Newsletter no. 96 July 2018 Headteacher s report

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1 Newsletter no. 96 Headteacher s report Dear Parents & Carers, I think it was Chaucer who first advised that there is an end to everything - to good things as well, and I m pondering that this week as I approach the end of my time as Headteacher of Dalmain. The last half term has produced even more memories that I know I shall treasure in the coming years, and the newsletter is packed, as always, with good news about the last half term at Dalmain. There has been so much going on that it is hard to know where to start. The sensational Boothfest Summer Fair, the title of which quite overwhelmed me, raised a record amount of money ( 5,500!) which will be used for trips and much-needed resources that will benefit all of the children. I was so touched by the families who dedicated a book to Dalmain s library in my name. To date, we have over 1,000 worth of fabulous books to be read and enjoyed by generations of children. This lasting legacy means so much to me. You are all so generous. My special thanks go to the FoD committee who planned and organised the whole event and to all of the volunteers who worked so hard to make it successful. The Music Concert was another high point, with the progress that children had made on their instruments impressing us all. The fabulous performance of the brass band was a fitting tribute to George Woodcock, our brass teacher, who also retires at the end of this school year. The choir sang a medley of songs from around the world and there were individual and group performances on over ten different types of instrument. It s been an extraordinarily hot summer. This presented us with logistical problems on Sports Day, which is why we chose to hold the KS1 events in the school, rather than at the St Dunstans Jubilee Ground. We do not doubt that this was the right decision on Health & Safety grounds, but apologise for any inconvenience this caused for parents. Most importantly though, the children had a wonderful time and did their best. The last few weeks brought us our Key Stage 1 & 2 SATS results (see page 12). KS2 SATs are in line with the national average at Expected Level but above national average in all areas for Greater Depth. Teacher assessments are, once again, well above national expectations for Key Stage 1, for both expected and greater depth We ve been working with the current Year 6 to ensure each child reaches his or her potential there are a number of children in this cohort with complex needs, and we were aware that the overall results would drop this year. We were spot on with our predictions and wish the children, who worked so hard, all the best in their next steps at secondary school. They should be proud of their achievements in all fields, and their individual talents were very much in evidence in the leavers performance of The Lion King this week. Our Key Stage 1 phonics results were excellent, with 86 per cent passing the test, putting us above both borough and national averages. Our Early Years pupils attained a good level of development too, in line with national expectations. We re so proud of all our year groups, who have made good progress this year thanks to the dedication and expertise of the staff, the efforts of the children and the commitment of parents and carers in pursuit of high expectations in teaching and learning, both in school and at home. My best wishes go to Year 6 and to all staff and students who are moving on to new things. As this is my last newsletter, I d like to add a personal thank you to my ex-chair of Governors Mary Lindsay for her support and hard work during my tenure and to the new Chair Jane Hogarth for her excellent work overseeing Ofsted, my leaving events and the school s transition to a new Head. I d also like to offer my sincere and heartfelt thanks to my outstanding senior leadership team: my fantastic Deputy Head Sarah Rose, hardworking Assistant Head Anjali Sewani, excellent English leader Chris Shone, extraordinary Business Manager Luisa force of nature Element, as well as to all governors, teaching and office staff and volunteers. Nothing is possible without the expertise you all display. The recent Ofsted report is a reflection of everyone s hard work. My hope is that you will all continue to uphold the vision and values of Dalmain, keeping children at the centre of all decision making. Under the aegis of new Headteacher Erika Eisele, I can think of no better team to write the next chapter of Dalmain s success story. My love and best wishes go to you all. I wish you a long and productive association with Dalmain and a very enjoyable summer break. Elizabeth Booth

2 Newsletter no. 96 Nursery trip to Godstone Farm The children were excited and thrilled that after counting down their sleep and wake on a daily basis, the day of our trip had finally arrived. There was a chill in the air and the skies were overcast, but our spirits were not dampened as we embarked on a jam-packed day of activities. On arrival we were met by our farmer, who led us to the barn which was to be our base for the day. En route we were greeted by a range of animals including ducks, guinea pigs and goats. After our introduction and health talk we were led out into the big barn for our handling session. We waited in eager anticipated for the arrival of our cuddly friends and we were not disappointed. Here are some comments from the children: Olive: I felt the rabbit and it was very silky. Frankie: My favourite was the guinea pig with the long curly hair. Charlie: It was good and it was a little rabbit. Ayaan: I liked the tractor ride and I liked when we found the dinosaurs. The highlight of the day was the activities in the indoor barn. The children fearlessly sat at the edge of the steep slide and slid down themselves down repeatedly. They were thrilled to experience the many challenging and exciting activities available and bounded back and forth through hoops, ropes and steps. After our structured events we had a short time to visit the outdoor play area before boarding the coach home, tired but in buoyant mood. The journey home was quiet as some children succumbed to sleep and enjoyed a well deserved nap. Well done everyone for making this such a special day. MUSIC TUITION: PLEASE NOTE THAT FROM SEPT 2018 THE COST OF MUSIC TUITION WILL INCREASE TO 7.50 PER LESSON. MUSICLESSON COSTS ARE SUBSIDISED BY THE SCHOOL AND REMAIN EXCELLENT VALUE. Year 5 Street Art Tour By Julia Atangana and Duncan McIntosh, Reinhardt Class On 15 June, Year 5 set off by bus to nearby Brockley, where we were introduced to the amazing world of street art by Ian Brimacombe (Ella s dad) and Butch (a local artist who was Reinhardt s tour guide). The first piece we saw was a Bob Marley mural, painted by Dale Grimshaw. The story behind this mural was fascinating: there were originally three murals of black legends (Maya Angelou, Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix) in Brockley. However, as the area became more and more developed, old buildings had to be knocked down - and so did these murals. The organisers of Brockley Max festival decided that the first piece of street art to be created would be of Bob Marley. If you haven t already seen it, we thoroughly recommend you do! One of our favourite pieces was a portrait of a woman by an artist named Koe One. He used black and white spray cans to create the face of the woman. However, in contrast, the hair was very colourful. He had used the letters of his name over and over again in turquoise, pink and blue. It was striking to look at and many members of Year 5 (including Ms Sewani) loved it. Some pieces of artwork were a bit more tongue-in-cheek and humorous. For example, next to a bakery opposite Brockley Station, you can find a piece of toast with legs that appears to be lying down. It made a lot of us giggle. Overall, the trip was a great success. We enjoyed walking through Brockley and learning about different artists and their styles and stories. Street art is all about expressing yourself and about free art for the community. So next time you re walking around Brockley or indeed, anywhere in London look out for street art. It might inspire you just as it has inspired us! Page 2

3 Year 4 trip to Devonshire Road Nature Reserve By Lalique Henry-Hart & Haley Myftari, Davis class On a hot sunny day, the children in Year 4 who didn t go to Naturesbase went to the Devonshire Road Nature Reserve. As soon as we arrived, we had our lunch on the fresh, luscious, green grass with vibrant, majestic flowers. Later on, we went exploring and discovered tadpoles and a beehive - it was a fascinating discovery! We were then divided in to three groups so we could begin our fun activities. We were told to imagine that we were in the Stone Age. The first activity we did as Stone Agers was sitting by a fire to bake some bread. After it had been cooked, we ate it with honey. IT TASTED AMAZ- ING!!! After that, we did flour grinding, ate wild strawberries and made toothbrushes with an oak branch. This was nothing like how we brush our teeth now! We then got to make a den with lots of branches and covered them with lots of leaves so other tribes could not find us. We even made spears out of clay and a stick and did a forest walk as if we were hunting other tribes. It was so much fun. Newsletter no. 96 Philosophy trip to Istituto Marangoni By Kailah Hart & Ryan Hussein, King class On 3 July, some Young Philosophers from Year 6 and some ex-dalmain pupils got a train to Shoreditch, one of the trendiest places in London (apparently). First we took a stroll down Brick Lane to look at the art gallery that is the street! Looking at some of the graffiti, we started asking, why isn't this inside a gallery? Will more or less people look at it when it's on walls outside? We then arrived at the Istituto Marangoni, where we spent the rest of the day learning about fashion. In a workshop with Tazos, one of the tutors, we got to play with tying patterns in dresses, and found out how fashion designers get inspired, whether by popstars, nature, or even us children. Steven from The Philosophy Foundation asked: "Who decides what's fashionable?" We said, anybody gets to decide for themselves, but a girl from another school said that the media decides - so we're all just followers. What do you think? And what is fashion anyway? Year 2 trip to Ladywell Adventure Playground By Jaina Ogiemwonyi & Olive Travis, Gilberto class Year 2 had a special treat and we went on a lovely trip to the Ladywell Adventure Playground. This is a massive outdoor wooden climbing frame which is almost the size of our playground. When we got there we were able to explore the whole playground. They had the climbing frame which we could run and climb on and there were ropes that you could swing on. There was also a rope bridge which you had to go through to get to the other side. It was really scary because we were high up and when we looked down there was only a net. It was hard to get through and we had to really concentrate. There was also a big sand pit which we played in and made sandcastles. At lunchtime we all sat outside because it was a lovely day and we had music playing. We had a dance after our delicious lunch. It was the best day ever! Page 3

4 Newsletter no. 96 Boys football borough final The Year 6 boys football team has had a wonderful season. This came to a conclusion on 26 May when we won the Blackheath Cup! The boys had won the cup in the previous season and retained it after a very exciting and tense game against Torridon School. Torridon took the lead with a wonderful strike from outside the area during the first half. After a half time team talk we came out very fast and very strong and scored a fantastic goal through Ny. The game finished 1-1 and after extra time it was decided that both teams would share the cup. A very well done to the team who have shared some fantastic times together since we started in Year 5/6 mini tennis competition On 24 May, four children took part in the Lewisham Borough Mini Orange Tennis Competition in Ladywell Park. Twelve schools competed in doubles matches in a round robin box league format, followed by Medal knock-outs. Our team played extremely well and reached the semi final of the competition. The team went on to win the third and fourth play off, securing them third place overall and a Bronze medal. One pupil, Omari, won an additional award for selfbelief. Congratulations to all players. Year 1/2 football tournament On 5 July our Year 1 and 2 footballers took part in a football festival at Elm Lane. In a round robin tournament with other local school teams, Dalmain finished fourth. Every player received a certificate. The results were very close, but Kilmorie won three of their matches and drew one, so were the winners. Sports Co-ordinator Glen Burt said The pace was fast and every team had so many attempts at scoring goals. The teams were so excited and so full of energy and the standard was one of the best I have ever seen. The players were tackling each other and playing so well as a team and showing such great sportsmanship. The goal keepers did some incredible saves and were diving everywhere trapping the ball making sure it didn t go into the goal. Well done to all players. Year 6 Bikeability By Andre Leonce & Ellie Tucker, King class Page 4 In May, some Year 6 children got the opportunity to learn how to ride a bike safely on the road. Mike and Thiago successfully instructed us on numerous ways to ride and be aware on the busy Forest Hill streets. We learned how to indicate and also about the difference between major and minor roads. In addition, we studied parts of the Highway Code (e.g. T- junctions, cross junctions and give-way lines). We also completed a U-turn on a cross junction. The pupils learned what gears to use up and down hills. The experience was enjoyable because we acquired important life skills!

5 Year 3/4 Kwik Cricket By Mr Walker Newsletter no. 96 On 18 June, the annual cricket festival for years 3 & 4 was held at Catford & Cyphers Cricket Club. Five schools took part, playing a round robin, so we all had four matches each. As reigning champions, there was a lot of pressure to defend our crown. The children played superbly all day, and dominated the competition. The winner of the final game between Dalmain and Rathern would walk away with the gold medals. We were able to complete a comfortable victory, ensuring we finished top of the table. One noticeable difference was the standard of our female cricketers, completely surpassing that of other schools. This result is really positive and sets the school up well for the next few years. We hope to see many more cricket gold medals being brought back to Dalmain. Year 1 Balanceability By Dylan O Donovan and Iris Siveter Galway Class In Year 1 we did Bikeability when we all had a go on special bikes which had no pedals. We played a game where we had to balance on the bikes and the man who was running it was the wolf. We had to freeze on our bikes when he turned around. If we moved we had to go back to the beginning. It was lots of fun and we nearly won. It was tricky at first to balance, but then we got used to it. We especially enjoyed it when we glided along on our bikes with our legs straight, sticking up off the ground. We wish that we could play on those bikes every day! Thanks to For2Feet Ltd for visiting the school to deliver this workshop free of charge to our pupils. Year 5/6 High 5 Netball By Fatima Sesay & Destiny Quest-Stewart, Reich class On 20 June, the Dalmain netball team went to Sydenham High School to participate in a 5-a-side tournament. In total, there were six schools taking part. The six teams were split into two pools; in Pool 1, there was Dalmain, Haseltine and Kilmorie. fortunately we ended up losing the match 1-3. In the second game, we played against Kilmorie. It was a very close match. Luckily we won by one goal (a brilliant effort by Benji!) and the final score was 1-0. This In our first match, we played against Haseltine. Although we scored the first goal, unmeant that we were through to the semi-final against Fairlawn. Once again we all swapped positions and were ready for the Semi, which would only last 5 minutes. Towards the end of the match, we scored but it didn t count because we had a committed footwork, which means a player moved their landing foot. Soon after, despite our best defensive efforts, Fairlawn scored and we were out of the competition. It was a great experience and we all had fun. Page 5

6 Newsletter no. 96 Year 5/6 Anti-radicalization workshops By Ilenia Marafini & Fatima Sesay, Reich class In May, the Year 6 pupils took part in a workshop about radicalisation. Radicalisation is the action or process of causing someone to adopt radical positions on political or social issues. Tom, who works for Just Enough UK, told us that radicalisation is a real danger for young people today. Many vulnerable young people are being taken advantage of and put into positions where they risk losing friends and family, injury or even death. He also told us that no one is born a terrorist but they can be persuaded to become a terrorist and could get into trouble. The workshop was really fun: it involved role playing as Guy Fawkes and his coconspirators and as cavemen! We then discussed the results of radicalisation. We had so much fun and realised the importance of understanding the dangers of radicalisation and what damage it can do to someone if they are turned into a radical or even a terrorist. Violence does not work Online is a window to the world Inclusion in our communities Chat to someone you trust Every religion promotes peace Year 2 Pirate Day, By Takumi O Brien & Elizabeth Toohey, Wang class On 5 June, Wang and Gilberto Class came to school in their best pirate attire. To truly get into the character of a pirate, we began the day designing our own swords (or cutlasses). Pirate training lasted the entire day and included a session on tying knots. Do you know how to tie a bowline knot? Well, Wang and Gilberto class do. This knot is known as the king of knots. It is so dependable that it is used for rescue work. So if you re ever in trouble, you know who to call! After our pirate lunch, training continued, with the pirates completing special missions to reach their pirate flag. It required a lot of teamwork and showed how difficult it could be to work together on a pirate ship. Being a pirate is definitely a lot of hard work! To get our official pirate licence at the end of pirate training, we had to take a sip of pirate grog. It was utterly revolting but worth it for the title of a true pirate! Summer Flowers Competition Congratulations to the following children who have been growing summer flowers at home this term, and who have been awarded a certificate by the London Children s Flower Society. Gold Leo Baggs, Franklin (x2) Ella Brimacombe, Marshall Harris Brimacombe, Piazzolla 1 Thomas Cheung, Marshall Enita Emakpose, Piazzolla 2 (x2) Clement Jamal-Brow, Bhosle Fran Jamal-Brown, Gilberto Silver Oona Walpole, Bhosle Well done also to the Nursery garden which received a gold certificate, and to the Gardening Club whose flowers received a gold certificate. Page 6

7 Year 3/4 Disco By Keyaan Loukam & Katia Dowling-Jones, Davis Class Year 5/6 Disco By Tess Hall & Ilenia Marafini, Reich Class Newsletter no. 96 Last week, it was the Year 3 and 4 Disco in the lower hall. It was an amazing experience and everyone who attended had a good time. Mr Marvel came to entertain us, and encouraged us to dance, play games and have lots of fun. The songs that were played were picked by the students themselves. On the night, not only were the children dancing but also the teachers! After the disco we were provided with delicious snacks and drinks (but nothing too sugary)! We give a huge thanks to Mrs Booth and FoD, who put on the event and let us all enjoy ourselves. On 8 June, we enjoyed an amazing disco hosted by the wonderful DJ Marvel. We enjoyed a variety of different games, and a whole lot of dancing! The Friends of Dalmain kindly supplied food and drinks as well as booking the DJ. The bubble and snow machines were highly appreciated, as well as the light show. Although everyone got hot and sweaty, it was one of the highlights of the year. ICE Bridge Building project By Claudia Brown and Thomas O Shea, Reinhardt Class On 19 and 20 June, Years 5 and 6 took part in an exciting project with ICE (Institute of Civil Engineers) which included building a bridge in the top hall. Our day started with a presentation explaining all the amazing things that make up a civil engineer s job. For example, have you ever thought about how the water that comes out of our taps is able to get there? Or, have you ever wondered who designed the motorways that we drive on and ensure that they are safe? It s civil engineers! After break, we were split into 2 groups: one group built a cable bridge that we could all walk across in the top hall whilst the other group built smaller scale bridges using K nex (a construction toy system). However, we all completed both activities. The small scale bridges were tested in the Creative Learn- ing room by placing weights on them. Isabel, Abdur- Rahman, Hannah, John and Jake H s group broke the record with an outstanding 11kg! The main structure they had used was triangles, as this is renowned for being the strongest and most stable shape. Next door, in the top hall, we were all assigned different roles to help build the bridge. For example, some of us had to help lift the decking whilst others had to clip the pegs on to them. These activities taught us about civil engineering and also the importance of teamwork. In the afternoon, all the other year groups in the school visited the hall and walked along the bridges. After an exciting few hours of engineering, we were truly inspired. Who knows we may be civil engineers one day! Page 7

8 Newsletter no. 96 Year 6 PGL School Journey By Tess Hall and May Kirk, Reich class On 11 June, Year 6 set off on an incredible adventure on the Isle of Wight: what a tremendous opportunity and a beautiful way to celebrate the work we have done. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the lovely Seb (our Group Leader) he instantly made us feel welcome and made our week really special. From day one, our days were action-packed and full of fun challenges. Amongst the most exciting activities were abseiling, trapeze and quad biking. We were physically and mentally put to the test by the fun yet frightening new activities. Every evening, we took part in great activities too our favourite of which was the Thursday night disco, of course! One teacher, whose name shall not be mentioned, even showed us some strange yet amusing Dad dancing Throughout the week, we had some of the most delicious food; it energised us for the day s activities and furthermore, was both healthy and tasty. In the evenings, we retired to the chalets where we slept like logs once the chatting had ended (sorry adults!). At the end of the week, we were very sad to have to say good bye to Little Canada and all the amazing experiences and people, though we couldn t wait to see Dalmain again. We would like to give a huge thanks to all the great teachers who accompanied us and encouraged us all the way, including Mrs Booth who brought the idea of PGL/Isle of Wight residentials to the school. BNF Healthy Eating Week In June we celebrated Healthy Eating Week, which is organized by the British Nutrition Foundation to encourage all UK workplaces, universities, schools and nurseries to come together to focus on healthy eating and drinking, and physical activity, and celebrate healthy living. There are five health challenges at the heart of BNF Healthy Eating Week, and we looked at one each day during the week: Have Breakfast, Have 5 a Day, Drink Plenty, Get Active and Make A Change. On the final day, thinking about the BNF Healthy Eating Week challenges, we encouraged pupils to reflect on their current eating, drink and activity habits and identify healthy changes they could make. For a greater chance of success, changes should be realistic. Start small for example, making sure you have a drink with your breakfast. Page 8

9 Year 4 Naturesbase trip By Jaidah Berry-Hepworth-Johnson, Kuusisto class, & Tia Carrington, Davis class Newsletter no. 96 Once we arrived at Naturesbase in Wales, after 8 hours on the coach, we met Gyles, Alyson (Gyles wife) and Tamsin. Gyles showed us where the tents were and Tamsin showed us where to put our things for the week. During the week, we did many activities. We looked for stamps around the fields and woods; we made necklaces, spears, soap and memory sticks; we made dens out of grass, mud and sticks, which we had to make waterproof! On Wednesday morning, we walked about 2 miles to a manor house, where we had lunch by the river. After looking around the house and farm, we continued walking towards the beach. Along the way we collected sticks for fire-making on Thursday. We also saw lots of fairy doors along the way to the beach. Our favourite activities were making dens and building fires. We really enjoyed the whole week with Gyles, Alyson and Tamsin. PARENTS AND CARERS, A GENTLE REMINDER ABOUT SCHOOL PROCEDURES: IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH ANOTHER PARENT OR CHILD IN SCHOOL, PLEASE TALK TO A MEMBER OF STAFF. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE MATTERS INTO YOUR OWN HANDS AND APPROACH ANOTHER PARENT OR- CHILD WITH YOUR ISSUES. THANK YOU FOR HELPING US DEAL WITH INCIDENTS IN THE APPROPRIATE MANNER AND WITHOUT ANGER. Piazzolla performance On 11 July Piazzolla 1 and 2 classes were treated to some wonderful music from Harriet and Milos from musical ensemble 'Cosmos'. The children were enchanted by the incredible range of sounds Harriet could make with her violin and Milos with the accordion. We all jiggled along to the rapid tango beat of the Piazzolla composition and the children have been saying "123,123,12,123,123,12" ever since. We have borrowed a school accordion to have a look at and explore as everyone was so fascinated by watching Milos and Harriet play. It was so special to hear music written by our class composer. The children will never forget it. Thank you so much to Beatrice s aunt Harriet who organised this. Page 9

10 Newsletter no. 96 Sports Day Despite being the hottest day of the year so far, our Sports Day at St Dunstan s Jubilee Ground on 6 July was a huge success. Children took part in a number of different activities throughout the day including javelin, shot putt, sprinting, hurdles, speed bounce and an egg and spoon race. Year 6 had one final race to decide who was the quickest in the school well done Ny Thomas Anderson for winning a tight race, closely followed by Sara Portaleoni and Rokibat Tijani. On the advice of our health and safety consultants we made the late decision to hold the Key Stage 1 sports day in the school grounds in the afternoon because of the extreme weather. We appreciate that this may have caused problems for some of our parents and carers, but as always we had the children s safety uppermost in our minds. Open Afternoon & Music Concert, By Miles Kirk and Ines Tucker, Kuusisto class On 10 July, Key Stage 2 musicians took to the stage to perform a concert to their friends and families. There was a variety of instruments being played, including recorders, violins, cellos, guitars, flutes, brass instruments, djembes, ukuleles, pianos and clarinets. Also, the school choir performed, singing many songs from around the world. It was great fun! The concert also included solos from many people, who did brilliantly. There was also the string ensemble, guitar ensemble and the brass band. I (Miles) think everyone did very well and played their best in the spectacular concert. I played three popular jazz songs with the other guitarists and thought it went really well! I (Ines) played the violin in the concert. Before it started, I was very nervous and wasn t sure if I really wanted to do it but when I got up there it felt amazing! Sadly, it was Mrs Booth and the Brass teacher George s final concert. We made it their best one yet! Page 10 Look on our website for more photos:

11 Year 6 Leavers Performance: The Lion King Newsletter no. 96 Year 6 put on a stunning performance of The Lion King this week. The acting, singing, props and costumes were all outstanding! Well done to everyone involved, whether on stage or behind the scenes. What a finale to your time at Dalmain! More photos on our website: photo-galleries/ Past Pupil Achievements Ruby Robbins (class of 2016) played the lead role in Hairspray at the Broadway Theatre in Catford this month. This was a St Dunstan s College Lower School production as part of St Dunstan s College Arts Festival. Ruby is in the brown coat in the centre of the photograph (right). An apology in the last newsletter we attributed a poem to Hannah Carey in Ashkenazy class which was actually written by Hannah Farmer in Reinhardt class. Pupil Achievements Sumaiyah Allen Gymnastics (Bronze certificate) Ella Christensen RAD [dance] Level 1 with merit Iden Duli RAD [dance] Level 1 with merit Hannah Farmer winner of the Noakes Farm Riding Centre Pony Club Competition. Hetty Hall Flute (Grade 1 with merit) Narmir Huggins Piano (Grade 1 with distinction) Fran Jamal-Brown Climbing (2nd stage) Lucas Kooij Karate (yellow belt), Skiing (2nd place.1st place was a 10 year old boy Lucas is only 6!) Duncan McIntosh guitar (Grade 2 with merit) Orla Moore French horn (Grade 4 with distinction) Eli Milne ju jitsu (red belt) Tatyana Murray-White Taekwondo (green stripe) Alfie Mott Tae Kwon Do (yellow belt) Eric O Donovan Park Football Team trophy for Player of the Year Thomas O Shea Guitar (Grade 1 with distinction) Scarlett Taylor RAD [dance] Level 1 with merit Olive Travis Taekwondo (2 blue & 1 red stripe) Ines Tucker Flute (Grade 1 with merit) Y1/2 DAGFC football match against Perrymount winners: Akeelah Collins, Leila-Rose Curtis, Ruby Jo Hogan, Fran Jamal- Brown, Scarlet Symes, Malou Travis, Olive Travis & Aurelia Ward Y5/6 DAGFC tournament (2nd place medals)- Julia, Millie, Katia, Ida, Lily, Lilly, Roxie, May Page 11

12 Newsletter no. 96 SATs results 2018 Key Stage 2 SATs results 2018 Y2 Working at expected level Y2 Working at greater depth Y6 Working at expected level Y6 Working at greater depth Reading 85% 35% 75% 45% Writing 80% 17% 70% 25% Maths 83% 25% 72% 34% Spelling, Punctuation & Grammar % 36% Key Stage 1 SATs results 2018 Teacher assessments are, once again, well above national expectations for Key Stage 1, for both expected and greater depth. Dalmain Pen Summer Football & Cricket Camp Monday 23 July to Friday 27 July & Monday 30 July to Friday 3 August 10am 3pm In the Dalmain Pen, behind Dalmain School 60 for 5 days 12 per day, 6 for a half day session Half price for children who are entitled to Free School Meals or Pupil Premium Cricket in morning (10am to 12.15pm) Football in afternoon (12.45pm to 3pm) Learn a range of skills to become a future star during this fun packed week. All abilities welcome, open to boys and girls in Years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Children need to bring a packed lunch and drinks everyday (No glass bottles or fizzy drinks) For more information Contact: / Message from the governors of Dalmain By Mary Lindsay, chair of governors from 2003 to 2017 Page 12 Like Mrs Booth I first walked through Dalmain s gates in Then I was the parent of a child in Reception. We had an onsite smoking room and fighting dogs in the playground! I was thrilled to be part of the panel who unanimously appointed Mrs Booth as Head in 1999 and then became Chair of Governors in front of everything. From the broad curriculum, extended playground, dedicated music room, food tech room, wildlife garden, Dalmain playground and PEN she has literally pushed the boundaries of what this school offers without ever compromising its ethos or her own integrity. Mrs Booth, we thank for your innovative approach to education, nurturing young teachers and developing leaders as well as always looking to improve what we offer to all our pupils. I speak for all of us when I say we hope you have the very best of retirements. The As governors our admiration and affection for Mrs Booth is immense and she will be sorely missed. We have loved seeing her transform this little patch of SE23 into a thriving, vibrant, caring school that puts excellence at the foreschool will look forward to receiving postcards from all the exciting places and events you go to and I trust we will see you very occasionally at Dalmain events. Following a wonderful musical fanfare by former pupil Lewis Davies at our final governors meeting in June, the current Chair of Governors, Jane Hogarth, was delighted to announce the renaming of the music room to The Elizabeth Booth Music Room which governors felt was a fitting tribute to a Headteacher who has given the school such a love of music.

13 Boothfest A Festival at Dalmain By The Friends of Dalmain Committee What an emotional day it was! On Saturday 30 June the Dalmain School community came together to say thank you to Mrs Booth for leading our school so brilliantly over the last two decades. Much to Mrs Booth s embar- rassment, this summer fair was named in her honour. Although she was convinced that no one would come, this was our most successful fair ever. The Friends of Dalmain brought back lots of the bestloved elements of previous fairs to create our own festival at the school and have raised more than 5,500 at least 1,000 more than any previous fair. From the helter skelter and surf simulator to cream teas and rum punch, there was so much to enjoy. The children loved learning circus skills, trying to win a treat from the lucky dip and hook a duck, and the new stationery tombola was a huge success. Parents didn t miss out either the queue for the bottle tombola was enormous, lots of people tried their luck on the raffle and danced away to the live music from Dr Elias and the Soul Surgeons. Newsletter no. 96 The highlight of the fair for many of us was the special Booth area. With the support of Moon Lane Books, people were able to buy a book for the library and dedicate it to Mrs Booth in recognition of her passion for reading and leave a thankyou message on the Dalmain Oak tree. Boothfest would not have been possible without the time, support and donations from Dalmain parents and carers, staff and local businesses and the wider community. So, thank you everyone for helping to make Boothfest such a success and showing Mrs Booth how much she will be missed! E-SAFETY AND SOCIAL NETWORKS How would you feel if your child were out in the playground unsupervised by an adult? Do you apply the same safety principles to your child s time online? Do you allow your child unsupervised access to online platforms where you don t know what they are doing? The O2 and NSPCC have a very useful website for parents and carers which is a guide to the social networks that children use: including Snapchat, YouTube, Fortnite and Instagram. Meat Free Mondays Following a parent s suggestion in our most recent School Improvement Plan consultation, this half term we introduced Meat Free Mondays. There are a number of good reasons to reduce our meat consumption: Livestock production is responsible for a significant proportion of global greenhouse gas emissions. Eating meat no more than three times a week could prevent 31,000 deaths from heart disease, 9,000 deaths from cancer and 5,000 deaths from stroke, as well as save the NHS 1.2 billion in costs each year. The cost of meat has risen 10 per cent since 2007, yet most of the staples of a meat-free diet are comparatively cheaper. Agricultural intensification and expansion, and overfishing, are major factors in loss of species and biodiversity if present trends continue, over the next 100 years or so there will be a global mass extinction of species. Currently some 800 million people on the planet now suffer from hunger or malnutrition, yet an amount of cereal which could feed three times this number of people is fed to cattle, pigs and chickens. The fact that we have quietly introduced Meat Free Mondays without any fanfare has reassured us that not one single child has been negatively affected in fact it has gone largely unnoticed! We hope that parents and carers will also do their bit to help tackle climate change by reducing their meat consumption. Page 13

14 Newsletter no. 96 Extracurricular clubs next year We thought it would be useful to explain our clubs procedure in advance of the new academic year. We aim to offer every child from Year 1 upwards a free extracurricular club. (Occasionally if there are spaces, children are allowed to attend more than one club.) All children from Year 2 upwards are invited to join the school choir as well as a club. Timings Some clubs run in the morning before school, starting at 8am, some run during lunch times and some after school until 4.15pm. (There may be a couple of exceptions to this rule for example, this year Cycling Club ran until 4.30pm and Performing Arts was pm.) Choice of clubs We can t tell you yet which clubs will run and when, because some of the staff involved haven t even started working at the school yet. However, we can say that as a guide that this year we had two clubs before school, 15 lunch time clubs and nine after school. For clubs after school, children go straight from class to the club and are collected when the club finishes. Selection procedure At the start of September, staff choose which clubs they will run for the year and what day of the week they will run. We then send out a letter to parents and carers offering their child a choice of clubs. The deadline for returning your clubs choices this year will be Tuesday 11 September. We will then allocate clubs by random selection, selecting slips one at a time and allocating the first choice of club if available, or the second/third choice if that club is already full. The Dalmain Pen Football and tennis in the Pen after schools will continue to run next year for children in Reception upwards. This is separate to the extracurricular clubs procedure and will work on a first come, first served basis. Please note that these sessions are not directly after school so children will need to be collected from school as normal. Following requests from parents for earlier notice about Pen football, letters were sent home last week and there is a box in reception to leave your forms. A waiting list will be kept for children who do not get a place. Music lessons Music lessons (Years 3-6) take place during school hours and will be dealt with separately. Children in Year 2 who applied to learn an instrument in school next year will be informed in September which instrument they have been offered. Swimming lessons Swimming lessons (Years 3 and 4) will take place on Thursdays during school hours. Year 4 will have l2 lessons starting in the Autumn term and Year 3 will have the next 12 lessons starting in the Spring term. If you have any questions please ask in the school office. Global Clean Air Day By Benji Sachrajda, Sanne Buschman-Marakowitz, Ashanti Clarke & Ellie Tucker In celebration of Clean Air Day, which took place on 21 st June, the Year 6 Eco Councillors delivered an assembly to inform all the children and staff in Dalmain how they can help to lower air pollution in our local area. As Air Champions of Lewisham, we thought we could spread the knowledge on how best to do this. Our assembly highlighted ways in which we could access areas that have lower air pollution, as areas with high air pollution can often negatively affect our health. We then spoke about the importance of planting trees, as leaves are a good source of oxygen that also catches the toxic particles that contribute to air pollution. Finally, we created a poster to display in the school that shows all the ways in which we can help to lower air pollution. It also takes you through a timeline of Britain to show how pollution has changed over the years. We made pledges to promise to do our part to help pollution in our local area. We think that we spread enough knowledge across the school to really make a difference. Page 14

15 Thames Water visit Newsletter no. 96 Following our water efficiency visit from Thames Water last term (as reported in our March newsletter) we were offered a free follow-up Smarter Business Visit from three Thames Water engineers. Terry, Daniel and Aaron visited the school on 20 June and checked the premises to see if they could fit any of their free water saving devices to help save on our water consumption. They also offered to fix any toilet or tap leaks for free. The engineers fitted cisternisers to ensure just the right amount of water in the urinals, and Hippo bags in toilet cisterns to reduce water consumption and reduce our carbon footprint. They then checked all the taps for leaks. At the end of their visit the school was recognised for its water efficiency and this is now proudly displayed at the entrance to the school. A Right Royal Wedding Nursery children celebrated the Royal wedding by staging their very own version of the wedding. The wedding party travelled via the Reception playground and made its way around the school. They were accompanied by an enthusiastic and vibrant percussion ensemble as they paraded around the school to the cheers of onlookers. The wedding party then made its way back to the nursery for the start of the wedding reception and feast. Ms Ebone supplied the cup cakes and there was plenty to eat and drink as we toasted the Royal couple. Secondary schools Parents and carers often ask which secondary schools our pupils go on to after they leave Dalmain. Every year the list changes, but this year children will go to the following schools: Bonus Pastor School (2) Chase High School (1) Conisborough College (1) Deptford Green (1) Forest Hill School (4) Harris Academy Bromley (2) Harris Boys East Dulwich (2) Harris Girls East Dulwich (2) International Academy of Greenwich (2) Kingsdale Foundation School (5) Prendergast Ladywell School (5) Prendergast School (2) Prendergast Vale School (1) Sedgehill School (1) Sydenham School (10) The Norwood School (1) Trinity Lewisham School (4) Walworth Academy (1) We wish all our Year 6 pupils the very best and hope they all go on to thrive in their new schools. Page 15

16 Attendance This year s attendance up to 17 July is 96.97%. If this level continues until the end of term we will have almost met our target of 97%. However, we often find that attendance drops in the last week of term as children are taken out of school early for holidays. Dalmain School Grove Close Brockley Rise London SE23 1AS Phone: info@dalmain.lewisham.sch.uk We do appreciate that it can be much cheaper to get flights before the end of term but we must stress that any absence at this time of year for holidays will NOT be authorised. Children are expected to be in school until the last day of term, Thursday 19 July. In previous years we have listed children with 100% attendance in our summer newsletter, This year, apart from our Year 6 leavers, we will not be announcing the 100% list until September, so that we have an accurate list of children who were present every day until the very end of term. As in previous years, children who had 100% attendance will be rewarded with a trip to the pantomime at Christmas. This year the class with the best punctuality was Galway class. As a reward, children were taken to Moon Lane Bookshop for a storytelling session. Our target for next year s attendance is aga 97%. Please help us to achieve this target by not taking holidays during term time and making sure your child comes to school ready to learn every day unless they are too ill to come to school. Apps We have a Dalmain School app which contains useful information such as diary dates search for Dalmain in the app store. There is also a ParentMail app which you can use to make payments and read school correspondence easily from your smartphone. Search for ParentMail and sign up to receive updates from the school. WWW. DA L M A I N. L E W I S H A M. S C H. UK Term dates FIRST DAY LAST DAY 2018 Autumn Term Tuesday 4 September Friday 19 October Half term Monday 22 October Friday 26 October Monday 29 October Thursday 20 December 2019 Spring Term Tuesday 8 January Friday 15 February Half Term Monday 18 February Friday 22 February Monday 25 February Friday 5 April 2019 Summer Term Tuesday 23 April Friday 24 May I day closure for May Bank Holiday on Monday 6 May 2019 Half term Monday 27 May Friday 31 May Tuesday 4 June Monday 22 July We will write to you in the first week of the Autumn term with dates for your diary. INSET days: Mon 3 Sept 2018, Fri 21 Dec 2018, Mon 7 Jan 2019, Mon 3 June 2019, Tues 23 July 2019