking on this role from September 1^st. Thank you to everyone for their congratulations and kind words of support.  

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. 

Mr Marks 

Deputy Headteacher 

^{Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash}

Each week, we publish the latest achievements of the children at Orton Wistow Primary School. As it is nearly the end of term, DOJOs and House Points will be saved until the end of term when the grand totals are given out to the children.

Year 1 Trip to Skegness Aquarium 2022

By Miss Wyatt and Mrs Ironside, Year 1 Class Teachers

On Thursday 30^th June, Year 1 ventured out for their very first expedition on a coach to Skegness Aquarium.  We had lots of very excited children with mums and dads waving us off.

Once we arrived, we explored the different tanks and investigated all the various marine life to be seen.

The day included an interesting talk about the animals that can be found in rock pools.  Did you know that starfish have no brains?

We also had a fabulous talk all about the different fish that live in the large tank.  This includes Nudge the Zebra Shark who apparently loves to have his tummy tickled!  There were also black fin tipped reef sharks. Where do you think they got their name from?  We watched a diver feed the fish and saw the vegetarian fish eating a fruit kebab.

After a very busy day, it was a very quiet coach ride home, with many of the children (and staff) fast asleep!

It was so great to be able to take the children out of school again, and we were so impressed with the children's wonderful manners and behaviour - they were a real credit to the school and to their parents!

Year 3 Assembly 29th June 2022

By Mr Newton, Year 3 Class Teacher

Last week the Year 3’s had the opportunity to take all the children in school and lots of parents on a whistle-stop tour of the reigns of King Henry VII and King Henry VIII for our Year 3 assembly.  The children did a brilliant job of acting, singing and telling the story loudly and clearly, and it was brilliant to have a hall full of parents again for the first time in a long time. 

We had some fantastic feedback from parents who attended. Here is a selection of comments from parents :

Assembly was brilliant, the kids did so well to remember all the lines, and it was very enjoyable.

Lovely to be back in school and watching a performance that the children have been practising for. I think it improves children's confidence to perform or speak in front of people who aren't normally at school.

It was clear to see a lot of effort was put into this Year 3 assembly. It was great to see the children looking so excited to show off what they've been working so hard at learning. It was nice that the children had the option to have lines if they wanted some, and if not, they still had a just as an important part to play. Thank you, Mr Newton and Miss Strike for putting it together so well.

Preloved OWPS Uniform

By Jo Watson, FOWS

You may recall that we featured an article in January with details on how get hold of good quality preloved OWPS school uniform through a platform called www.oldschooluniform.co.uk

Well, FOWS were blown away by the response and have rehomed over 50 OWPS cardigans, jumpers and polo shirts.

With another transition week completed, our attention starts to turn to the school holidays and then preparing for a new school year and if your child needs more uniform, please visit the OWPS page https://oldschooluniform.co.uk/Shop/Index/5417.  

There you can grab yourself some good quality preloved items – not only is it good for the environment, it also helps your bank balance as all items listed by FOWS are FREE!

If you have uniform your children have grown out of but it’s too good to bin you can also create your own profile on www.oldschooluniform.co.uk and list your items either for free or at significantly lower prices than buying new.

Library Corner July 2022

By Mrs Campling, Librarian

And just like that we’ve come to the last Library Corner of the school year! It’s been a bumper year as across the school we’ve been able to get back to all the things we used to do pre-pandemic - and then some! - and the Library has been no exception.

Story Writing Club has seen its highest number of returning students this year with almost half of the summer group having attended before, and it’s been so great to see how their ideas and abilities have developed each time they come along. I always like to try and guess what books they’ve been reading by the inspiration in their own stories (this term’s big influences were clearly Percy Jackson and A Series of Unfortunate Events) and the children always amaze me with their creativity and inventiveness.

We also started a new ‘reading club’ which I hope to develop next year as a reading ‘drop-in’, where students can pop in to the library on certain days to sit and read and talk about what they’re reading with me, or each other. 

The Year 6 and 2 book clubs have continued through the summer and both groups have really impressed me with how they have pushed themselves above and beyond their classroom expectations. The Year 2 group has been looking at wolf-based fairytales and exploring how different interpretations may or may not follow the plot we are expecting. Year 6 have each taken it in turns to bring in a book they have read and spoken to the group about it, and they have done so clearly and passionately as well as all showing each other respect and engagement through asking questions and in a number of cases, opting to then read the books themselves. 

Summer Reading Challenge: GADGETEERS

Those of you eagerly awaiting my tally of books that I've read will have to wait until January (I will let you work out for yourself how far I’ve got when I tell you I’m averaging two books a week). This mammoth rate is only sustainable because of that most precious of commodities: THE PUBLIC LIBRARY (trust me, if I was buying all these books I would also be using them as accommodation). I’m sure you’re aware that with budget cuts and different priorities for the council, our libraries are in a precarious state, and if (like me and my own children) you require a very high turnover of books, the only way to ensure their safety is to use them! All of the libraries in the city are running a variety of events across the summer for children of all ages, and of course there is the annual Summer Reading Challenge!

This year’s theme is ‘Gadgeteers’, created in partnership with the Science Museum and focusing on inspiring children’s curiosity towards science, invention, engineering and innovation. I don’t know about you, but I grew up thinking that being a bookish type excluded me from the sciences - well I can tell you that today’s children will not have that blinkered point of view! The very skills that we develop through reading are applicable and indeed vital to scientific exploration and discovery, and likewise, understanding the science of the universe can expand, rather than limit our imaginations.

After signing up at the library, children will receive a pack with different activities (online and physical) joining six characters (the ‘Gadgeteers’) as they explore the science behind a whole range of different interests. There’s also an online portal where children can create a profile, log their progress and explore even more resources. Registration opens this weekend (9th July) at all local libraries but you can join at any point over the summer!

https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/

21/22 Round Up

Most popular picture books

Walk with a Wolf, The Day the Crayons Quit (and Came Home), Katie & the Artists series

Most popular series’ 

Dog Man, Mr Penguin, Toto the Ninja Cat, Land of Stories, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Little People Big Dreams, Football Superstars
 

Classes with the highest number and frequency of visits

Cobras & Giraffes (seriously, you guys get through A LOT of books)

Most voracious readers (children with the highest turnover of books borrowed)

Ishaan (Elephants), Isabella (Nightingales), Imaan (Giraffes), Florence (Cobras), Oscar (Pandas), Izzy (Sharks)

Our Wishlist

It’s at this time of year that many of you think about buying a little something to thank your class teacher or the school in general, and I would like to take the opportunity to direct you to our wishlist! These are books that can be purchased specifically for the library, or for a particular class or teacher. If you are buying off this list, please include a note at delivery so that we know who it’s for!

You could also choose to buy a book that relates to a topic your child has enjoyed this year (either fiction or non-fiction) - I always know what the children are doing in class because they suddenly all start asking for the same sorts of books in the library! 

https://www.anewchapterbooks.com/shop?Wishlists=Orton+Wistow+Primary+School

FINALLY…

All library books must be back by Monday 18th at the absolute latest. Classes will be reminded in school, but please please PLEASE do have a look around at home and check that you’ve not been accidentally hoarding them under the sofa. Thank you!

Discover what is coming up in the OWPS Dining Car.

Read about what is happening locally, nationally and internationally.

^{Disclaimer: Orton Wistow Primary School does not endorse any products, services or activities that appear in the Community section of this newsletter, and is not responsible for any contract entered into by either party. Given the current circumstances, we would recommend all parents check with any providers regarding the status of these services, activities and clubs}