Spotastic!

Hello and welcome back to the Year Five Blog!

We went completely and utterly dotty this week. No, seriously, we did! Children in Need Day is always special at Dorchester Middle School and this year was no exception! More of that later. 

In the meantime, let's delve into the magical world of Year Five...

Worth a Mention Children

Huge pats on the back and mahoosive congratulations to the children who made their way onto this week's Worth a Mention Board. I am incredibly impressed with the reasons why your teachers have chosen you - well done.

I can't wait to see who will be on next week's board...

Children in Need

What a fantastic day! We were spotty, stripy, with Teddy Bears and without Teddy Bears and trying hard not cringe when watching the teachers attempt to sing! 

We also had a special visitor - the lovely Mrs Johnson from Prince of Wales First School who had come back to see how the children who were in her class last year were getting on.

I think the children were rather pleased to see her!

I don't know the final fundraising total as yet but I will let you know on next week's Blog.

Thank you to EVERYONE for their support on Friday. You all looked marvellous and your generosity was simply outstanding.

NSPCC comes to DMS

On Tuesday and Wednesday next week, the NSPCC will be coming to visit Years Five and Six to deliver their 'Speak Out Stay Safe' Campaign.

Taken from their website:

Speak out Stay safe is delivered by trained NSPCC staff and volunteers. Teachers are present throughout the assembly so everyone's familiar with the topics covered after the visit.

The Speak out Stay safe assembly helps children understand about different types of abuse so that they can get help if or when they need it. 

The assembly helps children to identify a trusted adult they can speak to if they are worried about themselves or a friend. They also learn about Childline, and how the service can support them.

During the workshops, children in Years 5-6 explore the definitions of abuse in greater depth. They take part in engaging exercises, including looking at different scenarios and deciding whether they are OK or not OK.

We have hosted the NSPCC at Dorchester Middle School before and the children have found it interesting, useful and informative.

Golden Time

I am sad to tell you that 28 children missed their Golden Time on Friday.

Sometimes we forget things (I am the first one to admit to that) and we have the odd blip here and there, we are human after all! Some of us learn from our mistakes, some of us don't. 

All I am going to do is show you this:

British Museum here we come!

The date has been set - Friday 16th March 2018.

This is one of the highlights of the academic year and we can't wait to go!

Letters should have come home with regards to the trip, if you didn't receive a copy then please do let your child's Homebase Tutor know as soon as possible.

Any parent helpers MUST have a DMS DBS check in place and please be mindful that places will be limited - I would love to take everybody but I don't think there will be room on the coach!

I am going to warn you now that we have a very early start on the day of the trip - we have to leave school by 6am at the absolute latest. There. I said it.

Watch this space for updates.

Well, that's it for another week. I hope you have a super seven days and I will look forward to seeing you back here next week.

Please do feel free to comment on the Blog, it is truly wonderful when you do.

Mrs Ray

(whose team came second, yes, second at the Pudsey Bear Quiz on Friday night!)

Always remember them

Hello and welcome back to the Year Five Blog!

I hope you have all had a good week and didn't find the five day week too much of a culture shock? I don't know about you but the moment I step inside the school door I don't stop! I can imagine we all feel like that in our various workplaces don't we? Our super children must feel like that too - I guess that's a good thing as I would hate to think that anyone had a spare moment - heaven forbid!

Well, after all of that, let's see what has been going on in the wonderful world of Year Five...

The Great DMS Bake Off

On Monday, the Food Tech room was alive with the smell of cake!

Year Five's contribution was incredible! I didn't envy the poor judges who had to choose the winning cakes...

Our fabulous judges Mrs Scott, Mrs Mayo and Mrs Edmonds.

Here are the winning cakes...

Aren't they incredible? Huge congratulations to all of the children who took part in the competition. All of you were so marvellous that you all got a prize which is simply brilliant. 

Well done one and all!

Worth a Mention Children

A massive 'well done' to all of the fabulous children who found their names on this week's Worth a Mention Board.

Impressive reasons, impressive children. 

I would just like to say that Mrs Daniel was awarded a Star Sticker because she is always the first teacher to write on the Worth a Mention Board on a Thursday night/Friday morning.

I think she was pleased, don't you?

Be Safe, Be Seen

Wessex FM, along with Firths Opticians in partnership with IJ Brown is, once again keeping children safe this winter by giving away free reflective stickers.

The look really cool on school bags, coats, bikes and scooters.

Local schools were asked to apply for them and so we did.

Vicky from Wessex FM came along to school on Friday to deliver the stickers to our Pupil Voice Representatives and to record a message that will be played on air in the next couple of weeks.

Listen out for them!

Pupil Voice Representatives 2017 - 2018 

Whilst I'm on the subject of Pupil Voice Representatives, I am delighted to present our brand new recruits.

What a fine group of boys and girls!

I know they will do your classes proud - you have chosen well.

Life in the Hot Seat

In our English lessons, we have been learning about Reading Journals and how to use them as a way to respond to what we are reading. The book we have been using to get started is 'Way Home', a story set in an Australian City.

One of the activities that we do is to write a diary entry as the main character Shane. To help the children do this, we hot seat the character first.

In 5MW, Flo took on the character of Shane and she was absolutely brilliant!

Golden Time

So, 20 children missed their Golden Time this week which is a big improvement from last week. Well done.

Now, remember that if ALL of you get your Golden Time next week (or at any time in the year), I will join you in the playground with a skipping rope and skip in my high heels.

I better get the paramedics on stand-by!

Well, that's it for another week.

Have a good week everyone and I'll see you back here for the next installment of life in Year Five.

Mrs Ray  

(who was very, very proud of Year Five when they were lined up outside for our two minutes silence to commemorate Remembrance Day on Friday)