Newsletter

 

I would like to express how incredibly proud I am to be part of such a fantastic school community. During this weeks Parents’ Evenings, it has been so heartwarming to see the tremendous progress our children are making. Their growth, both academically and personally, is a testament to the hard work and dedication from our students, staff, and of course, you as parents.

It was a truly positive event, filled with meaningful conversations about how we can continue to support and celebrate each child’s unique journey. We feel so fortunate to be surrounded by such a committed and supportive community.

Looking ahead, we are excited to announce some upcoming changes to how we share information with you, our valued parents. We’re exploring new, more efficient ways to keep you informed about your child’s progress. These changes will help ensure that communication remains clear, timely, and accessible. More details will be shared with you soon.

Thank you for all that you do to help our school continue to thrive. Together, we are making a real difference in the lives of our children.

Congratulations to Goldcrest who achieved 100% attendance last week for the third time and second week on the trot!  They enjoyed non-uniform last Tuesday. 

 

This weeks attendance winners are Kingfisher!  With an impressive 99%.  Our Year 6's are ensuring that they are in school everyday so they don't miss a single piece of learning in the run up to their SATs.  Mrs Allen will let you know which day you can come in non-uniform next week.  Well done!

Celebrating Year 5’s Incredible Writing Progress!

Since September, our Year 5 children have been on an inspiring journey of creativity, determination and growth in their writing. 

At the start of the year, many children were building their confidence with punctuation, sentence structure and vocabulary. Fast forward to now, and they are crafting engaging narratives filled with vivid descriptions, powerful language and well-developed characters. Their ability to express themselves with clarity and confidence has grown tremendously; it’s clear that they take real pride in their work.

One of the biggest transformations has been in their resilience. Writing can be a challenge, but these young authors have shown perseverance when editing and improving their work. They have embraced new techniques, experimented with different styles, and learned the importance of drafting and redrafting to make their writing shine.

It has been a joy to see them sharing their work with peers, celebrating each other’s successes and taking inspiration from the authors they love. Whether writing heartfelt poetry, enthralling diary entries, or persuasive speeches, they have shown a true passion for words.

To our Year 5 writers—your hard work and dedication has paid off ; we are so proud of everything you have achieved. Keep writing, keep imagining, and keep believing in the power of your words!

 

 

 

Heidi from Year 4 has written a fantastic and emotive speech about Sunda Tigers.

Sunda tigers are hunted for their fur and losing their habitat. This is because WE are poaching them. It's our fault. We need to prevent this from happening. We need to stop poaching these animals. And mountain gorillas. Deforestation. We don't need to build farms right on their habitat. Just think about your family and how happy they would be if they saw these extraordinary animals. But they are endangered. There would be hardly any left. If we keep hurting them this world would be completely empty and they will become more vulnerable. There are only 400 Sunda tigers and 1000 mountain gorillas left in the world. Let's end this before it's too late. We need to stop this from happening.

Thank you for listening.

By Heidi Longstaff.

A Budding Author in Year 5!

Our recent work on Varmints has sparked incredible creativity in Year 5, but one pupil took that inspiration even further! So moved by the story and its themes, Billie went away and wrote her very own version—completely independently.

Her adaptation captured the same sense of wonder and emotion, with beautifully crafted descriptions and a powerful message of hope. Her dedication, imagination, and passion for storytelling shone through every word.

It’s wonderful to see our children so inspired by their learning, and we couldn’t be prouder of this budding author.

Click here to read Billie's fantastic story.

Science Week was both fun and educational, it sparked curiosity and allowed our children to explore the wonders of the world around them. Through hands-on experiments, interactive activities, and exciting challenges, children discovered the joy of learning while developing critical thinking skills. It’s been a week filled with exploration, creativity, and the thrill of scientific discovery!

 

We could not be prouder of our fantastic Year 6 children.  This group below have all scored over 35 on their most recent Arithmetic Test.  The best thing is that they want to do even better with some having their sights set on 100% 

 

 

Year 5’s Arithmetic Success – Growing in Confidence and Skill!

Year 5 have been making incredible strides in arithmetic this year, showing determination, resilience and a real enthusiasm for number work. Since September, their confidence has grown enormously; they are tackling increasingly challenging calculations with skill and accuracy.

A key part of their success has been the introduction of a RAG-rating system, which empowers every child to take ownership of their learning. They have reflected on their understanding, rating themselves as Red (needing more support), Amber (getting there), or Green (confident and secure). This simple yet effective system encourages self-assessment, helps them recognise their progress and motivates them to push themselves further.

With targeted support, plenty of practice, and a positive mindset, we’ve seen fantastic improvements in mental maths, written calculations, and problem-solving skills. The children are celebrating their successes, setting personal goals and proving to themselves that they can achieve.

Keep up the brilliant work, Year 5—you are well on your way to arithmetic mastery!

 

 

Reva can not get enough of maths!  All these calculations were done in her own time and all because she simply "loves maths!"

 

 

A special shout out to Jason.  Just look at the progress he has made in his arithmetic tests from Autumn.  Bring on those SATs Jason we have every confidence in you!
 

 

 

Heidi, Joey-James and Oscar came to share their resilience and amazing work.  By working together and staying focused they are now consistently reaching the challenge task in their math lessons.  You should be very proud of yourselves.  

 

 

You will have seen children on previous newsletters getting 25/25 on their Year 4 multiplication tests.  However these 3 children scoring 25/25 is extra special because they're in Year 3!  Huge well done to Lilah, Jeordie and Felicity.

We have been made aware of the charge that sQuid are proposing to make when refunding account balances. We feel that this is charge is unjust and contradicts sQuid's previous correspondence and we are robustly challenging this with sQuid. 
 
We would ask parents, where possible, to hold off withdrawing funds until we have had an opportunity to discuss this with sQuid. We will write to you again on Friday 28th March with further information.
 
Regardless of the outcome of this challenge, we are committed to ensuring that no parent is out of pocket due to this charge.
 

 

A balanced meal can make a big difference in a student's day, offering the right combination of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. When meals are both enjoyable and packed with healthy ingredients, students are more likely to look forward to lunch and eat the food provided, which can help them develop good eating habits.  Below are some of the meals our children have enjoyed this week.  Menus and dates can be found on the previous newsletter. 

 

 

 

Thank you to everyone who took part in Red Nose Day today! The children looked fantastic dressed in red, and we are thrilled to announce that we raised an amazing £250 for such a great cause. Your support and generosity are greatly appreciated!

 

We would like to invite you to attend our Easter service, which is on Wednesday 2nd April at St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Warsop. We will hold 2 separate services as follows:

9:45 to 10:15: Reception, Years 1 and 2

10:20 to 10:50: Years 3, 4, 5 and 6

As always, we appreciate your support in walking to and from church with us, and we will reserve e seating for those able to do so. For Reception, Years 1 and 2, please be at school for 9:15. For Years 3 to 6, please be at school by 9:45. Please let the class teacher know if you are walking with us.

We look forward to welcoming you and sharing the celebration with you.

 

The wristband rewards for positive behavior remain a hit with the children. Harlen, Solly, and Alfie came to speak with me, asking if they could combine their points to exchange for the football. We talked about what rules they could set to make sure it was shared fairly. Their strong friendship and teamwork were truly evident!

 

 

Harper has been busy at the weekend fund raising for her football club - Meden Vale Colts.  She received a medal for all her hard work!  Well done Harper.

 

Admitting when we are wrong is an important part of learning and growing. It teaches us humility and helps us build trust with each other. When we take responsibility for our actions, we show courage and integrity. 

On the last newsletter I wrote our fantastic staff loyalty and I missed someone off!  Mrs Peters received a 5 year Loyalty Award, Mrs Peters does a fantastic job as our cover supervisor and Birklands would not be the same without you!  Sorry I missed you off the newsletter!

Recently in assembly, we learned from Severn Trent water about the processing cycle of river water and how it journeys to our homes. The water is cleaned in roughly three hours. After the cleaning, the water is pumped to our houses, ready for use.

We played a game called ‘higher or lower’ to raise awareness of different activities involving water. To conclude the assembly, we made a vow to use water wisely and not waste it! We can fulfill this promise by turning off the tap when brushing teeth, or going in the bath instead of taking a shower.

Key Stage 1 then had a workshop with the visitor (Chloe) called ‘Hydration Heroes.’ Throughout the session they learned about the vitalness of water for bodily functions and how to keep hydrated.

By Alyssa & Erin (Kingfisher)

 

I wanted to take a moment to remind everyone about the importance of parking safely and responsibly around the school. Our top priority is always the safety of our children, and we ask for your help in ensuring their safety during drop-off and pick-up times.

Please take care when parking, being mindful of not blocking driveways, double parking, or parking on the zigzag markings. These small actions can make a big difference in creating a safer environment for all our children as they arrive and leave school.

I also kindly ask that children be escorted safely across roads and never left to walk alone in busy areas. We are all responsible for keeping our school community safe, and I appreciate your cooperation and understanding in this matter.

Thank you for your continued support in helping us ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.