Developing the Whole Child

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Dear Parents and Carers,

The purpose of the school’s mission / vision is to create confident young children who have been nurtured and inspired towards a bright future because of the commitment we make to them every day through high quality teaching.

Our focus this year will concentrate on developing the children’s ‘softer skills’ –  how to use a knife and fork properly, how to sit at table and the importance of good table manners, learning to manage and regulate behaviour, the importance of oral hygiene, the rules of etiquette, personal hygiene and organisation, self- discipline and respect, talking to adults correctly and knowing how to respond to situations appropriately.

Many of these skills are incredibly important and will help the children to take their place in the wider world once they leave Parkside. I will be leading a number of assemblies to introduce the skills to the children to help them understand why they are essential life skills. Teachers and support staff will continue to work with the children in class to help them embed their learning through structured activities.

The first essential skill that will introduced is – The Importance of Oral Hygiene. Often when I speak to children they tell me that they can’t remember the last time when they cleaned their teeth! Good oral hygiene is a key life skill and keeps bacteria under control. Children need to brush their teeth at least twice a day to prevent decay and the onset of further complications. Oral care is important for children’s health and well-being for a variety of reasons. Not only is the mouth vital for eating, drinking, taste, breathing, verbal and non-verbal communication, saliva also has antibacterial properties and is part of the body’s defence against infection. Please click on the link to read an important document about good oral hygiene.

I will write to you all again next week to share the next life skill we will be introducing to the children Until then please encourage your child to brush their teeth and to share with them the key features and information in the leaflet.

Top tips for teeth for Oral Health Aliance_ 01062021

Yours sincerely

Charles Soyka
Headteacher

 

YEAR 6 TO TAKE PART IN THIS YEAR’S CHILDREN IN NEED!

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4th October 2019
CHILDREN IN NEED

Dear Parents/Carers,

We are very pleased to announce that our Year 6 children have been selected to take part in this year’s Children in Need event at Elstree studios on Friday 15th November. They will form part of a large school’s choir and will sing a well know pop tune at some point during the night.

To take part in such an instutional event of this magnititude is opportunity which is only offered once in lifetime. We are all very excited at the prospect of our school being represented on the show. It will help to raise our profile not only in the local community but throughout the country. The learning and life skills the children will be exposed to will live long in their memories and when you hear the song you will be no doubt be very moved. This is all I can say at this moment!

The children will be prepared for the event by Mrs Nadine Lee who has worked in the school previously. She will once again take up the reigns along with her sister to make sure the children are ready to deliver an outstanding performance on the night.

You will find attached to this letter a suite of documents which gives you all the information you will need should you wish for your child to participate. Whilst I understand that you are all making final preparations for the Year 6 residential trip next week, the producer of the show has asked me to make sure that the forms be returned to school by:

MONDAY 7TH OCTOBER.

The BBC have told me they cannot accept any late replies and they are adamant on this. All slips will be collected by the producer themselves from school on Monday 7th October which is why they must be retuned on this date.

Please read all of the information very clearly before returning the paperwork. Let’s make this an opportunity to remember for the children and to bring their learning to life in a way which they will never forget.

Yours sincerely

Charles Soyka

Headteacher

School Council visit the Houses of Parliament

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Our new school council made the unforgettable journey to the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday and were accompanied by Mr Wanless and Miss Daniels. They started their term by visiting the “mother of all parliaments”. They learnt about the role parliament plays in setting laws which govern the country and were overawed by the gothic architecture which surrounded them. Not only did they further their understanding of key British values but left with a deeper understanding of how laws pass on the statute books. What a wonderful experience they had during a very exciting time in British politics.

 

Mission Statement

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Last term we spent a long time reviewing the school’s purpose and its mission. We are pleased to announce that after a long process the document below describes in full detail our purpose, our aims and our values. The key messages that come from it are a commitment to providing a school which is a happy and safe environment for the children to learn in, they develop a lifelong love of learning and they are supported by professional and caring staff. Please spend some time reading through the statement and discussing it with your child.

Mission Statement

Year 2 visit Reveley Lodge

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Year 2 spent the morning at Reveley Lodge in Bushey on Wednesday morning to develop their appreciation and deepen their learning about life in Victorian England. Bushey Museum who work with local schools to run ‘Victorian Experience’ events for primary school children encouraged the children and staff to dress in period costume. They took part in a Victorian school lesson which was attended by a school inspector, helped with the laundry and enjoyed afternoon tea complete with home-made Victoria spongecake. The children had a wonderful time and developed an appreciation of life in Victorian time. Thank you for representing the school so well children.

School Council meet two Mayors

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The school council were very fortunate to meet with Councillor Brenda Batten the Mayor of Hertsmere Borough Council and Councillor Charles Goldstein the former Mayor on Friday last week. They held their latest meeting in the council chamber and discussed some very important issues about improving life for children at Parkside. The Mayor was very impressed with the children’s knowledge and level of questioning and they were even treated to juice and cakes in one of the meeting rooms. Not only were the school council excellent ambassadors for our school, they were a great example of how British Values are taught at our school. Thank you children.