We have had a very busy second half term and definitely deserve a well-earned rest! From cave painting to violin playing, the children have continued to push themselves to try new things and dive into their learning.

Curie Class began their new topic, ‘In the beginning…’, with amazing cave painting creations. Their writing has been inspired by ‘Stone Age Boy’ and ‘The Secrets of Stonehenge’ where they have written descriptive pieces as well as exploring the features of information pages. They have loved learning about life in the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages and debated whether they would like to live in those eras when compared to our lives today.

Parks Class had a Super Start to their topic, ‘Tour of Britain’, when they went on a Great British clue hunt around the school. They have been receiving postcards from people around the British Isles and loved learning about counties, rivers and seas whilst practising their map reading skills using an eight point compass and grid references. The first steam railways of the late 19th century and factors affecting the London population have sparked interesting discussion, as have comparisons between life as a child today and that of a child in various time periods, including the not-so-distant 1980s!

The children acted as excellent school representatives at our school open mornings and evenings for Year 3 and Foundation. We had many families come to visit our school and parents commented on the children’s excellent manners and engagement in their learning. We have also held a number of interviews this half term and members of both classes have held Pupil Panels to interview the candidates. They were all extremely professional and displayed a high level of confidence and independence.

By holding a non-uniform day, the children raised a fantastic £87 for Children in Need. Such an amazing effort!

This half term, our weekly visits from Year 7 and 8 have focused on developing our times table skills. We have also had Maths, English and PE link-lessons, developing the children’s arithmetic, grammar and teamwork skills.

We had thought-provoking entries for our ‘War of Words’ Remembrance competition. It was clear to see how the children connected with their writing and really considered why we take time to remember members of the armed forces every year in November.

For their Marvellous Middle, Parks Class went on a litter pick in the local community. This linked to their learning in Science, where they have discovered how the environment is being damaged and what can be done to prevent this. The class have also worked hard over the half term to develop their violin playing skills and showcased this in our assembly to parents and carers.

Curie Class used their class text, ‘Stig of the Dump’, as inspiration for their Marvellous Middle and upcycled items to create new winter decorations. The end results were wonderful, especially after making such a glittery mess!

Our after school clubs have continued to be very popular this half term and our new club, Tag Rugby, run by the Northampton Saints has been a real hit. We are looking forward to MK Dons SET Multi Skills Club and Computer Club continuing next half term and our new Cookery Club getting up and running.

Homework projects this half term have been of an outstanding standard once again. The Homework Gallery was a real show stopper. From models of Stonehenge to posters showing how proud pupils are of counties which have special meaning to them, the effort put into the projects was fantastic. Everyone’s reading rockets are continuing to soar through space, with many children having achieved Bronze Level this half term. A big well done and keep up the hard work!

Both classes came together for our Fabulous Finish. The children sang and performed with such confidence to their audience. We were all incredibly proud. As we bring 2019 to a close, we look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday 6th January. We can’t wait for all the learning and fun 2020 will bring!

Reminders for next half term:

School Uniform

– Sensible flat black shoes – no boots please / plain black socks with trousers
– School fleeces are for outdoor wear only
– Hair bands / ties should be strictly functional – black, white or maroon
– All PE kits should contain shin pads with knee length black socks
– For colder weather, children can wear a plain navy or black tracksuit for outdoor sports

Parking

The site is going to get busier every year and we need to develop good parking habits from the start. We ask that all parents and carers follow these guidelines:
• Always use parking bays when dropping off and picking up your child, cars must not stop anywhere else in the carpark as this holds up other drivers.
• Only use disabled bays if you are entitled to do so and a blue badge is displayed.
• If you are asked to move your car by a member of KHP School staff, please do so politely. We would not ask you to move if you were parked correctly.
• Avoid parking on the road as this holds up traffic trying to pass the school.
• Drive slowly through the carpark so it can be crossed safely by pedestrians.

Water bottles are to be brought into school each day – water only please
Healthy snacks for break times – e.g. fruit, cereal bar

How you can help at home over the holiday:
• Keep practising times tables to strengthen recall – remember the related division facts too! The children have all been given log in details for TT Rockstars and are encouraged to participate in the multiplication ‘rock battle’ as much as possible! Please see the label in the back of reading journals for details.
• Take the opportunity to share stories as a family and enjoy reading together.
• Revisit words found tricky during the half term and revise word lists (in reading journals / on website)

Thank you for your continued support.
Have a wonderful Christmas break!