We were very excited to welcome the children back this week. 2019 and the Spring term ahead are going to be jam packed with unforgettable experiences, learning and fun.

We look forward to seeing families at our MAGs mornings in March and FUDG mornings in June.  Keep an eye on the weekly newsletter for more information about those and other upcoming events.

As one of our school values is aspiration, we are always setting ourselves ambitious targets and trying our very best to achieve our goals.  But a new year is a particularly good time to set your heart and mind on something new or better. Have you got any new year’s resolutions you can share in a comment below this post?

Mr Poyton

All of us at Lawford Mead wish our families and friends in the community a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2019.

We are looking forward to a an exciting Spring term ahead, full of learning and achievement.  BUT, pupils and staff have been working very hard and deserve a rest until then!

See you all on January 7th!

Mr Poyton

For the 2nd year in a row we have entered Key Stage 2 children’s poems into the Premier League Primary Stars Poetry Competition.

This year’s theme was Diversity and below is one of our favorite Lawford Mead poems, by Faith in Year 4.  Faith read lots of different poems to get inspiration and read the poem with beautiful expression in our final assembly of the year.  Fingers crossed that some of our own poems will be published in the Primary Stars book next year!    What does Faith’s poem get you thinking about?

 

Diversity

By Faith (year 4)

 

Everyone is born

In a different way.

It doesn’t matter

How we look or what we say.

 

From different countries

Around the world.

It’s full of different genders!

Boys and girls.

 

We sure are glad

It works this way,

The world is so unique

Everyday!

 

Did you know?

If everyone was the same you see,

You wouldn’t be you

And I wouldn’t be me!

 

 

 

Thank you to Aesop’s Theatre Company for the brilliant pantomimes performed to children this week.  Early Years and Key Stage 1 loved the story of The Hare and the Tortoise and Key Stage 2 enjoyed their play about Henry VIII!  There was fantastic audience participation throughout. Oh yes there was!

In today’s assembly we talked about our value of resilience.  We looked at dictionary definitions of the word…

Then we watched this video below, a dramatic clip of an determined bear cub and the inspirational example of resilience it demonstrates in its attempts to get back to its mum.  We discussed what challenges we might face when we could think of that bear cub and be inspired to persevere and not give up.

Can you leave a comment below this post and tell us when YOU will show resilience like the heroic little bear in the video?

Mr Poyton

Two passionate and well organised pupils in Year 4 ran their own anti-bullying writing competition for pupils.  Here they are with the winner and here is her winning poem, voted for by our School Council…

 

YOU SHOULD NOT BULLY

 

N o bullying because it’s mean

O ne should not start

 

B e kind and don’t hurt

U se kind feet and hands

L ove is what we need, not bullying

L ight side is the right thing not the bullying side

Y ou should not bully each other because it will hurt someone’s feelings

I n school or anywhere you shouldn’t be mean

N owhere is the place to bully

G o to someone like your teacher if someone bullies you

 

Thank you to all the parents who attended our NHS workshop on Childhood Illnesses.

For those who could not make it, you can find more information here and we highly recommend downloading the Mid Essex Child Health app on your phone or tablet.

We will contact families again if we are able to host another, similar workshop in the future.

 

Mr Poyton

Thank you to the Parents Association for organising the fantastic cake sale last week.  Thanks too, of course, to everyone who provided the cakes!  £175 was raised for the school.

Find out more about the Parents Association here and ask at the front office if you would like to get involved.

 

Mr Poyton

 

A message to all Lawford Mead pupils!

We hope to have another online advent calendar on our website this year but we need YOUR art to make it happen.

Give your winter and Christmas themed art work (ideally on A4 paper) to your teacher or to me and one day in December it could appear on the advent calendar and help people get excited about this holiday season!

Only 28 ‘sleeps’ to go!

Mr Poyton

 

Thursday of Anti-Bullying Week was #STOPSPEAKSUPPORT Day, a time to focus on how we treat each other online.

Here is a video with advice for older children, Year 5 & 6 particularly,  about what to do when ‘banter’ online turns negative.

Remember, whether online or face to face, it’s not ‘banter’ if…

1. You would be upset if someone said it to you.
2. It’s hurtful.
3.  You’re not friends.
4. Someone has asked you to stop.
5. The target isn’t laughing.
6. It focuses on someone’s insecurities (things they worry about).

And before you post something online, THINK…

1. Why am I posting this?
2. Am I being kind?
3. Would I say this to their face?
4. Could it be interpreted differently?
5. Do I have permission to post this?
6. Will I feel good about this later?

 

Mr Poyton