Dear Parents/ Carers,
Outdoor learning day yesterday was successful and enjoyable. The children were able to be part of their house teams within their class bubbles. Thank you for your support in sending them dressed and prepared for the day. Fortunately it only got showery towards the end of the afternoon. Reflecting on the day, the children said that they enjoyed making the miniature village dens the most. However, there were many other activities that they enjoyed. The hanging art was popular because this was part of an inter-house team competition for the outdoor artist’s prize. It was a close call but Lark House were the winners with a beautiful display of carefully constructed hanging art. The outdoor art theme continued with chalk drawings and alphabetical letters made by collecting very small natural materials. In other areas around the school children created giant symmetrical bugs using wood and natural materials and they enjoyed the opportunity to make potions. I am sure you have noticed the fence weaving by the carpark, the colour is very striking. Hanging in the woodland trees are a number of bug hotels made using natural materials.
Stepping back from the activities, it was a pleasure to notice some other the other features of this positive event. Seeing the children work so well in teams was lovely. During the reflection at the end of the day the children commented on co-operation, one of our keys for success. This was the key that the children believed that they had most successfully demonstrated. The other one was ‘resilience’ as some children surprised themselves by being able to cope with the outdoors all day. We see this event linking into our residential activities – Minstead in December for Year 4 and Stubbington in September for Year 6. Building traditions that are part of the Stanmore Curriculum helps the children to develop a range of skills and emotional resilience. If your child is anxious about the residential it might help to remind them how well they coped with and enjoyed the outdoor learning day. If you have a child in Year 3 or Year 5 at the moment and you haven’t completed a form for our residential offers yet this can be done via SCOPAY. Please contact the school office if you have any queries.
Our wider curriculum is beginning to open up and we have a popular Dance Club, Intergr8 that runs after school on Wednesdays. We also have a KS2 girls’ football and Y5/6 boys’ football clubs. Children can still sign up for these chargeable clubs. On Monday you will receive a letter offering the remaining spaces and providing more details. We are also booking our music teachers for next year. On Monday, you will receive a letter asking you if you would like to sign your child up for music lessons with a Hampshire Music Teacher. We currently offer teaching in string instruments, brass instruments, piano or percussion. There is a cost involved, music lessons are £100/term and for that reason we offer a trial lesson before you commit to the term. If you have any questions about clubs or music lessons, please ask Mrs Taylor or contact the admin office.
Best Wishes
Sharon Taylor