If you go down to the woods today...

Hello and welcome back to the Year Five Blog!

Well, another busy week, the highlight being our trip to Buddens.

I am pleased to report that the lining up is slowly getting better, however,  I have had a few members of staff informing me of the inconsistency of this new life skill so I'm afraid we're not quite there. Yet.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings - let's crack on!

Celebration Assembly Reminder

We are so looking forward to seeing you on Thursday for our Celebration Assembly.

Please remember to sign in as you arrive at school and we will bring you down to the Hall as soon as it is ready. I want you now, there may be a whiff of school lunches as you enter!

In order for a credit to 'count', it needs to be initialled by, where possible, the teacher who awarded it in the first place. Just a dot in the diary does not count!

Parent Consultations

We are looking forward to seeing you on Monday and Wednesday for our first round of Parent Consultations.

The aim of the evening is to discuss how your child is settling into their new school and how they are coping with life in Year Five.

If you have not yet made an appointment it is still worth checking to see if your child's Homebase Tutor has any spaces.

Worth a Mention Children

Huge congratulations to the whole year group! 

It was such a lovely surprise to see everyone up there and quite rightly so!

I am so delighted that you represented the school so positively - well done!

Sporting Achievements

Our Year Five children have been very busy at becoming sporting stars in their own right!

We have had Year Five children participating in Netball, Rugby and Football matches in recent weeks.

On Tuesday, our Year Five boys played a match against Radipole Primary School. 

Here is the report of the game from Mr Roberts:

Although our youngest pupils scored less goals than their Weymouth adversaries - they were not beaten.

Our Year 5 Football Team showed a resilience that belied their young ages - they refused to give in,they tackled furiously,tracked every player and showed great dignity.

Well done boys.

Star Performer - Harry B

Buddens

What a fantastic trip that was!

Our Thursday trip was full of sunshine and squirrels. We saw some incredible things and it was such a joy to watch our children enjoy the delights of such beautiful surroundings.

Here are a few pictures of our day... 

When we got back to school, we had a good look at the impressive things that the children had collected.

It was a truly fabulous day and the children got a lot out of the day. We are now busy with the follow-up work, starting with the writing of a recount of our visit.

Watch this space...

Well, that's it for another week. I hope you have a good week and I will look forward to seeing you back here with lots of tales of the final week of the first half term.

Mrs Ray

(whose eyes may have 'accidentally' closed on the coach on the way back to school from Buddens!) 

Getting to really know you...

Hello and welcome back to the Year Five Blog!

Oh my! 

Another jam-packed week, most of it feels as though it has been dedicated to the ancient art of 'lining up'. It is a specialist skill that involves complex detail such as lining up in a straight line, facing the front and not chatting! I think we are getting there, slowly but surely...

Anyway, enough about that, let's see what's new in Year Five.

Celebration Assembly

Our first Celebration Assembly of the year will be held on Thursday 19th October at 2.05pm. We ask that you are in school around 1.55pm, making sure that you sign in on your arrival. The assembly usually lasts for about 20 minutes and will focus on what the children have achieved in such a short time.

We look forward to seeing you then.

Parent Consultations

Although there is quite a short turnaround time, we are busy making appointments to meet with many of you a week Monday (4pm - 6pm) and Wednesday (5pm - 7pm). We are looking forward to meeting with you and discussing how the children have settled into their new school.

Please don't forget to send the completed slip into school ASAP so that your child's Homebase Tutor can give you an appointment day/time.

We are so looking forward to meeting with you.

Buddens

Next week sees Year Five breaking free from Dorchester and invading the beautiful Buddens outside Wareham.

The children have been told what they need to bring and what they need to wear on the day - if this information has not reached you then please do let your child's Homebase Tutor know as soon as possible!

Life Education Van

This week, Naomi and the Life Education Van visited Dorchester Middle School.

Naomi had a fabulous time with the Year Group and was so impressed with the maturity and positivity that the children demonstrated in the sessions.

My personal highlight was meeting Harold - he is a legend!

Dorchester University

I hope that your children are enjoying the Dorchester University experience as much as we are?

I am loving my module The Art of St Ives - we have learnt so much and had a lot of fun in the process!

The wonderful Mrs Schnorr has been coming in to help every week and been a complete and utter star. However, after the presentation of 17 beautiful, handmade aprons, she has now been elevated to 'Goddess' status!

Aren't they fabulous? 

Clever Mrs Schnorr!

Worth a Mention Children

Huge congratulations to this week's WAMs! What incredible children you are...

So well deserved - well done!

New Residents

You may have heard that we have welcomed a new group to Dorchester Middle School?

Yes, that's right - we now have chickens!

They are rescued Battery Hens and they have made themselves right at home. Their feathers are starting to grow back and they have even managed to lay a few eggs for us in the process!

Miss Still is the mastermind behind this and I think we can safely say that she has bonded with our new recruits...

Gorgeous! I wasn't quite brave enough to hold one myself (which is ironic as I am a farmer's daughter!) but I did stroke the chicken, making sure I washed my hands afterwards.

They are very welcome additions to the DMS Family aren't they?

So, that's it for another week!

I am looking forward to reporting back from our Buddens Trip, I really hope that they weather is kind to us.

Have a good week and I'll see you back here next weekend!

Mrs Ray

(...who had fun at a family wedding at the weekend! I'm not the only one who has a bonkers family, right?)

Heading in the right direction...

Hello and welcome back to the Year Five Blog!

We have had another super week - the children are cracking on with their learning and I am delighted to see the children enjoying their lessons and embracing all the fantastic opportunities that Dorchester Middle School has to offer. 

It has been fabulous to see how many Year Five children have joined the clubs that we run at lunch times and after school. These clubs are provided and  run by members of staff and Mr Roberts proudly reported this week that 411 children had attended the variety of Sports Clubs that his department provide. 

Brilliant!

Life Education Van

We had a very special delivery on the playground on Friday afternoon - the Life Education Van!

On Monday and Tuesday, the children will be taking part in their programme entitled 'Friends'. I am so looking forward to it but I'm not looking forward to Harold's dreadful jokes - you know what I mean don't you?!

Give. Me. Strength.

PE/Games Kit

I am so pleased that you are enjoying your PE and Games Lessons - there are so many sports that are taught to you in Year Five - you are so lucky. However (you knew it was coming!) you are taking FOREVER to get changed at the end of the lessons and many of you are late for your next lesson!

 Also, quite a few of you are forgetting your PE/Games Kit. Mr Palmer was telling me the other day that 8 children did not have their kit for one of his lessons. Eek! 

If you are finding it hard to remember your kit, what don't you make a note of when you need it in your Home/School Diary? That should help you remember it on the right day.

Good luck and let's see an improvement.

Worth a Mention Children

Huge congratulation to this week's chosen ten!

It has been so lovely to see how the children react when they see their names on the board.

Magic!

Socks in a Box

This week, two of our school's Pupil Voice Representatives went to a DASP event at St Osmund's to learn more about the United Nation's Global Goals.

The Goals provide a unifying golden thread for schools that bridge subject and age divide. They can help engage parents and local communities in both learning together and taking action.

One of the things that all the DASP schools will be doing over the next couple of weeks is to collect socks (size 12 -3 would be ideal) to take to the refugees who are being supported by the organisation Blandford Cares. As the weather takes a turn towards Winter, socks are a quick and easy way to help keep the children warm.

There will be boxes in the classroom for the children to deposit their donated socks. We have already had a few donations which is incredible. 

Let's help make a difference!

Well, that's it for another week. I hope you all have a good few days and I will, as always, 'see' you back here for the next installment.

Mrs Ray

(who had a go at creating various pieces of pottery at the weekend, very badly. I don't think I'll be ditching the teaching just yet!)

Full steam ahead!

Hello and welcome back to the Year Five Blog!

Can you believe that our new recruits have already been with us for two and a half weeks? Would someone be so kind as to explain to me how and why that time went so quickly? I am so proud of how well the children continue to settle in, well done to one and all!

Worth a Mention Children

Huge congratulations to this week's Worth a Mention Children - what a fantastic range of reasons - I hope the chosen ten are proud of themselves. 

Golden Time

I was so impressed with all the children who earned their Golden Time this week - getting used to a new way of doing things can be tough at the best of times so well done to those children who met all the requirements.

I really do appreciate that some children are nearly there when it comes to Golden Time, it is just making sure that the Home/School Diary is signed from the previous week, there are five initials and dates in the Reading Record and that Homework is handed in on time. 

If completing Homework is a struggle then Study Group is available at lunchtime every day. You will need to eat your lunch first and then go to ICT where Mrs Gaffney or Mrs Webb will be there to let you into the room. If you are finding your Homework difficult then, in the first instance, please do let your teacher know so that they can point you in the right direction.

I am pretty confident that everyone will be receiving their Golden Time sooner rather than later!

Uniform

You are all still looking smart and lovely which is marvellous!

As the cold weather is starting to creep in, now might be a good time to share a quick reminder about the uniform policy as I have noticed that boots are starting to be worn by the  few of the girls:

During Winter time only, boots may be worn under trousers so long as they cannot be seen.

I have also noticed that a few of the children are wearing trainer socks:

Girls

Dark grey tights (thick) or dark grey/ black socks (no running or training socks)

 Boys

Grey/black ankle socks or knee length socks (no running or training socks)

There is so much to take in when starting a brand new school isn't there? Hopefully this will help.

Trips in Year Five

Hopefully you have now received the letters about our trip to Buddens Farm just outside Wareham. It's a fabulous trip and one which the children will get a lot out of.

If you would like to accompany us on trips in the future (and we have a few of them coming up this year) you will need to have a valid DMS DBS Check in order to do so. Forms are available from the School Office. Once your check has been completed and approved then it will be valid for the entire time that your child is at Dorchester Middle School.

So, that's it for another week! I hope you all have a fabulous week and I will look forward to seeing you back here for more information and news.

Mrs Ray

(who has spent HOURS helping her Year 5 daughter with her Ancient Greek homework - I am not a fan of Archimedes!)