DYM Notices

By Mrs J Hartwell10th November 2021

ONE WEEK to go!

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With just one week left until the much anticipated trip to DYM, I thought it would be a good idea to send out a few key notices/reminders:

– The coach is due to leave our school on Wednesday at 1.45; you may wave children off from the school drive way should you wish
– Children must wear their full All Souls tracksuit for the journey
– Children will be supplied with a snack and drink during our stop at the service station where they will have a chance to stretch their legs and pop to the toilet – please be assured this will be supervised by members of staff. However, they may bring a SMALL packet of mints to suck on throughout the journey to reduce travel sickness.
– Children are allowed to bring a SMALL carry on in which they could take on the coach with something in to keep them occupied (e.g. playing cards, notepad, book, etc.)
– All sickness tablets should be in a plastic bag clearly labelled with the child’s name. I do recommend children have these as roads leading to the house are very winding and often result in a wave of motion sickness (even to children who have never experienced this before!). Children should have no other medication in their possession that we do not know about.
– I will update our social media accounts to let you know we have safely arrived as soon as possible. Please be aware though, that the signal is limited and ensuring the children are safe and settled will be our first priority so always remember that no news means good news!
– Please double check the clothing list – the more spares the merrier (particularly spare footwear!) although the children should be aware that they will have to transport their own cases to their rooms so equally need to pack sensibly!
– Children do not need to bring any form of bedding with them as it is all provided by DYM although they will be expected to make their own beds. This is always interesting to watch!
– Children may bring with them a (small-sized!) comforter such as a teddy to help them feel more at home
– Children will find out who they are sharing a room with and their activity groups upon arrival at DYM
– Children are not allowed to take any food or electrical items with them in their case to DYM – these are DYM’s rules, not ours, and they are very strict with this for health and safety reasons. Any items found will be confiscated.
– If the children earn their stars, there will be a tuck shop open in the evening to give children the chance to buy treats and on the last night they will have the opportunity to purchase their gifts too.
– Finally, we return to school on Sunday at 1.15pm. Please be aware that if we are delayed for any reason, I will update you through our social media accounts.
I hope that answers any last minute questions you might have and that you are all as excited as we are! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me or pop in and see me at the end of the school day.
This really is a fantastic opportunity for children where they really learn a lot about themselves, conquer fears, enhance their friendships and create memories that they always look back on fondly. I can’t wait! 😃
Mrs Hartwell

Service of Remembrance

9th November 2021Mrs J Hartwell

The children in Year 6 were privileged to attend the Schools Service of Remembrance at War Memorial Park today to commemorate our fallen soldiers and celebrate the park’s 100th birthday. 

Niamh, Leo, Peach and Lottie read aloud poems they had written and Nathan laid down our class wreath beneath the cenotaph. They all did themselves and our school so proud.

Year 5 and 6 Cinema Trip

By Mrs J Hartwell9th November 2021

News & Views - The Into Film Festival Returns for 2021 - News - Into Film

Years 5 and 6 are in for a treat this Friday afternoon!

We are off to the cinema to watch The Addam’s Family 2 as part of this year’s Into Film festival. We will be walking to and from the Skydome Odeon. Children should be in their school uniform and bring their coats, hars, scarves and gloves (just in case!).

Children may bring with them their water bottle and 1 treat (up to a share bag size). This can be crisps, popcorn, sweets or chocolate.

There is no cost for this trip 🙂

Year 6’s Commitment Mass

By Mrs J Hartwell8th November 2021

Thank you to all the children and families who attended our family mass this Sunday. During this mass, the children in Year 6 who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation offered up their prayers of commitment in which they promised to take more responsibility for their journey of faith.

Thank you to all of the readers, who read so clearly and reverently. Some children already started fulfilling their promises of supporting the parish by introducing themselves as members of the Chaplaincy team, greeting parishioners and helping with the serving of tea and coffee in the parish room.

                                                                      Confirmation Commitment Mass | Xavier Catholic School - Hilbert, Western Australia

 

Primary Mental Health Services Parent Workshops

By Mrs J Hartwell4th November 2021

See the source imageDear Parents/Carers,

We have been fortunate enough to have been offered support from Coventry Primary Mental Health Service as part of their Enhanced Project for Schools. This project aims to increase awareness and understanding of mental health, reduce stigma and misconceptions, improve knowledge and skills, and build resilience and problem solving skills in young people.

As part of this whole school approach to Mental Health, they will be delivering an assembly for KS2 pupils to explore ‘Mental Health’ and facilitating classroom workshops on the theme of ‘Emotional Wellbeing’. These sessions aim to encourage children and young people to consider their own and others emotional wellbeing needs, and reduce the stigma associated with mental health difficulties.

In addition to this, Primary Mental Health Services are offering 3 virtual parent workshops for parents and carers of children in all year groups to help increase your understanding of mental health:

Friday 12th November at 9am: ‘What is Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing?’

Friday 26th November at 9am: ‘Recognising and Managing Difficulties’

Friday 10th December at 9am: ‘Understanding and Managing your Child’s Emotion’

*The workshops usually last for 1-2 hours *

We feel very fortunate to have been offered this service and therefore would like to encourage as many parents as possible to take up the offer of attending these sessions, both as an individual and as a parent. The last 18 months have been challenging for even the most resilient of children and adults; it is only now that we are actually starting to see the true impact of this. These sessions, although virtually, will have a member of school staff present and will take place in a very supportive environment.

If you would like to join these sessions, please email me at [email protected] so that I can invite you via a Zoom link. If you will struggle to access this from home, please let me know so that I may make alternative arrangements for you.

Kind regards,

Mrs Jo Hartwell

Saint Pope John Paul II’s Feast Day

22nd October 2021Mrs J Hartwell

Year 6 ended the half term by celebrating our class saint, Saint Pope John Paul II, on his feast day. 

John Paul II - Death, Miracles & Facts - Biography

We arrived at school dressed in red, blue and yellow clothes to reflect St. John Paul II’s coat of arms. We shared together in a prayer service to reflect on his life and call to serve God. We learnt all about Saint Pope John Paul II and his life, including his papacy and his journey to sainthood. It was soon clear to see why he is such a special man and why his life was so highly celebrated!

Image result for saint pope john paul ii coat of arms

During the afternoon, we did a carousel of activities, including creating flags of his coat of arms, timelines of his life and watercolour images of Saint Pope John Paull II himself.

 

Finally, we saved the best until last… we had learnt that Saint Pope John Paull II was the first Polish pope so we decided to all bring in an item of Polish food to indulge in with a shared buffet! Everyone did so well trying everything, from different home-baked goods to gherkins!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to a fabulous day and for bringing in food – whether shop bought or homebaked, it was all delicious! 🙂

 

 

Coombe River Study and Pond Dipping!

By Mrs J Hartwell17th October 2021

Year 6 had a fabulous morning at Coombe Country Park, to support our Geography and Science units.

We learnt lots about the River Smite and were able to identify the different features of a river.

We conducted a river study by testing the flow, depth and width of the river.

We then went pond-dipping! Check out the life beneath the water we found!

 

Year 6’s Sponsored Walk

By Mrs J Hartwell17th October 2021

Year 6 chose to fundraise for our local charity, Coventry and Warwickshire Mind, to show our support for World Mental Health Day 2021. On Monday, we completed a sponsored five mile walk around Draycote Water, putting our ‘Hats on 4 Mental Health’ to celebrate our differences.

The children were extremely motivated to complete the challenge (without moaning!) as a result of the amount of money they had been raising. The sunshine was on our side, allowing us to really take in the beautiful views of Draycote Water and we had so much fun walking, talking (a lot!), giggling and making memories. It was so lovely to be greeted on arrival and at the finish line by the staff from Coventry and Warwickshire Mind who were there to raise awareness and show their support.

Year 6 raised a whopping

£1,717

for charity and I could not be any more proud of their efforts. Thank you to every single person who showed their support!

Year 6 Coombe River Study

By Mrs J Hartwell17th October 2021

Coombe Country Park | All Souls' Catholic Primary School

On Tuesday 19th October 2021, Year 6 will be visiting Coombe Country Park to take part in a river study and go pond-dipping as part of our Science and Geography units.

All children should wear their All Souls’ school tracksuits and have with them a waterproof coat, hat and gloves as it is due to rain. Children MUST bring with them a pair of tall wellies to change into at school to be able to take part in the river study activity. Please ensure children have a packed lunch with them in disposable packaging,

Thank you!

*Year 6’s Sponsored 5 mile walk at Draycote*

By Mrs J Hartwell8th October 2021

CW Mind on Twitter: "We're asking schools to fundraise for us by wearing a hat in the week building up to World Mental Health Day, 10th October. We have free resources for

We are all super excited for our challenge to complete a 5 mile walk around Draycote Water on Monday 11th October to raise money for Mind Coventry and Warwickshire as part of their ‘Hats on for Mental Health’ campaign.

We have currently raised a whopping £1,037 and still have more sponsorship money to come in! We are sure that’s all the motivation we will need to complete the walk, come rain or shine!

Here are just a few reminders: 

  • Children should come into school in their full school tracksuit and wear appropriate walking footwear
  • Have a small rucksack with a bottle of water and their packed lunch in
  • A raincoat (in case the weather isn’t on our side!)
  • A crazy HAT to wear with pride and celebrate our differences