2 December 2016

Year R Wonderful Writers Workshop – form to be returned School Christmas lunch – If you child does not normally have a school dinner on a Monday and would like to join in with the Christmas lunch contact the school office before Friday 9^th Dec Year 2 children apply for Year 3 place before Monday 16^th January
Monday 5^th	Winter themed week
Wednesday 7^th	Year R Wonderful Writers Workshop 2.20pm
Friday 9^th	Starfish assembly Christmas Fair in hall 3.15pm – 5pm
Monday 12th	Winter exhibition in hall after school – parents invited
Tuesday 13^th	Year R Christmas production 9.15am and 2.15pm
Wednesday 14^th	Year 2 Christmas production 9.15am and 1.45pm
Thursday 15^th	Year 1 Christmas production 9.15am and 2.15pm
Friday 16^th	Birthday assembly – parent/carers of children with Birthdays in December are invited
Monday 19^th	Christmas Lunch day Christmas Jumper/T-Shirt/outfit day – Non- school uniform
Wednesday 21^st	Last day of school
January
Tuesday 3^rd	Inset day – no children in school
Wednesday 4th	Children return to school

Weekly school attendance

Days missed across the school

Best class attendance for the week

Overall attendance for the year

95.61%

58.5%

97.33%

Penguins

97.08%

Christmas Performance tickets

Tickets for the Christmas performances went out in book bags on Thursday 1^st December. If you did not receive your tickets please see Helen in the office or return your form via the classroom as soon as possible. Once most allocations have been made we may be able to offer extra tickets.

Year R – Owl class

We are pleased to announce that Mrs Caron Roberts will take over from Mrs Sutton as the Teaching Assistant in Owl class. Mrs Roberts already works at our school as a Play Leader across the school and knows the children well.

	Reading award	Active award	Sunshine award	Feet on Friday	Star table
Penguin	Alex	Amber & Toby		Eve	Elsie
Polar Bear	Blake	Ellie-May & Noah		Katy-Mae	Freya
Snow Leopard	Andreus	Carys & Jacob		Isaac	Ethan
Sea Horse	Lydia	Oliver F & Oliver H		Bledion	Lydia
Star Fish	Sienna	Joshua & Lily		Scarlett	Russell
Turtle	Catalina	Kelly & Riley		Tallulah	Harry
Fox	Sophie	Harrison & Elizabeth		Henry	Ileana
Caterpillar	Evie F	Charlie O & Evie E-D		Lesley	Lesley
Owl	Anna	Thomas & Lois		Scarlet	Owl
Bonus card winners this week – SEAHORSE

What we’ve been up to………..

This week in EYFS we have been learning the story of The Bear Hunt. We have retold the story in the correct order using a variety of props and correct vocabulary from the story. We even experienced the dark and gloomy cave by making our own from old sheets and a clothes airer! In Maths we have been learning to put the characters from the story into order of height. We worked out who was the tallest and shortest within our classes! We just have not stopped this week and have begun learning our songs for the up and coming EYFS Nativity Born in a Barn! (don’t forget to get your tickets!)

We would also like to say a huge thank you for showing interest in the Wonderful Writers workshop on December 7th. We have had the best response ever and are looking forward to seeing you next week. It is not too late to come and join us even if you have not signed up then please just come along (just for parents though this time unfortunately we do not have a crèche).

This week in Year 1 the children have been learning the story of ‘The Dinosaur that pooed the Planet.’ The children first learnt the story and using a story mountain were able to recount the story. The children then dramatised different parts of the story.

Im Maths the children have been focusing on numbers to 20 looking at how they are created using tens and ones, for example 15 is made as 10 and 5.

In Year 2 we have had a magical start to Christmas this week by reading the Polar Express. We have been imagining that we are part of the story on Christmas Eve, waiting to hear a noise and then describing the feelings we would have and the settings we would see on our journey. In Maths we have been learning how to divide and split a number up into parts, the part-part-whole model has really helped us with this. We are also full steam ahead practising for our Christmas play! Busy, busy, busy!

Christmas Card Competition

Thank you to the children who designed a card to send to local associates and friends of the school. We only received 6 entries, all unique and beautifully designed. Therefore all children received a prize. These will be displayed around the school during the Christmas period. There were 2 which stood out and have been made into cards to send this year.

The six entries were from Charlie O, Evie E-D, Etty P, Rebecca G, Penelope P, and Sienna S. The 2 chosen for the cards were Charlie O and Evie E-D. These are the winning pictures.

Visit from a Senior Educationalist- Marc Rowland

Last Friday we were visited by Marc Rowland who audited our provision for all children across the school. He spent the day talking to Leaders, our Chair of Governors, teachers and children. He commended us for our outstanding provision across school and was very impressed by or high expectations of all pupils and our excellent provision at lunch time. He said out of 223 schools visited it was the best he had seen! This just reinforced how amazing the team at Downs View are! It’s good that the extra mile that all staff take to ensure your children are cared for and enjoy their learning in a stimulating environment is acknowledged.

ASHFORD LIONS WILL ESCORT SANTA

ENJOY SANTAS JOURNEY ROUND ASHFORD

Santa with his sleigh and elves will be escorted around Ashford this December. From Monday 5th to Saturday 24th the big man will visit many streets of Ashford. The sleigh will be out on 14 evenings during December between 5.30 and 8pm, earlier on Sundays.

There is a real time aspect to seeing Santa throughout the streets. For full details please go to the Lions club website www.ashfordlions.org.uk or Facebook page.

Ashford Lions support local charities and organisations and support Lions International designated appeals.

The routes around Kennington are as follows but if you go to the Lions website there are lots of other routes around Ashford. You can also monitor where Santa is in real time by using the live link on the Lions Facebook page.

WEDNESDAY 7th DECEMBER – KENNINGTON LEES/TRINITY ROAD

Start at 5.30pm, the elves collection on this day will be for Lions and Rangers

SUNDAY 11th DECEMBER – TRITTON FIELDS/ NETTLEFIELDS/ BALL LANE/ KENNINGTON

Start at 5.00pm, the elves collection on this day will be for Ashford Lions.

TUESDAY 13th DECEMBER – BYBROOK

Start at 5.30pm, the elves collection on this day will be for Ashford Lions.

THURSDAY 22nd DECEMBER – LITTLE BURTON