4MW’s Class Assembly: Thank you to 4MW who shared a wonderful assembly on Thursday 2nd February. We discovered that they have been learning about the Egyptians - many of our younger children were shocked to find out that the Egyptians removed the organs of the deceased and even washed them! The children shared a song that they have learnt to help them with their times tables and we all enjoyed joining in. Thank you to 4MW – it was a fantastic assembly! 

  

School Council Trip: On Thursday 2nd February, our School Council were lucky enough to visit the Council House in the city centre. They even met the Lord Mayor who answered lots of questions about his role and gave them a tour of the special rooms in the Council House. The children were fascinated by the chambers and were keen to hear the Lord Mayor bang the gavel to keep all the council representatives under control - fortunately, this wasn’t needed for our Moat House children, as they were all perfectly behaved!   

Attendance :     As of the week ending 27^th January, we have over 100 children whose attendance is less than 90% since September. This equates to children having a day off every fortnight and this has a big impact on their learning. I am confident that their attendance will improve as we move towards the Spring and start to leave the season of coughs and colds behind and would ask that you only keep your children off if they are poorly and too ill to come to school.

 

In order to support with improving attendance, we have started a new attendance challenge! If the whole school attendance between 23^rd January and 14^th July is 95% or above we will be having an INFLATABLES DAY on 19^th July. This means that every child will have the opportunity to have up to an hour of fun on the inflatables. We have made a good start with this target because we are currently at 94.2%. So a bit of work to do, but plenty of time. Keep your eyes peeled for weekly updates in the newsletter. Good luck!

 

Football Stalemate:     On Thursday 26^th January, some of our children in Key Stage 2 played in a friendly football match against local rivals Henley Green. We were able to field two teams and both teams battled hard to draw in both matches. The scores were 0:0 and 2:2. Congratulations to Filip and Alex for scoring and well done to all of the players for a great team effort.

 

Mental Health in Y3:   On Monday 16th January and Wednesday 25th January, Year 3 took part in emotional awareness and regulation workshops. During the first session, they identified emotions and described the physical effects these can have on the body and your brain's ability to process this. During the second session, the children learnt that it is okay to feel different emotions and they were reminded that they can talk about these with trusted adults too. The children learnt about triggers for certain emotions, and they thought of some strategies to help control them using a zones of regulation table. In addition to this, they were taught how to use rollercoaster breathing, deep pressure exercises and movement as strategies to calm down if they are feeling like they do not have control of a certain emotion. The children found the strategies very useful, and they enjoyed learning more about their emotional wellbeing.

 

Support for Parents:   You will have received an email about a SENDIASS coffee morning due to be held at the Metropolis Restaurant in Coventry on Thursday 9^th February at 10 am. If you have a query about Special Educational Needs, then this session could be just for you and will be able to answer any questions that you might have. There is also a money advice session being held at the Coventry City Mission on Tuesday 31^st January from 11:30 am. If you have any questions that you would like to ask about utility bills or checking that you are receiving everything that you are entitled to, then this session could help.

Healthy Eating week:           In the week beginning 9^th January, our children took part in Healthy Eating Week, where there was a focus on learning about the benefits of eating healthily. The children learnt that it is important to eat a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates and plenty of fruit, vegetables and water and that treats can be enjoyed in moderation. We hope that they can encourage everyone at home to adopt good food habits to benefit the whole family.

 

Young Voices: On Wednesday 11^th January, some of our children from Key Stage 2 participated in a Young Voices concert at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham. During the show, they sang a range of songs, including hits from the film 'Trolls' and a medley of songs by Nile Rodgers, to a full audience and with children from lots of other schools. Moat House children were particularly fantastic at singing 'Rock Star' and 'Sing from Your Heart'. They were able to work with a conductor as well as sing and dance alongside some very talented performers, including singer Heather Small and dance group Urban Strides. They particularly enjoyed learning to beat box with The Beatbox Collective, who are World Beatbox Champions! Everyone had a fantastic day, danced the night away and did Moat House proud!

 

 

New Year's Resolutions:   Every year I challenge the children to think of something they could improve at school and at home and adopt these as resolutions. Many have told me that they intend to work more quickly, write more neatly, have a better attitude or be a better friend. I'd like to wish everybody the best of luck with their resolutions. I would hope that you might see the benefit at home too with tidier, more helpful children who argue less with their brothers or sisters. I shared that I aim to practice my saxophone more regularly and started at lunchtime, in the dining room, which both I, and the children, enjoyed.

 

Tizz Time:       As part of the curriculum, our Year 1 children are taking part in a series of fun, play-based sessions called Tizz Time. This exciting work helps children find ways to feel safer in a variety of day-to-day situations. The children will be doing a lot of work about feelings and you can help your child at home by exploring feelings and talking about the people or things in our lives which help us to feel safer, calmer and more comfortable.

 

Dangers at Home:        During Year 1’s Tizz Time, on Thursday 5^th January, a few children mentioned there being sharp objects, including broken glass in the home. To ensure that your children are kept safe, please can you be aware that sharp and broken objects can be dangerous and these need to be securely stored or disposed of.

Key Stage 2 Show:           There were two showings of the Key Stage 2 performance on 15^th and 16^th December and we all enjoyed the perfect balance of the children singing some traditional carols, alongside some more modern Christmas songs. It was difficult to tell who enjoyed the performance the most: the parents, children or staff! Well done Key Stage 2!

 

Christmas Jumper Fundraising:       For Christmas Jumper Day (on Wednesday 14^th December), we managed to raise £93, which will be donated to a local Coventry charity. Once again, thank you for all your support.

 

Pantomime:         On Wednesday 14^th December, Key Stage 1 and 2 enjoyed the traditional pantomime experience in our school hall. Everybody got into the spirit of pantomime by clapping, singing and having fun, whilst watching Jack and the Beanstalk. A good time was had by all and the finale included everyone singing along to Green Green Grass by George Ezra.

 

Year 2 Show:      Year 2 would like to extend a big thank you to all the family and friends who braved the cold weather to watch their show on 15^th December. It was a festive mix of Christmas songs, carols, poetry and jokes, and was just what we all needed to get us into the Christmas spirit. I'm sure we will all agree that the Year 2 children sang their hearts out and raised the roof! Well done, Year 2!

 

Year 1 Nativity:   On Tuesday 13^th December our Year 1 children performed their version of the nativity. We enjoyed some beautiful singing and the children impressed us all with their very loud voices. It was lovely to be able to welcome some very proud parents and friends into school to enjoy this.

 

Fun with Foundation:      On Tuesday 13^th December, Foundation enjoyed a trip to Hatton Country World, where they got to experience a variety of activities, including a meeting with Santa. They made reindeer food and fed some very hungry goats and sheep. They also enjoyed finding out about the animals in the scales and tails area, which included snakes and lizards. They got to play on lots of different playgrounds and chose a toy from the toy shop, as they had been so well behaved! The children were all brilliant ambassadors for Moat House and had a fantastic time! A special thanks must go to Miss Wetton, for organising such a busy and fun day for everyone. On Thursday 15^th December, Foundation invited their parents in to an open morning, where they enjoyed making Christmas crafts with their children, including reindeers, crackers, hats and lots of yummy treats for their party.  Parents were then treated to mince pies and hot chocolate!  A lovely time was had by all, thank you to all the parents that came. 

 

Y5 Dodgeball:     On Tuesday 13^th December, sixteen children from Year 5 went to the AT7 to participate in a dodgeball competition. There were nineteen teams with eight children in each. Everybody played four matches and after every one, the teams would rate the opposition on teamwork, honesty and respect. The children behaved impeccably and really enjoyed the morning.

 

Y5 Dodgeball:     On Tuesday 13^th December, sixteen children from Year 5 went to the AT7 to participate in a dodgeball competition. There were nineteen teams with eight children in each. Everybody played four matches and after every one, the teams would rate the opposition on teamwork, honesty and respect. The children behaved impeccably and really enjoyed the morning.