Newsletters

Dorchester News - 24th November 2023

Newsletter

24th November 2023

Dear Families,

Last week I spent three days visiting a school in Salisbury as part of our membership of Challenge Partners.  Challenge Partners is a network of schools across the country who are committed to school improvement through collaborative review and sharing of expertise across the sector.  Myself, and other senior leaders, learn so much from reviewing practice in schools in a variety of contexts, and always bring something back that will benefit our children, as well as sharing the things that make our school stand out with others. 

The weather has been more on our side this week, and our football team and netball team were able to play their first matches of the season - with great success.  Do check out the Sports News below for more information.

Thank you so much for your kind donations for the Christmas Fair today.  Having seen the children enjoying the Playpod so much this week reinforced just what a difference FODS fundraising makes to our school.  It is lovely to see so many volunteers already signed up to help at the Fair (although we still need lots more) - and thank you to those who have already engaged with our new, online raffle ticket sale.  Please see below for news from FODS to see how you can help at our Fair next weekend.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Kind regards

Cathy Bell
Headteacher

 


Open Events for Prospective Parents

We have several Open Events running throughout the Autumn Term for parents looking for places in Nursery or Reception for September 2024.  If this applies to you please register for one of the events using the link below.  If you know anyone else who is interested in finding out about all we have to offer here at Dorchester, please share this information with them.  Thank you.

https://www.dorchesterprimary.com/page/?title=Joining+Us&pid=21

23 Nov 2023
Year 5/6 Sportshall Athletics
Sports Hall Athletics is always an exciting event – it’s fast and furious and the events always have us on the edge of our seats to the very end!
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23 Nov 2023
Netball A Team vs Brookfield Primary
Having had our first league game cancelled due to bad weather, we hosted Brookfield Primary on Thursday in much better conditions.
Read more
23 Nov 2023
Girls League Football vs Manor Park
Our Girls' Football Team begin their League Journey in style...
Read more
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Netball Match Report

Yesterday, the Dorchester A team played Brookfield Primary School. We won 7-0 and everyone played really well. It was our first match of the season and it was a great success!

Written by Evie West, A Team Captain

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Scrapstore Success and Team Sports Zone

We've had such a fun few weeks with the Scrapstore playpod's introduction, and along side it, our team sports zone is still out in full force every day. What has been so wonderful about this zone is the mixed age sports matches taking place. The older children are taking on a responsible mentoring and leadership role on the pitch, and the younger ones have role models to look up to and learn from. All children are getting to grips with the queuing system, waiting for bibs and taking turns fairly. The zone is run to be as fair as possible and Mr Dennis and Charlie try their utmost to ensure everyone gets a fair opportunity to play at least one, but often two different refereed matches in their lunch break.

What other sports would you like to be organised for the team sports zone?

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ECO News

24 Nov 2023
We are still cutting our carbon this month!
Cut Your Carbon MonthHow are we getting on trying to cut our carbon?What have you done so far to reduce your carbon footprint?Well done to Lilly from Blue Class who has completed all 9 of her challenges already.Remember to send in your photos of how you, and your family are cutting y...
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FODS Update

We are extremely excited to announce that the FODS Christmas Fair Raffle is LIVE! The raffle is exclusively online this year which makes buying tickets easier than ever. Simply follow this link to enter now

https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/raffle/friends-of-dorchester-school-big-xmas-raffle

Alternatively, you can scan the QR code on the poster below. We have lots of fantastic prizes which are all listed on the website & the poster. Please buy as many tickets as you like and feel free to share with family & friends, everyone is welcome to enter the raffle.

Please note you can only pay via debit card on the website & all tickets are £1 each! Winners will be announced towards the end of the fair, if for any reason you are not there and win a prize, you will be contacted so please don’t worry. Good luck everyone and we look forward to seeing you all at the fair.

The Christmas fair is only a week away. We need as much help as possible to make it a fantastic fair for all while raising funds for the school. Please sign up to help either on your class’s stall or before/after the fair setting up/tidying up. All help is extremely appreciated, and you will be given clear instructions on what to do, signing up is easy and only takes a minute. Please use this link to volunteer to help. Thank you for volunteering. https://volunteersignup.org/WLQKJ

We’re currently in need of someone to be Santa at the fair. We have one person, but they will not be able to stay for the whole fair. We have more than one costume & have different sizes so please contact us if you are available, we would really appreciate it. Thank you for all your ongoing support.

Thank you for all the bottle & jar donations we received today, we hope you’re all looking forward to the Christmas Fair. Please be reminded it’s cash only. We will be able to accept card payments at the Christmas Tree sale but all other stalls will only take cash. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Important Dates:

  • 1st December Mince Pie/Cake donations for the Christmas fair. Please leave donations with your teacher.

 

  • 1st December Donkey visit in school for all children.

 

  • 2nd December Christmas Fair & Christmas tree sale 12-3pm.

 

  • 3rd December Christmas tree sale by the main office 11am-2pm.

As always, any questions please do not hesitate to email us at dorchesterpta@gmail.com

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Class Notes

24 Nov 2023
Nursery: What would you like to see through your telescope?
This week in nursery, we have been sailing away on an adventure as we read the book 'Lost and Found' by Oliver Jeffers. We visited the North Pole and the South Pole, where it was very cold and we found out about some of the animals that live there. The children have made a fantastic colony o...
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23 Nov 2023
Reception: How could you build a cosy place for an animal to hibernate?
This week the children have been learning about animals that hibernate. We have been finishing decorating our diva lamps, which will be ready to take home soon. We have been learning which numbers make three. We had an exciting morning on Wednesday when lots of parents came to join their children fo...
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22 Nov 2023
Year 1: How are London and Edinburgh similar and different?
Please enter an introduction for your news story here.
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23 Nov 2023
Year 2: How did we use the Chromebooks to organise and edit our photos?
This week, Year 2 learned how to take photos with a Chromebook. We used our toys from home, along with Google Slides, to create a sideshow that acted like a stop-motion video. The children had to work very carefully and only move their toys a small amount at a time, to make them look like they were...
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24 Nov 2023
Year 3: What is the climate like in Spain, Italy and Sweden?
The children have all worked incredibly hard this week during booklet week and have shown great resilience.  It has been great to see the progress that they are making and see their strengths.  They have also worked really hard finishing their Star Writes and have worked on editing their w...
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23 Nov 2023
Year 4: How do we stay safe on the roads?
 We started the week by thinking about road safety, as it is Road Safety week. We thought about how to keep safe as it is getting darker earlier and the best places to cross the road. Our Lollipop lady, Yippee, does an amazing job taking care of the local community and helping us all get to sch...
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22 Nov 2023
Year 5: Which art techniques or craft skills did you use when creating your decoration for our Christmas Hoop?
Year 5 have had a busy week completing assessment booklets this week. Teachers are now busy marking these and looking at progress and attainment, as well as looking for any gaps in knowledge and understanding. A lovely creative moment in-between completing these booklets was an art and craft activit...
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24 Nov 2023
Year 6: How did you classify the images of living things?
In Science this week, Year 6 were given the challenge of classifying a range of images of living things, according to a variety of criteria. We also explored the term 'anomaly' and a platypus is a mammal, yet it lays eggs.
Read more

Safeguarding

Snapchat My Ai Chatbot

Snapchat My Ai Chatbot

As technology continues to advance, AI chatbots have become increasingly popular in various industries, with applications ranging from customer service to entertainment. One chatbot gaining the top spot for attention in the last week is Snapchat My AI’. Not least because you can't turn it off. Well you can if you pay  £3.99 per month but who pays for Snapchat??
Certainly not any children – or adults I know. Do you?

 

So let’s delve into how Snapchat My AI works and look at some helpful tips for parents who want to discuss the use of this chatbot with their children.

How Snapchat My Ai Chatbot works

Snapchat My AI is an advanced chatbot that leverages the power of machine learning and natural language processing to understand and generate human-like responses.

The chatbot is based on the GPT-4 architecture, which is designed to process and analyse large volumes of data, enabling it to generate coherent and contextually relevant responses.

Snapchat AI relies on a vast knowledge database, which is continually updated as new information becomes available. The chatbot can analyse user inputs, understand the context and intent, and generate an appropriate response by selecting the most relevant information from its knowledge base.

It can also ask a user questions based on the location of the user to prevent this from happening you need to disable location sharing with Snapchat from the settings on your device simply turning on Ghost mode does not disable location.

Some of its features;

• Contextual understanding: Snapchat’s AI can maintain context within a conversation, making it easier for users to have a natural and engaging experience.
• Advanced language capabilities: It can understand and generate responses in multiple languages, making it accessible to a diverse user base.
• Customization: Snapchat’s AI can be customised and fine-tuned for various applications, including customer service, education, and more.

What are the issues?

While Snapchat AI has made significant strides in providing an engaging conversational experience, there are some issues that users and parents should be aware of:

  • Inappropriate content: Like other AI chatbots, it can sometimes generate inappropriate or offensive content. This is mainly due to the nature of the training data and limitations in the AI’s understanding of user intent.
  • Privacy concerns: Since AI chatbots learn from user interactions, there are concerns about user privacy and data security. It’s essential to understand the chatbot’s data handling practices and ensure that your child’s personal information is protected.
  • Misinformation: It can sometimes provide incorrect or outdated information. This is particularly concerning when it comes to topics like health, safety or current events, where accuracy is critical.

In a recent post over on Snapchat’s own website ‘As with all AI-powered chatbots, My AI is prone to hallucination and can be tricked into saying just about anything. Please be aware of its many deficiencies and sorry in advance! All conversations with My AI will be stored and may be reviewed to improve the product experience. Please do not share any secrets with My AI and do not rely on it for advice’

Tips for Parents

Conversations around online safety & technology are important. As technology is always evolving keeping yourself up to date as a parent and engaging in regular conversations with your children is key.

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Explain the technology: Begin by explaining how AI chatbots like Snapchat AI work, emphasising the importance of understanding that these chatbots are not human and are limited by their programming and the data they have been trained on.

• Discuss potential issues: Make sure your child understands the potential issues and risks associated with using AI chatbots, such as encountering inappropriate content or receiving inaccurate information. Encourage them to approach the information provided by chatbots with a critical mind and to verify any information they receive.

• Set boundaries: Establish clear boundaries for your child’s use of AI chatbots like Snapchat’s AI. This may include setting time limits, restricting access to specific devices, or monitoring their interactions with the chatbot.

• Encourage open communication: Encourage your child to come to you or a teacher with any concerns or questions about their interactions with AI chatbots. Make it clear that they can talk to you without fear of judgment or punishment.

And Finally;

AI chatbots like Snapchat’s My AI have the potential to revolutionise the way we communicate and access information. They offer a range of benefits, such as providing instant support and facilitating learning. However, it’s crucial to be aware of the potential issues and risks associated with their use, particularly when it comes to children.

As a parent, taking the time to educate yourself and your child about AI chatbots and their limitations is essential. By fostering open communication and setting clear boundaries, you can help ensure that your child has a positive and safe experience with Snapchat’s My AI.

As technology continues to evolve, staying informed and vigilant will help you navigate the ever-changing digital landscape and support your child’s growth in this rapidly changing world.

Are you worried about a child?
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/spotting-signs-child-abuse/

If you think a child could be at risk of significant harm, you can call the children's social care team at the council in Sutton (Go to their website)

020 8770 6001 (Monday to Friday, 9am and 5pm)     020 8770 5000 (out of hours)

Always call 999 in an emergency


Lunch Menu

Our menus are available here.  Next week is week 2.


Upcoming Events

To view the school calendar click here.

Net4all Mums and Daughters (Years 4-6) Netball
9:30am – 10:30am
From 12 Nov and on Sunday each week
26
November
Discover Christmas Workshop - Year 2
1:15pm – 2:45pm
27
November
KS1 Diwali assembly
9:20am – 10:00am
28
November
KS2 Diwali assembly
10:05am – 10:45am
28
November
Year 5/6 Girls' Football vs Avenue
2:45pm – 4:45pm
28
November
Speech and Language UK No Pens Day
All Day
29
November
Year 5/6 B Tag Rugby Festival
9:00am – 1:00pm
30
November
Donkey Visits
All Day
01
December
Open Morning
9:30am – 11:30am
01
December
FODS Christmas Fair
12:00pm – 3:00pm
02
December
Junior Choir at Hamptons Christmas Light Up
4:50pm – 5:45pm
02
December
Net4all Mums and Daughters (Years 4-6) Netball
9:30am – 10:30am
From 12 Nov and on Sunday each week
03
December
Personal Bests Week
All Day
From 04 Dec until 08 Dec
04
December
Net4all Mums and Daughters (Years 4-6) Netball
9:30am – 10:30am
From 12 Nov and on Sunday each week
10
December
Year 2 Nativity performance for parents
2:00pm – 3:00pm
12
December