Author: Mrs Taylor

New SEAL theme – Good to be me

‘I can do something that makes me feel proud’ is the first SEAL statement for the theme of Good to be me.

Our new SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) theme for this half-term, Good to be me, focuses on three main areas of learning:

  • Self-awareness – feeling good about yourself, taking risks.
  • Managing Feelings – understanding feelings, and why and how they lead us to behave the way we do – particularly the feelings of being excited, proud, surprised, hopeful, disappointed, worried and anxious and standing up for yourself –assertiveness skills, standing up for your views.
  • Empathy

This theme explores feelings in the context of the child as an individual, developing self-awareness and helping the child to realise that it really is ‘Good to be me’. The theme is about understanding our feelings as well as considering our strengths and weaknesses as learners.

The key ideas and concepts behind this theme are:

Building emotional resilience

Children need to become resilient if they are to be healthy and effective life-long learners.

Coping with anxiety and worrying

Worry and anxiety are major features in many children’s lives. Many children have good reasons to be anxious. Exploring worries is important.

Calming down

Although getting stressed, anxious or angry are important and useful emotions, sometimes these feelings can be overwhelming.

Assertiveness

The theme encourages children to become assertive – that is, able to recognise and stand up for their rights while recognising and respecting the rights of others.

Understanding feelings and how they influence behaviour

The theme explores the relationship between ‘thinking’ and ‘feeling’ and the way each impacts on our behaviour. It looks at Flight or Fight rapid response to situations of threat and our responses to feeling threatened /under stress.

‘I can do something that makes me feel proud‘ is the first SEAL statement for the theme of Good to be me.

Perfect performance

On the final day of term, twelve children from Key Stage 2 performed at the annual Allerton Grange dance showcase.  Despite a few nerves, all the group performed brilliantly.  Being the first to show our dance, the children could then sit back and enjoy the rest of the routines by other local primary schools and students from Allerton Grange.

Well done to all the children who attended the after-school club and worked with the Allerton Grange dance leaders to learn this routine – your hard work really showed.

Thank you to all the parents / carers who came to support the event.

Science day warm-up

Getting the balance right – What should we eat to stay healthy? and Cough, sneeze, sniff and wheeze – How do we breathe? were two interactive sessions led by Leeds University students to Key Stage 2 classes this afternoon.

As part of the science in school initiative, two students delivered a variety of interactive activities and informative learning.

Year 3 and 4 focussed on What should we eat to stay healthy?

This session covered the important components of our diets – the major components which provide us with energy, and the building blocks that we need for growth and to maintain a healthy body, and the minor components – the vitamins and minerals.

Year 5 and 6 investigated How do we breathe?

  • What causes us to breathe?
  • How the lungs function under normal circumstances and after exercise
  • The danger to the lungs of smoking or passive smoking

All in preparation for a packed science themed-day tomorrow!

 

 

 

Great team effort

Well done to the members of Year 6 who took part in the netball competition tonight at Allerton Grange.

With matches against local primary schools, the team put in 100% effort and enthusiasm.  As the competition progressed the children showed some excellent attacking and defending skills with lots of encouragement as a team.  Well done!

There are some local weekly netball sessions at Scott Hall Leisure Centre, Wednesday 5pm-6pm, for those who would like to play netball more regularly.  Please ring 0113 378 1285 to book.

Packed lunch treat

Faizaan, Year 6, shares a recipe and healthy eating information from change4life. 

Today, Year 6 have been talking about change4life and how you can make your health better.  Why not take a look at their website: (http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life).  Furthermore, change4life looks at how you can swap unhealthy food for healthy foods and check for ‘hidden nasties’ like salt and fat through their ‘Be Food Smart’ campaign (http://www.nhs.uk/change4life/pages/be-food-smart.aspx).  There are lots of recipes you can choose, from breakfasts to healthier alternatives to pudding and snacks.

Today we have made apple, apricot and sultana squares, ‘a healthier take on flapjack’, really easy to make and we gave them the thumbs up!  The ingredients could even be changed to include different fruits.  We’re going to try making them at home.

Ingredients:

  • 100g butter
  • 4 tbsp golden syrup
  • 250g porridge oats
  • 1 apple cored and chopped
  • 50g ready-to-eat apricots chopped
  • 50g sultanas
  • ½ tsp ground mixed spice (optional)
  • 1 egg beaten

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4/180°C/ fan oven 160°C. Grease a 23cm (9inch) shallow square cake tin with a little reduced fat spread, then line the base with baking parchment or greaseproof paper

2. Melt the remaining reduced fat spread in a large saucepan with the golden syrup. Take care that the mixture doesn’t get too hot.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the porridge oats, apple, apricots, sultanas or raisins and mixed spice (if using). Stir well, add the beaten egg and mix again.

4. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface. Bake for 20-25 minutes until firm. Cool in the tin for about 20 minutes, then cut into 16 squares.

The votes have been counted

Today all children have visited the Moortown Primary ‘polling station’ to vote for their chosen candidate in our school council elections.

Today, all children have visited the Moortown Primary ‘polling station’ to vote for their chosen candidate in our school council elections.  The children experienced what it is like to vote with voting booths, ballot papers and a ballot box.

The votes have now been counted and our new school councillors will be announced in the assembly tomorrow.

Well done to all children who prepared and delivered a speech to their class and congratulations to our winning councillors.

01 March 2013

Next Thursday 07 March is our annual school council election. This week’s homework, linked to the elections, is talk time.  It’s due in on Wednesday 06 March 2013.  Your child has a choice:

Either:

If your child would like to be a candidate for their class, their homework is to prepare a speech to present to their class.  This should include the following:

  • Why they think they can represent their class well.
  • What qualities they have to make a good school councillor.
  • What suggestions they have for the new school council to consider.  Think of realistic ideas.

Some websites to help with this homework include http://involver.org.uk and http://www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk

Or:

If your child does not want to be a candidate in the elections, their homework is to discuss:

I understand the importance of voting.

This week, in class and assemblies, children have been learning about voting, school councils and why their vote, in the elections next week, really does count.

 

School Council elections 2013

‘A good listener, a confident speaker and represents their class well’ are all key qualities for a good school councillor, according to the current school council.

Today, during our whole class assembly, we launched our annual school council elections.

Our current school council feel these qualities are very important in a school councillor:

  • Good listener
  • Confident speaker who is prepared to contribute in school council meetings and feedback to their class
  • Has lots of realistic ideas and suggestions to improve the school
  • Good decision-maker
  • Works co-operatively with others

Other key points about the election include:

  • Two members of each class, including Reception, make up the school council.
  • Current and previous school councillors are welcome to stand again in the elections.
  • Children can vote once for one person.
  • Children can vote for themselves – just like in a UK election.
  • Vote for the candidate with the best qualities to make a good councillor – don’t just vote for a friend.
  • Good school councillors represent the class well – always!

If your child is interested in representing their class on the school council, they need to prepare a speech to present to their class.  This will be the homework for this week.

Here are the key dates for the election process:

Friday 01 March

Homework to prepare a speech for those children interested in becoming a school councillor.

Wednesday 06 March / Thursday 07 March

Speeches from all the candidates to their class.

Thursday 07 March

Children vote for their chosen candidate.  Results counted.

Friday 08 March

New school councillors announced.

Good luck to all children who choose to stand as candidates and thank you to the current school council for their valuable contributions and decision-making over the last year.

New SEAL theme – Relationships

‘I know how I feel and how others make me feel’ is our SEAL statement this week to launch our next SEAL theme, Relationships.

Our new SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) theme for this half-term explores feelings within the context of our important relationships including family and friends. The key areas of learning are self-awareness, managing feelings and empathy.

There is a focus throughout the theme on helping children understand the feelings associated with an experience that we all need to cope with at some time: that of loss – whether of a favourite possession, a friend, a family home, or a loved one. Although relatively few children are bereaved, most will experience losses of other kinds during their childhood; losing a home, losing friends because of moving house or changing schools, or losing a pet are examples.

We would therefore ask for parents /carers to alert us to any experiences your child has had that might make this area particularly difficult for them – for example, a bereavement.

‘I know how I feel and how others make me feel‘ is the first SEAL statement to launch the theme of Relationships.

Try a school dinner

Would your child like to try school dinners? Does your child already have school dinners and you’d like to come and join them for lunch?

Over this term, we’re offering the chance for you to have a school dinner with your child(ren).

This is open to all children: those who currently have a school dinner and those who’d like to try them.

The dates for these sessions are:

  • Years 5 and 6: Friday 01 March, 12.20pm
  • Years 1 and 2:Friday 08 March, 12 noon
  • Reception: Friday 15 March, 12 noon
  • Years 3 and 4: Friday 22 March, 12.20pm

The cost is £2.65 for an adult meal and £1.90 for children in Reception to Year 4 and £1.95 for children in Years 5 and 6.  There is obviously no extra charge if they already have a school dinner.

If you would like to sample a school dinner please ask at the office to secure your place as they will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.