2EW’s Class Assembly: On Friday 10^th February, we were treated to a wonderful retelling of the traditional tale, Jack and the Beanstalk, which was made even more entertaining with some singing and dancing. The children clearly know the story very well and they have also enjoyed sowing seeds and watching their very own “beanstalks” grow, in their classroom! Thanks for sharing 2EW – we hope your visiting parents enjoyed it, as much as we did!

 

Year 5 Mental Health Workshop: The Mental Health in Schools Team (MHST) visited Year 5 on Thursday 9^th February to discuss how to deal with changes in their lives A lot of things are changing around us and recently most children have had quite a lot of time away from school, as a result of the pandemic. The classes discussed how they had coped with this time and how they could help others who were also experiencing change. Lots of interesting and thought provoking questions were asked by the team such as: has anybody heard of the word resilience before? What does it mean? What is resilience and how can we build it? The children then identified what they felt was good about themselves and who they could talk to for help when managing changes that were happening in their lives.  It was a great opportunity to explore an often difficult and personal topic. Year 5 really enjoyed this visit and the activities they took part in.

 

Football Success: On Thursday 9^th February, our football team won convincingly against local rivals, St. Patricks. The team worked well together and created some fantastic chances – the final score was 3:0 and man of the match was awarded to Max.

 

Year 6 Visit to Grace Academy: On Tuesday 7^th February, the children in Year 6 spent the morning at Grace Academy, using their science facilities. They used resources to explore whether or not fruit and vegetables could conduct electricity and were amazed when they discovered that they did! The children thoroughly enjoyed the session and are all very keen to return soon. Well done Year 6.

 

Safer Internet Day: This year for Safer Internet Day, the focus was for children to think about what they want the government, parents, teachers etc to know about their online lives. The children participated in class discussions and shared what they like to do online. There were some great conversations about being responsible and respectful, whilst online. All children made a poster about their lives online and one poster from each class will be chosen to be on display in school. For further tips or advice about online safety, please have a look at this website: https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2023

 

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.