Didn’t the Science Team do well! Miss Baird, Miss Helliwell, Mrs Hazell and Mr Iqbal organised a fantastic science week for us this half term. Throughout the week we had activities and science visitors in school and a fantastic open morning on Friday 13th March. Thank you to all parents who were able to join us and for your very positive comments on the feedback sheets. The event was part of a planned programme in school by the team to raise the profile of science and to encourage pupils to see the role of science in everyday life and work. Other events are planned for the next term. Please get involved if you can.

Mrs L Sullivan - Head Teacher.

DALE NEWS

“I could answer all their science questions!” Sabah - Year 3

Term dates for 2009Break up for Easter Holidays Friday 3rd April

Back to SchoolMonday 20th April

Bank HolidayMonday 4th May

Break up for Half TermFriday 22nd May

Back to SchoolMonday 1st June

Inset DayFriday 19th June

Inset DayFriday 17th July

Break up for Summer Wednesday 22nd July

Year 4 Explorers visit the South Pole

Science & Engineering Week See back page for full story!

SPRING 2009

HEAD’S

SPOT

Creative Partnerships News

We have been working closely with Dr Barrs to develop our curriculum. She spent time in classes to see how we are beginning to change the way we teach and learn, and was very impressed by the commitment and enthusiasm of everyone involved. Class 2B’s Endangered Animals campaign was a great success and thank you to all parents and other family members who came in to support them.

Learning Mentors

We would like to remind parents of the support offered by the Learning Mentor Team. This varies from working with children who struggle with confidence, self-esteem and anger to those who need academic and general support. We are happy to assist parents and carers with any issues they may have regarding the well-being of their children. Our office is located opposite the main entrance; if you have any concerns regarding your child, please feel free to drop in at any time!

Foundation Stage NewsOver this half term, Foundation Stage have been learning about animals and their different habitats. They really enjoyed the Sea Life Centre trip, and the visit from our local Gardener. We are trying hard to improve our outdoor space by planting lots of flowers and vegetables. We had great fun investigating the mini-beasts from the Petting Zoo. Thank you to all parents that have donated items for our outdoor space.

Year One News

The highlights of Year 1’s learning this half term have been; the science week when they investigated (and ate) chocolate; the visits to the ‘Build A Bear Factory’ and the visit from granddad bear who used a slate to write on, but didn’t know how to use a computer! He had lots of things to tell us about how things used to be. One of the classes even had a trip into space! We learned a lot from all these experiences.

Year Two News

Science Week- Year 2 learnt all about mouldy food and carried out an investigation to see which food grew the most mould. They enjoyed looking at what the mould looked like. Plants and Animals- children have been sorting plants and animals into groups. Ask your child to describe the conditions that plants and animals need to live!SATs – please remember to continue to hear your child read. Don’t forget to discuss the books! Next half term we will be learning about – Taking A Break!

Year Three News

We’ve had a very exciting half term being involved in lots of science activities. Visitors from Rolls Royce inspired our children when making planes, using different materials as part of science week. The children had lots of fun testing their planes in a Year 3 competition. We are really excited by helping Cinderella, who has once again lost her slipper!

Sports News

• Well done to all who took part in the Cycle Challenge. We had 40 children make 312 journeys to school on bikes/scooters altogether over two weeks and we did over 1000 laps of the playground before school, during play times and dinner times.

• Lots of sporting events at Arboretum Park and Normanton Park during the Easter Break.

• Football courses at Littleover and Derby Moor Schools.

• There will be no football at Dale this Easter due to work being done on the school roof.

Music

The ‘special’ choir of Year 5 & 6 children performed with 10 other primary choirs from around Derbyshire at the Derby Assembly Rooms on a very wet Sunday afternoon (on March 8th). The concert was a celebration of music in Derbyshire ranging from a 1950s swing band, Indian Dhol drumming, to singing children aged 6-18 years old. It was an amazing experience. Mrs Sullivan, Mrs Wilson and Mrs Hazell were very proud of our Dale Children.

Year Four NewsYear 4 have been busy preparing for our ‘Ready, Steady, Cook!’ pizza competition this half term. We have learnt how to make dough, prepare ingredients and keep everything clean and tidy. We have been shopping at Somerfield and had a visit from Jose, a French chef, who works at Masa restaurant in Derby. He brought in some delicious home-made fudge!

In literacy, we have been learning about persuasive texts so that we will be prepared to give our pizza judges the ‘hard-sell’. Will you be able to resist?

Year Five NewsThis half term we have been learning about keeping healthy. We know what foods our bodies need and that we also need to exercise to keep our bodies healthy. We have learnt about how the heart and lungs work and how to take our pulse to see how hard our heart is pumping. We have taken part in lots of sports, and took part in a sponsored skip for the British Heart Foundation. Some

children from Year 5 took part in a Dance Exhibition at the Assembly Rooms with other Dale children performing the Salsa.

Year Six News

Year Six have had a busy term, starting to prepare for SATs in May (11th- 15th). Your children have been working hard in revision sessions twice a week. Please support them with their revision at home.We had a fantastic tree planting trip at the beginning of March, learning more about the environment and our impact on it.

During Science Week, the children prepared a prize-winning display based on reversible and irreversible changes. We won a fantastic free trip to Snibston Discovery Centre on Monday 30th March.We were lucky also to have a Rolls Royce activity day come to our school, on 31st March, to provide the children with engineering challenges and teamwork opportunities.

School Meal Price Increase

From Monday 20th April 2009, to help us continue providing healthy nutritional meals for your children, the cost of a school meal will be £1.85 per day, totalling £9.25 per week per child.

If you think you may be eligible for free school meals, please enquire at the school office.

Free school meals are available to recipients of:• Income Support• Income Based Job

Seekers Allowance• Support of the

Immigration and Asylum Act• Child Tax Credit (but not

Working Tax Credit)• State Pension Credit

Please remember to pay for any meals your child is taking during the week on a Monday to your child’s class.

The school dinner menu will be on Week ‘A’ after the Easter Holiday.

How to contact us:Telephone 01332 760070

Emailadmin@dale.derby.sch.uk

AddressDale Community Primary SchoolPorter Road, Derby.DE23 6NL

Head TeacherMrs L. Sullivan

This half term we took part in National Science and Engineering Week, from the 9th- 13th March, and

what a week that was!! Pupils and staff had a great time carrying out an investigation linked to the theme of change. Work resulting from the investigations was displayed across the school and then judged for the quality of science involved. Congratulations to Year 2 & Year 6 who won the display competitions and had fun trips out of school as rewards.

During the week, each year group had a visit from someone who uses science skills or knowledge within their jobs. This helped to raise the profile of science as a future career.

The week was rounded off with an open morning, which was very well supported by parents. This children enjoyed sharing their investigations and learning with the wider school community.

“I liked talking to parents about our displays. It felt good telling them what we had learnt. I could answer all their questions!” Sabah (aged 9).

“It was lovely spending time with my children and seeing their understanding of the subject in a learning environment. I learnt a lot!” Parent

Next term, we are planning to book a family day out to Snibston Discovery Park. The provisional date is set for Monday 4th May (Bank Holiday). Watch this space, further details to follow.

Year 5 students during a sound experiment.

SCIENCE

WEEK

SPECIAL