Dorchester Primary Parent Portal - Dorchester News -18th October 2024

Dear Dorchester Families

This week, our children have immersed themselves in 'Take One Picture Week'. This innovative approach to cross-curricular learning has sparked both creativity and curiosity; the children took part in a diverse range of activities, from studying archways to designing and making their own clay gargoyles. It is always lovely to see the myriad of different ways that children interpret a single piece of art. If you get the opportunity to visit the National Gallery, please look out this year’s picture, Pieter de Hooch’s ‘Courtyard of a House in Delft’- I’m sure the children would love to see the ‘real’ version if they can. Entry to Art Galleries is still free of charge, so it can be a great and inexpensive way to spend a day.

It was lovely to see so many of you at our Parent Consultations this week and to have such positive discussions about children’s progress. These conversations are invaluable in strengthening the partnership between home and school, ensuring that we continue to provide the best possible support and challenge for all our children.

It has been a sporty couple of weeks; please read the Sports News below for an update on this week’s Cross Country events and Football matches. I always tell our children that the way they represent their school and demonstrate our school values is much more important than the result – but this week they have proved, once again, that they can achieve both of these brilliantly. Well done children.

Looking ahead to next week, remember we have our Harvest Festival Assembly on Wednesday. This annual event is not only a celebration of the season but also an opportunity for us to give back to our community. We kindly request that pupils bring in items for our local foodbank. A poster detailing the specific items needed is below. Your generosity is always appreciated.

We also have our Tea Time concert on Tuesday after school. These concerts provide an informal opportunity for solo instrumentalists and groups to perform in front of an audience. Infant and Junior Choir and our Recorder Group will all perform pieces, alongside a range of talent from across the school. Thank you to everyone who has signed up to perform - it is going to be an amazing show.

Remember that next Friday is Inset Day. While the children enjoy a day away from school, our teachers will be engaged in valuable professional development. The focus of this training will be on metacognition and strategies to enhance children’s retention of knowledge, led by Ross Magill, a highly reputed expert in this field. This investment in our teachers' skills directly benefits the quality of education we continue to provide to your children.

Have a great weekend.

Cathy Bell
Headteacher

Please be reminded we have until Saturday 30th November to see how much we can raise together with Asda’s Cashpot for schools! With your help we've already raised an amazing £204.90 let's see how much more we can raise for the school. Please opt in on your Asda rewards app & select Dorchester Primary School.

We are already starting preparations for the Christmas Fair which will be on Saturday 7^th December, if you or anyone you know has a business which would like to sponsor the fair or can donate any raffle prizes, please don’t hesitate to contact us at dorchesterpta@gmail.com thank you.

As you’ll be aware we began handing out Christmas/Celebration orders today, if your order has not arrived yet, please do not worry it will be delivered soon. You can find us next week outside the main office. Thank you to everyone who placed an order which has helped raise funds for the school.

Dates & times you can find us outside the main office:

Monday 21st October 8.30am to 8.45 am
Monday 21st October 3.15pm to 3.30pm
Tuesday 22nd October 8.30am to 8.45 am
Tuesday 22nd October 3.15pm to 3.30pm
Wednesday 23rd October 8.30am to 8.45 am
Wednesday 23rd October 3.15pm to 3.30pm

We will update when the rest of the orders have arrived. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Nursery & Reception parents & carers please be reminded that Thursday 24^th October in the morning we kindly ask you to leave cake/doughnut donations with your class teacher or the office. Thank you to those who have kindly volunteered their time after school to run the sale.

The sale is for the whole school to enjoy so please pop by to purchase a cake for 50p, what great way to start half term!

We love to hear your feedback & suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at dorchesterpta@gmail.com

Do you know about Your School Lottery? Dorchester Primary School is part of this fantastic lottery. This lottery has been set up specifically to raise money and make a difference for our children! It's a fantastic way to bring parents, carers, teachers, and the wider community together, in partnership with our school, and at the same time give something back. There are lots of amazing prizes to be won, your support is greatly appreciated, and we wish you good luck! To sign up or find out more information, please visit the website via this link: https://www.yourschoollottery.co.uk/lottery/school/dorchester-primary-school?fbclid=IwAR2UqkYQ4Yf79s9ZZul-tgcgLtJp9McVlXXqWutUrjklVom85O1EppaUonM

If you aren’t already, please follow us on Facebook where we keep you up to date on all things FODS! Find us at: Friends Of Dorchester School PTA

We have been made aware of an error with Amazon & eBay while using easyfundraising, please ensure that your basket is empty prior to shopping, or it will not register the use of easyfundraising. Thank you for your continued support.

Tips for helping children stand up to peer pressure

Here are some tips to help them stand up to peer pressure. The Childline website has advice for your child on dealing with peer pressure, and the Parenting Smart website has suggestions for what to do if your child gives in to negative peer pressure and is then upset about it.

Tip #1: Talk to them and listen

If your child feels they can be honest with you and that you respect their opinions, they’re more likely to expect this from their friends too. Respecting their opinion doesn’t mean always letting them have their own way (no matter what they think about brushing their teeth, they still have to do it!) But it can mean having a discussion about things (like why toothbrushing is so important) and giving them some choice (like what toothpaste they use). Our page on making daily life easier has more tips for giving children choice.

Tip #2: Help them be more assertive

Assertiveness means being able to explain what you feel and what you need from someone without being rude or aggressive. Many adults find it hard to be assertive sometimes, so helping your child learn this key skill when they’re little will be super helpful as they grow up.

If your child’s worried about standing up for themselves, you could help them practise what to say to their friends. For example, if their friends want to do something that they don’t, they could practise explaining why they don’t want to do it.

Being assertive will also help them at school – so for example you could practise asking their teacher a question in class.

You could also try reading this page on Childline about being assertive.

Tip #3: Encourage them to think through the consequences of their actions

This is something you can practise when reading a book or watching TV together. Try talking about the different characters’ actions and what happens as a result, to help your child realise how one action leads to another.

Tip #4: Help them keep calm

If your child understands how to keep calm, this will help them make better decisions, so they're less likely to get pushed into things they don’t want to do. You’ll find lots of ideas and exercises for keeping calm on our page on supporting your child’s mental health.

Tip #5: Help them build their confidence

The more confident they are about their own decisions and abilities, the less hard it will be for them to stand up to peer pressure. Our pages on helping your child feel confident and secure and building your child’s confidence have advice on how to do this.

Newsletter

18th October 2024

Latest News

Sports News

Friends of Dorchester School

Safeguarding and Pastoral Care

Online Safety

Tips for helping children stand up to peer pressure

Tip #1: Talk to them and listen

Tip #2: Help them be more assertive

Tip #3: Encourage them to think through the consequences of their actions

Tip #4: Help them keep calm

Tip #5: Help them build their confidence

Are you worried about a child?

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/spotting-signs-child-abuse/

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