Have you been on our website lately? We have recently

uploaded lots of information you should find useful - a Curriculum

Map for each Year Group, our new Prospectus, dates for the year ahead and the School Dinner Menus. Alongside this information you can access the books we’ve produced, event pictures and all the Dale newsletters.

Pay us a visit at: http://dale.derby.sch.uk - we hope you find our school website a source of interest.

Enjoy the holiday. See you on November 6th!

Mrs L Sullivan - Head Teacher

Term Dates for 12/13Break up for Half TermFriday 26th October

INSET DayMonday 5th November

Back to SchoolTuesday 6th November

INSET DayMonday 10th December

Break up for ChristmasFriday 21st December

Back to SchoolMonday 7th January

Break up for Half TermFriday 15th February

Back to SchoolMonday 25th February

OCTOBER 2012

HEAD’S

SPOT

DALE NEWS

Year 5’s on their trip to Castleton - traipsing through the hills of Derbyshire.

Foundation Stage News All the Foundation Stage children have settled into life at Dale very well and are getting used to new routines. Thank you for all your support from home.

The children thoroughly enjoyed their first topic about Autumn and we think we have collected all of Normanton’s conkers and leaves! They have especially enjoyed the new grass areas, showing us great physical ability- we have future sportsmen and women!

Our Phonics programme is well under way and we would appreciate your help in the holidays reinforcing what they have learned to ensure a good start for your child. Thank you.

Year One News

We have been busy bodies this half term! We have been learning about body parts of humans and

animals. To learn about animal body parts, we visited Twycross Zoo and read ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ as well as making animal masks. We enjoyed having a rumpus! We also learnt about the five senses and took part in many tasting and touching activities which was really fun! With all this learning we are looking forward to the half term break so we can come back to school refreshed and energised and ready to learn about light and dark and take part in the upcoming nativity.

Year Two News

We have been learning about Derby. Our topic started with a trip to Derby town centre where we looked around the Cathedral Quarter and along the River Derwent. We now know why Derby is a city. We have studied the work of Joseph Wright and painted a portrait and a landscape in his style focusing on light and shade.

Our final part of the topic involved a trip to Derby Cathedral where we learnt all about the features of a Christian place of worship.We are proud of the place we live!

Learning Mentors

An increasing number of children are collected late from school. School finishes at 3:20pm. Persistent lateness will result in your child being placed in After School Club for which there is a charge.

A group of Year 5 pupils have taken the opportunity to learn rock climbing. All students are very supportive of each other and have been doing really well. Billy Adams, Corey Chadwick and Hasnain Younis have exceeded their weekly targets and shown a lot of courage and natural ability. Well done!

Last year a group of Year 2 pupils took part in the ‘Massage in Schools’ programme with Mrs Hazell. These pupils are ready to share their learning with other children. Massage in school is strictly child to child and on back, head and arms only. If you would like to know more please see Mrs Hazell.

Term Dates 12/13 (cont.)INSET DayMonday 18th March

Break up for EasterThursday 28th March

Back to SchoolMonday 15th April

Break up for Half TermFriday 24th May

Back to SchoolMonday 4th June

INSET DayFriday 21st June

Break up for SummerTuesday 23rd July

Year Three News

This half term we started to learn all about Ancient Egypt. We have visited Derby Museum where we looked at the mummies and other wonderful artefacts. As part of our work we made pyramids out of clay. We have also written stories and information books. The books are all about Egypt today! Our science topic has been learning about materials so please ask us what we know!

Year Four News

As part of our topic we have been learning about ‘Invaders and Settlers’ and to help understand how people felt, we invaded each other’s classrooms- which the children thoroughly enjoyed! Our literacy unit on poetry involved a sensory walk around Normanton and a food tasting session in the classroom. Mrs Toor also treated the children to a cup of ‘Chai’ with traditional Asian sweets. The children are looking forward to their next poetry lesson!

Year Five News

It’s been a long half term but it has flown by. We went to Castleton during the second week of the term with half of us staying at the Youth

Hostel for two nights. As well as learning archery, making fossils and candles we learnt why people had settled in Castleton from the Celts, Romans and Normans to the present day. We also learnt about the different rocks in the area and how and why they are used for building, why Mam Tor is called the ‘shivering mountain’ and how stalagmites and stalactites are formed. We had a great visit to the Quad to watch ‘Mirror, Mirror’.

Year Six News

Year 6 have had lots of fun learning all about what life was like for Victorian children. Our learning was brought to life with a trip to the Black Country Museum.

Everyone should by now be well on their way to completing a Secondary School Application. Remember, this MUST be completed and submitted by Wednesday 31 October 2012.

Happy Eid!

We would like to wish families who celebrate Eid a very happy holiday with your loved ones.

Sports News

•Cross Country Races x3

•Tag Rugby Matches x6 – Won 4 6-a-side

•Girls Football Festival – Won 7-a-side

•Boys Football vs Markeaton – Won

•Football vs Foremarke

•Cycling Club for Year 3-5

•Hockey vs Chaddesden Park

•Gaynor Nash – Regional Olympic Legacy Coordinator visited Year 5

Music

Another year and more exciting music at Dale. All of Year 4 are learning an instrument with their teachers and will soon have a flute or clarinet to practise at home with.Our new guitar and ukulele teacher Scott Walters has 20 new pupils all rocking away and Ben Henderson our brass teacher is working with children in Year 6. If your child is still interested in learning to play please let Mrs Wilson know.Auditions for the Dale Choir will be announced shortly with places for children in Year 4, 5 and 6. Keep singing!

How to contact us:Telephone 01332 760070

Emailadmin@dale.derby.sch.uk

AddressDale Community Primary SchoolPorter Road, Derby.DE23 6NL

Head TeacherMrs L. Sullivan

School Information

• School meals continue to cost £2.00 per day / £10.00 per week. Money must be paid on a Monday morning. Please remember if your child brings a packed lunch to school it must be brought to school at 9:00am. We will not accept late lunchboxes.

• Please look at the school website: http://dale.derby.sch.uk for more information and pictures of school life.

• Please ensure that your child’s uniform is named correctly. Lost property is kept outside class 1S.

It's been good to get back into a new school year. The first half

term is over already! I hope your children have settled into their new

classes, with their new teachers. I would like to offer a big welcome to all the new staff as well - there are a

number of people who have joined us in a variety of roles since the summer.

As I walk around the school, it is a great thing to see the busy atmosphere of learning that is evident throughout the building. It takes many forms - sometimes children are sat quietly, sometimes making things, sometimes noses in books, sometimes writing, sometimes animated discussion, sometimes multimedia, sometimes it's physical activity... so many different forms of learning going on. We trust you are pleased with the input into your children's lives. We continue to strive to make Dale the best it can be.

Mr Bola has decided to leave Dale School at the end of half term to pursue new career opportunities. We wish him well in his new venture. Have a good half term holiday.

Anthony AdamsChair of Governors

GOVERNOR’S

SPOT

Summer Reading Challenge Winners

A big well done to everyone who took part in the summer reading challenge and completed all six tasks. The tasks were completed to a very high standard. The winning entries were:

• Umar Ahmed 1F• Leo Parker-Beatty 2H• Raihan Tahir 3B• Aroosa Begum 4B• Maariya Sadiq 5G• Shamsa Zahid 6W

Their work is currently being displayed in the Gallery in the main corridor.