Pupils enjoyed a multi-cultural lunch today to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
Dear Parents/Carers,
I hope this email finds you well.
We have had a good start to the new year.
Top Award Winners Wk beginning January 10th
Our core value for this week was Humility
5T – Sarrina
5H Emme
6O Alfie
6M Gabriel
7I Hannah
7L Oscar
8N Matt
8S Joey
P&Q Award Winner
Those children who show they are kind, friendly and respectful around the school during a school week (so those who “mind their Ps & Qs”) are awarded a P&Q slip. Each week the child who is drawn from those awarded a P&Q award wins a book of their choice.
Each term the school draws one winner from all those awarded a P&Q slip during that term.
The P & Q award winner for the Autumn term 2021 is…Ethan in Year 6. Ethan wins a £10 Amazon voucher.
Well done to all the award winners!
November Reading Challenge Award Winner tells us the books he bought
During November and early December children took part in our November Reading Challenge. Every book a child read gained a ticket into a prize draw where the winner won a £20 Waterstones book voucher.
Danny in Yr 6 won the first prize and below he tells us the books he bought with this award
A Kestrel For a Knave by Barry Hines
I chose this as I particularly enjoy novels set in real life rather than fantasy worlds and my Mum told me about “Kes” which is the film adaptation of the book. It is about Billy Caspar, a troubled teenager growing up in a Yorkshire mining town who discovers a new passion and inspiration in life when he finds Kes, a kestrel hawk.
he Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Another story based on real life events. It tels the story of life in Nazi Germany from the German point of view. I was drawn to it by this, written on the back of my edition of the book: “This is the tale of the Book Thief, as narrated by death. And when death tells a story you really have to listen.” All I know so far is that the story was inspired by the stories told by the author’s parents and that it’s about a hungry, illiterate girl who has such a desire to read that she steals books. I’m also wondering how it will work to have “Death” as the narrator?
Z for Zachariah by Robert C O’Brien
The key character in this book is living alone in a valley fearing that she is the only survivor of a devastating nuclear war. The book is described as a “terrifyign battle of wills between a girl and the last man on Earth”. I was curious to find out what life might have been like in the aftermath of a nuclear war. Mr Murtagh told me that the book gave him nightmares when he read it at my age so this makes me want to read it even more!
Thank you to Danny for telling us the books he’s bought with his award.
I hope you have a good weekend.
Take care,
Liam
Dear Parents/Carers,
I hope this email finds you well. We have had a good first week back at school.
Well done to the following children who won this week’s TOP Award.
TOP Awards Week beginning Jan 3rd
This week our core value is Endurance
5T – Matthew
5H – Jake
6O – Mary-Anne
6M – Grace
7I – Josh
7L – Amy
8N – Euan
8S – Archie
Well done to all these award winners.
Please remember that:
Children in Key Stage Three are recommended to wear face coverings
All staff, and children in Years 7 & 8 have been advised that unless exempt, they should wear a face covering in classrooms as well as communal areas of school including corridors and halls. In addition, they are required to wear face coverings on school transport. Please support us by providing your child – if they are in Key Stage 3 – with an appropriate face covering every day.
The advice is short term only and will be reviewed on the 26 January, in line with the review on Plan B measures.
Continued regular LFD Testing for KS3 children
Children in Key Stage Three are strongly encouraged to continue testing twice weekly at home and then for the results to be reported to NHS Test and Trace and to school. In the event of a positive LFD result, please contact school to let us know. From 11 January those children who do not have symptoms and have a positive lateral flow will still have to isolate, but will no longer take a PCR.
Even if your child has tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days, they are strongly encouraged to take part in LFD testing once they have completed their isolation period for their prior infection.
Symptomatic PCR testing
If your child develops symptoms at any time (including a high temperature; a new, continuous cough; or a loss or change to their sense of smell or taste and in addition sore throat or headaches) they must immediately self-isolate, and book a PCR test by visiting https://www.gov.uk/get-
Isolation
Since Wednesday 22 December, the 10 day self-isolation period for people who record a positive PCR test result for COVID-19 has been reduced to 7 days in most circumstances, unless you cannot test for any reason.
Children may now take LFD tests on day 6 and day 7 of their self-isolation period. Those who receive two negative test results are no longer required to complete 10 full days of self-isolation. The first test must be taken no earlier than day 6 of the self-isolation period and tests must be taken 24 hours apart. If both these test results are negative, and you do not have a high temperature, you may end your self-isolation after the second negative test result and return to school from day 8.
Daily testing for close contacts
People who are fully vaccinated, or children and young people aged between 5 and 18 years and 6 months, identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19, should take an LFD test every day for seven days and continue to attend their setting as normal, unless they have a positive test result or develop symptoms at any time. This is so that any subsequent positive cases can be quickly picked up and for self isolation to begin as soon as possible. We will continue to distribute test kits as needed to pupils in Year 7 and Year 8.
Remote learning Work is on Google Classroom
Work for remote learning during self isolation – if a pupil is well enough to complete it – is available on Google Classroom. Please do not hesitate to contact our school if there are any problems accessing the work.
We realise that this is a difficult time. We will keep you updated with any further information however always remember that you can contact us if you have any problems or concerns.
Take care,
Liam Murtagh – Headteacher
Our Year 8 pupils all did a wonderful job making and decorating their Christmas Cakes this year. The winners were chosen from unnamed photographs by a team of judges.
Winner – Lacey
Second Place – Katie
Third Place – Noah
Highly Commended – Imogen
Dear Parents/Carers,
It has been a good week at Dr Thomlinson CofE Middle School. Year 5 & 6 enjoyed a great trip to see The Sorcerer’s Apprentice at Northern Stage, Newcastle whilst Year 8 took part in our annual “Design a Christmas Cake” competition.
Positive Covid Cases
During this week the number of confirmed positive cases at our school has fallen to 2%. The additional mitigations we have put in place over the past three weeks are still in place. Our school remains open and your child should continue to attend as normal if they remain well. NHS Test & Trace will contact individuals who have been identified as a close contact.
November Reading Challenge
Today was the last day of our November Reading Challenge in which children were challenged to read three books each by a different author. Well done to all those pupils who have participated. Every book read will earn a ticket in next week’s prize draw.
During November I too took up the challenge and have read a range of children’s fiction. This week I read:
Stuntboy, in the Meantime… by Jason Reynolds
As a longtime fan of the Diary of the Wimpy Kid series – I saw Jeff Kinney live at Newcastle City Hall and the book (and subsequent film of) Rodrick Rules holds a very special place in my heart – I do enjoy an illustrated novel. However there are far more illustrated novels available than Diary of a Wimpy Kid books and this is none more so demonstrated by the excellent “Stuntboy, in the meantime” by Jason Reynolds.
Portico Reeves is a school boy who is also a self styled superhero named “Stuntboy”. He is the newest superhero in town…or at least he is in his own head. If you like the Wimpy Kid series then you’ll also enjoy the exploits of “Stuntboy”. I’d recommend this book to children in Year 5.
TOP Awards Week beginning Dec 6th
This week our core value is Justice
5T – Josh
5H – India
6O – Mary-Anne
6M – Danny
7I – Jacob
7L – Toby / Finley
8N – Imogen
8S – Ellie
This week’s P&Q award winner is Skye in Yr 8.
Well done to all of these award winners
Wednesday 15th December – Christmas Dinner Day!
Christmas Dinner will be served next Wednesday. Children are able to come to school in a Christmas Jumper – those doing so are invited to make a contribution of £1.
Take care,
Liam Murtagh – Headteacher
