Newsletter 5

January 2022

ASPIRE – ACHIEVE – THRIVE – ENJOY

Message from Michelle Wangusi (Parent Governor)

Welcome to Spring term and our first newsletter of 2022.
I hope your children had an enjoyable Christmas break and came back to school refreshed and ready to learn.
I joined the school Governing Body in 2015 as a Parent Governor.  It’s been amazing to see the positive changes in the
school over these years under the strong leadership of our Headteacher and with the support of Governors.
The full Governing Body meets at least once a term and one of our key roles is to oversee school development. Each
year the School Development Plan priorities are agreed – the current ones can be found under the ‘Our school’
section of the website.  In addition to informative updates at governor meetings, each governor is linked with a
subject/priority area giving us the opportunity to understand what’s happening in this area in more detail.  Currently
I’m linked with Maths. Please check out the great resources and information on our maths curriculum on the Maths
subject page of our website Maths - GREAT LINFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL.
Have a great Spring term! (I’m enjoying listening to the birds singing outside my window as I write this)

EYFS
In EYFS, we have been learning all about the Rainbow
Princess! The children have learnt the text map, acted
out the story and written their
favourite parts in their literacy books.
Hayden wrote "I like the swishy
swashy long grass" and Florianne
wrote "I like it when the frogs live
happily ever after." Next week, we
will begin to innovate and create our
own versions of the story.
Year 1
This half term we are looking at the topic of 'Under
the Sea'. We have been
learning facts about Limpets.
Did you know they are a
type of sea snail? We have
been creating amazing art
pieces and doing some
amazing fact file writing.

Year 2 Year 3
This half term, Year 2 have loved learning all about Year 3 have been learning about the geography of
dinosaurs and fossils. We Ancient Egypt and have created a map to help our
learnt about Mary Anning's understanding.
life and how she discovered
William in Oak class tried
an Ichthyosaur fossil on the
really hard with his work and
beach, how dinosaurs became
loves our project.
extinct and all the different
types of dinosaurs there were.
We made our own dinosaurs out of tissue paper.

Year 4 Year 5
Year 4 have been learning about In Year 5 maths lessons, we have been learning about
Vikings and were able to handle area and perimeter. Miss Scott and Mr Fay set a
handmade shields, axes and challenging investigation to
swords, all designed and made in design the most efficient pens
the same way the Vikings would for a farmer's chickens! We had
have made their weapons all to work out how many fence
those years ago. panels we could use to create
the largest area.
 Year 6
Year 6 are currently exploring Darwin and South
America as part of their current project.
This week, the classes explored
Darwin's theory of evolution by
investigating different Finch's beaks
during science that prompted
Darwin's theory about natural
selection.
School Council
Have you seen our exciting new signs outside? Our
School Council were given the opportunity to secure
funding to allocate to equipment to help the staff,
volunteers and the community think about parking
around our school. After researching the types of
things that could be bought, we voted on what to buy.
They are now here and up to support and encourage
everyone, showing our School Roots of ‘Respect All’.
PSHE
This half term’s Jigsaw focus is looking at dreams and
goals. We have been talking to the children about
achieving short term goals; for example, do they want
to go up a book band or improve their hand
writing skills?
We are excited to have new Aspire trophies and each
week the Aspire winner will be linked to our Jigsaw
focus of dreams and goals. Each class will chose an
Aspire winner for showing they have been setting and
achieving dreams and goals.
Presentation Celebration
It has been so exciting to see children earning and using
their bronze pencils and handwriting pens so far this
year! This term will be the first time we can earn silver
pencils as well. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much to the families supporting us
with this at home. It makes a massive difference.
Aspire Trophy
We now have beautiful new Aspire trophies for each
of our classrooms. Every week a child in each class
will be presented with the Aspire award which is
linked to aspiring to meet the Jigsaw focus each half
term. The child can keep the trophy on their desk for
that week.
On Thursday afternoons, Carol Mallett will take the
children for a little reward tea party where they can
share the reason they got the reward with each other.
They will be given milkshake and a cake and have their
photo taken with the trophy.
Safe Parking
GLPSS would like to remind parents/carers that it is
their responsibility to ensure that they park safely,
drive slowly and take extra care when driving near the
school. Please also think
about the residents who
live nearby and do not
block driveways or access.
Phonics
We have started our new phonics groups this term.
The children may have moved groups or have a new
adult teaching them. This is to ensure that each child
is accessing phonics at the appropriate level for their
development. All of the children have quickly got into
the swing of their new groups and are working hard
on their sounds and reading skills. Year 1 have all had
a practice go at a screening check since the Christmas
break and they are working hard. Year 1 parents -
there will be a Zoom meeting for you in the spring
term, keep a lookout for details coming to you soon.
Attendance
Whole school attendance so far this
school year is 93.4%
Winning class for this week is Year 6
Ash Class (Mr Jenkins) with 96.4%
Well done!
 Victorian Day
On Thursday 13 January, Year 5 had a dress up Victorian
day. Many of us dressed up as Victorians and learnt
about what Victorian school
would have been like. During the
day we baked our own bread
and created silhouette artwork.
We calculated amounts of
money in shillings and
farthings and learnt how
to write in Victorian cursive handwriting. We then tried
to sew the first letter of our names in the cursive style!
EYFS Prince and Princesses Day
EYFS had a wonderful day dressing up as princes,
princesses, knights and dragons!
We read stories about castles, princes and princesses
and then everyone made their very own shield!
We even had a magical rainbow and pond appear in the
classroom, like in our story, "The Rainbow Princess".
Holiday Requests in Term Time
At Great Linford Primary School, we believe good
attendance is not just a legal requirement but critical.
It is by being present in school that children will have
the best opportunity to access the full range and
breadth of the curriculum and will allow them to
achieve to their fullest potential.
The Department for Education has removed the
discretion of headteachers to grant leave in term time
unless there are ‘exceptional circumstances’. It is at
the discretion of the headteachers to determine what
are ‘exceptional circumstances’ and the number of
days a child can be away if leave is granted. If leave is
not agreed, you may receive a Fixed Penalty Notice
from the Local Authority. Click on the following link
for more information on Fixed Penalty Notices.
Holidays in term time
Big Rock Climbing Club
A group of 18 children are enjoying climbing at Big
Rock in Kingston each Thursday after school. Each
child wears a harness and helmet, and are taught by
the instructors how to tie-in using a figure of eight
knot.  They are also learning how to work as part of a
team, ensuring while one child is climbing that their
friends in the group are tailing the rope to ensure the
climber is kept safe at all times.  They are encouraged
by the instructors to climb as high as they feel
comfortable with. They will soon see that the better
they get, the harder the climb becomes and the higher
they can get.
The children had the
opportunity to
build castles out of
junk, decorate a
crown, do archery
and design their own
knight armour or princess dress

Pastry Club Top Jump Club

For Spring term 1, we have a new club run by Kirsty that The children have had an amazing couple of Fridays at
will give the children an insight into cookery. Top jump!
They will come away with an
They have shown our roots and values, particularly
understanding of the basic
overcoming challenges and taking care.
skills needed to prepare and
produce a range of tasty
breads and doughs.
Kirsty’s aim is to inspire
the children to be more
creative in the kitchen
and join in with some
fun cooking at home!

https://www.familyfirst.co.uk/family_first_v9 Digital Leader Report For Parents

What you need to know about
Fortnite

Parentchannel.tv
Parentchannel.tv is a free video service designed to
support and encourage parents and carers of children
from ages 0-19, with a collection of over 200 videos
addressing day-to-day questions and concerns spanning
wellbeing, behaviour and learning.
Parentchannel.tv videos are divided into three
categories - Learning, Wellbeing, and Behaviour. Below,
you will find playlists for each of these categories
separated into the relevant age groups of 0-5, 5-9, 9-14,
and 14-19.
What is Fortnite?
Fortnite is an online game that people play with their
friends or other individuals. Over 350 million people
play the game which makes it one of the most popular
games. However, due to so many people playing
Fortnite, they can get quite excited and say a few
things that they don’t mean. That is why we need to
be safe and responsible on the game.
In-App purchases
Although Fortnite starts as a free-to-play game, there
is a currency in the game called V-bucks and it is used
to buy items such as skins, weapons and emotes
(dance routines that are not necessary to play the
game). The price depends on the quantity: 1,000 V-
bucks = £5.92 being the lowest price. However, the
currency isn't the only pay option in the game.
Fortnite now offers a monthly subscription which
costs approximately £9.99 every month.
Encourage Breaks
When your child is on a winning streak they won’t
want to stop. This could mean they stay sat in front of
For example, if you're looking for a video on helping the screen for hours. It is important to keep an eye on
your six-year-old with homework, start with Learning 5- how much screen time they get and make sure they
9 or, if you're wondering how to encourage your get regular breaks so they aren’t sat in the same
teenager to exercise more, go to Wellbeing 14-19. Once position for long amounts of time.
the first video starts playing, click on 'PLAYLIST' in the
Content
top left corner to see the other videos in that list.
The game is rated as a 12+ but this is only the
Parentchannel.tv covers a huge range of topics, starting
suitability of the game. Things like voice and text chat
with your babies needs before birth, and taking you
or usernames are not controlled so it may not be
through social and emotional development, starting
suitable for children. Because Fortnite is very
school, making friends, taking exams, and decisions
competitive, players can become very heated,
about university and careers. Whether you're just
aggressive or ‘toxic’ towards others. Try to be in the
starting out as a new parent or looking for some
same room as your child when they play so you can
support on the journey, you'll find lots of expert tips
hear the conversations they have. Remind them they
and other parents talking about their experiences.
can always come to you for help if they have any
Whether you want tips on specific parenting issues, or problems online.
more general advice on topics such as managing your
Written by our GLPS Digital Leaders
finances, maintaining a good couple relationship,
dealing with family breakdowns, resolving disputes, Want to know more? Check out our Online Safety
talking about sex, bullying, exams, or raising your own Guides on the website.
self-esteem, spend a few minutes browsing our videos.

THRIVE Breakfast Club ENJOY After School Club

Enjoying early morning workouts and Victorian Day at
Breakfast Club

Fun on the climbing apparatus at ENJOY Club

Wraparound Care Bookings

We would like to remind families that both Thrive Breakfast Club and Enjoy After School Club must be booked and
paid for in advance on School Gateway. Booking is essential as places are allocated on a first come, first served basis
and staff ratios may need to be adjusted depending on final numbers.
Children can only be accepted on the day if there are unforeseen and unexpected circumstances and this is at the
discretion of the Club staff.

Textile Project Quilt Artist’s Day

Back in 2019/2020, children at GLPS were involved in a
project supported by local artist Jane Charles to create a
piece of textile art as part of the Friends of Great
Linford Manor Park textile project.
They set out to strengthen the community and create
something of lasting value that reflects the area we care
about. Pieces were produced by various groups locally
then sewn together and embroidered by volunteers
from the project. It was completed in 2021 thanks to
volunteers working individually during the lockdown.
At the beginning of the term we had an Artist’s Day
which the children thoroughly enjoyed. It allowed
them to explore a style of art which they had not
experienced before.
Each year group, were given an artist to study that
was linked to their Project for the term. These artists
included; William Morris,  Kurst Schwitters, Henry
Moore,  Andy Warhol and  Ernst Haekel. The children
used different mediums and techniques inspired by
their chosen artists to create some amazing pieces of

Techniques were chosen because they reflect the
natural environment and were easily accessible to
people with limited experience of printing, dyeing or
sewing. They also used historic photographs to remind
art. Some of the skills that the children used included
printing, drawing, collaging and sculpting.
Their amazing work can be seen in a display along our
corridor. Here are some examples.

us of the rich context of the area.

The quilt is currently hanging in our reception foyer.

Dolce School Catering Happy January Birthday to:

We have received notification from Dolce, our school Florianne (EYFS) Max (Yr2) Tamara (Yr4)
meal providers, that the price of a lunch will be Benjamin (EYFS) Maisie (Yr2) Priya-Bella (Yr4)
increasing from 18 April 2022, from £2.35 to £2.45. Florence (EYFS) Riwah (Yr2) Archie (Yr4)
Sienna (Yr1) Oliver (Yr3) Stefan (Yr4)
If you feel you may be entitled to Free School Meals,
Zara (Yr1) Nathan (Yr3) Jasmine (Yr4)
please go to this link to find out if you are eligible.
Salum (Yr1) Olly-Rae (Yr3) Archie (Yr5)
https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/sims/ Maryam (Yr1) Kaitlin (Yr3) Riyan (Yr5)
All school meals (paid or free) must be ordered in Jack (Yr1) Mustafa (Yr3) Amber (Yr5)
advance from the choices available on School Grid. Michael (Yr2) Charlie (Yr3) Rashveer (Yr6)
Lavinia (Yr2) Blake (Yr4 Jack (Yr6)

Yaz’s Allotment Corner

Welcome to the first monthly issue of 2022, I hope you all had a cosy
and reinvigorating New Year’s Holiday!
Temperatures are habitually freezing now, as we enter the full swing of
the winter season. January is often the coldest month of the year
despite the daylight hours getting progressively longer. These freezing
temperatures play an important role in the preventing of plant
overpopulation and decreasing the risk of pests and diseases.

“It’s Good to Grow” by Morrisons

If you haven’t heard already, our good to grow efforts were a success!
We are waiting for our gardening goodies to arrive.

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 28–30 January

Sign up for the Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend! Shockingly, we’ve lost 38 million birds from our skies so it really
is vital we do all we can to look after our birds. Taking part is as easy as 1,2,3.
1. Watch the birds around you for one hour.
2. Count how many of each species of bird lands on your patch.
3. Go online and tell RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch what you saw.

Gardening tips and advice for January

There is little to harvest in the world of growing food but there still plenty to do. I have learned over the years that a
 fair amount of hard work in January can help lighten the load in the year to come:
 Planning and preparing your growing space. This includes knowing what
you will need (seeds, pots, soil or even tools). Once you know, you can
try your luck on local gardening share pages
and sites. Think about your growing space
location, does it get lots of sun or is it prone
to flooding?
 Trees, pruning back and planting hardwood
fruit trees now while they are still dormant reduces stress and promotes healthier
growth.
 Adding a layer of soil, compost, or fertilizer to your growing space now, can be the
difference between a small and unhealthy plot and a vibrant, bountiful,
showstopping plot.
 Fill bird feeders with high fat bird seed or feed.
 Remember not to move too much around in the garden (objects), as animals and beneficial bugs are still
hibernating in places like plant stems and hedgerows.
So, wrap up warm, grab your wellies or walking boots and take a mindful journey of the senses. Find
a new easy and effective way of improving your wellbeing. Grow at home or set out for an adventure and enjoy your
little piece of the world. When spring comes you can appreciate the time spent now that made your little piece of this
world that little bit happier.