News

Vote Bronwen for Leeds Mayor!

We’re very proud that Bronwen, a Year 6 pupil here at Moortown Primary, has been selected as one of ten finalists for the Leeds Children’s Mayor competition. All the Year 6 children completed a manifesto of what they would like to change if they could become Mayor for the day and Bronwen was chosen as our entrant for the competition.  Her manifesto is brilliant, meeting all the criteria set (see below).

Vote for Bronwen! Voting has now opened for the finalists and anyone with a Leeds Learning account can vote. If you know of anyone who has one, please encourage them to vote. 

Voting will remain open until midday on Friday 04 November.

Representatives of Leeds Children’s Services and Leeds Council undertook the difficult task of short listing the twenty Children’s Mayor entries they received down to a final ten. In order to make the short listing a fair and transparent process, they used score cards and scored the manifestos individually against four criteria: 

• How clear and focused the manifesto idea was
• How practical, achievable and affordable the manifesto idea was
• The number of children and young people who would benefit from the manifesto idea
• The extent to which children would work alongside adults to make the idea a reality

As well as Moortown Primary, the schools whose entrants made the final this year are Allerton Bywater Primary School, Bramley St Peters Primary School, Calverley C of E Primary School, Hill Top Primary School, Kippax North Junior & Infant School, Queensway Primary School, Shire Oak Primary School, Strawberry Fields Primary School and Whinmoor St Paul’s Primary School

This whole programme is about encouraging children to show an interest in democracy and to get them into the habit of voting on issues that affect them. 

We know children at Moortown Primary already make a positive contribution to the school and their community through the School Council, litter-picking, raising money for charity etc. It’s great individuals like Bronwen want to go the extra mile to have their views heard!

'Packed lunches lack fruit and veg' - not at Moortown

Research published earlier this month suggest that ‘children’s packed lunches lack fruit and vegetables’.

At Moortown, a packed lunch survey carried out last week showed a massive 86% of our packed lunches had at least one portion of fruit or vegetable with 43% having two or more portions.  One of our Year 6’s packed lunch even contained her five-a-day of fruit and vegetables!  Children excitedly and proudly showed their fruit and vegetable choices.

It has been one year since we introduced our packed lunch guidance which includes advice and ideas for healthy packed lunches.  As part of the guidance, we encourage children to bring at least one portion of fruit and / or vegetables.  Our guidance was introduced, for parents / carers and children, as packed lunches do not follow the same nutritional guidelines introduced for school dinners.   Data collected prior to producing the guidance has been used as a comparison to assess the impact of our work on improving packed lunches.

Results from the latest survey have shown some positive results:

• 86% of packed lunches now contain at least one portion of fruit or vegetables (compared to 80% in 2010).
• There is a greater variety of carbohydrate items within packed lunches eg pasta salads.
• The number of children bringing snack items has reduced slightly with children commenting they don’t bring these items in every day, but as a treat.
• The major impact we have seen in the results has been the reduction in the number of children bringing sweetened drinks eg Fruit Shoots (65% 2010 to 25% in 2011) and now choosing water which we provide on the tables at lunchtime or their own water bottles.  Did you know that over a year these parent / carers will be saving approximately £48 by not providing a daily fruit shoot drink?
• We have also seen an increase in the number of children choosing to take a school dinner (flexible packed lunch / school dinner combinations are also available).

Sadly, one or two children don’t have any fruit or vegetables in their packed lunches – often, these children tell us they want some, and usually blame mum or dad!

Please chat with your child about how they might make one small step to a healthier choice.

SEAL statement 17 October

This week is the first of our focus on manners over this year with ‘I say please and thank you’ as our weekly statement.

We often receive comments from visitors to school that our children are very polite. 

Over this year, every half term, we will be focussing on a different aspect of good manners to encourage and remind children to consistently use these important qualities both in and out of school.

Successful Staying Safe Week

Our recent Staying Safe themed week was a big success with a variety of visitors and visits across the week.  These included Emergency First Aid, food safety and cooking at Allerton Grange, drugs awareness (d:side), fire safety (Moortown Fire Station), road and firework safety and stranger danger (Police) and staying safe around dogs (Dogs Trust).  Have a look on the class news pages to see some photos from the week.

The key message was how to be safe in a variety of situations:

‘I learnt how to use a knife, for chopping vegetables, safely by not cutting towards you.’

‘Be safe near the oven.’

‘I have learnt how to put somebody in the recovery position.’

‘I have learnt that you should not go into the water to save someone.’

‘The surface of the water is warm but the bottom is cold and people who can swim can still drown.’

‘Never give out your personal information.’

Here are some useful websites if you would like to follow up any of the work done by your child / children throughout the week:

General safety

http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/index.html

Staying Safe online

http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/

Fire Safety

http://firekills.direct.gov.uk/index.html

Road Safety

http://www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-years-and-primary/

Electricity Safety

http://www.switchedonkids.org.uk/

Food safety

http://www.foodafactoflife.org.uk/

SEAL statement 10 October

This week, our SEAL statement is ‘I can make my classroom a good place to learn’.

At this stage in the first half term, children will be familiar with our established school rules but also their class contract.  Teachers, this week, will be looking for those children who consistently follow these and who therefore make their classroom a good place to learn.

As a reminder, our three school rules are:

1. Follow instructions
2. Use positive language
3. Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself

Ask your child what’s in their own class’s contract.

SEAL statement 3 October

‘I can do something brave’ is the SEAL statement for this week. 

Following our Staying Safe themed week we are now returning to our New Beginnings SEAL theme and this week also sees the start of our new topics. 

As children are settling in to their new classes and getting more familiar with their new routines they may be more comfortable to try something brave, maybe working with someone different in their class, trying to answer a question they are not 100% sure about or attempting to move up their learning mountain.

SEAL statement 26 September

This week, it’s Staying Safe week and ‘I can keep myself and others safe’ is our statement for the week.

From staying safe around dogs (Dogs Trust) to drugs safety (d:side for KS2), emergency first aid to a cyber bullying drama workshop, safety while exercising (street dancer) to road safety (police) – we have lots of activities planned for the week!

Some classes will be visiting the local fire station and also Allerton Grange to learn about food safety and take part in an ICT based photography session based on safety.

Our School Council have even set the homework for the end of the week.

Between 3pm – 3.30pm on Thursday 29 September, dside (an interactive drug education provider) will be offering parents and carers the opportunity to meet their representative, in the dining room, to discuss any of the aspects covered during their visit.  There will also be information available for you to take away.

Should you have any questions about the week please contact your child’s class teacher or speak with me directly.

We hope your child / children enjoy the week.

Cyber-bullying

Cyber-bullying

Next week is our Staying Safe themed week.  Children will learn about safety in a variety of contexts: in the kitchen, in the playground, during sports, during travel – your child might even use a police speed camera to catch out those speeding drivers on Shadwell Lane!

Over the past few years, there have been growing concerns about cyber-bullying – the use of technology, particularly mobile phones and the internet, to deliberately upset someone.

We regularly teach our children about e-safety, but here’s some good advice for parents / carers:

• Be alert to your child being upset after using the internet / phones – they may be secretive or change relationships with friends.
• Your child is just as likely to be a bully as to be a target.
• Talk to your child and understand how they are using the internet and their phone.
• Use safety tools and parental controls – if you’re not sure how, contact your service provider.  Please note tools are not always 100% effective.
• Remind your child not to retaliate.
• Keep any evidence of cyberbullying – emails, online conversations, texts etc.
• Report the cyberbullying.
• Contact us at school so we can take action if it involves other pupils.
• Contact the service provider eg website, phone company etc.
• If the cyberbullying is serious and a potential criminal offence has been committed then consider contacting the police.

The Directgov website has some useful information and support.

SEAL statement 19 September

‘I know how others might feel when they are in a new situation’ is the SEAL statement this week.

We have a number of new children and members of staff who have joined Moortown Primary school this September.  We hope they are settling in well.  How do you think they might feel in their new school?

Staying Safe themed week 26 September

We are looking for parents / carers who have a job related to safety.

If you can spare some time, during our Staying Safe themed week (26 September), to come in to talk to the children about how safety affects your work please speak to your child’s class teacher or leave a message at the office.

Thank you.