Living and Learning
Living and Learning is our new name for SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning).
Living and Learning will continue to cover SEAL learning but will also incorporate other aspects of PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) such as keeping safe, identity, drug education, physical health, rights and responsibilities and healthy minds.
We begin our Living and Learning learning this week with a focus on manners: I can greet someone politely.
For the rest of this half-term, we’re thinking about the ‘8 Rs for learning’. This theme is about promoting good learning behaviour for your child.
Each week, we’ll focus on two different ‘Rs’. We use an animal to symbolise each ‘R’, which might help your child remember all eight – can your child remember which animal matches the correct ‘R’?
You can support your child at home – we’ve listed a few ideas to help you below. Ask us if you’ve any questions or comments.
Download top tips for promoting the 8Rs for good learning behaviour.
I can show I am ready to learn.
Make sure your child is at school for a prompt start of 08:50.
Make sure your child has had plenty of sleep so they are alert and ready to learn at all times.
Encourage your child to ask lots of questions – that shows they want to learn!
I respond to feedback.
Ask your child if they remember their ‘stars’ and ‘steps’ in English and Maths.
I take a safe risk.
Talk about the difference between a safe and unsafe risk. At school, we want your child to take a safe risk by having a go at answering, even if unsure; trying something new and attempting harder learning.
I take responsibility for my own learning.
Provide time and space at home so your child is able to organise themselves: their PE kit, reading book, homework, spellings and tables… Don’t organise everything for them!
Make a link between rights and responsibilities: your child has the right to a great education, but needs to be responsible for their own learning.
I am resourceful.
Encourage your child to be organised so they can play with a range of different toys.
Encourage your child to try new ways to solve a tricky problem.
I am resilient.
Encourage your child to keep going! Set a tricky challenge or puzzle for your child to do.
Encourage your child to think of different ways of doing things.
Don’t let your child win when they play a game – they need to experience losing, too!
Celebrate mistakes as opportunities to learn – be happy that your child found some learning hard and encourage them to ‘bounce back’ and learn from the experience.
I remember.
Make sure they have time to learn spellings, number bonds and times tables – a little practice daily is best.
Play memory games:
Kim’s game: show them objects for 30 seconds… can they remember all the objects?
Can they build up the sequence, ‘I went to the shop and I bought an apple’… ‘I went to the shop and I bought an apple and a bike.’… ‘I went to the shop and I bought an apple, a bike and a cucumber.’ etc … Take turns!
I reflect about my learning.
Talk with your child about what they’ve learnt, asking questions about:
how they learnt
why they learnt it
when they’ll use their learning
how they would teach this to someone else
what learning might link with what they’ve learnt today etc
School meals
Following feedback from parents and pupils (School Council and pupil health questionnaires), and a successful trial of children selecting their main meal on Fridays, we will be extending this to every day from next week. Children will select their main meal choice at registration.
Please share the menu with your child so they are aware of the choices for each day.
Leeds Children’s Mayor voting
Congratulations to Pippa who was selected as our school entry and submitted her manifesto to be considered as the new Leeds Children’s Mayor.
Out of 48 entries, unfortunately Pippa wasn’t selected as one of the finalists.
Children are invited to vote for their two favourite manifestos from the twelve candidates.
The finalist who has the most votes when voting closes on 15 September will be elected as the new Children’s Mayor of Leeds.
School Games Mark
At the end of each year, schools are invited to apply for their School Games Mark. The School Games Mark rewards schools for their commitment to and development of competition, school sport and physical education.
We are very proud to announce that our application has been verified and we have been awarded Gold award for the third year running.
In an attempt to engage as many children as possible in physical activity, we track children’s participation over the year.
68 children in KS2 and 52 children in KS1 and Reception have taken part in at least one after-school club since September. This is 57% of the total number of pupils.
81 children (68%) in KS2 have represented the school in a competition or participation event.
Children tell us they enjoy taking part in a variety of activitie:
- ‘In scooter club, I had fun on my scooter.’
- ‘I enjoyed Wake Up Shake Up club because I got to spend time with my friends and DANCE!’
- ‘I liked basketball. We learnt how to play the game, basketball skills and working as a team.’
- ‘I enjoyed cricket because it helped me with my skills of bowling and batting.’
- ‘I enjoyed the aqua festival. Everyone took part and nobody was left out. Everybody tried their best.’
- ‘The Brownlee Triathlon was fun and got people involved who don’t especially like sport but they did it. It wasn’t competitive.’
- ‘I enjoyed the Sportshall athletics competition because there were lots of events to choose from and do.’
Thank you to staff who have accompanied children to these events or run after-school clubs this year. Thank you also to Mrs Russell who provides excellent administration of our clubs and sporting events and competitions.
Thank you as well to all parents/carers who have helped with transport and supported at our events this year. Finally, thank you to all pupils who have tried out a new physical activity either at an after-school club or as part of a competition or participation event and to those children who have represented our school so well this year.
Yellow Yorkshire
Thank you for supporting our Yellow Yorkshire day to raise money for one of school charities, Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
Our final total raised was £202.31 so thank you for all your donations.
We also had a visit from a representative from Yorkshire Air Ambulance to hear how the money we raise is spent by the charity.
School Saving Club
The next School Saving Club paying in date is 13 July 2017 at 3.15-3.45pm.
If you’re unable to attend in person, please hand in any money to be deposited to the office in a sealed envelope addressed to Miss Hale.
This is the final paying in date for this year and dates for next year will be shared in September.
If your child would like to open account, please ask at the office.
Children’s Day 2017
Children’s Day 2017 takes place at Headingley Carnegie Stadium on Sunday 16th July. The gates for the event will open at 10am and close at 4pm; admission is completely free for everyone, as are the activities when inside the ground.
Families attending the event can make a suggested donation of £3 per adult and £1 per child attending on entry; all proceeds will support the work of Leeds Rhinos Foundation and Yorkshire Cricket Foundation.
Let’s Ride
Local HSBC guided rides for Leeds are now available to be booked online. There are a variety of rides available at different locations and by searching using a postcode you can then filter the results according to distance, ride level and who they are suitable for.
Making a healthy change
As part of our SEAL theme of Changes, the SEAL statement next week is I can make a healthy change.
During the week, children will be encouraged to make a healthy change. This could be physically or emotionally and may include:
- being active after school rather than being on an electronic device
- having water with a packed lunch rather than a sugary drink
- having a water bottle at school every day
- taking part in a Sports Leader session at lunchtime
- bringing a piece of fruit for KS2 playtime and Year 3 swimming
- dealing with a problem in a positive way
- going to bed earlier
Another healthy change would be travelling to school in a sustainable way – walking, scooting and biking.
Children will also be completing the annual pupil health questionnaire for this week’s whole school homework and this should be returned to your child’s class teacher by Thursday 13 July. Views and opinions from the questionnaire will enable us to consider future ‘healthy changes’.
Change4life, whose aim is ‘to motivate and support millions more people to make and sustain changes that will improve their health’, provides lots of ideas.
We look forward to hearing all about your healthy changes.
Change4Life 10 minute shake ups
The Change4Life 10 Minute Shake Up passports have recently been sent home in your child’s book bag.
There are lots of 10 Minute Shake Up games and activities, designed to keep children moving all summer long.
Their passport will take them on an adventure through six magical Disney stories, with weekly Shake Up activities and games inspired by some of their favourite Disney characters. Also included in the passports are stickers that children can use as a reward for doing the Shake Ups.
You can also sign up for Change4Life emails, filled with tips and offers to keep your kids active.