Livingstone Newsletter
November Week 3
Friday 22nd November
Friendship Week
This week we have been celebrating Friendship Week by making class jigsaw puzzles.
Every member of the class, including teachers and TAs have decorated a piece of the puzzle with something that means a lot to them or represents part of who they are. The puzzle is a celebration of coming together.
All week we have been recording acts of kindness on our Friendship Poster and pupils who have been exceptionally kind have been rewarded with a special pencil.
Happy Retirement Mrs Consitt!
It is incredible to think that Nancy Consitt has worked at Livingstone for nearly 20 years. Just like Benjamin Button, she never seems to age! However, the time has come for her to say goodbye to everyone for the final time and begin her new life as a retiree.
Mrs Consitt has spent all her time at Livingstone, working with the pupils in Kingfisher. The success of the provision is a testament to her exceptional skills as a Teaching Assistant and her unwavering dedication as a colleague. Her positive impact on both students and staff is immeasurable.
She will be deeply missed by everyone. We hope she enjoys her new life ahead, filled with new adventures.
Mrs Consitt, your legacy at Livingstone will always be remembered, and we wish you all the best in your well- deserved retirement!
PARENT REPRESENTATIVE MEETING 20.11.2024
Minutes Part 1
IN ATTENDANCE:
- Giovanna Phelan - Head Teacher (present)
- Vacancy - Nursery
- Georgina Mace - Reception (present)
- Sid Visuanathan - Year 1 (present)
- Jackie Scott - Year 2 (apologies sent)
- Laura Blackaller - Year 3 (apologies sent)
- Charlotte Gosling - Year 4 (present)
- Melisa Gosling - Year 5 (apologies sent)
- Kate Figgis - Year 6 (present)
- Sylvia Wood - Kingfisher 1 & 2 (present)
Kingfisher Parents and Carers Questions and Comments
Coffee Morning: Kingfisher parents and carers requested a coffee morning in conjunction with Parent Champions. This event is open to parents of children with additional needs and anyone who would like to join. It will be an opportunity to share information about activities in the Barnet area for children and families with additional needs, or simply to enjoy a coffee and chat. The coffee morning will be on [date to be confirmed]
Parent Contact List: Parents have requested a list of parent contacts for arranging playdates and sharing information. Due to data protection regulations, this isn't possible. However, class representatives will link them to WhatsApp groups for parents to share information and make contacts.
New Parents Get-Together: Kingfisher parents suggested a get-together for new parents and students before they start. The school holds meetings for new families and the KF Rep can introduce themselves at these meetings. However, not all parents/carers of KF pupils attend as they do not always know they have been accepted before the end of term.
Absence Guidelines: Good communication regarding your child's absence is crucial. If your child is ill, please call the school to report it. For doctor appointments, proof of the appointment is required. Always contact the school if your child is absent, and the school will discuss any patterns of absence with you. Fines are only issued as a last resort and only for a series of unauthorised absences.
Toilet Breaks During Lessons: Children can go to the toilet during lessons. They are however encouraged to go during break time or during a part of the lesson when it does not impact teaching. If a child frequently asks to go during lessons and it impacts on their learning, they may be asked to wait temporarily but they will never be stopped if they have to go. Again, patterns of behaviour will be looked at in case there are underlying issues to wanting to go frequently.
As there were many questions asked at the last meeting, the rest of the minutes will appear in next week's newsletter.
Non-uniform Dates and Information
PTA Comedy Night - Thursday 30th January
Tickets are still available on School Money under the 'Clubs' tab for purchase at £15 per ticket. You will not want to miss out so be quick to avoid disappointment. Over 18s only
Join us for a night of laughter!
Nursery and Kingfisher Nursery
This week our focus has been our families and how every family is as different as a handful of buttons. We have been using our mark-making skills to create lovely artwork of family portraits as well as talk about our family and what we love about each one of them.
We are also continuing looking at changes around us and have been reading about 'The Leaf Thief' who has been stealing the leaves off the trees and even takes our hats... It is the wind!
Last but not least, the role-play area was filled with hairdressers and barbers who were washing, cutting, trimming and styling hair. The salon will be open for another week, so the children need to book their appointments quickly!
Reception
Reception have had a fantastic week enjoying their new story 'The Gruffalo'. We have read the story over and over, using puppets and soft toys to retell the story and learn some new vocabulary. We have been talking about pairs and things that match using cards to play snap and memory games. The Gruffalo toy has been hiding in all different places in the classroom for us to describe using prepositional words. Try doing this at home using the words 'in' 'on' 'under' and 'between' to describe soft toys!
We have also been learning the words to a Gruffalo song, here is the link to sing along and enjoy at home: Gruffalo Song
Year 1
Our Science topic of the changing of Autumn to Winter perfectly coincided with the colder weather this week! We wrapped up warm, went for a local area walk and noticed more bare branches on the deciduous trees, as well as many evergreen trees. Thank you to our visitor who taught us about how their family celebrates Divali; we look forward to our upcoming RE topic of festivals of light. We are exploring 2D and 3D shapes in our Maths lessons. See if you can spot any of these shapes in your home! We have started ‘down letters’ in handwriting (l, t, b, p). The children continue to enjoy phonics lessons and are learning how to read with ‘story-teller’ voices.
Achievement awards go to Samuel and Rose for their enthusiasm during our Science lessons. Well done for contributing to our class discussions!
Year 2
In Maths, we have reading word problems to identify whether we need to add or subtract. We have also solved missing number problems. In English, we retold the story 'A Squash and a Squeeze'. The children have been working really hard on their handwriting and spelling whilst writing. In Geography, we are learning about the Polar Regions and it has been lovely to see how enthusiastic the children are about this topic. We have explored maps to locate the polar regions and continents. We have discussed what the climate is like and why and similarities and differences between Antarctica, Arctic and the UK.
Children have taken home costume letters for the Christmas Show. The theme is 'disco stars'. Please check the letter and if you have any questions, talk to Miss Fairley. Costumes need to be back in school for Friday 6th December. Thank you for your support!
Homework
Maths- Just page 24.
Reading- pages 22 and 23.
This week's awards go to Marina for her hard work in reading and Bobby for his lovely story telling language in English.
Kingfisher 1
In maths this week we were working on addition by counting on. The children were counting a, adding on 2 more an the number line learning to count to any given number.
In English we continued We're going on a bear hunt" the children used colourful semantics to describe a setting using a range of provided adjectives. The children also participating in practical activities using musical instruments to retell the story.
We sadly say goodbye to our wonderful Mrs Consitt , we will miss her dearly, but it is time for her to relax now.
This week's awards go to Sergio and Stylianos for their great participation in their Year 2 singing assembly.
Well done!
Year 3
This week in Year 3 has been very exciting. As scientists, we dissected barn owl pellets in order to investigate their diet. In English we have been exploring persuasive writing techniques such as exaggeration and rhetorical questions. In Maths, we have been learning practical everyday life skills such as estimate how much things would cost when we add them together and checking our answers by using the inverse.
On Tuesday, we are walking to Chicken Shed so the children will need coats and comfortable shoes.
Homework
CGP Punctuation: Pages 10 and 11
Maths: pages 26 and 27
Check out this link if you would like to learn the times tables rolling number chants: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=jf2BHuSbt_Y&t=148s
Practise your lines at home with your family members and learn your lines by heart.
Next week there will be double achievement awards.
Year 4
Year 4 have had a great week! They have begun multiplication and division in Maths which will continue until Christmas. In English, the children wrote fabulous fact files about their chosen god or goddess. Our Art lessons have also begun and the topic is drawing. The children have to consider light and dark, proportion and making their sketches look 3D.
On Tuesday, we are walking to Chicken Shed so the children will need coats and comfortable shoes.
Homework
English - Punctuation - pages 20 and 21
Maths - pages 31 and 32
Please continue to read daily at home alongside TTR practise. Thank you.
Please ensure your child brings a coat to school, every day. As we know, the British weather is unpredictable.
This week's achievement awards go to George and Lola for their fabulous art. Well done!
Year 5
We've started fractions in Maths and the children have shown excellent understanding about proper fractions, improper fractions and mixed numbers.
In English, they drafted, edited and published their diary entries as Bradley and Carla (characters from our whole- class book). They showed good character.
In RE this week, they learned about how some Christians, Muslims and Hindus worship their god and identified some similarities and differences.
Homework due by Weds 27th November
Maths: pages 31 and 32 (fractions A)
Reading: pages 30 and 31 (Super Toys Express)
This week's awards go to Kevin and Edward for their fantastic work on mixed numbers and improper fractions - well done, boys!
Year 6
This week, Year 6 have explored dividing fractions by whole numbers, finding fractions of amounts, and converting between mixed and improper fractions. In English, they wrote, edited, and published their balanced arguments. In science, they planned investigations to test how different components and batteries affect a circuit.
Homework:
Maths: Dividing fractions (page 23)
Arithmetic: Dividing fractions (page 44)
SPaG: (page )
This week's achievement awards go to Evgenia for her excellent work in maths, and to Ryan for his brilliant balanced argument. Well done!
Kingfisher 2
We had a wonderful visit to the cinema and really enjoyed watching Kung Fu Panda.
This week in Maths we have been learning to half and about division through sharing. We have used practical resources and have drawn to support our understanding.
In English, we have been using adjectives to describe super hero settings and designed our own gadgets.
This week's award goes Andreas for excellent work with his sounds. Well done Andreas!
Mixed League Football Match
Last Friday, our mixed league team took to the field for their second match. The children were full of energy and determination as they have been working hard at the after- school football club with other children from Years 5 and 6. The first half of the match was a challenging one, with the opposing team taking an early lead. However, our players didn’t let that discourage them. They came back stronger in the second half, showing great teamwork, focus, and skill on the pitch. Although their efforts didn’t quite turn the score around, it was clear to see how much they’ve improved since their last game. Well done to Anwen, Stefi, Sotirio, Skye, Oliver, Elsie, Nathaniel, Kevin and Albeiro.
NOVEMBER 2024
Tuesday 26th:
- Years 3 and 4 Trip to Chickenshed Theatre - PM
- Individual Photos for pupils who were absent on previous date
Thursday 28th:
- Non-uniform Day for chocolate contributions
- KF2 Sports Festival - PM
- Girls Football Match vs Sacred Heart, 3:30pm
Friday 29th:
- INSET Day - school closed to pupils
DECEMBER 2024
Monday 2nd:
- Advent Calendar Raffle - Pupils buy £1.00 ticket for a range of prizes and the money raised goes to charity
Tuesday 2nd:
- Year 5 swimming begins for two weeks
Thursday 4th:
- Girls Football Match vs All Saints
Friday 5th:
- Non-uniform day for contributions to Kids Tombola
Use this link to visit our School Calendar 23/24 for further dates next term.
We now have some of the Christmas dates included.