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Newsletter Monday 9t h June 2014 Term 6 Issue 34

St. George’s CE Primary School Our School Motto – “Bringing faith and education together”

Newsletter Dear Parents/Carers

With the new National Curriculum almost upon us (September) it might be a good time to know how the teaching of ICT in school is about to significantly change! We will all have memories of computers from our own school days and I recall very well as a secondary school pupil myself in the early 1970s how one entire room was given over to one extremely large and blaring computer. This was never actually touched by the pupils themselves and as far as I can recall only by very selected staff. It made an awful lot of noise and for most of us we didn’t really see the point. Later, when qualifying as a teacher in the very early 1980s, we were faced with brand new BBC desktop machines which could only download data from a cassette tape which was constantly prone to ‘error codes’ meaning that starting the entire process again was a regular pattern of the morning. This was all very time consuming and few teachers had the knowledge to use it effectively. Thankfully, those days are now long gone and in general, computers are much more reliable and teachers much more able to deliver what is required in the classroom. Up to now the philosophy has been that teachers do not necessarily need to know how computers work, just the ability to know how to use it. Over the years it is true that pupils’ own knowledge of using ICT has also increased and many now arrive in school with ‘expertise’ in using Word, PowerPoint and small mobile devices. From September this conventional view is about to change, with teachers now being asked to teach a different sort of curriculum to prepare our children for the future. With a new title of ‘Computing’ as opposed to ICT (Information & Communication Technology) the new curriculum is divided into three parts including computer science, information technology and digital literacy. There is a much greater emphasis on linking computers with numeracy (logic, algorithms & data), knowing how computers work and being able to program computers to do what you want the computer to do. Nationally, of course, the challenge for all schools is to find ways to equip our teachers with the appropriate skills and knowledge. When September arrives, fortunately we have Mrs Montgomery on the school staff who is confidently able to support the new teaching of computing across the curriculum. Already I have seen computing in action with classes devising their own algorithms (computer codes) and moving graphics across a screen - very different from the school world I was involved in back in the 1970s. This year in school we have just had internal Wi-Fi fitted which in turn means that our aim to purchase tablets for class use will soon be arriving! Wherever next I wonder?

Key Term Dates Monday 9th June

Cedar Family Service From 10:00am

Tuesday 10th June Sycamore Class to

Rochester Cathedral Swattenden visit parents’

meeting in Cedar from 3:30pm

Wednesday 11th June

KWIK Cricket Festival @ Tonbridge School

Chris Cook, Olympic Swimmer visit & Assembly (pm)

Summer Book Fayre begins

Thursday 12th June

H.S.A. Father’s Day Stall PESE Yr5 Parents’ Briefing @ 3:30pm

Monday 16th June

Hazel Class to Health & Nutrition Day at

Holmesdale

Tuesday 17th June Beech Class Assembly

from 10:00am

Wednesday 18th June Father’s Day Lunch

Thursday 19th June Pilgrims Way Church

Schools’ Festival

Mr . D . Jones , Headteacher

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Page 2 School Newsletter

School News!

 We  are  arriving  at  that  time  of  year  when  we  start  to  review  our  school  targets  set  back  in  September  which  are  now  listed  in  our  School  Improvement  Plan.  Over  the  next  few  newsletters  I  will  be  highlighting  the  progress  we  have  been  making  in  achieving  some  of  these.        With  Reading,  quite  rightly,  being  such  a  key  part  of  the  National  Curriculum  this  year  we  have  been  keen  to  promote  the  concept  of  ‘Reading  for  Pleasure’  amongst  children  of  all  ages.  Along  with  the  development  of  the  library  and  each  class  taking  a  focus  piece  of  literature  to  work  on  each  week,  we  have  certainly  seen  more  children  choosing  to  read  in  their  own  time,  including  breaktime  where  Maple  Class  have  got  into  the  habit  of  taking  a  box  of  reading  books  outside  to  choose  from.  In  particular  Rhianna,  Adam  and  Charlie  have  been  spotted  sitting  on  a  bench  deep  in  thought!    

   A  straw  poll  of  children  has  revealed  that  all  have  enjoyed  the  return  of  a  Class  Reading  Book  which  seems  to  have  been  forgotten  about  in  many  schools.  Linking  in  with  the  national  theme  of  remembering  previous  conflicts,  there  has  been  a  push  on  historical  books  at  St.  George’s  with  Sycamore  Class  reading  ‘Boy  Overboard.’  (“This  book  made  me  cry”,  said  Katie  Bombone,  “and  it  was  sad  in  places  but  I  really  enjoyed  it.  It  is  about  a  boy  who  has  to  leave  his  war-­‐torn  country  with  his  Mum,  Dad  and  sister,  because  his  parents  are  secretly  running  a  school  when  they  are  not  supposed  to.  The  family  leave  to  go  to  Australia  because  they  need  to  go  somewhere  safe,  so  they  leave  their  country.”)  Both  Hazel  and  Willow  have  been  focusing  on  First  World  War  stories  (Private  Peaceful  and  the  War  Horse).    As  I  mentioned  on  page  one  our  next  target  is  to  purchase  a  small  number  of  tablets  where  by  each  class  will  be  able  to  have  access  to  reading  books  on  line,  which  all  sounds  very  exciting,  and  we  are  still  keen  for  parents  to  play  their  part  in  taking  their  children  to  the  local  library  and  book  shops  to  see  what  books  have  to  offer!          

Medical Reminder and Absence Notes Can we remind parents/ carers that following a bout of sickness or diarrhoea, children must NOT return to school until 48 hours after their final episode of illness. When your child is ill for any reason during the school term, please could you bring a letter to the school office upon their return stating their name, class and reason for absence. Thank you for your understanding

Knitting Club at Borough Green

Library A  Saturday  morning  knitting  group  has  been  setup  in  Borough  Green  Library  with  the  first  session  on  Saturday  14th  June  from  12md  to  1pm  with  the  intention  to  get  pupils  knitting/sewing  and  having  the  chance  to  use  the  library.  No  experience  or  equipment  is  necessary.  Sounds  like  a  great  way  to  spend  an  hour!  If  interested  please  ring  01732  884404  

 

 

Well done to all those walkers! The school

has once again achieved its yearly

Travel Mark to celebrate the work we

are all doing in encouraging more walking to school!

Father’s Day Lunch! Wednesday 18th June – 12md.

Please make sure that you reserve, using the

GSS flyer, a seat as opposed to ‘just

turning up’ on the day. An adult meal is

£3:40 and will include Mandarin Iced

Sponge….Delicious!