26th January 2024
NEWS FROM MRS KNIGHT, HEAD OF PRE-PREP
This week we have celebrated handwriting, with an exciting competition. All children have taken part with the results being shared on Monday in assembly with Mr Brooks, Head of English. Although in many people’s world handwriting may not be a popular activity or just not seen very much or even old fashioned, we disagree. Handwriting is crucial for children's cognitive development, engaging different parts of the brain and enhancing memory retention. It plays a pivotal role in fine motor skill development, improving hand-eye coordination and strengthening hand and finger muscles. The act of writing contributes to academic success by aiding letter recognition, reading skills, spelling, and vocabulary acquisition. It fosters creativity and emotional expression, allowing children to articulate thoughts and feelings. Handwriting is a personal form of expression, contributing to individual writing styles and signatures. It teaches patience and perseverance, emphasizing the value of consistent practice. As a fundamental communication tool, handwriting is essential for formal documents and effective written communication. It provides a balance to increasing screen time, promoting a healthier relationship with technology. Learning to write is a tactile experience that connects children to the physical world. Despite digital advancements, handwriting remains an integral skill with diverse cognitive, motor, and personal development benefits for children. Handwriting was being worked on in drawing club in Reception at the Discovery morning last week, it was lovely to see so many parents, and to receive such enthusiastic notes of thanks. I would like to thank Ali and Tessa, alongside all those in the EYFS team who work so hard with our younger pupils. A word you will hear mentioned a lot this term is ‘progress’. It is a word that you, as parents, are keen to hear and see evidenced as it is central to a child’s development. This term is often the one where particularly significant progress occurs, in many different areas of learning. I have been amazed at the progress I have seen already this term in just three weeks, across all year groups. Whilst academic progress is clear to see and verify, equally significant are social development and increasing emotional maturity – both integral parts of a child’s developmental journey. It can be difficult to see or measure small steps but it is true to say that Tyour same I P S child T O is not R E the COG N I S Echild COLOU R S they were even three weeks ago. I would encourage you to take some time to pause and reflect on the all-round progress your own child has made in recent weeks and to celebrate each part of their journey; for it is a journey that moves on all too swiftly. Have a lovely weekend. Kirsten Knight
GET SOCIAL:
GET IN TOUCH T: 01661 842147
BOOK A VISIT E: INFO@MOWDENHALLPST.ORG
NEWTON, STOCKSFIELD, NORTHUMBERLAND, NE43 7TP
NEWS FROM MRS KNIGHT, HEAD OF PRE-PREP
Nursery has enjoyed delving into the world of traditional tales this week and can now recite the story of ‘The Little Red Hen’ using only a story map for prompts. They have painted some little red hens as well as making some paper plate versions. We took an obligatory trip down to see the Mowden chickens, where the children found out about what they like to eat and where they sleep. The week culminated in learning a poem about a planting a little seed and we plan to plant some of our own. Watch this space! Ali Mackie
Reception has been exploring the Arctic and Antarctic through the story ‘Poles Apart’ this week. We have learnt vocabulary relating to journeys, drawn some wonderful icy settings, and written about a new friend for a polar bear. The children created their own penguin huddle to experience how these amazing birds keep warm in the coldest conditions. We have seen some excellent cooperation with the new marble run in the classroom, and great creativity with penguin crafts. Tessa Fairclough TIPS RS
TO
RECOGNISE COLOU
GET SOCIAL:
GET IN TOUCH T: 01661 842147
BOOK A VISIT E: INFO@MOWDENHALLPST.ORG
NEWTON, STOCKSFIELD, NORTHUMBERLAND, NE43 7TP
NEWS FROM MRS KNIGHT, HEAD OF PRE-PREP
For the handwriting competition, Year 1P chose to write Pie Corbett’s kenning poem, ‘What Am I?’ after guessing the animal he was describing. Have a look at our writing and see if you can guess the animals! The children are learning all about materials in Science, and this week we conducted some experiments on different materials to test their properties. We found out that spoons are only bendy if you have super strength! Lucy Pemberton Year 1B This week the children have continued their learning about explorers. They have been learning about the polar explorer Matthew Henson. They have thought about what you might need to wear if you were going to the arctic and have designed their own outfits. In Science, they have continued their learning on Everyday Materials. They have investigated different materials and their properties. They have been exploring whether they are opaque or transparent, bendy or not, waterproof or not.
Victoria Bulman TIPS RS
TO
RECOGNISE COLOU
Year 2 was surprised to find a mystery object left in their classroom, with some tantalising clues attached. This inspired them to produce some excellent writing, showing great curiosity and enthusiasm to write questions, exclamations and commands alongside working with homophones. In Maths we have enjoyed using different practical resources to investigate division. Kirsten Knight
GET SOCIAL:
GET IN TOUCH T: 01661 842147
BOOK A VISIT E: INFO@MOWDENHALLPST.ORG
NEWTON, STOCKSFIELD, NORTHUMBERLAND, NE43 7TP