Stanmore Post - 12 November 2021

Dear Parents/ Carers, 

The children looked great dressed in their 'rock star' outfits today. We have enjoyed looking for the best dressed rock stars in the school as well as celebrating our highest performing mathematicians on the Times tables Challenge. Well done to Elm class who were the overall class champions. 

See photos of the event here.

We have another themed event happening soon for children in Catkins, Maple and Rowan. Our popular 'Bedtime Stories' is planned for Tuesday 30th November from 6pm - 7pm. This year children from our local pre-schools are also invited, so please spread the word to any friends and family. Children can come to school in their pyjamas and listen to stories, with hot chocolate and biscuits to follow before they go home. Parents are invited to a meeting with Hampshire Library Service who will share books and top tips to inspire a love of reading. We have close links with the school library service and we are very fortunate to have a well-stocked, spacious school library. The children visit the library once a week with their class and during this time they enjoy browsing the shelves and being able to borrow a book and return a previous loan.  Our thriving Library team work hard to ensure the area is tidy with returns filed away correctly, new titles researched and books available for topics in class.  We are always looking for more volunteers to join our Library team - just offering an hour of your time every so often can directly benefit the experience each child has.  Please contact the School Office for more information. 

We are looking forward to seeing you at Parents Evening. We intend to continue with our blended model offering the choice of face to face or remote meetings. The dates are Tuesday 23rd November (Face to face) and Thursday 25th November (remote via Google Classroom.) The booking system is open on scopay from 7pm this evening. During the meetings the teachers will share information about how well your child is progressing. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have and to find out about how you can support learning at home. If you would like an appointment with Mrs Fenton in her role as SENDCo OR Mrs Taylor (Headteacher) please book through: adminoffice@stanmore.hants.sch.uk

Winchester Basics Bank is inviting families with school-aged children (who live or attend a school in the Winchester city and surrounding areas, including Alresford) who feel they need some extra help over the school holidays to register for their Holiday Lunch Scheme.  You do not need to be receiving Free School Meals to take advantage of this scheme; if you need a little extra help this year please apply.  We are still awaiting confirmation if shopping vouchers will be provided for those children who receive FSM, so if you do we ask that you don't also claim for the food parcel too (but please register whilst we await the announcement).  The scheme will provide food for 10 lunches per child.  If you need more support, please register for a full food parcel for all the family - www.winchesterbasicsbank.co.uk/get-help. Please be aware that the food supplied is designed to replace the hot meal; rather than food items suitable for packed meals.

If you need any further support with this please do let us know.  

Best wishes,

Sharon Taylor

Electric rock and roll

Remembrance day in R2L

The children in R2L have spent the week thinking about the significance of Remembrance day and why we wear poppies on Remembrance day. Inspired by the book "Where the Poppies now grow", the children created their own poppies, wreaths and soldier art work to remember everyone who has ever fought in a war.

Times table Rockstars

This week Stanmore School celebrated Maths week, culminating in a special ‘‘Rock N Rock” times table Friday. Well done to everyone who has been working hard at their times tables over this term - keep on rocking.

Year 5 and 6

In science, we used a role-playing activity to demonstrates how electricity is instant with the use of a skipping rope circuit. We then explored the use of symbols in circuits, and why they were used. We also used balloons to demonstrate static electricity with some very funny results.

Stanmore Post - 5 November 2021

Dear Parents/ Carers,

Children returned from half term looking really smart in their uniforms, including their winter PE uniform. Thank you for your support with this. They are ready for a busy term with many exciting events planned as we lead in towards Christmas. Check the dates for your diary at the end of the newsletter. In assembly, linked to our Value of Support, the House Captain's introduced Remembrance Day and the purpose of collecting donations for poppies and what they represent.  Next week Poppies will be on sale in the playground, at break times from Monday.  

 This week, year 2 had a visit from Anne Wan, a local author. She has written a book called "Manners Fit for the Queen." This fits with our current topic called "What would you do if you were royal for a day." Children in Year 3 and 4 read their fantastic Anglo Saxon stories around a camp fire. In Year 5/6 Children made guys and had a bonfire as a hook for their new text linked to the Gunpowder Plot 'Black Powder' by Ally Sherrick 

See more of our work here.  

Next week is National Maths Week and to celebrate the end of the week on Friday 12th November children can dress up as a Rock Star. This was really popular last year, the children enjoy playing Times Table Rockstars and it is a fun way to raise the profile of maths. We are promoting maths throughout the school and encouraging children to talk positively about maths and how well they are doing in this subject.    

All the children in KS2 have a log in for Ed Shed and Times Table Rockstars in the front of their reading diary: https://ttrockstars.com/ Children in KS1 use an equivalent program 'Numbots.' Please encourage children to access these resources and talk about their learning at home.  

Following on from our 'Keys for Success Curriculum evening, we would like your views on how well we are doing. This helps on reflect on what is going well in school and continue to match our school improvement priorities closely to the needs of the whole community. Please have your say by completing our survey at: https://www.stanmore.hants.sch.uk/parent-survey-nov-21

If you would like a meeting with Mrs Taylor or one of the senior leadership team to discuss the survey in more detail, please contact us via adminoffice@stanmore.hants.sch.uk

Best wishes,

Sharon Taylor

Guys and Dolls

Year 2

This week year 2 had a visit from Anne Wan, a local author, this week. She has written a book called “Manners Fit for the Queen.” This fits with our current topic called “What would you do if you were royal for a day.”

Anne, along with her puppet Isobel, read us the story, shared some insight in to how she went about writing it and getting inspiration and gave some tips to budding authors in the class.

Anne also shared how she wrote to the Queen and sent her book, there is a very formal way of writing to the Queen and we all felt inspired to have a go ourselves at the end of this topic. Maybe we will get a letter back from Her Majesty!

Year 5 and 6

It has been lovely to see the children all settle so well back into school after half term. Year 5 and 6 have started a new text in English this week called Black Powder, and as a hook they made their very own ‘penny for the guy.’ The children loved choosing an outfit and were able to link the work with our topic for this term - ‘Does Justice always whirl in equal measure.’ I think you can agree the guys were very creative.

Stanmore Post - 22 October 2021

Dear Parents/ Carers,

This half term seems to have flown by. Throughout the school, across all subjects I am proud of the work in the children's books. It is possible to see how hard they have worked and both the quantity and quality of what they have produced is impressive. Children have been collecting Headteacher Merits and House points in recognition of their efforts and attitude. Our reward system is linked to our 'Keys for Success: organisation, confidence, resilience, persistence, co-operation and respect. At the moment Lark are the winning house with the other three houses, Heron, Kingfisher and Buzzard closing the gap. Congratulations to everyone who has earned a merit card or house point this term. You have contributed to our value of Excellence. 

See more of our work here.

In the latest Enrichment Curriculum activities, our football team played their first match. Although the result was not what we had hoped for, we did score a superb goal in the second half. Team spirits were high throughout and the team are focused and better prepared as a result. Their next match after half term will be a home game. The Halloween Disco gave the children the opportunity to have an enjoyable evening with their friends. The costumes and dancing were 'spooktacular.' Thank you to the Friends of Stanmore for running another successful event, we appreciate your time and energy, and to all the parents who adapted so quickly to the change of timings.  

Thank you to the parents who joined us for the maths curriculum event. Miss Evers talked parents through the maths curriculum and there were good questions about how best to support children at home. Maths has strengthened across the school and children are more able to reason and problem solve as a result of the work that we have done to link mathematical ideas and concepts. The meeting was virtual and you can watch it again at https://www.stanmore.hants.sch.uk/maths

As you will be aware, we have had some positive Covid cases in school this week. It has been challenging but I am proud of the strength of our community and the way in which, once again, we have adapted and responded. Like you, I hope the measures that we have introduced will be short lived. We have so much planned after half term and many events to look forward to. For now, I hope that you have a happy and healthy half term.

Best wishes

Sharon Taylor

Football and Science fairs

Stanmore Football Team

Our Year 6 football team took part in their first match this week. The rain was pouring and Otterborne were a formidable side, but everyone played brilliantly and the level of support for each other was amazing. One child even reminded the team of the fact that one of our keys to success was ‘Organisation’ so that what’s they needed to do! Well done to all involved and special thanks to Mr Firth for standing in the rain for an hour!

Year 2

Some of the year 2s have been writing stories this week about going on an adventure through a magical portal. For the last couple of days we have been typing up the stories on the chrome books. Mr Read has then done some live editing with children where he opens up their work on his chrome book and types a comment to the child who then sees it immediately and acts on it. This might be spelling corrections, suggestions of additions to work or a word they could make more adventurous.

Year 5 and 6

Year 2 visited a science fair in Oak class this week to learn all about light from the pupils in Year 5 and 6. They tried all the investigations and then evaluated their experience, identifying what they had learnt about light. They gave a big thumbs up for the event.

Classes were kept busy this week designing a creative information page exploring prisoners of the Tower of London. the key question was - Is justice always fair? - and the children were horrified to learn about the Princes that were imprisoned.

Stanmore Post - 15 October 2021

Dear Parents/ Carers,

This term we have been able to return to whole school events and a more typical Autumn Term. One of the many benefits to this is that the children have greater responsibility and more of a voice in the way decisions that affect them are made in school. One example of this is our School council representatives, who are taking ideas from their class about how the playground areas are structured during break times. They are very keen to have dedicated areas for quiet games or dance as well as football and the woodland den building. The changes will take place after half term and we are looking forward to the installation of the new KS1 play equipment at the beginning of January. The Eco Council have been looking at ways to improve the environment and are encouraging others to re-cycle. They are encouraging children to reduce litter by having a healthy snack instead of crisps at break time. The House Captains have counted over £180 from the charity collection for Young Minds. Thank you for your generosity in supporting our 'Hello Yellow' Day. Mrs Atkins is currently recruiting Sports Leaders from Year 5 and 6 and I am very proud to announce that our school football team are playing in their first match of the season in Otterbourne on Monday. The children say that they feel proud and honoured to represent the school. We wish all the team the best of luck.  

During the week, Children in Year 1 had an autumn bonfire and enjoyed toasting marshmallows. They recited autumn poetry that they have been learning. In Year 3 / 4 children have been considering how great Alfred the Great actually was and the conclusion of their discussion text was that Alfred deserves his statue in Winchester High Street. In Year 5 / 6 children have been making periscopes and learning about A Midsummer Night's Dream.

See more of our work here.

Thank you to Year 3 / 4 parents for supporting our 'Beyond the Beat' Parent Workshop. This was well attended and parents had the opportunity to find out from our Hampshire Music Service Colleagues about how to support music practice at home. There were some excellent top tips which could be related to any kind of homework. This included: finding a regular timeslot that becomes part of the daily routine, having a suitable environment in which to focus on the work or practice without too many distractions, and praising the process rather than the outcome. This helps reduce the stress on the children to 'perform' well and the risk of it all ending in tears.  

As the weather begins to turn children are beginning to wear their winter PE kit so that they are suitably dressed for a colder day. We have decided to keep with PE kits for the whole day on which the children have PE to reduce the time spent on changing and minimise lost clothing. We do want the children to continue to look smart on PE days, promoting a feeling of belonging to our school. The kit for winter is black jogging bottoms and a hoodie and a gold t shirt. This can be purchased from https://www.direct4logos.com/ Trainers should only be worn on PE days. If you have any difficulties with school uniform, we may be able to help you so please contact the school office adminoffice@stanmore.hants.sch.uk to find out about second hand PE uniform.  

Over the weekend Mr Foard will be installing bollards at the end of the school drive to improve site security in the evenings and over the weekends. This will be in place from the beginning of November. Please can I remind all site users that the carpark is for staff only and the school drive should not be accessed by cars during school hours. This is to keep everyone on our site safe. 

Best wishes

Sharon Taylor

Periscopes, plays and pine trees

Year 1

For our science longitudinal study, we have been focusing on how the trees on our school grounds are affected by seasonal changes! As a class, we picked a Beech and a Pine tree and have been tracking changes through our weekly Mother Nature Monday sessions! The children have noticed that the Beech tree has acquired some brown and yellow leaves, while the Pine tree has not changed yet. We have been looking closely at leaves to see if this helps explain. We can't wait to keep track of our trees over the next few weeks to observe further changes!

Alongside our science longitudinal study, we have also been very interested in the season of Autumn! We have been using adjectives to describe features of Autumn and have learned an Autumn themed poem! The children got the chance to perform their poem around a bonfire and also got a marshmallow to live the full Autumn experience!

We are very proud of Maple class!

Year 1 Poem

Year 2

n year two we have carried on exploring measurement in maths. This week we are looking at length and the children started off by making sure they could use a ruler correctly and then used this skill to compare and order lengths of string. They then carried this investigation on by finding items in the classroom whose length was between the pieces of string they had already measured. The children showed great co-operation and organisation while completing their work.

Year 3 and 4

On Monday 11th October the whole school took part in Hello Yellow day raising awareness of Young Minds. The children completed lots of fun activities and explored ways in which they could look after their own mental health. It was a very colourful day!

year 5 and 6

This week, we started our next text: A Midsummer Night's Dream. To help us understand the complex plot, we created a 12 point summary and used freeze frames to piece the story together.

In science the children took their knowledge about light and reflection and used these to create their very own periscopes!

Stanmore Post - 8 October 2021

Dear Parents/ Carers,

As we are a Hampshire Local Authority School our ongoing improvement work is evaluated on a regular basis.  We work closely with the Hampshire Inspector and Advisory service to ensure that the Quality of Education is strong throughout the school. Our monitoring visit on Monday included three Local Authority inspectors who spent the day talking to leaders in detail about the school improvements that we shared with parents at the meeting last week. They visited classes evaluating the curriculum work and the behaviour and attitudes of the children. It was a pleasure to share our work and the outcome of the visit was positive. In particular, they commented on the excellent learning behaviour of the children. As you will be aware, we are overdue an OFSTED inspection as a result of the Pandemic. Opportunities for an external perspective of the how well the school is progressing is both helpful and positive. As soon as we are notified by OFSTED that they intend to visit we will let you know, it could happen at any time during this academic year.   

Earlier this week we were proud to receive a tree as part of the 'Plant a tree for the Jubilee' initiative. Throughout the county seventy trees will be planted creating the Queen's Green Canopy (QGC) for her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee. The QGC Celebration Trees initiative aims to highlight the educational aspects of trees and the significance of giving young people access to nature, encouraging wider engagement with the QGC across the school curriculum. Our School Eco Council were invited to join the Mayor of Winchester and the Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire for the ceremonial planting.  

See more of this event

We celebrated National Poetry Day on Monday 4th October with a visit from Winchesters 'Poet on the High Street.' Johnny Seagrave. As part of Winchester Poetry Festival, Johnny was commissioned to celebrate the city and reconnect people with the place following the Pandemic. He worked with each class to create a poem that explored their home city and their imagination. Our poetry will be part of an online book of poems to be published soon.  

Our 'Beyond the Beat' Year 3 and 4 music programme is continuing to go well. Parents are invited to watch a lesson being delivered by Hampshire Music Staff in order to help support children at home. This will take place in the hall on Wednesday 13th October starting at 4pm. You are welcome to come round to the hall after school.  

On Monday please remember that children need to wear a yellow item or accessory for 'Hello Yellow' day, supporting Young Minds. Our House Captains will be on the gate with buckets on Monday morning if you would like to make a donation to this charity.

Best wishes,

Sharon Taylor

A special platinum tribute for the Queen

The Queen’s Green Canopy

This week the eco team at Stanmore Primary were delighted to welcome the Major of Winchester and the Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire to our school to plant a tree in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. 69 schools have been chosen around the country to take part in the Queen’s Green Canopy project and for Stanmore this is extra special as were part of the silver jubilee celebrations in 1977 - the tree is still there and thriving.

The children were excellent ambassadors for the school and were even featured on South Today.

Yr 1 and 2

This week in year 2 we have been focusing on money in maths. The children have learnt to recognise the coins and understand their value. We have been exploring making amounts in different ways and also beginning to add amounts using a number line.

Yr 3 and 4

This week, we have started our RE unit on Devotion. The children explored the meaning of the word, and what 'devotion' might look like in their lives and the lives of others. We unpacked an exciting box containing Hindu objects which are placed on a shrine to show devotion. We learnt about some of the different objects and their purpose on the shrine. We will continue this learning during the week.

In History our task this week was to work out who was in charge of Britain at different times: the Vikings or the Anglo-Saxons. We met some important people from history, including our very own Alfred the Great and we started to wonder about what it was that made him so great. Our Key to Success: co-operation was really important for this.

In English we started our brand new book 'The Buried Crown' by listening to an old Anglo-Saxon legend sat around the campfire... It was magical!

Year 5 and 6

This week in Year 5/6, we have been recalling the ways in which we represent multiplication and division facts. We used counters to build arrays, number lines to demonstrate repeated addition and then moved on to the area model. Drawing on the tables was the best bit!

We also wrote some fantastic monologues in English from the point of view from characters from The Highwayman. The children showed fantastic perseverance and the writing looked very impressive on the ‘old paper’.