Friday, 26th May 2017
Lower School Newsletter
Learning in the Lower School
We have enjoyed another exciting week of learning in the Lower School. It has been a warmer one than usual and we recommend wearing hats and sun-cream as the temperatures continue to rise.
Green Flag Celebrations
This week we received notice that we have successfully once again achieved Green Flag status. The Dwight Eco Rangers are very proud. The students and staff are also very pleased, and we have pledged to continue our good work and get it again in two years time.
Duckling Update
We have had a lot of interest in our six ducklings based in the EYFS. The six ducklings have all been for a swim in the paddling pool. They have spent time getting to know the children and have been visited by many staff (including Mr. Damis who often unlocks the school in the morning and then visits the ducklings!). Suffice it to say that all our ducklings are well, and are looking forward to more swimming events and returning back to Norfolk at the end of this week. Bye-bye ducklings we will miss you.
Last week was Science Week and we launched a competition to make a sturdy bridge out of only paper, card, string and glue.
We were very impressed with the response. Many bridges could hold more than the stipulated weight and the two strongest bridges could hold both Mr. Rehman and Mr. van den Bosch. It is fantastic to think that bridges made by our students went onto hold over 200kg!
Well done to Naohiro in 3B and Oliver in 4V for having the sturdiest bridges. They won 10 tokens for their houses.
Kew Trips
We were lucky enough to send 2-year groups to the wonderful Kew Gardens this week.
Year 1 looked at the plants and learnt about light, soil and seeds. They attended a workshop and learnt about the role of insects, particularly bees.
Year 3 learnt about how plants adapt to their surroundings and their predators.
Both year groups returned with very good feedback and were a credit to the school with their good behaviour, listening skills and questions. Please see photos above.
Sparky News
Well done to Yoni in Year 3 and Lily in Year 6 who were the first Lower School students to get 15 sparkies. Fifteen is the highest level of sparkies. Students achieve sparkies by demonstrating the IB Learner Profile, the appropriate attitudes or for taking positive action. Yoni and Lily both get a gold certificate, a golden 5 day school pass, a Sparky Lion and a place on the Principal's picnic during the final week of term.
New York
Our Year 6 students are having a great time in New York. Incredibly it is the 20th Year that this exchange has taken place between Dwight New York and Dwight London.
The students have visited museums, Chinatown, Freedom Tower, the Statue of Liberty and walked along many of the famous Manhattan streets and avenues.
They will arrive back tomorrow full of stories, memories and the joys of being an International student. You can see photos from their trip on our Facebook page.
School Uniform
A few weeks ago we had a push on school uniform. We are pleased to see that families are ensuring that this is adhered too. Recently we have been asked about shorts, as the weather is getting so much warmer. We ask that students wear the blue cotton shorts available here.
Electronic Games
E-safety is a much used word in schools and it includes electronic games. Many of these games are now available online for free and many of our students love them.
Please be aware that some games we are hearing about may not be appropriate for your child's age. Our recommendation is that you talk to your child about the electronic games they play and if you feel they may not be appropriate please check Pegi ratings or check the apps pages that has recommended app age on iOS/android. We want all of our students to enjoy the benefits of technology, but we also want to make you and them aware of some potentially inappropriate material that they may access by mistake.
Year 4 Updates
Year 4 presented their assembly this morning featuring fractions, decimals, energy and persuasive writing. It was entertaining and very informative.
Parents of year 4 were invited to see the assembly and then meet the Upper School Principal Designate; Mr. Atkinson, to talk about Upper School life and the IBMYP and to help them prepare for their eventual transition to Upper School.
The Year 4 students have recently been involved with an Upper School recycling project; this is a good cause and also will help our students gain some familiarity with the IBMYP and our Upper School activities. They will have an opportunity to visit the Upper School in late September as Year 5 students.
Heroes of the Day!
Yesterday a baby bird was found in the playground, the children showed a caring attitude and picked it up it was obviously very scared and clung to Nicolas' (Year 4) jumper. There was a discussion as to what to do with it, after some discussion it was decided that the best thing would be to put it where it's mother would find it. However, it was unable to get up the tree so Mr. van den Bosch climbed up the tree and put it in the bird box!
SING, SING, SING!
Come and join the fun at the Dwight Community Choir, the social singing event for parents & staff at Dwight Jubilee Hall.
Coming rehearsal dates: June 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th, always from 5 - 6.30pm at Jubilee, 6 Friern Barnet Lane, N11 3LX. Text or ring for details: 07941 078674
Arts Depot
We have started our rehearsals for the Arts depot Performance that takes place on Friday June 30th. Tickets are still available for the event that will feature all of the children from Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 as well as the students from the Upper School. It should be a great occasion and we hope to see you there.
Reminders
- Safety: It is particularly important to remind parents to be safe when dropping their children off in the morning. Please ensure that you park in a safe place and that you are aware of other drivers, neighbours, and pedestrians in the area.
- Holidays: If you are spending some time away from school with your child, you do need to ask permission and can do so by emailing Mr Parkin.
- Late for school: If you arrive late at school, please take your child to the office to register, we will then ensure he/she gets to their class. You can also email the school at lsabsence@dwightlondon.org.
The Week Ahead
- We start back on TUESDAY, 6th June.
- Year 3 sleepover is scheduled for the evening of Thursday, 8th June.
- Our Rehearsals for the Arts Depot show are now taking place every Friday. There are some great performances in progress and tickets are still available for the show on Friday 30th June . (See advert above)
Updates and Key dates for Term 3
- Our Year 6 exhibition is on the evening of Thursday, 15th June.
- Our 3-way conference is on Tuesday, 20th June.
- Our Summer Fair is scheduled for Saturday, 24th June from 11am-2pm.
- Our Arts Depot Show is on Friday 30th June (see details above).
- Our Lower School Sports Day is on Wednesday, 5th July.
Super Question and Language of the Week
Our Super Question was to find out: Which country has just won the Eurovision Song Contest? Ben in Year 5 informed us that it was Portugal who won. He gets a Sparky for being knowledgeable.
This week our Super Question is what World War event took place on June 6th?
Have a good week and a safe and relaxing half term.
Matt Parkin
Lower School Principal
Dwight Parent Association News and Events
June Out and About event – A re-scheduled tour of Chislehurst Caves in Kent (due to Storm Doris cancelling the last!)
Chislehurst Caves is a 35 km long series of intersecting tunnels used for chalk and flint mining from the 13–19th centuries.
http://www.chislehurst-caves.co.uk/index.html
Date: Thursday, 29th June
Meet: West Finchley tube station 9.00am – or Charing Cross rail station ticketing area at 9.45am – We will take the 10:06 Southeastern Train from Charing Cross to Chislehurst (30 min ride)
We will plan to take the 11.00am caves tour.
Cost: £6 to enter the caves and approx £12 for train ticket
Please let Michele – michele@seanoneill.com if you are interested in joining or for more information.
UPCOMING EVENTS
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |